12:30 pm. PTC. "My Darling Clementine". A month of presentations about great films which received no Oscar nominations begins with a classic John Ford Western.  The film explores the changes that occur when a frontier becomes part of a lawful society. Henry Fonda and Walter Brennan are superb and the cinematography is magnificent.

Monday, January 9:
9:30 am. Palatine Questers. "The Battle Of Trenton". In one bold, stunning move, George Washington changed the course of history, crossing an ice filled river on Christmas night to turn the tide of the American Revolution. Through vivid storytelling you will Bradford will make the drama, improbability and energy of that unprecedented battle come alive in this fast paced one man show!

12:30 pm. PTC. "The First Ladies: Part One". Each of the women who served as First Lady brought a unique approach, style and personality to this highly visible position.  By learning their singular stories, we can see how the roles of women have evolved in America.

Tuesday, January 10:
9:30 am. Arlington Heights Questers. "Black Friday: The Murder Of Abraham Lincoln".  The dramatic conspiracy to murder America's greatest President springs to life in a one man show that will move you as become swept up in the tide of events that would change the nation forever. This presentation has earned standing ovations across the USA; now it to comes to Arlington Heights for a very special presentation!

Friday, January 13
12:00 pm. PTC. "A Night At The Opera" The Marx Brothers' greatest film proves that they were more than wild, anarchic vaudevillians.  Irving Thalberg, the genius of MGM, famously told them that this film would contain half as many jokes as their previous films - and make twice as much money.  He was right.  Terrific production values, an excellent supporting cast and a hilarious script make this an all time great comedy.

Monday, January 16:
12:30 pm. PTC. "Rosa Parks." As we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., it is important to remember the tremendous contributions of women to the movement for freedom in the USA.  Rosa Parks exists in our mind as an iconic legend, but who was she really and what did she do before and after her legendary moment in the news?

Thursday, January 19:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Early Days Of TV: I Love Lucy." The early days of television brought laughter to America in the 1950s - laughter that continues today! Each session will be peppered with fabulous anecdotes, numerous video clips and an inside look at the stories behind "I Love Lucy."

Friday, January 20
10:30 am. PTC. "The Girl She Used To Be" Join us for a discussion of the first half of this wonderful novel. After 20 years in the Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC) and eight aliases, Melody Grace McCartney hardly knows who she is.

12:00 pm. PTC. "Fail Safe" A gripping, riveting drama (Starring Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau) that captures you within minutes and keeps you in suspense until the final frame.  I'll discuss the history of the Cold War in film and show how the stark contrast of black and white mirrors our conflict with Russia.

Monday, January 23:
12:30 pm. PTC. "The First Ladies: Part Two" Today we will learn about the First Ladies of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each of the women who served as First Lady brought a unique approach, style and personality to this highly visible position.  By learning their singular stories, we can see how the roles of women have evolved in America.

Thursday, January 26:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Early Days Of TV: The Honeymooners." The Honeymooners lasted only 39 episodes - but those episodes are considered classics. (Gleason went on to revive The Honeymooners as sketches and hour-long specials off and on through 1978.) What can this rare look at working class New Yorkers in the 1950s tell us about the era?  And why does it still make us laugh?

Friday, January 27
10:30 am. PTC. "The Girl She Used To Be" Join us as we conclude a discussion of this wonderful novel. After 20 years in the Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC) and eight aliases, Melody Grace McCartney hardly knows who she is.

12:00 pm. PTC. "Bringing Up Baby" Today I'll discuss the history of the "screwball comedy and show one of its greatest examples.  Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and director Howard Hawks created a film that is still fresh and funny - and which still has no Oscars!

Monday, January 30:
12:30 pm. PTC. "The Next Woman President" The high visibility campaigns of Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann have made the election of a female President seem to be just a matter of time.  But intrepid women have been seeking the Presidency for 140 years!  Come and learn the fascinating stories behind their runs - and hear my prediction for who will eventually become the first woman President.

February, 2012

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Thursday, February 2:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Early Days Of TV: The Sid Caesar Shows" Sid Caesar's two shows - "Your Show Of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour" boasted incredible talent in front of the camera - and equally impressive talent in the writing room.  Though rarely seen today, these two shows are wildly inventive, hilariously funny and utterly original.

12:30 pm. PTC. "The Shawshank Redemption" A month of presentations about great films which received no Oscars, despite multiple nominations begins with a modern classic that while magnificent, was a total bomb at the box office.  I will explain how the abysmal failure of this great film changed the way movies are marketed before showing a completely restored, astonishingly clear blu-ray copy.

Monday, February 6:
12:30 pm. PTC. "The Stories You Want To Hear: JFK And The Mob" In February I will present on topics you have most frequently requested! Today - the much rumored relationship between the Kennedy Clan and the Mafia comes under the lens of historical accuracy.


Thursday, February 9:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Early Days Of TV: The Sid Caesar Shows" The Dick Van Dyke show ushered in the 1960s.  It looks much more modern in its depiction of marriage, child rearing, the workplace and suburbia than do our previous shows.  It is funny, observant, sexy, charming and thoroughly entertaining!

Friday, February 10
10:30 am. PTC. "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" Join us for a discussion of the first half of this wonderful novel. A charming novel of Southern women, eccentric, strong and delightfully offbeat!

12:00 pm. PTC. "Citizen Kane" Any discussion of American film begins with this film, widely hailed as the greatest film ever made.  Why?  What makes it  so special?  And how did it get no Oscars whatsoever?

Monday, February 13:
12:30 pm. PTC. "The Stories You Want To Hear: 9-11 Conspiracy" In February I will present on topics you have most frequently requested! Websites and conspiracy theories abound regarding 9-11.  Was America really attacked from the outside or was there some sort of sinister government conspiracy to draw us into a war for oil or revenge?  What do we learn from the historical documents?

Wednesday, February 15:
9:30 am, 1:00 pm, 7:00 pm. McHenry College. "The Montgomery Bus Boycott" America had been legally segregated for over half a century.  Breaking down that entrenched power took moral courage, personal strength, a charismatic leader and over a year of sacrifice.  Celebrate the heroes and learn the little known stories of how people power began to change the world, beginning with Rosa Parks' lonely bus ride.

Thursday, February 16:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Funny Ladies: Fanny Brice" Fanny Brice was truly one of a kind!  A gifted comic, a torch singer, an actress, radio and Broadway star and a unique celebrity. 

Friday, February 17
10:30 am. PTC. "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" Join us for a discussion of the second half of this wonderful novel. A charming novel of Southern women, eccentric, strong and delightfully offbeat!

12:00 pm. PTC. "North By Northwest" Oscar never recognized Cary Grant or Cary Grant.  Not even when they worked together on one of the masterpieces of suspense!  I'll explain Hitchcock's unique career and personality.

Monday, February 20:
12:30 pm. PTC. "The Stories You Want To Hear: The Psychological Biography of Barack Obama" In February I will present on topics you have most frequently requested! After presenting psychological biographies of all the GOP contenders for President, I was challenged to do the the same for President Obama.  We will look at his uniquely American story, starting from a unique childhood through academic superstar at Harvard and an unlikely rise to the Presidency.

Thursday, February 23:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Funny Ladies: Gracie Allen" She was a trailblazing comedienne whose zany delivery and razor sharp timing made Burns and Allen a top act in vaudeville, radio, theater, film and television for half a century.

Friday, February 24
10:30 am. PTC. "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" Join us for a discussion of the second half of this wonderful novel. A charming novel of Southern women, eccentric, strong and delightfully offbeat!

12:00 pm. PTC. "Dr. Strangelove" A brilliant dark comedy about the cold war, filled with memorable performances, unforgettable lines and a tone that has never been duplicated.

The story concerns an unhinged Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack on Russia. It follows the President, his advisers, the military and a RAF officer as they try to recall the bombers. It may not sound funny, but it is darkly, wickedly funny.

Monday, February 27:
12:30 pm. PTC "The Stories You Want To Hear: The Life and Death Of Marilyn Monroe" In February I will present on topics you have most frequently requested! The death of Marilyn Monroe has puzzled researchers and led to many conspiracy theories.  Was she murdered?  Did she commit suicide?  Were the Kennedy Brothers involved with her death?  What does the evidence reveal?

7:00 pm. CLC. "The First Ladies: Part One" Each of the women who served as First Lady brought a unique approach, style and personality to this highly visible position.  By learning their singular stories, we can see how the roles of women have evolved in America.

March, 2012

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Thursday, March 1:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Funny Ladies: Roseanne" Few comediennes have been as popular, as disliked and as controversial as the self proclaimed "Domestic Goddess"  From her youth as a Jew in Mormon Utah through her wildly popular sitcom, to her current run for President, Roseanne presents a fascinating image for us to explore.


Friday, March 2:
10:30 am. PTC. "Of Human Bondage" Join us for a discussion of the first half of this classic Somerset Maugham novel. From an orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever.

12:00 pm. PTC. "Vertigo" We begin a month in which we celebrate the best actresses never to win an Oscar.  Today we feature the wonderful Kim Novak in another Hitchcock suspense masterpiece, "Vertigo" costarring Jimmy Stewart.

Monday, March 5:
12:30 pm. PTC "The Civil War: 1860-1861" In March I will offer a series of presentations on the history of the Civil War. Today I will focus on the election of Lincoln, the secession movement and the fall of Fort Sumter - the opening moments in the worst war in USA History.

7:00 pm. CLC. "The First Ladies: Part Two" Today we will learn about the First Ladies of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each of the women who served as First Lady brought a unique approach, style and personality to this highly visible position.  By learning their singular stories, we can see how the roles of women have evolved in America.

Thursday, March 8:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "The Funny Ladies: Ellen DeGeneres" Ellen's sitcom and subsequent "coming out" has transformed American comedy and changed the discussion of the rights of gay people.  This multi-talented performer has led a uniquely American life and that makes for a great session!

Friday, March 9:
10:30 am. PTC. "Of Human Bondage" Join us for a discussion of the second half of this classic Somerset Maugham novel. From an orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever.

12:00 pm. PTC. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" We continue  a month in which we celebrate the best actresses never to win an Oscar.  Today we feature the luminous Lana Turner in a a film noir classic - a steamy, sexy tale of adultery, passion and murder.

Monday, March 12:
12:30 pm. PTC "The Civil War: 1862" In March I will offer a series of presentations on the history of the Civil War. Today I will focus on the horrible year of 1862, a year which confirmed that the war would be a long and bloody one.

7:00 pm. CLC. "What Really Happened: Christopher Columbus" Columbus landed in the New World on on October 12, 1492.  We know that, but we do not where he landed!  The purpose of his trips and the effects of the mingling of the environments and cultures of two hemispheres have changed life on Earth in countless ways.

Wednesday, March 14:
1:30 pm. Wilmette Theater "The Next President: The Back Story"The next President will face unprecedented challenges.  Will they be up to the job?  Join former National Teacher of the Year and lecturer, Barry Bradford, as he explores the family background, unique challenges and psychological history of each candidate. Fascinating anecdotes, little known stories and interesting insights highlight this fast moving program.

Thursday, March 15:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "Ike: A Presidential Psychobiography" Today we begin a month of Presidential history, focusing on the personal history of the men who have led the USA. Dwight Eisenhower's rise from a barefoot boy in Kansas to the Presidency is an American story to be savored.

Monday, March 19:
12:30 pm. PTC "The Civil War: 1863" In March I will offer a series of presentations on the history of the Civil War. Today I will focus on the turning point year in American history 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation, the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the promotion of U. S. Grant to General of the Armies began the transformation of the War.

7:00 pm. CLC. "What Really Happened: The Alamo" The battle of the Alamo is an iconic moment in American history - yet is also badly misunderstood, poorly remembered and often misconstrued.  Come an learn what really happened - and what it really means!

Tuesday, March 20:
7:00 pm. Wildwood "Who Killed JFK?" The murder of JFK altered USA History in ways we can barely fathom.  It has also provided a 50 year mystery that continues to intrigue Americans.  Using the latest scientific findings, previously secret documents, and previously unknown evidence, historian Barry Bradford will present a sure to be controversial answer to the question of who killed JFK.

Thursday, March 22:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "JFK: A Presidential Psychobiography" We continue a month of Presidential history, focusing on the personal history of the men who have led the USA. JFK has been called an "elusive hero"  - charismatic, heroic, immoral and conniving. With a special focus on his childhood, health and the PT 109 incident, we'll learn what made this fascinating man tick.

Friday, March 23:
9:45 am. PTC. "Of Human Bondage" Join us for a viewing of the movie based on classic Somerset Maugham novel. From an orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever.

12:00 pm. PTC. "The Big Sleep" We continue  a month in which we celebrate the best actresses never to win an Oscar.  Today we feature the sultry Lauren Bacall in a classic  mystery, co-starring Humphrey Bogart.

Monday, March 26:
12:30 pm. PTC "The Civil War: 1864-5" In March I will offer a series of presentations on the history of the Civil War. Today I will focus on the dramatic end of the War and the murder of Abraham Lincoln.

7:00 pm. CLC. "What Really Happened: The Women's Suffrage Movement" The movement to grant women the vote was a long, slow process, filled with many heroines and many setbacks.  Ultimately triumphant, the movement inspired the non-violent revolutions of the 1950s and 60s.

Thursday, March 29:
1:00 pm. Oasis. "LBJ: A Presidential Psychobiography" We continue a month of Presidential history, focusing on the personal history of the men who have led the USA. LBJ is one of the most complex men ever to serve as President.  This presntation is fast moving, funny, and utterly compelling!


Friday, March 30:
12:00 pm. PTC. "The Seven Year Itch" We finish a month in which we celebrate the best actresses never to win an Oscar with the fabulous Marilyn Monroe in a classic 1950s sex comedy.

April, 2012

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12:30 pm. PTC. "My Darling Clementine". A month of presentations about great films which received no Oscar nominations begins

May, 2012

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12:30 pm. PTC. "My Darling Clementine". A month of presentations about great films which received no Oscar nominations begins