How I love to spend my summers - with classic movies!

Columbus just announced its summer classic movie series. Here are my takes on their (mostly) wonderful slate. Never mind the sun - here is where I will be spending much of my summer.

Note: For any Ohio friends who are reading this, the weekday screenings are tough for me to make, but weekends usually work, Dayton's series is due to be announced in May. 

Rear Window (1954) Friday, June 4, 7:30 pm Sunday, June 6, 2 pm & 7:30 pm  James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr Seen it several times. After all, it is my second-favorite Hitch, next to Vertigo.

It Happened One Night (1934) Wednesday & Thursday, June 9 & 10, 7:30 pm daily Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly You know most of the cliches that run rampant in most rom-coms? This film invented most of them - and did them better.

FRIGHT NITE DOUBLE FEATURE! Friday, June 11, 7:30 pm SERIES PREMIERE! Frankenstein (1931) Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Mae Clarke SERIES PREMIERE! The Wolf Man (1941) Lon Chaney, Jr., Claude Rains, Bela Lugosi What a fun double! Frankenstein deserves its reputation. Can't speak to The Wolf Man, but it's gotta be better than this year's movie.

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Saturday, June 12, 7:30 pm Sunday, June 13, 2 pm & 7:30 pm Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor Perhaps the greatest example of the Golden Age of MGM musicals, this delightful, tune-filled comedy spoofs the chaos in Hollywood during  the transition from silent to sound movies. Musical gems include “Good Morning,” “Broadway Melody,” “Make ‘Em Laugh,” and of course, title tune “Singin’ in the Rain.” To quote Jiminy Cricket: PERHAPS??!??!?!

SERIES PREMIERE! Rio Bravo (1959) Wednesday & Thursday, June 16 & 17, 7:30 pm daily John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan Very fine film, but I prefer the movie this was a response to: High Noon, my favorite Western of all time. Wayne and Howard Hawks just span in their graves.

SERIES PREMIERE / CHICK FLICK FRIDAY! Pretty Woman (1990) Rated R Friday, June 18, 7:30 pm Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander So movies from the 90s are in the series now, huh? Pass the Geritol.

Cartoon Capers Saturday, June 19, 10 am

Some Like It Hot (1959) Saturday, June 19, 7:30 pm Sunday, June 20, 2 pm & 7:30 pm Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon Make 'em roar, make em scream, take a fall, butt a wall, split a seam ... oh, wrong movie. Well, maybe not.

SERIES PERMIERE! The Goonies (1985) Wednesday, June 23, 7:30 pm Lots of fun, but it's one of those films that gets overrated by people wearing the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. I always preferred Gremlins.

SILENT FILM / BUSTER KEATON DOUBLE FEATURE! Thursday & Friday, June 24 & 25, 7:30 pm daily Both films will be accompanied live by Clark Wilson on the Ohio Theatre’s prized “Mighty Morton” organ! SERIES PREMIERE! Sherlock Jr. (1924) Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire SERIES PREMIERE! Seven Chances (1925) I had the great pleasure of hearing Clark WIlson provide accompaniment to Metropolis; the experience was mind-blowing. I've always wanted an excuse to see a silent comedy. Now I have two.

SERIES PREMIERE / LATE NITE FRIDAY! Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Friday, June 25, 11 pm Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono This would make a heck of a triple after the Keaton films, no?

Carousel (1956) Saturday, June 26, 7:30 pm Sunday, June 27, 2 pm & 7:30 pm Not a great movie, but I have a soft spot for it because my friend Angie played a lovely Julie Jordan.

My Man Godfrey (1936) Wednesday & Thursday, June 30 & July 1, 7:30 pm daily William Powell, Carole Lombard Touted as the funniest comedy of its decade! Of the decade? Well, no, that's Bringing Up Baby. But this is almost as funny.

All About Eve (1950) Wednesday & Thursday, July 7 & 8, 7:30 pm daily Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm If only this didn't play during the week so I had a better chance of seeing it with a dear friend whose birthday  had a lot to do with this movie last year ;) Inside references aside, this is one of the best films ever made for the sheer power of the dialogue. It sparkles ... and burns.

SERIES PREMIERE / CHICK FLICK FRIDAY! How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) Rated R Friday, July 9, 7:30 pm Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg How Eric Politely Declined.

The Music Man (1962) Saturday, July 10, 7:30 pm Sunday, July 11, 2 pm & 7:30 pm Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Ron Howard Double your trouble, which starts with T and that rhymes with P and that stands for ... Paul!

Strangers on a Train (1951) Wednesday-Friday, July 14-16, 7:30 pm daily Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker “ Never were a merry-go-round or a tennis game so chilling.

Cartoon Capers Saturday, July 17, 10 am

SERIES PREMIERE! Patton (1970) Saturday, July 17, 7:30 pm Sunday, July 18, 2 pm & 7:30 pm George C. Scott, Karl Malden George C. Scott and Bugs Bunny - together at last!!

Double Indemnity (1944) Wednesday-Friday, July 21-23, 7:30 pm daily Greatest noir ever? You better believe it, baby.

SERIES PREMIERE / LATE NITE FRIDAY! The Omen (1976) RATED R Friday, July 23, 11 pm Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens More slightly overrated Richard Donner. Personally I think it'd be fun to mash up this and The Goonies.

My Fair Lady (1964) Saturday, July 24, 7:30 pm Sunday, July 25, 2 pm Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway I could have yawned all night.