Coming Soon to
Cultural Center
Coming Soon to
Cultural Center
MOM AT THE MOVIES: The Films of Eileen Heckart
Hosted by her son, Luke Yankee
Character actress. Scene stealer. Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe winner. Eileen Heckart built a five-decade career on nuance, timing, and an unerring instinct for truth — whether playing a sharp-tongued mother, a confidante, or a woman with secrets of her own. Hosted by her son, Luke Yankee, this retrospective offers an intimate portrait of a consummate performer whose fifty-year career bridged film, television and theatre.
Make it a full evening at the Palm Springs Cultural Center — come early for Foodie Fridays (5–8 PM) and enjoy local bites and live music. Each screening includes a 6PM pre-show of rare television appearances and commercials, followed by the main feature at 7PM on the Historic Camelot Theatre’s big screen. A witty, heartfelt journey through Hollywood’s golden decades — seen through the eyes of her son as he celebrates the mom, the wife, and the actress who never missed her mark.
Luke Yankee is an award-winning playwright, director, producer, actor and author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing Up with Eileen Heckart. After each screening, Mr. Yankee will share personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories about the making of these classic films. He will also have personally autographed copies of his book available for purchase.
HELLER IN PINK TIGHTS (1960)
Starring Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn, Steve Forrest, Margaret O’Brien & Eileen Heckart | Dir. George Cukor
George Cukor’s Technicolor Western romp follows a traveling theatre troupe across the rough edges of the frontier. Amid the spectacle, Heckart, as the ultimate stage mother to Margaret O’Brien, delivers grounded humor and grit — a reminder that no matter the genre, she knew exactly how to steal a scene without ever raising her voice.