Boston Public Library showcases locally shot films

The Boston Public Library, the Copley Square mainstay that has been a hotbed of made-in-Boston film action including an elaborate chase sequence for Cameron Diaz's flick called "The Box" as well as a location in Tom Cruise's upcoming spy flick "Knight & Day," announced plans for a free film series called "Made in Massachusetts" showcasing 40 locally shot flicks.

The film series kicks off on Monday, Jan. 4, 2010.

With a roster of movies dating back to 1937's "Captains Courageous" to recent films including "The Box" and "Pink Panther 2," screenings are free and are slotted for Mondays at 6 p.m. at the Boston Public Library’s Rabb Lecture Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square (click on the image to the right for a complete schedule).

The series begins with a historical theme in January with "Little Women," "Glory" and "Amistad," followed by romances in February with "Starting Over," "Sabrina" and "Next Stop Wonderland."

In May, the series will focus on local artists, including appearances by filmmakers who will answer questions about their work after the screenings.

In addition to "Knight & Day," the BPL has been a favorite location for filmmakers. In early October, Copley Square was transformed into a Hollywood-esque movie lot with the cast of the Adam Sandler-produced "Zookeeper," including Kevin James, Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb, filming scenes at the upscale Fairmont Copley Plaza. For the scene, designers lit up the Boston Public Library with dramatic lighting.

In April, MTV aired two made-in-Boston episodes of the Justin Timberlake-produced competition reality show "The Phone." In the episode called "The Russians," 22-year-old Brighton native Mitch hung out in a towel at a so-called Russian sauna, found the name of a piece of music at the Boston Public Library to use as a password for a Russian informant and helped his partner dodge green lasers to snag the show's top prize of $35,000.

Also, back in September 2007, the Boston Public Library was the scene of the crime in "The Pink Panther 2" starring Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau. While filming at the BPL, there were reports that a priceless marble bust was knocked on the floor of the Grand Staircase. Fortunately, the damage wasn't caused by the movie crews.

Click here for the Boston Public Library's online calendar.

-- Copley Square photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo