Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic “Vertigo” will be shown Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, on the former IMAX screen as part of the Museum of Science and History’s (MoSH) fourth Movie & Mixer event.

Hosted at the former Pink Palace Museum on 3050 Central Ave., MoSH’s Movie & Mixer event will include a pre-show cocktail hour and lecture on the filming of “Vertigo” followed by the screening.

MoSH has hosted four Movie & Mixer events beginning with the original “Star Wars”, shown on the big screen in February 2021.

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“Vertigo” stars Kim Novak and James Stewart as John “Scottie” Ferguson, a San Francisco detective with a debilitating fear of heights that greatly complicates both his personal and professional life. 

Initially considered a box office failure, “Vertigo” was reappraised critically in the 1980s and nineties and is now considered one of Hitchcock’s best films, notably replacing Orson Welle’s “Citizen Kane” as the best film ever made in the 2012 British Film Institute Sight & Sound critic’s poll.

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Steven J. Ross is professor emeritus of the Department of Communication and Film at the University of Memphis. Ross is a film producer, director and taught film courses at U of M for nearly 40 years.

Ross says VistaVision, the high-resolution widescreen variant of 35mm film created by Paramount Pictures in the 1950s, is a distinctive factor only adding to the film’s visual appeal.

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“The way IMAX works is really based on the old VistaVision system, which is what ‘Vertigo’ was filmed on,” Ross said. “If you see restored films shot on VistaVision, the quality is incredible, and ‘Vertigo’ is no exception.”

Ross says the cinematic style of “Vertigo” makes it a must-see film, particularly as one of Hitchcock’s more personal works.

“I don’t think any other Hitchcock film uses color quite so audaciously,” Ross said. “You usually don’t think of Hitchcock as being poetic and lyrical, but that is what ‘Vertigo’ is. The film can hypnotize you.”

MoSH theater manager Tom Hardy says while “Vertigo” may not be a very well-known film, seeing the drama on the big screen will be a transformative experience for viewers.

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“Vertigo’ grabs you — the imagery is so haunting, and the shots are beautifully composed,” Hardy said. “You’re going to have an experience like never before when you leave the theatre.”

“Movie & Mixer: Vertigo” cocktail hour will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with the pre-show talk from 6:30-7 p.m. After a short break the film begins at 7:15.

For more information on MoSH events, click here.