During the month of July, Turner Classic Movies is showcasing my favorite actor, Ronald Colman. For those interested in Mr. Colman’s life and career, we have a popular and active Facebook group dedicated to his memory:
Ronald Colman Appreciation Society : A Heritage to Cherish and Bequeath
Thanks to the efforts of the Ronald Colman Appreciation Society, our members were able to successfully nominate Lost Horizon (1937) to the National Film Registry in 2016. This year marks the 80th anniversary of Frank Capra’s masterpiece.
Of the half dozen movie groups I administer on Facebook, the RCAS is the most rewarding for me because it actually accomplishes something. The campaign to nominate Lost Horizon, for instance, has also brought attention to other Colman films that need to be on the Film Registry, such as Beau Geste (1926) and A Tale of Two Cities (1935).
We keep alive the memory of Ronald Colman as well as the legacy of film historian George Schatz. He was the founder of the original group, which included a handful of dedicated film historians. With George’s blessing, I continued the tradition online in 2009, and in 2017, we now have over 1500 members. George was the biggest Ronald Colman fan I ever met, and his love for Lost Horizon instilled in me a greater appreciation of the film’s beauty and its message.
Ronald Colman, Lost Horizon
I also have a blog where I’ve talked about some of Colman’s films:
I will continue to add to this blog in the years to come.
~MCH