At 50, 'Lawrence of Arabia' returns to the big screen

David Lean’s iconic film “Lawrence of Arabia” is celebrating its 50th anniversary with one-day special matinee and/or evening screenings at more than 630 theaters across the country, including nearly 30 in the Chicago area.

Fully restored, the film (with its 216-minutes running time) stars Peter O’Toole (in the title role), Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn in the story of an idealistic British officer amid the WWI Allied campaign in the Middle East who, over a series of life-changing events, leads an Arab tribal chieftain and his forces in rebellion against the Turks.

The film won seven Oscars including best picture in 1962, and is listed as the 7th film on the American Film Institute’s “100 Greatest Movies of All Time” list.

Local theaters include Randhurst Village 12 (Mt. Prospect); River East 21 (Chicago); the Streets of Woodfield (Schaumburg); Naperville 16 (Naperville); South Barrington 30 (Barrington); Yorktown 17 (Lombard); Northbrook Court 14 (Northbrook); Michigan City 14 (Michigan City, Ind.); New Lenox 14 (New Lenox); Niles 12 (Niles); Schererville 16 (Schererville, Ind.); Village Crossing 18 (Skokie); City North 14 (Chicago); Randall 15 (Batavia, Ill.).

For a complete list of theaters, show times and ticket information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.