Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
*Legacy* is the story of Bissie Hapgood, a woman unraveling under the pressures of a vapid and materialistic society consumed with dinner-plate settings, soap operas and sexual frustration. The material originated as a one-woman show in 1973, written and performed by Joan Hotchkis, a versatile talent celebrated for her roles on television series including *The Odd Couple *and *The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts*. Karen Arthur, a first-time filmmaker, saw Hotchkis on stage and convinced the actor to adapt the screenplay and star in the film. Independently produced and financed, *Legacy*, like its peers *Wanda* (1970) and *A **Woman Under the Influence *(1974), confounds 1970s Hollywood’s expectations with the introduction of a new kind of cinematic woman. Bissie stuns audiences with her honesty that is confrontational, yet heartfelt and a vulnerability that is never sentimental and always surprising. *Legacy* features an exceptional crew at the start of what would become a set of accomplished careers. Arthur, who would go on to direct *The Mafu Cage* (1978) and become a prolific television director, winning an Emmy Award for *Cagney & Lacey*, collaborated with cinematographer John Bailey (*Ordinary People*, 1980, *In the Line of Fire*, 1993) and editor Carol Littleton (*E.T.*, 1982, *The Manchurian Candidate*, 2004). *Note written by Archive Research and Study Center Officer Maya Montañez Smukler.* Director/Producer: Karen Arthur. Screenwriter: Joan Hotchkis. With: Joan Hotchkis.