The Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation has announced a new film preservation scholarship award in honor of PRO-TEK Vaults film preservationist Stan Taffel.
Foundation Chair David Sonne announced the award at a scholarship presentation for film-making students at College Of The Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. Every year, the Foundation awards ten $1,000 scholarships to College of the Canyons students studying in either the Performing arts or Visual arts program. Taffel was invited to give a lecture at the 2017 event on film preservation and history. Following the lecture, he introduced Song of the Islands, a 1942 Fox musical with Betty Grable and Jack Oakie and answered student questions.
According to Stan,
“After the lecture, David asked me to stay with him for a moment and began to tell everyone about my involvement in film preservation. Then he announced to everyone that in appreciation of all I’ve done in the cause of film preservation, the foundation is making one additional scholarship award named in my honor. I don’t think I was ever as surprised or honored in my life.”
Stan is active in the Hollywood film history and preservation community, serving as president of the Cinecon Classic Film Festival and board member of Hollywood Heritage.
Additional coverage of the evening on the KHTS AM 1220 website.