The stars were bigger, the stories were unforgettable, and some of Hollywood’s most enduring classics were born in the 1940s. This fall, the Lincoln Theater invites audiences to step back into that remarkable decade with Season 9 of its Classic Film Club, “The Fabulous 40s.”

Each film will be introduced by Classic Film Club host and film historian Jeannie MacDonald, offering audiences historical context and insight into the films, performers and filmmakers who helped define American cinema. Jeannie began her career as a producer at two Boston TV stations. After moving to Los Angeles, Jeannie wrote marketing copy for Paramount Television on the studio’s iconic Hollywood lot. As a freelancer, she has written movie copy for Warner Bros. and humor pieces for The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. She has been hosting Lincoln Theater’s Classic Film Club since Season 4 in 2021.

"The Fabulous ‘40s" series opens Oct. 1 and 2 with “The Maltese Falcon,” the 1941 mystery that helped propel Humphrey Bogart to superstardom. The film stars Bogart as hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade, who becomes entangled in a murder investigation and a search for a priceless jeweled statuette.

One of Hollywood’s most beloved family musicals, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” arrives on screen Nov. 5 and 6. Judy Garland stars in Vincente Minnelli’s 1944 film, set in the year leading up to the 1904 World’s Fair. And on Dec. 3 and 4, audiences can enjoy “Going My Way,” the 1944 musical comedy starring Bing Crosby.

The new year begins with “The Philadelphia Story” Jan. 7 and 8. Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart headline George Cukor’s sophisticated romantic comedy. Feb. 4 and 5 bring “The More the Merrier,” a wartime romantic comedy starring Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea as accidental roommates in Washington, D.C., during a housing shortage. The season concludes March 4 and 5 with “The Best Years of Our Lives,” William Wyler’s acclaimed 1946 drama about three World War II veterans returning home and adjusting to civilian life.

Each film in the series screens on the first Thursday evening and Friday afternoon of each month beginning in October and continuing through March 2027.

Enrollment in the film club is just $60 per person and includes admission to all six films, a free small popcorn at every film, and a free beverage, including specially selected wine pairings for each film. Each film is also open to the general public at regular movie ticket prices, $10 adult and $7 LT member and youth.

Whether audiences are longtime devotees of classic Hollywood or discovering these films for the first time, “The Fabulous Forties” offers six opportunities to experience some of cinema’s most celebrated stars and stories as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen.

Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater St. in cdowntown Damariscotta. More information is available online at www.LincolnTheater.org, or the office at info@LincolnTheater.org and 207-563-3424.