FILM/SNEAK PEEK : EXHIBIT'S IMAGES CAPTURE ESSENCE OF MOVIES.

Byline: - Bob McCarthy

What is it about still photographs of movie stars that are so mesmerizing?

Stare long and hard at Judy Garland and George Cukor going toe-to-toe in the 1954 remake of ``A Star Is Born'' and you notice her sneer, his fingers about to snap, the darkness enveloping them, and the coldness it evokes.

Whatever the quality is, photographer Bob Willoughby knew how to capture it. The exhibition of his work at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is testament to that.

Willoughby fell into his niche while working for Harper's Bazaar magazine during the early 1950s, and became a fixture on major movie sets from the '50s through the '70s. He turned his camera on the most famous actors of the past half-century: Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Judy Garland and James Dean.

``When you see stills from a movie, you have the opportunity to examine that moment that went by in a fleeting instant in the movie,'' says Leslie Unger of the motion picture academy. ``Facial expression, the placement of actors and props, the lighting and, in some instances, where the still photographer chose to place himself. It creates a new experience of a particular film.''

The academy is at 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Regular viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. weekends. For information, call [phone].

Music of Gershwin

Starting Thursday at UCLA, ``Strike Up the Band! George Gershwin on Film!'' celebrates the short yet prolific career of this composer who once remarked that he had more songs in his head than he could write in a lifetime.

The retrospective, which runs through May 30 and is sponsored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, opens with a 7:30 p.m. double feature of ``Rhapsody in Blue'' and ``Shocking Miss Pilgrim.''

Gershwin, who died in 1937 at age 38, was a concert and pop composer whose songs found their way into Hollywood productions long after his death. The autobiographical ``Rhapsody in Blue'' (1945), high-spirited ``An American in Paris'' (1951) and his classic folk opera ``Porgy and Bess'' (1959) are enduring examples.

Gershwin and his older brother and lyricist, Ira, wrote the scores for a handful of bright musicals, among them ``Shall We Dance'' (1937) with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers singing their hearts out in ``Let's Call the Whole Thing Off,'' and ``A Damsel in Distress'' (1937) with Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns and Gracie Allen. Other collaborations, ``Delicious'' and ``The Goldwyn Follies,'' will be shown.

Screenings are at UCLA's James Bridges Theatre at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Hilgard Avenue. Admission is $6 general, $4 students and seniors. Patrons may park in Lot 3 on the campus. For a schedule or information, call [phone].

Gift for laughter

Filmmaker Jacques Tati was France's comic equivalent of Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin when it came to wringing laughs from an endless series of screwball predicaments.

A Tati retrospective opens today through Thursday at the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. ``Jour de Fete,'' a satire of modern society's obsession with speed, shows at 5:20, 7:30 and 9:40 tonight through Wednesday, with matinee shows on the weekend.

``Mr. Hulot's Holiday,'' about an innocent Joe vexed by his fellow vacationers, screens at noon Saturday and Sunday. A double feature of ``Playtime'' and ``Mon Onocle,'' starting at 5:20 p.m. Thursday, closes the run.

For information, call [phone].

Pacific crossing

A panel discussion Sunday at the Directors Guild of America looks at the current demand for Hong Kong directors and actors in Hollywood. Titled ``Facing/Off for a Better Tomorrow,'' the dialogue includes producer Terence Chang of ``Face/Off,'' the cat-and-mouse thriller that starred John Travolta and Nicolas Cage.

Other panel members are Wayne Wang (``The Joy Luck Club,'' ``Chinese Box''), Stanley Tong (``Rumble in the Bronx,'' ``Mr. Magoo'') and Tim Chey (``Fakin' Da Funk''). Producer and DGA member Wendy Fong will moderate the 1 p.m. event in the DGA Theatre 1, 7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets cost $8 for the general public and $5 for students and can be reserved by calling [phone]. Admission is free to DGA members, who can call [phone] to RSVP.

Meanwhile, the Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival continues through Thursday, showcasing 70 works by Asian and Asian-American filmmakers.

Tonight, ``Fakin' Da Funk'' screens at 9 p.m. at the DGA Theatre. This 1997 debut by director Fey builds a story about racial tolerance and stereotypes around the adoption of a Chinese baby by an African-American couple. Pam Grier, Margaret Cho, Tone Loc and Nell Carter star.

Other highlights:

``Angry Little Asian Girl,'' video shorts by Lela Lee, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, DGA Theatre B. Lee has created a little feminist who speaks her mind and gets ``all offended and mad'' a lot.

A tribute to the late Japanese film star Toshiro Mifune is set for 7 p.m. Monday at the Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Toyko.

An exclusive U.S. screening of ``The Soong Sisters,'' a Chinese historical epic starring Michelle Yeoh (``Tomorrow Never Dies''), Vivian Wu (``The Last Emperor'') and Maggie Cheung will close the festival at 7 p.m. Thursday, also at the Japan America Theatre.

For festival information or tickets, call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) This still of Judy Garland and George Cukor from ``A Star Is Born'' is part of a retrospective of photographer Bob Willoughby's movie work.

(2) ``The Soong Sisters'' screens 7 p.m. Thursday at the Japan America Theatre as part of the Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival.