Library of Congress to preserve 'Exorcist'

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- "All the President's Men" and "The Exorcist" are among the U.S. movies to be preserved in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced the list of 25 motion pictures -- Hollywood classics, documentaries and innovative shorts reflecting genres from every era of American film-making -- being added to the registry Tuesday.

The films named to the registry are "Airplane," "The Bargain," "Cry of Jazz," "Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Front Page."

Also included on the list are "Grey Gardens," "I Am Joaquin," "It's a Gift," "Let There Be Light," "Lonesome," "Make Way For Tomorrow," "Malcolm X," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," "Newark Athlete," "Our Lady of the Sphere," "The Pink Panther," "Preservation of the Sign Language," "Saturday Night Fever," "Study of a River," "Tarantella," "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "A Trip Down Market Street."

"As the nation's repository of American creativity, the Library of Congress -- with the support of the U.S. Congress -- must ensure the preservation of America's film patrimony," Billington said in a statement. "The National Film Registry is a reminder to the nation that the preservation of our cinematic creativity must be a priority because about half of the films produced before 1950 and as much as 90 percent of those made before 1920 have been lost to future generations."