2011 TCM Festival

[Lzcutter]

Saturday afternoon at the TCM Film Festival (continued):

"What they've done and what we don't know they've done is extraordinary." Pete Hammond on the role of Voice Doubles and his panelists.

After the wonderful talk with Kevin Brownlow, it was time for the next panel on Voice Doubles with Marni Nixon, India Adams and Jimmy Bryant.
Journalist/Writer Pete Hammond is the moderator.

Before the talk began, TCM's own Heather Margolis did the spiel thanking Time-Warner cable for being a sponsor and providing the 4g lounge out in front of the Egyptian Theater and reminded everyone to turn off their cell phones. Once again to no avail, as someone's cell went off during the discussion. I was ready to start throwing things at offending cell phone users but Jon had not finished the can of Diet Coke and I refused to waste good, needed caffeine on rude passholders.

Marni Nixon dominated the conversation. Describing her relationship with the Fox publicity department. "It was like being in the Mafia." She and Deborah Kerr would work together on the musical of The King and I and Kerr was okay with Nixon doing the singing for her. This wasn't the case with others Nixon dubbed.

India Adams provided the singing voice for Cyd Charisse in Band Wagon and then for Joan Crawford, "wearing tropical make-up, in Torch Song". Charisse did her own singing in Band Wagon but the producers decided not to use it.

Jimmy Bryant dubbed the singing for Richard Beymer in West Side Story and Beymer always gave Bryant credit.

Nixon dubbed Natalie Wood in West Side Story and wasn't happy that her singing voice wasn't used. "She was always a little out-of-tune." Bryant revealed.

Nixon chimed in, "She didn't want to do the high notes."

"Dubbing is very difficult." Bryant confessed.

For West Side Story, Nixon also dubbed Rita Moreno for one number because she had a cold.

India Adams on dubbing Joan Crawford, "She was very friendly. She wrote me a letter that I thought was a gag but it wasn't. It was a very sincere thank you."

Bryant was asked to dub Elvis whistling in one of his many musicals. "What's he whistling?" he asked. "Doesn't matter." said the producer.

Bryant is now a commercial director and directed the famous tv car commercial featuring Lee Iaccoca.

Suex2 asked about the singing in Showboat and India Adams, I think, revealed that Annette Warren did the dubbing for Ava.

When the panel was over, Moraldo ran off to another screening. I had hoped to go over and catch the discussion for Reds with Alec Baldwin and Warren Beatty. But I had been alerted by a good friend at TCM that the discussion had been moved to the end of the film making it impossible for me to catch it because it would have conflicted with The Cameraman.

I guess I will just have to hope that Beatty does a great commentary on the DVD.

We figured that the The Cameraman would be very popular so we decided it was time for a real meal before standing in line. We were tired of the Moraldo diet.

We walked down to the Pig and Whistle for a real dinner. Jon had Shepard's Pie and I had spaghetti and meatballs. We would have ordered a salad but almost $10 for stuff we have growing in Jon's veggie garden seemed a bit steep.

As we were finishing up, who should come walking through, the one and only Moraldo. Seems he had been shut out of Went the Day Well. We asked him to join us and he did. When he finished his salad and spaghetti and meatballs we went to get in line for The Cameraman with musical accompaniment by Vince Giordano and His Nighthawks Orchestra.

[Lzcutter]

Saturday evening at the TCM Film Festival:

"The last pinnacle of his greatness at that time." Leonard Maltin on Buster Keaton's The Cameraman.

We were at the head of the line with YanceyCravet. A woman asked us to watch her bag while she went somewhere. We said sure. They started passing out numbers and we got ours (1,2 and 3) but the lady ended up with higher number because she wasn't there and none of us knew her well enough.

While standing in line we had a great time talking with Yancey who lives in Culver City near the old MGM lot. We would love to explore the area with Yancey because he has the new book on the MGM backlot and has been trying to find visual landmarks based on the book. That would be a cool tour for next year!

Kyle and MorlockJeff and JB were there as well. From all the talk the last few days, we knew this was going to be a very popular screening with most of the posters from here and TCM City in attendance as well as most of the TCM staff.

The other big talk of the line was how great the interview with Peter O'Toole was yesterday. Everyone who was in the audience at the Music Box said it was great and that he told stories he hadn't told before. (We had to miss it because of Mockingbird.) It will be edited and will be shown on TCM either later this year or early next year ala the Louise Rainer interview from last year.

While waiting for the doors to open, Mr. Brownlow walked up with actor James Karen. Karen, of course, is a big Keaton buff and was friends with Buster and Buster's widow, Eleanor. A couple of fans approached Mr. Brownlow to talk to him and show their appreciation.

Finally, the doors opened! We ended up sitting with Kyle, MorlockJeff, JB, and Kingrat. CountessDelave, loveslilacs and Club1939 (Loveslilacs hubby) were seated in front of us. Old home week!

Scott McGee did the first introduction thanking Time-Warner cable (the main sponsor) and again, implored everyone to turn off their cell phones. Again, to no avail as at least three phones in vibrating mode, went off around us during Leonard Maltin's introduction. Again, I thought, "Really? At a classic film festival?" Grrr.

Scott introduced Leonard Maltin who seemed thrilled to be introducing the event.

"I didn't think a series of Guatamala shorts would get this sort of response." he jokes.

He introed Vince and the Nighthawks to an appreciative crowd.

First up was a Vitaphone short, Lamb Chops starring George Burns and Gracie Allen. Maltin gave a brief history of Vitaphone and a short history of Buster's career and his move to MGM. "The last pinnacle of his greatness at that time."

Then we were off!

Lamb Chops was a lot of fun though George Burns had a bit too much mascara.

The Cameraman was sheer delight! Was Buster really buck naked in the swimming pool sequence? It sure looked like it on the big screen!

And Josephine the monkey almost stole the movie! It may be blasphemous to say so but I swear the whole bit with Jo seemed like a take-off on Chaplin and Jackie Coogan in The Kid, especially when anyone tried to separate Jo and Buster. I dare you to watch those sequences and not think of Coogan and Chaplin.

Vince G and the Nighthawks were just great!!!!! The only downside was the occasional passholder taking a flash picture of them DURING the screening! We had a similar experience during the screening of Spartacus with a couple of passholders using their cameras to TAKE video of the film as it was being projected!

I wish I was making up these experiences with cell phones throughout the Festival but alas, I'm not.

When the film was over, Vince G and his Orchestra had one more surprise up their sleeve. They donned porkpie hats and turned to point to the screen where suddenly the image of Buster (in his porkpie) and Jo was projected. The crowd went wild!!! Vince G revealed that James Karen brought one of Buster's own porkpie hats for him to wear!

The Nighthawks looked very styling in their hats! I suddenly wished we lived in NYC so we could see Vince G and the Nighthawks on a regular basis!

They performed two encores before the audience would let them off the stage.

Once outside, we were all giddy from the experience. As much as we wanted to go see Angela Landsbury intro Gaslight, we were too amped up. Marco and JB took off for different films. Kingrat regaled us with the tale that Maud Nielsen and her chamber group had done even a more spectacular job the night before at The Merry Widow and then he took off for another film.

We decided to head back to Club TCM with Kyle and MorlockJeff to see the band that TCM had brought in.

Once back at the Roosevelt, we were introduced to the new General Manager of TCM. He seems like a real nice guy and is very impressed with all that the channel has accomplished. He told us that no changes are in order and that he respects the job that all the staff have done and are doing.

After that, we headed into Club TCM. We got drinks but the band was much too loud for the size of the space and the number of people. It probably would have been better if it had been a jazz quartet like last year instead of an amplified swing band. The band was very, very good just much too loud and, thus, hard for us to enjoy them.

We went out the back entrance where it was quieter. It was a balmy evening but not too chilly yet. We were having a great conversation with Kyle when a guy, a bit in his cups, came up and started blathering on about how rude the cell phone users were during the conversation with Kevin Brownlow. We agreed but he wouldn't let the issue go and kept on talking about it. Finally, it got too chilly for him and he headed inside.

A bit later, we decided that the weather had gotten a bit too cool. We headed inside where we saw the guy talking up a couple of women. We figured they could handle themselves.

We finished out the evening talking and decided to call it an evening. Jon headed to the car and Kyle headed home.

I passed through Club TCM one last time where the band was still playing.

Again, I was almost asleep before my head hit the pillow.

How can tomorrow be the last day? Where has the time gone?

[Lzcutter]

Sunday Morning at the TCM Film Festival:

"Thanks for being here. Is everyone having fun?" Robert O to the audience.

The next morning I had the choice between That's Entertainment with Marge Champion or Night Flight. I love That's Entertainment and am hoping to get a copy of the new book on the MGM backlot and for that, alone, I was interested in seeing the last film filmed on that backlot. Suex2 hoped to go to Entertainment but she didn't get up early enough. Neither did I.

But, Night Flight hasn't been seen in almost 70 years. I decided it's Night Flight. Down in the lobby I ran into JB who was going to the same film. We walked over to the Chinese multiplex together. JB was surprised at the size of the line. I knew there would be a line because not only had the film not been seen in almost 70 years but TCM had announced that Drew Barrymore would be there at the end to discuss her grandfather, John and her great-uncle, Lionel.

JB, because he was a presenter, had a VIP pass so he was able to go right in. He promised to save me a seat. I stood in line with people who were surprised at many people got up to see this rarity.

Once inside, I found JB. The place was packed.

Genevieve McGillicuddy came out and implored people to turn off their cell phones (after the plug for sponsor Time-Warner). This time it actually worked as the first time in four days no cell phone went off during the presentation or the film. She then introduced Robert O. The crowd, as always, went wild.

"Thanks for being here. Is everyone having fun." he asked of the audience. The roar back confirmed we were.

"This film and The Constant Nymph were the two that excited me the most because they've been out of the public eye for so long." he told us. He had seen these films only in bootleg form. Regarding Nymph, in the bootleg version, he had only liked Joan Fontaine but watching the film the other morning, that it was much better." (I wish I agreed with him but I don't. See my recap of Friday morning at the Festival for why.)

The film was produced by David Selznick and one of the major stars was Clark Gable whose experience on the film (and the reaction to the film) he remembered when it came time to make Gone with the Wind and was one of the reasons he was reluctant to work with Selznick again.

Robert O warned us, this film "could be bad.".

Boy was he right. This film works much better when Howard Hawks got a hold of the idea and made Only Angels Have Wings.

Calling Barranca! Calling Barranca!!! We were less than 15 minutes into the film and I was realizing that Hawks did a much better job with the idea of mail carriers flying in South America when he made Only Angels Have Wings. Night Flight can't hold a candle to Hawks.

Despite an all-star cast of John and Lionel Barrymore (Robert O warned us that Lionel was quite a scene stealer even with John and he was right), Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Helen Hays and Robert Montgomery, this film has laughable moments.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At the top of the film, the camera zooms in THREE times on the Infantile Paralysis sign on the hospital doors, I guess, in case, we missed that the hospital specializes in infantile paralysis cases. Like we could, because the first scene was between a young boy suffering from the disease (he's on the verge of death without medicine) and the sun hurts his eyes while his mother tried to soothe him. If the doctors don't get the medicine by morning the boy will, wait for it, die.

John Barrymore played the harried director of the airline who pushes his fliers and his staff because someone had to bring mail and medical supplies to small South American towns. Lionel played his subordinate but with a case of, wait for it, eczema, which means in every scene, he is scratching himself. No matter how dramatic the scene is, he is scratching. John Barrymore even has some choice, funny lines about it but every time Lionel would scratch, your eyes went to him. No one stood a chance in a scene with him.

Robert Montgomery is a playboy flier. Gable the married one with wife Helen Hayes waiting for him to return from his flight in their SWANKY apartment. Who knew fliers made enough to afford such swanky digs?

The party scene with Hayes pretending that she is dining with Gable has to been seen. There's a reason she is heralded as such as good actress and this scene, while bordering on camp, indicates how good she could be in spite of the material.

Myrna plays a pilot's wife who is the direct opposite of Hayes.

When everything goes south and Gable is in trouble, Hayes goes to the airport offices and sits in the waiting room crying.

It's more than John Barrymore can handle and he tells her: "You can't cry in here. You'll upset the staff." The staff are all hard boiled guys whose jobs are to support the fliers.

That kind of gives you an idea of the film.

After the film, Robert O takes the stage and tells us, "Well, you can't trust all bootlegs. I warned you that it could be bad."

He then brought out Drew Barrymore. From all accounts (I had to leave to get in line for Goldfinger), she was great. She wants to co-host a season of The Essentials and convinced the audience of her film history chops. She loves both John and Lionel and feels their "blood running through my veins."

She was a big hit with the audience! She is a major fan of TCM and expressed her love for the channel often during her talk with Robert O, “This is no lie. I have TCM on my television at all times”. She feels she inherited her grandfather, John's, nose and her favorite classic film studio is Fox.

It was her energy and enthusiasm for classic movies and for TCM in particular that was infectious. Robert O said he hoped to get her as a guest programmer, and she quickly rattled off five films she would want to showcase: Annie Hall, The Lady Eve, The Wild Ones, Jailhouse Rock, and Lost in America. In many ways, Barrymore was the ultimate TCM evangelist.

I am sorry that I missed seeing her but Goldfinger, especially on the big screen, was calling my name.

If she is Robert O's co-host next season for The Essentials, remember it started with this screening. And many in the audience feel she would be terrific, much better than Carrie Fisher or Rose McGowan because she actually watches the films and has opinions about them.

[Lzcutter]

Sunday Afternoon at the TCM Film Festival:

"My brother swears that everyone believed that a body covered in gold paint, you'd die. If it was in a Bond film, it was a fact!" Ben Mankiewicz introducing Goldfinger.

Jon and I were in line for Goldfinger. It was shaping up to be a hot day in the City of Angels and the line snaked down Hollywood Blvd. Luckily, we had numbers in the mid-100s, so we knew we would get in. I am one of those rare breed of those who grew up in the 1960s. My family didn't go to James Bond films and I never saw any of Connery's Bond films on the big screen during their initial release.

I fell in love with Connery once he stopped being Bond, James Bond and started branching into other roles like Robin and Marian and The Wind and the Lion.

Jon, however, is a major Bond fan, especially the Connery films. But, somehow, growing up, he had missed Goldfinger on the big screen. This was one screening we were both looking forward to. Initially, director Guy Hamilton was supposed to talk about the film but a leg injury put the kaboosh on that. The rumor was he was having knee surgery (how's that for symmetry?).

Even without Hamilton we were both eager to see the film on the big screen at Grauman's. A couple of years back for Christmas, filmlover got us the Blu of this film and it looked great on our HD tv. We were both eager to see it even bigger.

Genevieve McGillicuddy was on hand to thank Time-Warner Cable for being a sponsor and to thank Barco, the Danish digital projection company, that supplied the 4K projection equipment and Do-Re-Me who provided the digital server equipment. She then asked that everyone turn off their cell phones and their small screens because, this screen (the silver screen at Grauman's) was the one that matters. She also apologized for Guy Hamilton not being there.

She then introduced Ben Mankiewicz.

The crowd gave Ben a rousing round of applause.

"She runs the Festival and she's awesome." he told the crowd, referring to Gen.

"We hope to do more screenings for the Road to Hollywood. Announcements to follow later." he told us. He talked about being in Florida for the screening of Smokey and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds. He told us how Reynolds was offered the role of James Bond after Diamonds are Forever but he turned it down.

Goldfinger was the first Bond film to cost $3 million but it made $125 million in return.

He then told the story of how his mother allowed his 9 year-old brother to see the film, " What was my mother thinking? Pussy Galore! Jesus."

There's a reason he's the bad boy of TCM and he reveled in that.

"My brother swears that everyone believed that a body covered in gold paint, you'd die. If it was in a Bond film, it was a fact!"

He then went on to talk about the Bond films. He apologized to kids' parents in the audience but "the previous Bond films had been about nailing the girls, my apologies to kids in the audience, but it's true."

He then recounted how his favorite line in any Bond film is in Goldfinger when Bond is getting a massage and is interrupted by Felix.

"Run along,now, {major sound effect as Connery smacks the actress's buttock,} man-talk."

When the scene played out on the silver screen at Grauman's, the audience applauded enthusiastically!

We loved watching the film on the big screen. Jon enjoyed the whole Bondness of the film while I ate up all the mid-century modern set design and roadside architecture of the era that no longer exists.

We left very, very happy.

We raced across the street to return to Club TCM for the panel on Dancing in the Movies. We arrived late, but luckily the panel had just started and Suex2 was already there. By now, my knee and leg were telling my brain, in no uncertain terms, "I hate you!!!" and the brain was finally listening. Luckily, filmlover, always the gentleman, gave me his seat on one of the ottomans.

I have no notes on the panel with Marge Champion, Debbie Allen and others but Suex2 took extensive notes so she should have a compelling recap because it did get a bit raucous.

[Moraldo Rubini]

He has high hopes that something may be worked out with Francis Ford Coppola for the American audience for Napoleon. "I hope to live long enough to see Napoleon in the States. It may happen sooner rather than later."

It's one of my few life regrets that I didn't see this when I had the chance (in 1983?). They set up the three screens in San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall and the San Francisco Symphony accompanied Napolean. If I could only go back in time... So your quote is my beakon of hope.

Once outside, we were all giddy from the experience. As much as we wanted to go see Angela Landsbury intro Gaslight, we were too amped up. Marco and JB took off for different films.

I missed Vince Giordano's encores as I ran to Graumann's for Gaslight. And I mean ran as fast as I could. At the Highland corner I looked behind and saw a trail of people also running to get into queue to see the effervescent Angela Lansbury. I got to the queue to discover I was #178. As the line lengthened down Hollywood Boulevard TCM cameraman Adam Rose filmed a tracking shot of the queue. He made two passes, each time capturing my best side (en derriere!) as I was blabbering with an excited group who were still high from The Cameraman. As Adam walked back toward the theatre, I called out, "I demand a retake!". He laughed and said, "how about a still?". And that's the photo that's been making the rounds lately.

Before Miss Lansbury came out to meet us, the MC announced that Robert Osborn's birthday was approaching and added, "You know what to do." So all 1,100 audience members sang a jolly chorus of "Happy Birthday" as Robert O came down the aisle. He introduced the slim and vivacioius Angela Lansbury (who received a standing ovation), and we all sat down for the chat. The conversation was so easy and compelling, we hated for it to end. The 35mm Gaslight print was beautiful. This is one of those movies I thought I'd seen enough times, yet I found myself falling into its spell, being completely engaged by it, and discovering scenes I'd forgotten. Apparently, it really moved me, as I awoke the next morning from a horrible nightmare based on the movie. After shaking myself from this dream, the real nightmare happened: I arrived at the theatre to find that Night Flight was full and I couldn't get in. So off to my second choice, and into the queue for This is the Night. There's no time to dilly-dally at these events!

[Lzcutter]

Sunday evening at the TCM Film Festival:

As we were leaving the Dancing panel, we ran into Diane Disney Miller (Walt's daughter), her daughter, Joanne and her grandson, Nick along with the Marketing Director of the Museum, Marsha Robertson. As we are talking, Marge Champion, who is a good friend of Diane's, came up and she and Diane started chatting away.

Jon and I went to get something eat before the encore screening of the Laugh-O-grams and Fantasia. The Grill at Hollywood and Highland provided just the right fare. On our way over, we scoped out an easy way to get the Disney Millers from the grams in the multiplex to the forecourt of Grauman's.

We met up with the Disney Millers and JB Kaufman in the lobby of the multiplex just prior to the screening of the grams. Once inside, I was thrilled to see among the many patrons, my good friend Eric Lynxwiler and a pal of his. The screening of the Laugh-O-grams went smoothly with Shannon Clute, once again, introducing JB Kaufman and Ben Model on the piano.

After the screening, a number of patrons came up to introduce themselves to Diane. Finally, it was time to get them moving towards the door. Luckily, the TCM staff helped get us all to Grauman's with only a bit of time to spare before the beginning of Fantasia. They have reserved seats down closer but Diane opted to sit in the back. We sat with her. Suex2 joins us.

One last time, Genevieve McGillicuddy introduced Robert O. The crowd gave him one last standing ovation! He announced the TCM Cruise in December and announced that there would be a 3rd TCM Film Festival next year! The crowd roared their approval.

After introducing Marge Champion, who was the dancing model for hippo in the film, Robert O introduced Diane and her family and then encouraged everyone to visit The Walt Disney Family Museum (yay!!!!).

He also announced that though the film had an intermission, there would be no intermission.

He thanked everyone, one last time, for coming to the Festival and then, it was time for film to begin.

After the screening, it was time to head to Club TCM for the closing night party. The place was packed with passholders and TCM staff. The band, Doozy, was playing and they were showing slides of pictures taken during the Festival. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Suex2 on the Red Carpet for the Gala Opening of American in Paris.

We found Kyle and Kingrat in the back of the room. Filmlover came by to say hello as did Shannon Clute. Moraldo found us and hung out for awhile before needing food. We ended up outside for awhile because it was cooler and quieter.

News of Osama Bin Laden went through the crowd like wild fire.

Back inside, Suex2 introduced us to Angela Allen, the script supervisor on The Third Man and other films. We were able to congratulate various TCM staff members on a great job, well done. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of JB Kaufman before he was surrounded by others.

But finally, we all succumbed to the need for sleep.

With hugs and kisses all around, it was time to call it a night and bring the 2nd TCM Classic Film Festival to a close.

We were all wondering how four days could pass so quickly but they had.

Wearily, I returned to the room I shared with Suex2 and, again, was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.

I hope we are all to do it again next year and I hope many of you are able to join us!

Special thanks to everyone at TCM for making this such a memorable experience for all of us. To Genevieve, Charlie, Scott, Tom, Sean, Pola, Shannon, Darcy, Jeff Stafford, Richard Steiner, Heather Margolis, MA Glenn and everyone else, a very heartfelt Thank-You for making this year's Festival bigger than last year's but just as memorable!

Thus, concludes my recaps of this year's Festival. I hope all of you enjoy reading them and I thank you for taking the time to do so!

[feaito]

I am in awe due to amount of effort you've put in writing all these posts in order to share your experiences with us Lynn. Thank you very much!!

[Lzcutter]

I am in awe due to amount of effort you've put in writing all these posts in order to share your experiences with us Lynn. Thank you very much!!

Fe,

Thanks so much for the kind words. I hope I was able to capture some of the fun and excitement of those four days in addition to all the note-taking. I wanted to be able to share with all of you some of what was seen and said!

Thank you again!

[moira finnie]

I feel as though I've lived through all this excitement with you after savoring your delightful descriptions. I really wish that the apparently ubiquitous Time-Warner sponsorship of the festival could be transferred to Kevin Brownlow's Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s documentary.

I must admit one of my favorite bits in your lively descriptions of events was the quality of Night Flight (1933). Based on a magnificently lyrical book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, I can't help laughing (sorry, M. Antoine) at your account of how thoroughly MGM reduced that poetic take on flying into Helen Hayes shedding tears in the waiting room and John losing the scene-stealing trophy to his brother Lionel and his eczema. Btw, the bit of flying the infantile paralysis Rx a long distance seems to show up about 12 times in movies in the '30s, including in Made For Each Other (1939), with David O. Selznick stealing from his own earlier movie to wring tears from us saps in the audience. Hoping to find some bootleg copy of Night Flight on youtube, instead I found a lovely compilation of moments from the film, made mostly without dialogue, and which seem more like the book than (from the sound of things, poor) film. See what you think. Is this a bit better?:
[youtube][/youtube]

I think that Drew Barrymore might be quite good as The Essentials co-host someday too.

Oh, and the cell phone situation is bad everywhere. I was at a funeral mass last week and guess what? 2 cell phone calls interrupted the eulogy.

[feaito]

Wow, that compilation is beautiful Moira, I loved it...and so many Chilean cities mentioned: Santiago, San Antonio, Punta Arenas.....the Patagonia Region. Do you know that some Jewish people have said that the Patagonia is indeed the Promised Land . If anyone of you are able to travel to Argentina and/or Chile you should visit the mysterious and beautiful Patagonia, with its variety of landscapes and climates....I fell in love with the city of Coyhaique and its amazing surroundings (as well as Balmaceda, Puerto Aysén et al) which are in the Patagonia...For being a bootleg the scenes from this print are superb! The one I got is awful.

[Lzcutter]

Is this a bit better?:

M,

It is much better than the film! But, John Barrymore is not nearly as noble in the movie as he is in this montage. The creator also added new dialog. I don't remember J. Barrymore comparing himself to the Incas. That would have gotten howls from the audience.

By the way,the print they showed last Sunday looked pretty good.

[Rita Hayworth]

Lzcutter,

You sure write well ... You have a wonderful gift of writing ... I've been reading 2-3 pages every other day & believe me you would make a great columnist. I just wished I could be there. Sounds like you and some selected members of our SSO community are having a blast down there. Keep up the good work ... I really mean that :!:

[moira finnie]

Wow, that compilation is beautiful Moira, I loved it...and so many Chilean cities mentioned: Santiago, San Antonio, Punta Arenas.....the Patagonia Region. Do you know that some Jewish people have said that the Patagonia is indeed the Promised Land . If anyone of you are able to travel to Argentina and/or Chile you should visit the mysterious and beautiful Patagonia, with its variety of landscapes and climates....I fell in love with the city of Coyhaique and its amazing surroundings (as well as Balmaceda, Puerto Aysén et al) which are in the Patagonia...For being a bootleg the scenes from this print are superb! The one I got is awful.

I'm glad that you enjoyed that compilation, Fernando. Have you read Bruce Chatwin's In Patagonia, a beautiful account of his travels there? He evokes all the legendary mystery and allure of that part of the world.

Is this a bit better?:

It is much better than the film! But, John Barrymore is not nearly as noble in the movie as he is in this montage. The creator also added new dialog. I don't remember J. Barrymore comparing himself to the Incas. That would have gotten howls from the audience.

By the way,the print they showed last Sunday looked pretty good.

Now I think I'm going to have to get the DVD too. I'm so glad that the film still looks good after 80 years--even if the plot sounds like a doozie!

[feaito]

Haven't read that book Moira, and it sounds interesting

[Lzcutter]

You sure write well

Kingme,

Thank you for the kind words. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed reading about the Festival. I think I can truthfully say we all had a terrific time. I don't think I was the only one surprised at how fast those four days went. It was almost like Christmas. After waiting all year for it to come back around, too soon, it was over!

I'm glad I thook such extensive notes as writing these recaps allowed me to remember not only how much fun we had but also how much we learned about the films and stars!

Is it 2012 yet?