TCM Classic Film Festival (April 22-25, 2010)

[pvitari]

Yup, that's the Big Trail Duke... what a doll. (I confess I am a big John Wayne fan.)

I forgot to include in my post last night that Grover Crisp mentioned during his Jubal remarks that Sony is also doing a restoration of Picnic. (Yay again!) Maybe they'll screen it at next year's Fest if it's ready in time. (Surely there will be another one? As far as I can tell, this one has gone off without a hitch, other than an embarrassment of so many riches that I'm being driven mad by the movies and panels I have to miss. Some screening slots for Sunday are still TBA so hopefully they'll repeat some films so I can see something I missed.)

Breakfast and Playtime await. ====Zoom=====

[Moraldo Rubini]

I bet the attendees are so busy at this fantastic festival that they haven't had a minute to catch TCM, so may not know that the network has been showing occassional "Festival Updates". I've been scouring the shots for recognizable Oasis faces! They showed a quick interview with Lorna Luft, who said that her kids were seeing their grandparent's (Judy Garland and Sid Luft) work for the first time! No sign of Joey (which was not surprising, as he as a reputation for keeping a very low profile). The festival really looks amazing. Oh wait, I think they're on YouTube but they've disallowed embedding. Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5t79MyMN4

[Lzcutter]

I'm on tonight after "Reds"!

[moira finnie]

I'm on tonight after "Reds"!

Cool! I'll crank up the DVR.

[mrsl]

.
You're looking good, Lynn :!: :!: :!:

When did the Disney job come about?
.

[pvitari]

Oy, what a long day -- started at 9 a.m. with Playtime in 70mm and it's now 1:40 a.m. and I just got out of the Bride of Frankenstein screening. The person at the other Mac is watching rap videos. UGH. (Sorry, I hate rap.)

I spent much of the day at the Egyptian Theatre, starting with Playtime. This is an amazing film and the huge and amazingly detailed set literally bankrupted Jacques Tati. The print we saw had about 20 minutes restored by -- alas, didn't catch the name, although the gentleman himself was projecting the print. I hope he gets to finish the rest of the movie.

Next was Pillow Talk. (Last minute decision because I really could not make up my mind between it and Leave Her to Heaven but I had always wanted to see Pillow Talk on the big screen so...) Ben Mankewicz introduced and in real life he is the owner of a VERY dry wit -- a very funny man. He kept referring to Pillow Talk as a sex comedy -- but without sex. ;) Well, there may be no sex in it literally but it seems to be the one thing on everyone's mind so yes, I do think it would count very much as a sex comedy. :) Rock Hudson -- sigh. What a dreamboat. ;) Of course the scene where he starts mentioning recipes and talking about Doris Day's designs in order to make her think that "Rex Stetson" may possibly be a momma's boy :) is hilarious on several levels. :)

Then again another hard decision as they were doing a digital projection of North by Northwest at the Grauman's Chinese, but I stayed at the Egyptian to see Harold Lloyd's An Eastern Westerner and Safety Last because Robert Israel and his 12 piece orchestra were there to do the live musical accompaniment. I've loved Robert Israel's scores for years and to hear him live was a real thrill. Leonard Maltin introduced and then he spoke with Suzanne Lloyd, Harold's granddaughter, who talked about the kind of man her grandfather was and how he had become less known than Keaton and Chaplin because he wouldn't let his films be shown on television, as he hated commercials. But she's sure he would have loved TCM. :) Afterwards, I hung around a little and finally went up to Robert Israel to tell him how much I loved his music. He seemed appreciative. I didn't linger as he looked a bit wiped and ready to get out of there. I did hear him tell someone else that was the first time he'd performed his accompaniment live to Safety Last in a public screening.

The final film at the Egyptian today was Singin' in the Rain. The theater was packed for this one and everyone was stoked to see it on the big screen. All the musical numbers and even just the first appearances of the actors in the film got applause. Robert Osborne introduced and then did a Q&A with Stanley Donen before the screening. He said that Arthur Freed had wanted Judy Garland to play Kathy Selden and Donen said he adored Judy and wanted her in every movie -- except this one. He wanted a girl who you wouldn't assume from the beginning would become a big star, which is exactly what you would assume with Judy. It was not as well received as An American in Paris but thanks to critical acclaim in England (in Sight and Sound magazine) and France (Cahiers du Cinema) its reputation grew. Donen said his career started as a 9 year old when he went to see Flyin' Down to Rio and he was bowled over by Fred Astaire and he determined right then and there he wanted to do whatever Astaire was doing. So he began dance lessons -- and at age 25 he directed Astaire in Funny Face. He said they became good friends and Astaire was the biggest inspiration in his life because everything Astaire did, he made it look easy, like it was real life - like it was "growing out of the earth."

The back to Mann's Chinese for The Adventures of Robin Hood -- but I left early because I wanted to get in line early so I could get a good seat for The Bride of Frankenstein. Next to me in line was a woman who said she was the adopted daughter of actress Lenore Aubert (Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and many other films). This lady regaled us with a number of stories about old Hollywood. On the other side of me in the line was a 16 year old boy who had flown in by himself from Hawaii! He sure must have trusting parents. ;)

Bride was a world premiere of a new audio restoration and it both looked and sounded terrific. I hope Universal puts this new audio restoration out on DVD. Peter Bogdanovich introduced. He confessed he wasn't an especial fan of the horror genre but he had directed Karloff on Karloff's last major film, Targets. He said Karloff was a delightful English gentleman and despite being 79 years old with braces on both legs and emphysema he never complained during the extremely long and tiring days. The movie was shot very quickly and they did all of Karloff's scenes in 5 days. At the end of one very demanding monologue scene that went without a cut, the crew applauded and Karloff was very touched. His wife said to Bogdanovich, "Do you know how long it's been since a crew applauded him?" Karloff also told Bogdanovich that he was very grateful for the role of "The Monster" as it gave him a niche, a career and a life.

And now to bed. I suspect I will be asleep before my head hits the pillow. :)

[Moraldo Rubini]

And here's today's update:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fki7QGZw9uw

[moira finnie]

Several TCM Festival Attendees have been posting their impressions and photos on the TCM on Facebook page as well:
http://www.facebook.com/tcmtv

There are some great first hand accounts by lzcutter, filmlover and hlywdkjk and newer TCM message board members here on the TCM Message Board site:
http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?threadID=152883&start=0&tstart=0

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Below is Susan King's blog from the Los Angeles Times on the Fragments featured in one of the venues at the festival:

TCM Fest must-see: "Fragments" (1916-1929)
April 24, 2010 | 1:43 pm

So many films from the silent era have literally dissolved into dust, lost for the ages for several reasons, including nitrate decomposition. But not everyone is willing to let these cinematic masterpieces go gentle into that good night. The program "Fragments (1916-1929)," screening Sunday morning at the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood, features a rare collection of scenes, reels and segments from lost silent films restored by the Academy Film Archive and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

"We are showing three fragments from each archive along with some background," says the Academy's Mike Pogorzelski. "We are going to be closing the program with trailers for movies that will be never coming to a theater near you because the trailers are the only thing that survive from the film."

Jere Guldin from UCLA will be showing fragments from two Clara Bow silents: "Red Hair" and "Three Weekends." "They are wonderful because she is just so charming," Pogorzelski says. "They are both from 1928 and looks like they were her last two great silent comedies. The clips are cute and funny, but they are actually some of the saddest images in a theater because the rest of the films are presumably lost."

Another offering from the archive is the middle reel of a 1916 film called "Chance Market," starring and directed by King Baggott. "We had flagged it in our collection and preserved particularly for this," says the Academy's Joe Lindner. "It's only a reel, it may be nearly a third of the film. He had a dual role in which he played both a rich man and a kind of a thief. For 1916, the acting is pretty interesting and makes you want to see how it turned out."

Other fragments include 1922's "The Village," an early film by John Ford; "Happiness Ahead," a 1928 comedy starring Colleen Moore; and the 1925 Roman Novarro romance, "A Lover's Oath." The trailers include 1928's "The Patriot," directed by Ernst Lubitsch, the only best picture Oscar nominee that no longer exists as a complete print.

-- Susan King

[pvitari]

SPLAT. That's my mind blowing at the Metropolis screening and..

Let's back up a little. Decided to take it easy today after yesterday's Moviepalooza, so I ambled over to the repeat screening of Sunny Side Up and had a grand old time. This time the theater was almost full and everyone really got into the movie -- especially the "Turning on the Heat" number which had 'em rolling in the aisles and gasping at the sexually charged writhing that passed for choreography and the phallic palm trees and unfurling bananas. ;) Historian Cari Beacham introduced and gave a short but info-packed lecture on the changes wrought upon the film industry by the coming of sound.

The line for this morning screening of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was humongeous -- stretched all the way down the block. I passed it early in the morning while strolling down the boulevard. :)

Then i took it easy -- skipped some movies so I could have a real meal (dinner last night was a pretzel from the concession stand) at the Roosevelt's famed Cinegrill. Hey, Errol Flynn used to eat there -- what's good enough for Errol Flynn works for me. And the burger was VERY yummy.

Got into line very early for Metropolis as I knew it would be a repeat of the crowded situation for The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. I met two beautiful red-headed twins from Utah who are hardcore Judy Garland devotees -- the highlight of the festival for them was A Star Is Born on Friday night.

The Metropolis screening was the world premiere of the new restoration that incorporates the recently rediscovered 20 minutes from the 16mm print found in an Argentinian archive. The 16mm footage was easily indentified by the poor quality of the film and its smaller size. The rest of the film in 35mm obviously came from a variety of sources but most of it looked fantastic, like it was filmed yesterday.

The theater was crammed with an extremely enthusiastic audience. Robert Osborne introduced and got a standing ovation from the crowd, and loud cheers when he announced that tomorrow TCM would announce that they were going to hold a second festival next year -- all details, including dates, TBA.

The Alloy Orchestra played live musical accompaniment. I've complained about them in the past -- they're deadly with silent comedy -- but their dissonant, percussive style of score works much better with something like Metropolis, and I have to say they did a terrific job tonight (they got a standing ovation too). Lang's monumental film (digitally projected) was *spectacular* on the big screen -- like I said, it was mind-blowing -- and everyone was bowled over. You could just feel all the energy and astonishment radiating throughout the gigantic auditorium. The new footage is a terrific addition -- this is definitely the best Metropolis has ever held together for me and the story made real sense this time. I can't wait for the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD but I have a feeling it won't have quite the same impact on the small screen.

Leonard Maltin and his wife were standing in the aisle as I headed towards the exit and I couldn't resist saying hello and saying thanks for all his work promoting classic film and for his movie guide books. He was appreciative and then I moved on -- didn't want to take up more than a few seconds of his time.

Metropolis was the perfect ending to this wonderful festival. TCM really outdid themselves -- everything seemed to run like clockwork.

A closing night party was going on in the hotel after the film and I stopped by briefly for a post-film snack. I goggled a bit as Tony Curtis rolled by in his wheelchair, a big ten-gallon cowboy hat perched on his head. He was surrounded by an entourage of course. :)

And five minutes ago as I was typing this Wanda Sykes walked into the hotel reception area, then turned and walked off somewhere. I had never realized it, but she's tiny! ;)

Well, tomorrow, back to reality. ;) The TCM festival has seemed like the most wonderful dream. I don't want to wake up -- but it's OK, I can always turn on TCM and slip back into the fantasy if I need a "fix." :) Old movies are a potent drug. :)

[Sue Sue Applegate]

I agree with Paula. Metropolis was a fantastic way to end the festival. Lots of folks were hugging and writing down email addresses at the final Club TCM party.

Ben Mankiewicz was there until it closed down, and he is affable and approachable. Lots of folks had a little private chat with Ben before heading out.

Lots of bitersweet moments as we all had to say so long to all our new friends....

[jdb1]

Robert Osborne introduced and got a standing ovation from the crowd, and loud cheers when he announced that tomorrow TCM would announce that they were going to hold a second festival next year -- all details, including dates, TBA.

We'd better start saving now!

I'd really like to go, and your and Christy's postings have increased my interest tenfold. Thanks for your wonderful reporting -- made me think of the Good Old Days of Hollywood news.

[Lzcutter]

Hey guys,

I am back in Fog City after spending a most wonderful four days in my City of Angels with a couple thousand of the greatest folks around, fans of TCM. It was an incredibly great time and as soon as I get some sleep and get my notes in order, I'll be posting about all the great movies and panels I attended.

In the meantime, TCM has announced that they are going to have another Classic Film Festival next year, again in Hollywood. I would encourage everyone to save up and attend the next one. Just as great as seeing restored versions of classic films and listening to the wonderful panels is the opportunity to meet and hang out with people you know from here and/or TCM City (see me waving at Kingrat!).

Another great thrill is getting to meet people from all over the world who come to the Festival because they love TCM and they love classic movies.

So, start saving now because I hope to meet more of you in Hollywood NEXT year!

I'm getting a Netbook with Wifi to take next year so I can write up the events at the end of each day! And slippers to wear around the hotel at the end of the day when my dawgs are barking from all the walking and standing!

One of the advantages to having it in Hollywood is that there are two old movie palaces (Grauman's and the Egyptian) within walking distance of each other. You don't need to cab or take a bus. They also took over one medium size theater in the new Chinese complex and one smaller one. In addition to the Roosevelt, there are a couple of economic hotels like Best Western (where Kingrat stayed) and the Holiday Inn Express.

[Moraldo Rubini]

I am back in Fog City after spending a most wonderful four days in my City of Angels with a couple thousand of the greatest folks around, fans of TCM. It was an incredibly great time and as soon as I get some sleep and get my notes in order, I'll be posting about all the great movies and panels I attended.

Welcome home, Lynn! Looking forward to your reportage!

[pvitari]

Have arrived home. Have kissed the hubby and the dog (and in that order too). :)

My adventures didn't end last night. In the shuttle bus to the airport, I found myself seated next to filmmaker and DVD producer Bret Wood, who has produced many DVDs for Kino. He had attended the festival as one of the official TCM bloggers (http://www.tcm.com/festival/#/general/liveCoverage).

Bret and I are slightly acquainted, as I had interviewed him some years ago about the Kino DVD of The Man Who Laughs, starring Conrad Veidt (http://www.gildasattic.com/bretwood.html). Bret did the English subtitles for Metropolis and also designed the stunning TCM festival/Metropolis poster. (I promptly showed him my cardboard tube with my copy of the poster.) :) He's currently working on the upcoming Blu-rays of Buster Keaton titles. Fortunately the Steamboat Bill, Jr. Blu-ray will not have the Alloy Orchestra score (apologies Alloy guys -- your Metropolis score was fantastic but that kind of thing does NOT work for silent comedy!) but there will be three scores for to chose from. Also, the upcoming Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray (not officially announced yet) will have a new Monte Alto score.

Then, back in Atlanta on the airport shuttle train to baggage claim, who should I find myself standing next to but writer-director Frank Darabont. (!!) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001104/ You know, the guy who wrote and directed The Shawshank Redemption. :)

He and several colleagues are in Atlanta filming a new series for AMC called The Walking Dark. :) I told him I'd be sure to look out for it and suggested he have a look at the town I live in for a location. :) :)

I'd say the perfect capper to a perfect festival vacation. Man, it's going to be hard to go into work tomorrow. ;)

[moira finnie]

Hi Paula, Lynn & Christy,
Thanks so much for taking the time to make your experiences during this great, if hectic-sounding event real for the rest of us. Now, please go get some rest!