Tuesday, April 30, 2013

God Speed Deanna Durbin

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Deanna Durbin (1921-2013)

Many people love Deanna Durbin as that bright eyed child star with the voice of an angel. I enjoy her later films and marvel at how she developed into such a gorgeous and voluptuous young woman. Personally, I have always had a girl crush on her, wishing I could be that spectacularly beautiful.  I know she was very private in her later years and I had always hoped we'd get to know her a little better. She leaves behind a legacy of films, many of which kept Universal afloat during the Great Depression and World War II. 

God Speed Deanna!

If you are interested, here is a transcript of Deanna Durbin's only known post-retirement interview from 1983. (Thanks to Lou Lumenick for the link!)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #3 Recap


Friday was the second official day of the TCM Classic Film Festival but my third day. As I had predicted, I didn't wake up early enough to go see Libeled Lady (1936). I wish I had more energy and a personal driver to take me everywhere I need to go.

I spent the day with my husband which was nice because we had been on different schedules for a couple of days. First stop was to the Chinese Multiplexes to see River of No Return (1954).



Leonard Maltin hosted the screening and introduced special guests producer Stanley Rubin and his wife Kathleen Hughes.

I plan to do a most in depth post later but I really enjoyed Maltin's talk with Rubin and Hughes. When the movie started, something happened. I started to cry and couldn't stop. It was a really emotional moment for me. I think this was for a few reasons. 

River of No Return (1954) is the second Robert Mitchum film I ever saw with Out of the Past (1947) being the first. And as most of you know, Robert Mitchum is my favorite actor. I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe too and have seen almost all of her films. Also, I've been to the river in the film. The movie was shot on the Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada and I have very happy memories visiting the river and the Rocky Mountain town Jasper which is situated alongside the river. River of No Return isn't a perfect film but it's one I have loved for as long as I have been a classic film fan. It has a special place in my heart and to see the producer of the film up on stage talking about the movie, sharing his stories and talking about Mitchum and Monroe was truly an honor.  Not only that, Rubin stayed to watch the film with us.

Then it hit me. This is truly amazing. Truly fucking amazing. And then the tears just flowed. Wow.


We left the Chinese Multiplexes and hoofed it over to the Avalon for a taping of Eva Marie Saint: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival. This event will be televised on TCM so I won't be doing an in depth post but I did want to share a little about it.





 We got absolutely terrible seats because everyone got there super early and we had only gotten there 10-15 minutes before it started. We were in the nosebleed section and there was a lot of moving around to get the best view. 

This event was a taping of the one hour interview for TCM so it took about 2 hours with several stops for make up, clean up, retakes, etc. Tom Brown kicked it off with talking with the audience and getting laughter, titter and awws so they could record those sounds and use them later for editing. Then they brought out Robert Osborne and he fielded some questions from the audience which I thought was very nice of him! 

Out came Eva Marie Saint and at the age of 88 she still looks stunning. We couldn't photograph during the event but she did post for pictures afterwards (hence the photos above). Eva Marie Saint flirted with Robert Osborne calling him her second husband. Her real life husband of 61 years Director Jeffrey Hayden. She called out to him numerous times during the interview which I thought was so sweet. They seem like a very close couple and still very much in love. Eva Marie Saint credited that to the fact that they are Actress and Director and not both Actors or both in different businesses. Because they are both in show business they get the nature of the business. If they were both actors they would in competition with each other. She noted a few couples and used Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward as an example of an exception to that rule.

Eva Marie Saint spoke very fondly of Yves Montand her co-star in Grand Prix (1966) and also mentioned that her daughter had such a huge crush on him and corresponded with him by mail for years. She also spoke about working with Cary Grant, Elia Kazan, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Otto Preminger, Montgomery Clift and more. She was absolutely charming, you could tell that she felt very at ease with Robert Osborne which I think made a huge difference. She mentioned that she enjoyed her role in the contemporary movie Because of Winn-Dixie (2005). OMG. I work for that book's publisher! I hope that bit makes it on air.

Overall a good experience even though I got terrible blisters hoofing it there.



The last thing we did was attend the World Premiere Restoration/50th Anniversary screening of The Great Escape (1953). It was screened at the Grauman's Chinese theatre (which I refuse to call by it's new name). It was magical being in such an important and historic theatre.

My husband and I got seats close up. Carlos wasn't happy but I needed to be close to the guests! Before it started, I had gone to the bathroom and I SAW WALTER MIRISCH! It was definitely him because a TCM staffer referred to him as Walter. It was so cool to be that close to him. Also for some reason I keep running in to Ben Mankiewicz. It's happened like 5 or 6 times but I'm too shy to say hi.

An in-depth post on The Great Escape (1963) screening is to come. It was a fun experience. We ended up being too tired to attend the On The Waterfront screening right after and the line for that was long. I hope to have more energy on Saturday and Sunday!

Remember, follow me on Twitter or Instagram at @QuelleLove for live updates of all the TCM Classic Film Festival activities I do as they happen.


Friday, April 26, 2013

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #2 Recap


Thursday was the first full day of the TCM Classic Film Festival. For those of you at home, if you saw the intros last night on TCM for Bite the Bullett (1975) or The Great Race (1965), you may have spotted me in the background of the actor interviews conducted by Ben Mankiewicz. This is the intro with Marvin Kaplan and this is the one for Theodore Bikel. You might see me in the background of an interview in the intro for The Angry Hills (1959) on April 30th on TCM too!


The first event I attended on Thursday was the Meet TCM Panel. It was moderated by Scott McGee and included a panel of 6 TCM staffers who related a lot of very interesting information about what goes on behind-the-scenes at TCM. The first half of the event included questions from Scott McGee and then the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions. I think that second part was a mistake. A few people asked good questions. Others wanted to relate their life stories once they got the microphone.


I was a little late to the trivia game So You Think You Know the Movies? at Club TCM. The Club was packed and I had to sit in the way back. Which was okay for ONE REASON. Norman Lloyd walked right by us. OMG. I couldn't snap a picture fast enough unfortunately. If you look in the above picture, Norman Lloyd is the shorter gray haired gentleman in the dark suit. Aurora of Once Upon a Screen... is standing to his left. She got to shake his hand! The trivia game was pretty cool. They had a few surprised guests who were tied into trivia questions including Michael Badalucco, James Karen and Norman Lloyd. I think it was amazing to have the actors there. 


After the trivia game, some members of the media and bloggers attended a press conference hosted by Robert Osborne at Club TCM. He made the following announcement:

Bonhams to Present Auction of Rare Movie Memorabilia Curated by Turner Classic Movies

Bonhams is a fine arts auction and appraisal house. They plan to have the first auctions with TCM in Hollywood and New York in November of this year. Future locations include Hong Kong and London. Some of the proceeds of the sales will go to The Film Foundation. 


There were two pieces on display at Club TCM that will be part of the future Bonhams-TCM auctions. One of them was Humphrey Bogart's suit from The Big Sleep (1946) and the other was Michael Keaton's batsuit from Batman (1989).  Osborne had three people from Bonhams up on stage to discuss a little about the partnership and about movie memorabilia auctions. One of the dealers said that the suit came from a private Humphrey Bogart collector who wanted to focus more on other types of ephemera. It's a really cool suit! The dealer also said that there will be some smaller yet quality pieces with important movie connections up for auction in the $200-$500 range in addition to the other big pieces that go for the big bucks.


After the press conference, the Club TCM Opening Night Party started. Some of us headed to the pool and hung out for a bit. A lot of people were dressed to the nines! A couple hours later, the poolside special event for South Pacific (1958) started.



There were Polynesian dancers and lots of fire!


Ben Mankiewicz hosted the interview with actresses France Nuyen and Mitzi Gaynor. France Nuyen had a one-on-one interview with Mankiewicz before Gaynor came out which was very smart of them to do because Gaynor pretty much took over from there. More details to come in a future post but let's just say that Mitzi Gaynor referred to Ricardo Montalban as a bitch, she had so much energy she couldn't sit still in her chair and she got up and grabbed her crotch TWICE to demonstrate something that she had witnessed her co-star Rossano Brazzi do. I already thought Mitzi Gaynor was adorable but now I just want to hang out with her and have a couple drinks. She was so much fun and such a delight!


A full moon was out and we watched South Pacific (1958) under the stars. It got cold so...


we went inside and were really happy to see they were also screening the film inside Club TCM.

Overall a great night. Mitzi Gaynor was the highlight for sure. I really wish I had gotten a picture of her grabbing her crotch because that was the funniest thing I had ever seen.

Stay tuned for more details and future recaps.


Thursday, April 25, 2013

TCM Classic Film Festival Press Conference - Robert Osborne

This is the first of my transcripts for the Press Conference that happened on Wednesday April 24th, 2013 at the TCM Classic Film Festival. I tried to be as thorough as possible but there is some paraphrasing along with some quoting. It's not word-for-word but as close as I can get to it. Note that various people asked questions at the press conference. Enjoy!


Question/Comment: 53 year old Film Student complimented Osborne on the reach of TCM programming. It's been therapy for her mother who is in a nursing home.

Robert Osborne:

Osborne noted that what he didn't realize with the channel was that they were going to be nurses for people and help them through things like cancer, divorce and disappointment. He shared the story of one lady who told him that TCM helped her get through a really rough period and that TCM was the one bright thing in her life. Osborne says that it is such a pleasure to know that TCM helps people in that way. He also notes that TCM can be a master class for people who want to learn more about movies. What is great about the festival is that after the first year that they almost sold out before they announced their programming. In 2013, they did sell out before the programming announcement  which meant that people are trusting Charles Tabesh, who handles the programming, and they are giving him the latitude to pick the best movies that he can find. Tabesh in return trusts that they will come to the festival and enjoy the films chosen. Osborne thinks this is fabulous because originally they tried to pick a lot of big titles like Casablanca (1944), Singin' in the Rain (1952), etc. that more people would want to come see. But now he loves the festival without even knowing what is going to be here, and not just to come see celebrities although they'll know they'll be here but he loves that they are also coming to see movies they may not have seen and that discovery is wonderful.

Comment: TCM Film Festival is like the ComicCon for Film Geeks

Robert Osborne:

People at the festival get to meet other people who are like-minded. Osborne was not quite keen on the idea of the TCM Cruise but he says it's a lot of fun. He shared an anecdote that on the last Cruise fans were gathering in rooms for James Cagney fans and Barbara Stanwyck fans etc and he thought it was great that these fans were finding each other. For a lot of people who don't live in major cities like L.A., NYC, San Francisco or Chicago (hey Bob, don't forget Boston!!!), they feel isolated as though they are the only person in the world who loves old movies. They are considered oddballs but when they come to the festival they meet all the other oddballs and they don't feel so alone.

Question: How does you prepare for the TCM Classic Film Festival?

Robert Osborne: 

Once Charles Tabesh puts together the programming, he lets Osborne pick which ones he wants to introduce. He'll try to pick movies he already knows or has a particular regard for. It's hard to pick because scheduling wise if he picks one film he might not be able to do others he likes because of scheduling conflicts. One thing about the festival is that you can't see all the films. Most of the films are ones he is very familiar with or has seen recently. He noted The Razor's Edge (1946) is one of his favorites and he's seen it so many times that he doesn't need to revisit it. However, when it comes to doing long interviews with guests like Eva Marie Saint, he knows her very well  and has done interviews with her before, but when you do an interview for an hour you really need to go back and study up on the history so you can talk to them without referring to your notes. Osborne thinks it's important not to refer to notes during an interview because once you look down on your notes, you lose eye contact with your guest and it's no longer a conversation. Also, you are not really listening to their replies, rather you are studying your notes trying to figure out your next question and you can't respond to things they are saying in the flow of conversation.

Question: Funny Girl (1968) is a restoration and one of the things TCM does is help with restoring classic films. Does Turner finance these restorations or do they get together with other studios?

Robert Osborne: 

Osborne is not sure but he thinks that Turner does get together with other studios and organizations in the restoration process. This is more of a question for Charles Tabesh. It's frightening to Osborne that a movie like Funny Girl (1968) that wasn't from that long ago needs to be restored. Will we eventually lose some of these films if people are not particularly interested in them? Osborne says that it is great to see these restorations. Tabesh really tries to never have a print go on the air or be shown at the festival unless it's a mint print. People are so used to seeing good prints now. Osborne notes Road to Bali (1942), the only Hope/Crosby/Lamour Road picture filmed in Technicolor, and the print they had for it was terrible. He thinks that print had belonged to the Bob Hope estate and somehow it ended up in bad shape. Tabesh said he wouldn't book it in prime time anymore and only show it in the mornings because of the quality. Then  one day Osborne noticed he had to introduce Road to Bali during prime time so he inquired with Tabesh. Tabesh said he found a really great restoration print. Osborne notes that they are always trying to find the best quality print and improve their current library to show the best on TCM. Osborne is excited about seeing Funny Girl and seeing Barbra Streisand 3 stories tall with 2,000 other people is going to be great and beats anything. It's the way it was meant to be seen.

Question/Comment: Person noted that this is one of the few opportunities to see these films on the big screen.

Robert Osborne: In L.A., NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, it's not rare to see classic movies on the big screen. (BOB! Don't forget Boston!!!). Osborne notes that there are so many people who don't get to see these films on the big screen and that is why this film festival is so wonderful. And that's what it's all about. They recognize how proud TCM is to bring out these films from the vaults and have them see it again. But the real way these films were meant to be seen is on the big screen, in a theatre with a bunch of other people. If you see Casablanca on the big screen, in a theatre, with a bunch of other people, it's a totally different movie than when you watch it on TV. No matter how big the screen in your living room is.

Question/Comment: Cinematic sustainability. Why are people going to be watching these movies in the future? What are some of the other ways to make these movies relevant today?

Robert Osborne: Osborne notes that TCM is open to suggestions. If you have some good ideas, let them know. TCM wants to be relevant and interesting. Osborne notes that soon on programming is something he did with Molly Haskell. Osborne said to Haskell that he is amazed that there are all these career women in early film played by actresses like Joan Crawford, Katherine Hepburn, Rosalind Russell, etc. Why has it taken so long to recognize those roles? Haskell replied that at the end of those movies the woman goes with what the man says. Katherine Hepburn might be strong but at the end she'll do what Spencer Tracy wants her to do. Rosalind Russell will hang up her hat and go off with Cary Grant. Osborne says they are doing a series of strong women (executive women in most cases) and how movie makers portrayed them. Haskell notes that women were the main audience for films during that time and they wanted to feel good when the movie was over that they hadn't stayed in business and that would be okay being at home being mother. They didn't want women going away being angry at themselves. Osborne notes that Woman of the Year had another ending but it wasn't used and the disappointing ending is the one we are left with.

Question/Comment: Person noted that it's wonderful that TCM shows silent films and foreign films and restorations. Will TCM be showing more of that?

Robert Osborne: TCM is dedicated to that and wants to be fresh in what they offer. That's why they seek out other studios like 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures to get access to those films. TCM has Warner Bros, United Artists, RKO and MGM (until mid 1980s) libraries available but want to go beyond their own vaults. They don't want to show the same movies every month. TCM will try to show films that they screened late at night during the afternoon too. Osborne notes that 20th Century Fox has their own channel but they are not interested in their old movies. They only show them in the afternoon and they do no promotion and are starting to show commercials. Now studios like Fox are opening their vaults. TCM discovered if they show a Fox film like Leave Her to Heaven or something, people will fall in love with the film and want to seek out the DVD. Fox and Universal has seen the benefit of this. They are letting TCM have more access to their movies (they were more protective before) because of this additional revenue stream from DVD sales. When people watch those films on TCM they become acquainted with them and want to buy them.  TCM doesn't care what the motive is.

Question: Was there a film that didn't make it to the Festival?

Robert Osborne: Osborne notes that this is more of a question for Charles Tabesh. Tabesh tries to balance things out so there is a great mixture of films at the festival. Sometimes Tabesh wants a film to be at the festival but can't find a really good print. He'll look into getting one for a future festival. Osborne notes that with Ann Blyth being at the festival this year they are showing Mildred Pierce (1945) and have a great print for that. Blyth was also a big musical star and they wanted to add one of her musicals to the festival. The only one they could get a good Cinemascope print out of was Kismet (1955). Blyth is fond of Kismet but Osborne doesn't think it's the best musical. Vincente Minelli directed it and Osborne notes that Minelli might not have been too familiar with filming with Cinemascope at that time. Osborne also notes that they would have rather had The Student Prince (1954) but they couldn't find a good Cinemascope print. TCM is very adamant about good prints. There was a time when people didn't care about the quality of the print because they were just so happy to be able to see the movie. Osborne notes that now we are spoiled. And so to see a film like Wings (1927) without a really good print is not acceptable anymore.

Question/Comment: Limitations of Studio System and Censorship

Robert Osborne: Osborne notes that for a long time, the studio system got so smacked down by everybody. Now people are recognizing that it was a good system for somethings. It worked very well. Osborne says he thinks some of the best movies were made because there was a censorship. He acknowledges that they went way overboard but it made people be more devious, clever not so overt. He doesn't think that movies have been improved because you can say anything or show anything on screen. Because it falls into the hands of people who don't have any taste and don't know where the limits should be. We don't want censorship but he notes things like Gone With the Wind (1939) and the look on Vivien Leigh's face after Clark Gable has taken her up the steps. (Osborne mimics the face). He notes how sexy that scene is. Osborne notes that The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) is much sexier than the 1981 remake which has more graphic sex scenes. There were bad things about studio system and censorship, Osborne notes however that they still made a lot of good films. Osborne says he doesn't think there is anything like wit in film anymore. He points out Woman of the Year (1942) and Libeled Lady (1936) that have great wit and weren't hammered over the head with comedy. No bodily fluid jokes. Today people go hog wild.

Question/Comment: TCL is going digital renovations after the Festival. What does Osborne think about taking care of the theatres as well as the films?

Robert Osborne: Osborne has no idea how it is going to work but hopes it works out well. If it doesn't work out well, TCM will just have to adjust to it and figure out something else. Osborne notes that he is a co-owner of a theatre in Washington and were told a year ago as of January 1st that major studios wouldn't be making 35mm prints anymore. You have to be set up for Digital. For a small town theater, that costs $32,000 which is no small change. Most small theaters barely squeak by with the movies they are showing now. Some only make money on popcorn and things because most of the money goes to paying the distributor. In small towns, most people don't eat at the movie theaters. This transition is going to put a lot of mom and pop theaters out of business. He thinks Grauman's will be okay because they are in a big city but is worried more about small towns. Osborne had a fundraiser for his theatre. That town has a big community who loves the Arts so they got a lot of support. They were able to raise the money but only because they were lucky to have that community.

Question/Comment: Lot of hosts at the festival don't have connections to the film except for the fact that they love the film. How did this come to be?

Robert Osborne: Osborne doesn't pick those hosts, it's handled by another department. He makes suggestions. This is going to happen more and more because so many of the films TCM shows don't have people who are alive anymore. (This makes me so sad!). It's amazing that in the four years that they have done the festival how many people have passed away. We are lucky to have as many people to be around with the film as we do. There are not many like Luise Rainer who is 103 and probably willing to come out and introduce The Good Earth (1937) again. Osborne notes that Cher was wonderful as a co-host who shared her love of movies. Was Cher difficult? Osborne says Cher was on-time, so professional, ready, no fussing. Any fussing she did was ahead of time. She always contributed  when they were shooting. Osborne notes that they had dealt with a couple people (who shall remain nameless) that checked themselves out in the mirror and made a fuss.  But none of that with Cher. No Diva at all. Osborne notes that was a little disappointing actually but still great.

Question/Comment: What is Osborne most looking forward to at the Festival this year?

Robert Osborne: Osborne is looking forward to seeing Funny Girl (1968) restored and on the big screen. He's looking forward to The Razor's Edge (1946) because it is one of his all-time favorite movies. Cluny Brown (1946). The Desert Song (1943) because it hasn't been seen in like 60 years and it's a beautiful new Technicolor print. He's excited and notes they built Arabian sets that were used later in Casablanca (1944). He's looking forward to talking to Mel Brooks. He's excited about Ann Blyth and the screening of Mildred Pierce. He notes that Blyth is still so beautiful and such a nice person. He wants in particular to talk to her about the fact that she was so effective as the evil Veda in Mildred Pierce but was never typecast and never cast in that type of role again. That amazes Osborne. She did Veda so well so he's surprised she didn't play "bitches" from then on. (Yes, Osborne said Bitches). She went on to play sweet ingenues.

Comment: About a Noir party where everyone was decked out in vintage style clothes. Young people are really attracted to old movies.

Robert Osborne: Osborne was aware of that from the beginning, how many young people were attracted to TCM. Young people would see Osborne on air and stop him in the streets to gush. Osborne wasn't surprised but he thinks it came as a big shock to the bosses and the people at the channel. They thought it was only for people with gray hair. TCM attracts of all ages. They also found that on the cruise as well. Lots of people under 30 attended. Osborne thinks this is great. And that these new generations will pass their love of classic films to their kids. A lot of people get their love from family influence and Osborne hopes that goes on forever. And hopefully you will go on forever too.

Thank you Robert Osborne!

I'll have the two other Q&As up later but it might take me a little while. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #1 Recap



The TCM Classic Film Festival doesn't officially start until Thursday but there was already plenty of interesting things happening on Wednesday. My day started with getting to meet several bloggers at the Club TCM lounge at the Roosevelt Hotel. It was great to meet Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings, Jill of Sittin' on a Backyard Fence, Aurora of Once Upon a Screen..., and several others.


I got my Media Credentials and headed to a separate room for a Media Roundtable. I was expecting a roundtable but it ended up being more of a Press Conference. Robert Osborne, Ben Mankiewicz, Charles Tabesh and Genevieve McGillicuddy (paired) took to the platform and fielded questions from us. I didn't end up asking any questions myself but a lot of the questions I had in mind were asked by others. I plan to do a separate post with much more detail about the questions and answers. I thought the conference went really well. Ben Mankiewicz was charming, it was quite wonderful to see Robert Osborne and he had a lot of great insights to share and Charles Tabesh and Genevieve McGillicuddy did a great job fielding lots of interesting questions about the festival and TCM programming.  One thing I took away from this is the realization that TCM is unlike any other channel on TV. It has a devoted following, one that TCM treasures and they feel like they have a responsibility to deliver their programming in the best way possible.



Robert Osborne


Ben Mankiewicz


After the press conference, I had lunch with Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings and Jill of Sittin' on a Backyard Fence. I got to see the amazing Roosevelt Hotel pool:



This is where they are holding tomorrow's South Pacific (1958) screening with special guests Mitzi Gaynor and France Nuyen.

From noon until 3:30 pm, the Club TCM at the Roosevelt Hotel filmed a few interviews. If you watch TCM, you may see me in the background of interviews between Ben Mankiewicz and Theodore Bikel and Marvin Kaplan.


Jane Withers being interviewed by Robert Osborne.


Marvin Kaplan being interviewed by Ben Mankiewicz.


Ben Mankiewicz and Theodore Bikel!


The TCM Boutique was open and they have lots of cool swag and other goodies for sale. For now I think I'll stick TCM Classic Film Festival tote bag which is pretty awesome.

Overall, a very good day! Today and tomorrow are really my only days to socialize and mill about. The  following days will be very hectic for sure. Stay tuned for more details! You can always follow me on Twitter @QuelleLove for pictures and more details on the festival as they happen.




My First Day in Hollywood in Pictures


Today I got to spend the day in Hollywood. This is the very first time I have visited Hollywood and it was a real treat. First stop was our hotel. It's a wonderful little hotel filled with lots of great Hollywood memorabilia. (thank you to Jill of Sittin' on a Backyard Fence for recommending this hotel to us!).


Carlos got to ride the elevator with Gregory Peck.


I got to pose with Joan Crawford, as you do.


The hotel had a cool mural of Harold Lloyd in Safety Last (1923).


A portrait of Tyrone Powers hangs above the hotel bed.



We walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I looked for all of my favorite stars. I took way too many pictures so I'll only share a few. Here I am with Norma Shearer's star.



Lewis Stone


Richard Barthelmess


Robert Montgomery


Jean Harlow



Of all the things I wanted to see in Hollywood, Robert Mitchum's star was at the top of my list. Big thanks to actor Bentley Mitchum, Robert Mitchum's grandson, who gave me the heads up as to where Mitchum's star was located (south side of the 6200 block of Hollywood Boulevard). Here is the star with my Robert Mitchum iPhone case!


It was worth all the blisters I got walking around to find this spot! The highlight of my day.


We saw Grauman's Egyptian theatre.



We had a late lunch at the Pig 'N Whistle. Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings told me that Marsha Hunt used to eat here as a child during the 1920s.



TCM Classic Film Festival signage was very prominent on Hollywood Boulevard.






We saw the exterior of the Roosevelt Hotel. This is the home base of the TCM Classic Film Festival and where the TCM Club and TCM Boutique are located during the festival.




We saw Grauman's Chinese theatre.


It was so cool to see all of the hand and foot prints in cement. Here I am with Norma Shearer's prints from 1927.


Here Carlos is with Steve McQueen's prints from 1967.


We really liked this Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward panel and decided to pose with it.


We saw the Dolby Theatre where the Academy Awards ceremony is held each year.


These pillars list the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture for each year.



Thanks to Eric, Laura and Jill who all recommended Larry Edmund's Bookshop to me. It's a great place and the people who work there sure know their stuff. 


Your wallet will be a whole lot lighter once you leave here. It's tempting to spend all your savings on books, magazines, posters and other collectibles.


I bought this Robert Mitchum book which contains transcripts of interviews he had done over the years.


I also got Myrna Loy's book Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming. I asked for it because I couldn't find it in the stacks. Turns out I was the second person to ask about it that day. I am glad I picked it up and I'll be stopping by the store later to see if they have a George Sanders book I have been looking for.


I had a lot of fun today! I'm a newbie to Hollywood and to L.A. and California to begin with. I wish I had more time to explore Hollywood but I am glad to have spent the afternoon exploring with Carlos.


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