TCM Classic Film Festival: Day #4 Recap

TCL Chinese Theater

The first full day of the TCM Classic Film Festival started with one of my favorite events: a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theater (now the TCL). This time around the honoree was legendary director Francis Ford Coppola. This is the fourth imprint ceremony I’ve been to and the third I’ve covered as a member of the media. These ceremonies are always a fun opportunity to celebrate an important person’s contribution to the entertainment industry. There are several of these events held every year and some of the selections are questionable. The imprint ceremonies hosted by the TCM always feature someone classic film fans will appreciate.

Set-up for Coppola's imprint ceremony

This year we got a much better spot for photography. Some of the bloggers covering this event with me included Paula, Jessica, KC, Anne Marie and Carrie. Carlos got in line early and managed to get a decent spot in the general viewing area. He’s gone to all four imprint ceremonies with me and was the most excited about this one. He was hoping to spot some special guests (basically he really wants to see Al Pacino in person) but there weren’t many of them there.

Carlos hanging out beneath the I Love Sugar sign trying to get a better view

I’ll have a full report of the event soon.

KC, Raquel and Jessica and the Coppola ceremony

Francis Ford Coppola after imprinting his hands in cement

Afterwards, Carlos and I headed over to 25 Degrees, the restaurant in the Roosevelt Hotel, for a quick meal. During lunch we spotted Salvatore Cascio, the child star of Cinema Paradiso, having a drink at the bar. I love the intimacy of the festival. You see familiar faces everywhere.

Mankiewicz, Vanderbilt, Mapes, Bradlee Jr. and Singer

We attended the Club TCM panel From Headlines to Ticket Lines: Journalism on the Big Screen. It was moderated by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and included James Vanderbilt, the director of Truth (2015), Mary Mapes, portrayed by Cate Blanchett in Truth, Josh Singer, screenwriter of Spotlight (2015) and Ben Bradlee Jr., formerly of the Boston Globe and portrayed by John Slattery in Spotlight. Carlos and I had seen both films recently and were excited to check out this panel. Most of the discussion revolved around the portrayal of journalism on film, the state of the business today and what films like Network (1976) and All the President’s Men (1976) represent in the overall narrative of the business. I was particularly interested in what Mapes and Bradlee had to say about the actors who portrayed them. Mapes said meeting Cate Blanchett was a bit unnerving because she gave Mapes an “emotional MRI”. Blanchett observed Mapes carefully in order to mimic her mannerisms and gestures on screen. I’d be unnerved too if someone gave me an emotional MRI! Bradlee Jr. is a big fan of Mad Men so he seemed pretty happy with John Slattery. Or he could have been being nice. I thought Slattery’s performance was ok, more like a serious version of Roger Sterling.

Signage for Mark A. Vieira's book signing

I left the panel early to get in line for author Mark A. Vieira’s book signing in the Roosevelt Hotel lobby. There were no lobby interviews this year and this made room for a lot more book signings, all of which were run by Larry Edmunds bookshop. It was nice to see TCM support a local independent bookstore instead of selling the books themselves. I purchased Vieira’s newest book Into The Dark: The Hidden World of Film Noir, 1941-1950. I’ll be reviewing it on my blog in the near future. I told Vieira how much I enjoyed his Cecil B. DeMille book and he seemed to appreciate that. I was suffering from “festival brain” (forgetfulness enduced by heightened emotion) and neglected to bring my copy of Harlow in Hollywood for him to sign. Oh well! I did ask him if he was working on any new projects and he said he’s shopping around possible books on Norma Shearer and Mae West.

Mark A. Vieira signing his book Into the Dark

I made my over to the Chinese Multiplex for a special screening of Tea and Sympathy (1956). It’s not a film I wanted to see but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear Leonard Maltin’s interview with actor Darryl Hickman. On this viewing I appreciated the movie in a way I wasn’t able to before. It was an important film in Hickman’s career and the discussion was fantastic. I’ll have a full report about this screening on the blog soon.

Leonard Maltin and Darryl Hickman

Pre-Codes were really popular at the festival this year as anyone who got shut out of Double Harness (1933) will tell you! I was happy to make it into the sold out Pleasure Cruise (1933), a wacky pre-code starring a bunch of popular character actors and introduced by historian Cari Beauchamp. The highlight for me was watching Una O’Connor as the “sex-crazed heiress” chasing after Roland Young. Danny of Pre-Code.com has a lot to say about this film which stars his favorite actress Genevieve Tobin. You should check out his review as well as his TCMFF recap of when he attended the event (and read all of his recaps which are wildly entertaining). There were a lot of familiar faces at this screening, I chatted with Em of Vintage Cameo and I didn’t even realize I was sitting to New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick until the film started! I’ll have a full review of the film here soon.

There was another Pre-Code 6 Hours to Live (1932) showing immediately after but I opted to skip it to get in line for The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Angela Lansbury was going to be interviewed before the film and there is no way, no how that I was going to miss seeing her. A lot of people felt the same way so getting in line early was a must. Carlos and I met after the screening of Boyz in the Hood (1991) he attended (yes some people actually went to that and that’s okay!) and got in line at the TCL Chinese Theater. We had a nice long chat with Jay of The James Bond Social Media Project before we headed in. I had tweeted my queue number and Jay happened to see it and met us in line. I love how social media connects people in real life!

My number for the Manchurian Candidate screening.

Jay and Carlos in line for The Manchurian Candidate

I cannot tell you what a delight it was to see Angela Lansbury in person. It was annoying that most folks didn’t stay for the movie. Our aisle cleared out pretty quickly. We stayed for the entire screening even though we drifted in and out of consciousness. There will be more on my experience here soon. 

Angela Lansbury and Alec Baldwin

I regret not going to the midnight screening of Roar (1981) which looks like a crazy film. The folks who did go developed a bond that continued well after the festival ended. Why couldn’t I be one of the Roar people?! Alas, I’m a morning person and needed some sleep for what would be another epic day. Stay tuned for my next TCMFF recap!

TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day #3 Recap

Thursday was the opening day of the TCM Classic Film Festival but day number 3 in my festival adventures. I spent the morning locked in my hotel room anxiously studying my notes, writing down questions, doing my hair and make-up and generally getting ready for my first red carpet event as a member of the media.

I was racked with nerves for a few weeks beforehand but once I got onto the red carpet my nervousness was gone and I was in my element. It's been my dream for years to be on the red carpet and interview people. Last year I begged my husband to get me a professional camera for my birthday. I wanted it so I could start filming more videos for my blog and to take it with me to TCMFF to capture some of the amazing moments I would experience there. The camera came in handy to film my interviews and to snap photos of stars on the red carpet. I'll be sharing full details on my red carpet experience here soon.

In the meantime, here are some photos of me on the red carpet taken by some friends who were sitting in the bleachers. Several friends were really supportive and said many encouraging things to me before and after the event. I appreciate all their kind words because I really needed them. Marya, now social media maven at TCM, helped us bloggers out a lot on the red carpet and directed talent our way. She was great!

Setting up for the Red Carpet along with Nora, Kim and Kristen (Photo Credit: Laura)

I was privileged enough to interview the following people:

Coleman Breland and Jennifer Dorian of TCM
Actor Darryl Hickman
Film Critic Leonard Maltin
Film Critic Sr. Rose Pacatte
Actor Chris Lemmon (son of Jack Lemmon)
Actress Gina Lollobrigida
Film researcher Lillian Michelson, Harold and Lillian director Daniel Raim and producer Jennifer Raim

Interviewing Gina Lollobrigida (Photo credit: Jessica)

Interviewing Leonard Maltin (Photo credit: Laura)

Interviewing Lillian Michelson (Photo Credit: Karen)

There were other people I saw but didn't get a chance to interview. These include:

Actor Alec Baldwin

Journalist Carl Bernstein

Actor Salvatore Cascio

Actor Keith Carradine

Director Roger Corman

Actor James Cromwell

Actor Ted Donaldson

Actress Illeana Douglas

Actor Lou Gossett Jr.

Actress Anna Karina and Director Dennis Berry

Producer, Actor and Director Norman Lloyd

Producer and Actor David Ladd (son of Alan Ladd)

TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz 

Actress Lee Merriwether

Writer and Director Edoardo Ponti (son of Sophia Loren)

Actress Ann Robinson 

and more.

Norman Lloyd on the TCMFF red carpet

I had a special moment on the red carpet with 101 year old actor/director/producer Norman Lloyd. I saw him walking past and knew he wouldn't be stopping for an interview. I called out to him and said "we love you Norman!" He stopped and looked around trying to find the face that matched the voice. I repeated "we love you Norman!". He spotted me and said "beautiful!". Then I replied "you're beautiful!" and blew him a kiss. And you know what, he blew me a kiss right back! It was such a delightful moment. A brief flirtation with one of the most fascinating entertainers in the history of film and television. I've had the pleasure of seeing Norman Lloyd multiple times at previous festivals but this encounter with him is my favorite by far.

Poolside screening of The Freshman at TCMFF 2016

I spent the majority of my time at the red carpet and missed the first block of movies. I wandered over to the Roosevelt Hotel pool where I caught the introduction to the silent film The Freshman (1925) which included Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation interviewing Suzanne Lloyd, granddaughter of actor Harold Lloyd.

Eddie Muller and Suzanne Lloyd

Did you know that Harold Lloyd lost a thumb and forefinger when a prop exploded in his hand? After the incident he would wear a prosthetic glove in his films.

The Freshman (1925) screened at TCMFF 2016

I couldn't stay for the whole film but enjoyed what I did see. I heard some complaints about the live music which was very modern. Personally I enjoy when contemporary music is matched with classic movies. I'm also the type of person who enjoyed all the contemporary pop and hip-hop included in the film The Great Gatsby (2013).

I headed over the Chinese Multiplex to get in line for the Argentine noir Los Tallos Amargos (1956) andhung out with some friends in line. A fire alarm went off and the multiplex had to be evacuated. Some festival goers were enjoying the last few minutes of One Potato Two Potato (1964), Dark Victory (1939) and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) when we all moved out into the courtyard. It was a funny moment that generated some chatter and gave us all an opportunity to socialize outside. There was no real fire from what I understand and we had photos and a story to share later.

Jessica and Raquel during the evacuation (Photo Credit: Jessica)

I sat with Paula, Karen, Jessica, Danny and Carlos for Los Tallos Amargos (English translation: Bitter Stems). I was quite tired and not fully awake for the film. I'll have to watch it again later for my review.

Paula, Karen, Jessica and Raquel

Raquel, Carlos and Danny

Thursday was a fantastic start to the festival. Stay tuned for more TCMFF recaps!

TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day 1 and 2 Recap

Little did I know this would be a trip of a lifetime.

Carlos and I arrived on the Tuesday before the festival and I came with a packed schedule filled with things to do. On Tuesday evening I was filmed by the TCM crew for their promo videos. I was a bit nervous even though I had been mentally preparing for the filming for about a week. I didn't think any of my footage would be used but lucky for me something I said off the cuff made it into the TCM Friday Festival Update Video. In that same video you can also catch a glimpse of me interviewing Leonard Maltin on the red carpet. More on that to come!

Kim, Raquel and Carrie

The TCM crew filmed me, Carrie of Classic Film Fan and Kim of I See a Dark Theater. I had a blast working with these two lovely ladies and getting to know them better. Carlos was there too as official schmoozer and purse wrangler. He also took some behind-the-scenes photographs.

On Wednesday Carlos and I made a pilgrimage to the 101 Coffee Shop in the Hollywood Hills. It's a fantastic diner and happens to be one of the shooting locations in the film Swingers (1996).

Along the way we found Carlos Ave!

Around the corner from Hollywood and Vine, you can find Robert Mitchum's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I make the pilgrimage every year to see it and commemorate the event with a few photos. There was a lot of construction happening on that same block and some of the stars were obscured by partitions. It was sheer luck that Mitchum's star was one of the few that was still visible. It was one of several lucky occurrences for me on this trip.

As we walked down Hollywood Boulevard I took a quick photo of the iconic Capitol Records building which is just up the hill.

Capitol Records building

While we were waiting for the Larry Edmunds Bookshop to open, we stopped by a souvenir shop. Here Carlos is thanking the Academy for his Best Husband Oscar.

Visiting Larry Edmunds Bookshop is a treat as well as a major strain on the wallet. On this trip I purchased Harlow in Hollywood by Darrell Rooney and Mark A. Vieira as well as an out-of-print bio on Telly Savalas plus some prints of Murder by Death (1976) for a friend. I also attended two TCMFF book signings that were run by Larry Edmunds.

Larry Edmunds' slogan could be: come for the film books, stay for a chat. Jeff who runs the store and Sean who helped me find some prints are super friendly and I had a blast talking to them at the bookshop as well as at the festival.
 

Afterwards I headed to the Roosevelt hotel which is the central hub of the festival. There I picked up my media pass which unfortunately didn't have any film themed design. However the excellent goodie bag they gave us more than made up for it.

The media received a TCMFF tote bag, a copy of TCM The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter by Jeremy Arnold, a TCMFF 2016 booklet, the latest Now Playing guide, a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope wine and a complimentary subscription to TCM Backlot, their new exclusive fan club service.

Raquel and Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

 Then I was off to a press conference hosted by TCM that included Charles Tabesh, Jennifer Dorian, Ben Mankiewicz and Genevieve McGillicuddy. It's also when I got to see some friendly faces for the first time during the fest including one of my best friends Laura! Make sure you check out my full coverage of the  TCMFF 2016 Press Conference.

 

Left to right: Tabesh, Dorian, Mankiewicz & McGillicuddy

After the press conference a few of us stopped by the TCM Boutique which was not at the Roosevelt this year. Instead it was situated in the Sweet! shop in the Hollywood & Highland mall. If you attend any of the Chinese Multiplex screenings during the festival you inevitably pass by the boutique so it was conveniently located. The set up was beautiful but I didn't end up buying any merchandise. I was more interested in spending my money on books.

Several of us headed to the Roosevelt hotel pool for what ended up being several meet-and-greets happening at the same time. I had two delicious mojitos which calmed some of my nerves and had some good chats with friends. It was a bit chaotic and I didn't end up getting any pictures.

However, a group of us opted to go out to dinner at the famous Miceli's for what proved to be a convivial and more relaxed evening. I had such a blast talking to my friends I forgot to eat my dinner!

Left to right: Casey, Kate, Meg/Millie, Lindsay, KC, Laura and Raquel

Stay tuned as I'll have more recaps as well as detailed posts on my 2016 TCMFF adventures.