Conducting red carpet interviews has always been a dream of mine and I can't believe I've been able to do it. Twice! I had the privilege of being on the red carpet again for this year's TCM Classic Film Festival. The opening night premiere was for the 50th anniversary of In the Heat of the Night (1967).
I was at the end of the line and not in the best spot for capturing quality audio, I did manage to get five quality interviews and lots of photos. Unfortunately Sidney Poitier didn't walk the red carpet so I didn't get to see him. However I saw plenty of other stars and special guests and I snapped a lot of photos.
Interviews with:
Film Critic Leonard Maltin
Actor Stathis Giallelis, America America (1963)
Author Beverly Gray
Director Producer Todd Fisher
Talk Show Host Dick Cavett
And here are some photos of who I saw on the red carpet.
TCM's Sean Cameron and TCMFF red carpet spectators
Wyatt McCrea
Angela Allen
Stathis Giallelis
Producer Walter Mirisch
Keir Dullea
Beau Bridges
Lee Grant
John Landis
Dick Cavett
Todd Fisher
Fred Willard
I had a great moment with Fred Willard. As I saw him walking down the red carpet I yelled out "Hey handsome!" He stopped to pose for me and I got a couple quick shots. I said "looking good" and thanked him.
Bob Balaban
Ruta Lee
Then came the beautiful Ruta Lee who looked absolutely stunning. I called out to her and told her she was beautiful and she quickly posed so I could get a shot. Doesn't she look fantastic?
Special shout out to Danny Reid who helped me with equipment, photography and live tweeted my red carpet interviews and to Marya Gates of TCM who helped guide Dick Cavett down the line to my spot. And thank you to my friends in the bleachers especially Kate Gabrielle, Millie and Casey who cheered for me from the stands and to Nikki and Brian who took photos of me. I appreciate your support!
If you haven't watched The Dick Cavett Show yet, shame on you! For the classic film fanatic, it is absolutely essential to watch. Where else will you see amazing one-hour interviews with film legends? The best part is that during the late '60s and '70s, most of these stars had already gone through the best moments of their career and you get to hear wonderful stories. An added bonus - Dick Cavett knew how to showcase these film legends at their best.
There is no excuse not to watch it. It's on DVD, and available to buy or rent. They've been aired on Turner Classic Movies and perhaps might be in the future (pretty please good folks at TCM!). You get to see Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Groucho Marx, Orson Welles and other greats. One of my personal favorites is the witty Alfred Hitchcock. It opens with a very amusing sequence and I thought I'd share some screenshots so maybe you'll be enticed to watch the show. Here they are...