My Top Picks for the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival

It’s that time of year again when classic film fans from all over the world flock to Hollywood to enjoy a weekend packed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The TCM Classic Film Festival is something I look forward to all year round. When you go to this festival you feel like you’re part of something important. You develop a deeper and richer connection with the past while being part of history in the making.

This will be my fourth time attending the festival and I’ll be covering it once again as a member of the media. I’m very grateful to TCM for the opportunity to once again be a part of the fantastic team of individuals who painstakingly and lovingly capture and share each of every moment of the festival. It is truly an honor.

Now that the full festival schedule is posted I can share my top picks with you (fun fact: I was the first to tweet about it). It was much easier in 2015 to put together a schedule. This year there were some major conflicts and some difficult decisions had to be made.

Here are my selections. I’ve included a bonus video of me discussing my top five picks.

Wednesday 

TCM Press Conference – I’ll be live tweeting and providing full coverage on this press conference which will include Ben Mankiewicz, Charles Tabesh, Genevieve McGillicuddy and Jennifer Dorian. Sadly no Robert Osborne this year. He was the highlight of the first two press conferences I attended.
(2014 Press Conference with Robert Osborne)

Thursday

Red Carpet for All the President’s Men (1976) Opening Night Gala – I was a spectator for last year’s Red Carpet and had a blast. I hope this year I can do more extensive coverage. Stay tuned!
(2015 Red Carpet at the TCM Classic Film Festival)

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) or Los Tallos Amargos (1956) – It’s a toss up between these two. Katharine Houghton will be at the Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner screening and it would be great to hear her discuss the film. But it’s hard to turn down watching an obscure Argentine film noir!

Friday

Francis Ford Coppola Imprint Ceremony – If I get in this will be my fourth hand and footprint ceremony. These are so much fun and you feel like you are part of history in the making.
(Jerry Lewis Imprint Ceremony and Christopher Plummer Imprint Ceremony)

From Headlines to Ticket Lines: Journalism on the Big Screen – I’m from the Boston area so a chance to see Ben Bradlee Jr. and Spotlight (2015) screenwriter Josh Singer discuss journalism on film along with James Vanderbilt of Truth (2015) and journalist Mary Mapes is too good to pass up.

Mark Vieira signing Into The Dark: The Hidden World of Film Noir, 1941-1950 – One of the perks of TCMFF is the exclusive book signings. This one is at the top of my list to attend.
(My review of Mark Vieira's Cecil B. DeMille book)

Tea and Sympathy (1956) – Darryl Hickman has been on my wishlist for TCMFF special guests for a long time. He’s been at the festival before but not one I’ve attended. I can’t pass down the opportunity to see him in person when he presents his film Tea and Sympathy.

Two Pre-Codes – I’m glad I’ll be able to fit in two films from my favorite decade the 1930s. Pleasure Cruise (1933) and 6 Hours to Live (1932) are showing back to back and they are short enough that I can fit both screenings in before the major event of the evening.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – This might be the most sought after film screening of the festival because living legend Angela Lansbury will be there. I can’t pass up an opportunity to see her and watch this fantastic mind-bending film on the TCL Chinese Theater’s gigantic screen. I'll have a lot of competition though.
 
Saturday

90th Anniversary of Vitaphone – Ron Hutchinson, founder of the Vitaphone Project, will be hosting this presentation of the history of Vitaphone complete with Vitaphone shorts. My favorite short of all time The Beau Brummels (1928) with Shaw and Lee will be screened and I’m beside myself with joy.

An Afternoon with Carl Reiner/Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982) – This four part extravaganza is hard to pass up. Not only do you get to see this film at the TCL Chinese Theater there will also be a Carl Reiner tribute video, a conversation with the man himself and a book signing immediately afterwards.

Harold and Lillian : A Hollywood Love Story (2015) – This is my number one pick for the festival. I can’t believe my hero Lillian Michelson will be there along with director Daniel Raim. I had to give up seeing Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell with Gina Lollobrigida to watch this but it’ll be worth it.

(My review of the Harold and Lillian Michaelson documentary)

The Endless Summer (1966) – If you know me you know that I love documentaries and The Endless Summer is one of the most influential documentaries in film history. It’s a stunning color film narrated and directed by Bruce Brown, who will be in attendance, and follows two surfers as they travel the globe searching the best waves. I can’t wait to see the gorgeous colors of this film on the big screen.

Band of Outsiders (1964) – I dare anyone to stop me from seeing Anna Karina in person. This French New Wave icon will be touring to support the new restoration of this Jean-Luc Godard classic. It’ll be my first time seeing this film and wow what an experience it will be.

(Anna Karina comes to LA and New York City)

Sunday

The Art of the Film Score – I’ll miss the morning screenings but hope to catch this at Club TCM.

A Conversation with Gina Lollobrigida - I’m not kidding when I say Gina Lollobrigida is my favorite Italian. Conflicts will take me away from special screenings of Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell and Trapeze but that’s okay because I’m perfectly happy to sit and listen to Lollobrigida talk for a straight hour. This will be glorious!

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966) – I love madcap comedies and this one looks like a lot of fun. Eva Marie Saint will be on hand to present and maybe Carl Reiner, Walter Mirisch and/or Norman Jewison will surprise us with an appearance?

Network (1976) – Unless a TBD calls my name, I’ll be staying around the Egyptian to catch this contemporary classic. I saw Network for the first time last year and loved it.

Closing Night Party at Club TCM – This party is always bittersweet and usually I have to leave early. But this time I hope to stay longer for one last hurrah with my friends.

What are your top TCM Classic Film Festival picks?

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015)

HaroldandLillian.com - #HaroldandLillian

“They were the heart of Hollywood.” – Bill Krohn, film critic

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015) will have its US premiere today at DOC NYC. From director Daniel Raim and executive producer Danny DeVito comes a touching and informative documentary that tells the story of Harold Michelson, a storyboard artist and production designer, and Lillian Michelson, a film researcher. This dynamic duo worked in Hollywood for over half a century helping to create the films that we know and love today. This documentary is about their extraordinary work, their collaborations with each other over the years and their long and fruitful marriage.

Never heard of Harold or Lillian Michelson? That’s a wrong that this documentary is trying to right. Even though Harold and Lillian worked on countless films with studios such as Columbia, Paramount, Zoetrope, MGM and DreamWorks and were responsible for some of the most iconic images in movie history, their work often went uncredited. But people in the film industry knew Harold and Lillian well and relied upon their extraordinary talents. This documentary is not only about the love Harold and Lillian had for each other but the love Hollywood had for them.

Lillian and Harold Michelson (Source)

“It starts with Harold and Lillian being a loving couple. They truly were people who together created art.” – Rick Carter

Harold and Lillian met in 1945 when Lillian was just 17 years old. Harold’s artistic skill was discovered while he was in the Air Force during WWII. Lillian grew up in an orphanage and read books to escape. Both developed their unique talents at a young age and brought them to Hollywood when they moved there in 1947. It started when Harold became a storyboard artist at Columbia completely by chance. An executive at the studio asked him if he was the artist who drew a particular piece. Harold said yes, even though it wasn’t really his. He was desperate for the job the executive was offering him and this got his foot in the door. The rest is history. In an interview the good-natured Harold reflected on the incident and hoped the real artist didn't wind up selling insurance. During this time, Lillian supported Harold as a housewife and mother to their three sons. However she wasn’t content with that role and pursued her own career in the industry as a film researcher; a job well-suited to a woman with a big imagination and a love for books. And so began two long and productive careers in Hollywood.

“Harold’s brain was the best computer there was.” – Tom Walsh

To create his storyboards, Harold drew with a combination of charcoal and ink. He had an extraordinary talent to make the unreal look real. He knew how to put a scene together in such a way that it would convey a certain message on screen. Harold could see what the camera saw and directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, acknowledged Harold’s talent for perspective. Even though Harold was nominated for two Oscars, a lot of his work has gone unrecognized. Storyboards were often destroyed because they were not deemed important or directors didn't want it known how much they depended on these artists for their work. In Harold's case, some of his storyboards survived and are showcased in the documentary.

A film researcher’s job is to “stimulate the filmmaker’s imagination and creativity.”

Lillian's pride and joy was her research library which she lovingly referred to as her fourth child. She started her career as an apprentice to Lelia Alexander who then sold her library to Lillian. The research library grew over the years and moved from studio to studio. It lived at Paramount, Francis Ford Coppola gave it a home at Zoetrope and it finally moved to DreamWorks. Lillian would work with art directors, production designers and writers and her visual research would guide filmmakers in picking the right props, costumes, furniture, automobiles, etc. for the movie. Lillian was feisty, curious and very well-connected.

Alfred Hitchcock, Harold Michelson and The Birds. Original sketch featured in Harold & Lillian. (Source)

Harold and Lillian often collaborated together and Lillian's research would guide Harold in developing his storyboards. They also worked on projects independently. The documentary looks closely at a number of the films they worked including The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben-Hur (1959), Spartacus (1960), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Johnny Got His Gun (1970), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Scarface (1983). I loved the story of how they worked on The Birds (1963) with Alfred Hitchcock and in the documentary you can see Harold's storyboard juxtaposed with actual shots from Marine (1964). You know that iconic shot from The Graduate (1967) where Dustin Hoffman is framed by Anne Bancroft's leg? That was Harold's idea! And you can thank Lillian for the period accurate underwear in Fiddler on the Roof and for putting her life at risk interviewing drug lords for Scarface.

Harold and Lillian in bed with The Graduate (Source)

“They were like two peas in a pod.” – Danny DeVito

Raim's documentary also explores the Michelson's marriage with all of their ups and downs. We learn about their autistic son Alan, the dark period in Harold's life after an accident put him out of commission and the sweet hand-written and hand-drawn cards Harold would create for Lillian for every birthday, anniversary and holiday. Harold passed away in 2007 and Lillian is still with us. In the documentary we see archival footage from past interviews with Harold, lots of home videos and extensive interviews with Lillian Michelson who was very much a part of the project.

We also hear from a variety of industry folks. Talking heads include Mel Brooks, Danny DeVito, Francis Ford Coppola as well as a variety of production designers, art directors, film historians and storyboard artists. During their careers Harold and Lillian nurtured new talent and developed bonds with other artists. It's clear how much love Hollywood had for them.

Lillian and Harold Michelson (Source)

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story is a charming tale that will move you to tears. This fine documentary shows a deep love for its subjects with a bit of whimsy added in. I loved all of the moments we get with Lillian as she tells us their story and it breaks my heart that Harold is not by her side. The use of original storyboard like illustrations by Patrick Mate to depict moments in the lives of the Michelsons is an inspired and entertaining touch. I'm a sucker for well done documentaries about interesting people and this film fits the bill. I'm not going to lie, I was a sobbing mess by the end. This is a documentary with a lot of heart and I was really moved by the story.

This is a must see for any film buff. Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story premieres tonight at DOC NYC fest. I hope it will screen in other cities, especially Boston! For more details, check out the Harold and Lillian Facebook page or follow the #HaroldandLillian hashtag on Twitter.

A special thanks to Emma Griffiths PR for giving me an opportunity to review this documentary.

Update: Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story has been acquired by Zeitgeist Films and is scheduled for a theatrical release in early 2017!

Further Update: Kino Lorber will be releasing the film on DVD and Blu-Ray in October 2017.