Thursday April 26th was the opening night for the 9th annual TCM Classic Film Festival. That evening TCM celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Producers (1968) with director Mel Brooks in attendance. Director Martin Scorsese was also on hand to received the inaugural Robert Osborne Award for excellence in the preservation of classic film heritage.
For the third year in a row, I was on the red carpet at the opening night of TCMFF to take photos and to interview some of the special guests. The red carpet is the most exciting part of the festival. Not only do the evening's honorees walk the carpet but you also see TCM hosts, festival presenters, festival passholders, actors, actresses, directors and a host of other celebrities. And of course, Norman Lloyd.
I had a blast this year on the carpet. I of course had my moment of Norman Lloyd as I called out to him with words of adoration and air kisses. He stopped for a brief moment to acknowledge me and my fellow Lloyd admirer Nora aka Nitrate Diva. Lloyd is always a highlight of the festival. You can
read here all the previous times I've seen him at TCMFF.
The red carpet has been a test of my social skills and each year I get better and more confident. I went from being an awkward and shy teenager to a thirty something who yells out to celebrities on the red carpet. If you told me years ago that I'd be yelling out to Maxwell Caulfield (Empire Records!) and Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!) in the same evening I wouldn't have believed you.
Below is a collection of photos I took on the red carpet. I also conducted interviews which I'll be posting here and on my
YouTube channel. Those video interviews include Alan K. Rode, Ben Model, Wyatt McCrea, Dennis Miller, Leonard Maltin, Bill Morrison, Ruta Lee, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.
![Mel Brooks TCM Classic Film Festival Mel Brooks TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaUXgfGFJMzh5xhyX5pBwdnryUmAAqtla0TU8m7YMrNr76i05wwc6SgArtCVWWf76ig0xwVUo9feQESiVWwODIBKgvbYhKqAwS6cCSRC9aSPrTyQndbW4b1Z4b7GodeqQapvC7TL3mms/s640/IMG_1117.JPG) |
Director Mel Brooks |
![Alicia Malone TCM Classic Film Festival Alicia Malone TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwA3y9ALKRhqLvTk9kN_mjcdwygd1zbXaRE1j89_1YuPnnJllVvAr6UT3yIPI-rMfJDAJDXAyaRk2C9lTEBMPWknFOoSneKtwBTws0VmrXkAxj2VNkw-Jo8aW5Z1QITS-kakFwRROOMA/s640/IMG_5610.JPG) |
TCM host Alicia Malone |
![Alan K. Rode TCM Classic Film Festival Alan K. Rode TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh72nyiKJ0eJNsOE9fgXAz1rLdaNWTmc5nqR-68g_b2A3EhIFjl46Q96kgQ4_GUFMf7soOmBBP19RaAG5ZB57CZaGsWo7bBhw4zBkVG8sEctSRzD4lAnhNeiOGiQriKT_zR_MzbWz0L4c/s640/IMG_1092.jpg) |
Author Alan K. Rode and his wife |
![Wyatt McCrea TCM Classic Film Festival Wyatt McCrea TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqG3ghDlKE_a0QDBiqK1Q5cNuHX4YnoI7epMvCTgGb7wtYsXyrnFUmUyOctFkreDmU7FLnmh8JmN346tUuD70Pi8vvymPqGCH5Vb-4Ubx4SNpPMkBHv30reh83aMamMCbEes4C39-loo/s640/IMG_1097.jpg) |
Wyatt McCrea |
![Ben Model TCM Classic Film Festival Ben Model TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yY35QSyLrh42u2OyTB2owvNM6tsJ4gvDvDvY3x850pV49XZ8i5yUVNzpqObASTMjFFMCzItQhAauov4-Go2eixqMGURrjA3apmWzkJA6zQqtxW4zPOZ_biVTid10uXi6G_Log0dfq6o/s640/IMG_1103.jpg) |
Silent film accompanist Ben Model |
![Jennifer Dorian and Coleman Breland TCM Classic Film Festival Jennifer Dorian and Coleman Breland TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzKdaWDfskp4buhCWfdmu3KGywq3YtOQ1Dv1LXN1NJp_xHYBJIKgkLNect20GFl05Xk49C2whoiQYWPV3eGqUqyIFVFRNorPLbPGKV9KecR6yDrpMDTyOfXZEp2IqKlg-fkvXp3i8YHM/s640/IMG_5616.JPG) |
TCM General Manager Jennifer Dorian and TCM President Coleman Breland |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx8bxiwIMLjwX5SrvY7Opa2IvDn2_o8DPtTLDK_c1AL_WZxs_r-WAT4UK3NNrxIDI8x7iT5qt2O-a4d0_4Sd50UBa4Vu92lvCyT5_W8lMsSUEUooIJLjqvKKrDAf3KzUvwZHg-sP92yA/s640/IMG_5621.JPG) |
The Pigeon Sisters from The Odd Couple: Monica Evans and Carole Shelley |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxoXXCCUnqf7WqliMD_i0dw-JlsxlP2bLkdJv5jtC9MaacDmnYukCOtHHAp8nCumBaHxPZAxC-dYNFr35U4Nsg6Wav6teZeZBEbAEeHK94LAaEJctfjdGeYx2gD1I0llanXkBlh8gTGA/s640/IMG_5622.JPG) |
The Pigeon Sisters from The Odd Couple: Monica Evans and Carole Shelley |
![Melvin van Peebles and Mario van Peebles TCM Classic Film Festival Melvin van Peebles and Mario van Peebles TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJdhAy9TbF3FDsnJzwJAkyHGDFKrIvk8ZEgklj3ChyphenhyphenM6FYoNw2qEU6itmUKw3R4k3-Ur7zKAu2ueHTuVECbUa8hyymIyMC4_fkS6JL_-boEF7XsA0u1967krh-3qRvFB1L5VGppl-sYE/s640/IMG_5637.JPG) |
Mandela, Melvin and Mario van Peebles |
![Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield TCM Classic Film Festival Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfsxEKoQReKX9hrsCc8AZLnjoc4dfdklGhA7r_Qb1Dh44Omcvb3jRK00v39VDlMZ2wWdfiVWuKEJL6MV4MIBdVvhHamxb6YIMS9Va2Rrm-h4-45PBRCV57waFgX7XkD9uwUlr9IEUk5g/s640/IMG_5669.JPG) |
Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield |
![Gillian Armstrong TCM Classic Film Festival Gillian Armstrong TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhyhVlBrtY4u9xF91mZ9ugtS0jfg_UCfdZUjjNdpurZt4G2EAqP3rWR3j96LRZWe_VeK6stFQrZpV36OpqHx_KIIls99p48-akiV5CZx0INio3uzy1CgFt3vLr_2lBoAddDWKAwMrZus/s640/IMG_5673.JPG) |
Director Gillian Armstrong and Marya Gates of TCM |
![Paul Sorvino TCM Classic Film Festival Paul Sorvino TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJ6tGxTNISazRz1u5HncWSZQ8bBiIFj0CtMBU-zZptVTlSU49P2wurVW6RiqzYJJVOJ05DaVA87RJ4PgcclFsIWrGJGTgPL96KbSYU66-PYLwxJKFTDONE728kty8njsZzcnTIdgLn6I/s640/IMG_5683.JPG) |
Paul Sorvino |
![Norman Lloyd TCM Classic Film Festival Norman Lloyd TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb64asHjuZqVBODQeA1l7ttOW9AUSniDtNpEWphGawWeKfyuBaolKrdHVy28iJRFxH0olpgzjJ4l-CXUhweNHVUxZdnT3spN8iC46-s78OqdT1Q5906BJVqb2QDYA5E-9PO-P7kq8CTGI/s640/IMG_5684.JPG) |
Norman Lloyd |
![Norman Lloyd TCM Classic Film Festival Norman Lloyd TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLNYami-3YJbRaoXzehAmOKcJUMiP_QZzZzVGQfvLGn83gjdpXBZxtuYGMqjmjlkJWA_Ar4OJxsY3Mm2JE322PMbaBP95k9Z0BNWMEMe8KzYbk4T_vzk6pBPiGLS33Ghjj5y3b2MTpPE/s640/IMG_5691.JPG) |
More Norman Lloyd because one can never have enough of this living legend. |
![Ben Mankiewicz TCM Classic Film Festival Ben Mankiewicz TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNz_vC-SWWDZTMa1X5uCS1DYRkvywnD5_aCUGnX011kNZxD9NGO9xwCVOUOgw0yuOWoGM9L_zav-8EQRfcHEw5O04ooGM6YAiVRFi5jICOyXmCifOgAKD8dbf_P3ocnWX9-v_j-yRx6A/s640/IMG_5698.JPG) |
TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz |
![John Martin TCM Classic Film Festival John Martin TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxabyvphyphenhyphens3mGEIkUycoMvhdIM_g-jLNifasMDzSwBiuYF506xTt-Mtch1AAiUd-A6BpWmvrdHY5fnD1Ci6ZVIirPPB03GsTnHWyxkx9SalLXBEBoQwGCnLTYURdUsVeecfFQkX5Wq0WQ/s640/IMG_5707.JPG) |
Turner CEO John Martin |
![Mark Bridges TCM Classic Film Festival Mark Bridges TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNxJO_vQNaHYB3ALk-u3NLsaa6eLjuT6RxFeRUsxptEsZPMCKNzJK5W164QTU-AinSSya8o9bU_wi60WUrmZSQiFSkv1oqSwLU3SjPbRBnJw7WI1CTVSNRvo8orL8IH_MGnssvSulkLo/s640/Mark+Bridges.png) |
Costume Designer Mark Bridges (Phantom Thread) |
![Pola Changnon TCM Classic Film Festival Pola Changnon TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxR8brpqqT4JLYUylplhDLrRbK_F-2wrVOcKQ3HOiGYwGwH8MleeKyDEnRPrIdxokC3OyTvczB8KXvAGAzmpI99gdYMGWELk6eDjURI0ubU-g39w16HGAyqX7WitSZMwG0Lz9EmFDaMk/s640/Pola+Changnon.png) |
Pola Changnon |
![Kate Flannery TCM Classic Film Festival Kate Flannery TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBdXVuasRBTscWb0KhwqO1zN1MqhLJSwTFjYSIzQfiwwtJuSDOdy0B4V3eAXs-tlhLAleUQDyImCo9bjWVyxsDLlZ_VhC1Sk6uHTI4saDnHjNiiIuSIT4FXwdurAg2tfo-vDL8POXDJY/s640/IMG_1105.JPG) |
Kate Flannery |
![Keith Carradine TCM Classic Film Festival Keith Carradine TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vFVjrjeV8IEsAEd13XA631naCpsEEeMsbRGMuccIpRJ7AG2etZt8BnmzlEMnCNKlyhIT03CUIItICMVYnYjQyDd5lc1Jm7eTc0TqRUVhUAgrl4ncOsYvRZHzCsTs1DuFA8CkVuY-ryI/s640/IMG_5712.JPG) |
Keith Carradine |
![Dennis Miller TCM Classic Film Festival Dennis Miller TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4nJwRW5V81SMLgG10dUIGjPdzQ_rKQvk2yC2XH6LT62E7llEMeY_n6H0zTnv0-nEWZx9_sGdbL3yTfFagc1PR3B65SPJq7qaGu-ma3fp-IaZSLepBVLoPcriNTiAVMM9xpZEhcyP-A8/s640/IMG_5714.JPG) |
Dennis Miller |
![Andrea Savage and Tom Everett Scott TCM Classic Film Festival Andrea Savage and Tom Everett Scott TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQA48YndjRdXP_-BscRJ8D893elATvmSRf0Mi4Ew_uHa0s-oR9WhybACrliaUsA0S7GjBjlIMII8nmPx6tfnsrwnf9ByZ6i4Q6s-f5ta_KBXaAYpXv2aFVFXiALX0ynb2On0qHbXMZ4c/s640/IMG_5723.JPG) |
Andrea Savage and Tom Everett Scott |
![Larry Mirisch TCM Classic Film Festival Larry Mirisch TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFQHe5JdJs_L6gJXlHjjeCt3baQ-qg8YB5fJaC3JE2j-bA-GVQUI0ioxSrpEIthj_xNUnYvuvb3X2rzVtXcTI0rC-q4FenRJVwXAwwaI7rPCbhTsAscgk4FqnNJOd988XBCrdTsH1z8M/s640/IMG_5740.JPG) |
Larry Mirisch |
![Suzanne Lloyd TCM Classic Film Festival Suzanne Lloyd TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtplAk6_bUqQzr-DyiEq1Q9FRFgB2XEdElstgaeC4PvLeZmRt0c6rCcasPevO5dryOQp0OVZaNAx1XTaykZDEoHAOfMlxzD5TE9YXY5c_0fYI8QRqbB_rH3e7Z6IH55Wjw2VYsx97xkIs/s640/IMG_5742.JPG) |
Suzanne Lloyd |
![Rudy De Luca TCM Classic Film Festival Rudy De Luca TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a-HlPvhofBm7qh8Nbtq8Yz2TaAE1PV7jksIaQyjwXLfUM13bRlIb-dsBI73O1Q-KNDhVN3WYk49Tc-WS6V2CyKtuDnBC0wuK-PSGTRMDKQ1jiPoGuRM2Gy4BGUd6jQiq6Qt3ZmuYlCY/s640/IMG_5743.JPG) |
Rudy De Luca |
![John Mankiewicz TCM Classic Film Festival John Mankiewicz TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibY9rrTY_IYJKV6KHr9S5Gcbt95Z1DQXPjg080Brh5VAaHsS4b-cmdNMvmgJjXDwyrQ3FUBwzJr0d_-C6BBZ2baLxT6bl5YZ-4fgdfXFXF1Ml9Ewdt9GsMiMiVR-0qZeCIrnRA_Erqro/s640/IMG_5747.JPG) |
TV writer John Mankiewicz (House of Cards) |
![Martin Scorsese TCM Classic Film Festival Martin Scorsese TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuFSJCwgcGIqG3uTBD8BlvVnQC4HkV2C7lfVwDy9T6ht2EhIKjpWoAViaL2Yb8C-SshdTwKghhwtm3Rsvkrg5bPSd0iITXYbSkqogVLCuOx7YeICM_wdj523Z5kVKAGnGPEYAW1L3gPU/s640/IMG_5757.JPG) |
Martin Scorsese |
![Lolita Davidovich and Ron Shelton TCM Classic Film Festival Lolita Davidovich and Ron Shelton TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAstP96odEY8vbmiwnjTAgHZ16vwaZUjJp5Lu6990Kvn23TS-xB8bW15juysdpJRdlUXDMnvXP8GfLMJEZ_ivh0sUCoYs0DCq427LHvgKnd3T5ic5BDEp-Y0UJ1cn6sQN71zPFuKaBhw/s640/IMG_5775.JPG) |
Lolita Davidovich and Ron Shelton |
![Ruta Lee TCM Classic Film Festival Ruta Lee TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU3Vanl8DfdJdBXQXLCiMOo96-TxAqU7EqXp5ei6ADX7lPWXrDgy9tm6QZWOomar6FExX9cNIUJRfYBlHSxk7tbH4qrdkF4_gJHzEIVmwcZ3aRxdAJ3cJ8dQ80fdy2qBWzPaT2X_fAWE/s640/IMG_5785.JPG) |
Actress Ruta Lee |
![Eva Marie Saint TCM Classic Film Festival Eva Marie Saint TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2UfAbm4rcjMq9_5h4RhOHH7y1tYibpEgFelRtwhbsw-dfxkyaFTfmPcKkOuZ6C9OO0IxmCZVsSSdJqh-cd3HYBHx9LrjN5caRsBBmTCZQPQdCvlVJ4Gu5wSSaZgo3sBHw5D4gwoO734/s640/IMG_5783.JPG) |
Eva Marie Saint in the background |
![Rosanna Arquette TCM Classic Film Festival Rosanna Arquette TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ONUVxQipAwnsZMXrpC_RCJnZAVOL6WNXIkWr9lZnoPDPYNu45-4WbXbf8b7JN5yW7WNmGfKZN-K-smpbGymm91dODu-QUO2gzwLEf__jXqk9qfGX1xHbBVlSNX5ZN0SeizAoJ2eT1IU/s640/IMG_5793.JPG) |
Rosanna Arquette |
![Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey TCM Classic Film Festival Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey TCM Classic Film Festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLtEI2pE6ARrZxUyxA5W1saq8HID3vhrtq1_FDnZQLDXNKnhRziTNodYxmk3hdojOi5MgK3SzMiu09PlBAUXwMfy3KR5FSUVODccHXiiUgc0peN_jfPR9aAkJoRVLgMdfE0U-0JQ30cQ/s640/IMG_5806.JPG) |
Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey |