How I Budget for the TCM Classic Film Festival

There are two common complaints about the TCM Classic Film Festival: 1) it's too expensive and 2) it's too far away. For those who live near L.A. the expense isn't nearly as great as it is for someone who is traveling internationally or from the east coast.

I made these same complaints online in 2012. My wallet was constantly being emptied due to the costs involved with my wedding and honeymoon and on top of that I was hit with many unexpected medical bills. I still really wanted to go to TCMFF but at that time I couldn't make it happen. However, I was determined to go in 2013. And not only did I make it to that festival, I went again in 2014 and am going again this year. It took some ingenuity, some work and a lot of penny pinching but I made it happen.

Now I share with you how I budgeted for my TCMFF trips. DISCLAIMER: Some of what I say may be useful to you but I know this won't be applicable to everybody. We all come from different financial backgrounds and have different financial responsibilities. These things worked for me but may not work for you.

Frugality – I've become very frugal over the past few years and my spending habits have changed drastically. I buy more so with intention and purpose than I do on impulse. I really began thinking and analyzing about what I was spending my money on and why. I began asking myself a lot of questions. Do I need this? Can it wait? Do I have the space for it? Is there something else I want more? Because of this I buy fewer clothes, accessories, movies, books and other things for personal use. When I do buy stuff I look for sales, coupon codes and deals wherever I can.

I started living by the motto "less stuff, more experiences." Money that I used to spend on physical things I started putting towards trips. And it's not just TCMFF. I want to travel to new places and my husband and I are in the process of buying a house. Being careful with my money has become a way of life. I've also become pickier about experiences. I used to go to as many local classic film screenings as I could. There are so many in my area and I became a lot more particular about what I chose to attend. My husband and I go out to eat a lot less and some weeks I find myself cooking meals 7 days a week. Buying and spending with intention, prioritizing and cutting corners where I can has helped me save money to put towards my TCMFF trips.

Line for Classic, Essential, Matinee (now defunct) and Media passes

Passes – We are realistic about our passes. Do we really need the Spotlight or Essential Pass or can we live with the lower level passes? In my opinion, the Classic pass is the best deal. It gets you into everything except for the Opening Night Gala. My husband has purchased the Matinee pass in the past but since it's been discontinued this year he went for the Palace Pass. This level pass gets him into all events at the TCL Chinese and Grauman's Egyptian Theatres. While he loves the festival, he knows he won't want to attend everything. He is happy with a lower level pass and getting in the standby lines and paying cash for other events. 90% of the time he gets into events with standby.

While the Spotlight Pass has many perks, I personally can live without it. I don't need to go to the gala and being first in line is not a priority for me. Every year I purchase a Classic pass and apply later for a Media pass. The past two years I was accepted for a Media pass (this year is still pending) which allowed me free access to the festival (and a full refund for the pass I purchased). This makes the festival a lot more affordable but I always come prepared to the festival to work to be worthy of that Media pass.

The Media pass gives me Classic level access plus one or two media-only events.  I don’t take this media pass for granted! I record audio and transcribe every discussion and special event. I take a lot of photographs and some video. I post live coverage on my social media and do daily re-cap posts while I'm at the festival. I follow those up with detailed posts about each individual event I attend. (Read my previous coverage here). I never know from year to year whether my Media application will be accepted, so I always set money aside for the Classic pass.

Gifts – Give the gift of the TCM Classic Film Festival! Think about your next birthday, anniversary or holiday. Does it make sense to encourage your family and loved ones pitch in to send you to the next festival? I've told my husband that if he ever wants to forego a birthday present and donate money to the "Get Raquel to TCMFF" fund he can and I would be perfectly happy. I know this has worked for other folks too.

Travel to the festival – I hoard frequent flyer miles using services like e-Rewards (surveys), e-Miles (offers, ads and surveys) and MyPoints (online shopping, surveys, newsletters and offers). I beef up my United MileagePlus account with these services and I've used them for years. I've been a member of MyPoints since 1998!. I also have a Delta SkyMiles credit card which I use for big purchases, including my expenses for TCMFF.  This year I was able to get a free flight from Boston to LA for both of us with my miles. We only have to pay for our flight back and it saved us quite a bit of money! There are other benefits to these loyalty programs including rewards for dining out, waived luggage fees, etc.

Travel at the festival – One of the biggest expenses is paying for a cab ride from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. You could easily spend up to $160 round trip on cab fare alone. We shaved off some of that by using a shuttle service like SuperShuttle. One way trip for both of us is just over $30. This saves us almost $50 one way! The shared shuttle takes a lot longer than a cab but since we are not on a deadline to get the hotel we can afford the time. We splurge on a cab ride back so we don't miss our flight.

All of the events at the TCMFF are relatively close to each other. We do a lot of walking to and fro which saves us money on transportation. We don't rent a car, we take the bus sometimes and take cabs only when absolutely necessary. I will share cabs with others or accept rides from friends when I can. People make fun of the public transportation in LA but I found the bus system to be decent and very inexpensive (last year it was $1.50 for a one way trip).

Why yes, this is a photo of me shaking Quentin Tarantinto's hand. (Source: Getty)

Itinerary – Every year I create a very detailed itinerary with all the times and places both Carlos and I intend to be at during our trip. I even list back up options in case we couldn't get into certain events. At the bottom of the itinerary is a key with names and addresses of each location and the distances between each location. This has proven to be very useful for us. We can coordinate schedules and meet after events. This helps us meet to share transportation, meals, etc. It saves us on cab rides if we know where we are going and how far away it is.

Food – TCMFF veterans will all tell you the same thing: there is no time to eat during the festival! Everyone goes hungry or they survive on lots of caffeine and energy bars. The hotel my husband and I love to stay at has a diner which is open early and closes late. We have a big breakfast in the morning and a late night dinner there in the evening. The meals are delicious, inexpensive and filling. During the festival, we have snacks we either brought from home or bought at a local supermarket. If our tummies are grumbling and we need to get some lunch, there are a few places at TCMFF to grab a quick meal. The Hollywood Roosevelt's restaurant 25 degrees is a nice sit-down restaurant with plenty of affordable options. It's also at the epicenter of the festival and convenience is key!

The breakfast burrito at my hotel's diner. Inexpensive, delicious and filling.
Avocado is cheap in California so eat plenty of it!

Accommodations - I'd love to stay at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt. It would be amazing. But can I afford it? Nope! Thanks to a friend's recommendation (thank you Jill) we found a wonderful chain hotel that's 1-1/4 miles away from the festival. We can walk to the festival, pay bus fare or grab a quick cab. There are several inexpensive hotels even closer to the festival too.

I signed up for hotel's reward program the first time I booked there and have been accumulating points ever since. I'm hoping to turn these into some free nights in the future. In my research I've found that booking through the hotel's site instead of a travel site saves me money. We also use AAA to get a discounted rate. The hotel was so grateful for our continued patronage they even tweeted me a discount code!

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Souvenirs – I'm perfectly happy with the following souvenirs: a TCMFF tote bag (complimentary with certain passes or for sale at the festival shop), a few books from Larry Edmund's bookshop and lots and lots of photos. I don't really need anything else. I buy a couple items for friends from the festival shop but most of the stuff they sell there (books, DVDs/Blu-Rays, non-festival TCM branded gear) you can buy online on sale at a later date. I keep in mind what makes sense for me to lug back home and what does not. I want to avoid paying overweight luggage fees or shipping costs when I can.

TCMFF souvenirs from 2013 and 2014. Books and tote bags.

There are also free souvenirs from the festival. The festival film guide comes with your pass (keep it and get an extra one if you can) and on occasion they give out free pins and buttons. But the best souvenirs of all are the memories you'll make at the festival!

I did splurge on this Conversations with Robert Osborne DVD because it came with Robert Osborne himself (or at least a couple of minutes to bask in his glory and a signature).

Autographed copy of Conversations with Robert Osborne!

Pair/Group Up - Don't go to the festival alone! Go with a family member or a friend. Share a hotel room and split some of the expenses. Not having to bear the full burden of all the bills makes the trip a lot more economical. My husband and I go together every year.

Carlos, Rob and I at Warner Bros.

Before and After the Festival - We tack on two days before and one day after the festival for recuperation but also to do other things while we are in L.A. We saved money by taking a bus from our hotel to the Warner Bros. for an awesome tour of the lot with our buddy Rob. I always book the red-eye on Monday night back to Boston from L.A. Our flight is after 9pm so we check out of our hotel, leave our luggage there and spend the whole day exploring. We save money on an extra night  because we sleep on the plane instead! There are lots of free and inexpensive things to do in Hollywood. You can go to live TV show tapings, find your favorite stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and more for free.

Visting Robert Mitchum's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

If attending the TCM Classic Film Festival is your dream and it's not absolutely impossible to go, make it happen! You won't regret it.

Upcoming Festival Coverage: Cinefest 35 and TCM Classic Film Festival

Next month I will be attending back-to-back film festivals. I’m starting with Cinefest 35 in upstate New York and then heading out almost immediately to Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. I’ll be reporting here on this blog about the events I attend at both festivals. I foresee a lot of caffeinated beverages in my future.

Cinefest is a yearly festival celebrating the early days of film history. Most of the films screened are silents or from the early talkie era. This is the last hurrah for Cinefest which is currently in it’s 35th and final year. I couldn’t pass up one final opportunity to attend this festival especially since I’ve heard only good things about it. However, the festival's biggest draw for me is the attendance of my good friend Jonas, aka the Talkie King from All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing!. He is coming all the way from Sweden to attend the last Cinfest. It’ll be the first time I get to meet him in person and suffice to say I’m pretty stoked about it. Jonas has been very influential in my discovery of early cinema, especially those first talkie musicals, and thus meeting at Cinefest is very apropos.

Yours truly at the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival
(Jerry Lewis Hand & Footprint Ceremony)

I'll have one single day of rest before we fly across the country to attend the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival. I've covered the 2013 and 2014 festivals on this blog (read previous coverage here). I can't help but pinch myself because I am so incredibly lucky to be attending the festival once again for this year. TCM's festival has been likened to the Disney World or Comic Con of classic film enthusiasts. And it's true. It's pure ecstasy for anyone who really loves old movies, Hollywood and TCM. Later this week I'll be sharing my methods for budgeting for this festival. It's expensive and for folks who live far away from Hollywood it's even more so. If you can make it happen, it's worth the effort.

Please stay tuned for Cinefest and TCMFF coverage in the coming weeks!

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance
by Brent Phillips
Hardcover, 368 pages
ISBN: 9780813147215
November 2014
University Press of Kentucky

Barnes and Noble
Powell's
IndieBound

“He was born to dance.” – Brent Phillips on Chuck Walters

When I started my classic film education I spent very little time learning about the people behind-the-scenes: the directors, producers, costume designers, make-up artists, etc. It left a gaping hole in my film knowledge, one I’ve been trying to fill up ever since. I had never heard of director Charles Walters until I acquired Brent Phillip’s biography. This is an utter shame because Walters directed and choreographed my favorite musical of all time: Good News (1947). I was happy to have an opportunity to correct this egregious error and I dived right into the book.

Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance is an honest yet celebratory look at the life and career of a lesser known yet very important figure from film history. Walters was a born dancer and although he wasn’t classically trained, he came to the film industry with years of experience performing on stage. His background in dance and choreography made him the perfect director for musicals. He also directed numerous non-musical films and choreographed the movement of the camera and the actors. Walters’ had varied style. He was a veritable chameleon and could adapt himself to different scenarios.

“These prized celluloid moments, capturing nonpareil performers at their unqualified best, possess one thing in common each spring from the imaginative mind of Charles “Chuck “ Walters – dancer, choreographer, director.” – Brent Phillips (preface)

Charles Walters & Lena Horne - Photo Source Brent Phillips & WSJ

I was particularly struck by how Walters was a “teach-by-example” type of director. He would demonstrate the movements to the actor or actress right before they filmed a scene or sometimes even during the scenes as it was being shot. This fascinates me! There is a wonderful photo in the book of Charles Walters and Tony Martin filming a scene for Easy to Love (1953). Mirroring each other, Walters and Martin simultaneously do an open armed gesture as Martin sings and performs for the camera. This style of directing was definitely influenced by Walters’ background as a dancer. He was also a master of pacing and clever camera shots.

“Timing and pace are important in any film, whether it be comedy or drama. And how better to learn the fundamentals of these show show business ingredients than by dancing?” – Charles Walters

I very much admired Charles Walters’ work ethic. He was a very efficient filmmaker, often finishing a film on time and under budget. I was particularly inspired by this quote:

“I had to work harder. I couldn’t do the social thing, and play the game the others were playing. I had to work that much harder and handle the ‘evils’ by doing good work.” – Charles Walters

Walters was gay and while he didn't try to hide it he was discreet about it. He had a long romantic relationship with John Darrow, actor-turned-agent whose greatest success was Gene Kelly.

Relationships, both personal ones and working ones, really drove Walters' career. He collaborated with Helen Deutsch, Busby Berkeley, Vilma Ebsen (Buddy Ebsen’s sister) and Arthur Freed. If he worked well with someone he always tried to make sure he worked with them again in the near future. For example, Walters got along so well with assistant director Al Jennings that they worked on a total of 11 films together.

Many actresses found Walters a delight to work with. He had a long and fruitful creative partnership with troubled actress Judy Garland and had a good rapport with her. One could say he brought the best out of her performances. He worked with and became close friends with Gloria Swanson. Walters’ leading ladies included Grace Kelly, Joan Crawford, June Allyson, Doris Day, Leslie Caron, Esther Williams and Debbie Reynolds.

Phillips includes several quotes from different actresses praising Walters:

“For me Chuck was – besides Astaire – the best dancer in the world world. He was fantastic [and] knew exactly what to do with young people. He knew how to put them together and work with them, because he was so kind.” – June Allyson

“He was the greatest male dancer I had seen since Fred Astaire.” – Gloria Swanson

“He’s the first director who has ever helped me with my acting. It’s a whole new world. We rehearse, and then I do it in one take. Working with him is like going to drama school. It’s wonderful!” – Esther Williams

The book is filled with on-the-set anecdotes. Films discussed include:

Good News (1947) , his directorial debut
Easter Parade (1948)
Summer Stock (1950)
Torch Song (1953)
Lili (1953) , nominated for Best Director Oscar
Dangerous When Wet (1953)
Easy to Love (1953)
The Tender Trap (1955)
High Society (1956)
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960)
Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962)
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) , last film for MGM
Walk Don’t Run (1966)

This biography is full of fun facts. Did you know Charles Walters taught Ingrid Bergman how to waltz for Gaslight? He also directed the famous trolley scene in Meet Me in St. Louis. About the scene John Fricke said “everything seems simple, but it’s constant, pure storytelling – and an audience gets caught up in that.” Walters was good friends with Tyrone Power. They both got their start in Hollywood around the same time and were even roommates.


Worked with MGM for many years and Phillips noted that “he was a genuine company man” (p 76). His career at MGM was very successful and he made numerous box office hits. His track record wouldn't last for long.

“It’s an awful burden. You want the fame and fortune and you have this awful load to carry.” – Charles Walters

The end of his career is rather sad. His last films for MGM were flops and he missed an important resurgence of musicals in the mid 1960s. However in his last years he was appreciated and had a chance to teach and give lectures at a university.
It is clear that author Brent Phillips, a dancer himself, has a lot of admiration and appreciation for the life, work and legacy of Charles Walters. The book is beautifully assembled, filled with interesting facts and stories and is clear and concise in a way that makes the book approachable and informative. I really appreciated the book's structure, Phillips sticks to a strict chronological narrative. There is an insert of black-and-white photos in the center, many of the pictures are from the author's personal collection.

I used to dance so I have much appreciation for the art form and how Walters applied his skills as a dancer to his work as a director. I really enjoyed learning about Charles Walters and am glad to know a lot more about his work.

Classic film buffs, dancers and musical enthusiasts alike will enjoy this book! If you enjoyed the recent TCM Friday Night Spotlight series with the author introducing Walters films, then this book will be a must-read for you if you haven't checked it out already.

Thank you to University Press of Kentucky for sending me a copy of this book for review. I had so much fun reading it. It was a wonderful learning experience.

On Borrowed Time (1939)

Sometimes a film comes into your life at the exact moment you need it. And other times it's inconvenient or painful. My grandfather passed away Friday night. When I woke up Saturday morning I turned on the TV to watch TCM. Classic film as emotional therapy has always been a way for me to cope with what life throws at me, both good and bad. What I didn’t expect to see on TCM is exactly what appeared: a movie about a dying grandfather. It was the last 30 minutes of the movie and I wasn’t sure if I should watch it. In fact, I was pretty sure watching it was a bad idea. I watched it nonetheless and found a new set of tears streaming down my face. It helped me work through some more of my emotions and appreciate the meaning of “family”. After watching the ending, I went to Watch TCM to watch the whole thing. And I'm very glad I did.

On Borrowed Time (1939) stars Lionel Barrymore as Gramps (Julian Northrup). He's a lovable old curmudgeon who is taking care of his newly orphaned grandson Pud (Bobs Watson). What he doesn't know is that Mr. Brink (Cedric Hardwicke) is coming for the Northrup family. First he took Gramps' son and his daughter-in-law and Gramps is next on his list. Mr. Brink's name is a play on the term "brink of death". He's the personification of death and only people who are close to death or whose time to die has come can see him and hear him. You might ask, what's the difference? Some folks who are very ill can see Mr. Brink even though it's not their time to go. An example is given very early on when a coughing man stops to give Mr. Brink a ride in his car. He thought Mr. Brink was waving to him. This encounter is the personification of a near-death experience.

Mr. Brink's arrival is incredibly inconvenient for Gramps who is in the middle of sorting out things for his grandson Pud. Pud and Gramps are as thick as thieves. Despite the age difference, they both have youthful spirits and find much in common. Pud idolizes Gramps and his devotion to Gramps and Gramps' undying love for his grandson heightens the emotional drama of the story.  Things become even more painful when Aunt Demetria (Eily Malyon) threatens to take Pud away from invalid Gramps and Mr. Brink threatens to take Gramps away from them all.

Gramps recently made a magical wish that comes true: anyone who climbs up Gramps' apple tree won't be able to come down until he gives them permission to do so. This scenario adds a bit of magical realism to the story and a way for Gramps' to fend off death. He tricks Mr. Brink into climbing the tree. Anyone who touches the tree will die instantly however as long as Mr. Brink is stuck there he can't come for Gramps. This gives Gramps an opportunity to spend more time with Pud and to settle some issues.

Bobs Watson and Lionel Barrymore in a promotional photo for On Borrowed Time (1939)

A death always shakes up family dynamics. The true nature of certain family members comes to light and their actions betray underlying motivations. The best example of this is Aunt Demetria as played by Eily Malyon. She's Pud's aunt and the Northrup's in-law. Her motivations for taking Pud away from Gramps are selfish and dishonest. It's clear she's after her brother-in-law's inheritance. Gramps couldn't care less about money and only wants to protect young Pud. Demetria and Gramps are polar opposite and she serves to highlight Gramps' good character and genuine motivations.

Lionel Barrymore's performance is the best part of this film. Barrymore was quite ill at the time and confined to his wheelchair. Yet his physical hindrances did not affect his performance. Barrymore is simply charming and the Gramps character is the grandfather we all wish we could have.

Cedric Hardwicke, Lionel Barrymore and Bobs Watson in On Borrowed Time (1939)

Spoiler alert

In the end, Gramps can only keep death away for so long. Dr. Evans (Henry Travers) becomes the voice of reason and convinces Gramps that death is necessary for life to go on. It takes Gramps quite a while to convince others that he death is really stuck up in his apple tree. They think he's crazy and plan to take him away to the loony bin and put Pud into the care of Aunt Demetria. The film suffers at this point. Three-quarters of the way in, the plot line loses steam and doesn't pick up until events escalate in the last 20 minutes or so.

What's the solution to keep Pud and Gramps together forever? To have them both die. Mr. Brink tricks Pud into climbing the fence that protects the now poisonous apple tree. Pud suffers a fall and a near-death experience. He's paralyzed and in a lot of pain. Gramps takes Pud out to the tree and asks Mr. Brink to bring both of them to heaven. We see both Gramps and Pud come out of their paralysis and walk with Mr. Brink. A double was used for some of the shots of Gramps walking since Barrymore couldn't in real life. In one side shot of Barrymore, he seems to be walking but he's really just standing, propped up by something hidden his jacket with a moving background simulating motion.

In this story, death is seen as the reliever of pain. Mr. Brink is feared because he separates people from their loved ones. However, he's also seen as merciful, only after death though, because he relieves their physical and emotional pain and reunites them with lost loved ones. It's a tricky topic to cover. For those of us, like myself, who don't believe in an afterlife, the thought of death is especially grim. Why take Pud with Gramps? No matter what Gramps did in life, it was inevitable that Pud and Gramps would be separated. By dying together and going off to heaven, they'll be together for ever. This is a rather satisfying ending even though Pud is so young and hasn't experienced life yet. However, the accident he has qualifies the ending because we know if he had lived on it would have been a life filled with pain, suffering and lost opportunities.

Spoiler ends

On Borrowed Time was based on a novel and successful Broadway play by the same name. The opening credits refers to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. The Pardoner's Tale, a story about the battle with death, is most likely the inspiration for the story.

Even with the main theme of death, the film is filled with funny and heart-warming moments. Gramps has some great lines, my favorite one is:

 "Well, I'll be dipped in gravy."

The film has a wonderful supporting cast including Beulah Bondi as Nellie (Granny), Una Merkel as Marcia Giles (the local girl they hire to help around the house), Nat Pendleton (Mr. Grimes, a representative from the state insane asylum) and Henry Travers, of It's a Wonderful Life fame, as Dr. Evans. However, none of these actors are given roles sufficient enough for their talents. For example, the normally spunky Una Merkel plays a quiet and meek character. She has one glorious moment in the film when she stands up for Gramps, however her talents are mostly wasted in the film. Cedric Hardwicke as Mr. Brink and Eily Malyon as Aunt Demetria are the only characters who have significant screen time, interesting story lines and several moments to shine.

On Borrowed Time is truly a Barrymore-Watson vehicle. You can tell there is a great bond between the Pud and Gramps characters. The more curmudgeonly Barrymore's representation of Gramps is, the more we know much Pud means to him because the child is truly his soft spot. Also, Bobs Watson, a child actor known for effectively turning on the water works, was meant for the role of Pud. He has all the enthusiasm and emotion necessary for such a role.

Beulah Bondi, Eily Maylon, Lionel Barrymore and Bobs Watson in On Borrowed Time (1939)

I really enjoyed watching On Borrowed Time. It was difficult at first because of what had happened in my life. My relationship with my grandfather wasn't as close or endearing as the one Gramps and Pud have with each other but it was still very painful to lose him.

The film reminded me of two similar stories: Make Way For Tomorrow and Punky Brewster. In Make Way for Tomorrow, an aging couple is forced apart because of family dynamics and in Punky Brewster, Punky is abandoned by her parents and taken in by an elderly man, Henry Warnimont. Both stories meant a lot to me. Punky Brewster was an important part of my childhood. Make Way For Tomorrow traumatized me. I've always thought one of the greatest injustices in life is when two people who love each other are kept apart; whether it be a familial love like Gramps and Pud, or a platonic love or a romantic love. All of these stories remind me of that injustice and the importance of valuing relationships.

On Borrowed Time is a new treasure for me and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. It's a delightful film which imparts to viewers the importance of family, to treasure your loved ones and the time you have on earth.

I watched On Borrowed Time on TCM and Watch TCM. It's also available on DVD-MOD through Warner Archive.