The Genius of the System by Thomas Schatz

The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era
by Thomas Schatz
University of Minnesota Press
Edition: March 2010
Paperback
528 pages

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 Some of us are satisfied with enjoying films for what they are, entertainment and we are perfectly happy to leave it at that. But when we start asking questions, especially the hows and the whys, we need to evolve from being just an observer of movies to become well-versed and knowledgable film buffs.

The Genius of the System was originally published in 1988 and has since been revised with the latest edition released in 2010. Thomas Schatz takes a look at film history with two major constraints. First Schtaz focuses on the business of the studio system as it existed from 1920s through to the beginning of its demise in the early 1950s. Secondly, Schatz narrows his study to some of the major studios including Universal, MGM, Warner Bros. and Selznick's various collaborations with studios plus his own Selznick International Pictures.

The book is organized in chronological order, each section is devoted to one time period and each chapter within each section is devoted to one studio in particular. Schatz delivers an overwhelming amount of information about the studio system, an important time in film history .and I think it's crucial that the book be well-organized, orderly and clearly written. That structure and clarity helps keep the book tidy and makes it a lot easier to follow.

In this book, you'll learn about budgets, business decisions, the roles different people had in the script development, casting, filming, production and distribution. Different studios had different ways of doing things. For example, Warner Bros. was strict about typecasting and were reluctant to loan out their stars which proved stifling for many including Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.  Other studios and independent contractors depended highly on loan outs from big studios in order to boost their films with big names. Sometimes the movie business worked like a well-oiled machine: efficient and fast. Other times it dragged along and was plagued by excess and poor decisions. Deals, contracts and economic shifts changed how studios utilized their big stars and their small players as well. The Great Depression, World War II, the advent of TV and the HUAC all affected how the studios worked.

I learned a lot of interesting things about the business of filmmaking during the studio era. I learned that Universal focused on making horror pictures because they could be made with low budgets, partial sets, they could hide things with smoke and fog and they didn't need major stars. The focus of these movies were the monsters and in the end these films were cheap to make and proved to be both profitable and popular. That wasn't to say that Universal didn't have any big names. Deanna Durbin provided Universal with one box office hit after another and helped keep them afloat during a difficult time in American history. MGM's early history could be divided into Thalberg and post-Thalberg years. There are a couple chapters in the book devoted to the collaboration between Selznick and Hitchcock and it's very interesting to see how it evolved and how it came to an end.

While Schatz tries to keep the focus on the studio during a particular era, he sometimes stops to focus on a film in particular especially if it's story is a complex or important one and demonstrates the workings of that studio. Films spotlighted include Gone with the Wind (1939), Wizard of Oz (1939), Rebecca (1940), Notorious (1946), Key Largo (1948) and others.There are some plot spoilers but not many because the real focus is on the business side of filmmaking and not about the stories themselves.

It took me quite a long time to read this book because I really wanted to take in and reflect on the information I was acquiring by reading it. I highly suggest not reading this from cover to cover but taking it one section or one chapter at a time.

The Genius of the System  is a wealth of information and an absolute must-have for any film buff who wants to know more about the mechanics of the studio system and how that business influenced how and why certain movies were made. This book can prove to be a challenging read but if you are committed to learning about the history of film then this books is not to be missed.

Thank you to the University of Minnesota Press for sending me a copy of The Genius of the System to review.

Who I met, Who I saw and My Thoughts on the TCM Classic Film Festival

One of the best things about the TCM Classic Film Festival was getting to meet so many of the great classic film bloggers who I talk to on a regular basis online but hadn't met in real life. Here are some I subjected to my iPhone selfies.

Me and Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

Me and Jill of Sittin' on a Backyard Fence

Me and Aurora of Once upon a screen...

Me and Carley of The Kitty Packard Pictorial

Me and Jessica of Comet Over Hollywood

Me and Raquel of Now Watching (Two Raquels together!)

Me and Trevor of A Modern Musketeer and TCM Party

Me and Matt from Warner Archive (blogger, tweeter and podcaster extraordinaire!)

Me and Paula of Paula's Cinema Club and TCM Party 

(with Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings)

Me and Ariel of Sinamatic Salve-ation 

(picture by Matt from Warner Archive)

I met a whole lot more including Kristen from Sales on Film, Diane from Classic Movie Blog, Drew from Cultural Transmogrification Magazine, Karen of Shadows and Satin, Marya of Diary of a Film History Fanatic and many more.

In addition to these wonderful bloggers, I got to see TCM hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz several times as well as Leonard Maltin (I got to shake his hand!). And then there were the classic film stars, directors and producers:

Theodore Bikel - TCM promo taping
Ann Blyth - TCM promo taping and Mildred Pierce screening
Barrie Chase - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World screening and on my way to the bathroom
Jane Fonda - Handprint Footprint Ceremony (from very far away)
Mitzi Gaynor - Poolside South Pacific Screening
Tippi Hedren - On my way to the bathroom
Kathleen Hughes - River of No Return screening
Marvin Kaplan - TCM promo taping, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World screening and The Lady Vanishes screening
Karen Sharpe Kramer - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World screening and on my way to the bathroom
Norman Lloyd - So You Think You Know the Movies Trivia and The Lady Vanishes screening
Walter Mirisch - On my way to the bathroom and The Great Escape screening
France Nuyen - Poolside South Pacific Screening
Mickey Rooney - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World screening and on my way to the bathroom
Stanley Rubin - River of No Return screening
Eva Marie Saint -  Eva Marie Saint: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival
Max von Sydow - Conversation with Max von Sydow and Three Days of Condo Screening
Jane Withers - TCM promo taping

TCM Photo

Here I am at the Ann Blyth TCM Promo taping trying not to freak out because OMG Ann Blyth was right there.

Here are some of my thoughts on the festival:

What I Liked

• The lines for events and screenings were well managed by TCM volunteers. Good job!
• We got really close to the stars but they were protected at all times by various staff members. This made for an intimate experience while also keeping the stars safe from crazies.
• Almost everything started on time. TCM was very punctual, there were very few delays.
• All the lovely surprises. Seeing Ann Blyth at the TCM promo taping was by far my favorite surprise.
• All the classic film stars I got to see!
• Seeing Robert Osborne, Ben Mankiewicz and Leonard Maltin numerous times. 
• Meeting people who have read my blog (woah)
• The variety of classic films, the decades and genres covered. There was literally something for everyone. You could easily customize your schedule
• The quality of the interviews before the screenings. They were only 15 minutes (a few were a bit longer) but they were always top notch.
• The TCM Festival iPhone app. It was a bit buggy to start but I loved that it sent me reminders before each of the films I had chosen.
• The Info desk was amazing! The staff there was super helpful and friendly. They gave me buttons to reward me for all my social media activity.
• The TCM Classic Film Festival tote bag, my favorite new accessory.
• Getting press photos after the events because some of my pictures didn't come out so good.
• Being on TV and having my mom call me because she saw me on TCM.

What I Didn't Like

• Not enough places to charge my iPhone
• Crazy lady who seemed to haunt the Roosevelt Hotel bathroom
• All the walking I had to do. I'm not against walking but I brought the wrong shoes! Next time I'll bring sneakers.
• L.A. Cab drivers
• Having to leave screenings to get into other ones. Can they please have shuttles for the far away venues next time?
• Opening Night Party crowdedness 
• Not knowing I had to RSVP to the Jane Fonda Handprint Footprint Event. I probably misread an email.
• There was breakfast at Club TCM? How did I not know this?!
• Not having enough access to food in general and healthy food specifically. I hope TCM will consider food trucks or some kind of concession stand for Club TCM in the future.

My favorite moments:

• River of No Return (1954) screening with Stanley Rubin, I cried
• Ann Blyth TCM promo taping, I cried
• Chatting with Matt from Warner Archive, I cried (just kidding)
• Playing a trivia game hosted by Alex Trebek
• Shaking Leonard Maltin's hand
• The Lady Vanishes (1938) screening with Norman Lloyd
• Meeting classic film bloggers galore

Bear with me. Up next are some more detailed posts about some of the events I attended.

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #5 Recap

The last day of the TCM Classic Film Festival was bittersweet for several reasons as you'll see below.

I went to the Cinerama Dome to attend a screening of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).

And I took the obligatory photo of the Honeycomb ceiling.

Press Photo

Tom Brown of TCM hosted and the special guests included actors Mickey Rooney and Marvin Kaplan, actress Barrie Chase and Director Stanley Kramer's widow actress Karen Sharpe Kramer. Carl Reiner couldn't make it and Jonathan Winters had recently passed away. They screened a short tribute to Jonathan Winters and left an open seat for him. It was very sad not to have him there.

At one point during the screening, I went to the bathroom and I saw Mickey Rooney on his way out! Thank you to my weak bladder because I had several run ins with classic film stars and TCM staffers (especially Ben Mankiewicz who I saw about a dozen times) on my way to and from bathrooms. The stars are well protected though and Mickey had staff members nearby who were shielding him from some curious fans. I was just happy to see him up close again.

I plan to do a more thorough post on the talk that happened before the screening!

One of the sad things about the festival is that in order to attend everything you have planned to attend and also eat food in between screenings, you have to leave a few screenings early. I left this film during the intermission to grab a late lunch and to head over to the Grauman's Chinese in time to see Three Days of the Condor (1975).

Press Photo

I really love Three Days of the Condor (1975). I had seen it for the first time shortly before the festival and was happy to see it again. I have to say, of all the films I saw at the festival, I kinda regret going to this one. I regret leaving in the middle of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) to come see a film I had seen recently. When Robert Osborne interviewed Max von Sydow before the screening, they barely even talked about the movie! It's not even worth it for me to do a separate post about it. Considering I had seen Max von Sydow the day before and the film wasn't brought up then either, I didn't see much value in leaving the Cinerama Dome screening to attend this one. Although it was still wonderful to see the film on the big screen and Max von Sydow and his wife stayed to watch it with us for a bit which was nice too.

I ended up leaving Three Days of the Condor just after one of my favorite scenes and before the film ended to get in line for The General (1926). The thing about watching two films back to back in the same theater is that by the time you get out of the first one, a line has already formed for the next one. They won't let you stay in the theater so you have to get into the new line. I really wanted to see The General and knew a lot of people seeing Three Days of the Condor were going to get back in line for The General so I hightailed it out of there early and got in line. 

Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings had written the seating capacity of each of the theaters. I copied her notes and this was incredibly useful. When you are in line, they give you a number and if you know the theater's seating capacity then you know how good your chance is of getting in. Grauman's Chinese seats 1,100 so I know that being #106 that I had the best chance of getting in. By the way, there are two lines. One for Spotlight and VIP passes. They go first. Then Media and the other passes get in. If you have a Matinee or Palace pass or no pass at all and it's after 6 PM, you have to wait in a standby line and if there are any leftover seats then you can get in for $20 (or $10 if you have a student ID). Carlos had a Matinee Pass and had his student ID and cash on hand and got into several night time screenings this way.

The General (1926) was the grand finale of the festival. Robert Osborne came out to introduce it. He read from notes which he doesn't normally do but did in this case so that he wouldn't forget anything. He thanked the sponsors, especially Porsche because he got to ride around in one during the festival (lucky!) and he also thanked all the TCM staff members who helped make the festival happen. Osborne  announced that there will be a TCM Classic Film Festival in 2014. In fact, April 14, 2014 will be TCM's 20th anniversary so the festival will be tied into that. He also announced that December 3rd, 2013 is the official starting date for the TCM Cruise which will be on the Disney Magic. Osborne said that TCM is very particular about which ships they'll host their cruise on and Conde Nast has ranked Disney Magic as the #1 cruise ship in the world.

Then came some sad news. This screening was the penultimate one before the TCL Chinese Theatre (Grauman's Chinese) converts to IMAX. That means they will rip out all that seating, put in stadium seating and an IMAX screen. They will be closed from now until the summer for renovations. There will be fewer seats and who knows what this will mean for the future.

Osborne told us to look around the theatre after the screening. To take a really good look around because it will be the last time we will see it this way. We all booed and he asked us not to throw anything at him. (LOL). Osborne said that he's been told that they will do a great job and TCM has faith in them. It was nice of him to say that but no one really knows how things will turn out. The way we saw the theatre that night was the same way it had been since 1926! They had held the Academy Awards there and Casablanca (1944) won for Best Picture in that theatre.

The 25 minute Buster Keaton short One Week (1920) was screened before The General as an added bonus which was really great. The Alloy Orchestra played music to both films and it was just a wonderful experience. Seeing Buster Keaton and his hilarious antics on such a gigantic screen, in a beautiful historic theatre that had been that way since the film was released and to be with a thousand other appreciative fans was an experience that just blew me away.

Take a look at the picture above. After the film ended and the Alloy Orchestra took a bow to a standing ovation, we all took Robert Osborne's advice and took a good look at the theatre. We snapped pictures and marveled at the theatre's beauty knowing that we were some of the last people to see it that way. It was a really bittersweet moment.

After the screening, I headed over to Club TCM for the Opening Night Party. It was quite chaotic. There were so many people there and I felt a bit suffocated. Also, they turned me away at one entrance but let me in at another. I ended up hanging out with Carlos and a few others at the Roosevelt Hotel pool which was open to everyone and a lot less crowded. I said my goodbyes to many of the wonderful classic film bloggers I've known for years but got to meet for the first time at the festival. It was sad but I was happy to have had this experience. It's one I will never forget.

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #4 Recap

Saturday was the third official day of the festival but my fourth day of TCM Classic Film Festival festivities. It started off with a bit of a disappointment. We got there a bit late to check-in to the Jane Fonda Handprint Footprint Ceremony at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. I didn't realize that I had to RSVP as a member of the press to attend so I couldn't get press access. Carlos and I ended up going across the street and watched a bit of it from afar. A lot of celebs were there. Eva Longoria, Jim Carrey, Maria Shriver, Jane's son Troy Garrity, Lily Tomlin and Jane's brother Peter Fonda. I didn't really care about any of them except for Jane and Peter Fonda to be honest. Robert Osborne introduced and mentioned that Jane Fonda's hand and footprints would be placed next to her father Henry Fonda's hand and footprints. Later Jane thanked TCM for all that they do for classic films and also recalled that her father told her not to let anyone in Hollywood walk all over her and now they will both have everyone in Hollywood walking all over them. From what I heard later, Jane Fonda did a peace sign with one hand when she did her handprints. The rest of the day was so incredibly amazing that not being close enough to the ceremony didn't end up mattering at all.


After seeing the Handprint Footprint ceremony from afar, I headed to the Chinese Multiplex next door for my first movie of the day. The festival had a great power station at the Multiplex. It was sponsored by Delta Airlines and at the station you could plug in your cell phone, laptop or any other electronic device in order to charge up. It was a fantastic service and one I wish were available at the other locations of the festival. While I was charging up my iPhone, I got a chance to speak to speak to TCM's executive producer Tom Brown. He was waiting to go pick up Burt Reynolds for an event.

I met with Laura of Laura's Miscelleanous Musings afterwards and we got in line for The Lady Vanishes (1938). I had never seen the film before and I was excited to see Norman Lloyd again. Carlos also attended and at one point, he got to shake hands with Robert Osborne. LUCKY!

The screening of The Lady Vanishes (1938) was hosted by Leonard Maltin and special guest Norman Lloyd got two standing ovations. For being 98 years old, Norman Lloyd is in really good shape. He's very mobile, Maltin told us that he plays tennis every day and his mind is very sharp. A lot of other guests needed help getting to the stage and back but Norman Lloyd needed no assistance. He was incredibly funny and charming. I will be writing a more in depth post in the future and I hope to include a little of the video I shot of the interview. And as an added bonus, Norman Lloyd watched the film with us and actor Marvin Kaplan was there to watch the film too!

After The Lady Vanishes (1938) screening, Carlos and I headed to Club TCM at the Roosevelt Hotel and attended the Conversation with Max von Sydow event which was also hosted by Leonard Maltin. Max von Sydow was fashionably late and the event lasted just under an hour. At the beginning of the event, the announcer told the audience that there would be no pictures and no autographing after the interview per Max's request. I think this should be the case for all these Club TCM interviews. I overheard someone say that the Conversation with Tippi Hedren event had gotten out of control. People started pushing and shoving to get an autograph or picture. Not cool, people! It is a privilege to see these stars, not a right.

Max von Sydow's interview was great. I plan to do an in depth post on it later. We were disappointed they didn't discuss Three Days of the Condor (1975). It was really fantastic to see Max von Sydow so up close (we were in the second row!). And to top it all off, Carlos and I got to shake hands with Leonard Maltin afterwards.

Afterwards, I went to the Club TCM lounge and stumbled upon Ann Blyth being interviewed by Robert Osborne for a TCM special. I cried. These taped interviews for TCM promos are not scheduled or announced so if you catch one it is just an added bonus.

Ann Blyth is so beautiful. I overheard that the segment will be used for an Ann Blyth Summer Under the Stars day. I'm not in the background of the interview because I was crying so I hid away from the camera. I didn't take notes on this so I won't be doing a post. I was too emotional anyways because Ann Blyth was at the top of my list of classic film stars I wanted to see at the festival. She is just so stunningly beautiful and that perfect smile of hers still dazzles to this day. Wow. She was super sweet too and would pose for pictures. Robert Osborne was totally flirting with her and kept telling her that she found the fountain of youth because she still looks so good. She's 88 years old, has 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild on the way. I loved the fact that she said she exercises with a Bosu ball and does weight lifting because I do the same.

I didn't think this day could get any better but it did. After the Ann Blyth taping, we went to go play a trivia game called "What's the Score?" with Alex Trebek at Club TCM. Our team "Musical Chairs" came in 4th place. On my team was Karen from Shadows and Satin. I have no ear for music so I was pretty terrible at the trivia but everyone else on my team was great. We lost the 4 way tie-breaker. It was so much fun to do a trivia game with Alex Trebek. I am a huge Jeopardy! fan and have always dreamed of being on the show but I'm not very good at quick trivia. So if this is the closest I'll ever come to Jeopardy! then I'm okay with that. Alex Trebek was charming and a lot of fun. He was great with the audience and we just had a blast. This same game had been played on the last TCM Cruise and Trebek mentioned the cruise several times too.

TCM Photo

Darnell, Dan, myself and Carlos at the trivia game.

Afterwards, Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings and Aurora of Once Upon a Screen... and I left to go wait in line for Mildred Pierce (1945) screening at the Grauman's Egyptian. We were pretty early in line. Ann Blyth was interviewed for 15 minutes by Robert Osborne. There were a couple standing ovations and lots of clapping. It was a very appreciative audience and great screening. A more in depth post to come.

Carlos got into a screening of Le Mans (1975) with special guests Chad McQueen (Steve McQueen's son) and two race car drivers Vic Elford and Derek Bell.

I loved these two pictures I took of Norman Lloyd and Max von Sydow putting their hands up in appreciation of the standing ovations they received!

God Speed Deanna Durbin

Image Source

Deanna Durbin (1921-2013)

Many people love Deanna Durbin as that bright eyed child star with the voice of an angel. I enjoy her later films and marvel at how she developed into such a gorgeous and voluptuous young woman. Personally, I have always had a girl crush on her, wishing I could be that spectacularly beautiful.  I know she was very private in her later years and I had always hoped we'd get to know her a little better. She leaves behind a legacy of films, many of which kept Universal afloat during the Great Depression and World War II. 

God Speed Deanna!

If you are interested, here is a transcript of Deanna Durbin's only known post-retirement interview from 1983. (Thanks to Lou Lumenick for the link!)

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #3 Recap

Friday was the second official day of the TCM Classic Film Festival but my third day. As I had predicted, I didn't wake up early enough to go see Libeled Lady (1936). I wish I had more energy and a personal driver to take me everywhere I need to go.

I spent the day with my husband which was nice because we had been on different schedules for a couple of days. First stop was to the Chinese Multiplexes to see River of No Return (1954).

Leonard Maltin hosted the screening and introduced special guests producer Stanley Rubin and his wife Kathleen Hughes.

I plan to do a most in depth post later but I really enjoyed Maltin's talk with Rubin and Hughes. When the movie started, something happened. I started to cry and couldn't stop. It was a really emotional moment for me. I think this was for a few reasons. 

River of No Return (1954) is the second Robert Mitchum film I ever saw with Out of the Past (1947) being the first. And as most of you know, Robert Mitchum is my favorite actor. I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe too and have seen almost all of her films. Also, I've been to the river in the film. The movie was shot on the Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada and I have very happy memories visiting the river and the Rocky Mountain town Jasper which is situated alongside the river. River of No Return isn't a perfect film but it's one I have loved for as long as I have been a classic film fan. It has a special place in my heart and to see the producer of the film up on stage talking about the movie, sharing his stories and talking about Mitchum and Monroe was truly an honor.  Not only that, Rubin stayed to watch the film with us.

Then it hit me. This is truly amazing. Truly fucking amazing. And then the tears just flowed. Wow.

We left the Chinese Multiplexes and hoofed it over to the Avalon for a taping of Eva Marie Saint: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival. This event will be televised on TCM so I won't be doing an in depth post but I did want to share a little about it.

 We got absolutely terrible seats because everyone got there super early and we had only gotten there 10-15 minutes before it started. We were in the nosebleed section and there was a lot of moving around to get the best view. 

This event was a taping of the one hour interview for TCM so it took about 2 hours with several stops for make up, clean up, retakes, etc. Tom Brown kicked it off with talking with the audience and getting laughter, titter and awws so they could record those sounds and use them later for editing. Then they brought out Robert Osborne and he fielded some questions from the audience which I thought was very nice of him! 

Out came Eva Marie Saint and at the age of 88 she still looks stunning. We couldn't photograph during the event but she did post for pictures afterwards (hence the photos above). Eva Marie Saint flirted with Robert Osborne calling him her second husband. Her real life husband of 61 years Director Jeffrey Hayden. She called out to him numerous times during the interview which I thought was so sweet. They seem like a very close couple and still very much in love. Eva Marie Saint credited that to the fact that they are Actress and Director and not both Actors or both in different businesses. Because they are both in show business they get the nature of the business. If they were both actors they would in competition with each other. She noted a few couples and used Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward as an example of an exception to that rule.

Eva Marie Saint spoke very fondly of Yves Montand her co-star in Grand Prix (1966) and also mentioned that her daughter had such a huge crush on him and corresponded with him by mail for years. She also spoke about working with Cary Grant, Elia Kazan, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Otto Preminger, Montgomery Clift and more. She was absolutely charming, you could tell that she felt very at ease with Robert Osborne which I think made a huge difference. She mentioned that she enjoyed her role in the contemporary movie Because of Winn-Dixie (2005). OMG. I work for that book's publisher! I hope that bit makes it on air.

Overall a good experience even though I got terrible blisters hoofing it there.

The last thing we did was attend the World Premiere Restoration/50th Anniversary screening of The Great Escape (1953). It was screened at the Grauman's Chinese theatre (which I refuse to call by it's new name). It was magical being in such an important and historic theatre.

My husband and I got seats close up. Carlos wasn't happy but I needed to be close to the guests! Before it started, I had gone to the bathroom and I SAW WALTER MIRISCH! It was definitely him because a TCM staffer referred to him as Walter. It was so cool to be that close to him. Also for some reason I keep running in to Ben Mankiewicz. It's happened like 5 or 6 times but I'm too shy to say hi.

An in-depth post on The Great Escape (1963) screening is to come. It was a fun experience. We ended up being too tired to attend the On The Waterfront screening right after and the line for that was long. I hope to have more energy on Saturday and Sunday!

Remember, follow me on Twitter or Instagram at @QuelleLove for live updates of all the TCM Classic Film Festival activities I do as they happen.

TCM Classic Film Festival Day #2 Recap

Thursday was the first full day of the TCM Classic Film Festival. For those of you at home, if you saw the intros last night on TCM for Bite the Bullett (1975) or The Great Race (1965), you may have spotted me in the background of the actor interviews conducted by Ben Mankiewicz. This is the intro with Marvin Kaplan and this is the one for Theodore Bikel. You might see me in the background of an interview in the intro for The Angry Hills (1959) on April 30th on TCM too!

The first event I attended on Thursday was the Meet TCM Panel. It was moderated by Scott McGee and included a panel of 6 TCM staffers who related a lot of very interesting information about what goes on behind-the-scenes at TCM. The first half of the event included questions from Scott McGee and then the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions. I think that second part was a mistake. A few people asked good questions. Others wanted to relate their life stories once they got the microphone.

I was a little late to the trivia game So You Think You Know the Movies? at Club TCM. The Club was packed and I had to sit in the way back. Which was okay for ONE REASON. Norman Lloyd walked right by us. OMG. I couldn't snap a picture fast enough unfortunately. If you look in the above picture, Norman Lloyd is the shorter gray haired gentleman in the dark suit. Aurora of Once Upon a Screen... is standing to his left. She got to shake his hand! The trivia game was pretty cool. They had a few surprised guests who were tied into trivia questions including Michael Badalucco, James Karen and Norman Lloyd. I think it was amazing to have the actors there. 

After the trivia game, some members of the media and bloggers attended a press conference hosted by Robert Osborne at Club TCM. He made the following announcement:

Bonhams to Present Auction of Rare Movie Memorabilia Curated by Turner Classic Movies

Bonhams is a fine arts auction and appraisal house. They plan to have the first auctions with TCM in Hollywood and New York in November of this year. Future locations include Hong Kong and London. Some of the proceeds of the sales will go to The Film Foundation. 

There were two pieces on display at Club TCM that will be part of the future Bonhams-TCM auctions. One of them was Humphrey Bogart's suit from The Big Sleep (1946) and the other was Michael Keaton's batsuit from Batman (1989).  Osborne had three people from Bonhams up on stage to discuss a little about the partnership and about movie memorabilia auctions. One of the dealers said that the suit came from a private Humphrey Bogart collector who wanted to focus more on other types of ephemera. It's a really cool suit! The dealer also said that there will be some smaller yet quality pieces with important movie connections up for auction in the $200-$500 range in addition to the other big pieces that go for the big bucks.

After the press conference, the Club TCM Opening Night Party started. Some of us headed to the pool and hung out for a bit. A lot of people were dressed to the nines! A couple hours later, the poolside special event for South Pacific (1958) started.

There were Polynesian dancers and lots of fire!

Ben Mankiewicz hosted the interview with actresses France Nuyen and Mitzi Gaynor. France Nuyen had a one-on-one interview with Mankiewicz before Gaynor came out which was very smart of them to do because Gaynor pretty much took over from there. More details to come in a future post but let's just say that Mitzi Gaynor referred to Ricardo Montalban as a bitch, she had so much energy she couldn't sit still in her chair and she got up and grabbed her crotch TWICE to demonstrate something that she had witnessed her co-star Rossano Brazzi do. I already thought Mitzi Gaynor was adorable but now I just want to hang out with her and have a couple drinks. She was so much fun and such a delight!

A full moon was out and we watched South Pacific (1958) under the stars. It got cold so...

we went inside and were really happy to see they were also screening the film inside Club TCM.

Overall a great night. Mitzi Gaynor was the highlight for sure. I really wish I had gotten a picture of her grabbing her crotch because that was the funniest thing I had ever seen.

Stay tuned for more details and future recaps.

TCM Classic Film Festival Press Conference - Robert Osborne

This is the first of my transcripts for the Press Conference that happened on Wednesday April 24th, 2013 at the TCM Classic Film Festival. I tried to be as thorough as possible but there is some paraphrasing along with some quoting. It's not word-for-word but as close as I can get to it. Note that various people asked questions at the press conference. Enjoy!

Question/Comment: 53 year old Film Student complimented Osborne on the reach of TCM programming. It's been therapy for her mother who is in a nursing home.

Robert Osborne:

Osborne noted that what he didn't realize with the channel was that they were going to be nurses for people and help them through things like cancer, divorce and disappointment. He shared the story of one lady who told him that TCM helped her get through a really rough period and that TCM was the one bright thing in her life. Osborne says that it is such a pleasure to know that TCM helps people in that way. He also notes that TCM can be a master class for people who want to learn more about movies. What is great about the festival is that after the first year that they almost sold out before they announced their programming. In 2013, they did sell out before the programming announcement  which meant that people are trusting Charles Tabesh, who handles the programming, and they are giving him the latitude to pick the best movies that he can find. Tabesh in return trusts that they will come to the festival and enjoy the films chosen. Osborne thinks this is fabulous because originally they tried to pick a lot of big titles like Casablanca (1944), Singin' in the Rain (1952), etc. that more people would want to come see. But now he loves the festival without even knowing what is going to be here, and not just to come see celebrities although they'll know they'll be here but he loves that they are also coming to see movies they may not have seen and that discovery is wonderful.

Comment: TCM Film Festival is like the ComicCon for Film Geeks

Robert Osborne:

People at the festival get to meet other people who are like-minded. Osborne was not quite keen on the idea of the TCM Cruise but he says it's a lot of fun. He shared an anecdote that on the last Cruise fans were gathering in rooms for James Cagney fans and Barbara Stanwyck fans etc and he thought it was great that these fans were finding each other. For a lot of people who don't live in major cities like L.A., NYC, San Francisco or Chicago (hey Bob, don't forget Boston!!!), they feel isolated as though they are the only person in the world who loves old movies. They are considered oddballs but when they come to the festival they meet all the other oddballs and they don't feel so alone.

Question: How does you prepare for the TCM Classic Film Festival?

Robert Osborne: 

Once Charles Tabesh puts together the programming, he lets Osborne pick which ones he wants to introduce. He'll try to pick movies he already knows or has a particular regard for. It's hard to pick because scheduling wise if he picks one film he might not be able to do others he likes because of scheduling conflicts. One thing about the festival is that you can't see all the films. Most of the films are ones he is very familiar with or has seen recently. He noted The Razor's Edge (1946) is one of his favorites and he's seen it so many times that he doesn't need to revisit it. However, when it comes to doing long interviews with guests like Eva Marie Saint, he knows her very well  and has done interviews with her before, but when you do an interview for an hour you really need to go back and study up on the history so you can talk to them without referring to your notes. Osborne thinks it's important not to refer to notes during an interview because once you look down on your notes, you lose eye contact with your guest and it's no longer a conversation. Also, you are not really listening to their replies, rather you are studying your notes trying to figure out your next question and you can't respond to things they are saying in the flow of conversation.

Question: Funny Girl (1968) is a restoration and one of the things TCM does is help with restoring classic films. Does Turner finance these restorations or do they get together with other studios?

Robert Osborne: 

Osborne is not sure but he thinks that Turner does get together with other studios and organizations in the restoration process. This is more of a question for Charles Tabesh. It's frightening to Osborne that a movie like Funny Girl (1968) that wasn't from that long ago needs to be restored. Will we eventually lose some of these films if people are not particularly interested in them? Osborne says that it is great to see these restorations. Tabesh really tries to never have a print go on the air or be shown at the festival unless it's a mint print. People are so used to seeing good prints now. Osborne notes Road to Bali (1942), the only Hope/Crosby/Lamour Road picture filmed in Technicolor, and the print they had for it was terrible. He thinks that print had belonged to the Bob Hope estate and somehow it ended up in bad shape. Tabesh said he wouldn't book it in prime time anymore and only show it in the mornings because of the quality. Then  one day Osborne noticed he had to introduce Road to Bali during prime time so he inquired with Tabesh. Tabesh said he found a really great restoration print. Osborne notes that they are always trying to find the best quality print and improve their current library to show the best on TCM. Osborne is excited about seeing Funny Girl and seeing Barbra Streisand 3 stories tall with 2,000 other people is going to be great and beats anything. It's the way it was meant to be seen.

Question/Comment: Person noted that this is one of the few opportunities to see these films on the big screen.

Robert Osborne: In L.A., NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, it's not rare to see classic movies on the big screen. (BOB! Don't forget Boston!!!). Osborne notes that there are so many people who don't get to see these films on the big screen and that is why this film festival is so wonderful. And that's what it's all about. They recognize how proud TCM is to bring out these films from the vaults and have them see it again. But the real way these films were meant to be seen is on the big screen, in a theatre with a bunch of other people. If you see Casablanca on the big screen, in a theatre, with a bunch of other people, it's a totally different movie than when you watch it on TV. No matter how big the screen in your living room is.

Question/Comment: Cinematic sustainability. Why are people going to be watching these movies in the future? What are some of the other ways to make these movies relevant today?

Robert Osborne: Osborne notes that TCM is open to suggestions. If you have some good ideas, let them know. TCM wants to be relevant and interesting. Osborne notes that soon on programming is something he did with Molly Haskell. Osborne said to Haskell that he is amazed that there are all these career women in early film played by actresses like Joan Crawford, Katherine Hepburn, Rosalind Russell, etc. Why has it taken so long to recognize those roles? Haskell replied that at the end of those movies the woman goes with what the man says. Katherine Hepburn might be strong but at the end she'll do what Spencer Tracy wants her to do. Rosalind Russell will hang up her hat and go off with Cary Grant. Osborne says they are doing a series of strong women (executive women in most cases) and how movie makers portrayed them. Haskell notes that women were the main audience for films during that time and they wanted to feel good when the movie was over that they hadn't stayed in business and that would be okay being at home being mother. They didn't want women going away being angry at themselves. Osborne notes that Woman of the Year had another ending but it wasn't used and the disappointing ending is the one we are left with.

Question/Comment: Person noted that it's wonderful that TCM shows silent films and foreign films and restorations. Will TCM be showing more of that?

Robert Osborne: TCM is dedicated to that and wants to be fresh in what they offer. That's why they seek out other studios like 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures to get access to those films. TCM has Warner Bros, United Artists, RKO and MGM (until mid 1980s) libraries available but want to go beyond their own vaults. They don't want to show the same movies every month. TCM will try to show films that they screened late at night during the afternoon too. Osborne notes that 20th Century Fox has their own channel but they are not interested in their old movies. They only show them in the afternoon and they do no promotion and are starting to show commercials. Now studios like Fox are opening their vaults. TCM discovered if they show a Fox film like Leave Her to Heaven or something, people will fall in love with the film and want to seek out the DVD. Fox and Universal has seen the benefit of this. They are letting TCM have more access to their movies (they were more protective before) because of this additional revenue stream from DVD sales. When people watch those films on TCM they become acquainted with them and want to buy them.  TCM doesn't care what the motive is.

Question: Was there a film that didn't make it to the Festival?

Robert Osborne: Osborne notes that this is more of a question for Charles Tabesh. Tabesh tries to balance things out so there is a great mixture of films at the festival. Sometimes Tabesh wants a film to be at the festival but can't find a really good print. He'll look into getting one for a future festival. Osborne notes that with Ann Blyth being at the festival this year they are showing Mildred Pierce (1945) and have a great print for that. Blyth was also a big musical star and they wanted to add one of her musicals to the festival. The only one they could get a good Cinemascope print out of was Kismet (1955). Blyth is fond of Kismet but Osborne doesn't think it's the best musical. Vincente Minelli directed it and Osborne notes that Minelli might not have been too familiar with filming with Cinemascope at that time. Osborne also notes that they would have rather had The Student Prince (1954) but they couldn't find a good Cinemascope print. TCM is very adamant about good prints. There was a time when people didn't care about the quality of the print because they were just so happy to be able to see the movie. Osborne notes that now we are spoiled. And so to see a film like Wings (1927) without a really good print is not acceptable anymore.

Question/Comment: Limitations of Studio System and Censorship

Robert Osborne: Osborne notes that for a long time, the studio system got so smacked down by everybody. Now people are recognizing that it was a good system for somethings. It worked very well. Osborne says he thinks some of the best movies were made because there was a censorship. He acknowledges that they went way overboard but it made people be more devious, clever not so overt. He doesn't think that movies have been improved because you can say anything or show anything on screen. Because it falls into the hands of people who don't have any taste and don't know where the limits should be. We don't want censorship but he notes things like Gone With the Wind (1939) and the look on Vivien Leigh's face after Clark Gable has taken her up the steps. (Osborne mimics the face). He notes how sexy that scene is. Osborne notes that The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) is much sexier than the 1981 remake which has more graphic sex scenes. There were bad things about studio system and censorship, Osborne notes however that they still made a lot of good films. Osborne says he doesn't think there is anything like wit in film anymore. He points out Woman of the Year (1942) and Libeled Lady (1936) that have great wit and weren't hammered over the head with comedy. No bodily fluid jokes. Today people go hog wild.

Question/Comment: TCL is going digital renovations after the Festival. What does Osborne think about taking care of the theatres as well as the films?

Robert Osborne: Osborne has no idea how it is going to work but hopes it works out well. If it doesn't work out well, TCM will just have to adjust to it and figure out something else. Osborne notes that he is a co-owner of a theatre in Washington and were told a year ago as of January 1st that major studios wouldn't be making 35mm prints anymore. You have to be set up for Digital. For a small town theater, that costs $32,000 which is no small change. Most small theaters barely squeak by with the movies they are showing now. Some only make money on popcorn and things because most of the money goes to paying the distributor. In small towns, most people don't eat at the movie theaters. This transition is going to put a lot of mom and pop theaters out of business. He thinks Grauman's will be okay because they are in a big city but is worried more about small towns. Osborne had a fundraiser for his theatre. That town has a big community who loves the Arts so they got a lot of support. They were able to raise the money but only because they were lucky to have that community.

Question/Comment: Lot of hosts at the festival don't have connections to the film except for the fact that they love the film. How did this come to be?

Robert Osborne: Osborne doesn't pick those hosts, it's handled by another department. He makes suggestions. This is going to happen more and more because so many of the films TCM shows don't have people who are alive anymore. (This makes me so sad!). It's amazing that in the four years that they have done the festival how many people have passed away. We are lucky to have as many people to be around with the film as we do. There are not many like Luise Rainer who is 103 and probably willing to come out and introduce The Good Earth (1937) again. Osborne notes that Cher was wonderful as a co-host who shared her love of movies. Was Cher difficult? Osborne says Cher was on-time, so professional, ready, no fussing. Any fussing she did was ahead of time. She always contributed  when they were shooting. Osborne notes that they had dealt with a couple people (who shall remain nameless) that checked themselves out in the mirror and made a fuss.  But none of that with Cher. No Diva at all. Osborne notes that was a little disappointing actually but still great.

Question/Comment: What is Osborne most looking forward to at the Festival this year?

Robert Osborne: Osborne is looking forward to seeing Funny Girl (1968) restored and on the big screen. He's looking forward to The Razor's Edge (1946) because it is one of his all-time favorite movies. Cluny Brown (1946). The Desert Song (1943) because it hasn't been seen in like 60 years and it's a beautiful new Technicolor print. He's excited and notes they built Arabian sets that were used later in Casablanca (1944). He's looking forward to talking to Mel Brooks. He's excited about Ann Blyth and the screening of Mildred Pierce. He notes that Blyth is still so beautiful and such a nice person. He wants in particular to talk to her about the fact that she was so effective as the evil Veda in Mildred Pierce but was never typecast and never cast in that type of role again. That amazes Osborne. She did Veda so well so he's surprised she didn't play "bitches" from then on. (Yes, Osborne said Bitches). She went on to play sweet ingenues.

Comment: About a Noir party where everyone was decked out in vintage style clothes. Young people are really attracted to old movies.

Robert Osborne: Osborne was aware of that from the beginning, how many young people were attracted to TCM. Young people would see Osborne on air and stop him in the streets to gush. Osborne wasn't surprised but he thinks it came as a big shock to the bosses and the people at the channel. They thought it was only for people with gray hair. TCM attracts of all ages. They also found that on the cruise as well. Lots of people under 30 attended. Osborne thinks this is great. And that these new generations will pass their love of classic films to their kids. A lot of people get their love from family influence and Osborne hopes that goes on forever. And hopefully you will go on forever too.

Thank you Robert Osborne!

I'll have the two other Q&As up later but it might take me a little while. Stay tuned.