(Or: How I spent my spring vacation mostly watching movies)
It’s been three years since the last in-person TCM Classic Film Festival. In 2020, an impromptu televised version was shown on TCM, featuring movies featured at past festivals along with a few that has been scheduled for that year’s aborted fest. In 2021, the virtual fest returned, with movies being shown on both TCM and HBO Max.
This year, COVID is no longer the fearsome unknown entity it was; now it’s a fearsome known entity that people can try to plan around. As such, TCM was able to once again invite people back to Hollywood for an in-person fest. The theme: “All Together Now: Back to the Big Screen.”
Of course, this year was a little different. Masks were required in all indoor spaces unless eating or drinking, and vaccines were mandatory in order to get your pass and wristband. Otherwise, most everything else was the same: Big lines for movies, exchanging buttons and such, and lots of walking.
I had to go. So I grabbed my Essential pass and traveled to Hollywood for a week or so.
Thursday
One of the first officially hosted events I went to was the Meet TCM Q&A. Some of the more interesting facts from it include that, initially, Ted Turner wanted to use the channel to show his colorized versions of movies (someone talked him out of it by saying that TNT and TBS could serve that function); that they wish they had movies like “The Sound of Music,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Godfather” in their library of owned movies they could show without having to license them; and that a lot of the people asking questions were first-time festival goers, which one TCM employee attributed to “the hiatus” making people realize they should do the things they were putting off for so long.
I unfortunately had to miss the So You Think You Know Movies trivia game (opting instead for lunch), meaning that my next thing to attend was the Opening Night Movie, “E.T. The Extraterrestrial.”
Introducing the film was guest Steven Spielberg (who the Meet TCM host punningly referred to as the “big fish” they’d been trying to get for years), who talked of directing Joan Crawford in a Rod Serling script, turning his story about divorce into “E.T.,” and Debra Winger’s cameo in the movie as a costumed trick-or-treater, as well as her temping for all of ET’s dialog.
In the audience was Dee Wallace, as well as various other cast and crew (Drew Barrymore and Henry Thomas couldn’t make it, alas).
Half-formed observation review: The movie looked stunning, especially in the Chinese IMAX (it’s been remastered for the format); the only downside is that the sharper resolution means some of the special effects kind of show their age.
After that was “Lover Come Back.” The introducer was Alicia Malone, who talked of loving the exasperated Doris Day in the movie, and admiring her talent and love of animals offscreen; she also hosted a quiz with exclusive Kate Gabrielle prizes, asking admittedly easy questions about things like which Doris Day film got her an Oscar nomination and which movie she first sang “Que Sera, Sera” in.
Half-formed observation review: Only someone as charming as Rich Hudson could get away with being so manipulative of a girl like Doris Day.
Friday
First up: “The Gunfighter.” Introducing was Alan K. Rode, film scholar and preservationist, who introduced the widow and kids of one of the screenwriters, Bill Bowers, and discussed how John Wayne was offered the movie, but he offered only $10,000, and when the offer was refused, resented the screenwriter for “selling the film out from under me.”
Half-formed observation review: It’s interesting that the action in the movie seems to mostly be centered around a bar; I would’ve thought it was going to be more wide-ranging in its locations.
Next up was “Coming Home.” To begin, Alicia Malone interviewed Bruce Dern, who said that he wore an IHOP hat because it’s his favorite restaurant since they serve crepes. He said that he felt embarrassed over the role’s accolades because he’d never served, as opposed to the extras in the film who did, many if not all of whom weren’t welcome at home for serving and were missing limbs. He also said Hal Ashby had one day to prep for the movie (John Schlesinger was initially to direct), and finished the movie on the weekend of Memorial Day, then started “Being There” a few days later.
Half-formed observation review: SPOILERS
I thought it kind of interesting that the movie ends with Bruce Dern swimming out into the ocean, given that the theater earlier showed the original “A Star is Born,” where Frederic March kills himself the same way.
END SPOILER
After that was going to be “Pride of the Marines,” but when I got there I assumed it was too late (it was in the tiniest theater at the festival that's notorious for running out of room quickly), so I went to “The Pajama Game” instead.
The introducer, incongruously, was Eddie Muller, who said he lobbied for this role. Apparently, the film was tied up in rights litigation for many years. He called it a “left-wing operetta,” a musical comedy romance about labor organizing. In adapting the original Broadway musical, Warner Bros. replaced the lead with Doris Day, keeping most everybody else from the cast. He also told the story of how Carol Haney had an understudy during the Broadway production named Shirley MacLaine, who got signed to a Hollywood contract after a talent scout saw her perform the night Carol twisted her ankle.
Half-formed observation review: I hear musical numbers like those are how Amazon got a union, too.
Following a drama like “Pride of the Marines” with a musical like “It’s Always Fair Weather” would have been a strange contrast; with “Pajama Game” being first instead, it feels normal.
Introducing was Mario Cantone and Patricia Ward Kelly, Gene Kelly’s widow. They discussed the script and how it was initially conceived as a sequel to “On the Town,” but Frank Sinatra turned it down; how Gene and Stanley Donen wrote letters to each other after the movie was made, contrary to rumor that they never spoke again; and how Gene didn’t have a favorite dance partner because he felt each worked for each film (though he did used to joke that Jerry was his favorite because “he worked his tail off”).
Half-formed observation review: The take on advertising reminded me of “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”
Up next was “I, the Jury” in 3D. Introducing was Eddie Muller and May Hong HaDuong, who discussed the restoration and its difficulties, using many sources due to both of the original negatives suffering from vinegar syndrome; she thanked many people who supported and worked on the restoration, some of whom were in the packed audience. Eddie discussed how Mickey Spillane once punched him for calling him an author instead of a writer, and how Mickey believed that working on something for more than a week meant it was junk; Eddie also discussed the cinematographer, John Alton, who he called the greatest photographer of film noir; and the lead actress, Peggie Castle, who called herself “The girl they loved to kill.”
Half-formed observation review: This movie proved to me that 3D really doesn’t work with a face mask on; my breath kept fogging up the 3D glasses, creating a weird soft-focus effect that ruined the stereoscopy. That, combined with some fatigue from a long day making it hard for me to follow the plot, meant I spent most of the movie completely lost.
Saturday
Started with “Return of the Secaucus Seven.” Introducing was John Sayles and Maggie Renzi, who said that nothing has been written about the movie except whether it inspired “The Big Chill” (one producer of “Chill” confirmed it did); how the TCMFF program overstated the budget of the film ($60,000 vs. $40,000, or as they said, a “multi-thousand dollar budget”); how there weren’t books or the Sundance festival to help people make it; and how film festivals helped highlight such a small film and launch independent film in America.
Half-formed observation review: It didn’t grab me. Maybe I was still a little too tired.
Up next was “The Flame and the Arrow.” Introducing was Ben Burtt and Craig Barron, with Gordon Gebert in attendance. They discussed Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravatt’s friendship and love of gymnastics, joining the circus and going to vaudeville before Burt became an actor,; Burt searched for a role that would allow him to showcase his skill as a gymnast, and brought Nick to Hollywood to work with Warner Bros. on this swashbuckler. They reused a lot of props, sets and sound effects from “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” among others. They also discussed the matte paintings used to transform Southern California into northern Italy. They showed outtakes, including one of Lancaster failing to climb a wall in an agile fashion. Gordon (a child actor from the film) discussed how Burt and Nick did their own stunts, as well as his being lent out to Warner from RKO, and learning some archery for the film; he was less comfortable with the ballet he had to learn and the bowl cut he had to have for the film. He did enjoy getting to go to school with a then-high school-aged Debbie Reynolds.
Half-formed observation review: It may not be as good as “Robin Hood” (I can’t tell, it’s been years since I saw that one), but I certainly enjoyed it.
After that was “Baby Face.” Introducing was Bruce Goldstein, who discussed the pre-Code era, and how Warner Bros. ignored the code when it was supposedly in effect in the early 30s; how the Library of Congress found in their vaults an even naughtier version of the film by accident; how Warner Bros. reshot parts of the film to get it to pass local censors; went into the careers of Barbara Stanwyck and her black friend in the film Theresa Harris; and afterwards discussed things that were cut or re-edited.
Half-formed observation review: I loved how they apparently thought her saying the money doesn’t matter anymore wasn’t enough to show that she’d reformed. Bruce Goldstein asked if sending her back to Pittsburgh was too harsh a punishment, asking if they could have done something lighter, like banning her from the Oscars for ten years.
(And yes, that's a spoiler, but come on, the movie's like ninety years old.)
Next, “Counselor at Law.” The introduction was the awarding of the Robert Osborne Award to Leonard Maltin, as presented by Warren Beatty and Ben Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz opened by opening a Maltin guide to the review of “The Treasure of Sierra Madre,” then “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” “Trespass” with Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman, and “Trog.”
Warren Beatty then related how Leonard has been writing about film since he was 13; how he’s worked with TCM for decades; how we can all see the potential of streaming, but we’ll still be seeing movies in theaters; and finally, showed the clip TCM had put together honoring Maltin.
Leonard came on and said he felt overwhelmed by the honor. He said that classic movies are current, saying nobody refers to Twain or Beethoven as “old.” He related of a time during the pandemic, when he was feeling down, turning on TCM and finding a movie he’d not known and feeling better as a result. He said that he’d never had a plan for his career, never mind a backup plan, and related the role luck played in his career, telling of auditioning for the then-struggling "Entertainment Tonight" and having them air the audition tape the next night. He said that the greatest stroke of luck was meeting his wife Alice, and having his daughter Jessie. Finally, he said he felt blessed by his life, and that the tribute was icing on the cake.
Leonard then introduced the movie, saying that he chose it because it’s a movie he liked that is not streamable or available on DVD, and it stars John Barrymore. He related of Barrymore’s family history, how his father being committed instituted a fear in him off going mad, and of how his life ended too soon. He said that the movie contained one of Barrymore’s best performances, along with “Twentieth Century,” his following film. It is also William Wyler’s first film of note, having worked his way up from assistant jobs and directing silent films. Leonard signed off by saying he hoped we enjoyed the film, and if we didn’t, that’s life.
Half-formed observation review: I don’t think I understood the movie; there may have been too many things going on, so by the time the main character is blackmailing a guy, I forgot who he was blackmailing and why.
Finally, “Force of Evil.” Introducing was Eddie Muller, who discussed the significance of John Garfield in bringing New York theater talents to Hollywood. He then brought out the director Abraham Polonsky’s son Hank, who talked about watching the movie and being blown away, and how his dad made more money blacklisted than when he wasn’t; Eddie capped it off by talking about how a blacklisted writer was allowed to write for “You Are There,” a history television show.
Half-formed observation review: Yet again, a movie I didn’t quite understand the plot of. Is it me? Am I just too tired to be watching movies today or something?
Sunday
First up, “Waterloo Bridge.” Introducing was Sloan De Forest, who noted that intense dramatic films with men are dramas but women’s are called melodramas; called the director Frank Borzage underrated despite shooting over 75 movies, how Vivian Leigh called this her favorite movie of her own, and how Robert Taylor rarely watched his own films, and only watched this one near the end of his life.
Half-formed observation review: Yet another film where I feel like I missed something important. This time, I blame the print being a little beat up.
The next film was going to be “Fly-by-Night,” but the line was long by the time I got in it, and it was showing in the smallest theater, so I didn’t get in. In addition, I'd slated in a TBA to follow it since nothing else at the time grabbed me, but it turned out to be "The Pajama Game" again. So I instead opted to wait for a book signing by Alicia Malone…
(She's holding a keychain I 3D printed.)
and the panel “Reframed: Exploring the Complex Subject of Art vs. Artist,” with Jacqueline Stewart, Roxane Gay, Nancy Wang Yuen, Charlie Tabesh and Ben Mankiewicz. The panel discussion was wide-ranging, touching on people such as Cosby, Woody Allen, Charles Coburn, John Wayne, Louis C.K. and the current trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp; topics discussed ranged from the canon of film and how it’s taught, to whether social media has made tackling these topics more fraught, to how it hurts people who didn’t do anything wrong when we remove works like “The Cosby Show” from syndication, to what happens when an artist such as J.K. Rowling doubles, triples or quadruples down on their offensive opinions. Despite Ben joking near the end that he thought we’d come to a consensus on the topics, the issues raised were too thorny to really solve, although one suggestion that should be considered is to consider the victims of the artist when it comes to showing their work. Some of the best moments included Roxane saying that some of her students and their make her feel conservative by comparison, and Ben asking if a mention of the discussion on whether Abraham Lincoln was queer meant he was a “queer vampire hunter.”
Next was a live read of “I Married a Monster from Outer Space.” No real intro for me to summarize; they just went straight into it. The cast was Dana Gould, Janet Varney, Baron Vaughn, David Koechner, Charlene Guzman and Laraine Newman, with music and sound effects by Eban Schletter. They seemed to be recording the performance, which is good, because it was hilarious; if they sell the recording online or broadcast it anywhere, it’s worth looking at. I won’t include it in my ranking of movies since it wasn’t technically a movie, but it was probably my favorite experience of the festival.
Finally, “7th Heaven.” Introducing was Eddie Muller, who joked that he had dinner with Alicia and Jacqueline but gave Ben the wrong directions; he thanked people for letting them know that TCM helped get them through the pandemic, then discussed how this was one of the early triumphs of 20th Century Fox, and how Janet Gaynor won her first Oscar for this film along with two others. The film was released as a silent and then with a recorded score; the film was presented with accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, complete with (occasional) Foley effects.
Half-formed observation review: This was a bit hokey, but you really can’t beat seeing a silent with live accompaniment.
Other things that happened
Several parties with fellow members of a “Going to TCM Classic Film Festival” Facebook group; book signings by Carla Valderrama (of the Instagrams @thiswashollywood and @thiswasfashion, and the book “This Was Hollywood”) and Eddie Muller (yes, I saw him a lot this festival); lots of discussions in line for movies; and a closing night party where I got to once again briefly meet Ben Mankiewicz.
Ranking
- Lover Come Back
- The Flame and the Arrow
- The Pajama Game
- Baby Face
- It’s Always Fair Weather
- E.T. the Extraterrestrial
- 7th Heaven
- The Gunfighter
- Force of Evil
- Waterloo Bridge
- I, the Jury in 3D
- Counsellor at Law
- Coming Home
- Return of the Secaucus Seven
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