The TCM Classic Film Festival, gearing up for its fourth installment and now officially an annual event, gets bigger and better every year. The channel and its hosts, inspire even greater devotion than one would imagine, until you see the queues of people eagerly lined up to touch the hem of Robert Osborne’s garment. For four days at the end of April (25-28) the strip of Hollywood between the Roosevelt Hotel and the Egyptian will be filled with film enthusiasts from all over the country, and all over the world, gathered simply to celebrate the classic movies we love.
The TCM Classic Film Festival, gearing up for its fourth installment and now officially an annual event, gets bigger and better every year. The channel and its hosts, inspire even greater devotion than one would imagine, until you see the queues of people eagerly lined up to touch the hem of Robert Osborne’s garment. For four days at the end of April (25-28) the strip of Hollywood between the Roosevelt Hotel and the Egyptian will be filled with film enthusiasts from all over the country, and all over the world, gathered simply to celebrate the classic movies we love.
The lines for screenings have been increasingly off-putting since the festival’s first installment, but it is always worth the waiting. TCM puts a great deal of effort into hosting the event, from the swish lounge in the Roosevelt with a full programme of events and speakers, to celebrities and historians giving introductions to the screenings. Highlights this year include appearances from Eva Marie Saint, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Richard Zanuck, Max von Sydow, Tippi Hedren and countless others.
As well as submitting to an extended interview with Osborne about her life and career, Ms Saint will be introducing the restoration of On The Waterfront (1954), which plays in the “Essentials” section, alongside such evergreens as The Ladykillers (1955), The Birds (1963) and Airplane! (1980). The tone of the programming is generally popular, giving film fans a chance to see their favorite titles in the manner in which they were intended to be seen, in the sumptuousness of Grauman’s Chinese, or the faded charm of the Egyptian. TCM also makes a concerted effort to show films in the finest possible condition, from archival prints to brand new restorations.
So there are other well-worn classics on offer, such as The African Queen (1951), Badlands (1973) and The General (1926); but there are also a few more obscure titles, such as the Gene Hackman-Al Pacino Scarecrow (1973) which enjoys a surprisingly low profile today (director/photographer Jerry Schatzberg will be present); Mel Brooks’ Russian farce Twelve Chairs (1970); and the follow-up to Zoo in Budapest by Rowland V. Lee (and ace DP Lee Garmes), I Am Suzanne! (1933), which promises to be terrific.
There are also special screenings, such as big John Wayne in the original 3D glory of Hondo (1953); A Cinerama Holiday (1955) showing where else but the Cinerama Dome; and a 75th birthday celebration of Bugs Bunny. And then the Club TCM lounge also has a full schedule of events, from movie memorabilia valuation to Alex Trebek hosting a movie music trivia contest. Perhaps best of all, on the Friday lunchtime, the marvelous film historian Kevin Brownlow will be present talking to composer and conductor Carl Davis (he who scored the Napoléon restoration, amongst other things).
The movies are the thing, however, with over forty titles on offer, one will never be able to see everything, but part of the fun is just to dip into the general cinematic celebration. So for the most part I will just see what takes my fancy (or has the shortest line), reserving my determined early queuing for only a couple of titles: somehow I’ve never seen the Stones doc Gimme Shelter (1970), playing with Salesman (1968) in a tribute to Abert Maysles; I’ll get my Clara Bow fix (I confess, I am an addict) with the infamous It (1927), featuring Carl Davis’s newest score; and I try never to miss an opportunity to see Nick Ray’s swoonsome They Live By Night (1949), to be introduced by his widow Susan.
The TCM Classic Film Festival takes place at various venues in Hollywood, April 25-28. Various categories of passes are on sale now, and individual tickets will be available day-of for screenings. For more information and to view the full schedule, visit: http://filmfestival.tcm.com/.
Tom von Logue Newth, 2013, TCM Classic Film Festival, TCM Classic Film Festival: Tom von Logue Newth, Film Review, Film Festival, Classic Movies, Classic Films