TCMFF Archives - THE FALLS CITY JOURNAL

Opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival

Nikki McKim — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:19:16 +0000

During the 2023 Turner Classic Film Festival, I attended my first film, Airport (1970), at the Hollywood Legion Theater on Thursday night.

This 90-year-old theater which received a six million dollar makeover in 2019, is an integral part of the American Legion Post 43. Post 43 was chartered in 1919 by World War I veterans in the motion picture business. Members have included Gene Autry, Ronald Regan, Mickey Rooney and Stan Lee, to name a few. Icons like Bogart and Gable shot pool and drank in the bar downstairs.

There have been rumors that Charlie Chaplin haunts the Hollywood Legion Theater, but there’s no evidence to support the claim, but I like to think it’s true. The TV series “Ghost Adventures” did a segment on it, saying some people have reported seeing a ghostly figure that resembles Chaplin in the theater’s projection booth, while others have claimed to hear unexplained noises and footsteps in the building. The entire theater is genuinely something to behold and one of the most comfortable theaters to see a film in.

It was a wet and chilly night in Hollywood as I sprinted to the theater to catch the 1970 disaster drama I had looked forward to seeing for the first time. I found my highly comfortable seat in the middle of the massive theater just in time for the intro given by TCM’s own Eddie Mueller.

Mueller said he asked to do the introduction to Airport. He said this film was a “landmark traditional film in many ways and a landmark transitional film between old and new Hollywood.”

“This is essentially Hotel with wings,” said Mueller referring to the 1967 film also based on a novel by Arthur Hailey.

This 1970 film starring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Helen Hayes, and Jean Seberg tells the story of an airport and the various employees and passengers involved in a potential bombing plot.

While Airport was a popular and successful film, it didn’t receive the most outstanding reviews. It was nominated for ten Oscars and received a win for Helen Hayes in her supporting and memorable role.

“This film was just this transition because 1969 you had Easy Rider, Medium Cool, The Wild Bunch, Hollywood was greatly changing, and Airport was saying ‘hold on’ there’s still a lot of people out there who want to see an old traditional movie, a movie-movie, a popcorn movie,” said Mueller during his intro. “Burt Lancaster called it a piece of junk. I don’t actually agree with him; I think Airport exists to show us that it may not be taught in film schools and things, but it is a movie-movie.”

Airport on 70mm in this large theater with an excited crowd ready to dive into the TCM Classic Film Festival was the perfect way to kick things off. As Eddie Mueller put it, “Get ready to rock and roll.”

Airport was a remarkable 70mm presentation thanks to FotoKem, to whom Mueller gave special kudos.

(Featured Image – Eddie Muller speaks onstage at the screening of “Airport” during the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival on April 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for TCM 4/13/2023 )

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Dear David Zaslav

Nikki McKim — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 20:06:08 +0000

I am but one lowly reporter working in a field that men like you are going to eventually destroy, so you’ll never read this, you’ll never see this, but I feel that after years of promoting Turner Classic Movies in my paper and on my website, I owe it to myself and my readers to address what’s happening right now.
The “layoff” of Genevieve McGillicuddy, Charles Tabesh, and Pola Changnon, among others, is one of the most vile things I’ve witnessed in my years of reporting-and I had to report from a rally where I was harassed and called “fake news” repeatedly.
I sat in the second row during this year’s Turner Classic Film Festival for the screening of The Big Chill. I’m sure you don’t know this since you left after walking the red carpet the first night, but this film was the big closing movie. The cherry on top of the sundae, if you will.
During that screening, Ben Mankiewicz told a story about a woman who shared with him how much the network helped her after the Boston Marathon bombing.
“We’re just a TV channel, and the world has a lot of problems. But I want you to know from the top down. From our boss, who some of you met Thursday night, he was here, David Zaslav, all the way down to all five of the hosts and every executive of the channel, every producer, production assistant, and director we have that we take this job seriously because we know it matters to you,” said Mankiewicz.
Ben thanked those who helped get the festival together, like Genevieve McGillicuddy, who was there in person, and Pola Changnon and Anne Wilson, who also contributed so much.
“See you all next year at our 2024 Classic Film Festival, our 15th or even sooner on our TCM Classic Film Cruise in November.”
Many of us felt it was lip service, not by Ben, but by you to Ben, however, we still hoped another festival meant another few good years of TCM on our television screens.
We couldn’t imagine we’d be here only a few months later.
Nothing I can do or anyone can do will sway your mind from destroying something that so many hold so near and dear.
But let me tell you a few things about TCM.
I can remember the first film I watched on TCM, can you?
I can remember where I was, what the room looked like and how I felt, do you?
I remember seeing Wuthering Heights my first time on TCM. I was sitting in my living room as a young mom. It was sunny, the windows were open, and it smelled like fresh-cut grass as my baby sat in his bouncer watching the movement on the screen.
I remember the night I watched He Who Gets Slapped for the first time on Silent Sunday Nights. I was in bed, my TV was on my dresser, I was facing south and my bedroom smelled like apples.
Those films had such a massive impact on my life that I remember everything about the first time I saw so many of them.
TCM is more than just a movie network for a great many people.
It’s a lifeline.
It’s a connection.
It’s a community.
I can say for myself that TCM has been there when I’ve been sick, when I gave birth, when I’ve been depressed and couldn’t get out of bed, when I was worried I might die from Covid, when I sat and watched my grandmother die, and most importantly when I needed to strengthen the relationship with my father.
Because of TCM, we discovered we have a shared love of classic film. We can sit together and spend hours discussing what Ben said in an intro to a specific movie, what I will do at the next festival, or what I got to do at the last festival.
The fans who attended the festival and cruise are not the only fans of the network.
I write a little column in a little newspaper in a little town, but the feedback I get from so many people across the country about how much they love the network is staggering. These people of all ages look forward to certain times of the year. Each winter they look forward to the Christmas movies they only get to see on TCM. In August, they get Summer Under the Stars, when they’ll discover new favorite actors because of a day dedicated to that actor/actress. And in February and March, 31 days of Oscar, when they’ll see the greatest films of all time for one perfect month.
Ted Turner, Robert Osborne, and all the staff at TCM have built a personal relationship with millions of viewers, and in the blink of an eye, it will be destroyed.
I know this is all about money-isn’t it always? But you have no idea the magnitude of this decision and how it hurts so many people, old and young.
I know you won’t be affected by this in any way. It won’t bother you. It’s another business decision, a horrible one at that. That little channel you hilariously said was always on in your office, that channel gives some of us hope and an escape from the hell of today’s world. The greed in people like you, nastiness, and death we see daily in the news. We get that escape through TCM, and now, just like we feared, you are taking it away and hiding behind “business decisions.”
Regular people like my readers and I are the people you should be catering to; we are losing a friend who’s been there for us through all the bad times and some of the best times of our lives spent sitting by the Hollywood Roosevelt pool with people we love watching the films we need. Those have been some of our best days because we can’t fly off to whatever island we want whenever we want. We save all year to gather together for our shared love, classic film and TCM. Do you know how that feels?

I’d like you to understand how important TCM is to us and how it has been a constant source of comfort and joy. It’s essential to have something to rely on during good and bad times; TCM has been that for us. I hope that TCM continues to provide that for us and that we continue to enjoy fantastic films with the people we love.
It’s important to acknowledge that our investment in TCM is significant in terms of money and time. We expect that our investment will be respected and that your decisions will reflect a deep understanding of the value of curation and movie history. We hope you act on this understanding and show that you genuinely care about preserving film history and our bond with fellow fans, the films and the employees of the network.
I’m passionate about my work as a reporter and the impact of Turner Classic Movies on my readers and community. I’m hopeful that the quality of the channel, the staff and the festival will continue to thrive and that the network will continue to produce quality content that matters to people.
I wish you felt the same way.

#SaveTCM

By Nikki McKim

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Turner Classic Movies (TCM) welcomes you to a world of cinematic magic and nostalgia during the TCMFF

Nikki McKim — Tue, 23 May 2023 16:31:37 +0000

Photos and story by Nikki McKim

For four unforgettable days in Hollywood, I was transported to a world of cinematic magic and nostalgia at my favorite event of the year – the Turner Classic Film Festival.
It’s been a month since I returned from the highly anticipated event that promises one-of-a-kind programming “set within the theme ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet: Celebrating Film Legacies.'”
At this annual event, film enthusiasts from across the globe gathered to connect with other movie lovers and industry insiders, engaging in lively Q&A sessions and thought-provoking panel discussions with actors, directors, and other film professionals.
The historic Blossom Room inside the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel provided a stunning backdrop for the Welcome Media Reception held on Wednesday afternoon. Pola Changnon, the General Manager of Turner Classic Movies, kicked off the event by introducing the five hosts of TCM – Ben Mankiewicz, Eddie Mueller, Alicia Malone, Jacqueline Stewart, and Dave Karger – who would be leading the Festival’s exciting programming over the next four days. As the event began, guests mingled and enjoyed refreshments while taking in the glamorous surroundings of one of Hollywood’s most legendary venues. Changnon commented how getting the five hosts together is a rare treat that happens maybe once a year at the Festival.
During the event, each host shared what they looked forward to the most. Eddie Mueller expressed his excitement about interacting with movie enthusiasts. ‘It’s the absolute best thing about the festival,’ said Mueller. “I know the fans love something about the Roosevelt Hotel is that it has the slowest elevators in the world. So then when you’re in the elevator, it’s like, you’re getting to spend quality time with the hosts., But seriously, I’m looking forward to seeing the fans. The movies are all great, but the fans are a total experience.'”
Jacqueline Stewart also expressed her excitement for the fans but added that seeing Donald Bogle win the Robert Osborne Award was amazing. ‘You know, his work has been directly influential on my research.’ said Stewart. ‘His book Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks, which is 50 years old, It’s the foundation for black film study, so he’s the perfect person to honor, and I’m excited.
Dave Karger shared that he was looking forward to an event he was hosting. ‘The first movie I ever saw when I was five was Grease. I was Didi Conn looking at Frankie Avalon as the Teen Angel singing Beauty School Dropout. So the fact that I get to introduce Beach Party starring him and Annette Funicello at the poolside… I’m going to hold it together. I’m really looking forward to that,’ said Karger.
Alicia Malone was excited about an event she would attend as a spectator. ‘I’m really looking forward to seeing Ben’s conversation tomorrow night with the legendary Angie Dickinson. And also hearing from Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson, two of the best filmmakers working today who have already directed classic films,’ said Malone. ‘I think it really speaks to our “Where Then Meets Now” tagline because you have Angie talking about Rio Bravo, and then you have Spielberg and PTA talking about the “now” and the future of the movie with film preservation. And this guy [Mankiewicz] is always fun and funny to watch.'”
Mankiewicz said he agreed with Stewart, but he came to Bogle differently. ‘I think I’ve interviewed Donald on the air more than any other person, and his passion for these movies comes across. Every conversation I have with him reminds me of something we talked about the last time. So I was touched that we decided to give him the Robert Osborne Award, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that ceremony. I’m definitely looking forward to it,’ said Mankiewicz.”
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and was initially launched in 1994 as a joint venture between Turner Broadcasting System and MGM.
The network has also adapted to changes in the media landscape by offering streaming options and other digital content, which has helped to keep it relevant and accessible to viewers. TCM has built a loyal and dedicated fanbase online through Twitter and Facebook, with groups of fans who gather to watch films together under the hashtag #TCMParty. Overall, TCM should continue to be a significant player in the world of classic cinema for many years to come.
This year’s TCM Film Festival celebrated Warner Bros. turning 100 years old in 2023.
Founded on April 4, 1923, by brothers Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company has become of the largest and most successful film studios in the world, producing many iconic movies and TV shows, including Gone with the Wind, The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. Warner Bros. has a rich history in the film industry. The studio was the first to develop new technology and released the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, in 1927.
In May 2021, Warner Bros. announced that it would merge with Discovery Inc. to create a new media company that would be among the largest in the world. The new company, which is expected to be called Warner Bros. Discovery, will bring together some of the most iconic brands in entertainment, including Warner Bros., HBO (now Max), CNN, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and TLC, among others.
As the CEO of Discovery Inc., David Zaslav has expressed a strong commitment to the power of storytelling and the importance of preserving and celebrating the rich history of the media industry. TCM is widely regarded as one of the most critical and influential brands in film and television. Zaslav has expressed his admiration for TCM and its role in preserving classic films and has said that he is committed to continuing TCM’s legacy. I expect classic film fans, especially TCM fans, to hold Zaslav to that commitment.

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Meeting Disney animator, Floyd Norman at the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival

Nikki McKim — Wed, 18 May 2022 16:31:35 +0000

I was back in Hollywood for the TCM Film Festival when I spotted someone I had been extremely excited to see as a guest and more excited to see walking around the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel.

When the 2022 schedule was announced, Floyd Norman was announced to have a special hour-long “Conversation with Floyd Norman.” It was an event I wasn’t going to risk missing. I had seen Mr. Norman with his friend Jane Baer do an introduction to Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Norman was an animator along with Baer for the film and it’s my favorite Disney film. I sat and cried and cried through that film. I was so happy and he was so delightful.

Now years later, he was here across the room, just hanging out. I ran to him and all I could tell him was, “I love you. I just love you; I love you. You’re the best; I love you.” He smiled and again was such a gentleman. He let me take a photo with him. My favorite photo from the festival isn’t that photo, but the one my friend Jackie took of me when I returned to the table and Norman is in the background and you can practically hear me squealing through the photo.

The final film of the night for a few of us was poolside film. We entered the pool area where everything was set up to find huge green Soylent Green cookies to go with the film of the night. It was my first showing of this utterly wild sci-fi film. After I yelled, “Soylent Green is people,” I found out that it was also my sister’s first showing and she didn’t know that quote; she also didn’t know that it was people. I felt terrible. She had gone her entire life avoiding that spoiler and 20 minutes before the movie, I ruined the ending. What a horrible sister and film buddy I am. So I did what any good sister would do; I asked our friend to get us more Soylent Green cookies to try to get her to forget that I had just ruined the movie by giving her sugar.

The next day I got up bright and early to catch one of my absolute favorite films on the big screen.

This was also another non-negotiable, can’t miss movie. I knew as tired as I would be that morning, there would be no way I’d sleep through The Third Man.

The Third Man (1949) stars Joseph Cotton and Orson Wells. Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, tells of author Holly Martins who arrives penniless to see his friend Harry Lime. Martins quickly learns that Lime is dead and develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death. While investigating, he falls for Harry’s girlfriend. I can’t go into detail because I would recommend seeing this one and I don’t want to ruin anything. The cinematography is beautiful and the “cuckoo clock speech” is an entirely different level of dialogue. All of this is brought together by a soundtrack by Anton Karas on the Zither. Something I love so much its been my ringtone since we all carried Blackberry’s.

When I saw Floyd Norman walk in and sit down to watch The Third Man, I nearly passed out. I watched one of my favorite movies with a Disney/Pixar genius.

After the film, my friend and I had to rush to the theater next door where Cori and our other friends were supposed to be saving us seats.

The Last of Sheila was a film I was excited to see and one I thought would be pretty empty. We were shocked to see a packed theater when we arrived a few minutes after everyone was seated. Our seats couldn’t be saved, but our friends were pointing out that Maxwell Caulfield, aka Rex Manning, aka Michael “Cool Rider” from Grease 2 and his wife Juliet Mills were in attendance a few rows in front of them to watch the film.

We found our way to the front row because we didn’t want to miss this movie.

I’m so glad we stayed. It was my first viewing and I loved it.

The film stars James Coburn as Sheila’s husband, who, a year after Sheila is killed, invites a group of friends to spend the weekend on his yacht to play a scavenger hunt game. He hopes to use the game to find Sheila’s killer, but in the process, the game turns deadly. It also stars Dyan Cannon and James Mason.

After the film, Richard Benjamin showed up to discuss the film, which was a treat for us in the front row, who had an excellent seat for his discussion. We lucked out in that sense.

After that, it was time for a conversation with Floyd Norman. I went and saved seats for over an hour. I wanted to make sure Cori and I had great seats for this one. He is such a talent and has lived such an amazing life.

Floyd Norman is 86, almost 87, with the memory and energy of a 25-year-old. He was one of the first, if not the first black animator at Disney. He was in high school when he decided to try to get a job at Disney Studios, he didn’t get a job but went to school to learn to draw. A few years later, he joined Disney as it was expanding.

He worked as an animator on Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book, and other various animated short projects at Disney in the 1950s and early 60s. After Walt Disney’s death, Norman left to co-found AfroKids animation studio with Leo Sullivan. They worked on various projects, including the original Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s Fat Albert television special, which aired in 1969 on NBC.

He returned to Disney to work on Robin Hood, Jabberjaw and more. He has more recently worked for Pixar on Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. for Pixar and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mulan for Disney, among others. He has continued to work for The Walt Disney Company as a consultant on various projects.

In 2016 the documentary Floyd Norman: An Animated Life was released and it was absolutely worth a watch.

His discussion was fascinating. After I tried to approach him, but he was whisked away. Cori found Marla Hooch from A League of Their Own (Megan Cavanagh) and struck up a conversation. It turns out Megan’s friend was also the director of Norman’s documentary. He pulled Mr. Norman aside so we could get a proper picture of us together. We were able to have an actual conversation. I got to tell him that I was at the screening of Sleeping Beauty and how much it meant to me. It was a moment I had dreamt of since the day I sat in the Egyptian theater listening to him speak about a film that means so much to me.

(Nikki McKim attended the 2022 TCMFF as a fan and not as a member of the press. Photo of Floyd Norman by Nikki McKim)

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A conversation with Floyd Norman – 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival

Nikki McKim — Fri, 13 May 2022 22:08:25 +0000

I was back in Hollywood for the TCM Film Festival when I spotted someone I had been extremely excited to see as a guest and more excited to see walking around the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel.

When the 2022 schedule was announced, Floyd Norman was announced to have a special hour-long “Conversation with Floyd Norman.” It was an event I wasn’t going to risk missing. I had seen Mr. Norman and his friend Jane Baer do an introduction to Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Norman was an animator along with Baer for the film, and it’s my favorite Disney film. I sat and cried and cried through that film. I was so happy, and he was so delightful.

Now, years later, he was here across the room, just hanging out. I ran to him, and all I could tell him was, “I love you. I just love you; I love you. You’re the best; I love you.” He smiled and again was such a gentleman. He let me take a photo with him. My favorite photo from the festival isn’t that photo, but the one my friend Jackie took of me when I returned to the table. Norman is in the background, and you can practically hear me squealing through the photo.

The final film of the night for a few of us was poolside. The poolside movies are my favorite; it takes a monumental event for me to miss a poolside cinema. We entered the pool area where everything was set up and found Soylent Green cookies to go with our movie of the night. It was my first showing of this utterly wild sci-fi film. After I yelled, “Soylent Green is people,” I found out that it was also my sister’s first showing, and she didn’t know that quote; she also didn’t know that it was people. I felt terrible. She had gone her entire life avoiding that spoiler, and 20 minutes before the movie, I ruined the ending. What a horrible sister and film buddy I am. So I did what any good sister would do; I asked our friend to get us more Soylent Green cookies to try to get her to forget that I had just ruined the movie by giving her sugar.

The next day, I got up bright and early to catch one of my absolute favorite films on the big screen.

This was also another non-negotiable, can’t miss movie. I knew that as tired as I would be that morning, there would be no way I’d sleep through The Third Man.

The Third Man (1949) stars Joseph Cotton and Orson Wells. Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, it tells of author Holly Martins, who arrives penniless to see his friend Harry Lime. Martins quickly learns that Lime is dead and develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death. While investigating, he falls for Harry’s girlfriend. I can’t go into detail because I would recommend seeing this one, and I don’t want to ruin anything. The cinematography is beautiful, and the “cuckoo clock speech” is an entirely different level of dialogue. All of this is brought together by a soundtrack by Anton Karas on the Zither—something I love so much; it’s been my ringtone since we all carried Blackberrys.

When I saw Floyd Norman walk in and sit down to watch The Third Man, I nearly passed out. I watched one of my favorite movies with a Disney/Pixar genius.

After the film, my friend and I had to rush to the theater next door where Cori and our other friends were supposed to save us seats.

The Last of Sheila was a film I was excited to see and one I thought would be pretty empty. We were shocked to see a packed theater when we arrived minutes after everyone was seated. Our seats couldn’t be saved, but our friends pointed out that Maxwell Caulfield, aka Rex Manning, aka Michael “Cool Rider” from Grease 2 and his wife Juliet Mills were in attendance a few rows in front of them to watch the film.

We found our way to the front row because we didn’t want to miss this movie.

I’m so glad we stayed. It was my first viewing, and I loved it.

The film stars James Coburn as Sheila’s husband, who, a year after Sheila is killed, invites a group of friends to spend the weekend on his yacht to play a scavenger hunt game. He hopes to use the game to find Sheila’s killer, but the game turns deadly. It also stars Dyan Cannon and James Mason.

There are movies I see “blind” while at the festival occasionally. I go with no information at all. I’ll know that a particular film will have a great guest and some stars I love, but I’ll know nothing else. “Sheila” was one of those films for me, and when I tell you that I fell in love with this movie, that would be an understatement. This shot to the top of my list of all-time favorite movies. Run, don’t walk to see this movie if you haven’t.

I have found so many new favorites by seeing them on the big screen with a crowd at the festival for the first time. It’s such a luxury and fun thing to do.

After the film, Richard Benjamin showed up to discuss the film, which was a treat for us in the front row, who had an excellent seat for his discussion. We lucked out in that sense.

After that, it was time for a conversation with Floyd Norman. I went and saved seats for over an hour. I wanted to ensure Cori and I had great seats for this one. He is such a talent and has lived such a fantastic life. Have I mentioned that I am wildly in love with him?

Floyd Norman is 86, almost 87, with the memory and energy of a 25-year-old. He was one of Disney’s first, if not the first, black animators. He was in high school when he decided to try to get a job at Disney Studios; he didn’t get a job but went to school to learn to draw. A few years later, he joined Disney as it was expanding.

He worked as an animator on Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book, and other animated short projects at Disney in the 1950s and early 60s. After Walt Disney’s death, Norman left to co-found AfroKids animation studio with Leo Sullivan. They worked on various projects, including the original Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s Fat Albert television special, which aired in 1969 on NBC.

In 2016, the documentary Floyd Norman: An Animated Life was released, and it’s fantastic.

His discussion was fascinating. After I tried to approach him, he was whisked away. Cori found Marla Hooch from A League of Their Own (Megan Cavanagh) and began conversing. It turns out Megan’s friend was also the director of Norman’s documentary. He pulled Mr. Norman aside so we could get a proper picture of us together. We were able to have an actual conversation. I got to tell him that I was at the screening of Sleeping Beauty and how much it meant to me. It was a moment I had dreamt of since that day years ago when I sat in the Egyptian theater, listening to him speak about a film that meant so much to me as a child. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

To be continued..

Nikki McKim attended the TCM Classic Film Festival as a paid pass holder not as a media pass holder.

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Celebrities galore at TCMFF – 2017

Nikki McKim — Tue, 30 May 2017 01:03:59 +0000

Friday, April 7, 2017. Our third day in Los Angeles was packed full of events. Brian and I got up bright and early to attend the Ginger Rogers ﬁlm, Rafter Romance. The ﬁlm was at the Egyptian Theater, the furthest from our hotel. We opted for breakfast at the hotel because nothing beats a free hotel wafﬂe, in my opinion. We chatted about our day, checked our schedule, and decided to attend the Hand and Footprint Ceremony. Rob and Carl Reiner were honored this year before the historic Graumin’s Chinese Theater. Once we started thinking about who could attend, we decided to get in the long line for the event.
We stood for a couple of hours before we were herded like cattle into our standing-room-only section. We stood, hoping to glimpse someone we knew and loved. Rob Reiner walked by and greeted us, and that was pretty great. Rob, 70, helmed a few ﬁlms you may have seen. Stand by Me, A Few Good Men, This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride and one of my all-time favorite ﬁlms, When Harry Met Sally. His father, Carl, soon joined him near the stage. Carl, 95, created The Dick Van-Dyke Show and directed The Jerk, All of Me and collaborated with one of my favorite men on earth, Mel Brooks. Former Saturday Night Live comedian Kevin Nealon appeared from the back chomping on a banana; Carey Elwes from The Princess Bride attended (and later attended the screening of ‘Bride’); All in the Family creator Norman Lear walked by, but then the crowd parted, and everyone got quiet when Billy Crystal walked in. I love Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally and Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc. This star sighting was enough to assure me that we had made the right decision in attending this historic event. There were several more big names, but I watched Crystal the entire time. I was mesmerized by seeing Harry Burns (Crystal’s character from When Harry Met Sally) right before me. It was beyond incredible. We listened to several close and famous friends praise the Reiner men before they gave a short joint speech to the crowd.
Once the ceremony ﬁnished, we raced to the Theater to get into the Judy Holiday classic, Born Yesterday. If you haven’t seen a Judy Holiday ﬁlm, please take my advice and do so as soon as possible. She was beautiful, talented and hilarious. She is often forgotten due to her passing sooner than she should have. Sadly, we were too late and turned away at the door. We had enough time to kill waiting for the next ﬁlm to start, so we walked around a bit and had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.
Our timing was perfect as we were number four and ﬁve for the ﬁlm I was most excited about, Barefoot in the Park. Barefoot stars my very favorite man, Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. Brian hadn’t seen it, so I was giddy to share it on the big screen with him.
While in line, Brian decided to meet and fall in love with another woman. Miss Zillah was roughly 80 years old and a ball of ﬁre. Somehow, she and Brian struck up quite a friendship that is still going strong today, as I got a message from Zillah asking me to tell my husband hi for her just last night. They discussed ﬁlms, sports, where they were from and how much they hated standing in line because of body aches. I was too busy looking around and taking it all in because Brian had his back turned before I knew it and was in Zillah’s world. This spitﬁre made such a big impression on everyone she met that when I posted a photo of Brian and his new girlfriend-several people commented and said they loved ‘Z’ and had spent a lot of time with her at past festivals. (Sidenote: The New Yorker ran a cartoon several weeks ago about the TCM Classic Film Festival and the cartoonists’ experience at the event. She told her story through illustrations -Zillah is featured and plays a prominent role in her story, as she now does for many of us.)
There was nothing like seeing Barefoot with a crowd. Redford plays Paul, a conservative lawyer who has just married Corrie (Fonda), who is vivacious and everything I want to be in life. The couple navigate their way through the ﬁrst few weeks of marriage and adjusting to life with each other. The ﬁlm is hilarious, and both Redford and Fonda are stunning.
We had a few hours to kill because we hit our only block during the festival that didn’t have one ﬁlm we wanted to see. Brian suggested we return to Micelli’s Italian Restaurant, so we did. It was just as amazing the second time as it was the first. We sat, listened to music, and enjoyed a drink before we made our way down Hollywood Boulevard and back to The Roosevelt Hotel for another event that I had been looking forward to.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?-poolside. Baby Jane is another favorite due to the sheer insanity of it all, as well as the fantastic acting by Bette Davis. I have the song ‘I’ve Written a Letter to Daddy’ on my phone and play it often. I knew it would be so much fun to see with a group outside by the pool at the Roos. I really wanted Brian to see a ﬁlm poolside, and though he isn’t a fan of either actress, he was a good sport and got into it. TCM staffers were handing out ‘Team Joan’ or ‘Team Bette’ ribbons to wear during the ﬁlm. It was an excellent promo for the FX Feud series that started the week before the festival. If you have a chance to see Feud, please see it. The series is now over but look for it on demand. It’s entertaining and wild acting by Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. (I have a whole other column planned about Feud; it was that fun!)
We stayed, laughed, and cheered with the rambunctious crowd until it was time to get in line for my number one must-see celebrity at the Festival, Mel Brooks. I wasn’t going to risk not seeing Brooks, so we left Baby Jane early to get in line for High Anxiety, and I am glad we did.

To be continued…

Nikki McKim attended the TCMFF as a paid pass holder not as a media pass member.

The post Celebrities galore at TCMFF – 2017 appeared first on THE FALLS CITY JOURNAL.

Seeing one of my favorite films at my first TCMFF – 2016

Nikki McKim — Tue, 24 May 2016 22:46:50 +0000

I was finally at the TCM Classic Film festival when ﬁre alarms had just gone off as we waited to see ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?’ And I was stuck outside on the second story of the theater complex in a crowd of people waiting it out.
For a good 20 minutes, I watched people and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Hollywood; most could have been better.
Once we were given the all-clear (somebody set off a ﬁre extinguisher in a theater), we retrieved the drinks we had yet to touch. The bartender made us new drinks and didn’t charge us, but we were due in our seats in a few minutes. I took a couple of sips, then trashed mine when I saw Ken Jenkins by the entrance door. We were being herded into our line, but nobody noticed that it was Ken Jenkins! He was there alone, and nobody was asking him for an autograph. I had to run past him to get my spot, but I smiled and waved at the man who was married to Katharine Houghton, who also happened to play Dr. Bob Kelso on Scrubs and who happened to play Courtney Cox’s dad on Cougar Town. Several people asked me who I was so excited to see and kept yelling at. I realized many classic ﬁlm fans did not watch any new television shows. Not one person in our long line knew who he was. I was tickled that I had him smile and wave at me, but disappointed I didn’t get a photo with him.
Once we entered the theater, we sat in primo seats, and tears ﬁlled my eyes. This was the moment I had dreamed of for so long. It was my ﬁrst classic ﬁlm at the festival. Katharine Houghton came out and discussed how difﬁcult it was to work on the movie with her aunt Katharine Hepburn due to the health of Spencer Tracy. Everyone knew Spence was ill, and tensions ran high. Another issue was race; Houghton said she was young and naïve and didn’t understand the fuss. She also did a few impressions of Hepburn that had the crowd roaring. After ten minutes or so, she presented the ﬁlm, got up and left. The ﬁlm started, and the crowd cheered with each name that clashed on the screen. We were all so excited, and the air was electric. That feeling soon faded for me. At this point, I had been up for over 20 hours and only slept for two hours the night before. My head started to drop, and my eyes grew heavy. I didn’t want to fall asleep during my ﬁrst ﬁlm! I was so mad that I would squeeze my thigh to stay awake and almost drew blood several times. Spencer Tracy stood up to give his speech that made me cry like a baby, then the next thing I knew, the lights went up, and the crowd was clapping. I had fallen asleep sitting up, even though it was only for a few minutes.
Our group of four met up and began our walk home. We discussed our favorite part of the night and our plans for the next day. I didn’t have time to think about what a whirlwind day I had just had because I was out cold as soon as I hit the pillow.
Friday, April 29, 2016 – I woke up with an awful headache and swollen eyes. I had plans to see ‘The More The Merrier,’ a favorite in our home, but with my horrendous headache, I decided to go to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and have breakfast. I have never shied away from eating in a restaurant alone. I sat at the counter and enjoyed a wafﬂe and sausage and mimosa. It was too early for the next ﬁlm block, so I wandered over to the Francis Ford Coppola Hand and Footprint Ceremony. I didn’t try to get too close and opted to be in a spot that would be easy to get out of for the next ﬁlm. I watched in awe with Jack Lemon’s son standing next to me as Francis Ford Coppola, director of the ‘Godfather’ trilogy and ‘Apocalypse Now,’ stood in a suit and pressed his hands and feet into cement. It was indeed something you don’t see every day. I watched for a while until I realized I needed to meet with Angie for my ﬁrst ﬁlm of the day, ‘The Way We Were.’
Robert Redford is easily one of my favorite actors, and that ﬁlm is always such a treat for me. The story drives me insane, but I’m a sucker for it every time it’s on and it’s one of my fall time favorite films. I bawl like a baby every time I sit and watch it. I truly felt in my element as I sat and cried with the theater full of people. We clapped, and all tried to pretend we weren’t crying, but the red, glossy eyes were evident to everyone.
The next ﬁlm I ventured to was ‘When You’re In Love,’ starring Cary Grant. His daughter Jennifer introduced the once lost ﬁlm to a packed house. Jennifer spoke of how she thought she had seen every ﬁlm her father had made until TCM contacted her a few months before the festival about this ﬁlm. She had never seen it and was so excited to both see it for the first time and introduce it at the festival. Ms. Grant shared stories of watching her father’s ﬁlms with him, which wasn’t often and how she will present a jewelry line in his memory soon. Naturally, that excited a room full of classic ﬁlm fans, but I was disappointed; I would assume a suit line in Cary Grant’s honor would make more sense, but what do I know? Finally, it was time for the ﬁlm, and everyone was on the edge of their seat to see this long-lost gem. At the end of the ﬁlm, everyone applauded, cheered, and went on and on about how wonderful it was. I, on the other hand, was incredibly disappointed. I knew nothing of the ﬁlm except that Cary Grant was in it. It’s about Grant falling in love with an Opera singer. I’m not a fan of musicals, and while I’m glad I was there for the premier of the ﬁlm, It isn’t one that I will seek out for my collection.
There was a good lull in ﬁlms, so I ventured to Larry Edmunds Bookshop in search of a gift for a lady in Falls City. She had called me before I left and asked if I could search for anything involving silent ﬁlm star Leatrice Joy. She told me a story about her connection to the ﬁlm star, and I couldn’t resist ﬁnding her something, and I did (more on that later.) Then, I was off to Mel’s Diner, a ‘must visit’ restaurant everyone praised. I had a BLT. with some of the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had, and I love that they put avocado on nearly everything. After a quick caffeine boost, it was off to our next ﬁlm ‘Batman: The Movie,” with Adam West. The following six hours were the most fun I had during the festival.

To be continued..

Nikki McKim attended the 2016 TCMFF as a paid pass holder not as a media pass holder.

The post Seeing one of my favorite films at my first TCMFF – 2016 appeared first on THE FALLS CITY JOURNAL.

My first TCM Classic Film Festival – Walk, Don’t Run

Nikki McKim — Mon, 16 May 2016 16:47:08 +0000

I made it to Hollywood and had just gotten kicked out of my shuttle and was wandering down the street when my roommate Angie yelled at me from up the block. I had never been so happy to see someone in my life. She showed me how to get into our apartment and where I would stay. To get into the apartment, you had to unlock a gate, climb some stairs, use your key fob to use the elevator, and turn right, left, and right again before you hit our door. It was an excursion in itself. I would occupy the left side of the bedroom, Angie, from a suburb of Detroit, would take the right side, Kristen from Pasadena would take the couch, and Jessica from South Carolina had the bad luck of getting the air mattress with the hole in it. We had a refrigerator ﬁlled with canned wine, a television we didn’t turn on once, and a place to sleep. We were set for the next ﬁve days.

After I unloaded my things, Angie showed me where we would spend most of our time. The TLC Chinese Theaters, and down a block and across Hollywood Boulevard was the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. I would spend seventy percent of my time in the Hollywood Roosevelt and Theatre Four of the TCL Theater Complex. We explored for a bit before we hit 25 Degrees for a meal. The 24-hour burger stand in the Hollywood Roosevelt boasted the most amazing hamburgers in the area. I was too excited to think about food, which is unheard of for me. I ate what I could before we ran back to the apartment to change into our fancy clothes for my ﬁrst event of the festival.

I had difficulty deciding what to do with each second of the next four days. At any time during the festival, at least four events happen simultaneously. The ﬁrst night we got to choose between the red carpet, a poolside showing of the Harold Lloyd classic The Freshman, the Bette Davis classic, Dark Victory, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or One Potato, Two Potato. My big choice was between my favorite silent comedian and the red carpet. When Angie and Jessica said they do the red carpet because it was always fun, I had to go with them. It was something I didn’t get to do every day, and the fact that I was number 38 in line was incredible and possibly won’t happen again. The red carpet event only holds a handful of people, and only a few are lucky enough to get a seat on the bleachers.

The red carpet arrivals are the best bet to see any star you were hoping to see during the festival. I knew that I wouldn’t make it to see Jack Lemmon’s son introduce My Sister Eileen and expected he would walk the carpet, which he did, and he was incredible to watch. His mannerisms and voice were just like his father’s. The entire audience was in awe of him, and to top it off, he was hysterically funny too.

I was able to see Darryl Hickman, Ted Donaldson, Chris Lemmon, Gina Lollobrigida, Salvatore Cascio, Louis Gossett Jr., Norman Lloyd, Roger Corman, James Cromwell, Lee Meriwether, Anna Karina, Ann Robinson, Katharine Houghton, Leonard Maltin, Carl Bernstein and Alec Baldwin.

I felt like a total dork and didn’t belong there at that moment. Each celebrity made their way down the carpet and stopped to do an interview. They stopped and posed for pictures and talked to us. It was surreal to have Chris Lemmon tell us about his dad or have TCM host Ben Mankiewicz stop and speak to us and tell us that we are the reason this magniﬁcent event is possible. I am such a huge Mankiewicz fan that having him stop and chat with us until he was dragged away was fantastic. He didn’t have to stop and talk, but he did, and he was down to earth and a fan just like us.

Time ﬂew by, and before we knew it, we were too late to get into other ﬁlms. We decided to grab dinner at the famed Pig ‘N’ Whistle while we waited for the next film block. We were all chilly during dinner as the sun had gone down and the temperature dipped under 55 degrees. I popped into a shop next door to buy an overpriced Hollywood sweatshirt-a great inside joke and memory.

Our next and ﬁnal stop of the night was one of the ﬁlms I was looking forward to seeing. One of my favorite movies is Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? I love Hepburn and Tracy, but Hepburn’s niece, Katharine Houghton, and Sidney Poitier steal the show. Angie and I got in line early enough to get numbers 17 and 18, then headed to the bar outside the theaters for a drink. TCM had classic ﬁlm star-inspired drinks, and I fell for it. I was happy to pay $15 for a thimble of liquid. As the bartender handed me my glass, the ﬁre alarms went off. The employees told us to hang out because it happens often and is usually a false alarm. We sat until a manager came over and said we had to go. We were on the second story of this shopping center/theater, and with everyone from all the theaters outside, we had nowhere to go. I stood as Angie talked to others and watched the people walk down Hollywood Boulevard. It was interesting to see who would come around the corner, a tourist. Batman? Darth Vader? For 20 minutes, I watched people and took in Hollywood’s sights, sounds and smells; most could have been better.

Once we were given the all-clear (somebody set off a ﬁre extinguisher in a theater), we retrieved the drinks we had yet to touch. The bartender made us new drinks and didn’t charge us, but we were due in our seats in a few minutes. I took a couple of sips, then trashed mine when I saw Ken Jenkins by the entrance. We were being herded into our line, but nobody noticed that it was Ken Jenkins! He was there alone, and nobody was asking him for an autograph. I had to run past him to get my spot, but I smiled and waved at the man who was married to Katharine Houghton, who also happened to play Dr. Bob Kelso on Scrubs and who happened to play Courtney Cox’s dad on Cougar Town. Several people asked me who I was so excited to see and kept yelling at. I was tickled that I had him smile and wave at me but disappointed I didn’t get a photo with him.

Once we entered the theater, we sat in primo seats, and tears ﬁlled my eyes. This was the moment I had dreamed of for so long. It was my ﬁrst classic ﬁlm at the festival. Katharine Houghton came out and discussed how difﬁcult it was to work on the movie with her aunt Katharine Hepburn due to the health of Spencer Tracy. Everyone knew Spence was ill, and tensions ran high. Another issue was race; Houghton said she was young and naïve and didn’t understand the fuss. She also did a few impressions of Hepburn that had the crowd roaring. After ten minutes, she presented the ﬁlm, got up and left. The ﬁlm started, and the crowd cheered with each name that flashed on the screen. We were all so excited, and the air was electric.

At this point, I had been up for over 20 hours and only slept for two hours the night before. My head started to drop, and my eyes grew heavy. I didn’t want to fall asleep during my ﬁrst ﬁlm! I was so mad that I would squeeze my thigh to stay awake. Spencer Tracy stood up to give his speech that made me cry like a baby, then the next thing I knew, the lights went up, and the crowd was clapping. I had fallen asleep sitting up, even though it was only for a few minutes.

Our group of four met up and began our walk home. We discussed our favorite part of the night and our plans for the next day. I didn’t have time to think about what a whirlwind day I had just had because I was out cold as soon as I hit the pillow.

(McKim attended the 2016 TCMFF as a fan and not a member of the press., Photo by Nikki McKim, Katharine Houghton walking the red carpet in Hollywood.)

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I finally get to attend the Turner Classic Film Festival in Hollywood.

Nikki McKim — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 22:28:36 +0000

In 2010, Turner Classic Movies held its first annual Classic Film Festival in L.A. At that time, I worked a part-time job earning $150 a week as a bookkeeper at a local church, had a four-year-old son, was trying to get my business off the ground and had plenty of bills. I made the decision when Alex was born to stay home
with him. I wanted to be there for all the milestones, and I’m so
happy that I made that decision and Brian supported it. I was there for the firsts, and while we felt it was the best for Alex, the truth is that we didn’t have any extra money for the ‘fun stuff.’ The first Film Festival was out of the question, but what did happen was a complete change.
Alex was four, about to head off to school, and I wanted more. I knew there would be no more children in my future, so I kept my ears open for new opportunities. A year later, that opportunity came when I was hired to work for the Journal. Six years passed, and with each passing year, a new reason to miss the festival came up. My car died, Brian had his accident, and our dream home came on the market. But the dream and drive never wavered. Year after year, I worked harder and harder to fulfill my dream. I would sit in front of the T.V. during the spring and tell Brian exactly what films I would have chosen to see if I were in Hollywood. Each year, I would lie in bed with tears in my eyes, questioning if I would ever get to attend a festival. The year they showed one of my favorite movies, The Women, was particularly horrible. I knew I belonged there with ‘my’ people. I could talk about Beatrice Lillie, Leatrice Joy or Snub Pollard in an environment where people knew who these people were. It’s where I could share my greatest passion with others who understood it-who understood me.
Now, the day has come. There were days I wanted to take all the
money I saved and buy something dumb or just toss my hands in the air and declare it wasn’t worth it, but I kept my head down and powered through. Everything I have done has led me to Wednesday, April 27.
Tomorrow morning, I’ll board a plane on my own for the first time. The moment I step off that plane in California, my dream
begins. Seven years, seven months, and countless hours of calculation will all pay off the second I step off that plane. I worked, saved, planned, and scheduled the next six days down to the hour. Sure, I would kill to have Brian with me, holding my hand as he does through life’s most extraordinary adventures, but it wasn’t in the cards. This is my adventure to take alone.
But now what? What happens next? For seven years, I’ve imagined
the moment of first stepping off the plane in California. I know moments like these pass in a matter of seconds. What if it’s nothing like I’ve imagined? What if it’s awful? Now, my brain is flooded with the ‘what ifs.’ What if I get robbed the second I step foot on Hollywood Boulevard? What if I get food poisoning the first day? (It’s super possible because I have a weak stomach and believe in the five-second rule.) What if I’m an outcast? (I’m painfully shy.) There are many things I’m ‘glass half-full’ about, but when it comes to myself, I am very ‘glass half empty.’ I am utterly terrified that I will find a way to take something that I’ve dreamed about for so long and mess it up. And if I don’t, and it’s the most incredible adventure of my life, then what?
I fell in love with classic films when I was still in my teens. I’ve held on to this love and this passion for so long. I thought that someday I might find a new passion and move on, but this stuck, and it will stick for life. I crave a good classic film like people crave ice cream. If this is everything I have ever dreamed it would be, what will I have left to dream about? What happens when you live the dream that has kept you going for so long? I dream of Alex finding great happiness and success in life. I dream of Alex’s graduation and life’s most cherished blessings, but everyone needs that one dream. The one utterly selfish dream, whether it be winning the lottery or never working again, we all need something to dream about.
Brian told me a while back that this is my World Series. Brian led
me to my love of the Royals about ten years ago, so I’m still considered a ‘new fan.’ He grew up with them; he was there through the worst times and now through the best. I was there at the low point but only for a moment- that felt like an eternity. It felt so incredible when they won the World Series, but it was something entirely different to Brian. It ran deeper through his veins. It was 30 years of waiting for that moment, and when he got it, his dream, it made life much sweeter. Now that he’s lived his dream, he yearns for that high again.
This film festival is my World Series; while I led Brian to his love of
classic films, it isn’t the same for him as it is for me. He would enjoy the festival and maybe even love it, but it runs deep in my veins. I hope I come home yearning for more and dreaming of the day I get to do this again.

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