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You can rate and share your favorite classic movie posts here.
DEFYING TRADITION: Yiddish Literature On Film–Part 2: YENTL (1983)
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 27, 2014
In 1982, 11 years after the filming of Fiddler On the Roof, Barbra Streisand set out to film Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, a story about a young woman who poses as a man in order to study Talmud. Written in the 1950s by Nobel Prize-winning Yiddish author Isaac Bashevis Singer, the original story sheds li read more
Full Schedule Released for the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 21, 2014
Following several days of great anticipation among festival attendees, the TCM Classic Film Festival unveiled its final lineup yesterday via its website. Featuring a veritable amalgam of lesser-seen movie classics and fan favorites, this is sure to be a year to remember. One of the unexpected high read more
Backlots is 3!
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 17, 2014
3 years ago today, on St. Patrick’s Day of 2011, I decided to create a film blog. I was studying in Paris, and in need of a creative outlet in English that related to my love of classic film. I had no idea what it took to maintain a blog, and no idea how long it would last. But 3 years later read more
Backlots at the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 10, 2014
I have just received confirmation that for the second year in a row, Backlots will have the honor of providing official press coverage for the TCM Classic Film Festival, April 10-14 in Hollywood. The TCM Classic Film Festival is perhaps the biggest festival focusing on classic films in the country read more
The Oscars in History
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 2, 2014
Today is Oscar Sunday, and your author is in rain-soaked Los Angeles today trying to stay dry. Tonight, right down the street and for the 86th time in history, the Academy will pick what it considers to be the best achievements in filmmaking over the past year. To many people, the Oscars are synon read more
“EVERYONE WHO MET HER FELL IN LOVE WITH HER:” A Letter From Susan, the Secretary of Joan Fontaine
Backlots Posted by Lara on Feb 22, 2014
Upon checking my inbox earlier today, I found that I had received a letter from Susan Pfeiffer, secretary and beloved friend to Joan Fontaine. Susan and I have been in touch several times–last October when I conducted a written interview with Joan, it was Susan who helped with the corresponde read more
The Making of a Hollywood Legend
Backlots Posted by Lara on Feb 18, 2014
Judy Garland, one of the most prominent and visible legends of Hollywood cinema. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked those it considered to be the top 50 screen legends–25 male, 25 female–actors whom they considered to have had a considerable impact on our film culture and the c read more
Scott Fivelson’s DIAL L FOR LATCH-KEY and NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY
Backlots Posted by Lara on Feb 15, 2014
A few days ago I was approached by the multi-talented Scott Fivelson, who brought to my attention two quite interesting works that he thought, accurately, would be of interest to readers of Backlots. The first, a satirical one-act play entitled Dial L for Latch-Key, fits squarely in with Backlots& read more
How Shirley Temple Saved Us
Backlots Posted by Lara on Feb 11, 2014
“It is a splendid thing,” remarked President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935, “that for just 15 cents, an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.” The baby Roosevelt was referring to, a curly-haired, dimple-cheeked blonde who read more
Announcing Backlots’ First Blogathon Collaboration–ROMANTIC COMEDY with Carole & Co.!
Backlots Posted by Lara on Feb 6, 2014
Several days ago I was approached by a good blogging friend of mine, Vince Paterno over at the marvelous and meticulously researched Carole & Co. Vince was in the process of putting together a blogathon dealing with romantic comedies from the classic era and asked if Backlots would like to co- read more
THE CARDBOARD LOVER (1928)–A Rare Treasure
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 31, 2014
Marion Davies peeks through a plant at her love interest in THE CARDBOARD LOVER (1928) The preservation and cultural permanence of silent film is a very pertinent topic in the film community right now. Before the advent of VHS, DVD, and home video players, filmmakers had no reason to think that the read more
“…and the Oscar goes to…”: A PREMIERE SCREENING AT THE ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 25, 2014
By Lara Gabrielle Fowler On February 1, TCM will begin its annual salute to the Oscars, 31 days of Oscar-winning films shown back to back until the Academy Awards ceremony on March 2. Kicking off what TCM calls “31 Days of Oscar” this year will be a new documentary from acclaimed filmm read more
The Fight of Marsha Hunt and MARSHA HUNT’S SWEET ADVERSITY: A Forthcoming Documentary
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 20, 2014
Marsha Hunt during her years as a Hollywood star. Marsha Hunt today. Two years ago, while attending the Cinecon festival in Hollywood, I had the great opportunity to speak with classic Hollywood star and tireless civil rights advocate Marsha Hunt. She was attending a screening of Gentle Julia, a mo read more
FASCINATING PEOPLE: Professor Alan Greenberg
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 13, 2014
A portion of an interview with Claudette Colbert, conducted by Professor Alan Greenberg. Having had the enviable privilege of getting to know some of the biggest stars of classic Hollywood and possessing hundreds of hours of interviews that he conducted with such luminaries as Barbara Stanwyck, Cl read more
THE LITTLE TRAMP AT 100
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 12, 2014
An enthusiastic crowd packed the Castro Theatre solid yesterday, for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of Chaplin’s “little tramp” character. Featuring a beautiful lineup of films all played with live accompaniment (a piano accom read more
THE LITTLE TRAMP AT 100 Celebration–January 11 at the Castro Theatre
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 10, 2014
By Lara Gabrielle Fowler Tomorrow, locals of the San Francisco Bay Area will be treated to a very special event at the Castro Theatre. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Little Tramp’s first appearance onscreen, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival is putting together a program read more
2013 at Backlots–A Year in Review
Backlots Posted by Lara on Dec 31, 2013
A big thank you to my readers for making 2013 a true banner year for Backlots. Here are some of the things that happened on the blog this year: My attendance at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival was far and away one of the highlights of the year. A true movie lover’s paradise, the TCM Fest read more
Backlots Forays Further Into Facebook–Introducing the Backlot Commissary!
Backlots Posted by Lara on Dec 29, 2013
In this age of social media rule, a pervasive online presence is a requirement for the survival of a blog. As Backlots grows in its readership and prominence online, I have realized the need to expand its reach on the various social media platforms on which the blog has a presence. Backlots’ read more
Merry Christmas from Backlots!
Backlots Posted by Lara on Dec 24, 2013
To all those who celebrate it, I wish my readers a very merry Christmas with lots of quality time with friends and family! The holiday of Christmas has heralded some of the most beloved movies of all time. In celebration of the season, I am profiling a few of my favorites here. Have a wonderful hol read more
The Dueling Divas Thank You For a Great Blogathon!
Backlots Posted by Lara on Dec 23, 2013
Well readers, another year of Dueling Divas has come to an end! But don’t worry, the divas will return next year for another round–so stay tuned for the announcement of the 4th Annual Dueling Divas blogathon, to take place in December 2014! While I’m at it, I thought I would tell read more