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You can rate and share your favorite classic movie posts here.
The Motion Picture & Television Fund: Looking Out for the Film Industry
Backlots Posted by Lara on Sep 7, 2017
Mary Pickford breaks ground on the new Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, 1941. Every Wednesday this month, Turner Classic Movies dedicates its programming to highlighting the Motion Picture & Television Fund, one of the great treasures of the film industry. Securing th read more
Models of Resistance and Bravery in Classic Hollywood
Backlots Posted by Lara on Aug 17, 2017
With the horrific recent events in Charlottesville and further rallies planned for the San Francisco Bay Area later this month, I have been feeling terrified beyond measure. The fear that I feel is a personal one, due to the fact that I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and am a member of a minori read more
The Nostalgia Myth and Classic Movies in 2017 America
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jul 16, 2017
Earlier this morning on Twitter, I saw a tweet directed at TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz, accusing him of being “SJW” (the abbreviation for Social Justice Warrior, a derogatory term for a person who engages in left-wing ideology for personal gains) because he condemned the Hollywood blackl read more
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival: GET YOUR MAN (1927) and the Importance of Film Preservation
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jun 12, 2017
The Castro district of San Francisco filled with silent film fans from around the world June 1-4, as the San Francisco Silent Film Festival kicked off for the 22nd year in a row. As loyal readers of this blog know, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival is a particular favorite of mine. The atmosp read more
On FEUD, Feuds, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford
Backlots Posted by Lara on May 7, 2017
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford share a laugh. The first season of the FX bio-series Feud came to a close on April 23, capping off 8 weeks of exploration into the famous rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. With Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford, Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis, and Catherine Ze read more
TCM Classic Film Festival Wrap-Up, 2017
Backlots Posted by Lara on Apr 12, 2017
The 8th annual TCM Classic Film Festival came to a close this weekend, and since Sunday night, fond memories and farewells have flooded social media. The photos of fans boarding their planes home, sadly telling their friends they’ll see them next year, tug at our hearts and serve as reminder read more
Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival Days 3 and 4–The Nitrate Prints: LAURA (1944) and BLACK NARCISSUS (1947)
Backlots Posted by Lara on Apr 9, 2017
The 8th annual TCM Classic Film Festival is coming to a close, and what a weekend it’s been. When I return home tomorrow I will write a wrap-up post summarizing my experience, but I would be remiss if I didn’t write a post today discussing the nitrate prints that festivalgoers were tr read more
Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival Day 2: Watching Old Favorites With a Community
Backlots Posted by Lara on Apr 7, 2017
We’re in the middle of the TCM Classic Film Festival’s first full day, and during this break I have between screenings, I wanted to talk about what it’s like to watch an established favorite with a community like the one at the TCM Festival. In a prior post, I discussed the fact read more
TCM Classic Film Festival Day 1: 7 Seconds of Bette Davis in JEZEBEL (1938)
Backlots Posted by Lara on Apr 6, 2017
This afternoon, classic film fans from around the country and the world descended upon the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard that runs from the Roosevelt Hotel to the Egyptian Theater for the opening of the TCM Classic Film Festival. For much of the day, the street was completely blocked off for the read more
TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule Released–How We Pick Movies and Where I’ll Be
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 25, 2017
The TCM Classic Film Festival released its full schedule this past week, and social media has been abuzz ever since with attendees announcing their festival picks. Some festivalgoers opt to prioritize screenings of movies new to them, others prefer to see old favorites alongside others who love th read more
Backlots at the TCM Classic Film Festival 2017
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 9, 2017
For the 5th year in a row, Backlots will be joining the ranks of the media in early April, covering the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. In the years since its inception in 2010, the TCM Classic Film Festival has easily become the most prominent classic film festival in the country, attrac read more
Remembering Robert Osborne
Backlots Posted by Lara on Mar 8, 2017
The classic film world has lost a monumental force, one of our preeminent modern film historians and certainly among the most visible. Robert Osborne, the beloved host of Turner Classic Movies since 1994, died on Monday at the age of 84. Osborne had been on a long hiatus from TCM due to illness, a read more
Oscar Sunday: Predictions and Historical Context
Backlots Posted by Lara on Feb 26, 2017
It’s Oscar time again, when movie lovers get together to discuss, make predictions, and debate with fervor who is deserving of the most prestigious awards in screen acting…and who is not. In my family, we have a yearly Oscar get-together with longtime family friends, complete with a ve read more
Remembering Mary Tyler Moore: ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 28, 2017
Mary Tyler Moore’s death on Wednesday was a huge loss for the entertainment industry. It is hard to overstate the importance of Mary Tyler Moore’s influence in shaping how women are portrayed onscreen, and in paving the way for more nuanced female characters. Onscreen, Moore took the s read more
Happy Birthday Marion Davies (January 3, 1897)
Backlots Posted by Lara on Jan 4, 2017
I have been living with Marion Davies as a subject since November of 2013. When you write a biography, your subject stays with you 24/7, informing your interpretations of the world and of the things you see and hear. I often think about how to make a paragraph flow better, and when I read a new bi read more
San Francisco Silent Film Festival: DAY OF SILENTS, 2016
Backlots Posted by Lara on Dec 14, 2016
Readers, many apologies for my extended absence. I don’t like to go too long without a post, but having been busy with my Marion Davies work and other outside issues, I find myself having gone for over a month without writing here. Naturally, it is the glorious San Francisco Silent Film Fest read more
Smithsonian Seeks Funds to Maintain Ruby Slippers
Backlots Posted by Lara on Oct 20, 2016
The ruby slippers at the Smithsonian Museum, taken on my trip to Washington, D.C. last year. A few days ago, it came to my attention that the Smithsonian was raising money to keep one of their most visited and prized artifacts from deteriorating further than it already has. The ruby slippers housed read more
New Prompt on Backlots, and Why.
Backlots Posted by Lara on Oct 8, 2016
As a site focusing on classic movies, I have largely tried to keep Backlots away from political matters. When I felt it necessary, I have made commentary on events that have affected us all, linking those events to classic movies and how movies are a panacea to help us get through our hard times. B read more
Trailblazing Women to be Highlighted on Turner Classic Movies in October
Backlots Posted by Lara on Sep 17, 2016
For the second year in a row, Turner Classic Movies will pay tribute to significant contributions to the film industry by women, through their Trailblazing Women series in partnership with Women in Film. Last year’s programming was a huge success, focusing on female directors in wh read more
Summer Under the Stars Blogathon: LUCILLE BALL
Backlots Posted by Lara on Aug 2, 2016
On August 1, TCM began its annual summer tradition of Summer Under the Stars, a full month of specialized programming that honors one classic film star per day. Yesterday was devoted to the films of Edward G. Robinson, and the rest of the month will see days dedicated to such stars as Esther Willi read more