Turner Classic Movie Film Festival
Day One
On Thursday April 28th, I have to admit I woke-up in somewhat of a panic. You see, dear readers, it was at that precise moment that the gravity of my situation sank in. In a mere few hours, I would meander out of my hotel room to start my biggest task of the day: Red Carpet Press. That’s right – this born cinephile from a small-town in upstate New York was headed to the red carpet, armed with my camera and ready to interview some of her childhood heroes. And like any young professional, I was a walking pile of nerves because of it.
My original plan for the day was to wake up early and explore the heart of Hollywood for a few hours before returning to my hotel room to pick up my camera, tripod and microphone. My exploration time was cut to zero as I spent the early morning in near panic on the internet researching the list of stars set to appear on the red carpet. Finally, at around 3:45, I walked out of hotel room and into the Red Carpet Press holding area, eagerly awaiting my place on the red carpet line up.
Waiting to get on that Sweet, Sweet Red Carpet
My tripod acting as my place saver.
After about 45 minutes of check-ins and waiting, I was finally directed to my designated spot on the red carpet line. This was immediately followed by another 45-minute period of waiting, this time waiting for the stars to come out.
At about 5:30, the stars finally began to make their way down the red carpet. During this time I somehow managed to keep a calm, cool and professional front but in reality, on the inside, I was freaking out like a 1940s Sinatra fangirl – sans the riots, of course. How I managed to keep a steady hand and get so many great pictures is still a mystery to me. These pictures are something of a sneak peak for you guys because in the coming weeks CMH will be posting the interviews with these lovely folks on our Youtube page. Until then, enjoy!
Fans waiting in stand
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Film critic Leonard Maltin
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Child star and star of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ted Donaldson.
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Childhood hero of mine, Director Roger Corman
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The ever-talented Gina Lollobrigida
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Salvatore Cascio, showing off that Italian-Cool.
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Jack Lemmon’s son, Chris Lemmon. Notice the resemblance?
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At approximately 6:45pm all the stars had made their way into the movie and my first red carpet bonanza was over. My day, however, was anything but over. So, I immediately dashed back to my hotel, grabbed some fresh batteries and made my way to the Roosevelt Hotel. Every night TCM hosted a special poolside film screening and that night kicked it off with Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman accompanied with a live DJ, providing a modern score to this most classic of comedies. The environment was amazing. I could hear the laughter before I even reached the pool area. Smiling faces were everywhere and when people did talk, they did so quietly as to not disturb other viewers. One thing I found particularly awesome was the traveling trays of food offered by the hotel’s incredibly nice wait staff. I may have had a slider or 2 or 3…They knew who to come to first.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the whole movie because I wanted to make sure I got a prime seat for one of my favorite romances of all time, Brief Encounters. So, yet again, I was dashing around the heart of Hollywood, from the Roosevelt Hotel to the Chinese Theater. I arrived, however, to a most curious sight – tons of TCM Film Festival pass-holders crowding around the building. “Surely the line to Brief Encounters can’t be THIS long.” I thought to myself. “The other movies haven’t ended, yet.” I quickly learned that I was correct in my assumptions.
It turns out that a fire alarm had gone off in the building and everyone who was watching A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Dark Victory or One Potato, Two Potato had to immediately evacuate the theater. Although it was probably an annoyance for anyone who went to see those films, it actually worked perfectly for me. The delay meant I was there super early (9th in line to be exact) and got to watch my favorite David Lean flick from the best possible vantage point.
By the time Brief Encounter was over, it was already passed midnight. After a quick meeting with Annmarie, I was off to my hotel already anticipating the next day. So, please, stay tuned to hear more about my Film Festival experience. Tomorrow’s adventures feature a person very near and dear to my heart. The only and one Angela Lansbury…and y’all know how I feel about Lansbury.
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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