ON THIS DAY in 1930, Bobby Jones completed the “Grand Slam of golf” upon winning the U.S. Amateur Championship. The event was dramatized in the 2004 biographical film, BOBBY JONES: A STROKE OF GENIUS, starring Jim Caviezel.
Archives
All posts by Dave
ON THIS DAY in 1960, Cuban leader Fidel Castro announced his country’s support of the Soviet Union. The 2001 film, FIDEL: THE UNTOLD STORY, directed by Estela Bravo, documents this and other events in Castro’s life.
Updated
The TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL. Those words bring about an extra, few beats to my Lumiére Brothers-loving heart. That’s because I know of no other finer film experience, no more mind-blowing movie nirvana, no better Mt. Everest of cinematic entertainment, and… well I’ve run out of superlatives at the moment, and probably run out your patience. Of course, I’ve never been to Cannes, nor to Telluride or to Toronto for TIFF, so my points of reference are limited. But I do know that for a classic movie fan, Hollywood is the place to be in April of next year.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will join a couple of thousand film fans at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and its environs for the fourth edition of Turner Classic Movies’ feast for classic film fanatics next spring. It will be my third time. (I had to cancel out at the last minute on the first get-together in 2010 due to a schedule conflict. However, TCM generously gave me a refund, even though it was against their policy, and I am eternally grateful.)
The 2013 Festival dates (April 25-28) and its theme (“Cinematic Journeys: Travel in the Movies”) are expected to be announced very soon have just been announced. 2012’s theme was “Style”–a broad category that included, for example, film noir, fashion, art and architecture.
Running from Thursday afternoon through Sunday night, in the heart of historic Hollywood, the TCM Classic Film Festival is “a place where movie lovers from around the world gather to experience classic movies as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen, in some of the world’s most iconic venues, with the people who made them.”
Multiple simultaneous film screenings and events start early in the morning at about 9, and go into the late evening, the last one at around 10 or 11 p.m. All the venues–the Egyptian, Graumann’s Chinese and the Graumann’s multiplex, are within walking distance of each other, and all feature state-of-the art sound and projection. The splendid, art deco Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (site of the first Academy Awards presentation) is the headquarters for the Festival, and it hosts a variety of panel discussions, a nighttime gathering spot for fans (“Club TCM”), reception and information areas for attendees, a Festival gift shop, and a very retro and very good diner, the CineGrill.
The most difficult aspect of the festival (other than swinging the expense): deciding which of four or five films to see at any given time of the day. Second most difficult: somehow finding a minute or two to eat in-between screenings.
Some of my own memories from 2011 and 2012:
- Kirk Douglas, age 99, singing A Whale of a Tale at a screening of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Bela Lugosi, Jr., and Sara Karloff talking about their dads, at The Black Cat
- Elvis in Girl Happy, poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt
- Coffee in hand, attending a 9 a.m. screening of Becket, at the Egyptian, and Peter O’ Toole’s remembrances of Richard Burton
- How The West Was Won, in its original wide-screen, Cinerama, with Debbie Reynolds in attendance, at Hollywood’s Cinerama Theater
- Kim Novak introducing Vertigo at the historic Graumann’s Chinese
- Angela Lansbury reminiscing about meeting Ingrid Bergman, in Gaslight
- Frank Sinatra’s daughters remembering their dad prior to The Man With The Golden Arm
- Being with, and getting to know, other classic movie lovers–the best part of this film festival
My reviews of three films that were part of the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival: the glorious Cinerama presentation of HOW THE WEST WAS WON, a terrific and underrated film noir, FALL GUY, and the beautifully restored, utterly captivating silent film, WINGS.
I’m looking forward to posting updates and my thoughts about next year’s Festival in the days and months ahead, as well as reporting from the big event itself (when I’m not running between theaters!).
Update: The 2013 Festival will be held April 25-28. The theme, “Cinematic Journeys: Travel in the Movies”, and will, according to TCM, “explore how movies can carry viewers beyond their hometowns to distant or imaginary locales, where they can be transformed by great storytelling. Often, the mode of travel provides the filmic inspiration, whether it’s planes, trains, or automobiles. At other times, the trip itself serves as the central narrative, as in the case of many ‘road movies.’ With Hollywood as the starting point, TCM’s cinematic excursion will take festival attendees on a fascinating journey to cinematic worlds both familiar and new.” More info at the TCM Festival website.
Are you on Facebook? Thinking of going to the 2013 TCM Festival? Then you might want to look into joining the 100-plus member Going to the TCM Festival Facebook group.
ON THIS DAY in 1996, the last of Ireland’s scandalous Magdalene asylums was permanently closed. In 2002, THE MAGDALENE SISTERS dramatized the stories of several of the institution’s inmates.
ON THIS DAY in 1896, author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fitzgerald was portrayed by Tom Hiddleston in Woody Allen’s 2011 film, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, starring Owen Wilson.
If you spent most of your time watching movies this past week, you might have missed these articles here at Home Projectionist:
- 10 Things About Greta Garbo
- On-the-Road Online Streaming Means More Than Entertainment
- Are Longer Movies Really More Competitive?
- Rating the Pi-rate Movies
- “Take me to the United Nations”: A Quiz
- Book Clubs Get All the Love — Why Not Movie Watching Clubs?
- More Cats on the Web Than in the Movies
- Night of the Saturday Double Feature
- Art Imitates Life: Reel History
Visit Home Projectionist on Facebook
ON THIS DAY in 1909, the publication of Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantôme de l’Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera), began, as a serial, in the French newspaper Le Gaulois. In 1925, the first of several film adaptations of Leroux’s novel premiered– THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, starring Lon Chaney.
ON THIS DAY in 1957, François “Papa Doc” Duvalier was elected president of Haiti on a populist and Black Nationalist platform. THE COMEDIANS, a 1967 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and based on a Graham Greene novel, was set in Haiti during the Duvalier regime.
Bon nuit. That’s good evening in French, as we just learned from our useful English-to-French phrase book. When it comes to the films of Alfred Hitchcock however, it comes up a bit short. For example, it does not tell us how to say, in French, “My mother is… not quite herself today”, or “Go away or I’ll kill you myself”. Nevertheless, we think you’ll enjoy this globetrotting quiz…
Good luck, Mr. Thornhill, wherever you are…
Take the Quiz!(*The quiz title was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest: “Something wrong with your eyes?” “Yes”, says the sunglass-clad Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant), “They’re sensitive to questions”. As Roger attempts to find out who Lester Townsend really is, he orders a cab driver: “Take me to the United Nations.”)
ON THIS DAY in 1897, author J. R. R. Tolkien published his novel, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. In 1978, Tolkien’s book was adapted for the Rankin-Bass animated film, THE HOBBIT, narrated by John Huston.
ON THIS DAY in 1973, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes” tennis match at the Houston Astrodome. The 2001 made-for-TV movie, WHEN BILLIE BEAT BOBBY, with Holly Hunter and Ron Silver, documented this event.
IT’S “TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY”, mateys, and if you didn’t hoard enough Pieces of Eight to enroll in Essential Pirate-ese this fall, there’s still hope for you! Aye, that’s right! Pirate movies!
While the veracity of pirate-speak in these films cannot be confirmed, and while not all of these suggested films will shiver your timbers, they’re all highly pirate-esque. And most of them are available somewhere on the high, streaming seas (or via disk). In no particular order:
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003; Johnny Depp) Faithfully based on the very popular Disney park attraction. Tongue-in-cheek, non-stop action; followed by two sequels, this is the best of the three. “Excels in such departments as buried treasure, pirates’ caves, pet parrots and walking the plank, although there is a shortage of eye patches and hooks.” –Roger Ebert 
THE SEA HAWK (1940; Errol Flynn, Claude Rains) Quintessential pirate movie. Terrific score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. “As good an old-time adventure as you’ll find. It has great ships, sea battles, swordplay, spies, slaves, Spaniards, even a little smooching.” –Danny Peary 
THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE (1944; Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo) Walter Slezak was born to play a stereotypical swashbuckler. Hope… was not, but he and Walter Brennan are both hilarious in one of Hope’s best movies. “One of Bob’s wackiest; great closing gag.” –Leonard Maltin 
THE PIRATE MOVIE (1982; Kristy McNichol, Christopher Atkins) Yet another failed attempt to revive the pirate movie only set back the genre even further. Rated a paltry 9% on RottenTomatoes.com 
CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935; Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone) Fantastic swordplay and pirate clichés in this spirited Michael Curtiz film have never been equalled. “Flynn has the smile and dash.” –Pauline Kael
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (1983; Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt) OK adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical. “Pirate King Kline is definitely the most dashing thing since Errol Flynn swung from his last chandelier.” –Time Out
SWASHBUCKLER (1976; Robert Shaw, Peter Boyle) This is a so-so attempt at reviving the spirit of Errol Flynn. “Better technically than the classics of the 1930s, but in terms of vision, it’s a blood relative of, well, ‘Captain Blood.’” –Roger Ebert
YELLOWBEARD (1983; Graham Chapman, Cheech Marin, James Mason) Embarrassing effort at a spoof should have been much better, considering the writers were Graham Chapman and Peter Cook. “BOMB; Appalling waste of talent” –Leonard Maltin 
THE PIRATE (1948; Judy Garland, Gene Kelly) Colorful Vincente Minnelli musical with a Cole Porter score, plus an appearance by the wonderful Nicholas Brothers dancing duo. “Though it doesn’t quite work, and it’s all a bit broad, it doesn’t sour in the memory. ” –Pauline Kael
TREASURE ISLAND (1950; Bobby Driscoll) There may never be as perfect a pirate as Robert Newton in this fun, lively Disney adaptation. “The best film version of the familiar Stevenson story.” –TV Guide
Ahoy! A few more: AGAINST ALL FLAGS, HOOK, LONG JOHN SILVER, MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, CAPTAIN KIDD, BLACKBEARD’S GHOST, and, of course, PETER PAN.
ON THIS DAY in 1952, Charlie Chaplin’s re-entry permit to the United States was revoked as a result of arrangements between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. This part of Chaplin’s life was dramatized in the 1992 biographical film, CHAPLIN, starring Robert Downey Jr.
ON THIS DAY in 1975, heiress, kidnap victim and Symbionese Liberation Army member Patty Hearst was arrested by the FBI in San Francisco. In 1988, director Paul Schrader’s film, PATTY HEARST, dramatized the events leading to Hearst’s arrest.
- Birthday: September 18, 1905
- Grew up in: the slum neighborhoods of Stockholm, Sweden
- Real name: Greta Lovisa Gustafsson
- First job: soap-lather girl in a Stockholm barbershop
- First spoken words in a movie (video, below): “Give me a whiskey, ginger ale on the side, and don’t be stingy, baby.”
- Marriages or children: None
- Turned down the leading role in: DARK VICTORY (taken by Bette Davis)
- How she described her final film, TWO-FACED WOMAN: “My grave.”
- Fun fact: Once modeled hats for a department store catalog
- Quote: “I never said, ‘I want to be alone.’ I only said, ‘I want to be let alone.’ There is a world of difference.”
“Garbo Talks!” was the advertising slogan for the 1930 film, ANNA CHRISTIE, in which Garbo spoke her first words…
Home Projectionist 