Tomorrow I may have tears in my eyes when I say goodbye to the Festival and sunny Hollywood. Yesterday though, I had tears of laughter. I was a kid again at the Saturday morning screenings of about a dozen Bugs Bunny animated shorts. It was Bugs’ 75th anniversary bash, hosted by Leonard Maltin. A sold-out audience showed their appreciation for the bunny’s irreverent sense of humor.

Immediately after that, it was time to paddle downstream with Jon, Burt, and Ned at DELIVERANCE. The guys were hilarious, as was the film’s director, John Boorman.

On to Nicholas Ray’s first feature film, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT. A sweet and tragic film noir starring Farley Granger, with a tone that later would be evident in his REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.

TALL TARGET, at 6:30 pm, was a mystery aboard a train, much like THE LADY VANISHES and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Dick Powell is a detective in 1861, attempting to thwart a would-be assassination of president-elect Lincoln.

My final movie was that old Joan Crawford, tear-up-the-scenery classic, MILDRED PIERCE. Co-star Ann Blythe, looking very young, discussed her experience beforehand.

This bright Sunday morning we are off to CINERAMA HOLIDAY and IT’S A MAD, MAD (etc.) WORLD–both at the CINERAMA Dome. Later, it’s a live orchestra playing along with Keaton’s THE GENERAL.

Going out with a flourish here on the Festival’s final day.

Some guys enjoy an early morning round of golf. Me, I prefer a swim. Namely, Burt Lancaster in the unique and remarkable movie aptly named THE SWIMMER. This “allegorical picture”, as it was described by Roger Ebert, is one that will stay with me for a long time. Set in the 1960s, upper class, materialistic and snobbish, outlying suburbs of Connecticut, the atmosphere will be very familiar to any Mad Men fans. The 9 am screening truly afterwards as though I had dived right into the deep end.

Next up, leaving on Track 2—er, the Egyptian Theater—was a terrific film noir set within the small confines of a train, THE NARROW MARGIN. Co-star Jacqueline White charmed the audience with her recollections of this low-budget, three-week shoot, including how impressed with it RKO Studio head Howard Hughes was. Great dialog like Marie Windsor’s, “There’s another train… The gravy train!”

I skipped the next block of films entirely to indulge in some food and sun. But I was up and around for the early evening’s IT, starring an amazingly contemporary Clara Bow, and a live orchestra performing a newly-composed score.

Capping off the day was yet another unique experience: HONDO, with John Wayne, in 3-D. This Western was part of the very short-lived, 1953 fad. But the effects were, with a couple of exceptions (such as an arrow shot right into the audience) downplayed, the main focus being on the story–particularly Wayne’s relationship with Geraldine Page.

And so today brings more Gunfight at the OK Corral moments. Which movies win out? Most likely we begin with DELIVERANCE and an appearance with the cast and director. Then a choice between GIANT, THE BIG PARADE or THE TRAIN. Followed by SHANE, or THE LADY EVE, or TALL TARGET? Later it’s a choice between FLYING DOWN TO RIO, MILDRED PIERCE, LE MANS, or AIRPLANE.

Time for a coin flip or two…