THE TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL: SNAPSHOTS FROM OPENING NIGHT AND OTHER DELIGHTFUL TIMES

UPDATED 4/25/10 11:52 p.m. New pics from day four of the festival have been added below!

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The following are some pictorial highlights of my adventures at the TCM Classic Film Festival, which began Thursday evening and wwraps up this evening with the North American premiere of the restored Metropolis. Since Thursday night I've seen 12 films, eight cartoons, met people from Alaska, Georgia, Texas, Missouri, and even some Los Angelenos, and have had close to the time of my life. All the details will be saved for my full reportage at The House Next Door coming later this week, but I couldn't resist sharing some of the shots I've taken before then. My apologies for the less-than-stellar quality of my el cheapo digital camera, but despite its shortcomings, I have included some photos which still convey the excitement I have felt with regularity during my immersion in Hollywood this weekend even through their obvious flaws. More to come! Stay tuned!




The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, home of Club TCM and festival headquarters.




Expecting a storm that never came, the Grauman's Chinese gets the raincoat treatment for the opening night premiere of A Star is Born.






Inside Club TCM. There was an open bar on Thursday night!






Poolside at the Roosevelt Thursday night, anticipating Esther and Betty.




Esther Williams arrives!




Betty Garrett arrives!




The Aqualillies perform in the presence of Esther Williams.






The evening's royalty take their leave.




The Mann's Chinese houses 1 and 3 were central screening rooms for the festival.




So was the Egyptian Theater.




Inside the Egyptian Friday afternoon with Imitation of Life's Juanita Moore...




...and Susan Kohner.




New friends Miles and Jo from Fort Worth, Texas settle in on Friday night for No Orchids for Miss Blandish.




A lobby display of posters for Friday's midnight offering, a beautiful restored Cinemascope print of The Day of the Triffids.




Robert Osborne grills Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau before Saturday afternoon's sold-out screening of North by Northwest at the Grauman's Chinese.




Back at the mic, Robert Osborne sits down for a lively talk with the genuinely inspiring and engaging Eli Wallach before Sunday morning's screening of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.




I was this close to Tuco!




A festival panel on Hollywood remakes moderated by Pete Hammond (far left), with guest panelists (L to R) writer-director Charles Shyer, writer-director John Carpenter and USC Film School's Dr. Rick Jewell.




I spent almost two hours in line in front of the Chinese before the special closing-night screening in the company of the lovely and charming Nancy Shepherd (right), in from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, and her granddaughter, Katie Austin (left), a San Diego State University student majoring in film with an emphasis on critical studies and theory. Nancy bought Katie a TCM festival pass (and one for herself, of course) for Christmas, and the two of them were wonderful company as we whiled away the time waiting for the restored Metropolis, which was truly mind-boggling, especially as accompanied by the live score by the Alloy Orchestra. Thanks, Katie and Nancy, for making the last night of the festival an even more special one for me!




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