At the Movies -- Day One

 

The TCM Classic Film Festival is all about our shared love of movies, preserving them and seeing them on the big screen. And so these posts are going to be devoted to the movies. 

Thursday was a half day, starting in the evening. I had my choice of six movies to start, and I decided on The Jewel Robbery, a seldom-seen 1932 heist film starring William Powell. I took my sweet time getting my ticket. My Festival pass guaranteed me pre-paid entry, but I had to get my "queue card" to get a seat. This was being held in the tiniest theater (just 177 seats) and since I was too busy wandering around the area where the TCL theaters are, I missed getting in.

Snapped this myself Thursday @ the mall

So instead I went with Judy. Garland, of course. 2022 is her centennial and it seemed fitting to celebrate her. I'd never seen The Harvey Girls (1946) but I know one of the songs, "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe."

It was being held at one of the bigger theaters (448 seats) so it was easier to get in. It was the first time this week I heard my name called from across a crowded theater. It was Will, the moderator of our local Chicago movie group, and his old friend, Guy. Will and Guy were good friends in the long-ago 1980s, and though they live in different cities (Guy is based out of Philadelphia) the TCM Film Festival is their chance to reconnect. Because these old buds haven't seen each other for 3 years, I didn't expect them to invite me to sit with them. "C'mon!" Will called, retracting the stanchion belt to let me in, "Cuts!"

A film historian (sorry, I can't recall her name) introduced the film and put it in context for us. Filming took five months instead of the scheduled three, and much of the overages had to do with Garland not showing up for work, lending to her reputation for being "difficult." What's forgotten now is the amount of pressure "JG" (as she was known at MGM) was under. As this movie was being made, Judy was finalizing her divorce from David Rose, got pregnant with Liza, planned her wedding to Vincente Minnelli, and she twisted her ankle in a scene where she slides down a hill. In addition to filming the movie she was recording the soundtrack album. She was stressed and tired. It's amazing none of this showed in her almost relentlessly upbeat performance.

Then I was off to Lover Come Back (1961). Will and Guy wanted to see the Preston Sturges film on another screen (I know how Will loves Sturges), but not me. I was in the mood for a rom-com set in the advertising world. Like Garland, Doris Day was born in 1922, so I wanted to observe her 100th bday. Also, I find Rock Hudson completely charming.

Alicia Malone, one of TCM's on-air hosts, introduced the film with a Doris Day trivia contest. It was fun, of course, and reminded me I was surrounded by fellow movie nerds.

I was back in the room around midnight. Considering I was still on Chicago time, I was tired. Happy, but tired.

Feeling Welcome

The signs up and down Hollywood Blvd. made us TCM Film Festival-goers feel like we were the main event.

Because of covid, there was no festival in 2020 or 2021, so it was great to back together again. Members of my movie group -- Will, Betty and Karen -- were there. I also ran into people I met in 2019 and have kept up with on Facebook. So even though I was traveling alone, I ran into friendly faces everywhere I turned. It was a wonderful feeling.

I felt rather beat up emotionally when I got on the plane. Henry and Reg have hit a very rough patch, and I don't know anything down there in Key West will get better while they refuse to help themselves. Work has been quite confusing and tense. I had a tooth pulled, and I was worried about the antibiotics and their impact on my gut (turns out I should have, but more on that later). 

So being in Hollywood, first seeing Aaron and then hearing, "Hey, Gal!" throughout the hotel or whenever I was in line for a movie was a balm to my soul.