The 20th Anniversary of 9/11

It was twenty years ago today, on the morning of September 11 2001,  that the terrorist organization al-Quaeda launched four attacks against the United States of America. It began at 8:46 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time when a plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Centre. It was at 9:03 AM that another plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Centre. At 9:37 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time a plane hit the west side of the Pentagon. A fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was due to hit a location in Washington, D.C. Having learned of what had happened to the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, several heroic passengers attempted to seize control of the pane from the cowards who had hijacked it. In the ensuing struggle, the plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

I would like to take this time to remember those who died at the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and on Flight 93 twenty years ago today.

The Late Great Michael Constantine

Michael Constantine, who starred on the classic television sitcom Room 222 and appeared in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), died on August 31 2021 at the age of 94.

Michael Constantine was born Gus Efstratiou on May 22 1927 in Reading, Pennsylvania. His parents were both immigrants from Greece. He graduated from Reading High School and for a time he was the manager of a local grocery store's dairy department. It was a friend who had left for New York City in order to become an actress that convinced him to pursue a career in acting.

Michael Constantine studied acting with actor Howard Da Silva. He made his debut on Broadway as a replacement in Inherit the Wind. Later in the Fifties he appeared in the plays Compulsion and The Miracle Worker. In the Sixties he appeared on Broadway in The Egg and Arturo Ui.

Michael Constantine made his debut on television in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1958. In 1959 he guest starred on the shows Brenner, The Catholic Hour, The Big Story, and Deadline. In 1960 he guest starred on The Play of the Week. In the Sixties he was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Hey, Landlord, on which he played photographer Jack Ellenhorn. It was in 1969 that he began a five year stint as Principal Seymour Kaufman on Room 222. He made several guest appearances on The Untouchables, playing a different character each time. He also guest starred on the shows The Asphalt Jungle, Cain's Hundred, The New Breed, The Detectives, Target: The Corruptors, The Defenders, Naked City, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Sam Benedict, The Beachcomber, The Lloyd Bridges Show, The Dakotas, Vacation Playhouse, Channing, The Eleventh Hour, The Greatest Show on Earth, 77 Sunset Strip, Arrest and Trial, The Richard Boone Show, The Twilight Zone, The Great Adventure, The Rogues, Slattery's People, The Outer Limits, Profiles in Courage, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Trials of O'Brien, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, Hogan's Heroes, The Double Life of Henry Phyfe, My Favorite Martian, Run for Your Life, The Dick Van Dyke Show, 12 O' Clock High, The Jean Arthur Show, I Spy, T.H.E. Cat, The Road West, Combat!, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Fugitive, Dundee and the Culhane, Iron Horse, Ironside, The Invaders, The Flying Nun, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Hour, The Good Guys, Mission: Impossible, The Virginian, and The Name of the Game.

In the Seventies he continued to star on Room 222. He played the lead on the short-lived sitcom Sirota's Court. He played The Sorcerer in several episodes of the "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl" segment of The Krofft Supershow. He guest starred on the television shows The Odd Couple; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Love, American Show; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors; The Streets of San Francisco; Kojak; The Manhunter; Police Woman, MacMillan & Wife; Ellery Queen; and Fantasy Island. He appeared in the mini-series Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue and Roots: The Next Generation, as well as several TV movies.

In the Eighties Michael Constantine guest starred on the shows Vega$; Trapper John, M.D.; Palmerstown, U.S.A.; Darkroom; American Playhouse; Lou Grant; It Takes Two; Benson; Quincy, M.E.; The Powers of Matthew Star; Amanda's; The Fall Guy; Matt Houston; The Love Boat; Hotel; Mike Hammer; Mama's Family; Masquerade; Finder of Lost Loves; Airwolf; Highway to Heaven; The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible; Remington Steele; Blacke's Magic; Crazy Like a Fox; Magnum, P.I.; MacGyver; The Law and Harry McGraw; Simon & Simon; Probe; Friday the 13th: The Series; Murder, She Wrote; Hunter; Snoops; Free Spirit; Island Son; and Midnight Caller.

In the Nineties Mr. Constantine guest starred on the shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, The Cosby Mysteries, New York News, and Cosby. In the Naughts he reprised his role as Gus from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding in the short-lived sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life. He guest starred on the shows Judging Amy, In-Laws, and Cold Case.

Michael Constantine made his film debut in The Last Mile in 1959. In the Sixties he appeared in the movies The Hustler (1961), Island of Love (1963), Lonnie (1963), Quick, Before It Melts (1964), Beau Geste (1966), Hawaii (1966), In Enemy Country (1968), Skidoo (1968), If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), Justine (1969), Don't Drink the Water (1969), and The Reivers (1969).

In the Seventies he appeared in the movies Peeper (1975), Voyage of the Damned (1976), and The North Avenue Irregulars (1979). In the Eighties Michael Constantine appeared in the movies Forty Days of Musa Dagh (1982), Pray for Death (1985), In the Mood (1987), Prancer (1989), and By a Thread (1990). From the Nineties into the Teens he appeared in the movies Deadfall (1993), My Life (1993), The Juror (1996), Thinner (1996), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016).

Michael Constantine was a remarkable actor. He excelled as Seymour Kaufman, the principal with the dry wit, on Room 222. He even won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy for the role. Of course, he will also be remembered as the Windex wielding father of the bride, Gus, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Over the years he played many different roles, all of them well. While he was only on screen briefly in The Hustler, he remains memorable as Big John. He was also memorable as U.S. Army veteran Jack Harmon in If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium. And while the characters for which Michael Constantine is best known tend to rather pleasant, he could play villains. In The Untouchables episode "The King of Champagne," he played Edmund Wald, a bottle manufacturer who decides to start illegally making champagne (keep in mind The Untouchables was set during Prohibition). Of course, he also did a turn as campy villain The Sorcerer on "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl." Michael Constantine was capable of very nuanced performances. In the Twilight Zone episode "I Am the Night--Colour Me Black," Michael Constantine played a sheriff who was conflicted about a man who is about to be executed. Michael Constantine was a truly great actor who gave many good performances throughout his life.

Why Is TCM Showing Noir Alley So Late on Saturday Night?

Ever since it first began airing on Turner Classic Movies, I have been a huge fan of Noir Alley, the programming block dedicated to film noir. While Noir Alley originally only aired at 9:00 AM Central on Sunday, they eventually began showing it at 11:00 PM Central on Saturday as well. Given I am not a morning person, I have preferred watching Noir Alley on Saturday night ever since TCM started doing so. Indeed, I am usually just waking up at 9:00 AM on any given day of the week!

Unfortunately, of late TCM has been showing Noir Alley later than 11:00 Central on Saturday night. Three out of the four airings of Noir Alley in July did not begin until 11:30 PM Central. Last week, once again, Noir Alley did not air until 11:30 PM on Saturday. This week is even worse. Noir Alley won't air until 12:00 Midnight Central. While I am willing to stay up late those times when TCM shows Noir Alley at 11:30 PM on Saturday, 12:00 Midnight is a bit late even for me. My choices seem to be either to DVR it or get up early Sunday morning to watch it.

I know for a fact that I am not the only person who doesn't like it when Noir Alley airs later than 11:00 PM on Saturday, as I have seen others complain about it on Twitter as well. And, going by the number of TCMParty participants on Twitter, I think they might well have more viewers for the Saturday night showing of Noir Alley than they do the Sunday morning showing. The TCMParties for Noir Alley are always bigger on Saturday night than they are on Sunday morning, sometimes much bigger. I would think that TCM would then want to take advantage of the huge audience for noir on Saturday night and air Noir Alley consistently at 11:00 PM Central.

Of course, as displeased as I am with TCM airing Noir Alley late on Saturday night, I know much of why they have been doing so. Quite simply it is the fact that TCM has been showing two movies over 120 minutes regularly on Saturday night. For instance, this Saturday they are showing To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) followed by The Hustler (1961). Because both films clock in at over two hours, that pushes Noir Alley back to a much later time slot. While I love both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hustler (To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite movies of all time), I would much prefer TCM only showed one of the two movies on Saturday night and followed it with a shorter movie so that Noir Alley begins on time. If TCM wants to show two big movies back to back, they can always do so on another night of the week when there is no regularly scheduled, late night programming that will be disrupted.

Anyway, I hate complaining about TCM and I often think we should be thankful that we have it at all. That having been said, airing Noir Alley late seems to have become a regular occurrence of late and it is starting to grate on my nerves. When Noir Alley only aired on Sunday morning, I sometimes missed it because I overslept. It would be much easier if I could simply tune in at 11:00 on Saturday night and watch it before I go to bed as I usually do.

Rob Roy (1995)

When it comes to Scottish folk heroes, only a few are better known than Rob Roy McGregor, most often referred to only as "Rob Roy." A cattleman by trade, he borrowed a good deal of money to enlarge his herd. Unfortunately, his chief herdsman disappeared, which led Rob Roy to default on his loan. This led to him being labelled an outlaw. It was after  James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose seized Rob Roy's property that Rob Roy began a feud against the Duke. Another version of the story is that Rob Roy's property was seized following the Jacobite Uprising of 1715 and that the Duke of Montrose bought the property in 1720 from the Commissioners of Enquiry. Either way, Rob Roy continued his feud against the Duke of Montrose  until 1722. In doing so he would attain fame that lasts to this day. Indeed, it was in 1723 that The Highland Rogue, a fictionalized story about Rob Roy was published. Sir Walter Scott's 1817 work Rob Roy would only add to his fame.

Since then there have been several works about Rob Roy, of which the 1995 movie Rob Roy might be the most famous. With regards to film, there were two adaptations before the 1995 film. Rob Roy (1922) was released in the silent era. Walt Disney also made a film based on Rob Roy's story, Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953). Rob Roy (1995) was very loosely based on the novel Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott and it did depart from history a good deal as well.

While Rob Roy (1995) wasn't particularly faithful to Sir Walter Scott's book or Rob Roy's actual life, it was shot in actual locations in Scotland. Among the locations were Glen Coe, Glen Tarbert, Drummond Castle, Crichton Castle, Rannoch Moor, and many others. Some of the locations in the Highlands could only be accessed by helicopter.

If the locations in Rob Roy were all genuinely Scottish, it must be pointed out that its leading man wasn't. Playing Rob Roy was Liam Neeson, who was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. While Liam Neeson is Irish, he did do a fine job of speaking with a Scottish accent in Rob Roy. His usual County Antrim accent isn't to be heard. Rob Roy wasn't the first movie based on folkore in which Liam Neeson had starred. One of his earliest roles was Sir Gawain in Excalibur (1981).

Rob Roy (1995) may have been unfaithful to Sir Walter Scott's work. It may have departed from history a good deal. Its leading man wasn't even Scottish. That having been said, it did receive largely positive reviews upon its release on April 7 1995. Roger Ebert described it as "...a splendid, rousing historical adventure..." The critic at Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+. What is more, Rob Roy has its fans to this day. Some of us even consider far superior to another 1995 Scottish film that just happened to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

While Roy Roy does depart from history, it features some great performances by Liam Neeson, Sir John Hurt, and Tim Roth. What is more, the script goes far more in depth on the characters than many historical adventure movies have before it. The sword fight at the climax ranks among the best ever made, easily matching those in Scaramouche (1952) and Ladyhawke (1985). Rob Roy isn't particularly well remembered today, but it really should be.

The Late Great Ed Asner

Many actors are called legends, but in the case of Ed Asner calling him a legend may well be an understatement. He played Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and then for several more years on the drama Lou Grant. He made many guest appearances on television. He appeared in several movies and on Broadway. On top of this, he provided voices for both animated TV shows and animated movies. Ed Asner was nothing if not prolific and, what is more, he never retired. Sadly, Ed Asner died on Sunday, August 29 2021, at the age of 91.

Ed Asner was born on November 15 1929 in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up just across the border in Kansas City, Kansas. He developed an interest in acting when he was still a boy and took part in his school's radio program. After graduating from Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas, he attended the University of Chicago. He dropped out after one year and afterwards worked at a variety of jobs, including stints as a taxi cab driver, an encyclopaedia salesman, a worker in an auto plant, and so on. All the while he was working towards becoming a professional actor.

In 1951 he was drafted into the United States Army and he was stationed in France. His service ended in 1953, after which he went back to Chicago. There he worked with the Playwrights Theatre Company, which would give rise to the Compass Players, which itself would give rise to Second City. He then moved to New York City where he found work both in television and on stage. He made his debut on Broadway as a replacement in Threepenny Opera in 1956. He made his television debut in 1957 in an episode of Studio One.

In the Fifties Ed Asner guest starred on such shows as Studio One, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Decoy, Kraft Television Theatre, Omnibus, and Play of the Week. In the Sixties he made multiple guest appearances on Route 66. He guest starred three times as Frank Radcliff on Slattery's People. He also guest starred on the shows Naked City, Target: The Corruptors, Outlaws, Cain's Hundred, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Sam Benedict, Alcoa Premiere, The Untouchables, The Eleventh Hour, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Virginian, Dr. Kildare, Stony Burke, Breaking Point, The Nurses, Ben Casey, The Lieutenant, The Outer Limit, The Richard Boone Show, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Defenders, The Reporter, The Farmer's Daughter, Mr. Novak, Profile's in Courage, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Amos Burke Secret Agent, A Man Called Shenandoah, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, The Rat Patrol, Run for Your Life, Gunsmoke, The Felony Squad, The Fugitive, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Iron Horse, The Wild Wild West, The Invaders, Mission: Impossible, Judd for the Defense, The F.B..I., Ironside, Medical Center, The Name of the Game, Here Come the Brides, and CBS Playhouse.

It was in 1971 that Ed Asner began playing WJM-TV producer Lou Grant on the classic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He won three Emmy Awards for the role on the show. When The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended, Lou Grant was spun off into his own show, Lou Grant, on which he had moved back to San Francisco to work as an editor on the newspaper The San Francisco Call-Bulletin. While The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a sitcom, Lou Grant was a drama that often dealt with important issues. He won two more Emmy Awards for playing Lou Grant on the show. In the Seventies Ed Asner also appeared on the mini-series Rich Man Poor Man (for which he won another Emmy) and Roots (for which he won yet another Emmy). He also guest starred on the shows The Mod Squad, Cade's County, Rhoda (playing Lou Grant), The Wide World of Mystery, Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, Insight, and Great Performances.

In the Eighties Ed Asner continued playing Lou Grant on the show of the same name. He starred on the shows Off the Rack and The Bronx Zoo. He guest starred on the shows The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible, Tall Tales & Legends, Highway to Heaven, American Playhouse, The Disney Sunday Movie, and D.C. Follies. He appeared in the mini-series Tender is the Night. In the Nineties Mr. Asner was a regular on The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Hearts Afire, Thunder Alley, and The Closer. He was a voice regular on the animated shows Fish Police, Batman: The Animated Series, Captain Planet & The Planeteers, Gargoyles, Freakazoid!, Spider-Man, Zorro, and Max Steel. He was a guest voice on Dinosaurs. He guest starred on the shows Higher Education, Roseanne (once more playing Lou Grant), Mad About You, Dead Man's Gun, Life with Louie, Soul Man, Ask Harriet, Hercules, Maggie Winters, The X-Files, Touched by an Angel, and Arli$$.

In the Naughts he was a regular on Center of the Universe, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Line. He was a recurring voice on the animated series Spider-Man. He guest starred on the shows Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Ellen Show, ER, The Practice, The Dead Zone, Star-ving, CSI: NY, and The Sarah Silverman Program. He guest starred on the animated shows King of the Hill, Grim & Evil, Duck Dodgers, Justice League Unlimited, W.I.T.C.H., The Spectacular Spider-Man, and WordGirl.

In the Teens Ed Asner had recurring roles on the shows Working Class, Michael: Every Day, Forgive Me, Dead to Me, and Kobra Kai. He appeared on the animated shows Young Justice, The Boondocks and American Dad!. He guest starred on Royal Pains, The Middle, Hot in Cleveland, Hawaii Five-0, Regular Show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Maron, The Glades, The Crazy Ones, Men at Work, Mom, Chasing Life, The Good Wife, Criminal Minds, Murdoch Minds, Bennie's, Bones, Heaven's Waiting Room, MacGyver, The 5th Quarter, Modern Family, Briarpatch, Cobra Kai, Central Park, and Grace and Frankie. In the Twenties he is set to reprise the voice of Carl from Up on the animated series Dug Days. He will appear in a guest appearance on the show The Premise.

Ed Asnser made his Broadway debut as a replacement in Threepenny Opera in 1956. He appeared on Broadway in 1960 in Face of a Hero. He appeared again on Broadway in 1989 in Born Yesterday. In 2012 he appeared on Broadway in Grace.

Ed Asner made his film debut in the Elvis Presley movie Kid Galahad in 1962. In the Sixties he appeared in the films The Satan Bug (1965), The Slender Thread  (1965), The Venetian Affair (1966), El Dorado (1966), Gunn (1967), Change of Habit (1969), Halls of Anger (1970), They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), and  Do Not Throw Cushions into the Ring (1970). In the Seventies he appeared in the films Skin Game (1971), The Todd Killings (1971), The Wrestler (1974), and Gus (1977).

In the Eighties Mr. Asner appeared in the movies Fort Apache the Bronx (1981), O'Hara's Wife (1982), Daniel (1983), The Christmas Star (1986), and Westward to China (1989). He provided voices for the animated films Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987) and Happily Ever After (1989). In the Nineties he appeared in the films JFK (1991), Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1995), Academy Boyz (1997), The Fanatics (1997), Basil (1997), Hard Rain (1998), Love and Action in Chicago (1999), The Bachelor (1999), Above Suspicion (2000), and Bring Him Home (2000).

In the Naughts Ed Asner played two of his best known roles,. He was Santa Claus in Elf (2003) and provided the voice of Carl Fredrickson in Up (2009). He appeared in the films The Animal (2001), Island Prey (2001), Donzi: The Legend (2001), Missing Brendan (2003), The Commission (2003), Happily Even After (2004), Crab Orchard (2005), All In (2005), Ways of the Flesh (2006), Hard Four (2007), Gigantic (2008), Christmas Cottage (2008), Channels (2008), and  Not Another B Movie (2010). He was the narrator for The Triumphs of William Henry Harrison (2009).

In the Teens Ed Asner appeared in the films Hopelessly in June (2011), Absolute Killers (2011), Let Go (2011), Identical (2011), Should've Been Romeo (2012), Foodfight! (2012), Elephant Sighs (2012), Audrey (2014), The Games Maker (2014), Citizens United (2015), Love Meet Hope (2016), Stars in Shorts: No Ordinary Love (2016), Boonville Redemption (2016), Joe's War (2017), In Vino (2017), Yamasong: March of the Hollows (2017), The Gliksmans (2017), Saving Christmas (2017), Santa Stole Our Dog: A Merry Doggone Christmas! (2017), Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting (2018), The Parting Glass (2018), Angels on Tap (2018), Honor Among Men (2018), Barking Mad (2018), The Garden Left Behind (2019), Faith, Hope & Love (2019), M.O.M.: Mother of All Monsters (2019), Rain Beau's End (2020), and Senior Entourage (2021). He provided voices for the movies Frozen in Time (2014) and CarGo (2017). There are about three yet to be released films featuring Ed Asner that have either been completed or are in post production.

Ed Asner was the President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981 to 1985. He was also a member of several non-profit organizations, including the Survivor Mitzvah Project, the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund, and Defenders of Wildlife, among others.

Ed Asner worked as an actor for around seventy years and he was nothing if not prolific. Of course, the very reason that Mr. Asner could be so prolific is that he was also very good. There can be no doubt that he will always be remembered as Lou Grant from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant. It was his talent that turned Lou Grant into one of the most memorable characters on American television. He played many other roles throughout his career, some of which were very different from Lou Grant. He was the villain in the John Wayne Western El Dorado, wealthy landowner Bart Jason. It was a role about as far from Mr. Grant as one could get. He excelled as Captain Davies, the slave ship commander who was tormented by his conscience, in the mini-series Roots. On Hawaii Five-O (and its reboot, Hawaii Five-0), he played the smuggler August March. Among his best roles was Carl Fredrickson in Up. He took a role that could have simply been played as a grumpy old man and gave Carl pathos. It was one of the best performances ever given by a voice actor.

On Pixar's social media accounts, the studio said of Ed Asner that he was "...our real life Carl Fredrickson: a veneer of a grouch over an incredibly kind and loving human being." His castmates and others who had met him throughout his life echoed Pixar's sentiments, not only recognizing him as an acting legend but a very kind man. I have friends who had the opportunity to meet Ed Asner and all of them echo those same sentiments. Ed Asner was a kind, thoughtful man with a great heart and a great sense of humour. Indeed, one of my friends told how when SAG had an open house in the Eighties, Ed Asner as the union's president stood at the door and welcomed every single guest. Ed Asner was a truly great actor and a fine gentleman as well.

The 10th Anniversary of #TCMParty

Today is the 10th anniversary of TCMParty. For those of you who are wondering what TCMParty is, it is a collective live tweet of movies on Turner Classic Movies using the hashtag #TCMParty. "TCMParty" is also used of the group of TCM fans who tweet using that hashtag. In the beginning TCMParties were scheduled and had hosts who tweet trivia about the specific movie then airing. Essentially, they curated the live tweet. While there are still scheduled TCMParties with hosts, over time TCMParty has evolved to where it takes place 24 hours a day and often without a host. Since that very first TCMParty on September 3 2011, TCMParty has become an established part of Turner Classic Movies fandom. TCM has announced TCMParties on their official Twitter account and TCM hosts have served as hosts of TCMParties. On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of TCMParty, Turner Classic Movies celebrated along with the rest of us. Today TCM released a video recognizing the 10th anniversary.

While TCMParty would become the best known collective live tweet of movies on Turner Classic Movies, it was by no means the first. In June 2011 TCM scheduled classic drive-in movies each Thursday of that month. With a block of giant insect movies airing on June 9 2011, then, a group of TCM fans live tweeted to the films using the hashtag #TCMBugOut. That night fans then live tweeted to Them! (1954), Tarantula (1955), The Cosmic Monsters (1958), The Black Scorpion (1957), and The Wasp Woman (1959). I remember I live tweeted to Them! until my power went out, although I was unaware of the hashtag #TCMBugOut until after the fact.

Of course, the following Thursday Turner Classic Movies aired drive-in movies in other genres, so the hashtag #TCMBugOut was then no longer appropriate. For the following Thursdays, then, the hashtag #TCMDriveIn was used. While #TCMDriveIn ceased being used at the end of June 2011, after which TCM wasn't showing drive-in movies every month, it would give rise to the #DriveInMob, a collective live tweet every Thursday to a classic drive-in movie (not just the ones showed on TCM).

As to TCMParty, it was Kathleen Callaway, who was using the Twitter handle hockmangirl at the time, who came up with the idea. Here it must be noted that Kathleen was unaware of #TCMBugOut and #TCMDriveIn at the time she conceived TCMParty. Anyway, like many TCM fans at the time (including myself), Kathleen would live tweet movies on Turner Classic Movies. She decided live tweeting to movies on TCM would be easier if there was a hashtag with which fans could keep track of all the tweets. It was then Kathleen Callway who was the first TCMParty host, choosing a specific movie from the schedule and then letting everyone know that there would be a TCM Party for that particular film. It was then on September 3 2011 that the first TCMParty was held to the classic Casablanca (1942).

In October 2011 the name most associated with TCMParty joined as a host: Paula Guthat. Paula's impact on TCMParty would be such that she is usually counted as its co-founder. It was after Paula began hosting that it was decided that TCMParty should have its own Twitter account. Since tcmparty was already taken, it was then decided to use the handle TCM_Party. Not long afterwards Tumblr and Facebook pages were created for TCMParty as well.

TCMParty would see changes in its hosts over time. Kathleen Callway left in March 2012 to concentrate on her handicrafts and animal rescue. Paula had convinced silent movie Trevor Jost to guest host the F. W. Murnau movie Sunrise (1927). With Kathleen's departure, Trevor then became TCMParty's newest host. It would be later that Joel Williams, the name most associated with TCMParty besides Paula Guthat, would become a host. Of course, there have been a number of guest hosts over the years. Illeana Douglas guest hosted on Friday nights in May 2013 when she was hosting the TCM programming block Second Looks. Other TCM hosts have also guest hosted movies on TCMParty, including Eddie Muller and Professor Jacqueline Stewart. Beyond TCM hosts, there have also been TCMParties hosted by various film historians and journalists. I have been a guest host several times and I seem to be the default host any time TCM shows A Hard Day's Night (1964) or British New Wave films.

To this day there are still movies chosen from the Turner Classic Movies schedule for "official" TCMParties. These scheduled live tweets are usually hosted by one of the TCMParty hosts (Paula or Joel) or a guest host. Eventually TCMParty would evolve to where informal TCMParties are going on 24 hours a day. Sometimes during these informal TCMParties someone will act as a host, live tweeting trivia, but more often than not there is no host at all.

Fortunately, TCMParty has had very little trouble with trolls over the past ten years. This is fortunate as there is very little TCMPartiers can do to stop trolls from using the hashtag beyond reporting their tweets and blocking them. For a time we did have a problem with spammers using the hashtag. In the summer of 2012 a bunch of porn sites began misusing #TCMParty. A bunch of us spent the best of two days reporting them until it stopped. In 2012 there was a stranger sort of spam whereby fake accounts would steal tweets and tweet them. Many of these tweets were from TCMParty. While none of us could figure out what their end game was, we reported them nonetheless. Fortunately, that stopped after a time as well. Since then Twitter has improved its security so that bots and spammers usually don't last long. Except for the rare porn site misusing the hashtag, we haven't had many problems since.

Over the years we have had celebrities who have taken part in TCMParties. Not only have TCM hosts guest hosted TCMParties, but they have also been participants. I cannot say who the first celebrity was who took part in TCMParty, but I know two of our original members were celebrities. Legendary songbird Monica Lewis live tweeted along with TCMParty nearly from the beginning until her death at the age of 93 in 2015. Vanessa Marquez, best known for playing Ana Delgado in the classic movie Stand and Deliver (1988) and Nurse Wendy Goldman on the hit TV show ER, was another original TCMParty member. She was so beloved by TCMPartiers that Paula Guthat referred to her as "the Sweetheart of TCMParty." Illeana Douglas has taken part even when she wasn't hosting. Stephen Bogart, the son of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, has also taken part in TCMParties.The legendary Mitzi Gaynor has taken part in TCMParty from time to time as well.

Sadly, in the past ten years there have been TCMPartiers who have died. I am not absolutely certain, but I believe Monica Lewis was the first. She died on June 12 2015 at the age of 93. She had only been tweeting to #TCMParty three days before she died. Vanessa Marquez's death was well publicized beyond TCMParty and I really do not want to go into it here. Suffice it to say that the Sweetheart of TCMParty was greatly mourned by its members and she is still missed to this day. Also still missed is Andrea Rosen, who died in March 2019. She had attended multiple TCM Classic Film Festivals and was a regular at the TCM Parties for Noir Alley. Greg McCambley was associated not just with the hashtag #TCMParty, but the hashtags #Bond_Age and  #BMovieManiacs, and  live tweets associated with classic TV shows from Columbo to Kolchak: The Night Stalker. He died of COVID-19 on March 27 2021. Richard C. Rosen, the widower of Andrea Rosen, died on April 12 2021. Like Andrea, he regularly attended the TCM Classic Film Festival and was well loved by his fellow TCM fans. I know that there have to have been other TCMParty members who have died in the past ten years and I must apologize for not mentioning them. TCMParty has grown to the point that it is hard to keep track of everyone who has participated in it. I will raise a glass in memory of all those who have participated in TCMParty and have passed on.

As I said earlier, I have been a participant in TCMParty since its early days. While I had been aware of #TCMParty for quite some time, it was not until around 7:10 PM on December 15 2011 that I would make my first tweet using the hashtag: "I'm watching The Bishop's Wife right now. I suspect most women would gladly have an angel like Cary Grant around. LOL. #TCMParty." I didn't tweet much during The Bishop's Wife that night, but the TCMParty for The Thin Man movies on December 22 2011 would be a different matter. I had a bit of a baptism in fire that night as I live tweeted to The Thin Man (1934), After the Thin Man (1936), and Another Thin Man (1939) using the hashtag #TCMParty. My first stint as guest host for a TCMParty came on March 11 2012 when I hosted Bedazzled (1967). Since then I have guest hosted several times. I hosted an entire month of British New Wave movies. I have also hosted A Hard Day's Night multiple times. On September 30 2020 I hosted Stand and Deliver (1988), which was perhaps my most emotional guest host stint of them all. It was a bit overwhelming seeing all the love for my dearest friend. Vanessa Marquez, who played Ana Delgado in the film. Ben Mankiewicz interviewed Edward James Olmos before the movie, but as far as TCMParty was concerned, Vanessa was the star.

Of course, as much as I enjoy being a guest host for TCMParty, I think the real fun is in just participating. There are many TCMParties I remember well. Among my favourite TCMParties took place on May 23 2003 when Turner  Classic Movies aired The Loved One (1965) as part of their Second Looks block. As I mentioned earlier, Illeana Douglas was guest host that night. She tweeted so much she landed in Twitter jail and had to switch to an alternative account to continue. Some of the rest of us landed in Twitter jail for tweeting too much as well. The Loved One is one of my favourite comedies and one that is so wild that it is perfect for live tweeting. I also remember February 1 2014 when TCM showed Oscar nominees from 1939 in honour of that year's 75th anniversary. I live tweeted nearly all day long to such movies as Wuthering Heights, The Wizard of Oz, and Gone With the Wind. Another memorable TCMParty came when I was part of TCM's Fan Favourite series and got to introduce A Hard Day's Night with Ben Mankiewicz on April 11 2015. I always enjoy hosting A Hard Day's Night, but that day was particularly special as I was actually on TCM. Finally, the aforementioned TCMParty for Stand and Deliver may be my all time favourite, for obvious reasons.

TCMParty has a profound impact on my life. I met many of my closest friends, including co-founder Paula Guthat, through TCMParty. In fact, I have so many close friends from TCMParty that I dare not try to list all of them as I fear I might miss someone. It was through TCMParty and live tweeting to the TV show Mad Men that I met Vanessa Marquez. For me she wasn't just Ana Delgado and Nurse Wendy Goldman or even the Sweetheart of #TCMParty. She was my dearest friend and a woman I absolutely adored. When she was murdered, I don't think I would have survived without my friends at TCMParty. They have been there not just through Vanessa's death, but through many other events in my life. I owe each and every one of my TCMParty friends so much. I have to believe that it is also because of TCMParty that I was chosen as one of the Fan Favourite co-hosts, and I honestly believe hits on my blog have gone up because of TCMParty.

I know I am not alone in the impact TCMParty has had on my life. It is through TCMParty that many people have made friends, made contacts, and even found love. TCMParty ceased being a collective live tweet to movies on Turner Classic Movies long ago. It has become a close knit community of TCM fans who support each other through thick and thin. I think I can speak for all TCMParty members when I say that it has made our lives all the more richer.

Turner Classic Movie's New Look

Today Turner Classic Movies unveiled what it is calling "a network rebrand." It includes a new logo for TCM itself, new logos for TCM's programming blocks (including Noir Alley), new sets, and a new tagline. From what I have seen on Twitter and Facebook, reaction to the new look has been mixed. Some fans like everything about the new look. Others like some aspects of the new look, but not others (for instance, they might like the new sets, but not the logo). Yet others hate everything about the new look. For any fans worried that Turner Classic Movies might be changing, I have to point out that the network rebrand is cosmetic. TCM is going to continue as it always has, showing classic movies uncut and commercial free 24 hours a day.

According to a Turner Classic Movies press release, the network rebrand is meant to reflect "... the evolution in the way modern audiences are engaging with classic movies." Pola Changnon, general manager of TCM, said of the network rebrand, "Our new look better reflects the vibrant brand and respected industry authority that TCM has become over the years, with an eye toward the future. Fans can still enjoy the same curated classic film experience, now presented with a bold new energy that reflects today’s audience."

I have to admit that I am one of those people who has mixed feeling about Turner Classic Movies' network rebrand. I love the new tagline, "Where Then Meets Now." I think it perfectly summarizes what TCM is and always has been. It is much superior to "Let's Movie," a tagline I have always disliked (the use of nouns as verbs grates on my nerves).

I also like what I have seen the new sets. While the sets are supposed to be in "a more contemporary direction," from what I have seen they have a bit of a Mid-Century Modern look. For me that is perfect for a channel that shows classic movies. Indeed, they remind me of my childhood.

What I don't like about the network rebrand are the new logos. The new TCM logo isn't too bad, but to me it is inferior to the classic logo. In fact, I don't think it "better reflects the vibrant brand and respected industry authority that TCM has become over the years." What is more, it seems to me to look less contemporary than the classic logo. While I might warm to the new logo (even if I will never love it like I do the old logo), I seriously dislike the new logo for Noir Alley. It is too bright for a programming block devoted to film noir. They really should have either stuck with the classic logo or gone with something darker. Quite simply, they should have gone with something more, well, noir. I do hope they continue to make the classic TCM and Noir Alley logos available on merchandise. I really don't want T-shirts or coffee mugs with the new logos.

TCM also has a new sonic identity, but I have yet to hear it (I haven't watched TCM yet today), so I don't have an opinion on it. I do hope they did a better job with the new sounds than they did the logos!

I do have to say that while I have mixed feelings about the network rebrand,  I will continue to be an avid TCM fan and loyal viewer. Turner Classic Movies is still the best channel out there, even if its logo might be less appealing than some others.