Tim Pigott-Smith Passes On

Tim Piggot-Smith, who appeared in such British series as The Jewel in the Crown and The Chief, died on April 7 2017 at the age of 70.

Tim Piggot-Smith was born on May 13 1946 in Rugby, Warwickshire. He attended Wyggeston Boys' School, Leicester and King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon. It was while he was at Wyggeston Boys’ School, Leicester that he developed an interest in theatre. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Drama at Bristol University. He studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Mr. Pigott-Smith made his television debut in 1971 in an adaptation of Boswell's Life of Johnson.  In the Seventies he guest starred on such television series as The Regiment, North & South, The Glittering Prizes, Doctor Who, Wings, Play for Today, Danger UXB, and ITV Playhouse. He made his film debut in Aces High in 1976. He appeared in the films Joseph Andrews (1977)  and Richard's Things (1980).

In the Eighties he starred in the TV series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, Fame Is the Spur, I Remember Nelson, Struggle, The Jewel in the Crown, and The Chief. He appeared in the films Clash of the Titans (1981), Victory (1981), and A State of Emergency (1986).

In the Nineties Tim Piggot-Smith appeared in the films The Remains of the Day (1993), He continued to star on the TV show The Chief, and guest starred on the series Screen One and Ghosts. He guest starred on Spooks and Midsomer Murders. In the Naughts he starred on the TV series The Vice, North & South, and Holby Blue. He appeared in such films as Laissez-passer (2002), Bloody Sunday (2002), The Four Feathers (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), Johnny English (2003), Alexander (2004), Conflict (2005), V for Vendetta (2005), Flyboys (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

In the Teens he appeared in such TV programmes as The Hour, Downton Abbey, Silent Witness, The Bletchley Circle, 37 Days, and Inspector Lewis. He starred in the TV film Wodehouse in Exile.

Tim Piggot-Smith was an extremely talented and versatile actor. Many audiences might be most familiar with him as Peter Creedy, the sadistic head of the secret police in V for Vendetta. While Mr. Piggot-Smith could play excellent villains, he was also quite capable in other roles. He played author P. G. Wodehouse in Wodehouse in Exile, and Hotspur in a 1979 television adaptation of Henry IV Part I. And while he played the ruthless Ronald Merrick in The Jewel in the Crown, he also played the kindly Mr. Hale in North & South. Tim Piggot-Smith could play a wide array of roles and be convincing in all of them.

Movies I Would Like to See at the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival

I have never attended the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival (often abbreviated as TCMFF), although I have always wanted to. My primary reason for doing so is to meet the many fellow classic movie fans I have made as friends online over the years. That having been said, TCMFF also represents the chance to see classic movies one has never seen on the big screen before. Over the years I have often given thought to what films I would like to see if I ever got to attend the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival. These are six of the many movies I would like to see at the festival. Some of these may well have been shown at the festival already, but I certainly was not there to see them!

Without further ado, here are six films I would like to see at TCMFF.

The Crowd (1928): The Crowd is one of my all time favourite silent movies and, as far as I am concerned, it is King Vidor's masterpiece. The film follows the life of an everyday man, and does so in an extremely naturalistic fashion. Much of the film shot on location on the streets of New York City, and it was very innovative as far as moving camera cinematography goes, among other things. Indeed, it offers a sharp contrast to the sometimes static early Talkies that followed it! It was one of the first 25 movies ever selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", and with good reason.

42nd Street (1933): 42nd Street is both one of my favourite pre-Code movies and one of my favourite musicals. Today the plot might seem somewhat cliched to some, but then it has to be considered this was the movie that invented many of those cliches. What is more, it is done with a pre-Code naughtiness and panache that many of its later imitators lack. Of course, the two big attractions for me with regards to 42nd Street are a great cast (including Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, Una Merkel, Ginger Rogers, and many others) and the incredible choreography of Busby Berkeley.

Out of the Past (1947): Film noir is one of my all time favourite genres. Out of the Past is one of my favourite films noirs of all time, if not my all time favourite. It has all the proper ingredients for a great film noir: a cynical shamus; a femme fatale; a complex storyline; smart, crisp dialogue; and dark cinematography courtesy of Nicholas Musuraca.  It is very nearly a hardboiled novel come to life on the screen (and it was indeed based on a book, Build My Gallows High by James M. Cain). I won't necessarily say it is the greatest film noir of all time, but if it isn't then it comes very close.

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (1957):  I've always been a huge fan of Tony Randall. He was a character actor who could easily play the lead when he was called upon to do so. Of the movies in which he played the lead, this is arguably the best. Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? is one of the funniest movies of the Fifties, right down to its opening credits. It was also in many respects a pioneering film, presaging the satires of the Sixties. The satire of  Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? cuts a wide swathe through Fifties popular culture, including Hollywood, movie fans, advertising, and television.

Help! (1965):  In 2014, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, A Hard Day's Night was shown at the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival. I hoped that in 2015 Help! would then be shown at TCMFF in honour of its 50th anniversary. Sadly, that did not happen. Help! may not have the reputation that A Hard Day's Night does, but it really should. While A Hard Day's Night was a surreal portrayal of The Beatles' trip to London for a television appearance, Help! was a surreal parody of the then popular James Bond films blended with influences from The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup and the classic radio show The Goon Show. And just as A Hard Day's Night would prove influential, so too would Help!. In many respects Help! was a precursor to the camp, pop culture sensibilities of the classic TV show Batman, while  the classic TV show The Monkees actually owes much more to Help! than it does A Hard Day's Night.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974): Every TCMFF has to have some sort of midnight movie, and Phantom of the Paradise is the genuine article. Upon its initial release in 1974 it bombed at the box office. Fortunately it found new life as a midnight movie and eventually developed a cult following. Written by Brian De Palma, the inspiration for Phantom of the Paradise was drawn primarily from Gaston Leroux's novel  Phantom of the Opera and the "Faust" legend, as well as Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The film is essentially a blend of horror, comedy, and rock musical. Although perhaps not as bizarre as some midnight screenings at past Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festivals (certainly not Zardoz...), it is certainly outré enough to satisfy any lover of midnight movies.

Godspeed J. Geils

J. Geils, lead guitarist and leader of the J. Geils Band, died yesterday at the age of 71, apparently of natural causes.

J. Geils was born John Warren Geils Jr. in New York City on February 20 1946. He grew up  in Morris Plains, New Jersey. His father was a devoted jazz fan and from an early age J. Geils was exposed to the works of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman. While he was still a boy, J. Geils's father took him to a Louis Armstrong concert. J. Geils learned the trumpet, learning to play many of Miles Davis's tunes. He was also a fan of such blues guitarists as Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters.

After graduating high school he attended Northeastern University in Boston, where he played the trumpet in the marching band. He later transferred to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he studied mechanical engineering. It was at Worcester that J Geils formed an acoustic blues trio consisting of himself as guitarist,  bassist Danny Klein, and  harmonica player Richard Salwitz (who later adopted the stage name Magic Dick). Initially called Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels, the band would eventually switch to electric guitar and bass. They also recruited two new members, drummer Stephen Bladd and vocalist Peter Wolf. Later that same year they would be joined by keyboardist Seth Justman. Initially they called themselves the J. Geils Blues Band, eventually dropping "Blues" from their name.

It was in 1970 that the J. Geils Band was signed to Atlantic Records. Their self-titled debut album was released in November of that year. Their first single, a cover of The Contours' "First I Look at the Purse", received some FM radio airplay. Their second album, The Morning After, was released in 1971. It contained the song "Cry One More Time", which was later covered by Gram Parsons. Their cover of The Valentinos' ""Looking for a Love" proved to be their first top forty hit in the United States, peaking at no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The J. Geils Band's third album, Bloodshot, would prove to be their breakthrough record. It peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard album chart. It also produced the hit single "Give It to Me", which peaked at no. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their next two albums, Ladies Invited and Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle, peaked at no. 51 and no. 23 respectively, although the latter produced one of the J. Geils Band's greatest hits, "Must of Got Lost", which peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The J. Geils Band's next three albums (Hotline, Monkey Island, and Sanctuary) each did respectively well with Hotline peaking at no. 36 and Sanctuary peaking at no. 49. Their following album would prove to be one of their most memorable, if not absolutely their most memorable album. While Love Stinks was not their highest charting album (it peaked at no. 18), it produced what might be their most memorable song. "Love Stinks" only peaked at no. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100, but has since been used in so many films, TV shows, and commercials that it is probably the J. Geils Band's best known song. The album also produced two other singles that entered the Billboard Hot 100: "Come Back" (which peaked at no. 32) and "Just Can't Wait" (which peaked at no. 78).

The J. Geils Band would reach the peak of their success with the album Freeze Frame. The album went all the way to no. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The single "Centrefold" from the album also went to no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single "Freeze-Frame" peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. A third single, "Angel in Blue", peaked at no. 40. A live album, Showtime, followed Freeze Frame and went to no. 23 on the Billboard album chart. Unfortunately, success was not to last.

Peter Wolf left the band in 1983 over disagreements about the direction the band was taking. Seth Justman then took over lead vocals. The J. Geils Band released one last album, You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd, which peaked at only no. 80 on the Billboard album chart, making it the lowest charting J. Geils Band album since their debut album. The band recorded the song "Fright Night" for the 1985 movie of the same name before breaking up.

Following the break-up of the J. Geils Band, J. Geils devoted himself to auto racing and automobile restoration. He founded KTR Motorsports, a shop for vintage Ferraris, Maseratis, and various other Italian cars. He returned to music in 1992 when he formed Bluestime with Magic Dick. He later released a solo album in 2005. J. Geils also joined various reunions of the J. Geils Band in later years.

I have often thought that J. Geils was one of the most underrated guitarists in rock music. He brought to his playing a variety of influences, including jazz, blues, R&B, reggae, and old time rock 'n' roll. Mr. Geils was comfortable with a number of different musical styles and often incorporated them into his guitar work. What is more, he was incredibly precise in his guitar playing, all the while making it look effortless. J. Geils was something of an introvert, so he never shared the spotlight with Peter Wolf or Seth Justman, but he was as necessary to the band that bore his name as they were. Quite simply, it was J. Geils's guitar work that held the J. Geils Band's music together.

Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival Coverage Across the Blogosphere

If you are like me, then you did not get to attend this year's Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival (TCMFF, for short). Fortunately there was no shortage of coverage of the event. Turner Classic Movies covered much of the festival on the air, and also made a number of posts about it on their various social media accounts. It should come as no surprise that many of the classic film bloggers who attended TCMF posted a good deal about it. Many TCM fans like myself were unable to attend the festival, but fortunately we were able to experience it vicariously through the many blog posts about it!

Below are a list of blog posts on the 2017 Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival. I have no doubt that there will be many more blog posts about it in the coming weeks, so I will updating this list from time to time! If you have a blog post about TCMFF and it isn't listed, by all means get a hold of me via Twitter or email and I will add it. I want to thank everyone who made blog posts about the festival, allowing those of us who could not attend to experience it from afar.

A Classic Movie Blog

"TCM Classic Film Festival 2017: The Carl Reiner and Rob Reiner Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the Chinese Theatre"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2017: The Stars"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2017--The Films Part One: Nitrate and the Newly Restored Egyptian Theatre"

Backlots

"Backlots at the TCM Classic Film Festival 2017"
"TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule Released–How We Pick Movies and Where I’ll Be"
 "TCM Classic Film Festival Day 1: 7 Seconds of Bette Davis in JEZEBEL (1938)"
"Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival Day 2: Watching Old Favorites With a Community"
"Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival Days 3 and 4–The Nitrate Prints: LAURA (1944) and BLACK NARCISSUS (1947)"
"TCM Classic Film Festival Wrap-Up, 2017"

Lady Eve's Reel Life

"The Nitrate Experience, BLACK NARCISSUS at TCMFF 2017"

Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

"The 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review"

Out of the Past

"My Top Picks for the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival"
 "TCM Classic Film Festival 2017: Day 1 Recap Alive and Kicking (2016)"
 "TCM Classic Film Festival 2017: Day 2 Recap"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2017: Day 3 Recap"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2017: Day 4 Recap"
"My Thoughts on the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival"
"Carl and Rob Reiner Hand and Footprint Ceremony #TCMFF"

 Silents and Talkies

"My 2017 TCMFF Schedule"

Speakeasy

"TCM Film Festival 2017- More Canadian Trivia"


Spellbound

"TCMFF 2017 Diary: Pre-Fest Day One"


The Retro Set
 
"TCM Film Fest Special : Line Up with Raquel Stecher"

The Late Great Don Rickles

Don Rickles, the famous insult comic who appeared in such films as  Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) , various entries in the "Beach Party" series, and Kelly's Heroes (1970), died yesterday at the age of 90. The cause was kidney failure.

Don Rickles was born on May 8 1926 in Queens, New York. He grew up in Jackson Heights, New York. During World War II he served in the United States Navy. After he was honourably discharged in 1946, he followed his father into the insurance business. Meeting with little success in the insurance industry, he decided to go into acting. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Finding it difficult to get acting jobs, he took up stand up comedy. He performed in the Catskills and at nightclubs in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. He became an insult comedian as a response to hecklers.

Don Rickles made his television debut as an announcer on an episode of Stage 7 in 1955. He also appeared as an announcer on episodes of Four Star Playhouse and Chevron Hall of Stars. As a comic he appeared on The Eddie Fisher Show. As an actor he appeared in an episode of The Thin Man. He made his film debut in Run Silent, Run Deep in 1958 and then appeared in the films The Rabbit Trap (1959) and The Rat Race (1960).

It was during the Sixties that Don Rickles's career really began to take off. He guest starred on such shows as The Twilight Zone, Wagon Train, Hennessey, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Burke's Law, The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., F Troop, The Wild Wild West, The Lucy Show, I Spy, and Get Smart. He frequently appeared on variety shows and talk shows doing his insult routine, including such shows as The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Joey Bishop Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. During the 1968-1969 season he had his own variety show, The Don Rickles Show.

During the Sixties Don Rickles also had a thriving movie career. He appeared in several entries in the "Beach Party" series, as well as related films, including Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pyjama Party (1964), and Beach Blanket Bingo (1965). He also appeared in the films X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), Enter Laughing (1967), The Money Jungle (1967), Where It's At (1969), and Kelly's Heroes (1970).

In the Seventies Don Rickles had a short-lived sitcom, The Don Rickles Show, that ran during the 1971-1972 season. He saw more success with CPO Sharkey, a service comedy centred around the Naval noncom of the same name, that ran for two seasons from 1976 to 1978. He guest starred on the shows Sanford and Son and Medical Centre. He continued to appear on such talk shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Dinah!, and The Mike Douglas Show.He had a small role in the film The Love Machine (1971) as an announcer.

In the Eighties Don Rickles guest starred on Archie Bunker's Place, Gimme a Break!, George Burns Comedy Week, Newhart, and Tales from the Crypt. He appeared in the film Keaton's Cop (1990).

In the Nineties Don Rickles starred in the short-lived sitcom Daddy Dearest. He guest starred on the shows Hunter, The Larry Sanders Show, The Single Guy, and Murphy Brown. He appeared in the films Innocent Blood (1992), Casino (1995), and Dirty Work (1998). He was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the films Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999). He was also a voice in the film Quest for Camelot (1998).

In the Naughts Don Rickles guest starred on The Bernie Mac Show and The Unit. He reprised the voice of Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story 3 (2010). In the Teens he guest starred on Hot in Cleveland. He was the voice of frog in the film Zookeeper (2011).

I cannot say that I was a huge fan of Don Rickles's routine, but there can be no doubt that it was groundbreaking. There were insult comics before Don Rickles (Jack E. Leonard being the prime example of such), but he was the one that popularised the form. As a comedian he was hugely popular in the Sixties and Seventies, and he remained popular in the Eighties and Nineties and into the 21st Century.

While I was not necessarily a big fan of Don Rickles's comedy routine, I loved him as an actor. Indeed, I cannot think of the "Beach Party" movies without thinking of Don Rickles. In most of the films his characters were called "Big (fill in the blank), whether he was playing a Martian ("Big Bang" in Bikini Beach) or the operator of a skydiving business ("Big Drop" in Beach Blanket Bingo). While one would expect the characters he played to be a bit prickly, he actually played a wide variety of different characters. On Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. he played one of Sgt. Carter's old war buddies, who credited Carter as being a war hero even as Carter credited him. On The Addams Family he played one of a pair of hold-up men who has the misfortune of meeting the Addamses on what is their favourite holiday. In Casino he played Billy Sherbert, a casino manager. During his acting career Don Rickles played everything from con men to a ventriloquist to a vacuum cleaner salesman. And he did all of them fairly well.

Underdog Character Designer Joe Harris Passes On

Joe Harris, who served as the character designer and storyboard artist at television animation studio Total Television (better known simply as TTV), died on March 26 at the age of 89. TTV produced such classic animated series as King Leonardo and His Short Subjects, Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, Underdog, and The Beagles. Wile at advertising agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample Mr. Harris also created Trix cereal's advertising mascot the Trix Rabbit.

Joseph Benjamin Harris III was born on January 5 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey. He served in both the United States Navy and the United States Marines. He attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and after graduation joined Dancer Fitzgerald Sample as an illustrator. He worked on accounts ranging from Bounty paper towels to General Mills cereal.

It was in the late Fifties that Joe Harris created the Trix Rabbit to sell Trix cereal. He not only drew the storyboard for the animated commercial, but also created the cereal's tagline that would last for decades: "Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!" The Trix Rabbit was introduced in television commercials in 1959.

It was also in 1959 that Dancer Fitzgerald Sample employees W. Watts Bigger, Account Supervisor on General Mills and Corn Products/Best Foods accounts, Chet Stover, copy supervisor on the General Mills account, and Joe Harris, who was then supervisor of animation for the General Mills account, were approached by a superior who told them that General Mills wanted to sponsor a television programme for children. The three men, along with Treadwell Covington (who worked at a direct mail agency) then founded Total Television, known simply as TTV for short.

Joe Harris would serve as the character designer, a storyboard artist, and a producer on all of TTV's programmes. TTV entered the production of animated cartoons with King Leonardo and His Short Subjects. Debuting on NBC on October 15 1960, it was only the network's second Saturday morning cartoon (after Hanna-Barbera's The Ruff & Reddy Show). It was followed in 1963 by Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales and then in 1964 by TTV's most successful cartoon Underdog. Underdog proved to be a phenomenal success. It ran for nine seasons on NBC and CBS and went onto a very successful syndication run. In 1965 an Underdog balloon was introduced to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where it was flown annually for literally years. A good deal of Underdog merchandise has been produced to this day, including a lunch box, games, comic books, Little Golden Books, and much more.

TTV's final cartoon would be The Beagles, which was centred around a rock band made up of two anthropomorphic dogs. Sadly, it would prove less successful than TTV's previous efforts. The Beagles lasted for only a single season on Saturday morning, from 1965 to 1966. It was in 1969 that General Mills dropped its sponsorship of TTV. Without the money from General Mills, TTV closed up shop.

After TTV closed down, Joe Harris returned to the advertising industry. Still later he illustrated and wrote the children's book, The Belly Book.

Joe Harris certainly made lasting contributions to American pop culture. The Trix Rabbit is not only still featured prominently on boxes of Trix, but he still appears in commercials to this day. The characters he designed at TTV may have had an even more lasting impact on popular culture. Klondike Kat, Tennessee Tuxedo, Commander McBragg, and, particularly, Underdog would all figure prominently in the childhoods of multiple generations of Americans. To this day Tennessee Tuxedo and Underdog remain two of the most famous characters to emerge from American broadcast network Saturday morning cartoons. As character designer and storyboard artist at TTV, Joe Harris had a good deal to do with their success.

My Picks for the 2017 Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival

It is a sad fact of my life that I have never gotten the chance to attend the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival. What is more, I will not be attending TCMFF this year either. That having been said, I always look forward to it every year. I know that I can see plenty of photos and blog posts from my many TCM fan friends, and Turner Classic Movies always offers a good deal of coverage of the event. Of course, like many fans who are unable to attend I also like to play armchair quarterback and decide what I would go see if I could attend. Here then are my choices of what I would watch if I were attending this years Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival.

Thursday, April 5
12:30 PM At the Chinese Multiplex House 1 Remembering Robert Osborne: As I am sure all of you already know, Robert Osborne died earlier this year. For that reason this year's TCMFF is dedicated to his memory. It is then that they will be celebrating Robert's life at the Festival. I am sure that this is the one event that every single TCM fan will want to attend. Robert Osborne was pivotal to the success of TCM, and important to all of us. This is one of the primary reasons I really wish I could have made it to the festival this year.

7:00 PM Poolside Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: This is one of those instances where it was hard to make a choice. Some Like It Hot is at 6:00 PM, while In the Heat of the Night is at 6:30 PM. That having been said, I have seen Some Like It Hot and In the Heat of the Night on the big screen. I have never seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory any place but on television. An added bonus is that cast members Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt herself), Rusty Goffe (the head Oompa Loompa), and Paris Themmen (Mike Tee Vee himself) will be attendance, as well at the illustrious Illeana Douglas (actress, director, author, and the granddaughter of screen legend Melvyn Douglas).

9:30 at the Egyptian Theatre The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934): I have no idea how far apart the various venues are, so I don't know if I could make it from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to The Man Who Knew Too Much, but I would certainly try! This is one of my favourite Hitchcock films and I much prefer it to the Fifties remake. It is opposite Harold and Maude, but in the end I cannot resist a classic Hitchcock film made while he was still in England!

Friday, April 7
10:30 AM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX Hand and Footprint Ceremony--Carl and Rob Reiner: Okay, I would hate missing The Maltese Falcon and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, but I am a huge fan of Carl Reiner, as well as his son Rob. If I were at TCMFF there is almost no way that I would miss this.

2:00 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Princess Bride: As far as recent films go, The Princess Bride is one of my favourites. What is more, Rob Reiner is going to be in attendance.

7:30 PM Poolside What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?:  What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is the film that introduced to me to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (and for those who are wondering, I am #TeamBette). I have seen it many times over the years, but I have never seen it on the big screen. Sadly, it would mean I would miss Laura and Twentieth Century. A long time ago I concluded that conflicts in what one wants to see are par for the course at TCMFF!

Saturday, April 8
9:00 AM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Court Jester:  Okay, this was a hard choice. The Court Jester is showing opposite another one of my favourite films, Arsenic and Old Lace. That having been said, I have seen Arsenic and Old Lace on the big screen, while I have never seen The Court Jester in a theatre. I must also point out that Illeana Douglas and Fred Willard, two of my favourite people, will be at the showing of The Court Jester.

12:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre Rear Window: This is showing opposite The Great Dictator, but for me Hitchcock trumps Chaplin (I know many of you will disagree with me on that). And Rear Window is one of my favourite films that Alfred Hitchcock ever made.

2:45 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Jerk: For me this comes down to one name: Carl Reiner. I have been a huge fan of Mr. Reiner since childhood, so there is no way I would miss a showing of The Jerk with him in attendance!

7:30 PM Poolside Planet of the Apes: This is another instance where I will miss another movie I would really like to see, Theodora Goes Wild. That having been said, I have been a fan of Planet of the Apes since childhood and I have never seen it on the big screen. I really wish they had shown Planet of the Apes at midnight instead so I could go ahead and see Theodora Goes Wild!

9:30 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Graduate: This is the one movie I would have to see at TCMFF. The Graduate is one of my all time favourite films and, what is more, Buck Henry will be in attendance. I really would not want to miss it.

Sunday, April 9:
9:00 AM at the Chinese Theatre Multiplex House 1 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Dr. Strangelove is one of my all time favourite movies. In fact, it is in my top ten. I have seen it on the big screen, but I really would not want to miss it at TCMFF.

12:30 PM at Club TCM at the Hotel Roosevelt Ask Leonard Maltin: Leonard Maltin is one of my favourite critics and film historians and I would really love to see him in person. I also have a lot of questions about classic animation I would like to ask him (he's one of the world's foremost experts in the field)!

1:30 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Palm Beach Story: I don't know if I could make it in time from the Leonard Maltin Q&A, but I would certainly try! The Palm Beach Story is my all time favourite Preston Sturges movie and it stars local girl Mary Astor!  I've never seen it on the big screen. I would really hate to miss it.

4:30  PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX Singin' in the Rain: Have I ever mentioned I  have had a crush on Ruta Lee since childhood? Even if Singin' in the Rain wasn't my third favourite musical (after The Wizard of Oz and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Miss Lee's presence would guarantee I would show up! Of course, Todd Fisher will also be there, so it would be a treat to hear him talk about his mother's memories in making the film (Debbie Reynolds, another one of my childhood crushes).

Of course, more than seeing any films or even people I admire, for me the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival would be a chance for me to meet my many classic film buddies, most of whom I have known for literally years, but whom I have never met in person. I am closer to many of my fellow classic film buffs than I am people I do know in person, and I consider many of them dear friends. I have no doubt that much of my time would be spent visiting with them.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the various photos and blog posts that emerge from this year's festival!