Day 3 at the 13th TCM Classic Film Festival brought forth a plethora of memories and good feelings. Film critic Leonard Maltin received the Robert Osborne Award and spoke at length about film as a true art form followed up by a tour de force performance by Actor John Barrymore in the 1932 Counsellor at Law.
In addition, several cast members from the 1982 classic, Diner, gathered for a pre-screening conversation at the Hollywood Legion Theatre. Also, Warren Beatty was in the house at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theatre for a conversation with TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz following the Beatty-led Heaven Can Wait (1981).
Check out the Highlights!
Respected film critic Leonard Maltin receives the Robert Osborne Award presented by actor and director Warren Beatty and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: (L-R) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, Robert Osborne Award recipient Leonard Maltin, and special guest Warren Beatty attend the Robert Osborne Award Reception during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the Hollywood Legion Theater on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for TCM)
Special guests Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, and Paul Reiser join TCM host Dave Karger for the 40th-anniversary screening of “Diner”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: (L-R) Special guests Paul Reiser, Tim Daly, Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, and TCM host Dave Karger attend the screening of “Diner” during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the Hollywood Legion Theater on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for TCM)
Warren Beatty joins TCM host Ben Mankiewicz for a screening of “Heaven Can Wait,” followed by a conversation about the film
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: (L-R) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, special guest Warren Beatty, and General Manager of Turner Classic Movies Pola Changnon attend the screening of “Heaven Can Wait” during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the The Hollywood Roosevelt on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for TCM.
Until next time…. I’ll see you at the movies!
Larry Gleeson poses in front of the TCM display at the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of HollywoodGlee/Larry Gleeson)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 22: <> attends the Hand and Footprint Ceremony honoring Lily Tomlin during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for TCM)
Day 2 at the 13th TCM Classic Film Festival picked up right where Day 1 left off. Ben Mankiewicz and Jane Fonda introduced comedic legend Lily Tomlin outside the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre for Lily’s Hand and Footprint Ceremony. One would have needed a knife to slice through the energy generated not to mention a saber to disperse the bursts of laughter and humor elicited from the audience. Later in the day, the 4K Restoration screening of Giant (1956) and to hear Ben Mankiewicz, Steven Spielberg, Geroge Stevens, Jr., and Margaret Bodde, Executive Director of The Film Foundation, discuss the film and the importance of restoration. Giant is considered a seminal film, progressive for its day, and its relevance holds up today. A must-see!
Check out some of the highlights!
TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and special guest Jane Fonda honor esteemed comedienne Lily Tomlin at the TCM Classic Film Festival Hand & Footprint Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 22: (L-R) Special guest Jane Fonda, TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, special guest Lily Tomlin, and General Manager of Turner Classic Movies Pola Changnon attend the Hand and Footprint Ceremony honoring Lily Tomlin during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for TCM)
Special guests Steven Spielberg, George Stevens Jr., and Margaret Bodde join TCM host Ben Mankiewicz to showcase the world premiere of a 4k restoration of “Giant”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 22: (L-R) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, special guests Steven Spielberg, George Stevens Jr., and Margret Bodde speak onstage at the screening of “Giant” during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for TCM)
TCM host Alicia Malone welcomes two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern for a tribute screening of “Coming Home”
Leonard Maltin and Floyd Norman speak onstage at the screening of The Jungle Book (1967) at the El Capitan Theatre during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California.
Disney legend Floyd Norman joins film critic Leonard Maltin for a tribute to Norman’s work on “The Jungle Book”
The 13th TCM Classic Film Festival got underway with a full day of events, films, and talks. Kicking it all off was the “Meet TCM,” an event designed specifically to share staffer insight into the network, how it’s produced and what is coming up. In addition, the wildly popular, “So You Think You Know Movies,” was filled to the rafters at the Roosevelt Hotel as movie buffs and film fanatics battled it out in this fun-filled annual quiz competition headed up by Bruce Goldstein, founder of Rialto Pictures and the repertory program director of New York’s Film Forum. The Opening Night Reception this year was held poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt. And without further adieu, the 40th anniversary of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX officially opened the 2022 festival.
Check out some of the highlights!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 21: (L-R) President of Kids, Young Adults, and Classics for Warner Bros. Entertainment Tom Ascheim, Chairman and Chief Content Officer, U.S. Networks Group, for Warner Bros. Discovery Kathleen Finch, special guest Steven Spielberg, General Manager of Turner Classic Movies Pola Changnon, and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz attend the 40th Anniversary Screening of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” during Opening Night at the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for TCM)
Opening Night screening of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” featuring a conversation with director Steven Spielberg
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 21: <> on April 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for TCM)
Film historian and author Cari Beauchamp celebrates the 90th anniversary of “The Jewel Robbery” with a sold-out screening
TCM host Dave Karger and special guest Topher Grace speak at the screening of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California.
Special guest Topher Grace and TCM host Dave Karger attend the poolside screening of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”
Stay tuned for Day 2 including the Lily Tomlin hand and footprint ceremony!
Larry Gleeson attends the hand and footprint ceremony for Lily Tomlin at the TCL Chinese Theatre during Day 2 of the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival.
The 2022 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival announces honorees and more late-breaking news (April 26-May 1)
Dale Dickey will be this year’s King Vidor Award honoree
and Michael Showalter will receive the Spotlight Award
Stacy Peralta’s The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez will be the featured film for this year’s Surf Nite at the Drive-in
San Luis Obispo, CA (April 21, 2022) – The 28th Annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (April 26-May 1) announced that Dale Dickey (A Love Song) will receive the King Vidor Award at next week’s film festival and Michael Showalter (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) will be this year’s Spotlight Award honoree. Stacy Peralta’s The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez was also announced as the featured film for this year’s Surf Nite at the Drive-in.
San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan
San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said, “We have been thrilled to return to the SLO Film Fest we have all known and loved for so long and bring back traditions, beloved favorites within our programming and events that this film festival is known for. The King Vidor Award, the Spotlight Award, Surf Nite, moderated talks with Ben Mankiewicz, Jenelle Riley, and more are the things lovers of cinema on the Central Coast have sorely missed. I can speak for everyone here when I say we are counting each day until SLO Film Fest opens next week!”
In addition to the film festival’s return to in-person screenings at movie theaters for the first time in two years, this edition of SLO Film Fest will also include the first live presentations of the film festival’s celebrated King Vidor and Spotlight Awards during the Filmmaker Awards Night on Saturday, April 30 at the Fremont Theater (1035 Monterey Street). A popular highlight of the film festival, the presentations will also feature the always entertaining moderated “Conversations on Film” with Turner Classic Movies’ Ben Mankiewicz and Variety’s Jenelle Riley.
Receiving this year’s King Vidor Award will be veteran character actor, Dale Dickey, who has received much attention as one of the stars of Max Walker-Silverman’s romantic drama, A Love Song. Dickey, who has long been regarded as one of film and television’s most prolific and critically esteemed supporting players, stars opposite Wes Studi, as a couple, childhood sweethearts several years ago, who are now both widowed. They meet up at a campsite and reconnect, sharing stories, memories, and emotions during a night by a lake in the mountains.
One of Hollywood’s most coveted character actors, Dale Dickey forged a reputation for illuminating gritty, dark, and oftentimes damaged characters. Following inspired performances onstage, including the Broadway production of “The Merchant of Venice” (1989) and the 2009 stage adaptation of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Dickey has put together an enviable list of performances together in films like Sordid Lives (2000), Winter’s Bone (2010), Super 8 (2011), Iron Man 3 (2013), Hell or High Water (2016), and Palm Springs (2020), and on countless television shows like The X-Files, True Blood, Breaking Bad, and My Name is Earl. Her role in A Love Song is a well-deserved lead in a feature that has been critically acclaimed since its debut at Sundance earlier this year.
Receiving the film festival’s Spotlight Award will be Michael Showalter, the prolific director, writer, and producer who skillfully blends drama and comedy, telling unique and heartfelt stories with unconventional lead characters. Showalter most recently directed The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which earned two Academy Awards including Best Actress for Jessica Chastain and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. On the television side, Showalter also recently directed, and executive produced the critically acclaimed miniseries The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried. Showalter’s other feature credits include The Lovebirds, which he directed and produced, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, and the critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick, which he directed, and Hello My Name Is Doris, for which he also wrote and directed. He is also the co-creator of the cult-comedy favorite Wet Hot American Summer and the hit HBO Max original series, Search Party, which just premiered its fifth and final season. Upcoming films include directing and producing Spoiler Alert, starring Sally Field and Jim Parsons, and executive producing I Love That for You, an upcoming series for Showtime, starring Molly Shannon and Vanessa Bayer.
SLO Film Fest’s Surf Nite, it’s signature one-of-a-kind surfing film event, will feature Stacy Peralta’s The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez. The documentary looks at one of surfing’s most enigmatic heroes. Famously known as “Mr. Pipeline” for his calm demeanor in the tube, Lopez built his career with aggressive surfing that left behind a trail of blood and tears. As radical as he is Zen, Lopez transcends categorization. His influence on modern surfing is immeasurable and for the first time, his story has been told in full. Presented on Thursday, April 28, at the Sunset Drive-In for the second straight year. Surf Nite will include the traditional appearance of some classic 1960s surfing autos to add to the atmosphere of what could be called the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” for the surfing film lover. The evening will include the iconic cars and live music from the Boomer Surf Band before the feature presentation and the first 100 people to arrive early will receive a custom t-shirt from Cayucos Collective.
Along with the aforementioned honorees, this year’s San Luis Obispo International Film Festival will have many filmmakers descending on the Central Coast from outside the state and other parts of California to represent their films and participate in post-screening Q&As and more. Among them are; Alastair Evans (DIR/PROD) A Crack in the Mountains; Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (DIR/PROD), Josh Beddingfield (Sound); Aguilas; Lorena Gordon (DIR) At Last; Sandra Chandler (DP) The Automat; Elaine Carmody (PROD), Jason Park (DIR/SCR) BJ’s Mobile Gift Shop; Robert Walker (PROD) Bring Them Home; Mye Hoang (DIR), Dave Boyle (PROD/ED), Jeff Judkins (Subject) Cat Daddies; Ulysses Salcido (PROD/DP), Victor Villa (Subject) Échale Ganas: The Villa’s Tacos Story; Seanne Winslow (DIR/SCR/PROD) The Falconer; Geoff Pingree (PROD) Fireboys; Nicholas Weisman (PROD) Havana Libre; Justin Monroe (DIR/PROD) Holy Frit; Cheryl Bookout (DIR/SCR/PROD), Cheri Gaulke (DIR/SCR/PROD), Stacy Sweeting (PROD), Jeff Hafler (Subject) Inside the Beauty Bubble; CJ Russo (DIR/SCR/PROD), Chiah Rodriques (CAST) Lady Buds; Isabel Castro (DIR), Doris Munoz (Subject), Ruth Munoz (Subject) Mija; Afton Quast Saler (DIR), Jesse Saler (DP) Neurodivergent; PJ Palmer (DIR/SCR/PROD), Ryan Haffey (PROD), Emily Palmer (PROD), Caroline Metz (EXEC PROD), Zelda Hallman (EXEC PROD), Ernesto Lomeli (DP) North Star; Kanani Koster (DIR), Jasmine Karcey (DP), Janie Faison (Art Director) No Spectators Allowed; David Baram (DIR/SCR/PROD), Harry Baram (CAST) One All the Way; Nicholas P. Vilarreal (DIR), Alessandro Squitti (PROD) On/Off; James Becket (DIR) The Seeds of Vandana Shiva; Alison Rich (DIR/SCR/CAST) Training Wheels; Orion Huang (DIR) The Yellow Panther: The Life of Richard Aoki.
TCM’s Critically Acclaimed Podcast To Spotlight Iconic Actress Pam Grier
Actress Pam Grier will be on the first episode of season four of “The Plot Thickens.” (Image courtesy of Warner Media)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) award-winning podcast The Plot Thickens will premiere season four this fall, in which trailblazing actress Pam Grier shares her remarkable life story with host Ben Mankiewicz.
Ben Mankiewicz
“The word ‘iconic’ is overused in this industry, but Pam has been a true revolutionary regarding the depiction of Black women in Hollywood,” said host Ben Mankiewicz. “Pam’s characters are
unapologetic, tough, and fiercely independent, just like she was when she started in Hollywood five decades ago and remains to this day.”
Pam Grier starred in the lead role of Coffy and is depicted on the film’s poster above.
In August of 1973, an unknown Black actress named Pam Grier knocked James Bond out of the number one spot at the box office. Pam Grier was the lead in Coffy, a Blaxploitation film with a ridiculously low budget, tons of nudity, and blood-splattering violence. Pam was just 24, and she was suddenly Hollywood’s first female action hero.
Pam Grier will be appearing this weekend at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood to introduce her breakout film Coffy. This will be Pam Grier’s first appearance at the TCM Classic Film.
Stay tuned this summer for the first trailer for season four of “The Plot Thickens.” Previous seasons are available on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
About The Plot Thickens
The Plot Thickens is the official podcast from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) about movies and the people who make them. Season one premiered in May 2020, diving into the life and work of Oscar®-nominated director, writer, and actor Peter Bogdanovich. Season two, “The Devil’s Candy,” launched in June 2021 and chronicled the tumultuous production of the 1990 film The Bonfire of the Vanities. Season three uncovered fresh insights into the life and times of the iconic Lucille Ball and debuted in October 2021. The podcast has garnered more than six million downloads and several industry awards: it was named a Webby Honoree in 2021 and 2022; won best-branded podcast from the 2021 Adweek Podcast Awards; and was nominated for best entertainment podcast at the Ambie Awards two years in a row. It has been featured on “best-of” lists from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, NPR and Vanity Fair.
About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a two-time Peabody Award-winning network that presents classic films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world highlighting “where then meets now.” TCM features the insights from Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz along with hosts Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart, and Eddie Muller, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests, and serves as the ultimate movie lover destination. With more than two decades as a leading authority in classic film, TCM offers critically acclaimed series like The Essentials, along with annual programming events like 31 Days of Oscar® and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also directly connects with movie fans through popular events such as the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, the TCM Big Screen Classics screening series, and the TCM Classic Cruise. In addition, TCM produces the wildly successful podcast “The Plot Thickens,” which has had more than 6 million downloads to date. TCM hosts a wealth of material online at tcm.com and through the Watch TCM mobile app. Fans can also enjoy a classic movie experience on the Classics Curated by TCM hub on HBO Max.
The red carpet that leads up the steps to the hope of being in the limelight.
A poetic celebration of the insuperable quest for expression and freedom.
An upward journey to contemplate the past and move ahead towards the promise of a revival. From Tuesday, May 17 to Saturday, May 28, the Festival de Cannes will hold its 75th edition, and here is its poster.
Just as the unforgettable Truman embodied by the one-and-only Jim Carrey whose fingers brush his horizon, the Festival de Cannes takes the extreme nature of the world in its stride in order to grasp it again. The climate crisis, humanitarian disasters, and armed conflicts… the reasons for concerns are numerous. As in 1939 and in 1946, the Festival is once again asserting its strong conviction that art and cinema are where contemplation and the renewal of society unravel. And yet it remains faithful to its founding commitment enshrined in article 1 of its rules: “The purpose of the Festival International du Film, in a spirit of friendship and universal cooperation, is to reveal and showcase quality films in the interest of the evolution of the art of cinematography.”
Peter Weir and Andrew Niccol’s The Truman Show(1998) is a modern reflection of Plato’s cave and the decisive scene urges viewers to not only experience the border between reality and its representation but to ponder the power of fiction, between manipulation and catharsis. Just as Truman escapes falsehood as he rises, the Festival, with its famous ascending red carpet, offers viewers the truth of the artists when they enter the theater.
2022 Sundance Film Festival: Asia Short Film Competition submissions open Calling for entries from Indonesian filmmakers now until 31 May, 2022
Sundance Film Festival: Asia, presented by the Sundance Institute and XRM Media is proud to announce the return of the 2022 edition of the Festival on Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th August, 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia with support from IDN Media.
The Festival will take place in person and include film screenings and panels catered to Indonesian audiences and additional events to enhance the experience, all to be announced in the summer.
Tabitha Jackson, Festival Director of the Sundance Film Festival
“We’re thrilled to be able to continue working with XRM Media to present the Festival in person this year in Jakarta. It is a powerful opportunity to share new independent films we love with engaged audiences in Indonesia,” said Tabitha Jackson, Festival Director of the Sundance Film Festival.
William Utomo, Chief Operating Officer, IDN Media, states that “We are very excited to work together to create the in-person festival experience and continue to serve the best interest of movie lovers in Indonesia. We hope that the Sundance platform can continue to push the movie industry forward.”
“Beyond our Festival in January, we strive throughout the year to find more emerging filmmakers around the world working in the short film form,” said Mike Plante, Senior Programmer for Short Films. “Last year our short film competition was a fantastic success. We loved the submissions, showcased ten of them in Sundance Asia, and were thrilled to have two of them at our Festival last January. Really excited to see more this year.”
To continue the support of Indonesian filmmakers, the Festival will again hold the Sundance Film Festival: Asia Short Film Competition, sponsored by Argo. Filmmakers can submit short films across any genre or theme that have been completed on or after 1 January 2020, with a duration between 3 to 20 minutes. Submissions are now open through 31 May 2022 to Indonesian citizens living domestically or abroad, 18 years or older.
A jury of representatives from the Sundance Institute, IDN Pictures, and Argo will curate a program of short films from among the competition submissions. The jury will also select a Jury Award winner, which will receive a $2000 USD cash prize sponsored by Argo. The jury includes:
Kim Yutani, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival
Heidi Zwicker, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival
Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film, Sundance Film Festival
Susanti Dewi, Head of IDN Pictures
Amanda Salazar, Head of Programming and Acquisitions, Argo
Official selected shorts will be screened on Argo at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival: Asia in August and offered worldwide digital distribution on the platform post-festival. These films will also be automatically submitted for consideration in the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
For further information on submission procedures and rules and regulations, please visit the Sundance Asia Film Freeway page: https://filmfreeway.com/SundanceAsia
About Sundance Institute
As a champion and curator of independent stories for the stage and screen, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, film composing, and digital media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs which are dedicated to developing new work and take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally, are supported largely through contributed revenue. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings artists together to learn from each other and Sundance Advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discovering original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported projects such as CODA, Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Zola, Time, MInari, Boys State, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, City So Real, Top of the Lake, Between the World & Me, Wild Goose Dreams and Fun Home.
About XRM Media
XRM Media is an award-winning entertainment and media technology company dedicated to supporting, producing, and financing diversity-driven, multicultural content across all mediums with its global partners. Through unconventional thinking, utilizing our diverse portfolio of investments, and taking risks on projects we believe in–XRM defies conventional expectations in both the traditional and new media space to connect a global audience with resonant and powerful stories.
About IDN Media
IDN Media is the leading media platform company for Millennials and Gen Z in Indonesia, with over 70 million Monthly Active Users (MAU). Our vision is to democratize information and bring positive impacts to the society.
About Argo
Argo is the streaming platform on a mission to change the way you watch, share and discover film. Argo is building a community; connecting filmmakers to audiences, and featuring all genres of short films curated into themed playlists by film festivals, filmmakers, and influencers from around the world.
Argo makes sure that filmmakers get paid! The platform works on a revenue-share basis with a goal to ensure filmmakers have the opportunity to truly showcase their work, while entertaining and inspiring the new wave of independent film..
The sweet story of a misunderstood man with an unlikely companion – a 6′ 3 1/2″ tall white invisible rabbit friend that only he can see – HARVEY (1950) stars AFI Life Achievement Award recipient James Stewart, and was honored among the American Film Institute’s ranking of the funniest films of all time. Based on Mary Chase’s 1944 play of the same name and directed by Henry Koster, HARVEY, orbits around the unlikely pair – one seen, one unseen – and the ensuing debacle when the man’s sister decides to have him committed to a sanitarium. Available on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video.
Until Next time, I’ll see you at the movies!
HollywoodGlee celebrating the start of the 2019 AFI FEST presented by Audi. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson)
About AFI Movie Club
AFI has created a global, virtual gathering of those who love the movies. As a non-profit, AFI Movie Club is a member-powered organization, dependent upon the support of its movie fans. To support AFI Movie Club please consider becoming a member or donating.
AFI Movie Club was launched as a free program to raise the nation’s spirits by bringing artists and audiences together. AFI shines a spotlight on an iconic movie each day. Audiences can “gather” at AFI.com/MovieClub to find out how to watch the featured movie of the day with the use of their preexisting streaming service credentials.
Directed by AFI Life Achievement Award recipient Frank Capra and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert – both of whom were enshrined among AFI’s greatest screen legends – IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) is an iconic screwball comedy that’s appeared on no fewer than four of AFI’s lists of the greatest American films of all time – including among the top 10 funniest films ever to grace the silver screen.
Spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Colbert) escapes from her millionaire father Alexander’s yacht when he kidnaps her after she elopes with and marries King Westley, a playboy aviator whom Andrews thinks is a fortune hunter. She boards a bus headed for New York and meets Peter Warne (Gable), a reporter who has just been fired. Despite their dislike for each other, the two manage to fulfill each other’s needs and find redemption in their work and in their relationships. Streaming on Prime Video and YouTube.
The working title for this film was Night Bus, and it was to have starred Robert Montgomery, who was Frank Capra’s original choice for the part of Peter Warne. Montgomery was replaced by Clark Gable, who was borrowed from M-G-M, while Claudette Colbert was borrowed from Paramount. In Capra’s autobiography, he states that he variously sought Myrna Loy, Margaret Sullavan, Miriam Hopkins, and Constance Bennett for the role of Ellie Andrews before selecting Colbert.
In the five major categories, Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress (Colbert was the first French-born actress to receive the honor). It was voted one of the ten best pictures of 1934 by the FD Poll of Critics and the National Board of Review, and on 20 Mar 1939, Gable and Colbert performed a radio version of it for the Lux Radio Theater.
Although many films are called “remakes” of It Happened One Night in modern sources, only 1956 musical You Can’t Run Away from It, produced at Columbia, directed by Dick Powell and starring Jack Lemmon and June Allyson, was based on the same short story and used the same screenplay (with adaptations) as the Capra film. It Happened One Night was ranked 46th on AFI’s 2007 100 Years…100 Movies–10th Anniversary Edition list of the greatest American films, moving down from the 35th position it held on AFI’s 1997 list.
Until Next time, I’ll see you at the movies!
HollywoodGlee celebrating the start of the 2019 AFI FEST presented by Audi. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson)
About AFI Movie Club
AFI has created a global, virtual gathering of those who love the movies. As a non-profit, AFI Movie Club is a member-powered organization, dependent upon the support of its movie fans. To support AFI Movie Club please consider becoming a member or donating. AFI Movie Club was launched as a free program to raise the nation’s spirits by bringing artists and audiences together. AFI shines a spotlight on an iconic movie each day. Audiences can “gather” at AFI.com/MovieClub to find out how to watch the featured movie of the day with the use of their preexisting streaming service credentials.
2022 TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL TO HOST WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING OF 4K RESTORATION OF GIANT (1956) WITH STEVEN SPIELBERG, MARGARET BODDE, AND GEORGE STEVENS, JR IN ATTENDANCE
Giant (1956)
Turner Classic Movies will be expanding its partnership with The Film Foundationwith a multi-year financial commitment to fund the education and restoration of classic movies. As part of this partnership, the world premiere of the newly restored George Stevens production GIANT (1956) from Warner Bros. will be featured at the TCM Classic Film Festival.Prior to the screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre, TCM host Ben Mankiewicz will host a conversation with The Film Foundation board member Steven Spielberg, executive director Margaret Bodde, and George Stevens Jr.
Since its founding by Martin Scorsese more than 30 years ago, The Film Foundation has restored more than 900 classic movies. Scorsese and fellow board member Spielberg hand-picked this title as one of the group’s latest restoration projects, working with the Warner Bros. archives team for a year to complete the process.
The new 4K restoration was completed by sourcing both the original camera negatives and protection RGB separation master positives for the best possible image, and color corrected in high dynamic range for the latest picture display technology. The audio was sourced primarily from a 1995 protection copy of the Original Magnetic Mono soundtrack. The picture and audio restoration were completed by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services: Motion Picture Imaging and Post Production Sound.
“Anything that presumes to call itself GIANT better have the goods to keep such a lofty promise,” said Steven Spielberg. “Both Edna Ferber and George Stevens far exceeded the title to bring such an epic American story to the big screen and I’m proud to have been a small part of the restoration team of this classic motion picture.”
George Stevens, Sr. won his second Oscar® for directing the sweeping family saga set in Texas during the days of the oil boom. GIANT stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Based on Edna Ferber’s controversial novel, the movie’s release in 1956 was a massive box office hit and garnered 10 Academy Award® nominations.
“I was with my father during the writing of the GIANT screenplay and he measured films by how they stood ‘the test of time’,” said George Stevens, Jr. “GIANT has more than met that test and he would be grateful that Steven, Marty, The Film Foundation and Warner Bros. have achieved this brilliant restoration, so a new generation can see GIANT on the big screen, streaming and Blu-ray.”
Considered by critics as ahead of its time, GIANT is admired today for the breadth of its humanity more than its epic scale with its grand themes of generational conflict, racial tolerance, and social change. It exposed the marginalization and segregation of Mexican Americans for the first time on the big screen. At the center of the film, Elizabeth Taylor, as Leslie Benedict, portrays a strong and progressive woman who acts to stem the patterns of injustice
Festival passes, which include admission to GIANT (1956), and the full schedule of all festival events can be found here. Individual tickets will be sold as standby only at the event. This 4K restoration of GIANT (1956) will also be available on HBO Max later this year.
GIANT (1956)
Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean star in a sweeping saga of jealousy, racism, and the clash of cultures set in the vast Texas oilfields. Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict (Hudson) and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink (Dean) both woo Leslie Lynnton (Taylor) a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict’s disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
About the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival
Movie lovers from around the globe will descend upon Hollywood for the 13th edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2022 Festival is set to take place Thursday, April 21 – Sunday, April 24, 2022. Over four packed days and nights, attendees will be treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events, and more.
TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz will serve as the official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The Festival’s official hotel and central gathering point will be The HollywoodRoosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will also offer special rates for Festival attendees. Screenings and events during the Festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the HollywoodLegion Theater at Post 43, and the El Capitan Theatre. For the latest news and information, follow us on social at #TCMFF.
This year’s theme is “All Together Now: Back to the Big Screen.” In 2022, reunite with fellow fans, the movies, the memories, the stars, and the glamour. It’s all back live and in person, just as it should be and where it all began in Hollywood. From high school reunions to homecomings, TCM will celebrate milestones from the past as we look forward to making new memories together.
About The Film Foundation
The Film Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by Martin Scorsese in 1990 to protect and preserve motion picture history. By working in partnership with archives and studios, the foundation has helped to restore over 925 films, which are made accessible to the public through programming at festivals, museums, and educational institutions worldwide. The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project has restored 47 films from 27 countries to date, representing the rich diversity of cinema from around the globe. The foundation’s free educational curriculum, The Story of Movies, teaches young people – over 10 million to date – about film language and history.
(Source: AFI News Release)
