Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall To Attend Opening Night
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will kick off the 13th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 21stwith a 40th-anniversary screening of the beloved family sci-fi film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, with Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg in attendance along with Academy Award®-nominated producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. The 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival, held in the heart of Hollywood April 21st-24th, will center around the theme “All Together Now: Back to the Big Screen.”
“I was 15 years old when E.T. came out and what was true then remains so today; the film continues to speak to both children and adults. And it’s fair to say that this is the most influential family film since The Wizard of Oz,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “When Steven Spielberg started work on E.T., he didn’t imagine he was making a movie with mass appeal. We don’t get to say this often, but boy was Spielberg wrong.”
“E.T. is the perfect example of a modern classic movie that combines both innovative direction and heartfelt performances,” said, Pola Changnon, general manager of TCM. “This film is beloved by millions around the world and we’re honored to have it open our festival.”
At the center of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is Elliott, is a young boy who befriends an extra-terrestrial who is accidentally left behind on Earth. As Elliott attempts to help his new friend contact his home planet, so that he might be rescued, they must elude scientists and government agents determined to apprehend the alien for their own purposes…which results in an adventure greater than any of them could have imagined. Premiering on June 11, 1982, the film was a box office hit that became the highest-grossing film at the time, beating out Star Wars. The beloved masterpiece was directed by Spielberg and produced by Kennedy and Marshall.
TCM has previously announced iconic actress and comedian Lily Tomlin will be honored with a hand and footprint ceremony in the courtyard of the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre Imax® in Hollywood. In addition, the third Robert Osborne Award, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations, will be presented to one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians, Leonard Maltin.
About E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Journey back to the magic and adventure of “one of the great American films” (Leonard Maltin) with E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the beloved masterpiece from Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg. Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, and Robert MacNaughton star in the unforgettable story of a lost alien and the 10-year-old boy who helps him find his way home. Digitally remastered for optimal picture and sound, this astounding story is sure to thrill viewers of all ages again with its timeless message of trust, courage, and the overwhelming power of friendship.
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 from Thursday, April 21 – to 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, as well as other Hollywood venues.
TCM to Honor Lily Tomlin with Hand and Footprint Ceremony and
Leonard Maltin with Robert Osborne Award
Additional Titles Announced for 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival in
Hollywood, April 21-24, 2022
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) today announced it will honor iconic actress and comedian LilyTomlin with a hand and footprint ceremony in the courtyard of the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre Imax® in Hollywood during the 13thTCM Classic Film Festival on Friday, April 22. In addition, the third Robert Osborne Award, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations, will be presented to one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians, Leonard Maltin. Festival passes for the annual event are currently on sale, with Early Bird pricing in place until December 10th.
In conjunction with the honors at the event, Maltin will introduce a screening of Counsellor at Law (1933) starring John Barrymore during the festival. Fans can also enjoy screenings of newly announced titles – After the Thin Man (1936), Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), Force of Evil (1948), Baby Face (1933), and The Slender Thread (1965).
“I am thrilled that the TCM Classic Film Festival will be returning to Hollywood in 2022 and that we’ll have the opportunity to celebrate these two legitimate legends in person,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Lily Tomlin’s work has endured for decades because she brings a consistent joyous authenticity and richness to every character she plays. She pulls it off whether she’s performing sketch comedy on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In; working inside an ensemble cast in Robert Altman’s Nashville; trying to sneak a dead body out of a hospital with Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton in 9 to 5; reinventing herself in Grace and Frankie; or breaking new ground in her innovative one-woman show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” Mankiewicz said. “And Leonard Maltin continues to be an indispensable source of film knowledge. His books were IMDB and Wikipedia in the pre-internet age. If you didn’t have a copy – or six – of Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, you weren’t a serious film buff. He made information about movies accessible and compelling to millions of fans. I know because I was one.”
Tomlin, a Tony®, Grammy®, eight-time Emmy®, and two-time Peabody Award® winner, has had a remarkable career starting in the 1960s starring in cinematic classics, television staples, and on stage. This marks the tenth year TCM has featured a hand and footprint ceremony at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®. In 2011, Peter O’Toole was the honoree, followed by Kim Novak in 2012, Jane Fonda in 2013, Jerry Lewis in 2014, Christopher Plummer in 2015, Francis Ford Coppola in 2016, Carl and Rob Reiner in 2017, Cicely Tyson in 2018, and Billy Crystal in 2019.
Maltin is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide and its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, as well as his 30-year run on television’s Entertainment Tonight. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and hosts the weekly podcast “Maltin on Movies” with his daughter Jessie.
The Robert Osborne Award was established at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival in honor of the first primetime host and anchor of TCM, who helped millions of viewers discover and enter the world of classic movies, and dedicated his life to preserving and sharing the movies he loved. Past awards have been presented to Martin Scorsese and Kevin Brownlow.
Tomlin and Maltin were announced to receive these honors at the 2020 TCM Classic Film Festival, which was canceled due to the pandemic. To learn more, please visit tcm.com/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 from Thursday, April 21 – to 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, as well as other Hollywood venues. 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 Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin, one of America’s foremost comediennes, continues to venture across an ever-widening range of media, starring in television, theater, motion pictures, animation, video, and social media. Throughout her extraordinary career, Tomlin has received numerous awards, including eight Emmys, with 25 primetime and five daytime nominations; a Tony for her one-woman Broadway show, Appearing Nitely; a second Tony for Best Actress, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics’ Circle Award for her one-woman performance in Jane Wagner’s The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe; a CableAce Award for Executive Producing the film adaptation of The Search; a Grammy for her comedy album, This is a Recording as well as nominations for her subsequent albums Modern Scream, And That’s the Truth, and On Stage; and two Peabody Awards–the first for the ABC television special, Edith Ann’s Christmas (Just Say Noël), and the second for narrating and executive producing the HBO film, The Celluloid Closet. In 2003, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and, in December 2014, was the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in Washington DC.
About Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians. He is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide and its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, as well as his 30-year run on television’s Entertainment Tonight. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, appears regularly on Turner Classic Movies, and hosts the weekly podcast “Maltin on Movies” with his daughter Jessie. His latest book is Starstruck: My Unlikely Road to Hollywood; others include Hooked on Hollywood, The 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, andThe Great Movie Comedians, The Disney Films, and The Art of the Cinematographer. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to sit on the Board of Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He hosted and co-produced the popular Walt Disney Treasures DVD series and has appeared on innumerable television programs and documentaries. He is the recipient of awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, American Society of Cinematographers, the Telluride Film Festival, George Eastman House, Anthology Film Archives and San Diego’s Comic-Con International. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career was his appearance in a now-classic episode of South Park. (Or was it Carmela consulting his Movie Guide on an episode of The Sopranos?) He holds court at leonardmaltin.com. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
About the TCL Chinese Theatres
Since 1927, The TCL Chinese Theatre has been the home of the most important, star-powered red carpet movie premieres and special events, where Hollywood’s biggest and brightest talents have come to watch their movies. The most famous movie theatre on the globe is world-renowned for its unique forecourt of the stars, featuring cement hands and footprints of major movie stars, from Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt, and numerous stars from all eras of Hollywood. In 2013, the main theatre was relaunched as the world’s largest IMAX® theatre.
Catching up after the sad news last month on the effect the current coronavirus (COVID-19) is inflicting on life as we know it and the TCM Classic Film Festival.
After much speculation, the decision was made by TCM to cancel this year’s festival in early March with a public announcement from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.
Fortunately for TCM fans and classic film cinephiles around the world, this year’s festival was re-imagined into a weekend-long TCM Classic Film Festival Special Home Edition, April 16th-19th and announced to the public with another announcement from host Mankiewicz! After the video, check below for more intricate details on this year’s special edition and a spectacular moment from the 2016 Opening Night Mixer.
This special home edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival will feature favorite movies and festival moments, TCM hosts and special guests that can all be enjoyed from the comfort of home. As a part of the Special Home Edition, TCM is showcasing films that have been a part of the TCM Classic Film Festival, both from years past and slated for this year’s event.
All times EST
Thursday, April 16
8:00 PM
A Star is Born (1954)
Opening Night Film at the inaugural 2010 TCM Classic Film Festival, presented by Robert Osborne and Alec Baldwin.
11:00 PM
Metropolis (1927) Closing Night Film at the 2010 TCM CFF, this was the North American premiere of a restored version of the film with footage found in 2008 in Argentina, with live score by the Alloy Orchestra.
1:45 AM
Luise Rainer: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2011)
Recorded at the 1st TCM CFF in 2010 when Ms. Rainer, the first back-to-back Oscar winner for Best Actress, was 100 years old.
2:30 AM
The Good Earth (1937) Presented at the 2010 TCMCFF with Luise Rainer in attendance.
5:00 AM
Neptune’s Daughter (1949) Presented at the 2010 TCM CFF at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel pool on Opening Night, with Esther Williams and Betty Garrett in attendance and featuring a performance by the Aqualilies.
Friday, April 17
6:45 AM
The Seventh Seal (1957) Shown as part of a tribute to Max Von Sydow at the 2013 TCM CFF, with the actor in attendance.
8:30 AM
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) Introduced by Keith Carradine, at the 2016 TCM CFF.
10:30 AM
Sounder (1972) Presented at the 2018 TCM CFF with Cicely Tyson in attendance, who was honored prior to the screening with a hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX.
12:30 PM
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) This world premiere restoration was introduced by Alec Baldwin and Don Was at the 2014 TCM CFF.
2:00 PM
Eva Marie Saint: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2014)
Recorded in front of a live audience at the 2013 TCM CFF as part of a tribute to Eva Marie Saint.
3:15 PM
North by Northwest (1959) Presented at the 2010 TCM CFF with Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau in attendance.
5:45 PM
Some Like It Hot (1959) Presented at the 2010 TCM CFF with Tony Curtis in attendance.
8:00 PM
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015) West Coast premiere at the 2016 TCM CFF, with Lillian Michelson and director Daniel Raim in attendance.
10:00 PM
Deliverance (1972) A cast reunion was presented at the 2013 TCM CFF, with Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Jon Voight and director John Boorman in attendance.
12:00 AM
The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Presented in 3D at the 2018 TCM CFF, this was introduced by Dennis Miller.
1:30 AM
Grey Gardens (1975) Presented at 2014 TCM CFF as part of a tribute to Albert Maysles, who was in attendance.
3:15 AM
Night Flight (1933) Out of circulation for over 50 years, this was introduced by Drew Barrymore, granddaughter of the film’s star John Barrymore at the 2011 TCM CFF.
5:00 AM
Kim Novak: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2013) Taped in front of a live audience at the 2012 TCM CFF, as part of a tribute to Kim Novak.
Saturday, April 18
6:00 AM
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) Presented at the 2011 TCM CFF with Nancy and Tina Sinatra and Vicki Preminger in attendance.
8:00 AM
Mad Love (1935) Introduced at the 2019 TCM CFF by Bill Hader with actress Cora Sue Collins in attendance in the audience.
9:15 AM
Double Harness (1933) Introduced at the 2016 TCM CFF, by James Cromwell, the son of director John Cromwell.
10:30 AM
Vitaphone Shorts: Baby Rose Marie the Child Wonder (1929) Don’t Get Nervous (1929) Lambchops (1929) Presented at the 2016 TCM CFF, as part of a program celebrating “90th Anniversary of Vitaphone,” by the founder of the Vitaphone Project, Ron Hutchinson.
11:00 AM
Sergeant York (1941) The first Festival program to screen at the newest venue of the TCM CFF, the Legion Theater at Post 43, this was introduced in 2019 by Andrew Jackson York, the son of Sergeant Alvin C. York and grandson, Gerald York.
1:30 PM
Safety Last! (1923) The first of four Harold Lloyd films presented at the TCM CFF, this was accompanied by live orchestra and music composed and conducted by Robert Israel, in 2010, and introduced by Suzanne Lloyd.
3:00 PM
They Live by Night (1949) Presented at the 2013 TCM CFF and introduced by Susan Ray, widow of director Nicholas Ray.
4:45 PM
Faye Dunaway: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2017) Taped in front of a live audience at the 2016 TCM CFF, as part of a tribute to Faye Dunaway.
5:45 PM
Network (1976) Presented as part of a tribute to Faye Dunaway at the 2016 TCM CFF, with the actress in attendance.
8:00 PM
Casablanca (1942) A perennial favorite, this film has been presented three times at the TCM CFF, including a screening introduced by Peter Bogdanovich and Monika Henreid in 2010. Peter Bogdanovich will return to co-host this on-air screening.
10:00 PM
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) Presented at the 2010 TCM CFF, it was introduced by Peter Bogdanovich and David Kamp. Peter Bogdanovich with co-host this on-air screening.
11:45 PM
Night and the City (1950) Presented at the 2012 TCM CFF by Eddie Muller.
1:30 AM
Norman Lloyd: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2016)
Recorded in front of a live audience as part of a tribute to Norman Lloyd, at the 2015 TCM CFF; Mr. Lloyd was 100 at the time of the taping.
2:30 AM
The Lady Vanishes (1938) Presented at the TCM CFF in 2013 with Norman Lloyd in attendance to talk about his friend, Alfred Hitchcock.
4:15 AM
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) The largest orchestral presentation to date at the TCM CFF was this 2016 screening, with live orchestra and the UC of Berkely Alumni Chorus (under the direction of Dr. Mark Sumner) performing an original score by Richard Einhorn.
Sunday, April 19
6:00 AM
Jezebel (1938)
Presented at the 2017 TCM CFF.
7:45 AM
The Set-Up (1949) ) Introduced at the 2018 TCM CFF introduced by Noir Alley host Eddie Muller and actor/filmmaker Malcom Mays, who did a live reading of the poem the film is based on.
9:00 AM
Peter O’Toole, Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2012) Recorded in front of a live audience, and part of a tribute to Peter O’Toole at the 2011 TCM CFF.
10:00 AM
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Screened as part of a tribute to Anne V. Coates, ACE, at the 2015 TCM CFF, with the Oscar-winning editor in attendance.
2:00 PM
Red-Headed Woman (1932) Presented at the introduced by film historian and author Cari Beauchamp at the 2017 TCM CFF.
3:30 PM
Auntie Mame (1958) Presented at the 2012 TCM CFF, introduced by Todd Oldham.
6:00 PM
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Presented three times to date at the TCM CFF, in 2010, 2012 and 2017 editions, with guests over the years including: Debbie Reynolds, Stanley Donen, and Todd Fisher and Ruta Lee.
8:00 PM
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (2016) Floyd Norman was slated to be honored with a tribute at the 2020 TCM CFF.
9:45 PM
The Hustler (1961) The 2020 TCM CFF included a tribute to the actress Piper Laurie.
12:15 AM
Baby Face (1933) Longtime festival guest Bruce Goldstein intended to present a special presentation at the 2020 TCM CFF, about the censorship of the film and footage added back in decades later, to this popular pre-Code film.
1:45 AM
Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) Serge Bromberg was scheduled to present this recently restored silent with musical accompaniment at the 2020 TCM CFF.
3:30 AM
Victor/Victoria (1982) Julie Andrews was slated to attend the screening of this film, at the 2020 TCM CFF.
Turner Classic Movies announced that the 11th annual TCMClassic Film Festival will open with a 35th anniversary screening of BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985), with stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson and screenwriter/producer Bob Gale in attendance. BACK TO THE FUTURE personifies this year’s theme of GRAND ILLUSIONS: FANTASTIC WORLDS ON FILM, “a wondrous journey to enchanted worlds of fantasy and stories beyond belief. From myths and magical creatures to ghostly encounters and travels through time, you’ll escape with fellow movie lovers to places that will ignite your imagination.”
TCM also announced additional film titles including: George Cukor’s A DOUBLE LIFE (1947), starring Ronald Colman and Shelley Winters; Cukor’s pre-Code comedic drama DINNER AT EIGHT (1933), starring Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler; Alfred Hitchcock’s remake of his original 1934 thriller THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956); Jean Arthur and Charles Coburn in Sam Wood’s THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES (1941); and Alfred Santell’s drama THAT BRENNAN GIRL (1946).
Passes for the 2020 TCMClassic Film Festival are still available, but only limited quantities remain. Passes make a perfect holiday gift for the classic movie lover!
For more information about 2020 Festival passes, please click here.
Celebration to Take Place April 12th During The 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) announced it will honor iconic comedian, actor and author Billy Crystal with a hand and footprint ceremony at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®in Hollywood during the tenth annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Friday, April12.Crystal, a Tony Award® and six time Emmy® winner and Golden Globe® nominee, starring in cinematic classics such as The Princess Bride(1987), When Harry Met Sally…(1989), City Slickers(1991) in addition to hosting the Academy Awards nine times.
“Billy Crystal has long been among the most versatile talents working in Hollywood. And I say “talent” because Billy is so much more than an actor. Trying to define his career into a signature role or moment feels futile. Is it his lead performance in When Harry Met Sally, the ensemble he led in City Slickers, or his scene-stealing supporting part as Miracle Max in The Princess Bride? Then again, it might be his prodigious resume of voice acting work or his consistently impressive work hosting the Academy Awards, which he’s done nine times (only Bob Hope has done it more). From Soap to Monsters, Inc. Crystal has emerged as one of the great story tellers of his generation –on the big screen, the small screen, and in front of a live audience,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM prime time anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “For these and a fifty other reasons, we’re thrilled to be able to honor Billy for his contributions to this industry with a hand and footprint ceremony outside the TCL Chinese Theatre.”
This marks the ninth consecutive year TCM has featured a hand and foot print ceremony at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®. In 2011, Peter O’Toole was the honoree, followed by Kim Novak in 2012, Jane Fonda in 2013, Jerry Lewis in 2014, Christopher Plummer in 2015, Francis Ford Coppola in 2016,Carl and Rob Reiner in 2017 and Cicely Tyson in 2018.
About the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival
For the tenth consecutive year, thousands of movie lovers from around the globe will descend upon Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2019 festival is set to take place Thursday, April 11 –Sunday, April 14, 2019. 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 Prime time host Ben Mankiewicz will serve as official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The festival’s official hotel and central gathering point for the ninth consecutive year (was it not the first year?) will be The Hollywood Roosevelt 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 and the Egyptian Theatre, as well as other Hollywood venues.
Whether it’s in the afternoon, at first sight, or in the air, the TCM Classic Film Festival will celebrate love in all of its forms. For the 10th annual Festival, and the 25th anniversary of TCM, there will be many-splendored moments to revel in romance and obsessions, delight in faithful friendships and surrender to the enduring allure of the silver screen with fellow classic movie lovers.
Viewed at the TCL Chinese Theatre during the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival as part of Cicely Tyson’s Hand and Footprint Ceremony. The screening was proceeded by a conversation between Tyson and TCM host, Ben Mankiewicz.
Sounder was produced in 1972 and was adapted from a 1969 Newberry Award-winning juvenile novel by William H. Armstrong. The story follows a young boy and a family of black sharecroppers during the Great Depression era. The father, Nathan Lee, played by Paul Winfield, steals food to provide for his small family. When He is caught he is charged with illegal trespassing and robbery and sentenced to one year of hard labor in a Louisiana Parish prison camp. John A.Alonzo provided the film’s cinematography and contributed significantly to the film’s exquisite mise-en-scene while Taj Mahal created an authentic, highly original musical score.
Director Ritt marketed the film to ministers and educators allowing the film to make a nice profit. Lead actors Cicely Tyson, as Rebecca Lee, and Paul Winfield were both nominated for Oscars. The 2017 film, Mudbound, also nominated for four Oscars, shows a powerful, tour-de-force performance from American singer-songwriter, Mary J. Blige. I felt Blige’s performance shared a remarkable resemblance to Tyson’s performance.
The narrative strikes at the heart emotionally. After, the father is sent to prison, the family manages to get the seed in the ground and to harvest the grown crop. Along, the way, the eldest child, David, played by Kevin Hooks in his first big-screen role, goes to find his father at the prison camp. When the family goes to get the location at the courthouse, a confederate monument is clearly visible in the frame as the family is about nto go into the sheriff’s office. The sheriff tells the family he can’t tell them where Nathan is. Eventually through a family friend, Mrs. Boatright, played by Carmen Matthews, David ascertains the location after Mrs. Boatright finds the location by peeking into the sheriffs files when he is momentarily called away. The sheriff threatens her with social ostracization if she tells where Nathan is.
David goes on a seven-day walkabout sleeping under the stars with the family’s hunting dog, Sounder. David comes across an all-black school where blacks in history are studied and celebrated by a black teacher. David is invited to attend the school bu tmust leave home to do so and he is reluctant when his father returns home. In one of the film’s most intimate moments. David runs away after his father tells him he must go. Nathan chases after David and in an exquisite moment by a wooded stream, Nathan tells David, sometimes you lose when you go after something. But you always lose the ones you don’t go after. The driving undercurrent is Nathan wants David to break the chain of being a sharecropper. The 2016 Oscar-nominated Fences (2016), based on August Wilson’s 1985 play, tells a similar story with a much harsher narrative.
Sounder, nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, was a breath of fresh air for me. Having written an essay on Blaxpolitation and having watched films like Sweet Sweetback’s Baaadasssss Song,SuperFly, Shaft, Foxy Brown and Coffy (all films from the same time, the early 1970’s), with tales of the black experience in urban decay with the seedier aspects of life including drug use, gratuitous violence, pimping and prostitution. Sounder, in juxtaposition, provided an elegant and emotionally moving narrative of a black family coming to terms with the difficulties of life and successfully dealing with them on life’s terms. Highly recommended – an historical treasure.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better at the TCM Classic Film Festival’s warm welcome on Wednesday evening, the extraordinary talent, Cicely Tyson, was honored with a Hand and Footprint Ceremony Friday morning, April 27th, 2018, at Grauman’s TCL Chinese Theatre. The diminutive Tyson is still working and shows little sign of slowing down. Enjoy the footage from the ceremony and check out what the festival wrote about Tyson below!
Actress, advocate, and humanitarian, Cicely Tyson is renowned for her portrayals of strong female characters on stage, screen, and television, from her stunning initial stage appearance as Barbara Allen in Dark of the Moon to her triumphant 2013 return to Broadway.
After a 30-year hiatus from the Broadway stage, Ms. Tyson returned as Mother Carrie Watts in Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful in 2013, for which she received rave reviews and the triple crown of theater awards: the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Actress in a play. Ms. Tyson returned to the Broadway stage in September 2015 in The Gin Game co-starringJames Earl Jones.
Best known for her double Emmy performance (Best Lead Actress in a Drama as well as a Special, unprecedented Emmy Award for Actress of the Year) as Jane in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ms. Tyson also was recently nominated in 2015 and 2017 for an Emmy for her recurring guest role as Ophelia, Annalise’s mother (Viola Davis) in ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder. Ms. Tyson received her third Emmy Award for The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All and was nominated for her performances in Roots, King, Sweet Justice, The Marva Collins Story and A Lesson Before Dying.
Ms. Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award in 1973 for her role in the film SOUNDER (1972). Her film credits also include The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1968), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Hoodlum (1997), Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Madea’s Family Reunion (2006), Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010), The Help (2011), Alex Cross (2012) and most recently in 2017 Last Flag Flying directed by Richard Linklater.
In March 2014, Ms. Tyson served as the executive producer of the film version of The Trip to Bountiful, presented on Lifetime television network.In 1977, as a student of the American Film Institute, Ms. Tyson directed the one-act play, Save Me a Place at Forest Lawn.
In recognition of her talent, dedication, and contributions, Ms. Tyson has been the recipient of countless awards including numerous Honorary Doctorates, most recently by Columbia University in 2014, as well as an unprecedented number of NAACP Image Awards. Other notable honors have been bestowed on her by the Princess Grace Foundation, National Urban League, National Council of Negro Women, National Civil Rights Museum and other organizations: PUSH, CORE, SCLC and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center.
Ms. Tyson is among the elite number of entertainers honored with a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. She was recognized for her contribution to the performing arts at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors. She is the recipient of the NAACP’s highest honor, the prestigious Spingarn Award. She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, the highest civilian award of the United States.
Since 1996, Ms. Tyson has served as the guiding force of the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts. This $143 million institution of academic and creative expression in East Orange, New Jersey serves 1,200 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. This cultural icon continues to develop her art as she takes on new roles and opportunities in her efforts to enlighten the human race.
While the rest of the TCM Classic Film Festival was down Hollywood Boulevard at the historic Chinese Theatre for the Opening Night Gala or at the Chinese Mann Theatres, a demograhically, well-represented audience experienced an extraordinary film emanated from a bet between legendary Hollywood director, Howard Hawks and one of my favorite literary heroes, Ernest Hemingway, a Nobel laureate. Prior to the screening, the audience was treated to a talk by film historian and film producer, Michael E. Uslan.
Uslan provided the audience with tidbits of information to stimulate and whetten the audience appetite for the main course. For instance, the film’s female lead, Lauren Bacall was nineteen years old and Humphrey Bogart, the film’s male lead was forty-five years old during the film’s production. A year later Bogart divorced his wife and married Bacall. They remained a couple until Bogart’s death in 1957.
Legend has Hawks gushing over Hemingway one night singing the writer’s praises until finally proclaiming he could make a good movie from Hemingway’s worst novel. Hemingway hemmed and hawed until finally giving Hawks To Have and Have Not. William Faulkner, a Nobel prize winning author himself, collaborated with Jules Furthman and is given/took credit for the screen adaptation of Hemingway’s novel. The film originally passed from Howard Hughes to Warner Bros where Hawks was able to bring the work to fruition.
The film follows the tried and true plot of Casablanca as the Vichy Government is harassing the populace while the Resistance is smuggling co-conspirators out of the country. The film is set in Martinque. The film’s opening mimics Casablanca with a somber non-diagetic beat and a map overlay the camera pushes in on to reveal the film’s setting. In juxtaposition, to the sobering non-diagetic pieces, Kansas City jazzman, Hoagy Carmichael leads an array of diagetic, upbeat, fun-spirited tunes on his piano. The costuming and production design are similar to Casablanca (excellent) while the lighting adds a bit more mystery with its use of shadows than Casablanca does.
Best by far, in my opinion, is the acting. Bogart and Bacall have an unspoken sexual tension that permates most, if not all of their scenes. The supporting cast of Walter Brennan, Delores Moran, Hoagy Carmichael, Sheldon Leonard and Marcel Dalio delivers with their spoken lines and physicalities that kept the audience rollicking when not mesmerized by Bogie and Bacall. Director of Photography Sid Hickox provided some nicely crafted frames, highlighting Bacall’s luminescent skin tone. Perc Westmore was credited with the film’s make-up.
One of the film’s lines is listed as a top 40 greatest film lines of all time by the American Film Institute. The sequence begins with Bacall delivering her line to Bogart’s character Steve, in the form of a rhetorical question. “You know how to Whistle don’t you Steve?…The second half brought the house down with claps and cheers.
To Have and Have Not, viewed during the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival at the historic Egyptian Theatre, is an exceptional film embodying this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival thematic logline: “Writing focuses visions, reflects our feelings and inspires great performances on both sides of the camera.” Highly recommended!
Off to a warm start here at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California!
I had the pleasure of chatting up TCM host, author, writer, director, producer and actress (the adjectives and accolades could literally go on and on – probably needs its own post), Illeana Douglas.
Having previously met Douglas at her book, I Blame Dennis Hopper: and Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies, signing, in 2016, and politely engaging periodically on twitter, my experience last night was comparable to catching up with that long lost, charismatic aunt we haven’t seen in years. Happy to hear about her forthcoming book, It Never Happened, tentatively scheduled for publication and release next year. She’s an extraordinary talent with a refreshing openness and keen sense of humor. And she promised It Never Happened parlays the “Other Stories” from her first title into stories, adventures and tales that never happened. (Wink. Wink) Keep an eye out for it! And, if you haven’t read I Blame Dennis Hopper yet, give it at least a “run through” until her new book, It Never Happened hits the shelves. But enough about Illeana Douglas for now…
The TCM Classic Film Festival Staff and Directors were out in full force for the 2018 Welcome Reception held at the Club TCM inside the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Wednesday, April 25th, 2018. TCM and FilmStruck General Manager, Jennifer Dorian, who was also recently named Executive Vice-President for Turner Portfolio 360 Brand Strategy, welcomed the guests explaining this year’s welcome would be a more casual affair focusing on creating and building relationships through conversation. Indeed!
Cocktails and soft drinks were provided with light appetizers.
This is a must see event! Check out the TCM Pressroom media release below. See you at the movies!
Acclaimed Actor and Activist Leonardo DiCaprio to Present Martin Scorsese with the Inaugural Robert Osborne Award at the TCM Classic Film Festival
Award Recognizes an Individual Who Has Significantly Contributed to Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Classic Films to Be Given Annually in Honor of TCM’s Iconic Host
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) today announced that Leonardo DiCaprio will present friend and frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese with the inaugural Robert Osborne Award as part of the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival. DiCaprio, an Academy Award-winning actor, producer, and philanthropist, has appeared in five of Scorsese’s films, beginning with 2002’s Gangs Of New York and most recently in Academy nominated 2013’s The Wolf Of Wall Street. DiCaprio will present the award to the world-renowned filmmaker for his decades-long commitment to the legacy and preservation of classic films. The award will be presented on April 26 during opening night of the Film Festival.
In 1990, Scorsese established The Film Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history. The foundation has funded the restoration of over 800 films, which are made accessible to the public globally. In addition, The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project has restored 31 films from 21 countries representing the rich diversity of world cinema.
The Robert Osborne Award will be given out annually at the TCM Classic Film Festival to a recipient whose work has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic films alive and thriving for generations to come.
About the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival
For the ninth consecutive year, thousands of movie lovers from around the globe will descend upon Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2018 festival is set to take place Thursday, April 26 – Sunday, April 29, 2018. 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 official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The festival’s official hotel and central gathering point for the ninth consecutive year will be The Hollywood Roosevelt 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 and the Egyptian Theatre, as well as other Hollywood venues.
Description of the 2018 festival theme Powerful Words: The Page Onscreen
Writing focuses visions, reflects our feelings and inspires great performances on both sides of the camera. Join us for the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival, celebrating the representation of the written word on the silver screen. From original screenplays to unique adaptations to portrayals of writers real and imagined, we will celebrate the foundation of great film: the written word.