The 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day One

The day before the TCM Classic Film Festival is always a fun day filled with shopping and socializing, and this year was no exception!

I arrived at festival headquarters, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, bright and early on a beautiful Wednesday morning.

Almost immediately I began running into friends from around the country, which for me is the biggest reason the festival is so special. It's a joyous reunion with my fellow members of the online classic film community.

I found one of my Tweets was already on the social media board in the hotel lobby! (Click this or any other photo to enlarge for a closer look.)

The first order of business was picking up my credential, which served as my passport to all the fun over the next few days, along with a copy of the official festival program.

I was delighted that this year's media bag included the brand-new book from TCM and Running Press, FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD: THE PRE-CODE ERA (1930-1934) by Mark Vieira. (As I blogged yesterday, in addition to his appearances at the TCM Festival and Larry Edmunds last week, Vieira will be at UCLA on April 26th.) The bag also included a TCM Backlot pin, a phone charger, and a 10th Anniversary bottle of wine from the TCM Wine Club.

After picking up my roommate KC from her LAX shuttle dropoff down the street, it was time for the annual shopping excursion at the TCM Boutique!

One of these lovely 10th Anniversary festival mugs is now in my collection!

There was a wide variety of merchandise available; I also came home with multiple TCM t-shirts.

Lunch at 25 Degrees at the Hollywood Roosevelt is always excellent; I especially love their onion rings!

Then it was time for check-in at the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel, where I stayed for the fifth year in a row. It continues to have super-clean rooms and friendly staff. Although breakfast is available, this was the first year I didn't eat breakfast there, as the 7:30 start time didn't fit my schedule; Friday through Sunday I grabbed breakfast in the Starbucks down the street at the Hollywood & Highland Center, around the corner from the Chinese Multiplex.

After check-in we returned to the Hollywood Roosevelt, where just as last year, a large group of bloggers and historians posed for a group shot in front of the TCM backdrop in the hotel lobby.

For the second year in a row, TCM replaced a traditional press conference with a media reception in Club TCM, located just off the hotel lobby.

The reception is a chance to greet TCM hosts and executives, along with some festival presenters, in a more informal setting. From left to right, TCM hosts Ben Mankiewicz, Alicia Malone, Eddie Muller, and Dave Karger:

Dave and Alicia with Leonard Maltin, who hosted several events at the festival. Mr. Maltin's recap of his festival experiences may be found at his website.

Dennis Miller and Alan K. Rode both hosted screenings at this year's festival:

Alicia Malone chats with my friend Aurora of Once Upon a Screen:

Ben and several of my friends seem to be enjoying their chat:

TCM General Manager Jennifer Dorian welcomes members of the media to the festival:

Muller, Mankiewicz, and Miller can be glimpsed chatting in this shot:

Many of my readers are likely familiar with the classic blogs written by these lovely ladies, Diana from Flickin' Out, Jessica from Comet Over Hollywood, Casey from Noir Girl, and KC from A Classic Movie Blog.

We continued to criss-cross the area and enjoyed a relaxing dinner with KC and Angela at Miceli's down the street before heading back to the Roosevelt for the final event of the day, the annual bloggers' party hosted by TCM.

L.A. area bloggers Marya of Cinema Fanatic and Kim of I See a Dark Theater in the Roosevelt lobby before the party:

The dark lighting where the party is held is such that clear photos are mostly possibly only when using a blinding flash...

...but here are a few dimly lit crowd shots! It's always great to catch up with friends from across the U.S., Canada, and the UK.

TCM produced a brief overview video for YouTube which includes many of my friends. Please take a look, as it captures some of the fun and joy which make the TCM Classic Film Festival so special.

Coming soon: Lots more pics from Day Two at the festival!