The 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Two

Day 2 at the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival kicked off, as usual, with breakfast with friends at Mel's. It was a wonderful start to a fun day.

Later in the morning I paid a second visit to Larry Edmunds, as I hadn't had any time for browsing when I stopped by the previous day.

I picked up a copy of Ruta Lee's memoir when I found a signed copy on the shelf!

Hollywood Boulevard preparing for the red carpet that evening.

While walking back to my hotel I discovered the news about the existence of shuttle busses to the Legion Theater, which I hadn't heard about to that point. As mentioned previously, the shuttles made a big difference given both tight time schedules and the challenging uphill walk to get to the Legion.

Back in Club TCM at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, I admired this Orry-Kelly sketch for one of Bette Davis's gowns seen in DARK VICTORY (1939).

I also enjoyed a "Meet TCM" panel of behind-the-scenes TCM execs.

A big group of people who participate in the #TCMParty discussions on Twitter posed for this photo poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt. (Photo credit: Will McKinley.) The banner was in honor of #TCMParty cofounder Paula Guthat, who couldn't be at the festival this year.

My one regret in the weekend was not seeing Jane Seymour in person.  For my fellow fans, here's a photo of her on the red carpet that afternoon, courtesy of TCM.  We should all look so great at the age of 71!

After grabbing an early dinner it was time to get in line for the pre-Code JEWEL ROBBERY (1932), which was introduced by historian Cari Beauchamp.

I enjoyed JEWEL ROBBERY on TV years ago but felt it played much better with an audience; it seemed lighter and the oddball aspects, including marijuana (don't ask...), work better when seen with a laughing crowd. It was the perfect way to start off the festival!

My second film of the night was Preston Sturges' HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO (1944), which I'd not seen since I was a teenager.  It was introduced by producer Michael Uslan who did quite a nice job of it.

I hadn't been a particularly big fan of this movie as a teenager and enjoyed it much more on this go-round, although -- as always seems to happen with the second film on the first night of the festival -- I "zoned out" a bit in the middle section, so my memory of the plot is foggier than I would like. I plan to get out my Sturges DVD set and fast-forward to the middle soon and make sure I've seen the entire movie!

The above clip of Kay Francis in JEWEL ROBBERY played as we entered the theater during the course of the festival weekend. It was nice to be greeted by Kay on a giant screen each day!

Coming soon: Day Three of the festival, including a marvelous screening of THE JUNGLE BOOK (1967) with a discussion between Leonard Maltin and animator Floyd Norman.

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