The 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Four

Day 4 of the TCM Classic Film Festival on Saturday began with my first pair of films at the beautiful Hollywood Legion Theater.

A sold-out crowd packed the Legion for a little-known pre-Code starring Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, and Franchot Tone. I loved that when Tone appeared there was a light ripple of appreciative applause.  

THE WISER SEX wasn't anything particularly special but a great cast and a speedy 76-minute running time made it an enjoyable film and a pleasant start to the day.  I'd add that the Legion is an outstanding venue, with top-quality projection, sound, and seating.

Next up was WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951), which I had actually seen at the festival in 2019, with star Barbara Rush in attendance. I was delighted to revisit it with a presentation by festival favorites Ben Burtt and Craig Barron, who team annually to share the production history and special effects for beloved films.

I've previously seen their programs on films such as IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), TARZAN AND HIS MATE (1934), THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), and, in Lone Pine, GUNGA DIN (1939).

Sound designer Burtt treated us to a version of Sensurround he jokingly called "Bensurround," which had the theater rocking in the scenes when the world was blowing up and the spaceship took off. It was great fun and one of the most memorable screenings of the festival.

On Friday I hadn't had time to do more than eat the snacks I brought, but happily there was a hole in the middle of my five Saturday films which allowed time for a burger!

Next it was back to the Chinese Multiplex for a fun "B" mystery, THE CRIMSON CANARY (1945), introduced by Jeremy Arnold. It starred Noah Beery Jr., and what made this 64-minute movie particularly notable was the performances of musicians Coleman Hawkins and Josh White. It was almost as though a pair of musical shorts had been dropped into the middle of the movie, but it worked! What a great opportunity to watch them perform.

I was one of the last three people to get into the packed screening of SORRY, WRONG NUMBER (1948).  It was introduced by Eddie Muller and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, who seemed to be having a ball discussing the film together. (I saw Eddie introduce more films during the festival than any other TCM host.) This was my first time to see SORRY, WRONG NUMBER, with Barbara Stanwyck heading the cast, and I enjoyed it.

The last film of the day was UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1941) introduced by Sloan De Forest, author of TCM's THE ESSENTIAL DIRECTORS. This is a rare film starring Irene Dunne, Robert Montgomery, and Preston Foster which to my knowledge has never been released on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. (It's a Universal Pictures film I've been hoping might turn up from Kino Lorber some year.) I last saw it at UCLA a decade ago and very much enjoyed revisiting it.

Then it was time to return to the hotel and get ready for the final day of the festival, which always seems to come too soon!

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