Tonight's Movie: The Prince & Me (2004) - A Paramount Pictures Blu-ray Review

Has it really been over two decades since THE PRINCE & ME (2004) was first released in theaters?!

This delightful romance, which spawned a trio of sequels -- albeit with a different lead actress -- was released on Blu-ray this past fall, and I was glad to have a chance to revisit the movie after many years via this review.

Luke Mably plays Crown Prince Edward of Denmark, a bored and somewhat irresponsible young man who decides on a change of scenery and heads to college in Wisconsin.

In that pre-social media age, "Eddie" successfully hides his true identity from his fellow students, despite being shadowed everywhere he goes by his valet Soren (Ben Miller). Eddie initially clashes with medical student Paige (Julia Stiles), but eventually he begins to show a more mature side, including getting a part-time job. When he helps Paige with a Shakespeare class and visits her family for Thanksgiving, they begin to grow close.

And then tabloid photographers track down Eddie, and Paige learns the truth. What's more, Eddie must return to Denmark, as his father (James Fox) is very ill and plans to abdicate.

Where will Eddie and Paige go from here?

THE PRINCE & Me is an engaging watch thanks to an enjoyable script and cast. It's not always completely probable -- i.e., would a dedicated medical student abandon her studies during the semester? -- but at the same time it's not as silly as it seems. After all, the current queen of Denmark, Mary, is originally from Australia, where she met a handsome man named Frederik in a pub during the Olympics. And then she learned he was the crown prince...

It's a shame that Mably and Stiles weren't reunited in the sequels, as they have a charming chemistry. They're entirely believable in their roles and are a large part of why the movie works as well as it does.

The movie is brightened by an amusing performance by Miller as Eddie's dour yet loyal righthand man; what he does with Eddie's dorm room alone is hilarious.  Kudos to the set designers for the transformation.

Miranda Richardson is also good as the steely queen, trying to protect her husband and push her son into growing up. Initially skeptical of Paige, her turnabout when she realizes Paige has played a significant role in Eddie becoming a more serious man is one of the best scenes in the film...especially when she then takes Paige on a tour of the royal jewel vault.

The movie also provides an interesting "so near and yet so far" look at life 20 years ago. No cell phones and social media; handwritten Bluebook tests; and students looking for rides home at Thanksgiving put signs up on bulletin boards rather than Facebook. In other words, rather as things were when I was in college!

THE PRINCE & ME runs 101 minutes. It was directed by Martha Coolidge from a script by Jack Amiel, Michael Begler, and Katherine Fugate, based on a story by Fugate and Mark Amin. Cinematography was by Alex Nepomniaschy, with location filming in Denmark and the Czech Republic. Canada stands in for Wisconsin.

The Blu-ray print is lovely, and the disc comes with plentiful extras: A trailer; a director commentary; an alternate ending and deleted scenes; three featurettes; and a gag reel.

The movie is rated PG; there's some passionate kissing but the film is appropriate for the entire family.

I've enjoyed THE PRINCE & ME now multiple times over the years and recommend it.

Thanks to Paramount Pictures and Allied Vaughn for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. THE PRINCE & ME may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Claude Jarman Jr. Dies at 90

Former child actor Claude Jarman Jr., who had an impressive career before retiring from acting in his early 20s, has died at the age of 90.

Jarman was discovered by director Clarence Brown, who cast him in THE YEARLING (1946). Jarman proved to be a talented, sensitive actor and received a special juvenile Oscar for his YEARLING performance.

Jarman made several more films before retiring from the big screen after appearing in Disney's THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE (1956) in his early 20s.

He worked in a couple TV shows later in his 20s but otherwise was offscreen until appearing as Earl Grebe in the TV miniseries CENTENNIAL (1979), his final acting role.

I was very fortunate to meet Jarman at the Lone Pine Film Festival in 2021 and 2022. In 2021 he attended festival screenings of RIO GRANDE (1950) and HANGMAN'S KNOT (1952), and in 2022 he introduced ROUGHSHOD (1949).

He's seen above in 2021 and below in 2022. Both photos were taken in the Lone Pine High School auditorium.

I especially appreciated Jarman's appearances in two favorite Westerns, the lesser-known ROUGHSHOD (1949)...

...and John Ford's classic RIO GRANDE (1950), where he played the son of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Jarman's work in RIO GRANDE included performing in the "Roman riding" sequence himself, along with Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr., rather than using a stunt double.

Jarman wrote a memoir, MY LIFE AND THE FINAL DAYS OF HOLLYWOOD, published by Covenant Books in 2018. I have a signed copy thanks to a kind friend.

Below, with Lloyd Nolan, Jeanette MacDonald, and Lassie in THE SUN COMES UP (1949).

Another great from the golden days of Hollywood has sadly passed from the scene, but his work will live on for as long as we watch "the movies."

He's seen above in THE OUTRIDERS with Joel McCrea and Arlene Dahl.

Reviews of Claude Jarman Jr. movies at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: THE SUN COMES UP (1949), THE OUTRIDERS (1950), ROUGHSHOD (1949) (also here), RIO GRANDE (1950).

Other notable Jarman films: INTRUDER IN THE DUST (1949), HANGMAN'S KNOT (1952), THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE (1956).

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Tonight's Movie: A Biltmore Christmas (2023) - A Hallmark Blu-ray Review

A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS (2023), which I can attest is one of the finest Christmas films from the Hallmark Channel, was just released on Blu-ray.

The movie received a lot of buzz on social media last year, and it's easy to understand why; it's also easy to see why Hallmark chose this as one of just a couple Blu-ray releases from their 2023 lineup of Christmas films, when most of their movies are only released on DVD.

Bethany Joy Lenz (SNOWED-INN CHRISTMAS) plays Lucy, a screenwriter commissioned to write a remake of a late '40s classic Christmas film, HIS MERRY WIFE!

The producer (Tommy Cresswell) sends Lucy on a Christmastime visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, where the original movie was filmed. He hopes the visit will help inspire Lucy's writing, especially as he disagrees with her inclination to use a more somber ending than was seen in the original film.

Thanks to a magical hourglass at the estate, Lucy finds herself taking trips back to December 1947, when the original movie was being filmed at the Biltmore. She gets to know the entire cast, including up-and-coming leading man Jack Huston (Kristoffer Polaha); more accurately, in a very short time frame Lucy falls in love with Jack. But she must return to the future...and then the hourglass breaks.

And what about the fact that Jack is reported to have died on Christmas Eve, 1948, never knowing HIS MERRY WIFE! became a beloved Christmas classic?

A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS is 84 minutes of Christmas movie bliss, thanks to a clever, well-written script by Marcy Holland and direction by John Putch. The movie tugs at the emotions in the best ways, and it's also quite amusing.

When Lucy exclaims "I watch a ton of Turner Classic Movies and the Criterion Collection!" to a very baffled Jack I laughed out loud. There are a number of other fun references, including shout-outs to Veronica Lake and BACK TO THE FUTURE.

Lenz and Polaha are marvelous, attractive leads who completely sell their quick attraction and love. An excellent supporting cast is topped by actor-director Jonathan Frakes (STAR TREK) as the Biltmore's mysterious staffer.

Near the end of the movie it's fun to see Mary Beth McDonough (Erin of THE WALTONS) pop up directing the remake of HIS MERRY WIFE! McDonough has a history with Hallmark; she was in CHRISTMAS ON HONEYSUCKLE LANE (2018), which she also scripted based on her own novel, and she appeared in last year's HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A CHIEFS LOVE STORY (2024).  (Update: Thanks to reader Ashley for reminding me of another fun connection: Jonathan Frakes played Erin Walton's beau, Ashley Longworth Jr., on THE WALTONS.)

There are delightful cameos by Rachel Boston and Wes Brown as the stars of the remake, and when one of them exclaims that it will be better than CHECK INN TO CHRISTMAS that got another laugh from me, as they costarred in that film a few years ago.

A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS was lovingly filmed by Andrew Rawson. Much of the movie was filmed at the Biltmore Estate.

Hallmark's Blu-ray is a lovely widescreen print. There are no extras, but the disc does include optional English subtitles.

This film is a "keeper" likely to become a beloved Christmas classic in its own right. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Hallmark for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's TV: Columbo (1975): "Troubled Waters," "Playback," "A Deadly State of Mind" - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

It's been quite a while since my last COLUMBO post, owing to extensive travel last fall along with numerous movie screeners to review, but I'm happy to have recently watched a trio of good episodes from 1975.

"Troubled Waters," "Playback," and "A Deadly State of Mind" concluded Season 4. There are three seasons left to go in the Kino Lorber "Columbo - The 1970s" boxed Blu-ray set, which runs through Season 7.

As an aside, Season 7 concluded in 1978. Kino Lorber has a second boxed set, "Columbo - The Return," containing episodes which aired between 1989 and 2003. I'll be watching and reviewing episodes from that set immediately after concluding this original collection.

Of the three most recently watched episodes, I especially loved "Troubled Waters," much of which was filmed on an actual cruise ship.

Actor Ben Gazzara directed "Troubled Waters," with filming by William Cronjager, based on a screenplay by William Driskill. Driskill created the story with Jackson Gillis.

"Troubled Waters" boasts a terrific cast, including Robert Vaughn, Jane Greer, Patrick MacNee, and Dean Stockwell. It was a particular treat for me to see Greer, playing Vaughn's wealthy wife; my only complaint is I wanted to see more of her!

Vaughn plays an unfaithful husband who bumps off his mistress, a shipboard entertainer, when she blackmails him. He doesn't want his wife to find out and lose access to her deep bank account.

MacNee is also fun as the ship's captain who initially has impatience with Columbo but is cooperative.

The cruise ship has a deliciously '70s look, with lots of orange decor and wood paneling. The behavior is very '70s too -- especially the young nurse (Susan Damante) on watch in the ship's infirmary smoking while reading her book!

The next episode, "Playback," was directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and filmed by Richard C. Glouner from a script by David P. Lewis and Booker Bradshaw.

As we've seen in other episodes, conflict in family businesses often leads to murder, and that's the case here when inventor Harold Van Wick (Oskar Werner) bumps off his mother-in-law (Martha Scott), who plans to fire him from her company.

This episode again has some interesting aspects, including the late Oscar-nominated actress Gena Rowlands -- an offscreen friend of Falk's -- as Van Wick's wheelchair-bound wife Elizabeth.

Van Wick has built Elizabeth an early form of "smart house" where clapping opens doors and video monitors are everywhere.

Van Wick seems genuinely fond of his wife, but not enough to stop himself from setting up an elaborate plan to kill her mother. Like past killers on the show, he somewhat gives away the game by getting increasingly testy with Columbo. The show's irony is that while the home's various features help Van Wick set up the murder, they also lead Columbo to catch him.

I was frankly unfamiliar with Werner but learned he was a Best Actor Oscar nominee for SHIP OF FOOLS (1965). Scott was also a past Oscar nominee, for OUR TOWN (1940), so the guest cast was certainly loaded with talent.

Other interesting cast members were Herbert Jefferson Jr., fondly remembered by some of us as Boomer on the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978-78); Robert Brown of HERE COME THE BRIDES (1968-70); and Patricia Barry, a busy working actress I especially recall for a favorite MAVERICK episode, "Two Beggars on Horseback" (1959).

The final episode of the season, "A Deadly State of Mind," finds a psychiatrist (George Hamilton) accidentally killing the husband (Stephen Elliott) of his lover Nadia (Lesley Ann Warren).

Dr. Collier (Hamilton) and Nadia lie to Columbo, blaming the murder on robbers, but Columbo feels the story doesn't add up from the start.

Dr. Collier, fearing the emotionally unstable Nadia will crack and tell the truth, hypnotizes her into killing herself.

This was quite an interesting story, written by Peter S. Fischer and directed by Harvey Hart, with photography by Earl Rath.

The show, incidentally, did some exterior filming at Pepperdine University. I loved the interior set of Dr. Collier's lab, with its striking multicolored striped floors and doors.

There was a particularly brilliant scene where Columbo holds court among Dr. Collier's party guests, laying out some of his concerns about the case as Collier listens -- and then picks up the phone to trigger Nadia's high drive off a balcony.

I also loved a moment in which Columbo confronted Collier's colleague, Dr. Borden (Karen Machon), and we actually see him get angry, a relatively rarity on the series. I only wish it hadn't cut to commercial there in the original airing; we never get to directly see the results of their conversation.

Bruce Kirby (father of Bruno) shows up again as Sergeant Kramer, one of a handful of times he played the role.

As always, Kino Lorber's Blu-ray discs look sharp and sound great -- a very enjoyable way to watch the series.

Next up: Season 5, starting with one of the most lauded episodes of the series, "Forgotten Lady" (1975), guest starring Janet Leigh and John Payne.

Previous COLUMBO review posts: "Murder By the Book" (1971), "Death Lends a Hand" (1971), "Dead Weight" (1971), "Suitable for Framing" (1971), "Lady in Waiting" (1971), "Short Fuse" (1972), "Blueprint for Murder" (1972), "Etude in Black" (1972), "The Greenhouse Jungle" (1972), "The Most Crucial Game" (1972), "Dagger of the Mind" (1972), "Requiem for a Falling Star" (1973), "A Stitch in Crime" (1973), "The Most Dangerous Match" (1973), "Double Shock" (1973), "Lovely But Lethal" (1973), "Any Old Port in a Storm" (1973), "Candidate for Crime" (1973), "Double Exposure" (1973); "Publish Or Perish" (1974), "Mind Over Mayhem" (1974), "Swan Song" (1974), "A Friend in Deed" (1974), "An Exercise in Fatality" (1974), "Negative Reaction" (1974), "By Dawn's Early Light" (1974).

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray set.

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Tonight's Movie: Cattle Drive (1951) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

One of my favorite Joel McCrea Westerns, CATTLE DRIVE (1951), was recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Along with SADDLE TRAMP (1950), CATTLE DRIVE was one of the first films which introduced me to Joel McCrea as a young viewer watching "old movies" on local commercial television.

The movie reunited McCrea with his costar from the previous year's superb STARS IN MY CROWN (1950), Dean Stockwell. They have a wonderful rapport which helps make CATTLE DRIVE shine.

Stockwell plays bratty Chester Graham Jr., son of a wealthy train owner (Leon Ames). Circumstances result in Chester being stranded in the desert when he steps off his father's train while it's taking on water, but fortunately he's rescued by Dan Mathews (McCrea).

Chester ends up working with Dan on a cattle drive until he can be reunited with his father. While he's initially sullen, eventually Dan and the cook (Chill Wills) get through to "Chet," as they call him, and Chet comes to enjoy life among the cowboys. It proves to be a life-changing experience which positively impacts Chet's character.

I wrote about this film in great depth for my Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column in December 2021, and I'd like to refer readers to that column for a much more detailed take on the movie. Suffice it to say that while CATTLE DRIVE may not be a top classic film, it's one I dearly love, so I'm very happy the movie will reach new audiences via Blu-ray.

CATTLE DRIVE was released on an attractive DVD in the TCM Vault collection over a dozen years ago, but that set is now out of print, making Kino Lorber's new Blu-ray release especially welcome.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print looks very good, showing off the movie's Universal Technicolor to its best advantage. Sound quality is excellent.

Extras are unusually minimal for a Kino Lorber release, consisting of eight trailers for other Westerns available from Kino Lorber, some of which also star Joel McCrea. The disc does provide optional English subtitles.

CATTLE DRIVE runs 77 minutes. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and filmed by Maury Gertsman. The script was by Lillie Hayward and Jack Natteford. The supporting cast includes Griff Barnett, Bob Steele, and Henry Brandon.

CATTLE DRIVE is highly recommended as terrific viewing for Western fans and families alike.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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Tonight's Movies: Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 4 - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 4 set was released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection in late November.

This set consists of 25 cartoons plus two "bonus" cartoons restored in high definition, for a grand total of 27 cartoons.

These animated shorts span the years 1937 to 1964. All titles are listed at the bottom of this post.

I previously purchased the Collector's Choice Vol. 1 collection, then reviewed Volumes 2 and 3 in January and April of last year.

All four sets, including the latest Vol. 4, have brought me great pleasure. I enjoy watching them, along with the Warner Archive's Tex Avery and Popeye Blu-ray sets, as "intros" before watching a full-length film, in the manner of old-time classic movie houses.

As was the case with the previous sets, the cartoons may be chosen by title or played in alphabetical order simply by hitting "Play All."

Also as with the other sets, plenty of cartoon favorites are represented in the collection, including Daffy Duck, Tweety and Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, the Road Runner, and more.

One of my favorites, STREAMLINED GRETA GREEN (1937), seems like a forerunner of CARS (2006); I adored the mother packing the little car's "lunch" of oil and water. I also especially loved THE SNEAZING WEASEL (1938), in which the titular villain is foiled by baby chicks.

My favorites tend to be the oldest cartoons from the '30s and '40s, which I feel have a richer look, but they're all gorgeous. The color, especially in the opening credits, dazzles!

There are no extras in this set, but the extensive list of cartoons included in this collection will delight animation fans, and I recommend it.

The complete list of all 27 cartoons contained in Vol. 4, listed in alphabetical order: ALONG CAME DAFFY (1947), A BONE FOR A BONE (1951), THE CAGEY CANARY (1941), D' FIGHTIN' ONES (1961), DANGEROUS DAN MCFOO (1939), DEVIL'S FEUD CAKE (1963), DOUBLE CHASER (1942), DOUBLE OR MUTTON (1955), FOX POP (1942), HENHOUSE HENERY (1949), HOLIDAY FOR DRUMSTICKS (1949), HOPALONG CASUALTY (1960), HYDE AND GO TWEET (1960), THE IMPATIENT PATIENT (1942), LEGHORN SWOGGLED (1951), MEATLESS FLYDAY (1944), MOUSE-WARMING (1952), THE MOUSE-MERIZED CAT (1946), MUSCLE TUSSLE (1953), MUZZLE TOUGH (1954), PECK UP YOUR TROUBLES (1945), QUACK SHOT (1954), THE ROAD TO ANDALAY (1964), THE SNEAZING WEASEL (1938), STREAMLINED GRETA GREEN (1937) plus "bonus cartoons" LIGHTER THAN HARE (1960) and STORK NAKED (1955).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...Coming March 25th from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: THE GLASS WEB (1953) starring Edward G. Robinson. Kino Lorber has announced an impressive special edition presentation which will include two different ways to watch the film in 3D, along with a standard 2D presentation.

..."Coming soon" from Kino Lorber: THE COUNTESS OF MONTE CRISTO (1934) starring Fay Wray and Paul Lukas.

...Toby reviews the new 4K/Blu-ray release of THE SEARCHERS (1956) at his site 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...CineSavant Glenn Erickson's latest reviews include Humphrey Bogart in SAHARA (1943) from Powerhouse Indicator and NORA PRENTISS (1947) from the Warner Archive Collection. The latter film was reviewed here a few days ago.

...Thanks to Chris Yogerst for making me aware of a book which looks quite interesting, BOOK AND DAGGER: HOW SCHOLARS AND LIBRARIANS BECAME THE UNLIKELY SPIES OF WORLD WAR II. It's by Elyse Graham, published by Harper Collins' Ecco imprint last September.

...I enjoyed looks back at 2024 viewing at Comet Over Hollywood and Phyllis Loves Classic Movies.

...Clint Eastwood's JUROR #2 (2024) is due out on Blu-ray February 4, 2025. Hopefully it will be more affordable than the initial "placeholder" price listed at Amazon.

...Screening at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills on April 22nd: FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956), along with two restored Puppetoon shorts - and an appearance by Robby the Robot! This is early in the week of this year's TCM Classic Film Festival so out-of-town attendees might want to try to fit it in.

...Coming to UCLA Film & Television Archive's Billy Wilder Theater on January 25th: A free screening of two COLUMBO episodes, "Murder By the Book" (1971) and "Double Shock" (1973).

...It will be a long time before we tally all of the losses from the ongoing horrific fire situation in the greater Los Angeles area, but two historic homes we currently know are lost are the Will Rogers Estate and the Zane Grey Estate. (We are doing fine in Orange County. Our daughter's apartment was too close for comfort to the Hollywood Hills fire, causing her to evacuate in case things got worse, but thankfully it was put out after a few hours last Wednesday night.)

...Notable Passing: I was greatly saddened this week to learn of the passing of Michael Schlesinger, a former Sony executive and champion of classic films and film festivals. He's also heard on numerous Blu-ray commentary tracks. Schlesinger was 74. I couldn't count how many screenings I've seen him at over the years; I particularly remember when we were the first ones in the Egyptian Theatre prior to a screening of NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) in January 2020 and enjoyed a nice chat. He's seen here in a photo I took at opening night of the 2019 Noir City Film Festival with Alan K. Rode (left) and Christa Faust.  (January 13th Update: Here is an obituary by Mike Barnes of The Hollywood Reporter.)

...More Notable Passings: Former child actor Johnny Russell has passed on at the age of 91. His films included JESSE JAMES (1939), SABOTAGE (1939), THE BLUE BIRD (1940), and THE MAN I MARRIED (1940). (He's seen here with Joan Bennett in THE MAN I MARRIED.) He went on to serve as an Air Force pilot and had a long career in the U.S. Foreign Service...Editor and producer George Folsey Jr., son of cinematographer George Folsey, has died at 85...Busy working actor John Capodice has died at 83...Actress Linda Lavin has died at 87...Character actress Gwen Van Dam has passed away at 96...Bob Laemmle of Hollywood's famed Laemmle family, who ran the Laemmle movie theater chain, has passed on at 89...TV director Harvey Laidman, who directed 11 episodes of THE WALTONS, as well as episodes of many other shows, has died at 82.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my December 28th column.

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The 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Five

All too soon it was April 21st, the final day of movies at the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival.

My four-film day started off with a DCP showing of the world premiere of the restoration of LAW AND ORDER (1932), introduced by Brendan Connell Jr. of the Academy. I really enjoyed this gritty film, one of three Westerns I saw at the 2024 festival.

I wrote at some length about my experiences seeing all three Westerns, also including WESTWARD THE WOMEN (1951) and THE SEARCHERS (1956), in my Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column and invite readers to click over and check it out.

Next up was THE BIG HEAT (1953), which I'd seen a few years previously at the 2017 Noir City Hollywood festival. As is sometimes the case, I chose it as it worked best for me to be in place later in the day for an important screening -- plus it's a terrific film!

THE BIG HEAT, starring Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame, was shown in a DCP print, introduced by Eddie Muller and Mario Cantone.

The world premiere of the 70mm restoration of THE SEARCHERS (1956) at the Egyptian Theatre was one of the most highly anticipated screenings of the festival. I had toyed with the idea of seeing CHINATOWN (1974) at the Chinese Theatre, but in the end I couldn't stay away from one of the greatest Westerns -- greatest movies -- ever made. And as seen below, it drew a huge crowd, here waiting in the Egyptian forecourt.

As I wrote in my Classic Movie Hub column, seeing the restoration on the Egyptian's huge screen was a profoundly moving experience.

THE SEARCHERS was introduced by director Alexander Payne, seen below, with Patrick Wayne in the audience to watch his father and his younger self in all the movie's restored glory. (Press photo of Alexander Payne courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.)

As I have many years, I ended the festival with a silent movie with a live orchestra. Buster Keaton's SHERLOCK JR. (1924) was introduced by Jacqueline Stewart accompanied by the short THE GOAT (1921). Both shown in DCP format with live music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, and they were delighful. There were a couple moments in THE GOAT which found me laughing out loud.

Although I wasn't at this screening, I also want to share these absolutely great TCM press photos of Billy Dee Williams at the festival, looking great at 87:

Williams introduced his films LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972) and THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS AND MOTOR KINGS (1976). He'll always be "Lando Calrissian" for some of us!

I also particularly regretted not seeing a favorite actress, Diane Lane, at the festival; there are so many options at the festival it's impossible to do it all! Below, a TCM press photo of the charming actress, who chatted with Ben Mankiewicz on Saturday prior to a showing of A LITTLE ROMANCE (1979).

All too soon it was time for the closing night reception, held in Club TCM and also poolside, where I snapped legendary Disney animator Floyd Norman:

A packed crowd to say goodbye inside Club TCM:

The 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival is coming April 24th through 27th. Please visit this post for complete details; as new announcements are made they will all be linked at the bottom of the post. Stay tuned for complete coverage!

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The 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Four

My Day Four of the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival, on April 20th, began with a DCP screening of DIRTY HARRY (1971) in the Chinese Multiplex.

Over the last few years I've become increasingly interested in Clint Eastwood's career, including seeing ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (1979) at the 2019 TCM Festival. Seeing DIRTY HARRY let me check another Eastwood film off my list.

Although it was a little more violent than most movies I watch, I quite enjoyed it and even watched MAGNUM FORCE (1973) later in the year. Prior to the film Eddie Muller interviewed Andrew "Andy" Robinson, DIRTY HARRY's memorable villain.

Several years ago I met Robinson at a festival in Palm Springs, and he was as nice as could be; I had the chance to tell him that as a teenager I'd seen him on stage in a production of THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER with James Whitmore and he immediately exclaimed "Long Beach! Jessica Walter!"

It was interesting to learn that Robinson's own son is the little boy in the film's climactic scene - and what's more, Eddie Muller's older sister has a bit part in the movie as the mayor's secretary! It was a terrific interview. Muller and Robinson are seen below. (Press photos above and below courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.)

Next it was over to the Egyptian, where I saw Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in the THE MAD MISS MANTON (1938). I chose that movie partly as the time and location would work well for the next screening, which was important to me to attend. Choices at the TCM Festival are made for many different reasons!

THE MAD MISS MANTON was shown in 35mm, introduced by Donald Bogle. (Press photo of Bogle, below, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.) The movie was good fun, and seeing it with a packed house made it all the better.

Next up was one of my all-time favorite films, WESTWARD THE WOMEN (1951), shown in 35mm.

As I waited for WESTWARD THE WOMEN, I chanced to spot Diane Baker (MARNIE, MIRAGE) in front of the Egyptian, looking as glamorous as ever:

WESTWARD THE WOMEN was specifically picked by film historian Jeanine Basinger to be shown when she was presented with the 2024 Robert Osborne Award. (Press photo of Basinger below courtesy Turner Classic Movies.) I wrote extensively about seeing this film, along with Sunday's screenings of LAW AND ORDER (1932) and THE SEARCHERS (1956), in my June 2024 Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column and I invite readers to click over to check it out.

The final showing for me on Friday was a DCP 30th anniversary screening of another favorite film, LITTLE WOMEN (1994), with Alicia Malone hosting writer-director Robin Swicord (second from right) and Eric Stoltz, Samantha Mathis, and Trini Alvarado. (Press photo courtesy Turner Classic Movies.)

I feel LITTLE WOMEN is one of the finest films of recent decades, and it's always a pleasure to revisit it. Seeing several cast members before the movie made it a truly memorable experience.

Coming soon, Day Five, the final day of the 2024 festival.

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