I Like to Watch TV: April 2011

TCM Press Release
Release Date: 4/7/2011

Club TCM to Offer Celebrities, Expert Panels, Exhibits, Music and More During 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival

Exclusive Gathering Spot for Festival Passholders to Feature Appearances by Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Marni Nixon, Marge Champion, Debbie Allen, Peter Guber and Brett Ratner

Legendary stars, fascinating presentations, panel discussions, live music and special exhibits are just a few of the exciting experiences on tap for Club TCM, the central gathering spot for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. Located in the Blossom Room at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the site of the very first Academy Awards® ceremony, Club TCM will be open throughout the festival, giving passholders a place to relax, meet new friends and mingle with special guests. Among those scheduled to appear are Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Marni Nixon, Marge Champion, Debbie Allen, Peter Guber, Brett Ratner and graphic artist Michael Schwab, as well as TCM host Robert Osborne and weekend-daytime host Ben Mankiewicz.

Club TCM will be open exclusively to passholders from noon to midnight each day during the festival, which takes place April 28 – May 1. Rooney and Reynolds will each make appearances to chat with fans and sign DVDs, and Caron will be interviewed by film historian and professor Foster Hirsch before signing copies of her new autobiography, Thank Heaven: A Memoir.

Nixon, whose legendary soprano voice provided the singing for such stars as Natalie Wood in West Side Story (1961) and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady (1964), will join vocalists Jimmy Bryant (West Side Story) and India Adams (The Band Wagon) for a “Voice Doubles” panel, moderated by film critic Pete Hammond. Champion and Allen, along with director-choreographer Vincent Paterson (Viva Elvis!), will take part in a panel on dance in the movies, moderated by author and Academy of Dance on Film co-founder Larry Billman. And graphic artist Michael Schwab will sign posters with the exclusive artwork he created for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Several expert presenters will regale movie fans with in-depth looks at a variety of topics related to Hollywood history. Film historian and documentary filmmaker Kevin Brownlow, recent recipient of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Award, will discuss his lifelong passion for silent cinema. Noted author and historian Donald Bogle will discuss the role of African-Americans during the studio era in a visual presentation based on his book Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood. Award-winning filmmakers Joan Kramer and David Heely will talk about the making of their acclaimed documentaries on the lives of Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn. And filmmaker Barry Avrich will chronicle the life and work of legendary Hollywood photographer Jack Pashkovsky.

Additional panel discussions include “TCM: Meet the People Behind the Network,” a chance for fans to meet the people who make the magic at TCM; “The Best Trailers Ever Made: The Art of Selling Movies,” moderated by renowned Hollywood marketing exec Terry Press; and “Can the Magic Continue? The Art of the Sequel,” featuring producer-studio exec Peter Guber and producer-director Brett Ratner, with moderator Pete Hammond.

Three exhibits will grace the Club TCM area. A collection of never-before-seen Jack Pashkovsky photos of Hollywood stars in candid settings will offer a remarkable glimpse of their lives beyond the tight control of the studio publicity departments. Fifteen rare, authentic movie posters from classic musicals will be on display. The posters have been chosen from the collection of award-winning poster designer and art director Mike Kaplan. And a special exhibit will showcase the hand and footprints of Sid Grauman, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks on the three original sidewalk slabs from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, presented in public for the first time in nearly two decades. The blocks represent the birth of a Hollywood tradition that will be carried on by Peter O’Toole when he adds his prints to the Grauman courtyard.

Club TCM will also be the site of several celebrations, including a welcome party on opening night, a dance party featuring band Delco Nightingale and a closing night party with Prohibition and Depression-era songs performed by the retro band DOOZY. A complete schedule of events is attached.

In addition to Club TCM, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will be the site of the TCM Stage, located in the lobby of the hotel. TCM’s Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz will tape several segments from the TCM Stage as they chat with special guests and fans who have traveled from far and wide to attend the festival.

Also serving as a festival gathering spot will be the Time Warner 4G Lounge in the courtyard of the Egyptian Theatre. Open 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Friday, April 29 – Sunday, May 1, the Time Warner 4G Lounge will be a great place to check email and post social-network updates. Passholders can also watch great films free on demand in the lounge as they wait to catch the next screening.

About the TCM Classic Film Festival
The multi-faceted TCM Classic Film Festival – which runs from April 28 – May 1, 2011, in Hollywood – will be packed with more than 70 screenings, as well as special introductions, guest appearances, panel discussions and more. Time Warner Cable joins as an official partner, and Vanity Fair once again joins TCM as a festival partner. The magazine will produce the exclusive, opening-night after-party that will follow the red-carpet gala screening of An American in Paris. Delta is the official airline partner for the festival.

TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne will serve as official host of the festival. Peter O’Toole, Kirk Douglas, Warren Beatty, Leslie Caron, Roger Corman, Mariel Hemingway, Angela Lansbury, Jerry Mathers, Hayley Mills, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Richard Roundtree, Barbara Rush, Alec Baldwin, Illeana Douglas, Rose McGowan, Ron Perlman and Nancy and Tina Sinatra are just a few of the notables slated to appear during the festival. Throughout the festival, TCM will celebrate movie music, with multi-film tributes to George and Ira Gershwin, composer Bernard Herrmann and singing cowboy Roy Rogers. In collaboration with D23, The Official Disney Fan Club, the festival will also celebrate the musical legacy of Walt Disney, including his Silly Symphonies and Laugh-O-Gram shorts.

The extraordinary slate for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival includes Reds (1981), Pennies from Heaven (1981), Manhattan (1979), Network (1976), Taxi Driver (1976), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Shaft (1971), Girl Happy (1965), Becket (1964), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), Goldfinger (1964), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), West Side Story (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Spartacus (1960), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), La Dolce Vita (1960), The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), A Place in the Sun (1951), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Royal Wedding (1951), All About Eve (1950), The Third Man (1949), Gaslight (1944), Cabin in the Sky (1943), The Constant Nymph (1943), Went the Day Well? (1942), Citizen Kane (1941), Fantasia (1940), Dodsworth (1936), Hoop-La (1933), The Mummy (1932), The Cameraman (1928), The Merry Widow (1925) and many more. TCM is dedicated to showcasing the best possible projection, including digital, 35mm and 70mm prints. Many of the films presented during the TCM Classic Film Festival have been digitally restored and remastered.

Additional information, including a list of programming and events slated for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival, is available [below].

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards ceremony, will once again serve as the official hotel for the festival, as well as home to Club TCM, a central gathering point for attendees. The Hollywood Roosevelt will also offer special rates for festival goers. Screenings and events will be held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Multiplex and the Egyptian Theatre. The latest venue added to the TCM Classic Film Festival is the historic Music Box Theatre, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2011.

About TCM
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 85 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, www.tcm.com. TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Schedule

Thursday, April 28
Noon – Michael Schwab, creator of the key artwork for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival, will sign posters.

1 p.m. – “TCM: Meet the People Behind the Network” – One of the more popular panels from last year is back, giving fans the chance to learn more about some of the people working behind-the-scenes to bring you the programming, the original productions and the creative look of the network. This is an excellent opportunity for fans to find out more about the inner workings of TCM and what it takes to make the magic happen.

2:30 p.m. – Mickey Rooney personal appearance and DVD signing

4:30 p.m. – “The Man Who Shot Hollywood: Jack Pashkovsky” – Barry Avrich, filmmaker, will share the story of Jack Pashkovsky, who took rare and candid photographs while employed at several Hollywood studios in the 1930s and ‘40s. Avrich will share his reminiscences of Pashkovsky, whose work will be publicly displayed for the first time in Club TCM.

5 p.m. – Festival Welcome Party

Friday, April 29
12:30 p.m. – Debbie Reynolds personal appearance and DVD signing

2 p.m. – “The Best Trailers Ever Made: the Art of Selling Motion Pictures” –Terry Press, one of Hollywood’s most respected marketing executives, leads a panel of her colleagues in a look at what it takes to create successful trailers, a key element to marketing any film’s marketing campaign. They will discuss how trailers first developed and how they have changed over time, becoming what many people consider to be a vital part of the movie-going experience.

Moderator:
Terry Press has been one of Hollywood’s most respected marketing executives for more than two decades through her company, 7570, Inc., as well as previously with DreamWorks and Disney. Her marketing campaigns include such films as Across the Universe (2007), Doubt (2008) and Julie & Julia (2009).

Panelists:
Benedict Coulter is founder of the agency Trailer Park. Since 2010, he has served as a marketing consultant for The Weinstein Company. He has worked on campaigns ranging from Jurassic Park (1993) to Avatar (2009).
David Sameth has produced numerous creative campaigns for films like Field of Dreams (1989), Do the Right Thing (1989), Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Old School (2003). He is the senior vice president of marketing at The Walt Disney Company, where he recently supervised the campaign for Toy Story 3 (2010).
Michelle Jackino, currently executive creative director at the agency The Ant Farm, has worked on numerous campaigns, including for American Beauty (1999), Gladiator (2000), The Departed (2006) and Rango (2011).

4 p.m. – “A Conversation with Leslie Caron” – The actress will be interviewed by film historian and professor Foster Hirsch. Following the conversation, Caron will sign copies of her new autobiography, Thank Heaven: A Memoir.

Saturday, April 30
12:30 p.m. – “A Conversation with Kevin Brownlow” – The renowned filmmaker, film historian and 2010 recipient of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Award will discuss his films, career and lifelong passion for silent cinema.

2:30 p.m. – “Voice Doubles” – They sang the songs that made film soundtracks memorable – some credited, others not. Voice doubles have a venerable tradition in movie making. This panel will feature three vocal stars whose work can be heard in some of the greatest musicals of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, when songs were often sung by “ghosts.” They will discuss how studios tried to keep their important contributions a secret.

Moderator:
Pete Hammond is a longtime film critic for Boxoffice Magazine. He is also a columnist for Deadline Hollywood and Movieline.com. He has earned five Emmy® nominations for his television writing.

Panelists:
Marni Nixon is a noted soprano and Emmy winner who was the voice double for Deborah Kerr in The King and I (1956), Natalie Wood in West Side Story (1961) and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady (1964), among others.
Jimmy Bryant is an arranger, orchestrator and singer who was the voice double for Richard Beymer in West Side Story (1961).
India Adams has been a popular singer for over 60 years in radio, TV and theater. Her singing voice has been used for Cyd Charisse in The Band Wagon (1953) and Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar (1954).

4:30 p.m. – “Fred and Kate: Behind the Scenes with Joan Kramer and David Heeley” – For more than two decades, starting with their award-winning profile of Fred Astaire in 1980, Joan Kramer and David Heeley have documented the lives and careers of many Hollywood legends. In doing so, they have established a reputation for finding the unfindable, persuading the reluctant and maintaining unique relationships long after the end credits have rolled. Their productions includeFred Astaire: Puttin’ on His Top Hat (1980), Fred Astaire: Change Partners and Dance (1980), The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (1986)and Katharine Hepburn: All About Me (1993), among many others. In this special event, Kramer and Heeley will illustrate their stories about Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn with fascinating behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes and a special surprise for Astaire buffs.

9 p.m. – Delco Nightingale – Hailing from Philadelphia, Delco Nightingale revisits the sounds of big-band, jazz and swing standards, including many hits featured in festival films. It’s a great chance to dance all night.

Sunday, May 1
12:30 p.m. – “Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood” with author Donald Bogle – Historian, author and frequent TCM contributor Donald Bogle will present an eye-opening examination of the origins of black Hollywood during the studio era, revealing the lives of African-Americans in the early film industry and how they fought to make a place for themselves. Some began as servants to the stars, while others climbed their way up from bit parts. Also revealed are the lifestyles of this community, such as their social activities and which parts of town were open or closed to them. This illuminating talk, covering the silent era to talkies and beyond, includes discussions about the careers of performers like Stepin Fetchit, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Louise Beavers, Hattie McDaniel, Lena Horne, Nat “King” Cole and black Hollywood’s greatest star of the classic era, Dorothy Dandridge.

2:30 p.m. – “Dancing in the Movies” – Dancing has kept film audiences spellbound for decades. This esteemed panel of dance greats will review the history of dance in film and its impact on moviemaking and audiences, as well as what its like to choreograph for – and dance in – the movies. In addition to the panel, Club TCM will feature an extensive exhibit of vintage movie posters from classic musicals.

Moderator:
Larry Billman, dancer, author, historian and co-founder of The Academy of Dance on Film, is the author of Film Choreographers and Dance Directors. Published in 1997, the book was the first encyclopedia on the subject.

Panelists:
Debbie Allen is an Emmy-winning choreographer, actress, stage and screen director and producer. She has choreographed for artists such as Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. She was also responsible for choreographing the Academy Awards 10 times.
Marge Champion is a dancer and choreographer who began her career as a live-action model for Snow White (1937), the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940) and the hippopotamus ballerina in Fantasia (1940). She and her husband, Gower Champion, were legendary for their appearances in many musicals produced in the 1950s at MGM. She last appeared on Broadway in the 2001 revival of Follies.
Vincent Paterson is a director, choreographer and dancer whose wide-ranging career includes Broadway, films, concert tours, opera and music videos. Among his credits are Evita (1996) and Dancer in the Dark (2000). He also wrote, directed and co-choreographed the Cirque du Soleil show Viva Elvis!

4:30 p.m. “Can the Magic Continue? The Art of the Sequel” – From brilliant brands to dismal bombs, the temptation to build on a successful movie has been going on for decades. Today, the tradition of producing sequels is stronger than ever. Some movies have continued the standard set by the first with consistent quality. A few are even better than the original. But for every successful franchise, there are dozens of failures.

Moderator:
Pete Hammond is a longtime film critic for Boxoffice Magazine. He is also a columnist for Deadline Hollywood and Movieline.com. He has earned five Emmy nominations for his television writing.

Panelists:
Peter Guber is a studio executive, producer, author and teacher who currently heads the Mandalay Entertainment Group. He served as the CEO of Columbia Pictures, Sony, Casablanca Records and Polygram. As a producer, his credits include The Color Purple (1985), Batman (1989) and Flashdance (1983). He is also a professor at UCLA. His most recent bestselling book is Tell to Win – Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story.

Brett Ratner is a successful Hollywood director and producer whose credits include the Rush Hour trilogy, Red Dragon (2002) and After the Sunset (2004), with his most recent film, Tower Heist, set for release in November. Ratner has also produced several documentaries including Catfish, the hit television series Prison Break, and most recently executive-produced the CBS drama Chaos. He has published three books on photography.

9 p.m. – Closing Night Party with Live Music by DOOZY – Los-Angeles based band DOOZY performs Prohibition pop, Depression-era tunes and retro-originals. This final bash in Club TCM is certain to end the festival on a high note.

Club TCM Exhibits
A Tradition is Born: The Concrete Slabs that Launched the Grauman’s Chinese Courtyard – In 1927, Sid Grauman commenced work on his greatest theater to date: the Chinese Theatre. As concrete was being poured to create the courtyard of the building, he accidentally stepped into the mix before it dried. His friends, Mary Pickford and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, decided to follow suit by placing their own prints in the concrete. In the more than 80 years since, tourists and movie stars alike have flocked to the historic courtyard of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to see where Hollywood’s notables have left their imprints. TCM is proud to present a display of the three concrete slabs that gave birth to this tradition. The blocks in this exhibit were removed in 1958 for another historic occasion, the installation of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The slabs are making their first public appearance after being stored away from the public eye for nearly two decades. TCM thanks the Olaerts family for making the display possible.

The Man Who Shot Hollywood: Jack Pashkovsky – TCM is proud to present a display of never-before-seen photographs by Jack Pashkovsky (1911-2001). Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Pashkovsky immigrated to the United States at the age of six. As a young adult, moved from New York to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of working in the film industry. He hoped to learn cinematography but instead landed a job sweeping floors at 20th Century Fox. While he never worked behind a motion-picture camera, he stayed in Hollywood and opened a photography studio. He then used his connections to catch candid portraits of the stars on the lot and around town. Pashkovsky’s photography offers a rare glimpse of Hollywood royalty in a relaxed environment, which was especially notable during an era when the studios tightly controlled such images. TCM thanks Barry Avrich and the Toronto International Film Festival for their support and archiving of the Pashkovsky collection.

Gotta Dance: Film Posters from the Mike Kaplan Collection
Club TCM will celebrate movie musicals with a unique gallery of rare film posters from The Mike Kaplan Collection. The exhibit will highlight many of the screen’s greatest star dancers. The classic, one-of-a-kind pieces include an original French release poster for An American in Paris (1951), previously owned by Gene Kelly; a young James Stewart prominently dancing with Eleanor Powell in Born to Dance (1936); and dynamic images depicting Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Rita Hayworth, Danny Kaye, Betty Grable, Ann Miller and Audrey Hepburn. The collection includes posters from Italy, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, England and the United States. The Kaplan Collection is based equally on design and a film’s historic or commercial importance. Mike Kaplan is an award-wining poster designer and art director whose work includes 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Marlene (1984). Kaplan has also produced such films as The Whales of August (1987) and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2003). TCM thanks to Mike Kaplan for making the exhibit possible.

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