A month has passed since the 15th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival ended, which felt even bigger than usual compared to the previous festivals I’ve attended. Along with it being a milestone year for TCMFF, 2024 also marked the 30th anniversary of Turner Classic Movies, so it’s fitting that this year’s festival was such a knockout. So as I’ve done in years past, here’s a big recap of everything I saw around the fest.
Pre-TCMFF: Wednesday, April 17th
The fun before the festival started Wednesday evening, when my dad and I walked down from my apartment to Hollywood Blvd. to check out the festival boutique inside the TCL Chinese Multiplex before the night’s big event. I picked up several souvenirs while my dad got a feel for the theater layout (though he ended up not going to any screenings in the multiplex). As I mentioned in my festival picks post, my dad was attending TCMFF for the first time, but on standby instead of with a pass. After checking out all the TCMFF signage and the setup in the lobby from this year’s big festival sponsor, Fandango at Home, my dad and I headed over to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
I wasn’t able to pick up my festival pass as will call closed just as I was leaving work, but fortunately, that didn’t prevent me from attending the pre-TCMFF event inside the Blossom Room at the Roosevelt (aka Club TCM): a live recording of the Talking Pictures podcast with host Ben Mankiewicz and special guest Mario Cantone. And since the event was open to anyone, my dad was able to come with me! So it was also a nice opportunity for him to see what Club TCM looked like this year, as it’s usually only open to passholders. My dad and I ended up getting seats at one of the nice tables near the walls as they weren’t filled with VIP guests, so it was an extra special treat having great seating for the event. It was especially fun to see Mario Cantone do multiple impressions in person throughout the recording. After the podcast recording was finished, my dad and I met Mario and got a picture with him. Before the photo, I told Mario I looked forward to seeing him back in TCM’s mid-century home (I made a similar comment when I met him at the TCMFF closing night party a couple of years back). To my delight, he went on about the set, mostly fake complaining that he’s not allowed to walk down the stairs like Robert Osborne did for TCM’s debut. My dad and I then briefly said hello to Ben and shook his hand as he was leaving the room, and quickly noted the Elizabeth Taylor sweatshirt I was wearing; if you listen to this podcast episode, you’ll hear that she does get a mention at some point when Cleopatra directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz is brought up. My dad and I then went outside to check out the pool as they were setting up for the festival’s poolside screenings. We ended up passing by Ben again as we walked inside toward the hotel lobby. It was all a great way to kick off TCMFF before it officially began.
TCMFF Day 1: Thursday, April 18th
I got down to Hollywood Blvd. shortly before the will call opened inside the Roosevelt lobby, so I had some time to check out the finishing touches on the opening night red carpet for Pulp Fiction before picking up my festival pass. After getting it, I hung around the pool and saw some of the set-up for the poolside screenings before heading inside to Club TCM to take in all the memorabilia on display before the room filled up for the first official TCMFF event. Some of my favorite items included a prototype of the Ark of the Covenant from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the conductor’s scores for The Wizard of Oz and The Adventures of Robin Hood, and costumes from The Big Lebowski and The Adventures of Robin Hood. There was also a corner dedicated to TCM props, including the official “switch” that was used to launch the channel, a pop-up book, and a suit and tie worn by Robert Osborne.
Instead of the usual “Meet TCM” panel to kick off TCMFF, this year they changed things up with “So You Want to Put on a Classic Film Festival”, in which past and present festival staff focused on the logistics of putting together TCMFF in the first few years. Most of the time was delightfully spent talking about getting a variety of big stars to the festival, including Tony Curtis, Eli Wallach, Luise Rainer, Robert Evans, Peter O’Toole, Kim Novak, Burt Reynolds, and Jerry Lewis. It was wonderful to hear all the behind-the-scenes stories, especially since I didn’t make it out to those early years of TCMFF.
John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson interviewed by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz on the red carpet for the opening night film Pulp Fiction
As I did last year, I skipped the “So You Think You Know Movies” trivia game again and grabbed a bite to eat instead, then headed to my first queue of the festival: watching the red carpet for the official opening night film, Pulp Fiction, in celebration of its 30th anniversary (in fact, the day I’m posting this marks 30 years since the film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival)! It was the most star-studded TCMFF red carpet I’ve seen, with most of the cast showing up, including John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Eric Stoltz, and Rosanna Arquette. And it was a nice surprise to see Oscar winner George Chakiris walk down the red carpet, as he wasn’t a special guest for any other TCMFF events (though I found out later that he was a surprise guest for the trivia game). It would’ve been amazing to see Pulp Fiction with much of the cast inside the grand TCL Chinese Theatre, but my pass only allowed me entry to the bleachers to watch everyone walk inside, which was still fun anyway.
Poolside screening of Clue at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
After the red carpet wrapped up, I walked back across the street to the Roosevelt for the festival’s first poolside screening: Clue! And a first for me, I actually stuck around and watched the whole movie at the pool! In past years, I only stayed for a few minutes after the intro, but since I had time before my last movie of the night, I decided to stay for the screening, despite not having the most comfortable view. It was fun to watch with an audience, especially with the film’s multiple endings. I also loved the interview beforehand between star Lesley Ann Warren and Dave Karger, which ended with the reveal of the culprit behind the opening night reception’s fake murder mystery (I came a little too late from the red carpet to really take in the clues that were set up around the pool and only got a couple of quick pictures as I arrived). Following the final conclusion of Clue, I power walked over to the Egyptian for my first theater screening of the festival: Gambit, a first-time watch for me. It was also a first-time viewing for my dad, whom I met up with at the theater for his first TCMFF screening. We both really enjoyed the movie, so it was a great way to end an exciting first day of the festival.
TCMFF Day 2: Friday, April 19th
I originally intended to attend my first hand & footprint ceremony in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre, which was honoring Jodie Foster this year. But I quickly changed plans after one of the festival staff members informed people lined up in the queue that there were fewer than 20 seats available, and they’d be prioritizing the highest level passes. I wasn’t too disappointed, though, because that allowed me to see One Hundred and One Dalmatians at the El Capitan Theatre, which I was initially sad to miss to see the ceremony. It was a truly delightful way to start the day, as it’s always such a joy to see a classic Disney animated film at that beautiful venue. Prior to the movie was a great interview with legendary Disney animator Floyd Norman (who I always love seeing at the festival), moderated by Mario Cantone, who hilariously gave a quick rendition of the song “Cruella De Vil” before the conversation. After the screening, I walked over to the Roosevelt for the only Club TCM event I’d get to during the festival, “The TCM Archive Project”, wherein former staffers discussed interviewing hundreds of stars and filmmakers for the network.
Then it was finally time for my first couple of screenings at the TCL Chinese Theatre. My first film in the historic theater was The Silence of the Lambs with Jodie Foster, who was interviewed by Ben Mankiewicz beforehand. As expected, it was a big turnout, so much so that my dad missed the beginning of the interview as he was coming in from the standby line. It only got tougher from there for my dad for most of the rest of the festival, unfortunately, as for our next screening, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he didn’t get in until after the interview with Steven Spielberg ended, and he had even left The Silence of the Lambs before the movie ended to try to get in line a little earlier. But he was aware of the risks of going the standby route and was happy to see what he saw, so we still had a good time watching the movies on the big screen. At least the night ended on a much more positive note, as we concluded the first full day of the festival at the Egyptian for a screening of It Happened One Night, which included an introduction by Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings.
TCMFF Day 3: Saturday, April 20th
The day started bright and early at the TCL Chinese Multiplex with me finally taking care of a big pop culture blind spot, Dirty Harry, and I’m so glad I ended up seeing it for the first time at TCMFF. The screening was preceded by a fantastic conversation between Eddie Muller and Andrew Robinson, who memorably portrayed the film’s serial killer. I ended up dipping out of the movie shortly before the credits rolled to get in line as soon as possible for one of my most anticipated screenings of the festival: A Little Romance with the lovely Diane Lane. It was a good thing I left when I did, too, because I just managed to get a seat in the second row, though a little closer to the left side aisle than I would’ve liked. But it worked out anyway, as I got a good look at the Oscar-nominated actress on that side as she was waiting with Ben Mankiewicz for the event to begin, as well as when she left following the interview. Along with really enjoying that conversation, seeing A Little Romance, an underrated favorite film of mine, on the big screen (especially hearing the Oscar-winning score by Georges Delerue) made the whole screening one of the biggest highlights of TCMFF for me.
Eric Stoltz, Samantha Mathis, Trini Alvarado, and Robin Swicord talk with TCM host Alicia Malone about making Little Women
Following an eventful first half of the day, it was back to the big IMAX screen for the world premiere of a new restoration of North by Northwest. My dad got in in time before the interview started between Nancy Meyers and Alicia Malone, in which the filmmaker told an incredible story of spending a spontaneous weekend with Cary Grant. The movie itself looked stunning on that giant screen, and I really appreciated the restoration work and how the colors looked (especially since Cary Grant’s tan didn’t look so orange; the same restoration team should work on To Catch a Thief next!). After that was a really hot ticket at the TCL Chinese Theatre: The Shawshank Redemption with stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. I barely got in just before the interview started, so I quickly grabbed a seat in the front row, though I was way off on the right side, so I didn’t have a very good view of the interview itself. After the conversation with Dave Karger ended, I moved to a center seat for a better view of the movie. My dad got in a few minutes after the film started, but we didn’t sit together for the screening. The night ended with us seeing separate movies too, with my dad at the Egyptian for Dog Day Afternoon introduced by Jeff Daniels and Ben Mankiewicz, while I went back to the multiplex for Little Women with screenwriter and producer Robin Swicord, and cast members Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, and Eric Stoltz. Of course, just after Alicia Malone introduced everyone and was about to get into the interview, the fire alarm went off, and everyone inside the multiplex had to evacuate. Fortunately, there was nothing major to worry about, so we were able to head back inside about 10 minutes later. Considering I was on my fifth movie of the day and my day started early, I was amazed I was conscious through most of the movies I watched, especially this last one, which ended after midnight because of the delay. Even more incredible was how I survived the final day of the festival.
TCMFF Day 4: Sunday, April 21st
It was another early start on the last day of TCMFF, which began with a world premiere restoration of Law and Order, another discovery for me. After the movie, I deviated from most of my original plans for Sunday and decided to go to a couple of the TBA screenings, another first for me as I hadn’t gone to any TBA screenings at past festivals. While I would’ve liked to see Billy Dee Williams in person before The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, I was really in the mood for some film noir and very much wanted to see The Big Heat on the big screen, so I followed my heart to that screening and was so glad I did, as it was a perfect movie to see with the TCMFF crowd, along with an entertaining introduction between Eddie Muller and Mario Cantone. I knew the 70mm screening of the world premiere restoration of The Searchers at the Egyptian was going to be extremely popular, so I opted for the other John Ford film playing around the same time, The Prisoner of Shark Island, my last film discovery of the festival.
Mel Brooks entertains the audience with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz before the closing night screening of Spaceballs
Following those three movies at the multiplex, it was time for my final film of TCMFF at the TCL Chinese Theatre: Spaceballs with Mel Brooks! My dad did try standby for this, but unfortunately, he didn’t have a chance to get in for the interview, which was what he was most interested in with this screening, so he didn’t stick around for the movie. Aside from that disappointment, it was a truly epic way to end the festival, as Mel gave a hilarious interview, which ended with some heartfelt words from Ben Mankiewicz. And I don’t know if I was just a little delirious from lack of sleep due to all the movie-watching I did over the past four days, but I found myself laughing so hard watching Spaceballs, especially in the beginning with the huge spacecraft.
The closing night party was better organized this year than I’ve seen in the past, as it was spread throughout the Roosevelt lobby into Club TCM and out to the pool. The latter is where I ended up spending most of the time, as that’s where the five TCM hosts were situated to meet with festivalgoers. While I did finally meet with Dave Karger again a couple of months ago at his book signing at the Academy Museum, it was wonderful to meet with him again at TCMFF, and he greeted me with a hug. Among the things we chatted about was his interview for The Shawshank Redemption, in which he mentioned that Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman won their Oscars back-to-back in the Best Supporting Actor category. I then told Dave that after he said that, I realized that the films they won for were both directed by Clint Eastwood, which he himself didn’t realize until I mentioned it to him. So that was a fun bit of movie trivia to nerd out over with my favorite Oscar expert. Next, I met with Alicia Malone, who took notice of the shirt I was wearing, which quoted one of her favorite movies, The Apartment (and I noticed Ben Mankiewicz taking a quick look at my shirt as she pointed it out). Then the last TCM host I got a chance to meet with was Eddie Muller, and I took that opportunity to praise his Noir City film festival, which screened at the Egyptian at the end of March. I told him that I especially enjoyed his double feature of Bitter Rice and Thieves’ Highway, which apparently not a lot of people were a fan of, but he was very proud of that bit of programming, so he gave me a big hug for the compliment. The night ended with me quickly chatting with TCM programmer Charlie Tabesh, who I know is a big fan of A Little Romance, so I thanked him for being such a champion of the film and getting it screened at the festival, as it turned out to be my favorite movie-watching experience of TCMFF.
Post-TCMFF: Monday, April 22nd
After sleeping in a bit following a late night out for the end of TCMFF, my dad and I ate lunch at The Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank before I dropped him off at the airport. Then, similar to what I did the day after the festival last year, I went to Warner Bros. for the new TCM Classic Films Tour, which expanded from the classic tour I went on last time, including stops through the property department and the rose garden. It was especially cool to see so many props in storage; I only wish we were able to spend a little more time in there since there’s so much to take in, but understandably, they need to keep the tour moving. Overall, it’s a good improvement over the classic tour I went on last year as the tour guides really focus on the Old Hollywood era and even asked us beforehand to name a favorite star or movie so they’d be sure to mention pieces of trivia about them (my pick was Olivia de Havilland, and I was happy to hear some stories about her time at Warner Bros.).
As I mentioned at the beginning, this year’s festival felt bigger than it has in past years, so it was a more eventful week in Hollywood than usual. Also speaking to how unusual this festival experience was for me this year was the fact that I saw more movies than I have in past years. Normally, my total always ended up being 12 films, but this year I saw 15, and four of those movies were first-time viewings! And somehow I stayed awake through all of them. I also stayed through all the screenings I attended (though I was tempted in a couple of instances to leave early, but I stuck it all out). While not everything went as planned, it was still a very memorable TCMFF that I was happy to spend some of with my dad, along with some friends at different screenings and events. By the way, TCM has uploaded videos of some of the festival’s big events onto their YouTube channel, most of which have been added to this playlist here. It may be tough to beat this year’s festival in 2025, but regardless, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for TCMFF next year!
