TCM Classic Film Festival - Read All About It

Today begins the TCM Classic Film Festival hosted at several Hollywood venues by Turner Classic Movies.  Though I've never been to the TCMCFF, I've always enjoyed a ringside seat through the wonderful descriptions of my fellow classic film bloggers.  Their adventures and their enthusiasm are a lot of fun to follow.  If you aren't able to take in the festival, then by all means, enjoy the recap posts of the four days of old movie lovers' heaven through classic film blogs such as these:

Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

Essays from the Couch

Out of the Past

Once Upon a Screen

Outspoken and Freckled

Classic Move Hub

...to name a few.  But for on-the-spot action, follow their trail on Twitter - #TCMFF.

Thank you to these bloggers and others who share their experiences on social media about the TCM Film Festival for those of us who don't get to go, and for sharing their love of classic films all year long.

The Racket (1928)

The Racket (1928) is surprisingly cynical, even while still coyly presenting what we recognize as frothy 1920s images – including speakeasies, callow youth, and an almost manic desire to rebel. Even those inclined to think that silent movies, by virtue of their being silent, are a bit of a joke will still see much in this movie that is starkly modern and which speaks to us today.

Producer Howard Hughes was only twenty-three years old when he took this on for one of his very first projects in the film industry. It is a story of Chicago gangsters and the honest cop who tries to bring them down. The honest cop, played by Thomas Meighan, one of the most popular leading men of his day, is not so incorruptible that he doesn’t resort to beating up suspects to get the truth. This is, after all, Chicago, and it is, after all, the 1920s. The film makes no explanation and certainly no apology for his beating up suspects in custody, rather it paints him as a savvy hero of the dirty streets he patrols. With the musical score that is now part of the restored film, we see a bit of cheerleading on the side for Meighan with a dash of “The Minstrel Boy”and other Irish tunes when he appears on screen. The gangster, played by Louis Wolheim, says he is, “just a dumb harp.” More on that later.

Louis Wolheim plays Nick Scarsi, a gang leader whose only trouble is women, whom he does not trust, and his younger brother, whom he cannot control. Wolheim commands every scene he’s in, not only because of his imposing size and that craggy boxer’s nose in the middle of his scowling face, but because he was one of the early silent screen actors who somehow figured out that he didn’t need to over emote or to pantomime to excess his feelings to overcome the lack of sound. All he had to do was stand still and raise an eyebrow and all attention was on him. We last saw him here in another great role in Danger Lights (1930) with Jean Arthur.

His kid brother is played by George E. Stone, a typical 1920s youth chaffing at being sent to college and takes every opportunity to rebel against it. His Brilliantine hair, his pencil thin mustache, and his hip flask tell us he is the cat’s pajamas, but he wants nothing more than to ditch college and hang out with his big brother Louis – and the women in the corrupt wards his brother controls who flock to powerful men. Younger brother George E. Stone is not particularly interested in being a gangster; he just likes the idea of sitting around in a nightclub while chorus girls fawn over him because of his brother.

One such is Marie Provost, who plays a chorus girl with the incongruously famous name Helen Hayes. Considering Miss Hayes was well known on Broadway at that time, one wonders why they didn’t bother to change the name, but it brings a chuckle every time I see it on the title card.

Marie Provost is no fool, however, and she’s no shrinking violet. When Wolheim brings his gang and his brother to a private party at a speakeasy, they are in evening dress, the prohibited liquor flowing, and the girls are free and easy. When Miss Provost is rebuffed by Louis Wolheim, who regards all women as poison, she immediately attaches herself to his younger brother. She does it not simply because she knows the younger brother is an easier mark, which he is, but she does it purposely to needle Wolheim. Considering he’s the kingpin of the neighborhood, it’s quite a daring act.

A rival gang arrives and Wolheim is always looking for a showdown but Thomas Meighan and his men quickly take control, though the rival gang leader has been killed. Wolheim and his men are taken into custody over the killing, but they are soon released because Wolheim has a connection with “the old man,” who is a corrupt judge. He arranges for Meighan to be sent to a suburban precinct where the cop will no longer be in his hair. It is a moment of disgrace for Meighan.

Wolheim’s younger brother is cutting capers behind his back and drives around in a jalopy with Marie Provost. He gets a little rough with Marie and she tells him off. He gets in a hit-and-run accident and the pedestrian he hits will later die. Both he and Marie are brought into the nearby police station for questioning. It is Meighan’s new precinct. At first, Meighan is unaware he has his enemy’s younger brother in the lockup.

Three reporters hanging around looking for a story now inject a little levity in the proceedings. Two are hard-boiled veterans, and one is a cub reporter just out of college. He is handsome young John Darrow, and we know he is new at this game because he is very polite, a little nervous, wears his press pass very prominently tucked into his hat band – about the size of a billboard – and instead of a trench coat he wears his college boy slicker with doodles drawn on the back of it in indelible ink. This was one of the great fads of the 1920s, writing doodles and “witty” sayings on raincoats and on jalopies. Darrow made a number of films in the 1920s through the middle part of the 1930s, and then later became a talent agent.

The veteran newshounds tease him a little, but Marie Provost gently vamps the innocent young man to the point where he is so charmed, that when she is locked up in the cell with streetwalkers, he brings her a care package – toiletries and a virginal nightgown. She smirks demurely and this hard gal must have a heart of gold because she does not tease him mercilessly. At the end of the movie, for his own good, she will send him on his way.

The movie is filled with very witty lines, macabre humor and brutal enough to be unflattering enough to all concerned – the police, despite our heroic Meighan; the corrupt district attorney; and the judges – to have this film banned for a time in Chicago, which apparently was not fond of being depicted as a den of political corruption. (The infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre would occur only three months after this movie was released.)

Louis Wolheim shoots a police sergeant in his attempt to escape from the station house where he has gone to free his younger brother. The innocent cub reporter helps identify him, solve the crime, and justice prevails. Thomas Meighan, who knows when to kick out the reporters and knows when to use them for publicity, sends them off to write up a story that will put fear in the hearts of other gangs. At the end of the film, he announces he is tired and would like to go to bed but he has to finish the report and mop up this incident. When he’s finished, by morning, he expects it will be time to go to Mass. He smiles, with a glint in his eye, and we are given in this character another stereotyped personification of the Irish cop – quick with his fists but charming as all get-out.

This last scene was, for its day, more daring than it looks.

In an era when immigrants were not as welcome as they had been around the turn-of-the-century – legislation in the 1920s pushed by the Republican-controlled Congress sought to limit immigration severely – the Irish had been in this country long enough to have gained a foothold and climbed in society to positions beyond the police station house, and newer waves of immigration from other countries took the brunt of prejudice.  However, there was still a strong anti-Catholic bias in the country, which with a shift towards conservatism in the 1920s, would defeat Al Smith, the Governor of New York, in his run for the presidency in 1928. Historian William Leuchtenburg in his The Perils of Prosperity 1914-32, quotes the “liberal” Protestant publication Christian Century which remarked regarding Al Smith’s run for presidency that Protestants could not “look with unconcern upon the seating of a representative of an alien culture, of a medieval Latin mentality, of an undemocratic hierarchy and of a foreign potentate in the great office of the president of the United States.”

Mr. Leuchtenburg notes, “Smith was seen as the spokesman for the foreigner, a man, if elected, would flood the nation with a new type of European immigrants...” George Ford Milton, editor and historian from Tennessee, wrote that Smith’s appeal was “to the aliens, who feel that the older America, the America of the Anglo-Saxon stock, is a hateful thing which must be overturned and humiliated; to the northern negroes, who lust for social equality and racial dominance; to the Catholics who would been made to believe that they are entitled to the White House, and to the Jews who likewise are to be instilled with the feeling that this is the time for God’s chosen people to chastise America yesteryear.”

In 1924, four years before this film was released, the Ku Klux Klan had reached the height of its popularity because it was “anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, anti-Negro, and antiforeigner.” In Birmingham, Alabama, “a Klansman murdered a Catholic priest and was acquitted;” in Illinois “two hours after a monster Klan ceremony a Roman Catholic Church was burned.” This from a chapter the author titles “Political Fundamentalism.” We see its mutations today. When the Klan lost its power, it was largely due to sexual and bribery scandals among its leadership that were unpalatable to Middle America at the time. Murder, brutality, and oppression as expressions of bigotry were apparently okay.

The Racket is fast-paced and frank; it carries very few gimmicks, and the writing is top-notch. It is daring, and was nominated for one of the very first Academy Awards. It began the gangster genre of motion pictures, and for many years was thought to have been lost. It was released in November 1928. The Era of Wonderful Nonsense had one more year to go.

Come back next Thursday, February 15^th when we will discuss two more films from the tail end of the decade: Our Dancing Daughters (1928) and Our Modern Maidens (1929). Both films star Joan Crawford, whom novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald labeled the quintessential flapper. Women had won the right to vote at the beginning of the decade (and it was recorded that many were overwhelmingly supportive of Democrat Al Smith for president); by the end of the decade, so these two movies will have you believe, they were running the show.

For more on The Racket see this terrific post by your friend and mine, Cliff Aliperti, over at his blog, Immortal Ephemera.

For Part 1, the intro to this series, have a look here.

A salute to two classic film bloggers

I'd like to shine the spotlight today on two fellow classic film bloggers and their splendid achievements: Raquel Stecher, and John Greco.

Raquel pens the Out of the Past blog, which is celebrating a ten-year anniversary. Have a look at her anniversary post here.  I've been a regular reader of her blog for many years, and probably among my favorite posts are about her annual participation in the TCM Classic Film Fest.  Her exploration of classic movies has brought her on a wonderful journey, which she shares with us with eloquence and enthusiasm.

John Greco, who writes the Twenty Four Frames blog likewise shares his passion and knowledge on classic film in very entertaining and informative posts, but John also has other talents: he is a professional photographer (you can peruse and purchase some of his work here at Fine Art America), and also a writer.

John's latest eBook is a collection of short stories called Devious Tales.  With a decidedly noir streak and some very surprising endings, this book of dark tales will intrigue and fascinate fans of mysteries.

Classic film bloggers seem to enjoy a wide range of interests and excel at many talents, and my admiration for Raquel and John is not only for their blogs, but that their blogs have led to other adventures.  Well done!

A Canadian's Perspective: A Visit from Paddy Nolan-Hall

Today we discuss an aspect of the inclusiveness of the classic film fan community which sometimes amazes me in the face of—what all classic film fans know—is an art and culture that was often very skewed in the diversity it embraced.  Racial and ethnic stereotypes are at the forefront of this skewed diversity, obviously, but consider another facet of the Hollywood film industry:  a fair number of actors were Canadian.  However, we never hear of a “Canadian Colony” in Hollywood the same way we hear of the “English Colony” actors, or the large number of refugees from Europe during the war who made up a community in Hollywood. 

Is it because of the seamless way Canadians have always integrated with the U.S., or is it because of a way Americans have of taking Canadians for granted, considering them cousins—and as such, we don’t think about them very much unless they’re coming for Thanksgiving.  Oh, which Thanksgiving?  October or November?  Eh, skip it.

By the way, Happy Thanksgiving this coming Monday to our Canadian cousins. What time is dinner, and should I bring anything?

This post, after I get done yapping, will eventually be turned over to our friend and colleague, Patricia Nolan–Hall, aka, Caftan Woman, who blogs on classic films at her excellent site: Caftan Woman.   Also a member of the Classic Movie Blog Association, she recently swept the annual CMBA awards in the following categories: BEST FILM REVIEW: DRAMA - Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936); BEST CLASSIC MOVIE ARTICLE - Hal Roach and the "Lot" of Fun; BEST PROFILE OF A CLASSIC MOVIE PERFORMER OR FILMMAKER - Harry Carey and Harry Carey, Jr.

Her knowledge of classic films is extensive, and she is a perceptive and articulate writer; and as she happens also to be Canadian, we are fortunate to have her take on the issues discussed here.  This is the tenth installment of our year-long series on the current state of the classic film fan.

What does a Canadian classic film fan think of old Hollywood’s U.S.-centric popular culture?  The settings of most of the films is in U.S.—either a big city, or “Anytown, U.S.A.”  What is there for a Canadian fan to identify with in Hollywood’s “dream factory” movies?

Also, sometimes in a classic film with an American actor playing in an English setting, he is, as a matter of convenience to the story, portrayed as a Canadian – as if to give him a pass for being there – such as Humphrey Bogart’s character in The African Queen.  That character was originally written as Cockney English in the book.  Canada has a – “close enough” stamp on it for old Hollywood, which cracks me up, but I have to wonder if to a Canadian this seems absurd.

When Canada actually is the setting and focus of a Hollywood-made movie, what does a Canadian classic film fan think about it?   What are some classic Canadian films would they like to introduce to movie fans in the U.S.?

With our shared cultural and movie heritage, not only with Canadian actors and filmmakers, but also with Mexican as well—Hollywood benefited from a large number of actors originally from Mexico--maybe we should not call them American films, but North American films?

And so, I leave the lectern and invite Paddy to step up to the mic to give us her take on the matter.  My SpellCheck insists on changing her Canadian spelling, but I won’t let it. 

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Paddy Nolan-Hall:

Sitting in my grade school classroom with the map of Canada on one wall and a larger map of Nova Scotia on another, I felt that I resided in the centre of the universe.  The books I read, the television and movies I enjoyed let me know that there were other places and other people out there in the wide world.  I never felt apart from that other world, only excited that it was all there for me to enjoy.

Focusing on film, we all can relate to that marvelous experience of attending the cinema, getting our treats, settling in our seat and joyously anticipating the lights going down.  A Saturday matinee western or Bowery Boys or Beach Party flick, a rare trip to an evening viewing of the latest Disney release.  Movies on television, even when my small town only properly received one channel - musicals with wonderful songs and appealing characters, dramas with adults behaving mysteriously.  I would soak it all in not really comprehending the timeline; that some of these movies were created decades before I was born.  It was enough that the movie was there and I was on the other side of the screen.

The year I turned 11 (1968) our family moved to Freeport in Grand Bahama for my dad's business.  It was eye-opening to have more than one TV channel and so much content that an entire magazine was needed to let you know what was going on instead of half a page in the local paper.  I was not only bombarded with movies, but with the experience of leaving the centre of the universe and being identified by that universe and meeting those people from those other places.  My time in Freeport introduced me to the world and a grudging look at my place in it, plus my first Charlie Chan movie.

Learning and deciding what it meant to be a Canadian led to a fresh look at some of my favourite Hollywood movies.  While often avoiding what may seem like bragging, we are always pleased to be acknowledged by our louder cousins south of the border, even if it can seem rather far out.  Randolph Scott as a Canadian Naval Officer in Corvette K-225?  Well, they gave him a Scottish name.  Bogie's Charlie Allnut is a Canuck?  I can't say it doesn't totally work, but he still sounds like Bogie.  Eddie Robinson as a Quebec police inspector in A Bullet for Joey?  Little Caesar?!  The Happy Time at least cast French actors as the French-Canadian family in the story, and who doesn't enjoy watching Charles Boyer, Louis Jourdan and Marcel Dalio?  Kudos to Jeanette Nolan for her decent Quebecois accent.  Canadian characters on film are a mixed lot.

We are always pleased to point out with pride the Canadian born stars of the silver screen from Fay Wray to Walter Huston to Raymond Massey to Alexis Smith.  Was there a Canadian colony like the British one in Hollywood in the classic era?  It does not appear to be so.  Did Andy Hardy's sister Marian played by Cecilia Parker and Andy Hardy's girlfriend Polly played by Ann Rutherford compare their Fort William, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, upbringings? 

Did Lucile Watson (Watch on the Rhine) and Maude Eburne (Ruggles of Red Gap) trade maple syrup recipes?  Did George Cleveland (TV’s Lassie) from New Brunswick and Joe Sawyer (TV’s The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin) from Ontario greet each other with a secret handshake?  I understand many Canadian actors working in the States get together for hockey games and to remind themselves of their roots.  In that earlier time it was simply a question of going where you could work.  Nowadays there seems to be a certain appreciation for our country and our culture of self-deprecating humour.  Our sense of self is truly wrapped up in our humour which borrows from our British founders and our American neighbours.  We've taken the best from both and made it our own.

Canada's National Film Board has created may Academy Award winning shorts and is a great resource for chronicling the growth of our country.  Box office films have been harder to come by, but the industry is experiencing a burst of creativity and recognition.  We have never minded coming from behind.  Here is a cross-section of Canadian films through the years which will tell you something about this vast land mass with a sparse population:  1949’s Beyond Dull Care, 1941’s Neighbour, 1970’s Goin' down the Road, 1971’s Mon Oncle Antoine, 1972’s The Rowdyman, 1975’s Lies My Father Told Me, 1977’s Outrageous!,  1977’s Who Has Seen the Wind, 1982’s The Grey Fox, 1985’s My American Cousin, 1992’s The Boys of St. Vincent's, 2002’s Men with Brooms, 2008’s Passchendaele and 2010’s Barney's Version.

During my teen years the film fans of Southern Ontario and Western New York were truly blessed with TVOntario's (our provinces PBS, if you will) Saturday Night at the Movies produced by Rise Shulman and hosted by Elwy Yost.  Every Saturday night a double bill of uncut classic Hollywood films with an education component hosted by former teacher Elwy.  Hollywood notables including actors and those behind the scenes were interviewed by the enthusiastic Elwy for our edification and entertainment.  Single-handedly Elwy Yost created generations of classic film fans.  Upon his death, Mr. Yost trended on Twitter with the heartfelt appreciation of thousands for making being a movie buff "okay".

Canadians and Americans share a continent and enjoyment of much of the same entertainment.  The difference is that we know when the music or entertainers are from the States, but you don't always know when it comes from Canada.  A lot of us share the same experience of the four seasons and relatives who ended up on the other side of the border.  The experience of characters in classic films is not foreign to us (well, maybe those Southern states, but the food looks good and we get used to the accent).  Hey, if you guys hadn't gotten all cranky and had a revolution we might be one big country.  I don't think that would be much fun though, do you?  The differences between our two countries may be the gentlest example of diversity on the planet.

Speaking of diversity, my daughter Janet is a filmmaker in her final year in Sheridan College's Bachelor of Animation Program.  Her peers include students from all over the world, from varied backgrounds and ethnicities.  How do classic films fit into their lives and careers?

Along with a history of animation course taught by Kaj Pindal, Janet relates that all of her professors use classic films as a way to teach aspects of cinematography and storyboarding.  These were the films that inspired the teachers in their youth and they want to share it with their students.  Some of the titles used include Lean's Oliver Twist and Lawrence of Arabia, Ford's The Searchers and How Green Was My Valley, a lot of Hitchcock and the films of Jacques Tati.  Students are encouraged to watch silent film comedies for the facial expressions.

The majority of the students were not previously exposed to classic film and their expectation was that they would be old-fashioned and unrelatable.  They were surprised and open to experience the older films.  Janet feels that the students who are the most serious about learning and growing in their art will continue to watch classic films.  I am optimistic about the future place of classic film and the expansion of classic film fans.

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My sincere thanks to Paddy for helping out on this installment of the series.  Please have a look at her Caftan Woman blog for more great thoughts and great writing on classic films

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Past posts in this series here:

Part 1 of the year-long series on the current state of the classic film buff is here: A Classic Film Manifesto. 

Part 2 is here: Cliff Aliperti’s new book on Helen Twelvetrees.

Part 3 is here: An interview with Kay Noske of Movie Star Makeover.

Part 4 is here: Evolution of the Classic Film Fan.

Part 5 is here: Gathering of the Clan at Classic Film Festivals.

Part 6 is here: John Greco’s new book of film criticism: Lessons in the Dark.

Part 7 is here: Tiffany Vazquez, new TCM host.

Part 8 is here:  Planet of the Apes at the Cineplex.

Part 9 is here:  Aurora & Classic Movies and More Interview.

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The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.

Also in paperback and eBook from Amazon.

Aurora & Classic Movies and More Interview

Time for Part Nine in our monthly series on the current state of the classic film fan.  

Today, we visit with Aurora Bugallo, whose blog Once Upon a Screen is a delightful gallery of info and photos on our favorite classic films and TV.  A prolific contributor to social media (who takes my favorite photos -- of the top of her head below some famous tourist attractions or at some event -- I really think she should put out a coffee table book on these hysterical pics), and whose latest venture is a dynamic and entertaining series of podcasts on YouTube called Classic Movies and More, which she hosts with Annmarie Gatti and Robert Medaska.  

Here’s our discussion on classic movies…and more:

JTL:  How did you, Annmarie Gatti, and Robert Medaska come to know each other, and then come together to plan this venture and to facilitate it?

AB:  Well, let’s see…I first “met” Annmarie on Twitter.  She was one of the first people I connected with on the platform.  After I visited her site I was blown away by its scope and we had plenty to discuss there so it was a seamless connection. She’s also always been incredibly supportive of my blog.  When we met in person at the 2013 Turner Classic Movie Film Festival it was as though we knew each other.  Among the things we’d discussed almost since we met is the possibility of collaborating in some way on a classic movie-related project, but we couldn’t quite put our finger on what. 

Rob and I met at a faculty meeting about three years ago.  We both teach at the same university and the program director couldn’t wait to introduce us knowing we had classic movies in common.  Soon after we met Rob stated mentioning the possibility of collaborating on something classic movie related.  About a year later I thought it would be a great idea to introduce Annmarie and Rob knowing they had similar interests.  I knew I could only benefit from being around the two of them.  As a filmmaker Rob has impressive technical knowledge and Annmarie is a master of all things social media.  It really took no time for the three of us to decide on the YouTube show idea.

JTL:  In one article on my series this year of the current state of the classic film fan, I mention how technology has allowed us to move beyond the movie theater, the home viewing, and extend our classic film viewing onto the Internet. Here, we not only watch movies, but we connect with other fans. In a do-it-yourself world of self-publishing of music and of books, it seems a natural that classic film fans would want to also move to a do-it-yourself realm of programming. From my post in April:

There are also some intriguing home-grown programming—such as Dana Hersey, who hosted The Movie Loft on Boston-area TV-38 in the 1980s is launching an Internet classic movie streaming channel. Other hosts of online podcasts demonstrate that being a classic film fan is continually evolving according to the technology that allows us to appreciate old movies.  No longer content to be “programmed to”, the classic film fan is now taking the reins and doing the programming. 

Do you see CLASSIC MOVIES AND MORE as a part of this trend? And what do you hope to accomplish with the project?

AB:  I absolutely do.  That trend is the primary reason why Rob insisted on this type of show.  I’m a big fan of classic movie podcasts and subscribe to several that I enjoy immensely, but – mostly thanks to Rob – we wanted something a little different where we can offer the sights as well as the sounds of people and places that mean something to our classic film community.

As far as what we would like to accomplish – as we mention in the pilot episode of “Classic Movies and More” we have lofty goals.  We’d like to go everywhere and talk to everybody.  We base everything that we’ve laid out so far on our own interests as fans and the show being “by fans, for fans” is central to why we decided to do it.  We want to talk to the fans that play a role in keeping the movies and stars alive.  We want to promote authors (like you) and others who put in extraordinary time and effort to ensure the people whose work we admire stay relevant.  Aside from allowing the three of us a new way to express how much we love these movies we want to have a forum for all fans to do so as well.  Of course that includes historians, projectionists, accompanists, theater owners, bloggers and what have you because at the core of most of their work is a fan. 

JTL:  It's terrific that you've covered the small but significant stories that I think are not given much play elsewhere - the Biograph episode, the Bob Furmanek interview.  I especially enjoyed the three-part series with Meredith Ponedel on her father and aunt, Dottie Ponedel, who had such an impact on the industry and such warm connections with so many stars as a makeup artist. (From a technical aspect, I also would like to mention that I thought the camera, the editing, and the patter of the interview was extremely well done.)  I would love to see some of your episodes broadcast on TCM to achieve a wider audience.  How do you investigate these story ideas, or how do they come to you?

Also, in the pilot episode, the possibility of future podcasts on visiting classic film-related museums was mentioned. I'd love to see that.

AB:  I’m so glad to know you enjoyed those episodes.  Meredith Ponedel was a happy accident who came to our attention thanks to Kelly Kitchens who runs the “Going to TCMFF” Facebook page.  Meredith was excited to talk to us and we were riveted by her stories. Naturally we thought other fans would be as well.  I agree that Annmarie did a fantastic job with that interview.  As for Bob Furmanek – he’s a tireless advocate for classics particularly true in his efforts to save 3-D films.  Bob and I have become friends and I love what he’s doing.  I’m hoping we can promote any and all projects he has on the horizon.  Finally, the Biograph segment came about because Professor Ultan who’s the Bronx Borough Historian also happens to teach at the same university that I do.  He’ll be featured in another piece soon where we visit Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.  All I can say about him is that if I lived five lifetimes I wouldn’t know what he knows so it’s thrilling to be in his presence.

We’ve been lucky so far with the people we’ve been exposed to through the classic film connections we’ve made.  I expect that these connections can only get deeper and larger in scope.  We come up with ideas in a variety of ways, but consult on an overall plan that focuses on what we can do locally first and branch out from there.  We have so much film history in our own backyard so to speak that there’s no rush to travel the world - although eventually we want to.  We’ll soon be incorporating Skype interviews/discussions as part of the programming, which will certainly increase the number of people we can talk to and topics we cover.  Rather than covering “newsy” topics we prefer (perhaps) more obscure things that are not necessarily found in other places and museums are definitely in the cards.  That said, we loved doing the pre-TCMFF review and a pre-Capitolfest commentary was also released prior to that festival, which enables us to stay topical in some ways.  As for our content ever appearing on TCM – well, we’d love that!!  Who knows?

JTL:  The Holy Cross Cemetery episode was poignant, not only for its tribute to the stars, but to see that tribute expressed by classic film fans and bloggers Laura Grieve and Kellee Pratt.  Classic film fans themselves taking respectful ownership of the chronicling of classic films is a huge aspect of the advent of blogs.  Watching favorite films is our main activity as old movie fans, but it is a passive participation.  Blogging -- and producing your CLASSIC MOVIES AND MORE series  -- is an active, and proactive response to the love of old movies. Do you see fans as becoming more proactive in their love of old movies -- supporting restoration, etc.?  What is your mission in producing this series?

AB:  It’s difficult to gauge fandom in general, but as far as our community of classic film fans goes there’s no doubt that we are active participants when it comes to lauding the movies, people and eras we dedicate time to.  Of course being proactive has been facilitated by social media and I’m constantly taken aback by how passionate fans are or how much time they dedicate to what may be a small part of their lives.  Our connecting en masse across mediums definitely tends to make us even more prone to reaching out and taking part in classic movie related activities, donate to restoration projects and many other ways of spreading the word well beyond simply watching a film.  In the same fashion those who have projects related to film restoration, special screenings, new book releases and so forth can reach out to a targeted audience immediately and often.  That was my long-winded way of saying yes, by virtue of the connections I think fans are definitely taking a proactive approach to fandom in a variety of ways. 

We have a few specific goals for ‘Classic Movies and More,’ but in reality the world of classic movies is our oyster.  As I mentioned, the “for fans, by fans” is important to us, but beyond that spreading the word about something we care about deeply is our primary focus.  The people we want to talk to are legion and the places we want to visit are numerous.  I feel like we’re kids in a candy store thanks to the many passionate, knowledgeable people we know about thanks to the active roles they now take across social media.

If you don’t mind, I’ll circle back to the idea of connections with regard to the Holy Cross Cemetery episode we did.  What makes that special for us and certainly has a lot to do with our decision to do this show is the fact that we were there together and were able to express our appreciation for these people who we never met, but who have nonetheless touched our lives in significant ways.  Knowing others share these feelings makes it all that much more rewarding.

JTL:  You and Annmarie did a preview of the TCM festival this year. Will you cover other classic film festivals in future episodes?

AB:  The pre-TCM festival was hilarious because we couldn’t decide on anything, which is what most TCMFF attendees go through.  It was loads of fun to do as well.  The answer is yes we will do as much festival coverage as possible, which may come slowly given current time restrictions with regard to traveling to different parts of the country. We also did a pre-Capitolfest commentary and hopefully many more are coming in the future.

JTL:  What are some challenges of producing a video series like this?

AB:  Oh, challenges!  I don’t want to speak for either Annmarie or Rob so these are challenges as I see them.  The first would be technology.  Rob runs circles around Annmarie and me on the technology front so it hasn’t been easy to ensure that I hold up my end in that regard.  I’m working on it and will get better, but it’s a slow process.  The other challenge is finding the time to spend together.  We are all juggling many things including full-time jobs, other projects and Rob has two young sons so putting other things aside to concentrate on ‘Classic Movies and More’ is not always easy.  This endeavor is fairly new and I think we’re still finding our footing in some ways, but the major plus is that we all want the same things and are equally excited about the possibilities.

JTL:  Will you have more interviews with fans in future? Or, have you approached others, like Meredith Ponedel, who are connected with the film industry, or TCM?

AB:  We will absolutely do more fan interviews in the future and have a few almost ready for release.  The fan interviews are what I’m most excited about.  We have a long list of people we want to reach out to and will be doing so as soon as we figure out the logistics and timing.  These include bloggers, podcasters, authors and several others with classic movie connections on many levels.  We have not reached out to TCM, but needless to say we’d enjoy interviewing a number of people at the network.

JTL:  What do you have planned for future episodes?

AB:  There’s a variety of topics coming up.  Rob and “little” Rob just started a monthly Svengoolie review series, we have several interviews with fans/bloggers already “in the can” (aren’t you impressed with my movie lingo?), an interview with accompanist Gary Lucas, another classics related historical tour with Lloyd Ultan and several other things that I think will be fun for people to see.  You’ll also like additional footage we taped with Meredith Ponedel, which will be released as supplemental material in the coming weeks.

JTL:  If I could take a step back from your series for a moment, I mentioned Tiffany Vazquez, the new TCM host in a recent blog post, and I'd love to know your opinion on the following excerpt:

It has been noted that she is the first woman to be hired as a regular TCM host, and her Puerto Rican heritage has been commented on as setting her apart as representing a new demographic. But before we skew this into some Madison Avenue pie chart of something up-market, we should remember that  the classic film fan “demographic” has little to do with age, gender, race, or ethnicity, and is remarkably diverse.

AB:  I agree with you as far as how I think things should be.  I’m not sure it’s how things are. 

In my opinion the vast majority of classic movie fans – using the widely accepted definition of “classic” meaning “old” in this instance - are not twenty-something years old.  And I don’t think they will ever be in numbers that make a huge difference.  We have several extremely dedicated, passionate, knowledgeable younger fans in our community who live for classics in every sense of the word.  I marvel at their passion for classic movies, which by the way is most consistently for early talkies and pre-codes, but those fans are exceptions.  The vast majority of classic movie fans are, shall we say, not twenty-something.  They’re the ones who make up the core TCM audience who have been with the network since it went on the air.  They are made up of a varied ethnicity, but their average age is a tad above twenty-something.  I’ll add this because it’s been discussed throughout social media – many have noticed that TCM is skewing toward a younger audience, and while I may not necessarily like it I understand it.  TCM is a for-profit network and commercial-free programming has to cost a pretty penny so ensuring longevity should be a goal.  That said there is always the danger of watering down a brand that has become the network everyone believes is the primary arbiter for classic movies.

About Tiffany – There’s no doubt your Madison Avenue pie-chart had something to do with TCM’s decision to hire her as should be the case.  I am both a woman and a Latina so the fact that Tiffany is both of those thrills me.  I imagine that her age also played a factor in her becoming a TCM host.  That said I like to think that Tiffany also being a classic movie fan had a lot to do with it.  Yes, she is not a film historian or author like Robert Osborne was when he became TCM host and her last name is not Mankiewicz, which Ben himself has stated played some role is his becoming a host.  But, as I assume is the case with many others, I didn’t fall in love with Robert Osborne because he was a film historian and I couldn’t care less what Ben’s last name is.  I have been happy to welcome them both into my home for over two decades because they speak to me like fellow classic movie fans.  I’ve met Tiffany and I know she has that in spades.  If she’s able to convey that love of movies to an audience who is passionate and loyal I think she’ll have a long, successful career on the network. 

JTL:  There are many aspects of classic films which are difficult for younger people to swallow because they are so obviously out of tune with today's concepts of race and gender.  Even for those of us who are more familiar with the eras in which the classic films were made, we still cringe at many scenes, even if we are able to process them in context.  Your thoughts?

AB:  There’s no doubt that classic movie fans make a decision to ignore the offensive material inherent in those movies in order to appreciate them.  We accept that they are products of their time and therefore put aside what we would normally have issue with.  I think it’s a requisite to watch them, in fact, so anyone – younger or older – who is not familiar with what to expect to a certain degree would have a difficult time with what was being served.  And, for that matter, understanding how the rest of us could enjoy entries that so blatantly insult women and minorities. 

JTL:  With respect to the above passage, who is your audience?  Younger fans more in tune to looking for info in the Internet? Diehard fans who can't get the stories you present anywhere else? What has your response been to the series so far?

AB:  I’d like to think our audience is the classic movie fan of any age.  Or hopefully will be.  Fans of classic movies or anything retro, for that matter, are more predisposed to search for classic material on the internet because we have limited outlets that offer it.  I don’t think that practice is limited to younger audiences in our community. Or at least that’s true in regards to major social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

We hope to be able to offer those fans an outlet to promote their blogs, tell their classic movie stories and so forth in a way other outlets don’t do.  In that way we’ll be a connection to classics not offered anywhere else.  If we are successful in presenting topics and people with professional connections to classic movies that offer unique insight or we take people to a place where others have not been then I think people will tune in.  Original content is important and we’ll try our best to provide it. 

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My sincere thanks to Aurora for taking the time to participate in this interview, and for her always thoughtful and intelligent perspective on classic film.  Please visit her blog, and also Classic Movies and More on YouTube, you’ll love them both.

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Past posts in this series here:

Part 1 of the year-long series on the current state of the classic film buff is here: A Classic Film Manifesto. 

Part 2 is here: Cliff Aliperti’s new book on Helen Twelvetrees.

Part 3 is here: An interview with Kay Noske of Movie Star Makeover.

Part 4 is here: Evolution of the Classic Film Fan.

Part 5 is here: Gathering of the Clan at Classic Film Festivals.

Part 6 is here: John Greco’s new book of film criticism: Lessons in the Dark.

Part 7 is here: Tiffany Vazquez, new TCM host.

Part 8 is here:  Planet of the Apes at the Cineplex.

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