TCM Classic Film Festival 2012 in Hollywood – Day 2

Three Roberts: Robert Evans, Robert Towne and Robert Osborne at TCM Classic Film Festival. Photo by Linda Wiegman

Yesterday, Day 2, was a long but invigorating day that started at 9:00 am with a screening of director William Wellman’s 1927 WWI drama “Wings” and ended at midnight following a screening of Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown.”

While yesterday’s films ran the gamut from a silent, to film noir, to dramas, a consistent theme seemed to be vigorous movie people in their 90s who showed up to speak at the screenings of their films.  The most visible of these was Kirk Douglas who entered Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to a sustained standing ovation from SRO crowd.  He was there to introduce his 1954 film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”At one point Douglas declared  himself to be the oldest person in the room.  He asked if there were any other 95 year-olds present.  Not a hand went up.  Douglas, who was interviewed by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, held the audience in the palm of his hand as he told stories, jokes and even sang “A Whale of a Tale” from “20,000 Leagues.”  Douglas also talked about his role in ending the blacklist by employing and crediting blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo on his film “Spartacus.”  While Douglas was there to introduce “20,000 Leauges,”  his all too brief, 15 minute, introduction proved to be better than the film itself!  Actress Marsha Hunt, also in her 90s, gave a riveting interview following a screening of her 1948 film “Raw Deal.”  Hunt, elegantly dressed and walking with a cane (she told us not to worry and that she was fine)  had also been blacklisted.  She gave us a mini history lesson on the Blacklist and her part in speaking out against it, which only got her into trouble.  Hunt also  talked about working with director Anthony Mann and fellow cast members Dennis O’Keefe and Claire Trevor on “Raw Deal.”  She was interviewed by film noir expert Eddie Muller.  Ninety something, and still working, Paramount producer A.C. Lyles introduced a screening of a killer, restored print of the movie ”Wings.”  Lyles told how he first saw “Wings” in 1927 at a movie theatre in Florida.  He tole how he parlayed the experience into being hired by the theatre, owned by Paramount, and eventually parlayed that into a job working at Paramount Studios in LA where he has been ever since.  Lyles talked about his relationship with Paramount head Adolph Zucker and director Cecille B. DeMille.  Lyles was office boy for both men.  He remembered advice given to him by Zucker which included “Dress British but think Yiddish.”