For its 15th Anniversary, the TCM Classic Film Festival returns to Hollywood April 18-21 to examine crime in all its permutations with the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film.” A diverse group of archivists, musicians, and presenters will highlight new discoveries, restorations, and fan favorites that reveal the ongoing conflict between good and evil and the eternal struggle of justice for all over a century of filmmaking.

The Festival kicks off April 18 with a 30th Anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” at the magnificent TCM Chinese Theatre highlighted by star John Travolta’s attendance and other guests walking the red carpet. While praised for its salute to cinema history, the film also has received criticism for its focus on nihilistic violence.

Festival passes are $399 to $2,549. Individual tickets are $20, $30 to the closing night feature of Spaceballs.
Thursday’s schedule | Friday’s schedule | Saturday’s schedule | Sunday’s schedule 

“Chinatown” will screen Sunday at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

Other special events include a hand/footprint ceremony honoring legendary actor Jodie Foster, the presentation of the Robert Osborne Award to respected film professor Jeanine Basinger, and special tributes to makeup queen Lois Burwell and acclaimed star Billy Dee Williams.

As usual Club TCM offers eclectic programming. Andy Marx salutes his lyricist grandfather Gus Kahn and comic grandfather Groucho Marx in “It Had to Be Gus…and Groucho, Too! The Life and Songs of Legendary Lyricist Gus Kahn.” Alexa Foreman and other veteran TCM employees recount the history of the TCM Archive Project. UCLA Film Archivists reveal amazing history in their “100 Years of MGM History – Celebrating The UCLA Hearst Newsreel Collection.” Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Executive Vice President Randy Haberkamp salutes Columbia Studios Centennial with “Columbia’s Centennial Trailer Caravan.” Author Steven Bingen presents “MGM at 100: A Magical Tour of Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot.”

Several unique programs appear during the schedule. French archivist Serge Bromberg presenting Méliès 3 Discoveries, shorts that become 3D by overlaying two negatives that were shot for each film and thus creating a 3D version. Warner Bros. archivists, Bruce Goldstein of New York’s Film Forum, and Shane Fleming present “That’s Vitaphone: a Return of Sound on Disc,” which showcases a series of Vitaphone shorts starring such incomparable comedians as Shaw and Lee paired with the actual Vitaphone sound discs created for each one.

Silents get their due. Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra accompanies Buster Keaton’s short “The Goat” as well as his feature “Sherlock Jr.” in a program saluting MGM’s Centennial. Ben Model presents a program of his Undercrank Productions releases, the Edward Everett Horton short “Dad’s Choice” and his newly released Raymond Griffith feature “Paths to Paradise.”

Some recent documentaries will also screen, including “Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger,” “Frank Capra: Mr. America,” and “Reflections of the Thin Blue Line: The Police in the Movies.”

Films ranging from the 1930s though the 2000s, including film noir, westerns, comedies, and musicals will also play.

Classic cinema in all its permutations will entertain all those attending the TCM Classic Film Festival.