The recently concluded 15th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival brought together film fans from around the world to Hollywood to celebrate films, friends, and fun. Filled with diverse programming offering something for everyone, the Festival brings together archivists, academics, and celebrities to explain and discuss the making of movies to film fans, presenting newly restored or struck prints in lush vintage movie palaces. The weekend truly does acknowledge the wonder and joy of going to the movies.

I spent the weekend attending a wide variety of programming which informed and entertained, ranging from documentaries to silent film to presentations, among excited and contented film fans. While programming, presenters, and projection were top notch, supervision of queues was lax, leading to congestion, disorganization, and sometimes discontented patrons.

Jacqueline Stewart, courtesy of TCM Classic Film Festival.

My weekend kicked off Thursday night with the United States premiere of the new documentary, “Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger.” a paean to the incredible filmmaking and storytelling skills of legendary British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Blending interviews with renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese analyzing their films and acknowledging their inspiration of his work along with rare archival material, art work, and footage from each of their films, the documentary is a dazzling celebration of their partnership and influence on world cinema. While Scorsese provides spot-on commentary and analysis, his clips at times focus too much on his own work and go on a little too long. Otherwise, this is a joyous recognition of their enormous creativity.

“Made in England” producer Matthew Wells wrote and directed the entertaining 2023 documentary “Frank Capra: Mr. America,” a pleasing if tad cold examination of Capra and his work, in another US premiere Friday night. Filled with informative interviews from critics, Sony chairman Tom Rothman, and authors like Eric Smoodin and Joseph McBride, the production reveals how immigrant Capra provided progessive, inspirational filmmaking for America during the Great Depression, only to lose his way after World War II. The production features clips from many of Capra’s biggest successes as well as some rare archival material but doesn’t dig as deep as the Powell and Pressburger documentary.

TCM host Jacqueline Stewart moderated the informative, thoughtful Club TCM presentation “Reflections of the Thin Blue Line: The Police in Movies,” interviewing guests director/actor Mario Van Peebles, professor Dr. Phillip Afiba Solomon, and former New York City policeman/private investigator Herman Weisberg on Saturday afternoon. The group examined hard truths and issues in these films, which mostly glorified cops, while often misrepresenting their work. Several considered Walter Matthau films “Pelham 1-2-3” and “The Laughing Policeman” and the TV show “Barney Miller some of the most accurate in presenting actual police work and its drudgery. The panel also acknowledged that many of these films often stereotyped people of color as threatening and malicious characters.

In honor of MGM’s Centennial Author/historian Steven Bingen presented an entertaining powerpoint behind-the-scenes tour of the vast MGM backlot called “MGM at 100: A Magical Tour of Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot,” organized as if the group was walking around the immense studio complex. Stunning archival photos revealed the evolution of studio buildings, standing sets, and diverse city streets that stood in for locations around the world. As filmmaking became more independent and focused more on cheaper on location filming, the studio let deteriorate and eventually sold most of this far-flung property.

Jeanine Basinger receives the Robert Osborne Award, photograph by Emma McIntyre.

Author/professor Jeanine Basinger was honored with the Robert Osborne Award honoring “an individual whose work has helped preserve the cultural heritage of classic film for future generations,” for her many scholarly works, shepherding of classic Hollywood archives, and nurturing scholars and filmmakers before the Saturday evening screening of “Westward the Women.” Basinger thanked TCM for the honor, acknowledging her great love of cinema, a true American art form, and sharing her award with everyone, one great tribe enjoying learning about life in darkened cinemas. The moving, ahead of its time William Wellman-directed “Westward the Women” followed, a powerful look at determined, strong women surviving a brutal wagon train westward to become brides to lonely cowboys in California. As the male cowboys drop away during the long trip, resolute women step up to drive wagons, defend themselves and their cargo, ford swollen rivers, and scale treacherous mountain trails. While Robert Taylor gives a rugged, understated performance as the wagon master, women like statuesque Hope Emerson, touching Renata Vanni, and strong Denise Darcel and Julie Bishop truly dominate proceedings, tough, confident, and assured. Wellman character actors like Frankie Darro and George Chandler pop up, and Henry Nakamura brings comic heart to the feminist story. The film’s power enraptured the enthusiastic audience.

On Sunday, I attended three diverse programs. Andy Marx, grandson to Groucho Marx and songwriter Gus Kahn, gave a warm and dryly comic look at their songwriting skills, warbling their tunes while accompanying himself on ukulele during a Club TCM presentation. The crowd enjoyed singing along to classic tunes and listening to Marx’s humorous family stories.

Later that afternoon I enjoyed an early Ealing comedy “The Lavendar Hill Mob” starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway in the humorous story of a meek bank clerk who joins with his eccentric neighbor to steal gold bullion and smuggle them out of England as mini Eiffel towers. The film contains comic confusion, misunderstandings, visual gags, wordplay, physical comedy, and a wonderfully creative car chase. Audrey Hepburn appears in a small role in one of her first films. The movie was too digitally cleaned up and now unfortunately looks like a cold TV production.

My festival concluded with the always hilarious Buster Keaton in his wonderfully physical short “The Goat” and visually inventive “Sherlock Jr.”, accompanied by the expressive Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Mont Alto’s rich accompaniment added emotional heft to the films, with Buster showing an elastic plasticity in both. Buster is confused for a notorious escaped killer in “The Goat,” demonstrating great athleticism as he runs for his life. In the surrealist “Sherlock Jr.,” sleeping projectionist Buster dreams himself into the movie onscreen, going on to solve a case of stolen pearls through ingenious disguises, visual gags and puns, and a madcap, energetic chase. Buster’s comic genius and Mont Alto’s touching score captured the audience, erupting in clapping and comic pleasure.

The TCM Classic Film Festival provides stimulating programming and presenters for filmgoers often unable to normally see actual screenings of rare films. This inventive scheduling provides diverse filmmaking and themes, offering informative, educational, and entertaining programming for attendees of all ages, knowledge, and education. Unfortunately they might require larger theatres, as I heard many lament being turned away from overflow programs. All in all, a busy and stimulating weekend of enjoying Golden Age Hollywood with fellow film lovers.