After lunch I made my way over to the Chinese Multiplex Theater for a screening of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. I've always been a big fan of Ray Harryhausen's effects work (Super Dynamation!) in genre films from Earth vs. The Flying Saucers and Jason and the Argonauts to The Mysterious Island.
It was a real hoot seeing one of the movies that my dad saw as a kid. Sure, the dialogue is pretty hokey, and the film definitely reflects a very different era in American culture, but that was part of its charm. It was also very cool that they had on hand a film historian who talked about the film before the screening and shared some interesting tidbits about the production. All in all, it was a lot of fun.
Also of interest was the Chinese Multiplex Theater itself. Before yesterday, I didn't even know that this theater existed. The Multiplex is a collection of about a half dozen movie screens that sits between Graumann's Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. The theater lobby was completely decked out for the festival. There were all kinds of displays and standees celebrating classic movies everywhere. I don't know how long I spent wandering around after the movie.
I think my favorite display was the one that held the Best Picture Academy Award for An American in Paris (the 1951 Gene Kelly/Leslie Caron film that was restored and given a red carpet premiere for the festival this year). We're talking an ACTUAL Oscar! I'd never seen a real one up close before. It was cool to see. I wonder how much those things weigh?
After I checked out the displays in the Multiplex, I made my way back out to Hollywood Boulevard. I'd intended to stop in at the Roosevelt Hotel to chill for awhile before making my way to Graumann's Chinese Theater across the street. However, as I left the Multiplex, I walked right by Graumann's and noticed a number of people in line. Curious, I stopped and asked a man what movie he was in line for. "Spartacus, " he replied. I checked the time and saw that the Spartacus screening was still about two hours away. Yet there were already a couple of dozen folks waiting in line.
I made a quick decision. I'd already learned my lesson that morning when I was greeted by the long line for Becket outside the Egyptian. I jumped into line, ready to wait for my chance to see Stanley Kubrick's classic film and its iconic star, the legendary Kirk Douglas, in the flesh! I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wasn't going to miss it.
The two-hour wait to get into Graumann's went by quickly. While we stood there, the line swelled into the hundreds. There was a lot of excitement in the air. I met a family just in front of me who saw a screening of Bette Davis' Now, Voyager earlier in the day. I'm ashamed to say that I'm not as versed on my Bette Davis movies as I should be, so I kicked myself for not making time to see this movie (guess I'll have to catch it on TCM or on DVD sometime soon).
Note to self: for the 2012 festival (and yes, you're coming back, BTW), create a list of must-see classic films that you'll make time to see.
It's sad to say, but despite being a huge movie fan and a filmmaker, classic films remain my Achilles Heel. Of course, I've seen quite a few of the movies that my parents and grandparents grew up on (my favorite film of all time is Ben-Hur for crying out loud!), but I'm not as knowledgeable about them as a group (unlike say, the films from the late 1970s on - the movies that I grew up with). Of course, one could argue, that's the entire purpose for coming to a festival like this. So I get credit for that, right?
In any case, the two hours in line went by quickly. We had plenty of entertainment in the queue on Hollywood Boulevard: dudes and dudettes dressed as superheroes (you can make a living doing that?); a street rapper who accosted people (mostly attractive women) as they walked by and improvised rhymes incorporating some bit of info about the people who agreed to participate; and tons of random of people who drew attention all on their own, including a couple of Brazilian beauties who turned heads and had tongues wagging while they wandered around the grounds outside Graumann's. I know, I know. I tried to snap a quick pic, but to no avail before they wandered off. Next time, I promise to get photographic evidence of random exotic beauties.
Finally, though, the wait was over and it was time to go into Graumann's! Getting to go into this legendary theater was a real treat. The joint is huge! It's truly a beautiful example of the old-style movie palaces of yesteryear. Just gorgeous. I could spend a lifetime seeing my favorite films on that fabulous screen. Well, at least I got a taste by getting to see Spartacus there.
Before the movie started, though, we got a double treat, in the form of Robert Osborne, Mr. TCM himself, coming out to intro the film and its star, the guest of honor, Kirk Douglas! Osborne set the evening up with a short video tribute to Douglas, which gave a good sampling of the man's amazing film career, highlights featuring assorted clips of everything from Paths of Glory to Picasso. It was pretty cool. One particularly memorable bit was a piece from a one-man show that Douglas has been doing in recent years that featured him on stage having a conversation with a younger version of himself, projected onto a screen. That was nice.
After the tribute, Osborne came back out and introduced Douglas. I was only about 8-10 rows back, so I had a great view. When Douglas first came out and stood next to our host, I was honestly a little shocked at how short and frail he looked next to Osborne. Obviously, Douglas is an older man now, and we all know about the health challenges he's faced in his later years. Still, it was a bit of a surprise. However, while time has changed the man's body, Douglas quickly proved that it's done nothing to dampen his spirit. He had a twinkle in his eye that revealed a zest for life that was unmistakable. And it was infectious. This was freakin' Kirk Douglas! He had amazing presence on that stage, and he knew how to play to his audience. Most touching of all, you could tell that he genuinely enjoyed being there for us that night.
Osborne conducted an amazing Q&A with the star that was as much fun as it was informative. Douglas, for his part, was frank, funny, and poignant in his observations on his career and his life in general. It was obvious that this was a man with a point of view -- and a lot of life left in him.
At the end of the Q&A, the audience thanked the screen legend with a standing ovation. Their chat had lasted about 45 minutes, but it went by so quickly. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and their conversation continued to resonate with me during the screening. Getting the chance to see and hear Kirk Douglas in the flesh was the perfect setup for watching him in the film we were there to see that evening, and the perfect way to end my second day at the festival. It's a memory I'm going to carry with me for a very long time.
Be sure to come back soon. My next entry will be about day three of the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival!
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