Through the Looking Glass

A flurry of excited emails arrived in my inbox yesterday, announcing that for the first time since 2019, the Egyptian Theatre will screen movies for the TCM Classic Film Festival. This is welcome news for classic film fans, who have worried about the fate of the theatre since Netflix acquired the property in the spring of 2020. Corporate ownership of historic theaters has usually meant that…

The group photo from Happy Birthday Marion!, several years ago. Since 2012, the Santa Monica Conservancy of Santa Monica, CA, has thrown a Marion Davies birthday party. It is held at the Annenberg Community Beach House, affectionately known as “the Beach House,” of which the Conservancy is the proud steward. The celebration is an opportunity for people to gather and pay tribute not only Marion…

New Year’s Eve and More Book Events

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! I hope that 2022 saw good things for everyone, and a return to something of a normal life. Though we’re all still trying to keep COVID at bay, I was able to attend so many more events this year, and realized how much I had missed them. Tonight, I’ll be doing one of those in-person events at the Niles Essanay Film Museum in the Niles district of Fremont, CA. We’ll…

Readers, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted on Backlots! I’ve been very busy with activities related to Captain of Her Soul, which is now out as of September 27. I wanted to share a few things I’ve been up to, and some upcoming events, so you might have some context as to why Backlots has been inactive for a while. -Captain of Her Soul has been profiled in a beautiful article in Alta…

TCM Classic Film Festival Day 3

Day 3 of the festival was predominantly a pre-Code day for me. Pre-Codes are famously popular at the TCM Festival, but they’re almost always screened in the smallest theaters. The question of why is a point of contention among attendees–some think the organizers simply haven’t learned the audience’s trends, and others think that it’s a strategic marketing decision. Whatever the reason is, seeing…

TCM Classic Film Festival Day 2

Day 2 of the TCM Classic Film Festival was one filled with laughter. From the first moment the schedule came out, I knew it would be–with The Sunshine Boys and Tootsie on the agenda, there is no other possible outcome. I started the day with The Sunshine Boys, a wonderful screening introduced by Randy Haberkamp of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with Richard Benjamin as a…

TCM Classic Film Festival Day 1

“This California dew is a little heavier than usual tonight,” as Debbie Reynolds said in Singin’ in the Rain, and she might have been talking about this evening in Hollywood, where an unexpected downpour punctuates a full first festival day. The fun kicked off this afternoon with “So You Think You Know Movies?” Bruce Goldstein’s exceptionally difficult TCM trivia game hosted in the Blossom Room…

The TCM Classic Film Festival Day 0

Early this morning, operating on minimal sleep (my cat kept tapping my face), I left for the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, joining classic movie fans from around the world for 4 days of films, activities, and memories rebuilt after three years apart. This where the classic movie faithful converge. The greatest part of the weekend, for me, is reuniting with like-minded people, who speak…

TCM Classic Film Festival Updates

Next month, for the first time since 2019, Hollywood Boulevard will once again be filled with classic film fans attending the TCM Classic Film Festival. The event is now less than a month away, and announcements from festival organizers are coming fast. My friend Aurora at Once Upon a Screen predicts an official, full schedule tomorrow. It is always an exciting time for festivalgoers, but this…

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial to Open the TCM Classic Film Festival

The TCM Classic Film Festival is less than 3 months away, and per the annual ritual, fans have been speculating about the opening night film. Opening night is a fancy affair, complete with a red carpet for passholders and VIP guests, followed by a film and a gala party. Reserved for the highest level passholders, opening night is an opportunity for festival guests to mingle with the Hollywood…

A Decidedly Unscientific Guide to TCMFF Pass Levels

Passes for the TCM Classic Film Festival go on sale to the general public today, and I have been happy to see that so many of my friends will be returning to Hollywood this year. After two of virtual festivals, the excitement of seeing our festival friends in April is palpable. Since its inception in 2010, the TCM Classic Film Festival has been the crown jewel of classic film festivals––a…

Dedication of the Monttessuy Center for the Arts at the American University of Paris

In the spirit of carpe diem, I have just returned from a trip to Paris to attend the three-day opening of the Olivia de Havilland Theater. It was a trip that I hoped would happen since I learned about the event earlier this year, and by the time it came around, that the circumstances were such––COVID-wise and otherwise––that I could go. It was a wonderful event, and I would like to share my…

TCM Classic Film Festival Returns in 2022

Classic film fans on social media were abuzz this morning as news emerged that the TCM Classic Film Festival will return in person in 2022. After two years of virtual programming, this announcement was met with palpable joy among long-time festival attendees. Since this morning, I have seen friends making plans about where they’ll meet for meals, and some have already booked their rooms at the…

CMBA Spring Blogathon: THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES

When I first saw The Devil and Miss Jones several years ago, I found myself wondering how I could have missed such a funny, smart, compelling film for so long. Though seeming to have all the hallmarks of an instant classic, The Devil and Miss Jones is one of those films that too often, undeservedly, fly under the radar and land in obscurity. A few weeks ago, I heard that the spring Classic Movie…

Olivia de Havilland and the American University in Paris

Olivia de Havilland at home in Paris. If you are a longtime reader of Backlots, you have read of my close connection to Olivia de Havilland. From the evening I spent with her at the American Library in Paris, to Backlots’ coverage of her court case against FX, Olivia de Havilland has been close to my heart for many years. Her career and her impact on the film industry have been well covered here…

Contrary to what activity on Backlots might tell you, I am, indeed, alive. Since September, I have been deep in the zone of Marion Davies work, and have a website for the project, which can be found here. I remain extremely busy, but wanted to update you on the progress of my work, and what to expect in the next few months. The first draft of the manuscript is complete, and for the past few…

CAPTAIN OF HER SOUL: The Life of Marion Davies. UC Press, 2022

In November of 2013, I took a trip to the Margaret Herrick Library for the first time, in search of material on Marion Davies for a prospective book. I did not know what shape the book would take, if it took any at all. But I was determined to start the process, and despite the fact that I knew none of the names I encountered that day, I left the library with an appointment to return.

I kept…