TCM Cruise - Day 4

November 05, 2015

I was way too tired last night to stay up and write my Day 4 post. So I woke up a little early (10am, haha) grabbed a quick breakfast, entirely consisting of potatoes, and now I'm sitting by a window overlooking Castaway Cay. It's so beautiful! And Ben Mankiewicz just walked by me and said hello, and asked me how my hair was doing (I have an inside joke with Ben Mankiewicz, basically. Pinch me??)

This is my view right now while I'm typing this:



Okay, so back to Day 4. We had a really jam-packed schedule, but even considering how many events we attended it still didn't actually feel like we were rushing around or anything. It still felt like vacation, essentially. We started off with "Meet Ben" again at 11am. I have this question that I like to ask people (read: annoy people with) all the time -- If you could recast any movie, which movie and which actor would you replace? If you've been following my blog at all then you already know my answer is always replacing Jimmy Stewart with Gary Cooper (the movie doesn't even matter, I feel like Cooper would always be a better choice)

Nicole thought it would be neat to ask Ben M. that question, so we spent way too much time formulating the perfect wording for the Q&A. We ended up with this: "If you could change the lead actor or actress in any movie, which film would you choose and who would you replace them with?" And we decided that I'd ask the question at Ben M.'s event, and Nicole would ask at Robert Osborne's. I didn't get called on for a question at Ben M.'s Q&A, but it was really fun anyway!



My favorite anecdote of his was about the guest programmer series that TCM did during the 2004 election. Ben M. interviewed Orrin Hatch, John McCain, John Edwards and Joe Biden. He said that Biden picked Dead Poet's Society and he's pretty sure it's entirely because the movie is set in Delaware, lol! He said that Biden just kept talking about the different locations where they did filming, and why those locations were important to him. I love Joe Biden so I may be biased, but I thought it was such a cute story!

After the Q&A we went to see Love Me Tonight, with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald. I was expecting a typical 30's musical, but this is NOT a typical 30's musical. The film was introduced by Randy Haberkamp, the managing director of preservation and foundation programs for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He thinks the movie seems a Monty Python satire of a 30's musical. I'm not really familiar with Monty Python (I'm planning on rectifying that soon!) but it reminded me of a Marx Brothers movie without the brothers. There were so many silly songs that were reminiscent of "I Want My Shirt" and so many ladies who reminded me of Margaret Dumont. It has the same anarchic energy and it's so completely silly! At one point Maurice Chevalier starts singing his signature "Mimi" to Jeanette MacDonald and she's like "um…that's not my name.." and he just keeps singing it at her anyway. It was so funny! I think this was my favorite new-to-me movie of the festival so far.



Up next was Cry Terror, introduced by Robert Osborne and Angie Dickinson! We sadly had to duck out of the movie early because we had to attend another event, but I'm so glad that we got to see the Q&A beforehand. Angie Dickinson was so sweet! She recounted a story about the first time that she got up the nerve to speak to James Mason on the set of Cry Terror. She went over and said something like "Mr. Mason, I just have to tell you, you were amazing in A Star is Born" and he said something like "Yes, I was very good." haha! I love James Mason!

We had to leave Cry Terror early because Illeana Douglas was doing a book-signing at the same time. Nicole bought a copy of her book to have signed for her mom (side note for my own mom -- I didn't do the same, but I promise you have some awesome souvenirs headed your way!) While we were in line we met Lora, who was wearing some of my fan club buttons! She was so nice and we talked about the cruise vs. the festival. Just to touch on that subject again, briefly - I really have enjoyed both events. If I was forced to pick a favorite I think I'd pick the cruise, but it's almost entirely because I like the view of the ocean better than Hollywood Blvd. lol. I guess when it comes down to it, the best choice is just to do both!



Nicole and Illeana spoke for a little bit while she was signing the book and then Lora kindly took this picture of Nicole, Illeana Douglas and myself. Nicole was practically giddy afterwards, haha! It was really fun!



Next up was our "Ask Robert" event. I have absolutely no idea why, but it seems like nobody on this cruise wants to sit near the front of the theater for anything. We were pretty early for this event but even when we've squeaked in at the last minute we still have managed to snag front row seats for practically everything! For Ask Robert we were front and center. AND Nicole got to ask our question!!! It was so exciting, I can't even describe it! And Robert Osborne seemed so delighted by the question, which totally made my day/month/year. He had an answer ready to go, which was so cool! I love that it's something he's already given thought to, and he seemed so excited to get to share this particular miscasting pet peeve :D There is no way I'm going to attempt to upload the video on youtube while I'm using this pricey wi-fi, but I'll definitely share the video as soon as I get home! For now, here is a quote from his answer:

"I always thought that, and don't scream at me, I love Audrey Hepburn, but I always thought that Breakfast at Tiffany's was a wrong picture for Audrey Hepburn to be in. There's something so beautifully sensible about Audrey Hepburn that I could never believe that she was a, kind of a flighty girl, who in her refrigerator would have a bottle of champagne, and an orchid, and that's it. You know, there's something, with Audrey, there'd be some cottage cheese at least, or something!"

He thought that Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote's original choice for the role, would have been much better. And he also voiced his disdain for Mickey Rooney in the racially insensitive role of the landlord. It's funny, I wanted to hear his answer so badly but part of me was thinking "Oh my gosh, what if he says 'I always thought Jimmy Stewart would have been better in Meet John Doe'" haha!! Crisis averted ;)



After Robert Osborne's Q&A we went back to the room to change into our ~fancy clothes for the Anything Goes party, which we subsequently missed anyway. Oops! We went upstairs to grab a bite to eat before our next event and we ran into Ben Mankiewicz in the restaurant. He said he liked my hair color, and then I tried sputtering out the question that we didn't' get to ask at the Q&A and jumbled it up so badly that I had to take out the written question and read it to him. He said he'd have to think about it, but asked me how I would answer, and I shared my theory about James Stewart and Gary Cooper. He said it was an interesting theory but judging from his reaction, I'm pretty certain he likes Jimmy Stewart better lol. Then he asked if I would come over and meet his daughter because she is obsessed with pink and purple hair!

After that we scarfed down our food and hurried over to the Conversation with Eva Marie Saint which was already in progress. And she was being interviewed by … Ben Mankiewicz. We had totally stopped him to ask our question while he was on his way to talk to Eva Marie Saint. *SHAME RAINS DOWN ON OUR FAMILIES FOR ALL ETERNITY*



Anyway, Eva Marie Saint is basically the most adorable, funny, awesome human being on the planet. She kept joking around with Ben Mankiewicz and had such a great sense of humor! And all of her stories about her husband of 60+ years, who was in attendance, were so sweet. She told us about how they met, and their conflicting accounts of where they had their first lunch together. She compared Elia Kazan and Alfred Hitchcock's directing styles (Kazan would work on actors from the inside-out, coaching them on their motivations, while Hitch worked from the outside-in, more concerned about what the actor was wearing than what they were thinking.)

For North by Northwest, Hitchcock didn't like the costumes that MGM was coming up with so he took Eva Marie Saint to New York to go shopping. When she described the shopping trip it reminded me of the scene where Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak are shopping in Vertigo. Apparently Eva Marie Saint is the one who picked out that to-die-for black floral dress with the deep v-back, and Hitchcock bought it for her for the movie!

Ben Mankiewicz also asked her to say a little bit about some of her costars through the years, and she had something nice to say about everyone. She said that Paul Newman was like a brother to her, and called him a "sweetie pie" … is that not just the cutest thing ever?



Our last movie of the night was Top Hat, introduced by Illeana Douglas. She said that when she was a child a local tv station used to play Top Hat at midnight on New Year's Eve every year, which was so neat because me and my family have Fred & Ginger marathons every year on NYE! The experience of seeing Top Hat on the big screen was so amazing. It's such a beautiful movie (especially the sets and Ginger Rogers' glittery/feathery costumes!) and seeing it so big, hearing the music surrounding me, was breathtaking.



And that wraps up Day 4! Now I'm going to shut down my laptop and head over to Castaway Cay for a few hours! I can't believe my next post will be my last one from the trip, yikes!

3 comments:

Raquel Stecher said...

I'm loving your continuing coverage of the cruise Kate. Thank you for sharing that Joe Biden anecdote. I wonder why the first rows are empty. Usually those are the first to get filled at events with special guests. Very cool that Nicole got to ask the question to Robert Osborne. And man Osborne looks good in that photo. WOW! ::dreamy eyes::

I need to go on this CRUISE!

Unknown said...

This is great! I have been enjoying living vicariously through you and you have made me start wondering if I wouldn't rather take a cruise one day rather than the TCMFF! Can't wait to hear your next day of experiences!

Millie said...

Manksy private joke!

Also, Angie Dickinson is killing it with that hat!