I just went to the Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival a couple weeks ago and all I can say is that from Sunday to Thursday I had to use an ice pack whenever I sat down. The seats at the theater were so hard and the leg room was so small (at least to a hulking, muscle-bound man freak like me), but it was worth it to see the amazing line-up Robert O had picked for our big screen viewing pleasure.
The catchphrase of the festival always seems to be “maybe you’ve seen a movie, but have you ever seen it on the big screen?” Makes sense, as did this year’s choices: “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The African Queen,” and “Notorious” are three out of eight films that were screened on the ginormous silver sheet.
Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, has held this annual event at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia for five years now.
The first screening was of “Singin’ in the Rain” in 2004. Based on the success, Robert returned in 05 with eight classic films and a panel discussion with movie experts.
This year started out nicely with “Young Frankenstein,” to which I unfortunately could not attend. Why? The Masters started this week too and I had tickets for Thursday. The schedule just wouldn’t work, so what else can I say besides, “destiny! Destiny! No escaping that for me!” Still, the next day worked just fine.
Friday began at 10 am with a panel discussion about the different ways of watching a movie.
I love these discussions because not only do you hear some fun anecdotes, but afterwards the audience is allowed to ask questions to the pros. It’s hilarious to listen to these prideful people challenge their opinions and movie “knowledge” to the cast of experts onstage, only to be shot down like a B-29.
After a quick break for lunch, action resumed at 1:30 for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious.” After this fine, suspenseful, classy film, a 4:30 screening of the fun, goofy “Journey to the Center of the Earth” began.
Part of this flick’s cheese comes from the fact that this is a respectable Jules Verne story and Pat Boone, who plays one of the key characters, sings a few mellow 1950s songs in between. The sets look a bit paper mache as well. One scene includes lava that looks less molten and more like chili. And there’s a duck! I’m not going to say what happens to “Gertrude,” but don’t get too attached to her. Although these are strange drawbacks, it is good entertainment. Arlene Dahl, the movie’s heroine, was supposed to come to the screening, but her daughter was having surgery in New York.
I couldn’t stay for “The Way We Were” that night, which was a shame because Marvin Hamlisch showed up and played the piano. But it was good to get some rest before Saturday which happened to be the best day of all.
“Lawrence of Arabia” was set to screen at 11 am and end around 3:15 pm. Well, Robert Osborne and Anne V. Coats, the film’s editor, had a fifteen minute chat with everyone and then started. A twenty minute intermission and a couple of overtures also added a chunk of time and put the finale at about 3:50 pm. The movie looked incredible in its 70mm print, but the length put a squeeze on time. I had just 30 minutes to down a hoagie and beat feet for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”
Seeing “Gilbert” with an audience was an interesting experience. You could tell that many people had never seen it based on their mystified gasps as Leonardo Dicaprio walked into the living room with surprise birthday cake smeared all over his mouth. Speaking of the audience, I’ve got a bone to pick with a few people. Most of the crowd was age 60+, but I received the everlasting joy of sitting in front of two 25 year old giggly girls during “Lawrence.” Every time a camel would moan, a ‘tee-hee’ would emerge from their gullets. If a character was shot, they would unleash a milky ‘oh noooo.’ I don’t know where they were from, but judging on their accents, it felt like I was sitting close to Margie Gunderson from “Fargo.” But anyways…
After “Gilbert”, casting director, Mike Fenton told a great story about working with Alfred Hitchcock. The master’s limo had not arrived, and he needed a lift to Paramount. So a studio exec told Fenton to drive Hitch and his wife. Fenton owned a small Volkswagon and the weight on the tiny car made it tilt to one side, scraping the bottom all the way over.
The night ended well with “The African Queen” and a hilarious Academy Award nominated short from Belgium entitled “Tanghi Argentini.” Strangely, a good American print of the Queen was impossible to find and they had a copy shipped from the Britain Film Institute.
Although the festival continued Sunday with “The King and I,” I couldn’t make it. But I got my money’s worth, nonetheless. The prints were excellent, the movies were good, and it was just another reminder of why the big screen is a movie’s best friend.
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