TCM Classic Film Festival 2012--Kim Novak's Handprint Ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater

After a Friday filled with rain, I awoke to mostly sunny skies Saturday morning for the TCM Classic Film Festival.  I was up early for perhaps the peak moment of the entire event--Kim Novak immortalizing her handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater.  Unfortunately, the weather was still so unpredictable that the ceremony had to be covered with a tent, but something about that made the moment even more intimate.  It was essentially just a small room under that tent and only a privileged few made it in.  And not only did I get in, but I got a ringside seat.  There I was sitting on the red carpet riiiiiiight in front of Ms. Novak herself.  Best spot in the house.

TCM's Robert Osborne hosted the ceremony followed by a few guests who offered their own congratulations and reflections.  It started with her longtime manager and friend, Sue Cameron, who fought tirelessly for this honor for Kim.  Then Sue was followed by another close friend, Debbie Reynolds, who brought her usual infectious energy to the event.  Also in attendance sitting right beside the stage were Connie Stevens and Lainie Kazan.  When Kim finally took the podium after the introductions, everyone could not wait to hear what she would say.  After all, she left Hollywood with a finality that rivaled Doris Day's own departure...largely due to the politics of the studio system.  Thus, it was thrilling to hear Kim say how happy she was to be back in Hollywood and feeling very loved by the classic cinema community.  You can feel her pride in the photos below.

After the ceremony, I floated over to the Egyptian Theater to hear Norman Jewison discuss his direction of Steve McQueen in 1968's The Thomas Crown Affair.  This would mean McQueen on the big screen looking as good as he ever did in a combination of custom made three-piece suits and classic casual clothing.  His wardrobe is so incredible and influential that I'll soon be doing a Cinema Style File on it after my coverage for the festival is complete.  

The role of Thomas Crown was a big change for McQueen in more ways than the costumes.  He was used to playing cowboys, and here he would need to portray someone from an old Boston family who attended Dartmouth and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.  With a real life background closer to Boys Town, you can see McQueen reminding himself of his character's intellectual superiority by playing with the society's key throughout the film.  Even the seduction in the movie had an intellectual component...loving the challenge of Faye Dunaway's character during their courtship and ultimately losing to her in a game of chess.  "Chess and sex," Jewison enthused, "and Steve ended up 'exposing his queen.'"  This game was followed by perhaps the most famous of the creatively cut moments from the movie...a passionate kiss that took three full days of filming.  Sigh. Yes, Faye somehow got paid for that.

My hot afternoon with GlamAmor-ous Men of Style would continue when I headed next to see Sean Connery in 1962's Dr. No.  This is more iconic style, mostly on the men's side, and TCM once again made the experience extra special with the inclusion of the only two-time Bond Girls--Eunice Gayson (Dr. No, From Russia with Love) and Maud Adams (Man with the Golden Gun, Octopussy).  Ben Mankiewicz had conducted the interview with Jewison earlier, and now had the tough task of talking to the ladies before this screening.  

Though originally set to play Money Penny, Eunice was asked to be the very first Bond Girl--Sylvia Trench.  She cracked everyone up as she told tales of her close friend Sean taking on this new and ambitious role.  Like McQueen playing Thomas Crown, Connery was very different than James Bond and had to learn all the ways of elegance and eloquence.  In fact, he was so nervous playing the character that cast and crew had to ply him with liquor in order for him to deliver his iconic line for the first time, "Bond...James Bond."

Sean wasn't the only one who would find his image transformed.  The British film industry was in recession and largely known for being prim and proper--very Masterpiece Theater.  This was especially true for the women and Dr. No would change all of that.  Director Terrence Young offered the ladies a special suggestion to get in the mood.  "I had to wear a rose petal down the boosy [bosom]" to evoke that sensuality, Eunice recalled.  And it worked.  British women would forever be thought of as sexy and this first Bond film nearly singlehandedly brought success back to their industry.  Both actresses continue to be blown away by the success of the franchise. "Who knew that 50 years ago the Bond movies would still be around...much less so successful," Eunice said.  And Maud added, "For actresses to be remembered for their work is rather rare, so to be remembered as a Bond Girl is a thrill....Bond Girls are immortal."

Afterward, the eventful day ended with a celebration of Turner Classic Movies' 18th birthday party at the Roosevelt Hotel.  Surprise guests included classic cinema stars Robert Wagner, Margaret O'Brien, and the normally very shy Kim Novak.  Before the cake was cut, both hosts shared their thoughts on their time at the network alongside other talented members of the TCM team.  There were champagne toasts all around and it was incredible to be there sharing in the excitement.  We all got a little misty-eyed, especially when we suddenly realized we had but one day left.  Soon it would be Sunday...closing day of the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Sneaking a moment next to the cement before Kim Novak puts in her prints

With press pals Elise Crane Derby and Lindsay Berglund

and all of the rest of the media covering the event

TCM and Robert Osborne hosted the special ceremony

Kim Novak's longtime manager and friend Sue Cameron (above) 

and Debbie Reynolds both offer their introductions

Vertigo star Kim Novak accepting the honor of immortalizing her hand and footprints

as well as signature in cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater

Kim triumphant in front of her fans

Debbie Reynolds, Robert Osborne, Connie Stevens, Kim Novak, and Lainie Kazan (above)

along with TCM heads Charlie Tabesh and Genevieve McGillicuddy

From Grauman's Chinese Theater to the Egyptian Theater...

Arriving for The Thomas Crown Affair:  1960s white keyhole dress, 1960s blue wool coat,

1960s orange patent leather purse, Guess white leather peeptoe pumps,

silver hoop earrings, 1960s silver bangle bracelet, several skinny gold bangle bracelets

The audience arrives early to listen to director Norman Jewison discuss Steve McQueen

Ben Mankiewicz introduces and interviews Jewison before screening Thomas Crown Affair

From Thomas Crown to Bond...James Bond in Dr. No

and discussion with two-time Bond Girls Maud Adams and Eunice Gayson

Maud (above) and Eunice, who played Sylvia Trench in Dr. No and From Russia with Love

TCM's 18th Birthday Party back at the Roosevelt Hotel

The hosts both share thoughts on their experience at the network

Toasting to all the years to come!

Next on my TCM Classic Film Festival coverage--
closing day Sunday at the movies!

Out & About--FIDM Curates Color Costumes from THE ARTIST...in Shades of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

A few weeks ago, I was invited to an event exclusively for Los Angeles fashion bloggers by the Fashion Institute for Design & Merchandising (FIDM).  FIDM is a special place for me, not the least of which because my beloved Edith Head helped shape and launch the costume department there, an achievement that she considered one of the greats of her life.  I heard she was even said to cry at the department's dedication, which really says something.  After all, she was a known stoic and seemed to experience winning every one of her 8 Academy Awards without shedding a tear.  Of course those she lost was another matter...

Thanks to the ever informed FIDM faculty and staff, the party celebrating the FIDM Museum's current collections was exciting, educational, and inspirational.  My first priority was to stop and admire the museum's collection of costumes from classic cinema.  They didn't disappoint....the collection currently includes some seriously showstopping pieces.  Fred Astaire's hat and dancing shoes from the 1930s could have easily been from Top Hat itself.  An evening gown and dyed fur jacket from Marlene Dietrich were both made by Irene.  Mae West's embroidered 38"-24"-38" corset and 5"platform shoes revealed both her assets and challenges (she was only 5' tall).  And Jean Harlow's blue silk crepe short shorts by Adrian were from 1935's Reckless, the movie in which she met and fell in love with William Powell.  Those are just some of the highlights.

Even with such treasures, the evening's real attraction was FIDM's special collection of costumes from this year's Oscar nominated films.  As I've discussed at length during my Month (or so) of Art Deco, the trend toward Deco design from last Fall into this Spring has been inspired by all the current films that take place in the 1920s and 1930s.  So there I stood before the best of those very costumes--W./E., J. Edgar, Water for Elephants.  There was also the highly influential The Artist, which ended up winning award after award including ones for Best Costume Design and Best Picture.  Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures due to confidentiality agreements made with the studios and donors.  But FIDM thankfully shared a few of their own, including the very colorful costumes from the (nearly) silent black-and-white Artist.  Though Clothes on Film did an interview with its costume designer Mark Bridges and reported that most garments were made in "non-colors" such as black, white, and navy, you can see (above) that this is not necessarily entirely the case.  In fact, the silk crepe dress that Peppy Miller--leading lady Berenice Bejo--wears when kissing George Valentin (above, left) happens to be orange.

Preparation for The Artist reportedly involved watching more than 300 silent movies and director Michel Hazanavicius has admitted inspiration from classic cinema heros like "Lang, Ford, Lubitsch, Murnau, Wilder," and Hitchcock (Bernard Hermann's love theme from Vertigo is even controversially included in The Artist's score).  Yet he seems to neglect mentioning William Wellman, which seems odd considering how much the story seems to come straight from 1937's A Star is Born.  This is, after all, yet another tale about an unknown girl who finds her star on the rise just as her movie star mentor (and love) finds himself in decline.  

But more significantly, I feel one movie is stylistically even closer to the black-and-white Artist--the very colorful Singin' in the Rain.  As directors, Stanley Donan and Gene Kelly were clearly inspiration to Hazanavicius since both pictures are all about the impact of sound on the silent days of Old Hollywood.  There are many moments that are reminiscent of the earlier film from 1952.  Even the casting seems inspired, particularly the choice of Dujardin...as you'll see below, he's the mirror image of Gene Kelly.  And Mark Bridges' costume design seems to have taken a peek at Walter Plunkett's sketchbook for Rain as well. 

Though I of course applaud everyone for embracing a (nearly) silent black-and-white movie with such affection, it's my hope that audiences of The Artist now go back and appreciate all the original inspirational films just as much.  In fact, I wish they appreciated the classic cinema more since it takes such creativity to make them great the first time. Singin' in the Rain is considered AFI's Best Movie Musical ever, and it's surprising to me that I have not heard more about its influence on this year's Oscar winner for Best Picture.  Perhaps you will start your appreciation here.

ABOVE:  Mark Bridges' costume design for The Artist curated by the FIDM Museum

Modern Art Deco:  1980s (1920s inspired) black sequin dress, 

1960s hot pink croco-embossed leather clutch, Nine West black leather stiletto boots

In The Artist, star George Valenin (Jean Dujardin) is kissed by stranger Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo)

who causes an immediate sensation

In Singin' in the Rain, star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) is helped by stranger Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds)

who causes her own sensation when she jumps out of a cake and dances at a Hollywood party

 George shares the stage with Constance (Missi Pyle)

and Don shares his with onscreen partner Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen)

There is an uncanny natural physical resemblance between Kelly and Dujardin...

...and the resemblance extends to the costumes, including a three-piece suit 

that Kelly wears through much of the movie and while singing in the rain

Another similarity between the films is the use of inanimate objects, 

such as coats to imitate a person

Malcolm MacDowell plays a Hollywood type in Artist and

looks very much like Millard Mitchell (below right) who plays the head of the studio in Rain

Even with success, tears happen for both of the movies' leading ladies

To start your movie collection of original classics, visit my favorite TCM Shop!