Robert Osborne and LasVegasLynn
Well, tonight is the big night for me. It's been eight months since this journey for me began and a little over six months since we were in Atlanta for the taping.
I don't remember a great deal about the interview (a hazard of being mid-century modern, I'm told) so I can't supply any spoilers.
After watching two nights with the other Fan Programmers I do have to admit to being a tad nervous. They have all been animated, relaxed and just great. I hope to follow in their footsteps.
I guess we'll all find out tonight.
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is one of my favorite John Ford/John Wayne films and I'll talk more about why the film is so special to me tomorrow (so you have to promise to come back) because there are things I wanted to say about why the film means so much to me but we'd still be there trying to film the interview because I don't think there's enough kleenex in the world that would have gotten me through that interview.
It is a western, the first Technicolor film shot in Monument Valley and besides John Wayne it has a wonderful supporting cast including Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, Harry Carey, Jr, John Agar, Ben Johnson and Joanna Dru. It's a romantic western but not the kind you're thinking.
Will I sound too film geeky, too professorial or too crazy? Tune into TCM tonight and we'll all find out together!
Robert Osborne (yeah, that Robert Osborne) and I will be spotlighting "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (before and after the film) later tonight at 9:00 (PST). Hope to see you there!
In the meantime, meet the two guys who I'll be sharing the playbill with this evening:
Robert Osborne and Joe Buonocore
I've known Joe for about five years though prior to November, I had never met him. I like to call myself a veteran of the TCM Message Boards but Joe, well, he's a pioneer. He's been a member of that community since it's earliest days in 2001. Kind of like the first pioneers that built the first outpost there.
We'll we've built that little outpost into a thriving community over the years and through it all, Joe has never lost his enthusiasm or his love of movies.
He's retired, living in Florida with his family and how does he spend his time? Well, lucky for us at the message boards, he creates some of the most popular threads on the boards. For a couple of years he had the "Happy Birthday" thread where everyday he listed the birthdays of classic film and modern film stars, including those no longer with us. He currently keeps us enthralled with his "Candids" thread where he scours the internet looking for pictures of classic movie stars. From cheesecake to home redecorating to those surprised moments the stars didn't see coming, Joe tracks them down and posts them.
Joe brought his daughter, Audrey, along for the trip to Atlanta. They were the first people we met at the hotel and it was suddenly like old home week. You would never have known it was our first meeting.
Tonight, Joe will be introducing and talking about one of his favorite films, "Double Indemnity". Not because sometimes "murder smells like honeysuckle" but because it stars Miss Barbara Stanwyck. (How is that my three favorite TCM men have a thing for Miss Stanwyck?). Well, for those of you who may only know Barbara Stanwyck from television's "The Big Valley" or "The Thorn Birds", here's your chance to see her be deliciously bad. She's backed up by Fred MacMurray (and if you only know him from "My Three Sons" or those zany Disney films, you are in for a big surprise) and Edward G. Robinson. Directed by the great Billy Wilder with some wonderful exteriors of old Los Angeles when there a whole lot fewer people, "Double Indemnity" is a great classic film.
Joe Buonocore and Robert Osborne showcase the film at 5:00 (PST) tonight. Check your local listings for the start time in your area.
Robert Osborne and Juan Castro
I've been a film buff for more years than I can remember. I'm at an age when most film buffs I know are of my generation. That generation being from the 1960s when watching classic movies was a lot more difficult than it is today with VHS and DVDs. Back in those days, you had to make a concerted effort to try and watch these classic films, even if it meant staying home and playing sick.
So, you can imagine how surprised most of were to discover that one of our own was a 14-year old young man named Juan Castro. Juan's family used to own a Video Rental store in southern California and he has loved old movies since he was a kid.
He is also a budding film maker with a Youtube following and a little sister who is not always an eager but a willing star of his films. Two years ago, TCM held a Guest Programmer contest to choose an everyday classic film buff to introduce four films with the man himself, Robert Osborne.
Well, Juan entered that contest but discovered too late that he was too young to qualify. But his entry made an impact on the TCM staff. When it came time for them to select 15 fans of the channel, Juan's name was on the list.
His idol is Fred Astaire. Juan loves movie musicals and his favorite song is "The Way You Look Tonight."
Juan will be introducing and talking about that Astaire/Ginger Rogers classic. "Swing Time" directed by George Stevens.
Juan and Robert O will be talking about "Swing Time" tonight at 7:00 (PST)
