TCM Classic Film Festival 2013--Opening Day at the Roosevelt Hotel and on the Red Carpet

This year's TCM Classic Film Festival took over Hollywood April 25th through the 28th and, as always, opening day was a rush of events.  There are so many, in fact, that seeing movies does not really enter my schedule this early in the festival.  It was even more the case this year once TCM granted me VIP status and asked me to host two movies.  Friday I would introduce A Foreign Affair (1948) with Marlene Dietrich and Saturday was Flying Down to Rio (1933) with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, which also included my chat with Cybill Shepherd before the live audience.  And adding to all the excitement was that BFF Karen (Kay) Noske of Movie Star Makeover invited me to bunk with her at the center of everything at the iconic Roosevelt Hotel.

The Roosevelt is one of my favorite places in the world.  Founded by Hollywood royalty Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Louis B. Mayer in 1927, you always feel like you're walking on sacred ground when you're there.  For one, the Academy Awards were first held in the hotel's Blossom Room in 1929.  Along with Sid Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian Theaters, there are few places that are so central to the history of Hollywood as the Roosevelt Hotel.  It is where literally everyone has come to eat, drink, and be very merry.  It's still a Hollywood hot spot.  Though I didn't see the ghosts of Montgomery Clift or Marilyn Monroe--former residents who allegedly still haunt the hotel--I can attest that the place does have quite the spirt.

My time in Hollywood began Tuesday night when I moved into the Roosevelt...with enough luggage to accommodate all the wardrobe changes I would be making over the next week.  Bright and early Wednesday morning was a press conference with TCM hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz as well as their Head of Programming Charlie Tabesh and Festival Director Genevieve McGillicuddy.  It was so great to see everyone again and hear about some of the exciting projects on the horizon, such as the move toward TCM streaming movies online.  And opening day Thursday kicked off with an even bigger TCM panel and the opportunity for everyone at the festival to meet the talented people behind the network.

Thursday included a lot more fun, too, such as the Vanity Fair party and covering the red carpet for the premiere of the newly restored Funny Girl (1968).  Star after star appeared before me and Kay (who was enjoying her first media credentials), but not surprisingly I was most dazzled by two Hitchcock heroines--Tippi Hedren and Eva Marie Saint--and a few fiesty femmes from my beloved film noir.  All were Special Guests of the festival and introducing their films to appreciative audiences.  Mitzi Gaynor and France Nuyen were also lovely on the red carpet as well as deeply entertaining when we headed back over to the Roosevelt for a poolside screening of South Pacific (1958) at sunset.

As you'll see in the photographs, the weather was perfectly gorgeous for the festival.  Fan of the water that I am, I began and ended my time in Hollywood alongside the Roosevelt Hotel pool (just as Marilyn did, above).  Stay tuned for coverage of even more of my festival fun.  Thanks to everyone at both the hotel and of course TCM for making the entire experience so amazing!

In 1960s hot pink silk shantung at one of my favorite places--poolside at the historic Roosevelt Hotel, 

which TCM takes over to tape fan interviews

Here's BFF Kay Noske charming host Ben Mankiewicz on air...

in bare feet, no less, per his request

Preparation for the poolside premiere of South Pacific that night

Inside the Roosevelt Hotel's Blossom Room--site of the first Academy Awards banquet--

transformed once again into Club TCM with more great photos of classic cinema stars

TCM host Robert Osborne talks to the press

The always popular "Meet TCM" opening day panel with insights from team behind the network,

including VP of Studio Production Sean Cameron (speaking below)

Next I was on my way to Grauman's (now TCL) Chinese Theater for the red carpet,

eyeing all the signage showing how our TCM Classic Film Festival takes over Hollywood

At the iconic Chinese Theater in Hollywood

for the red carpet and premiere of the newly restored Funny Girl (1968)

Working both on and off the red carpet...

thanks to friend Christian Esquevin for the photo below

Friends and familiar faces--Christian and Kay (above)

as well as dapper film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, who I met at last year's festival

VP of Original Programming Tom Brown charmed the growing crowd

and interviewed stars who graced the red carpet, which included both Hitchcock heroines and femmes fatale

Tippi Hedren of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964)

Eva Marie Saint of Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959) 

doing a cheer for fans (above) and posing with Anne Jeffreys on the red carpet

Then there were many femmes of film noir

starting with Anne Jeffreys of Riffraff (1947)...

Coleen Gray of Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956)...

...and Jacqueline White of The Narrow Margin (1952)

Finally, I share the beautiful France Nuyen of South Pacific (1958)

who stopped to pose for our cameras in Pucci

(thanks to Luanne Withee for the photo below)

Raced back to the Roosevelt Hotel for a poolside screening of South Pacific,

which began with Polynesian performers juggling and swallowing fire

(thanks to TCM photog Adam Rose for incredible picture below)

The act was nothing compared to the fire Ben had to juggle in his interview

with France and the very frisky Mitzi Gaynor

(thanks again to Adam Rose for photo below)

The Vanity Fair party was the last mad dash of the day...
couldn't take photos, so I include one of the 1960s mint mini I wore and one from TCM photog Edward M. Pio Roda