As the Senior Vice President of programming for the Turner Classic Movies cable TV network and head scheduler of the TCM Classic Film Festival, Charlie Tabesh has a job that most film buffs would die for the chance to have. He not only got to select dozens of the most beloved films ever made for the four-day fest – which runs from next Thursday, April 28, through May in Hollywood – but also picked an enticing array of forgotten gems to screen and was able to invite some of the greatest names in film history to appear at the grand affair.
All his hard work will pay off as thousands of film buffs from not only Los Angeles but around the world dash in and out of four prime venues – the Egyptian Theatre, the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Mann Chinese 6 Theatre and the Henry Fonda Theatre – to get their fill of films next weekend. He took time off from his insanely busy preparations to tell PW exclusively about what cinemaphiles have in store from the network, which presents films in uncut and commercial-free format in up to 85 millions homes nationwide.
“There are a lot of things that go into programming the fest, an it’s somewhat dependent on the talent we can get,” says Tabesh. “We know we want Kirk Douglas there and his wanting to join us leads to ‘Spartacus’ being screened. We also have a broader theme of music in the movies, so there’s films with music by George & Ira Gershwin, Bernard Herrmann who would have been 100 years old this year, and the ultimate singing cowboy, Roy Rogers.”
Once the organizers and TCM network officials have a broad idea of the themes for the festival, they reach out to the archives of present and former studios to search for restorations they can premiere. This year there was a special focus on silent films due to music being a major festival them, because they wanted to bring in two orchestras – one from the Netherlands and the other from New York City – to provide live musical accompaniment.
Tabesh also notes that the biggest names appearing this year are certifiable Hollywood legends including Warren Beatty, who will discuss his 1981 film “Reds” in an extended interview with fellow actor Alec Baldwin. Peter O’Toole will take part in a hand and feet-print ceremony at the Chinese Theatre as well as an extended interview with popular TCM host Robert Osborne after a screening of his classic, “Becket.” Angela Lansbury, Mickey Rooney, Roger Corman, Debbie Reynolds, Richard Roundtree and Hayley Mills round out the scheduled slate of special guests.
Kicking off Thursday with a gala screening of “An American in Paris,” the fest will also feature classics ranging from “The Godfather” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” to “The Third Man” and “La Dolce Vita.” The fest goes out with a bang on Sunday night, as attendees get to choose between “Fantasia,” “Manhattan” and “West Side Story.”
“Among lesser known films, ‘Went the Day Well?’ is a really fascinating movie that’s just been restored, and is premiering its new version in the US here,” explains Tabesh. “‘Night Flight’ and ‘The Constant Nymph’ haven’t been screened in decades due to legal issues, and I recommend Billy Wilder’s “One, Two, Three” as a film people have largely forgotten – and I guarantee nobody’s seen the Roy Rogers movies on the big screen as well.
“I think that there’s nothing quite like this really, not this ambitious and big,” says Tabesh. “There’s alot of great festivals, but nothing as big for classic film.”
The TCM Classic Film Festival takes place from next Thursday, April 28, through Sunday, May 1 at the Egyptian, Chinese, Chinese 6 and Music Box Theatres in Hollywood. Prices and passes vary widely. For scheduling and prices, visit tcm.com