TCMFF 2017 Diary: Pre-Fest Day One

If you ever attend the TCM Classic Film Festival, try flying in at least a day early. Even if you’re not travelling far and don’t need recuperation time, the Los Angeles area offers a lot for classic film fans to see and do. This year I flew in two days early. I arrived on Tuesday when the film festival starts on Friday.

The first thing my hostess, Karie Bible, did after picking me up from LAX was to whisk me off to Pann‘s. It’s a diner offering hearty food at relatively inexpensive prices. Best of all, it’s a a functional landmark. It opened in 1958, and inside and out it remains a fifties wonder. It’s a chance to nosh in Googie architecture! The eaterie’s 1950s sign is iconic, and the restaurant’s been featured in movies and TV, like PULP FICTION (1994).

After that, we picked up our friend Kaci and drove to Burbank’s Retro Row AKA Magnolia Boulevard. This street is full of vintage and reproduction vintage shops. First stop was Bésame Cosmetics to pick up the gift cards for Spellbound’s TCMFFGlamour contest and for personal shopping. The gift cards weren’t ready, but after looking, touching, and sampling, I left with goodies. I’ll be sporting their new lip color Wild Orchid at TCMFF’s opening night. We wandered over to Pinup Girl Clothing and tried on some of their fashions and stopped in What Katie Did to look at shoes and lingerie. It was Audrey K that cause me to splash more cash on a pair of green ombre cat eye sunglasses.

On to FIDM! Its museum is hosting two events sure to appeal to film fans, EXOTICA: FASHION & FILM COSTUME OF THE 1920s and 25TH ANNUAL ART OF MOTION PICTURE COSTUME DESIGN. I loved seeing the costumes in person to catch details that flick by in seconds on film. Sometimes the costumes gave me an idea of the figures that wore them, how tall or not and how slight or full. In one case, the illusion beneath the costume was revealed when a piece of padded shapewear got its own case. Of the two, EXOTICA was my favorite. It was one room full of gorgeous, fantasy wear. I wanted to see more!

Next we rushed off to pick up Kelly and Mark of the Facebook group Going to the TCM Classic Film Festival. Our destination was the Annenberg Community Beach House for a TCMFF perfect lecture. Kimberly Truhler of GlamAmor discussed Fashion in Film of TCMFF 2017: Sophisticated Comedies 1930s-50s. It was a great crash course or review on great actresses what they wore and who designed their costumes, often former couturiers. Like the movies they were featured in, iconic Hollywood costumes have had a lasting impact. Their influences can be seen in fashions on and off the screen.

We capped the night off with a late dinner at Miceli’s, another food institution in the LA area. The food was tasty. Growing up on the East Coast, I’m a pizza snob, and I was very happy with mine. It wasn’t quite as thin a crust as I usually go for, but it wasn’t too thick either. My friends’ lasagnas looked fantastic with extra sauce piled on tip. Maybe the entertainment realized we were in town for TCMFF, because the pianist keep putting movie themes into his ongoing medley. The only wrong note was when our friendly waiter turned gruff when we asked for split checks. Maybe that’s to be expected from a place with three brass plates listing house rules on its door.