Cinecon Suggestions?

On Sep 17, 8:19 pm, bbirch... DeleteThis @earthlink.net wrote:
> Well, we keep soliciting suggestions from attendees, and if they
> come through it's usually about three weeks before the show when
> everything is pretty well set (give or take).
>
> So, what the hey? The clique at Cinecon (that's us swell-headed
> guys who comb the archives and the studios to bring you this event at
> no personal gain to ourselves except the indisputable, and [god help
> us] unsharable "Glory" of being some of the "Big" boys (and girls) of
> Cinecon--the clique that's harder to join than the Red Circle [and
> with all this and a dime we can buy a cup of coffee]) we'd like to ask
> if there's anything you'd like to see at next year's show?
>
> Please be advised we favor rare over common, and we tend not to
> run stuff we've run before in the last 10 or 15 years.

Hey Bob,

I hardly had the chance to say hi to you this year either - and I
admit I chose to sleep through the business meeting so, for what it's
worth:

1) even if it's considered a common title - if it's been restored
recently (this year's 35 print of BEGGARS OF LIFE and the UK print of
IRON HORSE from a few years ago being prime examples - also the
Technicolor restorations of VERY common titles not available on DVD in
pristine editions: GLORIFYING THE AMERICAN GIRL, THIS IS THE ARMY) I
think any "Joe Franklin" title that's been tweaked in any way is worth
a repeat showing. I think for those newer folks coming into the
society, a bone fide warhorse is a good scheduling choice. Perhaps
they could be run in a morning slot or on Thursday or on Monday or run
late Sunday so the old timers won't feel badly about skipping out on
it - but I think it helps balance out the programming.

2) anything that has been saved/restored through Society monies should
be screened at the festival. Particularly those folks coming in from
out of state (like me) should be able to see what the membership fee
they are paying is helping to maintain.

3) as long as we're creeping into the 1950s for guests, has anyone
bothered to invite: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Elizabeth Taylor,
Lauren Bacall, Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Rita Moreno, Cyd
Charisse, etc. etc. etc. I don't wish to step on the toes of those in,
as Lloyd would call it, the "ivory tower" but if those putting
together the slate for future Cinecons do not have the contacts or
time to pursue potential guests, I would hope those more peripheral
members, like, say, Miles Kreuger, who DO know these people would be
more fully engaged in the process. I know there's a lot of bellyaching
from old-time society members over the validity of some guests at this
point, but guests *do* bring in out-of-towners, like myself. The
society might as well go after the most marquee value they can while
those who worked in the studio system are still with us.

4) as an addendum to the above, anyone who has a book out should be an
automatic invitee. I don't know if Farley Granger was actively
approached this year or not, but as an old-timer who published a book
this year, and who traveled the States this summer with screenings of
his Hitchcock films, it was a sin he was not part of this year's
event. Likewise, anytime a film is screened that a previous Ciencont
Guest worked on s/he should be automatically be re-invited - not to
speak at or be interviewed, but to enjoy and to attend the banquet and
add some additional wattage. I don't know about Gloria Stewart's
health/wherabouts, but as long as we were screening 36 HOURS TO KILL,
she should have been part of it.

5) And while we're on the subjects of guests, I have never seen a Baby
Peggy film. While she's still with us and attending the event, we
should run a BP short if one is available. Lord knows they don't show
up frequently on TCM for out-of-towners.

6) the one noticable omission from this year's slate of films was a
Vitahpne collection, and I believe a *new* collection has been making
the revival circuit this year. IIRC, the festival was contractually
obligated in the past to run the whole two-hour program as a single
*feature* in past festivals. Question: has anyone ever attempted to
break the program into two or three sections "the same day." As
Cinecon is set up in "day" or "festval" pass flavors, if you pay for a
whole day pass on Saturday, you've paid for the Vitaphone program,
even if you have a 40 segement in the morrning, afternoon and evening
instead of a two-hour block in the afternoon. If this were a possible
compromise, I'd be thrilled. I *love* seeing the Vitaphone shorts and
understand why, in normal revival settings, they need to be grouped
together as a feature, but I really think Cinecon's current practice
of short/feature/feature block bookings plays best. If we could work
out a deal with the Vitaphone people to screen their restored programs
(as they come about) in such a truncated manner would play best and
work to everyone's advantage.

7) As always, I enjoy seeing George O'Brien (non-western), Billy
Haines and Joan Crawford silents (not all of them necessarily
together) and films by the more idiosyncratic directors (Tod Browning,
James, Whale, Rex Ingram, early John Ford-non-westerns) that are not
readily available on video or run to death by TCM. If you come across
any of their titles you consider rare/new enough to include in future
festivals please get them. And I *really* love the silent Columbias
you have run in past years. I know there are a *very* limited number
of extant silent Coluimbias, but I think any of the them (particularly
the non-Capras) should be considered if available. I really curse the
fact that the Alice Faye feature ran on Monday. I would love to see
more of her early (pre-ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND stuff - GEORGE WHITE'S
SCANDALS, etc.) too.

Again, as I posted earlier, I thought, despite an (understandable)
dimming of star wattage re: the celebrity guests, I thought the
balance and quality of this year's Cinecon programming was the best
overall that I ever attended. I particualrly enjoyed the programmer/
cultish/camp selections (AIR HAWKS, 36 HOURS TO KILL, etc.) With only
one or two exceptions, I thought everything was average - or way above
- and all the prints looked great. Again, I think y'all put on a great
show, and this year's was tops, but as long as you're fishing for
suggestions, I'm gonna open my mouth/keyboard.

Thanks if you've read this far down the post.

Harlett
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

I'm not going to get into the argument over whether Cinecon should be
showing warhorses just because they've been restored... but if you get
a chance to see that restored Beggars of Life, anywhere on the planet,
do! It looks really good and the movie is highly entertaining and
makes good use of Brooks, even if it's more tawdry, less believable
and thus generally inferior to the same director's talkie on much the
same subject (minus the sexual angle), Wild Boys of the Road. It's
one of those movies where an A director made the best possible movie
out of B material.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 17, 7:32 pm, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne... RemoveThis @worldspan.com>
wrote:
>
> Hey Bob,
>
> I hardly had the chance to say hi to you this year either - and I
> admit I chose to sleep through the business meeting so, for what it's
> worth:
>
> 1) even if it's considered a common title - if it's been restored
> recently (this year's 35 print of BEGGARS OF LIFE and the UK print of
> IRON HORSE from a few years ago being prime examples - also the
> Technicolor restorations of VERY common titles not available on DVD in
> pristine editions: GLORIFYING THE AMERICAN GIRL, THIS IS THE ARMY) I
> think any "Joe Franklin" title that's been tweaked in any way is worth
> a repeat showing. I think for those newer folks coming into the
> society, a bone fide warhorse is a good scheduling choice. Perhaps
> they could be run in a morning slot or on Thursday or on Monday or run
> late Sunday so the old timers won't feel badly about skipping out on
> it - but I think it helps balance out the programming.

We generally do try to run one or two JF titles each year, especially
if they've been restored in some way, and will continue to do so.
We've still got the reconstructed TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE in the
hopper, to name one.

>
> 3) as long as we're creeping into the 1950s for guests, has anyone
> bothered to invite: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Elizabeth Taylor,
> Lauren Bacall, Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Rita Moreno, Cyd
> Charisse, etc. etc. etc. I don't wish to step on the toes of those in,
> as Lloyd would call it, the "ivory tower" but if those putting
> together the slate for future Cinecons do not have the contacts or
> time to pursue potential guests, I would hope those more peripheral
> members, like, say, Miles Kreuger, who DO know these people would be
> more fully engaged in the process. I know there's a lot of bellyaching
> from old-time society members over the validity of some guests at this
> point, but guests *do* bring in out-of-towners, like myself. The
> society might as well go after the most marquee value they can while
> those who worked in the studio system are still with us.

We've attempted everyone on your list except Newman and Taylor,
because we knew going in they would turn us down. Of the rest, only
Reynolds and Champion have expressed interest, but the former seems to
be always working, and the latter lives in New York, which means a
pricey airline ticket. Haven't given up on either, though.

>
> 4) as an addendum to the above, anyone who has a book out should be an
> automatic invitee. I don't know if Farley Granger was actively
> approached this year or not, but as an old-timer who published a book
> this year, and who traveled the States this summer with screenings of
> his Hitchcock films, it was a sin he was not part of this year's
> event. Likewise, anytime a film is screened that a previous Ciencont
> Guest worked on s/he should be automatically be re-invited - not to
> speak at or be interviewed, but to enjoy and to attend the banquet and
> add some additional wattage. I don't know about Gloria Stewart's
> health/wherabouts, but as long as we were screening 36 HOURS TO KILL,
> she should have been part of it.

Granger lives in Europe, so that was definitely out, money-wise. We
did invite Stuart to the banquet, but she wasn't feeling up to it (she
IS 97, y'know).

>
> 5) And while we're on the subjects of guests, I have never seen a Baby
> Peggy film. While she's still with us and attending the event, we
> should run a BP short if one is available. Lord knows they don't show
> up frequently on TCM for out-of-towners.

I thought we had run one some years back. Anybody remember for sure?

>
> 6) the one noticable omission from this year's slate of films was a
> Vitahpne collection, and I believe a *new* collection has been making
> the revival circuit this year. IIRC, the festival was contractually
> obligated in the past to run the whole two-hour program as a single
> *feature* in past festivals. Question: has anyone ever attempted to
> break the program into two or three sections "the same day." As
> Cinecon is set up in "day" or "festval" pass flavors, if you pay for a
> whole day pass on Saturday, you've paid for the Vitaphone program,
> even if you have a 40 segement in the morrning, afternoon and evening
> instead of a two-hour block in the afternoon. If this were a possible
> compromise, I'd be thrilled. I *love* seeing the Vitaphone shorts and
> understand why, in normal revival settings, they need to be grouped
> together as a feature, but I really think Cinecon's current practice
> of short/feature/feature block bookings plays best. If we could work
> out a deal with the Vitaphone people to screen their restored programs
> (as they come about) in such a truncated manner would play best and
> work to everyone's advantage.

The collections are bi-annual, so we hafta wait till next year for a
new one to become available.

>
> 7) As always, I enjoy seeing George O'Brien (non-western), Billy
> Haines and Joan Crawford silents (not all of them necessarily
> together) and films by the more idiosyncratic directors (Tod Browning,
> James, Whale, Rex Ingram, early John Ford-non-westerns) that are not
> readily available on video or run to death by TCM. If you come across
> any of their titles you consider rare/new enough to include in future
> festivals please get them. And I *really* love the silent Columbias
> you have run in past years. I know there are a *very* limited number
> of extant silent Coluimbias, but I think any of the them (particularly
> the non-Capras) should be considered if available. I really curse the
> fact that the Alice Faye feature ran on Monday. I would love to see
> more of her early (pre-ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND stuff - GEORGE WHITE'S
> SCANDALS, etc.) too.

We've run virtually every Columbia silent that's been preserved; we'll
have BLOOD SHIP next year. We had Faye as a guest several years back
and ran a ton of her films then, but that doesn't preclude others.

>
> Again, as I posted earlier, I thought, despite an (understandable)
> dimming of star wattage re: the celebrity guests, I thought the
> balance and quality of this year's Cinecon programming was the best
> overall that I ever attended. I particualrly enjoyed the programmer/
> cultish/camp selections (AIR HAWKS, 36 HOURS TO KILL, etc.) With only
> one or two exceptions, I thought everything was average - or way above
> - and all the prints looked great. Again, I think y'all put on a great
> show, and this year's was tops, but as long as you're fishing for
> suggestions, I'm gonna open my mouth/keyboard.
>
> Thanks if you've read this far down the post.
>
> Harlett

You're welcome!

Mike S.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 9:01 am, ag....DeleteThis@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (James Roots) wrote:
> precode (michael_schlesin...@spe.sony.com) writes:

> Oh come on, Mike, give 'em a shot! Nothing ventured, nothing
> gained. They might surprise you!
>
> Jim-

And Newman & Taylor were only a couple of names off the top of my
head.

And again, not to beat up on anybody - I'm only suggesting that as
long as Cinecon *commits* to the idea of celebrity guests, y'all might
want to revisit how you go about inviting celebrities and who is
involved in that process. Whereas Bob might very well strike out when
approaching Taylor, someone else might have enough of an "in" to get
her interested. And someone like, say, Miles might think of a
forgotten musical star that Bob and Mike might never have thought of.

And I would imagine anyone with a book to sell would be an easier
target, assuming they are or could make themselvs be in the area to
serve their own interest (a la Granger this year.) Did a bell go off
in anyone's head when the book came out that it might be worthwhile to
inquire if he planned to be in the States selling his book over the
summer? Is anyone directly involved in Cinecon on any (e)mail list
that would announce some/most/all celebrity publications throughout
the year as they hit the streets? If so, might those people be pushed
to the front of the line of possible Cinecon honorees - in advance. I
may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.
That may have been fine 20 years ago, but there are less fish in the
barrel these days. Again, the day will come when the Society feels
that celebrity guests do not offer a sufficient rate of return (in
terms of viability, audience interest, quality Q&A sessions about the
studio system, etc.) to warrant all the trouble. And perhaps we are
close to that point now. But so long as the festival is *committed* to
the guests and the banquet and all that goes with it, it might be
worth going over who/when/why/how is involved in the celebrity guest
arena and see if Cinecon *can* build a better celebrity mousetrap.

And regarding the Baby Peggy stuff - again, how many of her films are
readily available? Even if you've screened *one* BP short in the past,
does that automatically preclude the programming of any more of her
work in the future? I for one have never seen any of her films and I
doubt a sizable percentage of Society members have either. She's a
delight and a treasure and the single easiest way to add a little star
wattage to the festival. I'm not talking a big Q&A or anything like
that, but take 20 minutes and run a two-reeler, let her take a bow,
and remind folks she's signing her books in the dealer's room. And
when you're going to run, say, a Gloria Stuart or an Ann Savage
or ... whatever *anyway* - give 'em a call and invite them to the
screening and the banquet. If they say no, fine, but if they can come,
it's a little more stardust with minimal effort.

Once again, I can't overstate how much I appreciate everyone's hard
work. And Lord knows I couldn't be even 10% as effective as any of the
folks who work this event. I don't wish to beat up on anybody, but so
long as Bob's asking, and if there's any way to make the festival run
even MORE smoothly and be even MORE effective, then maybe it's time to
tweak the process a bit.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

This was my first Cinecon and I enjoyed every minute. The guest part
of it really doesn't interest me, unless you can somehow get Charley
Chase to show up. What I would like to see are more comedy shorts.
There must be mountains of rare, unseen shorts that could be tied to
the features being run. I'd like to see a short before every
feature.....but that's just me.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 8:58 am, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne....TakeThisOut@worldspan.com>
wrote:

>
> And I would imagine anyone with a book to sell would be an easier
> target, assuming they are or could make themselvs be in the area to
> serve their own interest (a la Granger this year.) Did a bell go off
> in anyone's head when the book came out that it might be worthwhile to
> inquire if he planned to be in the States selling his book over the
> summer? Is anyone directly involved in Cinecon on any (e)mail list
> that would announce some/most/all celebrity publications throughout
> the year as they hit the streets? If so, might those people be pushed
> to the front of the line of possible Cinecon honorees - in advance.

We were certainly aware of Granger's book and his touring for it
and with it, timing was an issue.

> may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
> Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.


> That may have been fine 20 years ago, but there are less fish in the
> barrel these days. Again, the day will come when the Society feels
> that celebrity guests do not offer a sufficient rate of return (in
> terms of viability, audience interest, quality Q&A sessions about the
> studio system, etc.) to warrant all the trouble. And perhaps we are
> close to that point now. But so long as the festival is *committed* to
> the guests and the banquet and all that goes with it, it might be
> worth going over who/when/why/how is involved in the celebrity guest
> arena and see if Cinecon *can* build a better celebrity mousetrap.
>
> And regarding the Baby Peggy stuff - again, how many of her films are
> readily available? Even if you've screened *one* BP short in the past,
> does that automatically preclude the programming of any more of her
> work in the future? I for one have never seen any of her films and I
> doubt a sizable percentage of Society members have either. She's a
> delight and a treasure and the single easiest way to add a little star
> wattage to the festival. I'm not talking a big Q&A or anything like
> that, but take 20 minutes and run a two-reeler, let her take a bow,
> and remind folks she's signing her books in the dealer's room. And
> when you're going to run, say, a Gloria Stuart or an Ann Savage
> or ... whatever *anyway* - give 'em a call and invite them to the
> screening and the banquet. If they say no, fine, but if they can come,
> it's a little more stardust with minimal effort.
>
> Once again, I can't overstate how much I appreciate everyone's hard
> work. And Lord knows I couldn't be even 10% as effective as any of the
> folks who work this event. I don't wish to beat up on anybody, but so
> long as Bob's asking, and if there's any way to make the festival run
> even MORE smoothly and be even MORE effective, then maybe it's time to
> tweak the process a bit.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 9:59 am, bbirch....TakeThisOut@earthlink.net wrote:
> On Sep 18, 8:58 am, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne....TakeThisOut@worldspan.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > And I would imagine anyone with a book to sell would be an easier
> > target, assuming they are or could make themselvs be in the area to
> > serve their own interest (a la Granger this year.) Did a bell go off
> > in anyone's head when the book came out that it might be worthwhile to
> > inquire if he planned to be in the States selling his book over the
> > summer? Is anyone directly involved in Cinecon on any (e)mail list
> > that would announce some/most/all celebrity publications throughout
> > the year as they hit the streets? If so, might those people be pushed
> > to the front of the line of possible Cinecon honorees - in advance.
>
> We were certainly aware of Granger's book and his touring for it
> and with it, timing was an issue.
>
>
>
> > may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
> > Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.
> > That may have been fine 20 years ago, but there are less fish in the
> > barrel these days. Again, the day will come when the Society feels
> > that celebrity guests do not offer a sufficient rate of return (in
> > terms of viability, audience interest, quality Q&A sessions about the
> > studio system, etc.) to warrant all the trouble. And perhaps we are
> > close to that point now. But so long as the festival is *committed* to
> > the guests and the banquet and all that goes with it, it might be
> > worth going over who/when/why/how is involved in the celebrity guest
> > arena and see if Cinecon *can* build a better celebrity mousetrap.
>
> > And regarding the Baby Peggy stuff - again, how many of her films are
> > readily available? Even if you've screened *one* BP short in the past,
> > does that automatically preclude the programming of any more of her
> > work in the future? I for one have never seen any of her films and I
> > doubt a sizable percentage of Society members have either. She's a
> > delight and a treasure and the single easiest way to add a little star
> > wattage to the festival. I'm not talking a big Q&A or anything like
> > that, but take 20 minutes and run a two-reeler, let her take a bow,
> > and remind folks she's signing her books in the dealer's room. And
> > when you're going to run, say, a Gloria Stuart or an Ann Savage
> > or ... whatever *anyway* - give 'em a call and invite them to the
> > screening and the banquet. If they say no, fine, but if they can come,
> > it's a little more stardust with minimal effort.
>
> > Once again, I can't overstate how much I appreciate everyone's hard
> > work. And Lord knows I couldn't be even 10% as effective as any of the
> > folks who work this event. I don't wish to beat up on anybody, but so
> > long as Bob's asking, and if there's any way to make the festival run
> > even MORE smoothly and be even MORE effective, then maybe it's time to
> > tweak the process a bit.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


How about screening Rex Ingram's The Arab and his silent version of
The Garden of Allah? Also there's a WB film from 1934 that never seems
to turn up called Return of the Terror with Lyle Talbot and Mary Astor
that would be alot of fun to see.
Thanks,
Randy
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

Again hitting the tab key sends a message before I've finished
writing. Again: Curse you Google Groups!

On Sep 18, 8:58 am, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne....TakeThisOut@worldspan.com>
wrote:

> I may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
> Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.

You are utterly and completely wrong about this. We start
thinking of guests immediately after the Labor Day event.

While other shows often have guests lined up months in advance
(and believe me we'd like to do it, too), the fact of the matter is
that in general the guests at Cinecon are not among those who have
travelled around the country to other shows. Through the years
Cinecon has honered the likes of Colleen Moore, Lillian Gish, Louise
Rainer, Burgess Meredith, Myrna Loy, George O'Brien, Douglas
Fairbanks, Jr., Lew Ayres, Gloria Stuart, Jackie Cooper, Robert Wise,
Abraham Polonsky, Alice Faye, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Karen Morley,
Sylvia Sidney, Budd Boettiger, Donald O'Connor, Roger Corman, Esther
Ralston, Mary Brian, Patricia Neal and on and on. Often, Cinecon is
the first such program these people have attended, and it also often
happens that our guests will later agree to do other events based on
the good experiences they have had at Cinecon. We put out guest
solicitations throughout the year, and for various reasons (previous
commitments, etc.) we cannot always sync up with potential guests.
Unfortunately, other powers intervene sometimes, as well. We were all
set to honor writer-director Mel Shavelson this year, but he passed
away before the event.



> That may have been fine 20 years ago, but there are less fish in the
> barrel these days. Again, the day will come when the Society feels
> that celebrity guests do not offer a sufficient rate of return (in
> terms of viability, audience interest, quality Q&A sessions about the
> studio system, etc.) to warrant all the trouble. And perhaps we are
> close to that point now. But so long as the festival is *committed* to
> the guests and the banquet and all that goes with it, it might be
> worth going over who/when/why/how is involved in the celebrity guest
> arena and see if Cinecon *can* build a better celebrity mousetrap.

Cinecon's commitment to guests and the banquet is in large part
dictated by our desire to give recognition to those who have
entertained us through the years--it was a poingnant moment several
years back when Lew Ayres noted that the Cinephiles' Career
Achievement Award was the first time he'd ever ben honored for his
acting--but it also has a practical side. The hotels require a
certain level of food service income in exchange for the meeting room
facilities. This means a banquet. To sell tickets to the banquet it
helps to have celebrities in attendance. There are a number of
attendees who have no interest in the banquet--but there are an equal
number who "live" for the chance to dress up and sit down to dinner
with the celebrity guests. Also, all of those who claim to pooh-pooh
the celebrities are not necessarily being entirely forthright. One
couple who claim the celebrities hold no allure for them and that they
only attend the banquet to support Cinecon also complained on their
after-show questionnaire that there was no celebrity at their table at
the banquet!
>
> And regarding the Baby Peggy stuff - again, how many of her films are
> readily available? Even if you've screened *one* BP short in the past,
> does that automatically preclude the programming of any more of her
> work in the future? I for one have never seen any of her films and I
> doubt a sizable percentage of Society members have either. She's a
> delight and a treasure and the single easiest way to add a little star
> wattage to the festival. I'm not talking a big Q&A or anything like
> that, but take 20 minutes and run a two-reeler, let her take a bow,
> and remind folks she's signing her books in the dealer's room. And
> when you're going to run, say, a Gloria Stuart or an Ann Savage
> or ... whatever *anyway* - give 'em a call and invite them to the
> screening and the banquet. If they say no, fine, but if they can come,
> it's a little more stardust with minimal effort.
>
> Once again, I can't overstate how much I appreciate everyone's hard
> work. And Lord knows I couldn't be even 10% as effective as any of the
> folks who work this event. I don't wish to beat up on anybody, but so
> long as Bob's asking, and if there's any way to make the festival run
> even MORE smoothly and be even MORE effective, then maybe it's time to
> tweak the process a bit.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 10:30 am, bbirch....TakeThisOut@earthlink.net wrote:
> Again hitting the tab key sends a message before I've finished
> writing. Again: Curse you Google Groups!
>
> On Sep 18, 8:58 am, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne....TakeThisOut@worldspan.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
> > Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.
>
> You are utterly and completely wrong about this. We start
> thinking of guests immediately after the Labor Day event.
>
> While other shows often have guests lined up months in advance
> (and believe me we'd like to do it, too), the fact of the matter is
> that in general the guests at Cinecon are not among those who have
> travelled around the country to other shows. Through the years
> Cinecon has honered the likes of Colleen Moore, Lillian Gish, Louise
> Rainer, Burgess Meredith, Myrna Loy, George O'Brien, Douglas
> Fairbanks, Jr., Lew Ayres, Gloria Stuart, Jackie Cooper, Robert Wise,
> Abraham Polonsky, Alice Faye, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Karen Morley,
> Sylvia Sidney, Budd Boettiger, Donald O'Connor, Roger Corman, Esther
> Ralston, Mary Brian, Patricia Neal and on and on. Often, Cinecon is
> the first such program these people have attended, and it also often
> happens that our guests will later agree to do other events based on
> the good experiences they have had at Cinecon. We put out guest
> solicitations throughout the year, and for various reasons (previous
> commitments, etc.) we cannot always sync up with potential guests.
> Unfortunately, other powers intervene sometimes, as well. We were all
> set to honor writer-director Mel Shavelson this year, but he passed
> away before the event.
>
> > That may have been fine 20 years ago, but there are less fish in the
> > barrel these days. Again, the day will come when the Society feels
> > that celebrity guests do not offer a sufficient rate of return (in
> > terms of viability, audience interest, quality Q&A sessions about the
> > studio system, etc.) to warrant all the trouble. And perhaps we are
> > close to that point now. But so long as the festival is *committed* to
> > the guests and the banquet and all that goes with it, it might be
> > worth going over who/when/why/how is involved in the celebrity guest
> > arena and see if Cinecon *can* build a better celebrity mousetrap.
>
> Cinecon's commitment to guests and the banquet is in large part
> dictated by our desire to give recognition to those who have
> entertained us through the years--it was a poingnant moment several
> years back when Lew Ayres noted that the Cinephiles' Career
> Achievement Award was the first time he'd ever ben honored for his
> acting--but it also has a practical side. The hotels require a
> certain level of food service income in exchange for the meeting room
> facilities. This means a banquet. To sell tickets to the banquet it
> helps to have celebrities in attendance. There are a number of
> attendees who have no interest in the banquet--but there are an equal
> number who "live" for the chance to dress up and sit down to dinner
> with the celebrity guests. Also, all of those who claim to pooh-pooh
> the celebrities are not necessarily being entirely forthright. One
> couple who claim the celebrities hold no allure for them and that they
> only attend the banquet to support Cinecon also complained on their
> after-show questionnaire that there was no celebrity at their table at
> the banquet!
>
>
>
>
>
> > And regarding the Baby Peggy stuff - again, how many of her films are
> > readily available? Even if you've screened *one* BP short in the past,
> > does that automatically preclude the programming of any more of her
> > work in the future? I for one have never seen any of her films and I
> > doubt a sizable percentage of Society members have either. She's a
> > delight and a treasure and the single easiest way to add a little star
> > wattage to the festival. I'm not talking a big Q&A or anything like
> > that, but take 20 minutes and run a two-reeler, let her take a bow,
> > and remind folks she's signing her books in the dealer's room. And
> > when you're going to run, say, a Gloria Stuart or an Ann Savage
> > or ... whatever *anyway* - give 'em a call and invite them to the
> > screening and the banquet. If they say no, fine, but if they can come,
> > it's a little more stardust with minimal effort.
>
> > Once again, I can't overstate how much I appreciate everyone's hard
> > work. And Lord knows I couldn't be even 10% as effective as any of the
> > folks who work this event. I don't wish to beat up on anybody, but so
> > long as Bob's asking, and if there's any way to make the festival run
> > even MORE smoothly and be even MORE effective, then maybe it's time to
> > tweak the process a bit.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Or how about Annie Laurie?
Randy
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 1:30 pm, bbirch....DeleteThis@earthlink.net wrote:
> Again hitting the tab key sends a message before I've finished
> writing. Again: Curse you Google Groups!
>
> On Sep 18, 8:58 am, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne....DeleteThis@worldspan.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
> > Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.
>
> You are utterly and completely wrong about this. We start
> thinking of guests immediately after the Labor Day event.
> (SNIP)
> Unfortunately, other powers intervene sometimes, as well. We were all
> set to honor writer-director Mel Shavelson this year, but he passed
> away before the event.

And I stand corrected and happily so. Perhaps it was the post-
Shavelson scramble, but I got the eerie feeling that y'all weren't
quite as on-top of the celebrity guest roster this year as in years
past. Again, my comments were an attempt to explore ways in which the
net could be cast our wider, perhaps by more folks, in an attempt to
make what is a difficult task (that can never hope to please everyone)
run a little more smoothly.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 12:32 pm, Jim Reid <jimrei... RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote:
> This was my first Cinecon and I enjoyed every minute. The guest part
> of it really doesn't interest me, unless you can somehow get Charley
> Chase to show up. What I would like to see are more comedy shorts.
> There must be mountains of rare, unseen shorts...

particularly those with dancing breakfast cereals.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 10:26 am, Randy Beucus <paulfix... DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Sep 18, 9:59 am, bbirch... DeleteThis @earthlink.net wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sep 18, 8:58 am, Harlett O'Dowd <chris.conne... DeleteThis @worldspan.com>
> > wrote:
>
> > > And I would imagine anyone with a book to sell would be an easier
> > > target, assuming they are or could make themselvs be in the area to
> > > serve their own interest (a la Granger this year.) Did a bell go off
> > > in anyone's head when the book came out that it might be worthwhile to
> > > inquire if he planned to be in the States selling his book over the
> > > summer? Is anyone directly involved in Cinecon on any (e)mail list
> > > that would announce some/most/all celebrity publications throughout
> > > the year as they hit the streets? If so, might those people be pushed
> > > to the front of the line of possible Cinecon honorees - in advance.
>
> > We were certainly aware of Granger's book and his touring for it
> > and with it, timing was an issue.
>
> > > may be completely wrong about this, but I get the feeling few if any
> > > Cinecon staffers start to think about guests until after July 4th.
> > > That may have been fine 20 years ago, but there are less fish in the
> > > barrel these days. Again, the day will come when the Society feels
> > > that celebrity guests do not offer a sufficient rate of return (in
> > > terms of viability, audience interest, quality Q&A sessions about the
> > > studio system, etc.) to warrant all the trouble. And perhaps we are
> > > close to that point now. But so long as the festival is *committed* to
> > > the guests and the banquet and all that goes with it, it might be
> > > worth going over who/when/why/how is involved in the celebrity guest
> > > arena and see if Cinecon *can* build a better celebrity mousetrap.
>
> > > And regarding the Baby Peggy stuff - again, how many of her films are
> > > readily available? Even if you've screened *one* BP short in the past,
> > > does that automatically preclude the programming of any more of her
> > > work in the future? I for one have never seen any of her films and I
> > > doubt a sizable percentage of Society members have either. She's a
> > > delight and a treasure and the single easiest way to add a little star
> > > wattage to the festival. I'm not talking a big Q&A or anything like
> > > that, but take 20 minutes and run a two-reeler, let her take a bow,
> > > and remind folks she's signing her books in the dealer's room. And
> > > when you're going to run, say, a Gloria Stuart or an Ann Savage
> > > or ... whatever *anyway* - give 'em a call and invite them to the
> > > screening and the banquet. If they say no, fine, but if they can come,
> > > it's a little more stardust with minimal effort.
>
> > > Once again, I can't overstate how much I appreciate everyone's hard
> > > work. And Lord knows I couldn't be even 10% as effective as any of the
> > > folks who work this event. I don't wish to beat up on anybody, but so
> > > long as Bob's asking, and if there's any way to make the festival run
> > > even MORE smoothly and be even MORE effective, then maybe it's time to
> > > tweak the process a bit.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> How about screening Rex Ingram's The Arab and his silent version of
> The Garden of Allah? Also there's a WB film from 1934 that never seems
> to turn up called Return of the Terror with Lyle Talbot and Mary Astor
> that would be alot of fun to see.
> Thanks,
> Randy- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I may be wong about this, but I believe "The Arab" only exists in
a foreign archive with foreign subtitles. We'll look into "The Garden
of Allah" and "Return of the Terror." "Annie Laurie" was run at
Cinecon 24 in Cleveland.
 >> Stay informed about: Cinecon Suggestions? 

On Sep 18, 1:58 pm, bbirch....TakeThisOut@earthlink.net wrote:
< "Annie Laurie" was run at
> Cinecon 24 in Cleveland.- Hide quoted text -

That was almost 20 years ago. Has it been run anywhere else since?
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