The third day of the TCMFF has now come and gone and this is when recollections of the day’s events start to blur. But I can absolutely remember that I started this day with a large does of Carl Reiner. Better than orange juice, I recommend it as a regular part of your daily ritual.
At ninety-four years of age you might think that Carl Reiner might require a few allowances due to his advanced years. But not so. The incorrigible comedian is a fit and feisty man who needs nothing but a willing audience. And that’s exactly what he had at a very full house Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the TCMFF screening of Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid.
I had skipped the first run of films of the day since I had previously seen everything and wanted to catch up on my writing. Since I kept my schedule clear it also meant I could be one of the first people in line at the main TCL Chinese Theater. The film didn’t start until noon, but in light of a ticketing snafu that had happened the day before no one was taking any chances, and the line began forming at 9:30A. By 10:30 there were already hundreds of people in the Chinese forecourt and a gregariously happy bunch we were.
I was particularly thrilled, since not only was excited to be seeing Carl Reiner, but I had never seen the film before. I was not disappointed on either count, as Reiner was thoroughly entertaining and the film was a delight. I was aware of its premise of mixing clips from old 1940s Noir films, but had no idea how incredibly clever the script was at weaving them all together into a single story. After the show was over, Illeana Douglas moderated a free flowing conversation with the noble statesman of modern comedy, who regaled us with tales from his early days writing for TV to the
instigating events that hatched Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid.
Afterwords, Reiner signed copies of his latest book in the lobby for all who cared to have an autograph from the scribe. I suspect he may have been there for at least an hour. The line I saw was quite long and most of the audience hadn’t even left yet. No doubt Reiner entertained each and everyone who had the pleasure of speaking with him one on one. What else would you expect from a man who obviously loves his audience as much as he loves to entertain. Here’s to 94 more years of the same.