It doesn’t even really seem real, but just about a week from now, if you tune in to Turner Classic Movies (TCM), you’ll see me chatting with Ben Mankiewicz about the Bob Hope Christmas classic, The Lemon Drop Kid. I’m one of four TCM fans introducing favorite films on the afternoon/evening of Saturday, November 29. I am lucky enough to know the other three, Aurora Bugallo, Joel Williams, and Miguel Rodriguez, who are all friends I met first online via the live tweet I co-founded and organize, TCM Party, and then offline at the TCM Film Festival.
The intros were all recorded in August via Skype, which I think is a cool use of technology. Mine took place at Cinema Detroit, the indie theater I co-own with my husband, Tim. While my programming there is mostly contemporary and decidedly indie, we have shown classics like The Lady from Shanghai, A Hard Day’s Night, and a whole mess of noir for Noir Detroit (during CD’s first full month, November 2013). I definitely think my experiences bringing people and movies together online influenced us to try to do the same offline with Cinema Detroit.
So here is the schedule for Fan Favorites on Saturday, November 29 (all times Eastern):
12:30 p.m. Meet Me in St. Louis – Aurora
2:30 p.m. The Lemon Drop Kid – Me
4:15 p.m. The Thing From Another World – Miguel
6:00 p.m. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Joel
In case anyone is curious why the The Lemon Drop Kid…TCM producer Courtney O’Brien asked me to submit a list of 10 mostly family-oriented, somewhat holiday-related, classic movies that I would want to introduce. As it is extremely difficult to limit oneself to 10 films, I actually sent more than 10. This was the list I sent, there’s no particular order:
There is nothing on here I don’t really love, but I’m glad they went with Lemon Drop Kid. It has a special place in my heart, because Christmas is a tough time for me. My mother passed away a few days after Thanksgiving in 2002 and during the holiday season, I often need a laugh, which this film provides. It does have some sentimental moments, but it’s mostly Hope one-liners, sight gags, and Runyon-esque characters and situations. Damon Runyon wrote the story it’s based on…think Guys and Dolls, Little Miss Marker…like that.
I cannot say enough good things about the people at TCM, who made the whole process easy for me, a total novice. Noralil, Courtney, Mardy and Ben…thanks for your patience and understanding.
So I hope you will tune in on Saturday afternoon, November 29, and check it out. And in the meantime…what would be on your list of 10?
Paula's Cinema Club 
So cool! Please post video after it airs for us who aren’t in the US!
Thanks Fernando! I will try to. i hope i will want to. I’m more nervous about it now than i was during the actual taping.
Oh yes,Please post video.
I will if I can 🙂
That is so damn cool! I’ll be on the road that weekend but will see if I can catch this. Way to go, Paula 🙂
Thanks so much, Michael 🙂
Wow! How cool! I’m so happy for you! What a great opportunity 🙂
Thanks Cindy 🙂
Hi, Paula:
Excellent afternoon fare!
‘The Lemon Drop Kid’ is under rated. While ‘The Thing From Another World’ is a personal favorite!
Ben doesn’t know what he thinks he knows. You’ll do fine!
Thanks, Jack! I agree about LEMON DROP KID. I’ve never seen THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD.
Ben actually probably knows more than we think…he’s a really smart, knowledgeable guy and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met 🙂
Excellent, I’ll be watching. I love the Lemon Drop Kid and expect great things of you. Break a leg (even if you recorded in August).
Uh-oh…no pressure 😉 Thanks Richard
My DVR is all set to record!
Aw…thank you 🙂
Well, I listened in on the taping, and in my biased opinion Paula is a natural at hosting 🙂
Aw…thanks babe 🙂
This is awesome! Congratulations!
Thanks very much 🙂
Yay! CONGRATULATIONS! Sadly, we don’t have TCM anymore, but I will be cheering for you in spirit. And, I’m hoping some kind soul will upload you to YouTube?
Will you be a gala of some kind to toast your TCM debut?
Thanks so much. I will be getting DVDs, but I don’t know if it’ll be on YouTube. I will actually be hosting the TCM Party for LEMON DROP KID, so yes, I guess I will 😉
Saw you both before and after; You did so well — seemed like you were used to being interviewed by famous people. Such fun to see and hear you after only reading…. Congrats!
I assure you, I am not used to it at all. Thank you so much, and thanks for tuning in, Leigh 🙂
A very nice job on TCM Saturday. You sounded great and I want so much to visit your theater, I may have to schedule a trip to Detroit. I remembered after visiting before that I have a post up on The Lemon Drop Kid. I’ll share it here with you, feel free to take it down if you don’t want links in your comments sections. I just thought it fit with your comments on the show with Ben.
http://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/2011/12/lemon-drop-kid-1951.html
Thanks for your kind words, Richard! Of course links are welcome, i will check that out. I will probably comment back here, because I’ve only been able to leave a comment on a Blogger blog a couple of times out of many attempts.