There’s only one place for classic movie lovers to be later this month — the sixth annual TCM Classic Film Festival, taking place between Thursday, March 26 and Sunday, March 29 in Hollywood. Once again, about 80 films will be screened over four days at the historic Grauman’s Chinese, Egyptian, and El Capitan Theaters on Hollywood Boulevard, site of many gala premieres over the past 90 years, as well as the newer TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in the Hollywood & Highland Complex right next to the Chinese.

osborne-mankiewiczClassic movie lovers from all over the world flock to southern California to attend this one-of-a-kind festival, hosted by TCM stalwarts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz as well as faithful friends of the network including Alec Baldwin, Leonard Maltin, Ileana Douglas, Eddie Muller, Cari Beauchamp, and many others. The opening night festivities this year include a gala 50th anniversary presentation of The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in attendance.

The central theme of this year’s festival is History According to Hollywood with sub-categories that include Fight the Power: Movies About Revolution, History on Trial, History According to John Ford, and Herstory. Not all the films fall under these themes, however. There are also plenty of diverse offerings in the Essentials and Discoveries sections.

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The amazing people I’ve seen introducing their films at the festival since its inception in 2010 includes many who are no longer with us such as Juanita Moore, Tony Curtis, Betty Garrett, Luise Rainer, Esther Williams, and Mickey Rooney. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to see these people talking about their films and careers.

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Last year, the glorious Maureen O’Hara enthralled the crowd before a screening of her 1941 John Ford film, How Green Was My Valley; Kim Novak moved us all before showing her 1958 film Bell, Book, and Candle; and Margaret O’Brien told wonderful stories about the making of the 1944 classic Meet Me in St. Louis before we watched a pristine print of that wonderful film.

Classic movie lovers are a very passionate group, especially those who regularly attend the festival. Many of us stay in touch all year long and obsess for months about what films will be screened at the next gathering. Though we’ve known about some of the bigger films for a while, it was only yesterday that TCM released the full schedule for the 2015 festival. As always, there were cries of agony at the choices that we would have to make (several films run at different theaters during each time slot) and the usual worries that there weren’t enough of whatever type of movie we were hoping to see more of, be they silents, pre-Code movies, screwball comedies, film noirs, or films by our favorite director or featuring our favorite actors. This year there was a little more hand-wringing about the oft-debated topic of what defines a “classic” film since the schedule includes several films from the 1980s and even some from the 90s. It takes an incredible amount of work to organize a film festival of this magnitude and while it’s impossible to please everyone, I have no doubt that all who attend will have a great time watching wonderful movies in those magnificent theaters, hearing from people who helped create them, and just being around crowds of like-minded people for four days.

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Not that this year doesn’t have many incredible draws. Among the celebrities being honored at the festival this month are Sophia Loren who will appear at a screening of Marriage Italian Style (1964), Dustin Hoffman with Lenny (1974), Ann-Margret at a screening of The Cincinnati Kid (1964), 100-year-old Norman Lloyd with Reign of Terror (1949) and Charlie Chaplin’s Limelight (1952), Shirley MacLaine talking about The Apartment (1960) and The Children’s Hour (1961), and Robert Morse with The Loved One (1965).

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Directors who will be there to talk about and show their movies to the appreciative crowds include William Friedkin who will screen The French Connection (1971), Spike Lee with Malcolm X (1992), and Peter H. Hunt who will premiere a newly restored director’s cut of his film 1776 (1972) with stars William Daniels and Ken Howard in attendance.

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As time marches on, it is sometimes the children or grandchildren of our favorite actors who come to present films at the festival. Peter Fonda will be on hand to mark the 100th anniversary of Henry Fonda’s birth and introduce two of his father’s films, Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) and My Darling Clementine (1946). Rory Flynn will be talking about her father, Errol Flynn, and introducing The Sea Hawk (1940), and two of W.C. Fields’ grandsons will be introducing The Bank Dick (1940).

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Astronaut James Lovell, the real-life subject of Ron Howard’s Apollo 13, will talk before a 20th anniversary world premiere restoration of that film. Other restorations that will premiere at the festival include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) with Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara and Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). There will also be a world premiere screening of a film starring Harry Houdini called The Grim Game (1919) that was only recently discovered and restored. This will be accompanied by a live performance of a new score created for the film.

There will be special presentations on The Dawn of Technicolor and rarely seen Hand-Cranked Films from 1902-1913. In addition, Club TCM, a venue inside the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, across the street from the Chinese, will feature many special programs on various aspects of the movies such as Character Actors 101 and So You Think You Know the Movies? as well as book signings and conversations with some of the special guests. There will poolside screenings at the Hollywood Roosevelt of films such as Grease (1978), The Party (1968), and Earthquake (1974). On Friday morning, Oscar-winning actor Christopher Plummer with have his hand- and footprints enshrined in the famous forecourt of the Chinese Theater in a special ceremony.

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And there’s so much more. Some of the other films that I’m particularly excited about seeing include The Diary of Anne Frank (1963) with Millie Perkins and Diane Baker in attendance, a rare 70mm screening of the Oscar-winning Patton (1970) starring George C. Scott, a special screening of Gunga Din (1939) that includes a conversation with special effects expert Craig Barron and sound effects editor Ben Burtt, and editor Anne V. Coates talking about David Lean’s magnificent Lawrence of Arabia (1962).

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And MORE, even though I can’t possibly list every film on the schedule. But how can you not want to see films like Doctor Zhivago (1965), Roman Holiday (1953), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Too Late for Tears (1949), Queen Christina (1933), Pinocchio (1940), The Miracle Worker (1962), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Madame Curie (1943), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Imitation of Life (1959), Chimes at Midnight (1965), Calamity Jane (1953), 42nd Street (1933), A Man for All Seasons (1966), and so many others back on the big screen where they belong?

Passes at a few different levels are still available. Individual tickets will be available on a space-available basis after all passholders are seated. Click here for more information about the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival.

See you in Hollywood!