TCM Classic Film Festival 2023 to Open With Legendary John Wayne Western
The 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival will open with a brand new restoration of the classic John Wayne Western Rio Bravo. Angie Dickinson, who scored her breakout role in the movie, is set to attend the red carpet opening. TCM and Warner Bros. Discovery also announced Wednesday that filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson will be on hand to celebrate Warner Bros.' 100th anniversary and the studio's ongoing relationship with Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation.
The festival will kick off on Thursday, April 13 at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX with the screening of Rio Bravo. This is a new 4K restoration of the 1959 film, which also stars Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. It was directed by Howard Hawks and written by Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman, based on a short story by B. H. McCampbell. Although ignored by the Oscars at the time of its release, it was added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 2014. Dickinson, 91, is the last surviving main cast member.
"Any movie with Angie Dickinson is made better by the fact that Angie Dickinson is in it. Certainly, Rio Bravo is no exception. As an added bonus, it also has a couple of guys named John Wayne and Dean Martin. Moreover, to have Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Spielberg back for a second year in a row is such an honor, as well as an indication of the vital role TCM plays among the filmmaking community," TCM host Ben Mankiewicz said in a statement Wednesday. "This restoration is important not just for the film or for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros., but for the film-loving community at large."
The 14th annual edition of the festival runs from April 13 to 16, with screenings at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, and the Hollywood Legion Theater at Post 43 in Hollywood. Panels and other events are also held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which famously hosted the first Academy Awards. This year's theme is "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," celebrating film legacies, in particular the legacy of Warner Bros. as the studio marks its 100th anniversary on April 2.
Rio Bravo is one of the many Warner Bros. movies already scheduled. Casablanca, Clash of the Wolves, East of Eden, Enter the Dragon, The Exorcist, Footlight Parade, House of Wax, Larceny, Inc., Mister Roberts, One Way Passage, Ocean's Eleven, and Stand and Deliver will all be screened as part of the WB100 celebration. TCM also announced that film historian Donald Bogle will receive the Robert Osborne Award, which celebrates contributions to keeping interest in classic film alive. Oscar-winning production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein and actor Russ Tamblyn will also be celebrated with special tribute screenings. A full schedule will be unveiled at a later date.