California Fires Are Burning Hollywood History
As I write this post, I’m looking out the window into a haze of smoke, blowing down to the Bay Area from the Camp Fire in Chico. California is fighting several severe wildfires right now, and as of...
View ArticleSupreme Court to Decide Whether to Take Up Olivia de Havilland Case Today
Hello readers, just a very quick update for those following the Olivia de Havilland case. Today, the Supreme Court is expected to decide whether or not they will take up her petition. If you would like...
View ArticleSupreme Court Declines to Take Up Olivia de Havilland Case
I received confirmation this morning from Olivia de Havilland’s counsel, Suzelle Smith, that the Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of Havilland v FX, Olivia de Havilland’s petition to the...
View ArticleBACKLOTS AT THE COURTHOUSE–Olivia de Havilland Lecture at Oxford Law
Good morning, dear readers! I wanted to update you briefly on some upcoming excitement at Backlots. As TCM’s 24-hour Doris Day tribute plays in the background, I find myself in the midst of packing for...
View ArticleOlivia de Havilland Lecture at Oxford and Other Classic Film Adventures in...
Readers, I returned to the United States on Tuesday after 2 weeks in Europe, and as my jet lag seems to finally have been conquered, I wanted to write to you about the lecture and the other classic...
View ArticleOlivia de Havilland: A Celebration
Olivia de Havilland died peacefully in Paris on Saturday. She went the way we all strive to go–in her sleep, having recently celebrated her 104th birthday. Her daughter Gisèle had just been over for a...
View ArticleOlivia de Havilland and the American University of Paris
If you are a longtime reader of Backlots, you have read of my connection to Olivia de Havilland. From the evening I spent with her at the American Library in Paris, to Backlots’ coverage of her court...
View ArticleDedication of the Monttessuy Center for the Arts and the Olivia de Havilland...
In the spirit of carpe diem, I have just returned from a trip to Paris to attend the three-day opening of the Olivia de Havilland Theater. It was a trip that I hoped would happen since I learned about...
View ArticleTCM Classic Film Festival Day 1
The 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival kicked off this afternoon, and it already feels like the big family reunion that the festival always is. For four days in April, Hollywood Blvd. turns into its own...
View ArticleTCM Classic Film Festival Day 2
I would like to preface this post with the assurance that we are all safe and unharmed. This evening, TCM Classic Film Festival attendees received an alert on their apps that a shelter-in-place order...
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