Angie Dickinson has quite a few stories about her star-making role in Howard Hawks鈥� 鈥淩io Bravo,鈥� that she is ready to regale audiences with at the on Thursday in Hollywood.
She was 27 when she played Feathers, the quick-witted and strong-willed widow who stole scenes from the likes of John Wayne with lines like 鈥淗ey Sheriff, you forgot your pants.鈥� And in the 64 years since 鈥淩io Bravo鈥� debuted, she has not tired of it in the least.
鈥淚 could watch it once a week,鈥� Dickinson said from her home in Los Angeles. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a delicious movie.鈥�
But before she sits down to revisit one of her most treasured roles, the sharp, funny 91-year-old cinema legend has one little problem: She hasn鈥檛 yet decided what to wear for her chat with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.
鈥淚 could talk about 鈥楻io Bravo鈥� forever, but that鈥檚 not the problem,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he problem is getting all done up and finding a nice outfit for it. That鈥檚 not easy.鈥�
Dickinson counts getting cast as Feathers as the happiest moment in her career and 鈥渙ne of the best memories of my life.鈥� Though she was intimidated to share the screen with Wayne, a movie star and her political opposite, they got along well, and he put her at ease.
鈥淗e was so generous. He would just lean on that rifle and he never, ever showed any impatience,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or all the scenes, especially the big one where I cry at the end for him, he just was as helpful as he could be by just being patient.鈥�
Hawks was a different story, but she liked 鈥渕ost鈥� of the experience of working with him.
鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 a man of words,鈥� she said.
Her life didn鈥檛 change immediately when the film came out, however.
鈥淚t came out rather quietly. Not much hoopla about it,鈥� Dickinson said. 鈥淚 remember one of my closest friends, she was kind of a mentor and we played poker every Saturday night. She said, 鈥業 saw your film.鈥� That was it. I think she was not impressed. It鈥檚 like 鈥榯hanks a lot.鈥� But it worked out OK. Because of television it lives on.鈥�
Dickinson retired from acting over a decade ago and hasn鈥檛 been tempted to come back. She also said no one has been knocking at her door either.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 do those long hours, you know?鈥� she said. But she鈥檚 also leaving the door open for possibilities: 鈥淣ow watch me take a movie next week.鈥�
Mankiewicz, who has interviewed her many times over the years, loves talking to Dickinson, who is both full of stories and admirably protective of the people she was close to. She famously declined a publisher鈥檚 request to write a dishier memoir, but she鈥檒l also still play the game with a self-deprecating wink.
鈥淩ight away you know there鈥檚 authenticity to her. She鈥檚 just herself in every way,鈥� Mankiewicz said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very refreshing. You feel like you鈥檙e having a conversation.鈥�
The 鈥淩io Bravo鈥� screening and discussion marks the world premiere of a new 4K restoration of the film, done in partnership with Martin Scorsese鈥檚 The Film Foundation and as part of the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson are also planning to take the stage as part of the celebration.
Pola Changnon, TCM鈥檚 general manager, said that over the past year they worked alongside the Film Foundation and Warner Bros. to identify 10 titles in the studio鈥檚 vast library to either restore or upgrade to be shown at the festival.
Events on Friday alone include a screening of 鈥淩isky Business鈥� with Rebecca De Mornay, 鈥淕roundhog Day鈥� with Stephen Tobolowsky and 鈥淎merican Graffiti鈥� with Candy Clark and Richard Dreyfuss. Also on Friday, Steven Soderbergh will introduce his remake of 鈥淥cean鈥檚 Eleven,鈥� one of the films programmed under the tantalizingly provocative category 鈥淏etter than the Original?鈥� that is sure to inspire debate among film fans. On Saturday, William Friedkin will participate in a discussion after a screening of 鈥淭he Exorcist鈥� at the TCL Chinese IMAX, while poolside at the historic Roosevelt Hotel, Michael McKean and Annette O鈥橳oole will talk about 鈥淎 Mighty Wind.鈥�
Other stars planning to attend the festival include Ann-Margret (for 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie鈥�), Shirley Jones (for 鈥淭he Music Man鈥�), Frankie Avalon (for 鈥淏each Party鈥�) and Edward James Olmos (for 鈥淪tand and Deliver鈥�). Tributes are also being held for Oscar-winning production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein (鈥淎madeus鈥�) and actor Russ Tamblyn (鈥淧eyton Place鈥�), while film historian Donald Bogle, who put a spotlight on Black artists working in cinema, is getting the Robert Osborne award.
The festival will close Sunday with a full day of movies, including 鈥淭he Big Chill,鈥� with Lawrence Kasdan, Tom Berenger and JoBeth Williams leading a talk before.
鈥淚 say it every year but it鈥檚 an embarrassment of riches,鈥� Changnon said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a hundred events across four days. I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any experience like it.鈥�
For Mankiewicz, the real treat of the festival, is seeing TCM fans connect with one another in person.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no channel like us, where people鈥檚 identification is with the channel. People鈥檚 social media pages are like 鈥榣awyer, mother, wife, TCM fan.鈥� No one says that about Showtime,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淎t the festival, it鈥檚 a community who wants to sit around and talk about movies. If you鈥檙e a movie fan, I can鈥檛 imagine how to spend a better four days.鈥�
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
