The 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival will honor legendary actor, filmmaker and humanitarian Jerry Lewis with a multitiered celebration of his career during the event in April.
Highlighting the tribute, Lewis will have his hand and footprints enshrined in concrete in front of the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. Lewis also will be on-hand for a screening of one of his most memorable films: The Nutty Professor (1963).
Now its fifth year, the TCM Classic Film Festival is slated for April 10-13 in Hollywood, with the gathering coinciding with the network’s 20th anniversary.
Lewis' hand and footprints ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 12, in front of TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. This marks the fourth consecutive year TCM has featured such a ceremony at the legendary theater. In 2011, Peter O'Toole was the honoree, followed by Kim Novak and Jane Fonda in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Following the hand and footprint ceremony, Lewis will attend a screening of his comedy The Nutty Professor, which he also directed. As a special prelude to film, Lewis will join award-winning actress Illeana Douglas on-stage for an interview about his extraordinary career, as well as about the making of the movie. After the screening, Lewis will stick around to answer questions from the audience.
"Jerry Lewis is a very important name whenever movie comedy is discussed and enjoyed," said TCM host Robert Osborne, who also serves as the official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. "Jerry has provided the world with great merriment and laughter, while also showing, in such films as Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, what an exceptional dramatic actor he can be. Add to that his many credits as a popular director, producer and writer, and you see the reasons we are pleased to be able to honor him for his more than 60 years of contributions to the world of motion pictures."
In addition to Lewis, this year's TCM Classic Film Festival will pay tribute to Quincy Jones, who will appear at multiple events during the festival, including a 50th anniversary screening of Sidney Lumet's powerful drama The Pawnbroker (1964), which marked Jones' debut as a film composer.
Other events include a screening of the recently restored Gone with the Wind (1939) and a presentation of The Wizard of Oz (1939) in its new IMAX 3D format. Both films are celebrating their 75th anniversaries in 2014.
The festival will also include three world premiere restorations: Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944), which will be celebrating its 70th anniversary; Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958); and William Wyler's Best Picture Oscar-winner The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). In addition, the festival will feature a screening of the Harold Lloyd comedy classic Why Worry? (1923), with legendary silent-film composer Carl Davis conducting the live world premiere performance of his new original score.
Passes for the festival can be purchased exclusively through the official festival website: http://www.tcm.com/festival.
