By Judy Shields
Los Angles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 09/21/2022
Photos: The Hollywood Times
As a true fan of Turner Classic Movies and putting puzzles together, I was totally excited to learn that these two came together. Thanks to TCM, Running Press and Alonso Duralde, it happened. So I had to reach out to TCM to get my hands on this 2-sided, 500 piece puzzle and I knew once completed I would have to interview Alonso Duralde.
The box I received was so colorful with half Leading Ladies and the other half Leading Men. A definite collector’s box too! Found inside is a sheet that shows the Leading Ladies side and flip it over and it shows the Leading Men used for this awesome puzzle. The coolest thing in the box is a 56-page paperback companion book (5 x 6 inches) which offers essential stats and key films for every star featured on the puzzle that Alonso Duralde put together.
I had the opportunity to interview Alonso Duralde and we talked about his involvement with the Leading Ladies & Leading Men TCM puzzle and his career as a Film Critic, Film Reviews Editor for TheWrap and Podcaster.
Enjoy our conversation:
I decided to start with the Leading Men side, since I have so many favorites, like William Powell, Henry Fonda, Jimmie Stewart, Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, John Wayne, well too many to name, 50 to be exact! I was surprised how quickly I was able to put the outer pieces together and so was my boyfriend. The cheat sheet made it easier to find the puzzle pieces as you could turn it over and see the Leading Ladies side to figure out where the puzzle piece would go.
Here are some photos I took of my progress of putting the puzzle together. I worked on it for two weekends, which is where the puzzle was when I started it at my boyfriends place, that I visit on the weekends. Once completed, I broke it apart and started on the Leading Ladies side. So much Fun!
From Turner Classic Movies, this challenging 2-in-1 puzzle and book gift set spotlights 100 of the greatest stars from Hollywood’s golden age and beyond.
- SPECIFICATIONS: 500-piece double-sided puzzle, full-color and printed on high-quality stock; finished puzzle measures 16 x 20 inches
- 2-IN-1: The double-sided puzzle included in this set gives you 2 unique scenes to piece together; the movies’ most awe-inspiring leading ladies shine on Side 1, and Side 2 is a star-studded tribute to the leading men
- INFORMATION-PACKED BOOK: A 56-page paperback companion book (5 x 6 inches) offers essential stats and key films for every star featured on the puzzle
- KEEPSAKE BOX: Cards are house in full-color printed keepsake box
- PERFECT GIFT: A movie lover’s dream
With the holidays right around the corner, what an amazing gift this would be for all your puzzle and TCM fans to receive! Great birthday and anniversary gift as well and don’t forget to get one for yourself. Order them today. Click HERE
Alonso Duralde is Film Reviews Editor for TheWrap. He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network). He is the author of two books — “Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas” (Limelight Editions) and “101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men” (Advocate Books). He is married to his LK co-host, film critic Dave White.
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aduralde
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alonso.duralde/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2234385/
The Wrap: https://www.thewrap.com/category/category-column/alonso-duralde/