Was wonderful to see my "Queen Bee" Marneen Lynne Fields receiving a rosuing reception when she joined the hosts of Cinema Fiasco to introduce their screeing of Irwin Allen's THE SWARM at the Astor Theatre on Friday evening. Marneen of course worked on the film as a stunt-actress, playing the screaming female train passanger sitting behind Fred MacMurray and Olivia de Havilland, as well as doing an amazing stunt where she is flipped out of the burning train carriage window as it derails and falls down a cliff! Filming of the stunt itself can be seen in the excellent vintage making-of featurette INSIDE THE SWARM.
Marneen shared some anectodes about working on THE SWARM and with Irwin Allen to a packed Astor crowd, and the hosts made mention of her other work, with co-host Janet A. McLeod being particularly envious of Marneen getting to work very close to hunky Patrick Duffy on THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS television series. Co-host Geoff Wallis also noted that Marneen had barely changed in the 41 years since the film was released 
This was the first time I have attended a Cinema Fisaco screening at the Astor. I have to admit that this format has never been my preferred way to watch a movie....I am not a fan of the whole Mystery Science Theatre 3000 thing and always hated those old "Golden Turkey Awards" and "Worst Films Ever Made" books that were popular when I was first becoming a seious young film buff. Having said that, there is no doubt the format is popular with many people (there was a crowd of around 250 for THE SWARM), and Janet and Geoff were incredibly nice to Marneen, as was the audience, who gave a rousing cheer when her scene came on the big screen, and many of them stopped to compliment and chat with her in the lobby after the movie (if anyone missed out on one of the signed mini-flyers Marneen had available on the night, feel free to message her via her FB page).
A fun evening at one of the best places in the world to experience the magic of movies! And wonderful to see Marneen there to preovide a tangible connection to the movie, as well as to represent the spirit of the "Master of Disaster" himself (not to mention the King of 60s sci-fi television), the amazing Irwin Allen.
