Friday, April 10, 2026

At Vroman’s Sunday, the Maltins Bring Classic Films — and the Recipes That Go With Them

Father-daughter critics Leonard and Jessie Maltin discuss their new book and introduce a Willy Wonka screening next door

Leonard Maltin started introducing his daughter Jessie to classic films when she was too young to say no. By the time she could, she didn’t want to.

That family tradition is now a book. Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes & Films for Unforgettable Times Together, published this week by Running Press as part of the Turner Classic Movies library, pairs 25 classic films with recipes the Maltins suggest making together before the credits roll. On Sunday, April 12, both of them will be at Vroman’s Bookstore on Colorado Boulevard to discuss it, sign copies, and then walk next door to Landmark Pasadena to introduce a 4 p.m. screening of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

The event is free, though tickets are required, available through the Vroman’s Eventbrite listing.

The book covers nearly a century of cinema. It opens with Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid and runs through Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. In between are Singin’ in the Rain, To Kill a Mockingbird, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Princess Bride, and 19 others — each with a film profile, behind-the-scenes notes, and a dish meant to be made together. The recipes include a Christmas Stir Fry to pair with A Christmas Story and Toad in the Hole for The Princess Bride.

“When we had Jessie, my wife and I started brainwashing her early on to appreciate classic movies,” Leonard Maltin said in an interview. “And we found out the sooner you start, the better. Don’t wait until they can talk back: ‘I don’t wanna watch this!’ When they’re very young, they’re susceptible. So we introduced her to classic movies right away.”

Jessie, who co-hosts the weekly Maltin on Movies interview podcast with her father and runs his website, didn’t emerge from the brainwashing unscathed. “The thing is,” she said, “I don’t remember life without Doris Day and Howard Keel!”

The book came together through Turner Classic Movies, which approached the Maltins to develop the concept, according to the interview. “One of the things was they didn’t want it to be just children’s movies,” Jessie said. “They wanted movies you could watch with older kids, with teenagers. They wanted some of the newer films, like ‘Enchanted,’ but they wanted the classics, too.”

Leonard Maltin is one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians, according to his publisher, having spent roughly 30 years reviewing films for Entertainment Tonight. He teaches at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, has served two terms as president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to the board of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He is the third recipient of TCM’s Robert Osborne Award, after Martin Scorsese and Kevin Brownlow, according to TCM.

The discussion at Vroman’s runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Books are available for purchase before or after the program, and a ticket option that includes the book is also available through Eventbrite. Refunds on the book-inclusive ticket are available up to two days before the event. A public book signing will follow the conversation.

Admission to the Vroman’s program is free. The adjacent Landmark Pasadena screening begins at 4 p.m.

Vroman’s Bookstore is located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd. For information and tickets: (626) 449-5320 or vromansbookstore.com.

“We encourage you to sit down with your family and your friends to have a good old fashioned movie night,” Leonard Maltin wrote on his website. “Make something to eat together then put your devices away, and let yourself be swept away.”