John DiLeo is Milford’s own movie maven

By Linda Fields
MILFORD — It's easy to understand John DiLeo’s enthusiasm for the movies. His parents and grandparents were avid film buffs.

“My mom loved ‘The Pirate’ with Gene Kelly,” recalled DiLeo. "And my Sicilian grandfather loved the tear-jerkers but got embarrassed when we caught him crying."

That was a lesson for the young DiLeo. He learned that it was okay to get emotionally involved with a film. Since he loved the classics, he frequented the revival houses before Turner Classics was around.

“I virtually had ‘That’s Entertainment’ memorized,” he admitted.

The passion and excitement passed on to him eventually translated into a writing career. DiLeo, a Milford resident, is currently the author of five books about the movies, including the recently re-issued "And You Thought You Knew Classic Movies," which Pauline Kael praised as “the smartest movie quiz book I’ve ever seen.” In it, you will find quizzes like one that asks you to match the title character — for example, "The Wizard of Oz" — to the supporting actor who played him. Do you know the answer?

DiLeo’s love affair with celluloid went hand-in-hand with another passion: acting and the theater.

“I wanted to act, and went to Ithaca College as a theater major,” DiLeo said.

After college, he moved to New York City.

“I did the aspiring actor thing for about 13 years,” he said. But it never really took off.

“I was afraid to be the guy who, at 40, talks about a great audition," he said.

A course correction
With his extensive knowledge about Hollywood and the theater, DiLeo made a natural career move. But it wasn’t a deliberate one. He started “doodling,” as he put it, with facts about his favorite movies and eventually thought he could do a regular quiz feature for a magazine. That turned into a book and the rest is history.

“I felt all the luck I didn’t have as an actor I had as a writer,” he said. “Sometimes you go where the universe is sending you.”

DiLeo doesn’t write about well-known classics. He prefers to find under-appreciated films that people can discover, or re-discover. He’ll tell you about the 1941 comedy "Sullivan's Travels" rather than write about "Casablanca" or "Gone with the Wind."

“Instead of Spencer Tracy or Humphrey Bogart, I’ll talk about Joel McRae," he said. "It’s like a treasure hunt where you share the treasures."

Bringing stars to Milford
It was a real treat when DiLeo organized and hosted the Gary Cooper film festival at the Milford Theater last year. He brought a special guest to town for the occasion: Maria Janis Cooper, the daughter of the famous actor, who spoke about the film and her father. For previous film festivals in Milford, DiLeo conducted on-stage interviews with Farley Granger, Arlene Dahl, and Marge Champion.

When he’s not writing books, DiLeo does book reviews for the Washington Post’s Book World, writes columns for Allegany Magazine, hosts classic film series, or conducts seminars.

He finds an added benefit in his passion for his work.

“You learn so much about yourself — what you respond to — what’s important," he said. "It takes you into the movie and out of yourself.”