Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings orTCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
5/8, 4:30 AM - Marat/Sade (1966)
In Charenton Asylum, 1808, the Marquis de Sade directs a play, featuring his fellow inmates, which reenacts the events surrounding the death of radical journalist Jean-Paul Marat in 1793. What could go wrong, right? Part of an evening dedicated to 1960s stage-to-screen adaptations, this film is based on a 1965 production by the Royal Shakespeare Company and features Patrick Magee as Sade, Ian Richardson as Marat, and Glenda Jackson as the assassin Charlotte Corday. Fun fact: The full title of the play and film is "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade."
5/12: Starring Mitzi Gaynor
12:15 AM - The I Don't Care Girl (1953)
1:45 AM - Mitzi: A Tribute to the American Housewife (1974)
Tonight's line-up highlights triple-threat Mitzi Gaynor. During her ingenue days at 20th Century Fox, Gaynor was overshadowed by another blonde -- Marilyn Monroe -- despite her formidable singing and dancing talents. Those talents are showcased in the musical biopic The I Don't Care Girl as Gaynor portrays vaudeville superstar Eva Tanguay, featuring lively musical numbers by choreographer Jack Cole. My second pick of the night is one of Gaynor's successful 1970s TV specials adapted from material she performed in her touring stage shows. Though the premise sounds dubious (a tribute to housewives?), director/choreographer Tony Charmoli managed to win an Emmy for choreography, which is enough to get me interested.
5/19: Made by Brooksfilm
10 PM - 84 Charing Cross Road (1987)
12 AM - The Doctor and the Devils (1985)
TCM pays tribute to Brooksfilms, the production company founded by Mel Brooks, with six movies on May 19 & 20, four of which feature Brooks' wife Anne Bancroft. I've picked two films which are new to me, but sound worth a look. 84 Charing Cross Road is based on the true story of a 20-year correspondence between New York writer Helene Hanff and antique book dealer Frank Doel in London. While their initial letters were about obscure & out-of-print books, eventually the two began to delve into topics discussed by close friends. They never met face to face, their correspondence ending with Frank's death in 1968. Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins star as Hanff and Doel with Judi Dench appearing in a small role as Doel's wife.
There's not much information on TCM.com or IMDB.com about The Doctor and the Devils, but after reading the brief plot description I have to assume the film is based on the true tale of notorious 19th century grave robbers turned murderers Burke and Hare. (Their story was most recently told in the 2010 film Burke and Hare starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis.) Jonathan Pryce and Stephen Rea star as the titular devils Fallon and Brown, while Timothy Dalton plays the doctor who uses the stolen cadavers for medical experiments.
Star of the Month: June Allyson
5/21, 12 AM - Good News (1947)
5/28, 8 PM - My Man Godfrey (1957)
The films of June Allyson are taking over primetime on Wednesdays this month. To enjoy June Allyson at her charming best, you could do worse than the light and frothy college musical Good News. Peter Lawford co-stars as a football player who needs help from perky tutor Allyson to pass French class. The fact that Lawford's French accent is much better than Allyson's should be politely ignored. I'm also looking forward to seeing the remake of My Man Godfrey co-starring David Niven. The story from the Depression-era screwball classic has been updated here with Niven playing an Austrian WWII refugee in the United States illegally. Allyson plays the daffy heiress who hires Niven's Godfrey to be her family's butler. Since the 1936 version with William Powell and Carole Lombard is one of my favorite movies, I'm interested to see how the later version tried to make the story it's own.
5/29, 10:15 PM - F for Fake (1973)
Orson Welles's final masterpiece is ostensibly a documentary about an art forger; however, the film also touches upon the art of filmmaking, magic and trickery, as well as a famous publishing scandal. It's all in service of asking "what is truth in art?"
Friday Night Spotlight: Australian Cinema
TCM's Friday Night Spotlight has been consistently serving up interesting themes and films. This month the spotlight shines on Australian New Wave cinema of the 1970s and 80s, focusing on several notable auteurs including Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir, Jane Campion, Gillian Armstrong, and Phillip Noyce. Hosted by Oscar-nominated Aussie actress Jacki Weaver, this series offers a lot of intriguing films. If you haven't seen Breaker Morant or Picnic at Hanging Rock, seek them out.
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