Classic Movie Picks: October 2014

by Lani

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 or TCM.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.)

10/3: Bogie in Africa

8 PM - The African Queen (1951)
10 PM - Sahara (1943)
12 AM - Beat the Devil (1953)
2 AM - Casablanca (1942)
TCM's Friday Night Spotlight this month shines on films set in Africa, with one night's lineup devoted to films starring Humphrey Bogart. Surely, I don't have to vouch for Casablanca, as I expect most film fans have seen it at least once. If it's been a while since you last visited Rick's Cafe Americain, perhaps you should take this opportunity. I find that no matter how many times I watch, the dialogue still sparkles and the performances still captivate. 
Before I saw The African Queen for the first time, I wasn't really interested in it -- so it's a couple of grumpy old people arguing on a boat, who cares? (Apparently, producer Alexander Korda shared my skepticism.) But I have to say, the film proved to be an entertaining adventure with far more action than I expected. I'm looking forward to going downriver with Bogie and Katharine Hepburn again.
I've not seen Sahara yet, but it comes highly recommended by my father, himself a war movie connoisseur. In this film, Bogart plays a WWII tank commander leading American and British troops through the Libyan desert in search of an oasis. Essentially stranded at a remote outpost, they must defend what little water they have from a thirsty German battalion.
The wild card for me tonight is Beat the Devil; however, I'm intrigued by the story involving a group of con men using various means of subterfuge to get their hands on an African uranium mine. Alongside Bogart are ace character actors Peter Lorre and Robert Morley; Jennifer Jones (this time a blonde!) and Gina Lollobrigida provide the romantic complications. The script by Truman Capote is said to be a sharp spoof of conventional detective stories and noir -- sounds worth a look! 

10/16: Ghost...Smashers?
8 PM - The Ghost Breakers (1940)
2:15 AM - Ghost Chasers (1951)
3:30 AM - The Spook Busters (1946)
Long before Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd strapped on their proton packs as Ghostbusters, the likes of Bob Hope and the Bowery Boys were busting, breaking, and chasing unruly spirits for the sake of comedy. It seems that movie makers have run through almost every permutation of how to describe those that bust ghosts, and tonight's lineup includes some head scratchers...how does one "break" a ghost, anyway? With a hammer? Intense interrogation techniques?
Ghost Breakers pits Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard against ghosts, zombies, and other assorted shady characters inside a haunted castle. The other two films star the Bowery Boys, employing slapstick humor to expose phony spiritualists in Ghost Chasers and to rid a spooky mansion of ghosts in Spook Busters.

10/17, 12:15 AM - Mountains of the Moon (1990)
As a fan of Game of Thrones, I'm curious to see a young Iain Glen (aka Ser Jorah from the HBO series) in an early role that received critical praise. Glen and Patrick Bergin portray two real life British explorers searching for the source of the Nile in the 1800s. This adventure epic was a passion project for director Bob Rafelson, better known for contemporary dramas like Five Easy Pieces. The film was also shot by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins and includes Fiona Shaw, Richard E. Grant, and Delroy Lindo in the supporting cast. Sounds like a winner -- we'll see!
(For the Downtown Abbey fans, you may recognize Glen as Sir Richard Carlisle.)

BONUS PICK: 10/24, 10:45 PM - Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
Another early film role for Iain Glen, but the main attraction here is Sigourney Weaver as naturalist Dian Fossey, who risked her life to study & protect gorillas in their natural habitat. The beautiful footage of real gorillas (some of the shots in the film use stuntmen in gorilla costumes designed by makeup artist Rick Baker) was shot in the Rwanda at Fossey's Karisoke Research Centre.

10/28: Horror Anthologies
8 PM - Dead of Night (1945)
10 PM - Twice Told Tales (1963)
12:15 AM - Kwaidan (1965)
3 AM - The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
5 AM - Torture Garden (1967)
Get in the Halloween mood with five anthology films featuring spooky stories to tell in the dark. The films range from the relatively classy Dead of Night to the more lurid House That Dripped Blood  and Torture Garden (the titles really say it all, don't they?). Twice Told Tales features three adaptations of Nathaniel Hawthorne stories, all starring horror stalwart Vincent Price, whom I regard as a national treasure for his ability to do things like shoot at skeletons or urge people to "scream for their lives" with utter believability and commitment. However, the creepiest film of the bunch may be Kwaidan which features four Japanese stories about encounters with the supernatural.