by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide 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.)
It's the 10th anniversary of TCM's Summer Under the Stars when each day of the month is devoted to the films of one classic actor or actress. To celebrate 10 years of star power, I've chosen my top 10 stars of the month: 4 redheaded ladies and 6 unique gentlemen. And for each star I've selected one "top pick" plus two others for further viewing, because when you're given 24 hours with your favorite star why stop at just one?
8/5: Claude Rains
9:30 PM - Mr. Skeffington (1944)
8 PM - The Invisible Man (1933); 12:15 AM - The Unsuspected (1947)
Bette Davis plays a vain society beauty who marries Claude Rains' Skeffington for his money and only comes to love him much later in life. For his marvelously understated performance as Job Skeffington, aptly named as he is patience personified, Rains received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
8/8: Rita Hayworth
2 AM - You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
4:45 PM - You'll Never Get Rich (1941); 12 AM - Gilda (1946)
Though she's known as one of the screen's great beauties (and deservedly so), Rita Hayworth was also one of classic cinema's best dancers. She's one of the most natural dancers I've ever seen - an opinion shared by none other than Fred Astaire. He starred with Rita in two films, You Were Never Lovelier and You'll Never Get Rich, and later named her as his favorite on screen dance partner.
8/9: Toshiro Mifune
2:45 PM - Yojimbo (1961)
9:15 AM - Seven Samurai (1954), 12:45 PM - Throne of Blood (1957)
Toshiro Mifune starred in many Hollywood films, but he was proudest of his work with director Akira Kurosawa in Japan. Their biggest hit, Yojimbo, is a samurai tale modeled on classic Westerns. Mifune plays a traveling samurai who saves a divided town by pitting its leaders against each other. You may recognize that plot from Sergio Leone's "spaghetti Western" A Fistful of Dollars, which was inspired by Yojimbo.
8/10: Lionel Barrymore
10:15 PM - Night Flight (1933)
3:15 PM - The Return of Peter Grimm (1936); 8 PM - You Can't Take It With You (1938)
Lionel Barrymore was known among his fellow actors as an inveterate scene-stealer; and none knew it better than his brother and co-star John Barrymore. You can see the sibling rivalry in action in Night Flight, which was consigned to the vaults until 2011 and is being shown for the first time on TCM. Based on a best-seller by former aviator Antoine de Sainte-Exupery, the film depicts the dangerous flights of an Argentinian air mail service. It also features Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Helen Hayes, and Robert Montgomery.
8/11: James Mason
8 PM - Lolita (1962)
5:30 PM - Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959); 3:30 AM - Mayerling (1968)
James Mason stands out in every one of his films, whether he's the lead or a supporting player. However, for better or worse, Mason's signature role will always be aging academic Humbert Humbert, brought to ruin by his obsession with the decidedly underage Lolita.
8/13: Deborah Kerr
6 AM - Vacation From Marriage (1945)
3:30 PM - The Sundowners (1960); 8 PM - Black Narcissus (1947)
I saw this film 12 years ago and have been waiting for it to appear on TCM again, so I was delighted to see this film on the schedule this month. Vacation From Marriage was directed by Alexander Korda, co-stars Deborah Kerr and Robert Donat, and boasts an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, but you'd be forgiven if you've never heard of it. It's a unique love story about a married couple separated by war, who find themselves reluctant to reunite. Donat and Kerr are both wonderful, delicately conveying the changes that have occurred in each spouse during their time apart.
8/15: Lillian Gish
8 PM - Intolerance (1916)
6 AM - Broken Blossoms (1919); 1 AM - The Night of the Hunter (1955)
One of cinema's treasures, Lillian Gish is one of the greatest actresses of any era. She is best known for her films with director D.W. Griffith during the silent era. Intolerance is an epic in every sense - grand themes of good and evil, gigantic sets depicting ancient Babylon, and an extra-long running time of 198 minutes - however, it's an essential for any film buff.
8/18: Freddie Bartholomew
10:15 PM - Kidnapped (1938)
8 AM - The Devil is a Sissy (1936); 8 PM - Captains Courageous (1937)
Freddie Bartholomew was simply one of the finest child actors in movie history and one of the few who could truly carry a film on his own strengths. (And somehow you don't totally hate him, even when he's playing spoiled brats.) In this adventure-filled film, Freddie's evil uncle arranges for him to be kidnapped and sent out to sea in order to steal his inheritance.
8/24: Irene Dunne
6:15 PM - My Favorite Wife (1940)
11 AM - The White Cliffs of Dover (1944); 8 PM - The Awful Truth (1937)
My Favorite Wife, co-starring Cary Grant, is quintessential Irene Dunne - witty, poised, confident, and able to carry off some truly ridiculous hats. She's the type of woman that any man would want to marry and any girl would like to grow up to be. In this film, lucky Cary is already married to Irene...until she is shipwrecked and presumed dead. Of course, she reappears just in time to disrupt Cary's plans for remarriage and prove why she's the superior mate.
8/25: Tyrone Power
8 PM - The Razor's Edge (1946)
12:45 AM - Witness for the Prosecution (1957); 2:30 AM - A Yank in the RAF (1941)
With a face and name (yes, that's his real name) tailor-made for the movies, Tyrone Power seemed destined to make an impression on screen. In The Razor's Edge Power showed dramatic depths that proved he was more than just a pretty face. The film (and novel by W. Somerset Maugham) popularized the idea of "finding" one's self. That's what the main character sets out to do by taking a trip to India, thus inspiring countless spiritual journeys which in turn gave us everything from the late 60s output of The Beatles to Eat Pray Love.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Classic Move Picks: July 2012
by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide 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.)
7/10: Leslie Howard + Bette Davis
8 PM - The Petrified Forest (1936)
9:30 PM - It's Love I'm After (1937)
11:15 PM - Of Human Bondage (1934)
Star of the Month Leslie Howard is featured every Tuesday in July, but I'm especially interested in tonight's line-up co-starring Bette Davis. The two actors reportedly did not get along well off-screen; however, their work together on-screen is in perfect harmony. Englishman Howard first held a grudge against American Davis for getting the lead in Of Human Bondage, a role he felt should have been played by a British actress. That was to be Davis's break-out role and two years later she would again star opposite Howard in The Petrified Forest. Davis was reluctant to do her third film opposite Howard, It's Love I'm After, since their relationship during Forest had run hot and cold. However, this time Davis was left alone; Howard's off-screen attentions were focused solely on beautiful co-star Olivia de Havilland.
7/12, 9:45 PM - Stormy Weather (1943)
This film is significant in history as one of the first big-ticket Hollywood films to feature an all-black cast; however, it is truly notable for its glittering musical numbers starring some of the top talents of the 40s. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson stars as an aspiring dancer in love with singer Lena Horne. The title song would become Horne's signature tune. The two stars are also joined by Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and The Nicholas Brothers. (Personally, I hate to miss any opportunity to see the marvelous Nicholas Brothers perform.)
7/15, 12 AM - The Films of Georges Melies (1896)
Marvel at the ingenious special effects of early filmmaker Georges Melies in this collection of restored silent shorts, including A Trip to the Moon.
7/19: A Day in Prison
Spend a day behind bars with 9 films set in or around prisons. In the "classic" era, prison films were generally B-grade, but often ripe for campy fun. These are the three that caught my eye:
6 AM - Ladies They Talk About (1933) - A young Barbara Stanwyck stars as a bank robber who becomes boss of the cell block.
4 PM - House of Numbers (1957) - Jack Palance plays opposite himself as twins - one imprisoned, the other trying to break his brother out.
5:45 PM - Convicts 4 (1962) - In a rare leading role, Ben Gazzara stars as real-life convict John Resko, who discovers a talent for art while behind bars. Ray Walston, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Timothy Carey (also a prisoner in House of Numbers) play the three other convicts of the title.
7/20: More Vampires
2 AM - Near Dark (1987)
3:45 AM - The Fearless Vampire Killers; Or, Pardon Me But Your Teeth Are In My Neck (1967)
Since Dracula first stalked the screen, vampires have never really gone out of fashion. Right now you can see them on TV in True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. On the big screen, The Twilight Saga continues, Johnny Depp dons pointy teeth in Dark Shadows, and even Abraham Lincoln has been dubbed a vampire hunter. But if all those don't satisfy your hunger, TCM is showing these two very different vampire movies from directors Kathryn Bigelow and Roman Polanski. The blood suckers of Near Dark resemble a family of filthy drifters rather than the aristocratic Count Dracula or shiny, happy Cullens (in fact, the word "vampire" is not used in this film). This family, led by Lance Henriksen and a scene-stealing Bill Paxton, also draw far more blood than you're likely to find in Dracula and Twilight combined - you've been warned. In contrast, Fearless Vampire Killers is played for comedy, telling the story of a bumbling professor on the track of vampires in the wilds of Eastern Europe.
7/67: Dick Tracy
8 PM - Dick Tracy (1990)
9:55 PM - Dick Tracy Special (2009)
10:30 PM - Dick Tracy (1945)
11:45 PM - Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946)
1 AM - Dick Tracy's Dilemma (1947)
Some of you may remember The Great Dick Tracy Marketing Blitz of 1990. I was but a child, yet I remember it well. In anticipation of the release of Warren Beatty's big-budget movie based on a 1930's comic strip, Dick Tracy merchandise was everywhere you looked. I may have owned the most pathetic piece: a plain, pink zippered pouch, meant to be worn around your wrist, with plain, black iron-on letters spelling out "DICK TRACY." I'm not sure if it was even official merchandise, or the product of someone capitalizing on the Dick Tracy mania then sweeping the country. Well, the movie came and went; it won Oscars for its striking art direction, makeup, and Best Song. But the film itself hasn't had much of an afterlife. Except for the Dick Tracy Special, filmed 19 years later, in which Leonard Maltin interviews Beatty, in costume as Dick Tracy, about the history of the character on film. I'm not sure if anyone was asking for this to happen, but it did, so there you have it. Tonight TCM is showing it all - Beatty's film, the special, and three Dick Tracy movies from the 40s. Perhaps we can recapture the rush of Dick Tracy fever again, if only for one night.
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide 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.)
7/10: Leslie Howard + Bette Davis
8 PM - The Petrified Forest (1936)
9:30 PM - It's Love I'm After (1937)
11:15 PM - Of Human Bondage (1934)
Star of the Month Leslie Howard is featured every Tuesday in July, but I'm especially interested in tonight's line-up co-starring Bette Davis. The two actors reportedly did not get along well off-screen; however, their work together on-screen is in perfect harmony. Englishman Howard first held a grudge against American Davis for getting the lead in Of Human Bondage, a role he felt should have been played by a British actress. That was to be Davis's break-out role and two years later she would again star opposite Howard in The Petrified Forest. Davis was reluctant to do her third film opposite Howard, It's Love I'm After, since their relationship during Forest had run hot and cold. However, this time Davis was left alone; Howard's off-screen attentions were focused solely on beautiful co-star Olivia de Havilland.
7/12, 9:45 PM - Stormy Weather (1943)
This film is significant in history as one of the first big-ticket Hollywood films to feature an all-black cast; however, it is truly notable for its glittering musical numbers starring some of the top talents of the 40s. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson stars as an aspiring dancer in love with singer Lena Horne. The title song would become Horne's signature tune. The two stars are also joined by Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and The Nicholas Brothers. (Personally, I hate to miss any opportunity to see the marvelous Nicholas Brothers perform.)
7/15, 12 AM - The Films of Georges Melies (1896)
Marvel at the ingenious special effects of early filmmaker Georges Melies in this collection of restored silent shorts, including A Trip to the Moon.
7/19: A Day in Prison
Spend a day behind bars with 9 films set in or around prisons. In the "classic" era, prison films were generally B-grade, but often ripe for campy fun. These are the three that caught my eye:
6 AM - Ladies They Talk About (1933) - A young Barbara Stanwyck stars as a bank robber who becomes boss of the cell block.
4 PM - House of Numbers (1957) - Jack Palance plays opposite himself as twins - one imprisoned, the other trying to break his brother out.
5:45 PM - Convicts 4 (1962) - In a rare leading role, Ben Gazzara stars as real-life convict John Resko, who discovers a talent for art while behind bars. Ray Walston, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Timothy Carey (also a prisoner in House of Numbers) play the three other convicts of the title.
7/20: More Vampires
2 AM - Near Dark (1987)
3:45 AM - The Fearless Vampire Killers; Or, Pardon Me But Your Teeth Are In My Neck (1967)
Since Dracula first stalked the screen, vampires have never really gone out of fashion. Right now you can see them on TV in True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. On the big screen, The Twilight Saga continues, Johnny Depp dons pointy teeth in Dark Shadows, and even Abraham Lincoln has been dubbed a vampire hunter. But if all those don't satisfy your hunger, TCM is showing these two very different vampire movies from directors Kathryn Bigelow and Roman Polanski. The blood suckers of Near Dark resemble a family of filthy drifters rather than the aristocratic Count Dracula or shiny, happy Cullens (in fact, the word "vampire" is not used in this film). This family, led by Lance Henriksen and a scene-stealing Bill Paxton, also draw far more blood than you're likely to find in Dracula and Twilight combined - you've been warned. In contrast, Fearless Vampire Killers is played for comedy, telling the story of a bumbling professor on the track of vampires in the wilds of Eastern Europe.
7/67: Dick Tracy
8 PM - Dick Tracy (1990)
9:55 PM - Dick Tracy Special (2009)
10:30 PM - Dick Tracy (1945)
11:45 PM - Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946)
1 AM - Dick Tracy's Dilemma (1947)
Some of you may remember The Great Dick Tracy Marketing Blitz of 1990. I was but a child, yet I remember it well. In anticipation of the release of Warren Beatty's big-budget movie based on a 1930's comic strip, Dick Tracy merchandise was everywhere you looked. I may have owned the most pathetic piece: a plain, pink zippered pouch, meant to be worn around your wrist, with plain, black iron-on letters spelling out "DICK TRACY." I'm not sure if it was even official merchandise, or the product of someone capitalizing on the Dick Tracy mania then sweeping the country. Well, the movie came and went; it won Oscars for its striking art direction, makeup, and Best Song. But the film itself hasn't had much of an afterlife. Except for the Dick Tracy Special, filmed 19 years later, in which Leonard Maltin interviews Beatty, in costume as Dick Tracy, about the history of the character on film. I'm not sure if anyone was asking for this to happen, but it did, so there you have it. Tonight TCM is showing it all - Beatty's film, the special, and three Dick Tracy movies from the 40s. Perhaps we can recapture the rush of Dick Tracy fever again, if only for one night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)