Classic Movie Picks: February 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.)

Once again, in honor of the Academy Awards, the TCM elves have programmed 31 days of Oscar nominated films. This is always one of my favorite months on TCM because, despite the numerous commentators who say that awards don't mean anything, I find it fascinating to look back at which films captured the attention of critics and audiences in a given year. This year, the primetime line-ups feature all the nominated films in a particular category in a single year -- such as today's schedule of Best Picture nominees from 1939 -- allowing those of us at home to decide if we agree with the Academy's decision.
For my picks this month, I've chosen films which remind me of the current crop of Oscar nominees. It proved a bit of a challenge since classic-era filmmakers failed to tackle such topics as Gravity's female astronaut lost in space (without a male hero along to rescue her) or a man who falls in love with his cell phone as in Her. And Hollywood films even today struggle to portray slavery in America with the same honesty as 12 Years a Slave. However, greed, injustice, and danger at sea have proved to be fertile ground for movie makers throughout the decades. So let's dive in!

2/10, 4 PM - Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Gary Cooper plays Longfellow Deeds, a humble, small-town eccentric who unexpectedly inherits $20 million and is immediately beset upon by predators looking for their piece of his fortune. Nebraska's prize winner, Woody Grant (portrayed by Bruce Dern), may not be as altruistic as Deeds, but when he believes he's won $1 million all he really wants is a new truck and an air compressor. Family and friends back in Woody's hometown are angling for their cut, despite the fact that Woody has yet to collect, and Woody generously offers the few bucks he has in his pockets. Deeds was nominated for Best Picture, Actor, Screenplay, and Sound, but its only win was for director Frank Capra. Out of Nebraska's six nominations, including ones for director Alexander Payne and actor Dern, I think its best chances for a win could be for either Bob Nelson's Original Screenplay or cinematographer Phedon Papamichael.

2/11, 8:30 AM - The Lady Eve (1941)
In this much-praised Preston Sturges comedy, Charles Coburn and Barbara Stanwyck play con artists "Colonel" Harry Harrington and his daughter, Jean, who bilk a small fortune from a mild-mannered beer scion played by Henry Fonda. These card sharps preying upon wealthy travelers aboard luxury liners are not much different from the shady operators of American Hustle. Of course, one could argue that at least the Harringtons' marks can afford to lose some of their cash, unlike the desperate people who come to Christian Bale and Amy Adams (aka "Lady Edith Greensly") for dubious loans in Hustle. Moreover, both films prove that with the right dress and a phony English accent a clever woman can convince a man of almost anything; and the better the dress, the worse your accent can be. The Lady Eve received only one nomination, for Original Screenplay; in contrast, American Hustle is at the front of this year's pack, in a tie with Gravity, with 10 nominations.

2/23, 4:45 PM - Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
3/2, 8 PM - Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
The true story of the HMS Bounty, which set sail from England in 1787 bound for Tahiti and upon its return experienced an infamous mutiny, has been adapted for the screen many times. Both the 1935 and 1962 versions received 7 Oscar nominations; however, the earlier version had bigger box office success and has retained a better critical reputation in the ensuing years. The film also won Best Picture in 1935, its only award. Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone all received Best Actor nominations for their respective roles, which may helped split the vote in favor of the eventual winner, Victor MacLaglen for The Informer. Since TCM is playing both films this month, you can decide which version of the story you prefer. In both films Captain Bligh, as played by Laughton and later Trevor Howard, is portrayed as a cruel tyrant who grossly mistreated his crew. In contrast, historical accounts paint a picture of an accomplished captain and humane disciplinarian resented by only a few malcontents among the crew (but that doesn't make quite as juicy a role or exciting a movie plot). In this sense, I was reminded of Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips. He runs a tight ship and has little tolerance for breaches of discipline. Phillips' security precautions prove justified when the ship is attacked by pirates; however, the crew ultimately couldn't hold off the intruders. Captain Phillips is nominated for 6 Oscars, but I wouldn't be surprised if, like 62's Mutiny, the filmmakers go home empty-handed.

BONUS PICK: 3/3, 2 AM - The Last Voyage (1960)
Not since Jaws terrorized the beaches of Amity has the sea been so dangerous -- at least that's the impression one gets from the numerous recent films which showed that no ocean is safe. Kon-Tiki had a memorable shark attack of its own, while the 21st century waters of Captain Phillips were infested with Somali pirates. All is Lost proved that even trusty vessels can fail you when faced with nature's fury, as demonstrated again when the Wolf of Wall Street's yacht contended with some "chop" out on the Mediterranean. In honor of 2013's peril-at-sea theme, I'm picking The Last Voyage which follows passengers Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone struggling to survive aboard a slowly sinking ship. 10 years before The Poseidon Adventure and almost 40 years before Titanic, this film offered a thrillingly realistic shipwreck adventure. The filmmakers did not use miniatures or rear screen projection, instead, a real ship was flooded and flipped over. The film's special effects received an Oscar nomination, but lost out to The Time Machine.

2/26, 1:30 PM - Elmer Gantry (1960)
This film about a charismatic evangelist who inspires fervor among his acolytes, and easily parts trusting folk with their money, earned Burt Lancaster the Oscar for Best Actor as well as awards for supporting actress Shirley Jones and the screenplay by Richard Brooks. Leonardo DiCaprio's corrupt stocktrader Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street proves to have a similarly seductive way with words as an evangelist for greed. He shamelessly peddles worthless stocks, effortlessly attracts accomplices and followers, and, perhaps most importantly, he is able to convince himself that his depraved behavior is somehow acceptable. Unlike Elmer Gantry, however, DiCaprio's Belfort displays no remorse for his misdeeds. Therefore, I don't think DiCaprio will follow Lancaster as a Best Actor winner; despite a performance of physical and verbal virtuosity, his character is just too repellant. Wolf received 5 Oscar nominations and its best chance may be Terence Winter's Original Screenplay.

2/28, 5:45 PM - Philadelphia (1993)
Though AIDS first became part of the collective consciousness in the early 80s, 1993's Philadelphia was the first mainstream Hollywood film to deal with HIV/AIDS, casting a honest look at the homophobia which hindered efforts to deal with this major health crisis. Though the title references a place -- the "City of Brotherly Love," here notably lacking in compassion -- the story is about one person's struggle. Tom Hanks won his first Best Actor award for this portrayal of Andrew Beckett, a young gay lawyer who is ostracized and eventually fired from his law firm after it becomes clear that he is suffering from AIDS. Beyond the obvious connection of subject matter, Philadelphia and 2013's Dallas Buyers Club are linked by their strong lead performances. For his role as a homophobe dying of AIDS, Matthew McConaughey has a very good chance of winning Best Actor; ironically, his win could come in a year in which Hanks' solid performance in Captain Phillips was overlooked for a nomination. Because films like Philadelphia have covered this ground first -- and, in the case of the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague, more comprehensively -- Dallas Buyers Club doesn't feel like a revelation. However, both McConaughey and supporting actor Jared Leto are deserving of the accolades they've received.

And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)
This original TCM documentary goes behind-the-scenes at the Academy Awards. Utilizing the expertise of official Oscar historian Robert Osborne, as well as numerous Oscar winners, this doc should offer a lot of fun trivia for movie lovers.
It is showing on 2/1, 2/2, 2/7, 2/10, and 2/15 -- check the full schedule for times.