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.)
5/7, 8 AM - Yolanda and the Thief (1945)
This musical fantasy directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer is one that you'll either love or hate. In 1945, the feeling among audiences was mostly hate, and the film's poor reception effectively ended Bremer's career as a leading lady. I personally love the film and feel that it is notable among 1940s MGM musicals, and thus worth seeing, for the surrealistic production design, vibrant Technicolor photography, and elaborate musical numbers. There's also the stacked supporting cast which includes top character actors Mildred Natwick, Frank Morgan, and Leon Ames. The film's whimsical plot centers on Yolanda (Bremer), a naive heiress in the fictional country of Patria, and a con man (Astaire) who poses as Yolanda's literal guardian angel in order to bilk her of her fortune. Perhaps the 16-minute dream ballet based on the work of artist Salvador Dali and French filmmaker Jean Cocteau was just too "out there" for audiences of the 40s, but those fantastical elements are what has won over many contemporary fans.
This film had an interesting path to its final cast. Lucille Ball was originally going to play Astaire's partner in crime, a role that was ultimately filled by Frank Morgan (after some script revisions, I suspect). Judy Garland, who was married to Minnelli at the time, wanted to play Yolanda. However, producer Arthur Freed wanted the role as a showcase for his protege, Lucille Bremer, best known for playing Garland's older sister in the Minnelli-helmed Meet Me in St. Louis. (Garland and Minnelli would get to work together on The Pirate three years later, which nearly matches the colorful flamboyance of Yolanda.) Bremer had a dance background and acquits herself nicely opposite Astaire. Unfortunately, the film flopped and Freed lost interest in making Bremer a star; she made her last film 1948.
5/9, 8 PM - Possessed (1931)
I chose this film because it features TCM's Star of the Month Clark Gable alongside frequent leading lady (and off-screen paramour) Joan Crawford. This was their third film together and the chemistry between the two finally clicked on screen. Crawford received top billing as a working class girl who becomes the mistress of a wealthy lawyer, played by Gable. It's a Hollywood melodrama, so you can probably guess that everything doesn't go smoothly for these two, but the story is not entirely predictable. It is a good example of what happens in many pre-code dramas: despite introducing sophisticated themes about sex and relationships, concludes with a disappointingly conventional ending. But it is still an enjoyable ride, and along the way you can enjoy the lovely black and white cinematography and the two stars looking ravishing in fancy clothes.
The real-life (adulterous) romance between the stars ended, by order of studio head Louis B. Mayer, soon after Possessed. Nevertheless, Gable and Crawford continued to be a popular on-screen couple; in fact, tonight on TCM you can watch seven more of their films. However, Possessed may have been the height of their on-screen chemistry. As Crawford was quoted in a biography of Gable, "[We] were supposed to be madly in love. When the scenes ended, the emotion didn't."
5/27: Comedy Aboard the USS Reluctant
10:30 PM - Mister Roberts (1955)
12:45 AM - Ensign Pulver (1964)
Henry Fonda stars in Mister Roberts as the title character, a naval officer aboard WWII supply ship the Reluctant. Roberts clashes with his commanding officer, earning the admiration of the rest of the crew, all the while longing for active duty. Mr. Roberts was first a novel, then a hit Broadway play starring Fonda. When the story was adapted for the screen the producers felt that the 50-ish Fonda was too old for the role of Roberts, which was originally written as a man in his twenties. (I would argue that since Fonda was in his forties when he originated the role on stage the original age of the character was already somewhat irrelevant.) However, director John Ford insisted on casting Fonda. Ford may have come to regret that decision since his on-set clashes with the star ultimately led Ford to drink himself into hospital and he was replaced as director by Mervyn LeRoy. Nevertheless, whatever off screen drama accompanied filming, it doesn't show in the final product, which was embraced by audiences for its humor and heart. To solve the problem of a middle-aged Roberts, the rest of the crew included actors who were even older than Fonda, including James Cagney as the tyrannical Captain and William Powell as the ship's surgeon, Doc. The fresh face among the cast was Jack Lemmon, in only his fourth film. Lemmon's performance as morale officer Ensign Pulver won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Lemmon's was the film's only Oscar, though it was nominated for Best Picture.
Ensign Pulver picks up on the continuing adventures of the Reluctant's crew, this time with the character of Pulver at the center. Because the sequel was made well after the original, all the parts have been recast with Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, and Walter Matthau stepping in as Pulver, the Captain, and Doc, respectively. Other familiar faces in small roles include Jack Nicholson, James Coco, and Larry Hagman. The story is similar to the first film with Pulver leading a prank war against the Captain to protest the harsh treatment of the crew. The film wasn't as big a hit as Mister Roberts, and even the filmmakers felt it may have suffered in comparison because the sequel lacked the crucial character of Roberts. However, it is entertaining on its own terms and has its own brand of charm. And, yes, that's Robert Walker Jr. - a.k.a. the son of Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones - in the title role.
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