Classic Movie Picks: December 2015

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.)

Sinatra Sings!
12/2, 8 PM - Frank Sinatra -- A Man and His Music (1965)
12/9, 8 PM - Sinatra Sings (2011)
12/16, 8 PM - Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back (1973)
12/23, 8 PM - Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank (1957)
12/30, 8 PM - Sinatra (1969)
Frank Sinatra is TCM's Star of the Month for December and they'll be showing his films each Wednesday - from the effervescent MGM Musicals like Anchors Aweigh and On the Town, to gritty dramas including The Man with the Golden Arm and The Detective, to his capers with the Rat Pack in Ocean's Eleven and Robin and the Seven Hoods, even his Oscar-winning turn as Maggio in From Here to Eternity. But the real treat, in my opinion, will be hearing Frank sing in the five TV specials they've included in the line-up. 

Whether you agree that he's the greatest singer of the 20th Century, or just in the top five, it's hard to deny the quality of his voice and his ability to interpret a song. That heavenly croon and charismatic presence, plus those twinkly blue eyes, made Sinatra the most popular singer in the country during WWII...with young women especially. (At the same time he was hated by American men, who saw him as a draft dodger hanging around the homefront stealing their women.) However, these specials show Frank after his teen idol phase, in full "Chairman of the Board" mode singing songs that have become standards. As a holiday treat, there's even Frank with his idol Bing Crosby singing Christmas songs! 

If you're interested in learning more about Sinatra's career, I highly recommend two episodes of the "You Must Remember This" podcast: episode 41 about Sinatra's rise to fame in the 1940s and episode 2 about his epic and weird triple album "Trilogy: Past, Present, and Future." 


12/17: Once More into the Disney Vault
Film critic Leonard Maltin hosts this evening of 5 movies and 4 shorts, many with a "winter" theme, dating from 1934 to 1983. I've really been enjoying these periodic peeks into the vault because the programming highlights the variety and depth of the Disney Studios output, particularly during the 50s and beyond when they were producing animated features and shorts, live-action films, documentaries, and television specials.

8 PM - So Dear to My Heart (1948)
Burl Ives, Beulah Bondi, and Bobby Driscoll star in this film about a farming family who adopts a black lamb. I haven't seen it, but I predict that Burl will break into song at some point.

9:30 PM - Rescue Dog (1947)
The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934)
Corn Chips (1951)
Three wintry animated shorts starring Pluto and a playful seal, some insects preparing (or not) for winter, and Donald Duck with Chip and Dale.

10 PM - Babes in Toyland (1961)
I enjoyed this film when I was a kid, and I think that it's really meant for an audience of children - adults may find it too cutesy. However, the costumes and score were nominated for Academy Awards, reflecting the high level of quality which was brought to all Disney productions. Former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello stars with Tommy Sands (who I always thought was Annette's Beach Party costar Frankie Avalon) as residents of Toyland and the plot revolves around whether they'll be able to marry as the evil Ray Bolger throws obstacles in their path to the altar.

12 AM - Never Cry Wolf (1983)
Far, far from Toyland, Charles Martin Smith stars as a biologist sent alone up to the Yukon to study wolves and their impact on the caribou population. Filmed in Alaska, this movie is praised for its beautiful visuals including scenes of the native wildlife. 

2 AM - White Wilderness (1958)
One of Disney's famous "true-life adventures," this film spotlights Arctic wildlife. It won the 1958  Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

3:30 AM - Polar Trappers (1938)
Back to cartoons with Donald and Goofy in their first short together without Mickey.

3:45 AM - The Island at the Top of the World (1974)
End the evening with this adventure tale about a Victorian Englishman who discovers a lost civilization of Vikings in the Arctic.


12/18 - Christmas with Criminals
8 PM - I'll Be Seeing You (1944) [also showing 12/25, 12:30 PM]
11:30 PM - Remember the Night (1940)
If you're looking for new movies to add to your usual Christmas line-up, consider the mini-genre of holiday love stories between a strait-laced guy and a wayward gal. Two films in this category (actually, the only two I'm aware of) are showing tonight! 

In I'll Be Seeing You, Joseph Cotten is a shell-shocked soldier on leave from WWII who meets Ginger Rogers on a train. She's also on leave, but from prison where she's serving a sentence for manslaughter (it was an accident though!). A few days spent celebrating the holiday with Ginger's family brings the two lost souls closer together.

Remember the Night casts Fred MacMurray as a District Attorney who feels sorry for accused shoplifter Barbara Stanwyck. Rather then letting her spend Christmas in jail, he bails her out and brings her home with him and the two are brought closer together...you know how it goes.


BONUS PICK: 12/5, 3:45 AM - Haxan (1922)
If you aren't into the warm and fuzzies going around during the holiday season, here is an antidote -- a bizarre silent film about witchcraft through the ages.

As my blogging partner put it in his recommendation of Haxan last Halloween:
"It’s one of those movies that you’ll want to watch with someone so there’s another witness to the crazy, bizarre, spooky, and oddly funny scenes that make up this silent movie. Haxan is a truly unique film: part documentary, part history lesson, part folklore study, part 'reenactment' of witchcraft confessions, and part social commentary."

This film has everything: medieval depictions of witches and demons, trial and torture of those accused of witchcraft, a Witches' Sabbath ritual, and, of course, Satan himself churning butter (what else?). The weird juxtaposition of the disturbing and ridiculous makes this an oddly funny film, despite the filmmaker's intentions to horrify. And it may horrify you, too; there's a lot of weird stuff here! Whether humorous or horrible, Haxan is the total opposite of the typical holiday film.

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.

Classic Movie Picks: June 2013

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.)

6/9: Crime Comedies
8 PM - The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
9:30 PM - A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
The Essentials Jr. series for kids is back this month with host Bill Hader. The second week of the series brings The Lavender Hill Mob, a british caper comedy starring Alec Guinness as the unlikely leader of a gang set on robbing a gold bullion truck. The film won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and the clever ending will prompt some post-movie discussion for kids and parents (such as, what is bullion anyway?). 
The official Essentials Jr. entry is followed by another crime comedy in which Edward G. Robinson spoofs his tough gangster persona as a bootlegger determined to go straight after Prohibition ends. However, honest living is not so easy when he discovers his house full of dead thieves and loot.

6/11: Working Women Who Surrender in the End
8 PM - Baby Face (1933)
9:30 PM - Female (1933)
The oddly titled theme for tonight's line-up of 5 films hosted by film critic Molly Haskell pretty much spells it out -- in what was a conventional Hollywood story for decades, an independent career woman is drawn to the domestic life once she finds the right man. Baby Face, starring Barbara Stanwyck, and Female, starring Ruth Chatterton, are notable as two of the most daring films from the Pre-Code era. Stanwyck is a tough orphan who uses men to improve her station in life, literally sleeping her way to the top floor of a company in one memorable sequence. Chatterton is a female CEO, who prefers to "shop around" rather than settle down with a husband. Though today's films discuss sex in a far more open way, films made before the production code can still shock with their frankness. The shock is mostly because we're not used to seeing people in black and white movies being so...forward.

6/18, 8 PM - Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
If you're in the mood for a more conventional romance, one that's staying well within the boundaries of the Production Code, you could do worse than Three Coins in the Fountain. When a film's tagline is "You've never lived until you've loved in Rome!", it's easy to roll your eyes and dismiss it as a mindless chick flick. However, this film about 3 American roommates in Rome wishing for love received several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture! So, enjoy the Italian scenery, 50s fashion, and the title song sung by Frank Sinatra and just except that romantic froth can be sometimes be satisfying.

6/23, 10 PM - The Crimson Pirate (1952)
This one was new to me, perhaps because I've never been a particular Burt Lancaster fan. However, I'm really intrigued by this film which is both a salute to swashbuckling pirate films and a spoof of the genre. Lancaster was an acrobat before coming to Hollywood and here he puts those skills to use alongside his real-life circus partner, Nick Cravat. Lancaster and Cravat use the ship as a jungle gym as the leap, swing, and bounce away from the swords of their enemies, all in service of a plot about a Caribbean island rebellion.