Classic Movie Picks: April 2021

by Lani

I used to scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule each month for upcoming films that I couldn’t miss and post the highlights here for your reading and viewing pleasure! It’s been a few...years, but who’s counting? (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.)

After a delayed start, it is finally award season in Hollywood, which means it's time for TCM's "31 Days of Oscar" programming. Each day in April features films which were Academy Award winners or nominees and the films are being shown from A to Z, ending with Best Foreign Language Film winner Z on May 1. Coincidentally this was the gimmick in 2017, which was the last time I blogged about 31 Days of Oscar. By the way, if you don't have cable, you can stream films on the TCM app, but they don't stay available for very long after the air date, or usually find the films to stream or rent through other platforms. Here are my top picks for the month:

4/3, 9:45 PM - Carol (2015) 

I was happy to see that TCM has included several movies from the 2000s in this year’s 31 Days line-up. The canon of classic films is not a fixed list; it should always be re-evaluated and refreshed as new art is made. Carol was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, but notably not Best Picture. Director Todd Haynes combines the lush elegance of a Douglas Sirk melodrama with contemporary storytelling in this romantic drama about a shopgirl and a housewife drawn to each other, but restricted by 1950s conventions. 

4/7, 10:15AM - Gaslight (1944)

“Gaslighting” has become a ubiquitous buzzword in the last few years. But how many people have actually seen the film that gave us that term? Technically, “gaslighting” means when someone lies to you so that you begin to doubt your own sanity and then you can be committed to an asylum and your tormentor can steal your aunt’s jewels. Ingrid Bergman won Best Actress for her performance as a woman driven mad. The film received seven nominations in total, including Best Picture, which it lost to Going My Way. Keep an eye out for a young Angela Lansbury in her first film role as Bergman’s maid, she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

4/10, 3PM - Hope and Glory (1987)

The title may sound generic, but this charming and warm story of British civilian life during WWII will stick with you. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the film is based on writer-director John Boorman’s own experiences during the London blitz. The film received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but did not win any awards; in fact it lost in almost every category to that year’s big winner, The Last Emperor. 

4/18, 8PM - Nebraska (2013)

Omaha-born Alexander Payne is one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers. His films - including Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways - depict familiar, everyday people with biting dark humor. Nebraska is no exception as the story of a cantankerous elderly man and his adult son on a road trip to collect sweepstakes winnings. While several of Payne’s films have earned Oscar nominations, 2013’s Nebraska received the most with six. Surprisingly, it did not win in any category, though lead actor Bruce Dern and Phedon Papamichael’s black and white cinematography were certainly top contenders that year. 

4/23, 10:30PM - The Red Shoes (1948)

This film about a dancer torn between a devotion to her art and a desire for a conventional life was the 10th collaboration of the celebrated filmmaking team of director Michael Powell and producer Emeric Pressburger. It was nominated in Best picture and four additional categories, winning much-deserved awards for the art direction and the score. It is visually dazzling, particularly the ballet sequences starring real-life ballerina Moira Shearer. Anton Walbrook, a favorite character actor for Powell & Pressburger is also particularly good as Lermontov, the impresario who gives Shearer’s character her big break. 

4/28, 1:15AM - The Third Man (1949)

If you’ve never seen this one, set the DVR, get the app, whatever you need to do - just watch it. This atmospheric post-WWII noir follows an American investigating a friend’s suspicious death in Vienna. Though Orson Welles gets all the memorable lines, this is really a Joseph Cotten film. Cotten came to Hollywood with Welles as a member of Welles’ Mercury Theatre Company and after a large supporting role in 1941’s Citizen Kane, Cotten transitioned into a successful, decades-long movie career (including a role 1944’s Gaslight). The film received nominations for direction and editing, but the striking cinematography garnered the film’s only win. 

Classic Movie Picks: August 2017

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.)

August is a special month for classic movie fans. TCM's annual Summer Under the Stars programming festival devotes each day of the month to a different classic film star. From icons such as Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne, to character actors like Slim Pickens and Claire Trevor, every star gets a full 24 hours. It is always fun to look for "new" films with your favorite stars, as well as discover the work of actors you aren't as familiar with. This isn't a month to play favorites, so I've chosen one film for each featured star. Of course, the best way to enjoy Summer Under the Stars is to just pick your favorite star and watch all day! 

8/1: Marilyn Monroe
2 AM - How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Marilyn does "Marilyn" to perfection as a model on the prowl for a rich husband in this bubbly ensemble comedy.

8/2: Ray Milland
10 PM - Dial M for Murder (1954)
Milland gives a wonderfully restrained performance as a straying husband who plots to kill his wife - just watch the panic flash across his face as his plans begin to unravel.

8/3: Lon Chaney
8 PM - The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
A early entry in the Universal Monsters horror series, this silent film provided an iconic role for the "Man of A Thousand Faces" using innovative makeup techniques to transform Chaney into the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera. 

8/4: Claire Trevor
2 AM - Key Largo (1948)
Trevor won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as an alcoholic gangster's moll, one of several people trapped in a hotel during a hurricane.

8/5: Gene Kelly
3:15 PM - The Three Musketeers (1948)
Kelly's athleticism shines in this high-spirited swashbuckler notable for its stunning Technicolor, lavish production value, and outstanding fight choreography. 

8/6: Robert Mitchum
8 PM - The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Mitchum is unforgettably chilling as an evil reverend who menaces his young step-children while searching for a hidden cache of money.

8/7: Eleanor Parker
8 PM - The Naked Jungle (1954)
In this suspenseful adventure story, Parker plays a mail-order bride sent to South America who must help her husband fight off an approaching horde of destructive Marabunta ants.

8/8: Franchot Tone
10:45 AM - Fast and Furious (1939)
Don't let the title fool you, there's no stunt driving in this breezy, Thin Man-esque flick about a husband and wife who solve a murder at a beauty pageant.

8/9: Sandra Dee
5:45 PM - Imitation of Life (1959)
This is the film that made Dee famous (her starring vehicle, Gidget, would come out later the same year), for her role as Lana Turner's daughter in this tearjerker about parallel mother-daughter relationships.

8/10: Sidney Poitier
8 PM - To Sir, With Love (1967)
Poitier is both formidable and endearing in this crowdpleaser about an inexperienced teacher saddled with a class of "incorrigables" at a tough East London high school.

8/11: Ginger Rogers
10 PM - Top Hat (1935)
This glossy musical with a screwball plot is one of the best Rogers and Astaire team-ups, with plenty of gorgeous gowns and delightful dancing "cheek to cheek."

8/12: John Wayne
5:45 PM - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
It's the film that launched a thousand John Wayne impressions; the Duke called someone "Pilgrim" for the first time in this dramatic Western that also gave us the quote: "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

8/13: Barbara Stanwyck
1:30 AM - Baby Face (1933)
A very young Stanwyck is tough and spunky in this Pre-Code drama about a victimized woman who turns the tables on men and uses them to get what she wants.

8/14: Vanessa Redgrave
8 PM - Julia (1977)
Redgrave gives her Academy Award-winning performance as the title character in this film about childhood friends who become involved in the anti-Nazi movement prior to WWII.

8/15: Ricardo Montalban
10 AM - Two Weeks with Love (1950)
Montalban romances Jane Powell in this musical about a turn-of-the-century family on a Catskills vacation.



8/16: Elvis Presley
8 PM - Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)
See Elvis in all his jump-suited glory in this behind the scenes documentary as "The King" prepares for a series of live concerts after over a decade of making films in Hollywood.

8/17: Rosalind Russell
10 PM - My Sister Eileen (1942)
Russell shows her talent for madcap comedy as the sensible one in a pair of sisters making their way in New York City amidst a slew of wacky characters.

8/18: Rod Taylor
8 AM - The Liquidator (1966)
In this twist on the spy genre, Taylor plays a secret agent who enjoys the swinging London lifestyle, but has to hire his own hitman to complete the jobs. 

8/19: Angela Lansbury
8 PM - The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
In one of her most acclaimed film roles, Lansbury plays the mother of a war hero brainwashed by the enemy.

8/20: Cary Grant
2 PM - Suspicion (1941)
Grant is perfectly cast as an irresponsible playboy who marries a shy heiress, and may or may not be scheming to bump off his new bride.

8/21: Ann Harding
11:15 PM - When Ladies Meet (1933)
Harding locks horns with Myrna Loy as a wife and the woman trying to steal her husband, respectively...witty banter ensues.

8/22: Glenn Ford
8 PM - Experiment in Terror (1962)
In this under-appreciated noir thriller, Ford is an FBI agent protecting a bank teller forced to cooperate with a ruthless criminal.

8/23: Greer Garson
1 PM - Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Winner of six Oscars, including Best Actress for Garson, this uplifting story centers on an ordinary British family which carries on during WWII.

8/24: Dennis Morgan
12:30 PM - Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A bit out of season, but Morgan is terribly charming as a war hero who falls for a magazine columnist while spending the holidays at her country home. 

8/25: Simone Signoret
10:15 PM - Diabolique (1955)
In this French-language masterpiece of suspense, a mistress and a wife conspire to kill the cruel man to whom they are both bound.

8/26: James Cagney
10 PM - The Roaring Twenties (1939)
A free-wheeling Cagney elevates this above-average gangster film about three Army buddies mixed up with the mob.

8/27: Leslie Caron
5:45 PM - Father Goose (1964)
In a non-dancing role, Caron plays French teacher who, along with several pupils, is stranded on a Pacific Island during WWII. Cary Grant is there, too.

8/28: Slim Pickens
10 PM - Blazing Saddles (1974)
Pickens memorably plays a henchman to a villainous politician in Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof of classic westerns.

8/29: Marion Davies
10:15 PM - Show People (1928)
Davies shows off her talent for slapstick in this silent comedy about a newcomer trying to make it in Hollywood.

8/30: George Sanders
2 PM - The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Sanders is known for his scene-stealing supporting performances, and this film is no exception with Sanders as an upper crust slimeball who leads the title character down a path of debauchery. 

8/31: Elizabeth Taylor
8:15 AM - Father of the Bride (1950)
This was a signature early role for Taylor as the young bride whose father has difficulty adjusting to her impending marriage.

Classic Movie Picks: July 2017

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.)

7/4, 4 AM - Miss Firecracker (1989)
This slice of Southern Americana is perfect programming for the Fourth of July, if you are in the mood for something slightly bittersweet and satirical. Holly Hunter stars as Carnelle, a young misfit obsessed with winning the annual beauty contest in her small town of Yazoo City, Mississippi. After seeing her elegant cousin Elain (Mary Steenburgen) win the pageant 10 years earlier, subsequently marry up, and become a local celebrity, Carnelle is sure that the title of Miss Firecracker will be her ticket to a new life outside her hometown. 
While not her first film, Miss Firecracker may be the first time I saw Holly Hunter on screen. Mild-mannered child that I was, Hunter's intensity and energy, not to mention her flame red hair, were a bit frightening; however, I did admire her determination and spirit. The highlight is the performance by Hunter, as well as a very strong supporting cast including Steenburgen, Alfre Woodard, and Tim Robbins. The film was adapted from an off-Broadway play, and while far from perfect, it - like Carnelle - is worth giving a chance. 



7/7: Hitchcock in the UK
8 PM - Number Seventeen (1932)
9:30 PM - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
11 PM - The 39 Steps (1935)
12:45 AM - The Lady Vanishes (1938)
TCM is spotlighting filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock on Wednesdays and Fridays this month, moving chronologically from 1927's The Ring on July 5 to his final film, 1976's Family Plot, on July 28. You're sure to find something interesting on any evening devoted to Hitchcock's work, but I've chosen to focus on this batch of films from the 1930s. At the time Hitchcock was working in England making films with steadily bigger budgets and production value, and not only gaining acclaim in the UK, but in America with his first trans-Atlantic hit, The 39 Steps. 
The 39 Steps also made a film star of British stage actor Robert Donat (four years later Donat would win an Oscar for Goodbye, Mr. Chips). Donat plays that favorite Hitchcock character: an innocent man accused. After a spy is killed, and Donat blamed, he goes on the run across Scotland, all the while handcuffed to the woman who turned him in; together, they must discover the real killer and expose a spy ring. 
Among the other films tonight is the original version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, a big hit in Britain and the first English-language film for character actor Peter Lorre. Hitchcock liked this story about a vacationing family accidentally drawn into international espionage so much, he remade the film in 1956.
The low-budget thriller Number Seventeen is not one of Hitch's most celebrated works, but it is notable for possibly introducing the director's signature gimmick, the "Macguffin" - an object that drives the plot, but is basically irrelevant to the overall story. In this case, the Macguffin is a stolen necklace which draws the characters to a spooky old house where they encounter a string of mysteries, including a man's corpse.
1938's The Lady Vanishes was Hitchcock's biggest hit to date and helped him to secure a lucrative Hollywood contract. The plot - including a sudden disappearance, a plucky heroine, secret agents, and plenty of sly humor - is a treat for any Hitchcock fan.

7/25: Lili Damita Double Feature
10:45 AM - Friends and Lovers (1931)
12 PM - The Woman Between (1931)
French actress Lili Damita was one of the many foreign beauties brought to Hollywood during the silent era - including Pola Negri, Greta Garbo, and Marlene Dietrich - to play exotic temptresses. Cast for their ability to give meaningful glances rather than speak lines, not all the imports made a successful transition to talkies. However, Garbo, Dietrich, and, yes, Damita were among the few who did. Today she's remembered as Errol Flynn's first wife; although, when they married in 1935, Flynn was just a handsome newcomer and Damita was the star. An old-fashioned gal, Damita gave up her career after marrying Flynn...which may be why she's better known for the divorce which bankrupted Flynn than for her own movies, but that's a story for another day.
Today's double feature includes two films made in 1931 with director Victor Schertzinger for RKO Studios. In Friends and Lovers, Damita flirts her way through British society in India, blackmailing her conquests under the (monocled) eye of her unscrupulous husband, played by Erich von Stroheim. Adolphe Menjou and Laurence Olivier, in his first American film, star as young British officers ensnared by Damita's charms. 
In the second film, Damita is the titular Woman, this time unintentionally coming between a father and son. Happily married to a rich older man, Damita is shocked when her husband's son returns from WWI and it is revealed that her stepson is also her former lover. (Since we're all thinking it, I'll just say that I have found no evidence that this film was the inspiration for the classic 1997 TV-movie My Stepson, My Lover.) You may recognize O.P. Heggie, who plays Damita's husband, as the blind hermit from Bride of Frankenstein.

7/27: Star of the Month Ronald Colman
8 PM - A Double Life (1947)
10 PM - Random Harvest (1942)
12:15 AM - The Talk of the Town (1942)
The suave British actor Ronald Colman is TCM's Star of the Month with his films scheduled in primetime each Thursday in July. Colman was a top leading man from the silent era through the 1940s, equally popular with men and women for his dashing manner and handsome good looks. I plan on watching several of his movies this month, including early hits like Bulldog Drummond (1929) and Raffles (1930), but I am recommending three of his most popular films from the 40s.
In the politically-tinged comedy The Talk of the Town Colman shares leading man duties with Cary Grant. Grant plays an accused arsonist on the lam who hides out in the home of schoolteacher Jean Arthur. He enlists Arthur's help to convince Colman, a respected law professor, of his innocence. Of course both men develop romantic feelings for the lovely Ms. Arthur and the film leaves you guessing until the end as to which man she will choose. This may be the only instance in which a love triangle involving Cary Grant felt equally weighted. Apparently alternate endings were filmed, one in which Arthur chose Grant and one in which she chose Colman; see if you agree with the final outcome. 
The Talk of the Town was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture and breathed new life into Colman's career and he followed it with another hit, the romantic drama Random Harvest. The plot is a bit convoluted, but basically it involves Colman getting amnesia - twice! - and forgetting the love of his life, played by Greer Garson. Director Meryn LeRoy quipped that "the English language was never spoken more beautifully on film." The film received seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Director, and Best Actor. However, most of the awards that year went to Garson's other hit, Mrs. Miniver; Colman lost out to James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
For Colman, fourth time was the charm when he finally won the Best Actor Oscar for A Double Life playing an actor in a production of Othello opposite his own wife who finds his character's jealousy seeping into his own psyche. Married writing team Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin originally wanted Laurence Olivier for the lead role, but jumped after Colman when their first choice was unavailable. It was Colman who wasn't sure if he was right for the role; despite a stage background, he had never been a Shakesperean actor. However, the Kanins got Colman to sign on by promising him that the role would earn him that elusive Oscar - and they were right! 

Classic Movie Picks: June 2017

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: Traveltalks in Europe
9:45 PM - Looking at London (1946)
10 PM - Seeing Spain (1953)
10:15 PM - Paris on Parade (1938)
James A. Fitzpatrick, a.k.a "the voice of the globe," produced and narrated a popular series of Traveltalks shorts which took viewers around the world to famous and "exotic" destinations. The shorts featured tonight were filmed in Technicolor and distributed by MGM. TCM often inserts the Fitzpatrick shorts in between scheduled films, but as part of their "European Vacation" programming on Fridays in June, the shorts are getting prime time play. The films concentrate on showing scenery and cultural heritage sites, rather than the daily lives of the people living there, and avoid any mention of politics or social issues. Made at a time when the average movie goer did not have the opportunity or means to travel, these shorts gave them a look at the places that Fitzpatrick believed any tourist would want to see. Today, the shorts are notable for the glimpses of landscapes from a bygone era, before major cities became dominated by skyscrapers or urban sprawl reached the countryside. Looking at London highlights historic landmarks in the UK capital city, as well as areas damaged during WWII. Seeing Spain features several cities around that country, while Paris on Parade provides a tour of the Paris International Exposition of 1937.


6/9, 2:15 AM - To Paris with Love (1955)
In this romp through the City of Light, Alec Guinness stars as Sir Edgar, a British widower who brings his 20 year old son, Jon, to Paris to give the boy an education on romance. Edgar seeks out just the right woman to set up with his son, while Jon tries to find the perfect match for his dad. Of course, it gets complicated when the women turn out to have romantic ideas of their own. Perhaps not as funny as Guinness's other comedies of the era, but as light romantic comedy, this film is a fizzy sip of champagne. It's worth seeing for Guinness's charming lead performance and comedic skill.

6/13: Starring Marlene Dietrich
8 PM - Desire (1936)
10 PM - Song of Songs (1933)
11:45 PM - A Foreign Affair (1948)
2 AM - Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
4:15 AM - Rancho Notorious (1952)
Highest-paid woman in America in the 1930s, WWII war hero, Medal of Freedom recipient, world's most glamorous grandmother -- believe it or not, these are all titles applied to tonight's featured star Marlene Dietrich. Chances are that you have a very specific image of Dietrich: platinum hair, pencil-thin eyebrows arched over bored eyes, and that husky, German-accented voice. She had an iconic style, but as tonight's line-up shows, Dietrich took on personas in her films as diverse as those in her real life, while somehow maintaining that essence of "Marlene" with each one. The films tonight also pair Dietrich with some of the best directors of the era, demonstrating her ability to be equally at home in a Billy Wilder comedy or a Frank Borzage romance.
In Desire, directed by Borzage and produced by rom-com master Ernst Lubitsch, Dietrich plays a jewel thief and phony European aristocrat who falls for all-American Gary Cooper. Song of Songs, a TCM premiere directed by eclectic innovator Rouben Mamoulian, gives Dietrich a suitably scandalous role as a German peasant girl who gets caught up with free-living artists in the nightclub culture of Berlin. In Wilder's satire of post-war Germany, A Foreign Affair (released the same year she became the world's most glamorous grandmother), she spoofs her own image as a sultry cabaret singer; and cast as a former saloon girl in Fritz Lang's Western-noir Rancho Notorious, Dietrich brings new depth to this familiar character as she intimidates and beguiles while presiding over a den of criminals. Witness for the Prosecution, also directed by Wilder and based on an Agatha Christie story, shows another side of Dietrich in a less overtly glamorous and sexual role as the wife of an accused murderer; however, as in many stories by Christie, the characters are not all that they seem. 

6/19, 1:15 PM - My Name is Julia Ross (1945)
I've recommended this sharp little thriller before, but think it's good enough to recommend again! The story begins with a young woman, Julia, who takes a job as a live-in secretary for an older lady. After going to sleep in her employer's London apartment, she wakes up in a remote Cornwall estate on the southern coast of England. She's told that her name is Marion and she is the wife of the lady's son, a spoiled creep who likes to play with knives. Nina Foch (perhaps recognizable as Milo in An American in Paris) is excellent as Julia/Marion as she struggles to maintain her sanity and identity while her captors' scheme unfolds. At a breezy 65 minutes, you could watch this movie on your lunch break; however, the gothic atmosphere is probably more effective late at night.
If you enjoy the plot of My Name is Julia Ross, consider seeking out 1987's Dead of Winter starring Mary Steenburgen, Roddy MacDowell, and Czech actor Jan Rubes -- the story of an actress held captive in service of a blackmail plot bears a strong, though uncredited, resemblance to this earlier film.


6/19, 3:45 AM - Gaslight (1940)
Consider making a double feature with My Name is Julia Ross and this psychological thriller set in the Victorian era about an evil husband who attempts to drive his wealthy wife mad in order to get at some jewels hidden in their home. As the husband, Anton Walbrook serves cold sophistication masking cruelty, which he did so well again as the ballet svengali of The Red Shoes. Diana Wynyard, an Oscar nominee for 1933's Best Picture Cavalcade, co-stars as the wife. 
This British film was made four years before the Ingrid Bergman/Charles Boyer film of the same name and source material; however, despite being well-received, it is much less familiar even to film fans. That may be by design -- according to Hollywood legend, MGM ordered all copies of the 1940 film destroyed to avoid competition for the Bergman version. Fortunately, they did not get the negative and so now we can enjoy both films. Here's a chance to make that comparison which MGM feared so much -- is one better or are they just as good in their own ways? (By the way, the 1944 version, for which Bergman won an Oscar, will air on TCM in August.)

Classic Movie Picks: May 2017

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.)

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.

Classic Movie Picks: April 2017

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.)

4/17: Guest Programmer William Daniels
8 PM - 1776 (1972)
11 PM - A Thousand Clowns (1965)
1:15 AM - Dodsworth (1936)
People of my generation will know actor William Daniels as Mr. Feeny from 90s sitcom Boy Meets World (younger folks may know the character from the spin-off series Girl Meets World). Others may recognize him from his Emmy-winning role on 80s hospital drama St. Elsewhere. But, he's also had a long career on the stage and screen, and his programming picks tonight include two of his own films in which he reprised a successful stage role. First up is 1776, a musical about the second Continental Congress and the creation of the Declaration of Independence, in which Daniels stars as founding father John Adams, reworking his acclaimed performance from the Broadway production for film. The numerous and lengthy debates, compromises, and votes are fascinating for any history buff (despite a bit of dramatic invention), though the witty dialogue and snappy songs keep it from feeling like a stale history lesson. The second film of the night, A Thousand Clowns, has a much smaller scope, centering on a New York City bachelor, played by Jason Robards, who is the guardian for his young nephew. When Robards quits his job, his ability to provide for the child is called into question and a social worker, played by Daniels in another reprise of a stage role, threatens to remove the child from his uncle's care. For his final pick of the night, Daniels chose the 1936 drama Dodsworth, starring Walter Huston. Daniels admires Huston's acting here in a role that Huston had previously played onstage (a theme tonight!). Huston's Dodsworth is a successful businessman living a comfortable life in middle age. His frustrated wife begins an affair which provokes Dodsworth to pursue a new life with another woman. It is a mature drama about adult people, with no contrived circumstances. Though times and social expectations have changed since the 30s, the film still plays well today. 

4/20: What a Character!
8 PM - On the Town (1949), Florence Bates
10 PM - By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), Mary Wickes
12 AM - The Long, Long Trailer (1954), Marjorie Main
2 AM - Rear Window (1954), Thelma Ritter
Throughout the month, TCM is highlighting character actors of Hollywood's golden age - the unsung heroes of many classic films. I singled out this evening's line-up because it features some of the best character actresses of all time. If you don't recognize the names, you'll certainly recognize the faces. These ladies bring texture to many a glossy film with their talent for cracking wise as maids, matrons, nurses, or other supporting characters. 
In the energetic musical On the Town, Florence Bates has a small, but memorable turn as Vera Ellen's stern, and apparently inebriated, ballet teacher. Then we get Mary Wickes playing the housekeeper (she was always the housekeeper) for the central family in the quaint musical By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Marjorie Main was well known for her leading role in the Ma and Pa Kettle films, but tonight you see her in a supporting role as a nosy neighbor in The Long, Long Trailer. Finally, we are treated to a performance by Thelma Ritter, an actress who received six Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominations between 1951 and 1963, but never won. She appears as James Stewart's nurse in Rear Window.

4/21, 8 PM - An Affair to Remember (1957)
This film is part of a month-long spotlight on post-WWII melodramas, and it's definitely one of the biggies. The story was originally filmed in 1939 and again in 1994, both times under the title Love Affair. However, the 1957 film, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, remains the best-known version. From the poster, you'd think that Grant and Kerr are, well, kissing in Italy...across an ocean...and all over New York; but that would be misleading, as the two have a fairly chaste romance. They strike up a friendship on board a Transatlantic ocean liner heading from Europe to New York. Though both are involved with other people back home, Grant and Kerr's relationship blossoms into love. After landing in New York, they agree to reunite in six months at the Empire State Building. But will they? Not before quite a few tears are shed. 
The film received four Oscar nominations, for cinematography, costumes, original score, and original song for An Affair to Remember (Our Love Affair), sung by Vic Damone over the opening credits.


4/27, 2:15 AM - Bells Are Ringing (1960)
I saw this film for the first time just last year and it was so charming, I had the experience of thinking, "Oh, why did I wait so long to see this? To think I could have had Bells Are Ringing in my life sooner!" This is a film adaptation of a Broadway musical about an operator for a telephone answering service who gets too involved in the lives of her clients. Judy Holliday won a Tony on Broadway for her portrayal of operator Ella Peterson and reprises that role here. As Ella, she's bubbly, bright, and warm; she has a big heart which gets her into trouble sometimes, but enough pluckiness to pull herself out of any jam. It's possibly the most "Judy Holliday" of any Judy Holliday character, which isn't so surprising when you learn that authors Betty Comden and Adolph Green created the role as an idealized version of their old friend, Judy Holliday. Dean Martin co-stars as a writer who gains new motivation and inspiration after meeting Ella. 
This was Holliday's final performance on film; however, her final screen credit came in 1965's A Thousand Clowns (see above). The title song was composed by Holliday's boyfriend Gerry Mulligan with lyrics supplied by Holliday. Unfortunately, she died far too young, of cancer at age 43, before the film was released.

Classic Movie Picks: March 2017

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.)

3/2, 11 PM - What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
I'm sure that many classic movie fans are intrigued by the new TV mini series Feud: Bette and Joan, centered on the tumultuous relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford during the filming of Baby Jane. Feud, starring Susan Sarandon as Davis and Jessica Lange as Crawford, premieres March 5, so this is the perfect chance to see the film at the center of the series. 
Davis and Crawford play sisters, Jane and Blanche, who both went into acting and now live together in a decaying Hollywood mansion. While Jane achieved early success as a child star ("Baby Jane"), Blanche eventually surpassed her sister and achieved stardom and respect as an adult. After Blanche is paralyzed in a car accident, she is left in the care of the increasingly unhinged Jane. The two women engage in a psychological battle as Jane torments Blanche while also entertaining hopes of reviving her stardom. 
The success of Baby Jane created a brief sub-genre of "grande dame" horror films, in which a glamorous actress-of-a-certain-age is psychologically and physically terrorized or does the tormenting herself. Notable titles included Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte with Olivia de Havilland and Davis, Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? with Geraldine Page, What's the Matter with Helen? starring Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds, and Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? also starring Winters. The genre ran out of steam in the early 70s, or maybe just ran out of questions to use as titles. 
However, my favorite coda to the making of this film came at the Academy Awards in 1963, when Davis was nominated for Best Actress, but Crawford was not. Crawford had contacted all the other nominated women and offered to accept the award on their behalf, should they be unable to attend the ceremony. So, when the Best Actress award was announced for Anne Bancroft, who was in New York at the time, it was a glowing Crawford who ascended the stage to accept the Oscar.

The film will also air on 3/22 as part of the "March Malice" programming series spotlighting villains on film. There are a lot of great films in the line up, from noir to westerns to sci-fi.

3/16, 12 AM - The Incredible Journey (1963)
TCM is opening the Disney Vault this month and has programmed four shorts and six movies themed around the great outdoors. The gem of the group is The Incredible Journey, a live-action film starring animals based on a book by Irish author Sheila Burnford. The main characters are Bodger (an old bull terrier), Tao (a Siamese cat), and Luath (a yellow Labrador Retriever), treasured pets of a family living in the Canadian countryside. When the family must travel to England for the summer, the pets are left on a friend's farm in Ontario. Feeling confused and homesick in their new surroundings, the three animals set off to cross over 200 miles of Canadian wilderness to return to the home they know. Of course along the way they have many adventures including encounters with wild animals - including a lynx, a bear, and a porcupine - as well as humans. The two dogs and cat are not provided with voices (as they are in the 1993 remake Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey), but their journey is narrated by the frequent voice of Disney nature documentaries Rex Allen. Author Burnford found inspiration for the story from her own pets and adopted home in Canada. Pet lovers are sure to see their own furry friends in the three main characters and may find themselves tearing up by the end of this one.

3/17: Irish Heroines
1:45 AM - Ryan's Daughter (1970)
5:15 AM - Little Nellie Kelly (1940)
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, TCM has scheduled a day's worth of films which take place in Ireland or feature Irish characters. I'm interested in these two films which both feature an Irish heroine; however, that's about where the similarities between them end. 
Ryan's Daughter is an epic following in the footsteps of director David Lean's previous three films Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and A Bridge on the River Kwai. The film is set in a small coastal Irish village during WWI and centers on three characters caught in a love triangle -- a schoolteacher and his wife, played by Robert Mitchum and Sarah Miles, and a young British officer, played by Christopher Jones -- and pulled apart by conflicting loyalties of Irish nationalism and British rule. The screenplay was written by 3-time Oscar winner Robert Bolt with his wife, Miles, in mind for the title role. Lean's knack for showcasing beautiful imagery while also creating intimate character portraits is on full display. Though a hit in the U.K., the Ryan's Daughter was not as popular in the U.S. as Lean's previous films (and Lean would not complete another film for 14 years!). However, it did receive Academy Awards for its cinematography and supporting actor John Mills, as well as nominations for Best Sound and Best Actress for Sarah Miles.

In Little Nellie Kelly Judy Garland plays dual roles as Irish immigrant Nellie Kelly and her daughter, Little Nellie. It's a light musical in which Garland must patch up differences between her father and grandfather, while also finding romance and becoming the toast of Broadway. Along the way she performs "It's a Great Day for the Irish" and a swinging version of "Singin' in the Rain." Though it was adapted from a George M. Cohan stage musical, the film contains only one Cohan song - "Nellie Kelly, I Love You" - sung by Garland's love interest Douglas McPhail. This was one of Garland's first adult roles and in addition to her impressive singing and dancing, she got a chance to show some dramatic chops with a death scene, a birth scene, and her first on-screen romantic kiss. 

3/19: Lesser-Known Lubitsch
8 PM - Cluny Brown (1946)
10 PM -  Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
Ernst Lubitsch directed over 70 feature films in both his native Germany and, beginning in the 1920s, in Hollywood. In his heyday of the 30s and 40s, Lubitsch was considered one of the top comedy directors in Hollywood and he helmed such classics as Trouble in Paradise, Ninotchka, and The Shop Around the Corner. His ability to find moments of sophisticated grace and visual wit was nicknamed "the Lubitsch Touch."
Cluny Brown was the last completed film directed by Lubitsch. Jennifer Jones stars as the title character, a young woman of humble means with a knack for plumbing. Charles Boyer is her love interest, a poor Czech intellectual living off the hospitality of the British upper crust. The two characters create a commotion as they upend social norms at a country estate. The film satirizes the British aristocracy in the pre-WWII years and though it was a hit with American audiences, the Brits were not amused. (So much so, that English actor Sir C. Aubrey Smith felt the need to apologize to his homeland for appearing in the film.)

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is not often listed among its director's greatest works, but with talents like Lubitsch, Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Edward Everett Horton (and the list goes on) working together, I'd say even an imperfect film is worth watching. Colbert is one of my favorite actresses and here she is doing what Colbert did better than anyone - wearing fabulous clothes and wittily rejecting the advances of a millionaire. Said millionaire, played by Cooper, has been branded a modern-day "Bluebeard" after being married and divorced seven times, each with a hefty settlement for the ex-wife which is certainly better than what Bluebeard's wives got. Colbert sets out to get the best of this inveterate ladies man by agreeing to marry him, but intending to get a divorce and live comfortably on her own settlement. For those keeping score, I'd say the bit with the pajamas is an example of the Lubitsch touch.