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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.
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.)
12/10: Patton's Picks
11:45 PM - The Wind Journeys (2009)
2 AM - Aaltra (2004)
This month's TCM Guest Programmer, comedian Patton Oswalt, has chosen two foreign "road movies" which, although they were made within the last decade, I had never heard of until now; both sound intriguing. The Wind Journeys is a celebration of the "vallenato" music of northern Colombia. It follows the journey of a widowed musician and his teenage traveling companion, as they return a precious (and perhaps magical?) accordion to the master craftsman who made it. In Aaltra, a Belgian/French production, feuding neighbors join forces after they are both paralyzed in a farming accident. The two men set out across Europe to confront the Finnish manufacturer of the defective farm equipment, slowed down only by their own lack of legal savvy, money, and common sense.
BONUS: Patton's picks earlier in the evening are worth a watch,too - Kind Hearts and Coronets at 8 PM and 3:10 to Yuma at 10 PM.
12/14, 9:45 PM - Tomorrow is Forever (1946)
Another film that's new to me is this melodrama starring some of my favorite classic movie actors; it's scheduled as part of an evening tribute to Claudette Colbert between the excellent screwball comedies The Palm Beach Story at 8 PM and Midnight at 11:45 PM. A WWI veteran (Orson Welles), disfigured in the war, chooses to be reported dead rather than return to his wife (Colbert) and son. Years later, he re-enters her life, accompanied by a war orphan (Natalie Wood), and though she has remarried, old feelings arise.
12/18, 2 AM - A Damsel in Distress (1937)
Fred Astaire is the TCM Star of the Month which means that each Wednesday in primetime, including Christmas Day, you're guaranteed a line-up of delightful musical comedies with amazing dancing by Astaire and an array of talented partners. I'm singling out Damsel because it's one of the few Astaire films that I haven't seen. At this point, Fred and Ginger Rogers had made seven musicals together and decided to take a break, which left him free to star opposite a 19-year-old Joan Fontaine in one of her earliest film roles. Fontaine was no dancer, but she certainly fits the part of a sheltered English "damsel" who is "rescued" by an American musical star played by Astaire (not much of a stretch for him either). While this film didn't mark the debut of the next great dance team, it does feature 8 hummable Gershwin tunes, including "A Foggy Day" and "Nice Work if You Can Get It." Gracie Allen and George Burns provide comic relief and some fancy footwork of their own. Astaire's later films often feature complicated numbers devised by Astaire and his collaborator, Hermes Pan, which pair the dancer with unlikely objects, such as a hat rack in Royal Wedding or a shop full of toys in Easter Parade. However, "Put Me to the Test" in Damsel, in which Astaire, Allen, and Burns all dance with whisk brooms, was designed by Burns.
12/21, 10:30 PM - Christmas Eve (1947)
I always enjoy discovering a new holiday movie, especially when it has more to its story than a Hallmark-style romance. To save her fortune from a scheming nephew, an eccentric philanthropist (Ann Harding) has until Christmas Eve to reunite her three adopted sons who have dispersed around the world. The sons are played by George Raft, George Brent, and Randolph Scott and each one is dealing with complications of his own - fiancee troubles, illegal baby adoption, and hidden Nazi loot, for example - that could prevent them from coming to mom's rescue. Will goodness prevail over greed?
12/30: In Memoriam
8 PM - It Started with Eve (1941)
Deanna Durbin
9:45 PM - Bikini Beach (1964)
Annette Funicello
11:30 PM - The Cheap Detective (1978)
Eileen Brennan
1:15 AM - The Loved One (1965)
Jonathan Winters
3:30 AM - Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Karen Black
5:15 AM - East of Eden (1955)
Julie Harris
12/31, 7:15 AM - Tea and Sympathy (1956)
John Kerr
Movie-lovers mourned the passing of many beloved performers this year and tonight TCM pays tribute to six actors and actresses who were not honored with special programming earlier in the year. I'm especially looking forward to the first three films in the line-up featuring three fabulous singing ladies.
- It Started with Eve stars Deanna Durbin at the peak of her career as a singing ingenue, alongside two of her favorite co-stars, Charles Laughton and Robert Cummings.
- I love the "Frankie and Annette" beach movies, but the plots tend to run together in my memory. Bikini Beach is the one in which the teens must deal with the British Invasion, in the form of pop star Potato Bug (also played by Frankie Avalon), and outsmart a tycoon's pet chimp.
- A spoof of the detective genre, The Cheap Detective, combines the plots of several of Humphrey Bogart's best films with Peter Falk as a Bogey-esque gumshoe. Tonight's honoree, Eileen Brennan portrays a torch singer at "Nix Place" (sound familiar?).
Happy Holidays!
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.)
7/12, 8 PM - The Bride Wore Black (1968)
This month, TCM is spotlighting the films of French director Francois Truffaut on Friday nights. The Bride Wore Black stars Jeanne Moreau as a woman on a mission of revenge. The film was conceived as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock (Truffaut had recently published his now-classic book of interviews with Hitchcock) and was an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. So, if you like any of those three directors, this film may be worth a look.
BONUS PICK: 7/26, 8 PM - Day for Night (1973) - Truffaut's Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film is about the making of movies, lovingly depicting the contrast between the actual tedious labor of filmmaking and the captivating magic of a finished film.
7/22: Big Band Music on Screen
All day long, 6 AM to 8 PM, enjoy musical movies and shorts featuring Big Band stars of the 30s and 40s. For an added level of fun, try to pick out future A-listers like Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, and Dale Evans in blink-and-you'll-miss-em roles.
In Ship Ahoy (1942), airing at 12:30 PM, dancing dynamo Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton get mixed up in a spy plot to smuggle a magnetic mine on a cruise ship to Puerto Rico. It's got the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, including a young Frank Sinatra, plus Eleanor tapping out messages in Morse code - what more do you need on a summer afternoon?
7/22: Fred and Ginger
9 PM - The Gay Divorcee (1934)
11 PM - Top Hat (1935)
1 AM - Follow the Fleet (1936)
3 AM - Swing Time (1936)
5 AM - The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
After a day of Big Band musicals, what's better than more musicals? Tonight's mini-marathon includes some of the best films featuring Hollywood's quintessential dance team: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
7/25: Controversial Teachers
8 PM - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
This film kicks of a night of stories about students and teachers; however, it is not the usual story of an unconventional teacher who is championed by her students and ultimately vindicated (see Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland's Opus, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, etc.). Anchored by an Oscar-winning performance by Maggie Smith as the arrogant, manipulative Miss Brodie, the film also contains strong performances by Celia Johnson as the school principal and Pamela Franklin as one of Brodie's favored students.
10 PM - Dead Poet's Society (1989) - If you haven't seen this "new classic" then seize the day - carpe diem! - or night, as it were.
12:15 AM - These Three (1936) - Lillian Hellman adapted her controversial play The Children's Hour into this film about the power of a lie.
7/24: Tribute to Mel Brooks
8 PM - AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks
9:30 PM - The Twelve Chairs (1970)
11:15 PM - Carson on TCM: Mel Brooks (9/21/83)
11:30 PM - Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man (2012)
2 AM - Young Frankenstein (1974)
4 AM - The Producers (1968)
5:30 AM - The Dick Cavett Show: Mel Brooks
Tonight we celebrate the work of Mel Brooks with a tribute show, three comedies, two talk show clips, and a documentary; take your pick or enjoy them all! I'm looking forward to The Twelve Chairs, which seems to be the Mel Brooks film no one remembers. Set in Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution, it follows a once-wealthy aristocrat, a con man, and a priest in a race to find a fortune of jewels hidden in one of twelve chairs.
7/28, 8 PM: Great Expectations (1946)
John Mills, Jean Simmons, and Alec Guinness star in this Essentials, Jr. installment about poor orphan Pip who is raised up into society by a mysterious benefactor. Though the original story has been greatly pared down to focus on Pip's journey, this film version directed by David Lean remains the definitive screen adaptation of Dickens' novel.
