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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.)
11/17, 8 PM - The Last Command (1928)
TCM's November Star of the Month is technically many stars -- the notable names of the silent film era. Emil Jannings, the star of my pick for tonight, was a popular silent film actor and even won the first Academy Award for Best Actor in 1928. However, his thick German accent made the transition to talkies problematic and his Hollywood career ended soon after the advent of sound. Starring alongside Jannings in The Last Command is an actor who was not held back by the change over to sound, and would become a huge star in the decades to come: William Powell. Jannings plays a former Russian Imperial general who, 10 years after the Russian revolution, is scraping by a living in Los Angeles as a movie extra. Powell is a famous film director, and former Russian revolutionary, who recognizes Jannings as a bully from the old country and casts him in a film as an act of revenge.
11/21, 8 PM - Duel (1971)
This month, TCM's Friday Night Spotlight features "Road Trip" movies hosted by comedian Bill Hader. The featured movies run the gamut from romantic comedy (It Happened One Night) to crime drama (Detour). I'm especially interested in this thriller starring Dennis Weaver as a lone motorist menaced by a mysterious truck driver. Though it was originally made for television, an extended version of Duel was released in theaters overseas, making it director Steven Spielberg's first major motion picture. I've always heard that it's a fun and suspenseful film which marked Spielberg's debut as a filmmaker to watch, so I'm looking forward to finally seeing Duel!
11/23, 8 PM - Plymouth Adventure (1952)
MGM gave the epic treatment to the Pilgrims' journey from England to America with this film centering on the captain of the Mayflower, played by Spencer Tracy. The Captain must deal with sea storms and a forbidden romance with Dorothy Bradford (Gene Tierney), wife of the Pilgrim's leader William Bradford. The film won an Oscar for its special effects, but ultimately was not a big hit. There aren't many movies with a Thanksgiving theme (granted, this one doesn't even really about the first Thanksgiving, just the Pilgrims), so I'm willing to give this one a try for the sake of getting in the holiday spirit.
If you are looking for some movie picks to build up your appetite in anticipation of the turkey dinner, check out my previous blog "A Filmable Feast."
11/25, 8 PM & 11:15 PM - A Night at the Movies: George Lucas and the World of Fantasy Cinema (2014)
9:15 PM - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
This installment of TCM's "classic film 101" documentary series, A Night at the Movies, looks at the broad category of fantasy film, featuring an interview with filmmaker George Lucas and clips of films through the decades, from King Kong and The Wizard of Oz in the 30s to Back to the Future and Labyrinth in the 80s, and of course a discussion of Lucas' Star Wars series.
The evening's (and next day's) line-up includes notable films from the fantasy genre, starting off with a favorite of mine, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty starring Danny Kaye as an average man with a better than average imagination.
11/26: Art Thefts
8 PM - Arsene Lupin (1932)
9:30 PM - Gambit (1966)
11:30 PM - The Fake (1953)
1 AM - The Happy Thieves (1962)
2:45 AM - The Light Touch (1952)
4:30 AM - Crack Up (1946)
I'm glad that this line-up of films about art thefts comes the night before Thanksgiving -- since I'm not going to work the next day, I'm free to stay up all night and watch movies! As a former art student and lover of a good heist, these films are right up my alley. Gambit, starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, is a favorite of mine which takes a fresh approach to the story of a meticulously planned heist; however, the other films are new to me. The line-up features stars John Barrymore, Rex Harrison, Rita Hayworth, Stewart Granger, George Sanders, and Claire Trevor (just to name a few) and the stories include stolen sculptures, forgery rings, fake daVincis, and even murder - should be an exciting evening!
by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide 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.)
Classic Horror for Halloween
I can't let this month go by without picking some movies from TCM's line-up of classic horror showing Wednesday nights (and throughout the week during the day) and culminating on Halloween with the Universal horror films from the 30s and 40s. You've got your pick of all the great spooky movie subjects - vampires, zombies, mummies, monsters, hauntings, and, of course, mad scientists who train animals for evil purposes. If you've seen the iconic versions of Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. why not try some of these variations on the theme?
10/3, 12:15 AM - House of Dracula (1945)
10/3, 1:30 AM - Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)
10/20, 10:15 AM - The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
10/27, 6:30 PM - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
10/31, 4 PM - The Devil Bat (1940)
10/31, 2 AM - The Mummy's Hand (1940)
Hollywood Goes to Washington
10/5, 8 PM & 11:15 PM - A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012)
10/12, 11 PM - The Great McGinty (1940)
10/26, 8 PM - Advise and Consent (1962)
10/26, 10:30 PM - All the President's Men (1976)
As this election year goes into the home stretch, TCM premieres it's newest original documentary about the history of politics on film. They'll also be showing political films each Friday in primetime and I've picked out three that I'm looking forward to. After looking over the schedule, it seems that these movies almost always deal with the corrupting influence brought on by political power. Even the morally upright Mr. Jefferson Smith is shown in contrast to crooked Washington "insiders" such as fellow senator Joseph Paine. However, in the movies at least there are Mr. Smiths and in real life politics there are more often Senator Paines. (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington will show immediately after the premiere of the documentary special at 9 PM on 10/5.)
Star of the Month: Spencer Tracy
So, this month Wednesdays are for spooky chillers and Fridays are for political intrigues; however, Mondays belong to Spencer Tracy. During his time as a top star, Tracy was not only popular with audiences, but he was revered by his peers in the film industry as evidenced by his 9 Best Actor Academy Award nominations and 2 wins. If you're not sure where to jump in with the Tracy filmography, you could do worse than TCM's line-up of Oscar-nominated performances on 10/15.
8 PM - Boys' Town (1938)
9:45 PM - Father of the Bride (1950)
11:30 PM - Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
1 AM - The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
2:30 AM - Captains Courageous (1937)
4:30 AM - San Francisco (1936)
10/18: Cinerama!
8 PM - Cinerama Adventure (2002)
10 PM - This is Cinerama (1952)
I love classic movies for their pure entertainment value, but I'm also bit of a filmmaking geek who enjoys learning about the technical processes and history behind the spectacle. So, I'm really looking forward to tonight's documentary about Cinerama and the legendary This is Cinerama, a travelogue-of-sorts designed to showcase the newly developed widescreen process. When you think about how far we've come with film technology, it's hard to imagine what a revelation Cinerama was at the time (at least for youngsters like me). The premiere of This is Cinerama sparked the first-ever front page movie article, written by film critic Bosley Crowther for the New York Times, and audiences were thrilled. This is Cinerama went on to be the 5th highest grossing movie of 1952!
I can appreciate the irony that the Cinerama process was developed specifically for showing films on big screens in theaters - getting audiences away from their boxy 1950s TV sets - and now, 60 years later, I'm watching it at home on my widescreen TV. I know it's not quite the original Cinerama experience, but it'll have to do for now.
10/21: Rare Animation
8 PM - Gulliver's Travels (1939)
9:39 PM - Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941)
11:00 PM - UPA Cartoons (1949-51)
12 AM - Silent Animation from NY Studios (1907-32)
1 AM - The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1927)
Tonight looks like a fun evening for kids or adults with 3 features and 18 shorts of rarely seen animations. Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug were both early efforts by Paramount to compete with Disney's animated films (Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves had come out in 1937). We'll also get some of the best shorts by UPA and NY Studios, both groundbreaking animation studios whose work has fallen out of circulation. However, Prince Achmed is perhaps the most unique film in tonight's line-up as it uses paper silhouette puppets against ornate backgrounds, rather than the familiar cel animation of the other features.
