This year marks the 90th anniversary of the release of one of the greatest and most influential movie sequels of all time: The Bride of Frankenstein. Naturally, after the success of Frankenstein in 1931, directed by James Whale, Universal Studios executive Carl Laemmle Jr. was eager to follow up with a sequel, but Whale was reluctant. Laemmle was wisely reluctant to do a sequel without Whale. When the sequel finally arrived in 1935, it proved to be worth the wait. Not only was The Bride of Frankenstein a hit and influential on later horror movies and filmmakers, its scenes and images have become iconic and part of the landscape of Halloween.
There is a lot going on in The Bride of Frankenstein, which is impressive because it is only 75 minutes and never feels rushed. In a delightfully amusing prologue Mary and Percy Shelley and Lord Byron are gathered together again to celebrate the success of Mary’s novel, Frankenstein. Bryon summarizes the book, which serves as a recap of the first movie (though that movie bears little resemblance to Shelley’s novel). Then Mary Shelley reveals the details of a second volume deemed too shocking to publish. This is The Bride of Frankenstein. The story of The Monster and Frankenstein picks up right where the first movie left off and we learn that they both survived the fire at the windmill. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) is at first unrepentant and wants to get back to experimenting, that is until he is approached by the truly mad Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) who wants them to combine discoveries in a new creation. Meanwhile, The Monster (Boris Karloff reprising his iconic role) wanders around and is abused and harassed by everyone he encounters, even after he saves a girl from drowning (perhaps a callback or attempt to make up for the infamous lake scene in the first movie). Then he encounters a kindly blind man who shows him friendship and teaches him to speak. Eventually though, he ends up with Frankenstein and Pretorius.
As far as mad scientists go, Dr. Pretorius, with his wild hair and nonchalance toward the macabre, puts Dr. Frankenstein to shame. Frankenstein comes across as a man who became lost in obsession. Pretorius, on the other hand, delights in being so mad that he was booted out of his university for “knowing too much.” When he shows Frankenstein his own creations, living miniatures of a king, queen, bishop, and more, he does so with all the flair and scripted delight of a magician putting on a show. When Pretorius finally meets The Monster his reaction is so understated that it makes him seem even more insane.
One of the movie’s most famous scenes, perhaps one of the most famous of classic cinema, is The Monster meeting the blind hermit. This is where The Monster learns to speak and develops his iconic speech pattern: “Fire…No good!” Many horror fans and movie monster fans find The Monster to be exceedingly sympathetic and that is in large part because of this movie and this scene. The other iconic scene is the creation of The Bride, with the elaborate laboratory, lightning storm, and, of course, the Monster’s Mate herself. At first she looks like a mummy wrapped in bandages; then a dissolve shows her in her iconic look: a flowing white gown, high-top black hair with a silver jagged streak on each side. She shrieks and hisses and does little else, yet her striking visage has had such a profound impact that she has become a figure, a totem, of classic horror movies and Halloween in general. Her look has been reproduced and parodied in countless TV Shows, movies, commercials, cartoons. This all the more impressive considering how little screen time she has, only a few minutes, and appears in no other Frankenstein movies. I am always surprised by this; I think that I was mistaken about the last time I watched and she appears more; nope.
The Bride is played by Elsa Lanchester, who also plays Mary Shelley, and while there is no significance in this, I have always enjoyed the coincidence. She only receives credit as Mary Shelly. The “Monster’s Mate” is credited with a question mark. This is fun marketing but is a disservice to her; at least she is known as the Bride now. She underwent 3 hours of make up and the iconic hairdo which wrapped her hair into the wig and was uncomfortable to say the least.
The argument over whether “Frankenstein" refers to the monster or the doctor is not new (it refers to Doctor Victor Frankenstein, changed to Henry Frankenstein in these movies for no reason) and is at least as old as this movie. The title itself is the perfect example. Dr. Frankenstein has a fiancé and later wife, Elizabeth, but the title clearly does not refer to her. The credits refer to the creations as the Monster and the Monster’s Mate. Most confusing of all, when the Monster's Mate comes to life, Pretorius calls her “the Bride of Frankenstein” perhaps sparking off this whole what do you call the monster debate.
There’s some camp value to The Bride of Frankenstein in the frantic energy of Colin Clive as Frankenstein and the over-the-top reactions of Una O’Connor to seeing The Monster. This only adds to the movie’s overall entertainment value, which is still strong 90 years later. It’s hard to convey the influence, both direct and indirect, of The Bride of Frankenstein. Clips of it turn up in everything from Weird Science to About a Boy. Mel Brooks’s brilliant Young Frankenstein parodies and pays homage to The Bride of Frankenstein, it even used some of the same props. “To a new world of gods and monsters!” Pretorius declares as he lifts his glass to toast Frankenstein after their devilish bargain is struck. The Bride of Frankenstein did indeed usher in a new world of horror cinema.
Bride of Frankenstein is available to stream on Prime Video and will air on TCM on Halloween at 5:30 CT.
Released in 1934, The Black Cat is unusual for a Universal Studios horror picture because it features none of their signature monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, or any monsters, at least no supernatural ones. However, The Black Cat does feature the biggest horror stars of the era, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff giving some of the best performances of their careers. The title card says the movie is “suggested by the immortal Edgar Allan Poe classic” but that claim is more than a stretch as the only thing the plot has in common with the Poe short story is the inclusion of a black cat in one scene. Fortunately, the story invented by screenwriter Peter Ruric and co-writer and director Edgar G. Ulmer makes for a superbly dark and creepy old-school horror picture.
While traveling on the Orient Express through Hungary on their honeymoon, newlyweds Peter (David Manners) and Joan (Julie Bishop) end up sharing a train compartment with Dr. Vitas Werdegast (Bela Lugosi), who is very polite but mysterious. They also share a carriage but after an accident Dr. Vitas takes them to the closest shelter, which happens to be his destination: the home of an “old friend,” Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff). We learn that Vitas and Poelzig are actually deadly enemies. During the Great War Poelzig betrayed their army, leading to a massacre and Vitas being sent to a prison camp where he says, “the soul is killed slowly.” Poelzig built an elaborate estate on the site of the massacre, kidnapped Vitas’s wife, whose body he keeps preserved in a glass case, and is now married to Vitas’s daughter. Poelzig is also a Satan worshiper and wants to use Joan in a ritual. In short, he is a very bad guy. It is no wonder why Vitas is so set on revenge. Vitas has also been driven mad from his time in the prison camp and is so set on getting vengeance that even learning that his daughter is still alive doesn’t alter his revenge mission.
The highlight of The Black Cat is watching Lugosi and Karloff duel, first with their words and later with their fists. Vitas and Poelzig have a strange respect for each other even though their hatred for each other permeates every scene. Karloff is excellent as the sinister and evil Poelzig. We first see him in silhouette and his tall, gaunt, and slender figure is used to great effect. Karloff’s lilting voice also adds an extra creepy layer to his dialogue. Lugosi gets to be the hero, sort of—anti-hero might be a better description. He has been so overwhelmingly wronged by Poelzig that he has your sympathies even though his plan is to horribly torture Poelzig. His main redeeming quality is that he wants no harm to come to Peter or Joan and goes out of his way to protect Joan (Peter proves to be superfluous, even misunderstanding Vitas’s rescuing Joan). As Vitas, Lugosi brilliantly delivers many wonderful and eerie speeches that do as much to create a chilling atmosphere as the setting and score.
Poelzig’s home is not a creepy gothic castle but a surprisingly modern looking estate. Peter describes it as a “nice, cozy, unpretentious insane asylum.” The lair where Vitas’s wife’s preserved body is kept and the satanic ritual is performed is a mix of dungeon and mad scientist’s lab. Vitas’s torture of Poelzig happens offscreen but still makes you squirm. The Black Cat was made before the puritanical Production Code heavily restricted the content and subject matter of all movies. With its plot dealing with violent revenge, torture, satanism, implied rape, and necrophilia, there’s little chance it could have been made after the code became strictly enforced. Because of this, The Black Cat still retains some surprising shock value even after nearly 90 years. This movie is not nearly as well known or widely seen Dracula (1931)or Frankenstein (1931),but it is as deserving of classic status, and in many ways it is the scarier classic horror movie.
The Black Cat airs on TCM on Halloween at 1:30 PM CT and is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.
This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas.
Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the
month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some horror movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.
Night 10: Werewolf Party Night! “It’s the she-wolf herself!”
Good werewolf movies are hard to find, so even a decently
made, entertaining movie that may, or may not, have a werewolf is quite welcome.
Made by Universal in 1946, She-Wolf of London took a different approach
to the Universal Monster movie. The heyday of the Universal Monster movies (Dracula,
Frankenstein, The Mummy, and their many sequels) began in the early 1930's and now was on the
decline. The monsters were already meeting each other, though they wouldn’t
meet Abbott and Costello until the 1950’s. Thanks to producer Val Lewton, RKO
was the big name in horror movies. Lewton’s approach to horror was nearly
the opposite of the Universal model. His films were more psychological often
only hinting at the supernatural, emphasizing mood and atmosphere over
monsters. She-Wolf of London was almost certainly made to compete with
the RKO Val Lewton horror pictures. Like Lewton’s Cat People or I
Walked With a Zombie, She-Wolf of London takes a sensational title and
delivers something more than just a monster movie. Though admittedly, She-Wolf
of London doesn’t match the substance or quality of the better RKO Lewton
movies, it is still a solid and entertaining mystery and thriller.
Set in London during the early years of the 20th
century, She-Wolf of London centers on Phyllis Allenby (June Lockhart),
the sole living descendant of a wealthy family with a dark history. She lives
with her cousin Carol (Jan Wiley), and stern aunt, Mrs. Winthrop (Sara Haden), who
became the guardian of Phyllis and caretaker of the the Allenby estate after Phyllis’s parents died. Now
Phyllis is about to be married to a wealthy lawyer, Barry (Don Porter), but she
worries that the Allenby curse is now affecting her. The family dogs bark at
her angrily and constantly. She has dreams of turning into a wolf and wakes up
with her hands covered in dirt and blood.
The next morning, Carol reads
newspaper reports of night time attacks by a wolf in the nearby park. We also
see the family dogs escape at night, presenting the possibility that Phyllis
might not be responsible for the attacks. Mrs. Winthrop isn’t much
comfort or help and won’t let Barry visit Phyllis. Detective Latham (Lloyd Corrigan) believes that the animal attacks are being done by a werewolf,
specifically a female werewolf. He is not exactly comic relief, but he does not
come across as especially sharp either. He simply has a hunch based on witness reports
that he believes is worth pursuing, even if it is outlandish.
Don Porter gets top billing over June Lockhart though she is
clearly the main character and even Carol and Mrs. Winthrop have bigger role
than him, or at least more interesting ones. Barry is a pretty dull hero. There
is not much to him aside from being a decent man and good fiancé. Lockhart
gives a good performance as the distraught Phyllis; she has big, wide eyes great
at conveying worry and anxiety. She is just on the cusp of a nervous breakdown
but never goes into shrieking hysterics, drawing out her anxiety and fright.
The period setting gives the story several elements that
create an eerie fantasy atmosphere. Costumes, horse drawn carriages, foggy
roads and woods lend this movie a visual style. Fog and shadows obscure the attacks which adds to the atmosphere
and saves on special effects. This may not be the straight up horror werewolf
movie you would expect from the classic era of Universal, but it works as a
mystery and thriller and effectively uses the possibility of the supernatural
to create tension and suspense and atmosphere. This is definitely a less well-known
horror movie from the classic era but I’ll count it as one of the better
werewolf movies.
All Quiet on the
Western Front was not the first big budget war film to be nominated for or
win Best Picture—that would be Wings(1927)—but
it is the first antiwar film to be recognized by the Academy. This film opens with
a title card explaining that it is “neither an accusation or a confession…
least of all an adventure… It will try simply to tell of a generation of men
who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war…” Wings was an adventure film about young
men that dreamed of flying airplanes. In 7th
Heaven (1927) war was a fact of life that interrupts a couple’s romance. All Quiet on the Western Front has its
main character telling a classroom full of boys eager to enlist in the army and
go the frontlines, “It’s dirty and painful to die for your country.” The boys
and their teacher call him a coward.
At the beginning of the film The Great War has just broken
out and young Paul (Lew Ayers) jumps up from his desk at school to declare that
he is enlisting in the army after his teacher gives an ultra-patriotic speech
about the glory of war. The other young men in class follow suit and jump up
and declare they will go off to war too. They all hope to go to the front and
they all expect to come home in one piece. Their first experience as soldiers
is the petty tyranny of the local postman turned drill sergeant. He
makes sure the boys get plenty muddy and miss their leave, but that is just
another school experience that in no way prepares them for real combat. The
harsh realities of modern warfare overwhelm Paul and the rest of the new
recruits almost immediately and their experiences only get worse and worse as
the war goes on and on.
All Quiet on the
Western Front had the large budget of $1.4 million (the equivalent of
nearly $21 million in 2016 dollars). With the then recent stock market crash
and ensuing depression less a year before, it was quite a risk for Universal
and its studio head, Carl Laemlle, Jr. The risk turned out to be worthwhile. All Quiet on the Western Front was a hit
at the box office and won Universal its first Best Picture Oscar. The film was
less well received abroad however, most notably in Germany. Based on the novel
by Erich Maria Remarque, inspired by his own experiences at the front, this is
one of the few films about World War I to portray Germans as the main
characters. Laemmle himself was a German immigrant and he and director Lewis Milestone felt they made a film that was antiwar, not anti-German. The film
caused riots in Germany, most notably Berlin, where the disruptions of
screenings—mice were released into theaters showing the film—and subsequent
riots—the beating of projectionists and anyone that looked Jewish—were led by
Joseph Goebbels and Nazi thugs. The film was ultimately banned by the German
government, though the Nazi party had yet to take power. Laemmle agreed to make
cuts to the film and even took out an ad in a Berlin newspaper explaining that
the film was not anti-German, it just objectively showed the experience of war.
The film was rereleased but memories of the Nazi riots kept audiences away. It
would be banned again by the Nazi government a few years later. Interestingly, it
was banned in Poland for being pro-German.
There are several shots and sequences that keep All Quiet on the Western Front visually
interesting; a stark contrast to the visually dull The Racket (1928), also directed by Milestone. Milestone won Best
Director, his second Oscar, making him the first person to win more than one
Oscar and All Quiet on the Western Front the
first film to win awards for Best Picture and Best Director. One of the most
memorable scenes in the movie is an extended tracking shot that shows enemy
soldiers running toward machinegun fire and being mowed down and tumbling into
barbed wire. A bomb goes off in front of one enemy soldier and when the smoke
clears we see a brief shot of his severed hands clutching the barbed wire. The
rest of him is nowhere to be found.
I think this would have been a violent film for its time. Though
there is very little blood, there are many, many dead bodies. There are
explosions galore, bursting bombs, and hand to hand combat, but none of it is
exciting in an adventurous way. One of the early battle scenes has the soldiers
hunkered down under a prolonged bombardment. The shelling goes on and on and
the roof of their bunker cracks dumping dirt on them. It is not the glorious
adventure they imagined as schoolboys.
Perhaps because the characters, even the main characters,
are all basic, thin archetypes, I was never fully engaged with this movie. They
serve the plot just fine, but All Quiet
on the Western Front feels like it is lacking full-fledged characters. The
performances of Louis Wolheim and Lew Ayers may have been fine for the time
that this film was released, but they do not hold up as well as the technical
aspects. The heightened, exaggerated acting style of time feels at odds with
the gritty realism All Quiet on the
Western Front was aiming to achieve.
All Quiet on the
Western Front is impressive technically for its battle scenes and sound
quality. Even more impressive is the fact that it was a big Hollywood movie that
dared to acknowledge the many horrors of war at a time when sentimentality and
happy endings were the order of the day. It is hard not to hold all of the
antiwar film beats and clichés against All
Quiet on the Western Front, however, as with its fellow Outstanding
Production nominee, The Big House and
its genre clichés, it must be kept in mind that this film is the source of
those familiar beats and plot points. All
Quiet on the Western Front is notable for being the first Best Picture
winner that was more than pure escapist entertainment. Unfortunately it has not
aged well.
Nominee: Universal
Producer: Carl Laemmle, Jr.
Director: Lewis Milestone
Screenplay: George Abbott, adaptation & dialogue by
Maxwell Anderson, adaptation by Del Andrews, based on the novel by Erich Maria
Remarque
Cast: Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayers, John Wray
Release Date: August 24th, 1930
Total Nominations: 4, including Outstanding Production
This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober. Night 10: Horror Comedy Night/Gene Wilder Memorial Night Puttin' on the Ritz!
Like many people my age I first saw Young Frankenstein as a kid when it aired on TV for Halloween.
After several reassurances from my mother that it wasn’t scary I watched
hesitantly. It didn’t look or feel like any comedy I had seen up to that point
in my life. It still doesn’t look or feel like any comedies I’ve seen. The other
day, while working at the video store, I put this movie on in the background.
Even without actually seeing it, just hearing it, the jokes still made me laugh
and smile. Customers paused and watched for long stretches, their faces filled
with delight. I heard “this is my favorite part” from different customers at
different parts of the movie. I’ve worked at the video store for four years now
and I can say that this rarely happens. No, this film isn’t like other
comedies. It is something quite special indeed.
Gene Wilder plays the titular young Frankenstein, Frederick,
who is trying to escape the shadow of his grandfather Victor’s abominable
experiments. He insists his name is pronounced “Fronkensteen,” giving us one of
the most memorable quotes of the film. Frederick travels to his grandfather’s
homeland after inheriting the family castle in Transylvania. The castle comes
complete with eccentric characters: Marty Feldman as Igor (pronounce eye-gore,
giving us the second most memorable quote of the film) the hunchback servant,
Inga (Teri Garr) the lovely lab assistant, and Frau Blucher (Cloris Leechman)
the mysterious woman lurking in the castle playing eerie violin music. Fredrick
discovers Victor Frankenstein’s laboratory and is coaxed into continuing his
grandfather’s work and creates the Monster, but due to a mix up the monster has
a brain that is “abby-normal.”
Young Frankenstein
works both as a parody and homage to the Universal Studios monster movies of the 1930’s
and 1940’s. Some of the sets are in fact the same sets used in the Frankenstein
movies of that era. Young Frankenstein
is beautifully shot in black and white by Gerald Hirschfeld to give it the same
look as those classic movies. The cinematography and sets give Young Frankenstein a timeless feel. This
film doesn’t look or feel like a 70’s movie, though it is from 1974. Hairstyles
do not date this movie and neither does the film score, which is orchestral. The style
of comedy also does not date the movie. Unlike modern parody films, in which making
a reference to the original film is the punchline (and not a funny one), Young Frankenstein makes subtle
references to past Frankenstein films but the jokes come from the characters.
This is a film that has great affection for the films that inspired it and
instead of cynically riffing those films, it uses them as inspiration.
There are great performances all around. Cloris Leechman as
Frau Blucher is frighteningly funny and plays her character with an intensity
that matches Wilder’s outbursts. Her very name causes horses to rear up and she
leads a tour of the castle with an unlit candelabra. Marty Feldman finds a way
to stand out as the comic relief in a film filled with funny characters. He provides
a classic “walk this way” gag and countless others. Everything he says is a
punchline and every joke lands in every scene.
Madeline Kahn as Frederick’s
fiancé is a strong personality though perhaps Frederick is not the right match
for her. Teri Garr as Inga is more than just the pretty assistant; she makes
Inga a lively and competent character, and is perhaps a better match for
Frederick. As the Monster, Peter Boyle is hilarious and sympathetic. He is
silent, aside from screams and grunts, for most of the movie but he makes it
clear that there a lot going on inside the mind of the Monster. Boyle’s Monster
is of course an homage to Boris Karloff’s portrayal in the Universal Studios series of
films, but is also distinct and memorable. When Boyle finally does speak at the
end of the film, his speech to the villagers is beautifully delivered and
encapsulates the heart of this movie.
From start to finish Young Frankenstein is an excellent showcase for Gene Wilder’s
superb comic sensibilities. He can be broad and intense (is there anything
funnier than Wilder shouting?), but he is also great at subtle, nonverbal
comedy. He’ll let the audience catch an errant longing side eye gaze, which, in
addition to being a quick, funny moment, builds character in an instant
without any dialogue. That’s good acting and being a good comedian. While Wilder is infinitely memorable for his explosive outbursts of rage, he also brings a sweet tenderness to Frederick as well. Believably moving between these two extremes is a very difficult thing to do for any actor, but Wilder seems to accomplish it with a natural ease.
Young Frankenstein
is paced differently from modern comedies. Despite all of the hilarious
shouting, it feels like a quiet and intimate film. Mel Brooks, who co-wrote the screenplay with Wilder, does not let his direction does
not call attention to itself. Like in the horror films of the 1930’s there are
special transitions like wipes and fades, but rather than being an elbow
poking you in the side (did you notice? Did you notice??) these techniques help
evoke the feel of a movie from 30’s.
There are too many memorable comedic set pieces and
hilarious jokes to list. There’s plenty of physical comedy but most of the
humor is verbal (Werewolf? — There wolf. There castle). All of the comedy,
physical and verbal comes from the characters being themselves. This might be
why jokes and gags are still funny even if you know they are going to happen.
This is a very organic comedy. Nothing feels out of place or contrived. No gag
or set piece lasts longer than it should.
One of the most memorable scenes has the Monster meeting a
blind man played by Gene Hackman. The blind man pours hot soup on the Monster’s
lap, breaks his cup of wine, and sets the Monster’s thumb on fire. You can see
all of the gags coming a mile away but they are delivered perfectly and work
every time. Another favorite scene is, of course, Frederick and the Monster performing
Puttin' on the Ritz. Though it is
quite brief, I think my favorite scene is when Wilder and Teri Garr discover
the spinning bookcase (Put the kendle beck!). I’ve seen Young Frankenstein twice in the last month and it is funny every
time. I’ll likely see it again this Shocktober (it airs on TCM on Sunday,
October 30th, at 7PM Central Time). You should too.
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.)
10/3, 8 PM - Jinnah (1998) TCM Star of the Month for October is British actor Christopher Lee, a fitting honor since Lee is well-known for his horror films. He played Dracula (10 times!), Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and a host of other weirdos; sometimes he was even the hero, but there was generally a lot of blood involved. During his long career, Lee's imposing physical presence and booming voice meant he was often cast as a the bad guy - in fact he played a villain in the Star Wars series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and opposite James Bond! In tonight's film Lee takes center stage in a very different role portraying Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the modern nation of Pakistan. The casting of Lee was controversial; not, as you might think, because Lee was a white actor playing an Asian character, but because of his association with Count Dracula. However, audiences in Pakistan ultimately responded positively to Lee's portrayal and the film is broadcast every year on Pakistan's independence day. Unfortunately, it seems that the film never got a proper theatrical release anywhere, so audiences outside Pakistan haven't really had a chance to see it. Tonight's air date is the North American premiere. As a fan of Sir Christopher Lee, I look forward to seeing what he felt was his most important role. BONUS: 10/24, 4:30 AM - Dracula A.D. 1972(1972) My official pick may be an art house biopic, but I can't deny my love for Lee's weird horror movies - especially the ones with frequent partner/foil Peter Cushing. The two actors first appeared opposite each other as Dracula and Van Helsing in 1958's Horror of Dracula. Though Lee would play Dracula several more times over the next 14 years (ruining his reputation as a serious actor in the eyes of the entire nation of Pakistan in the process), this was Cushing's first appearance as Van Helsing since the '58 film. This time around the setting is contemporary "swinging" London where the Count has been resurrected and is hunting the descendants of his old nemesis.
10/11, 8 PM - Hollywood Canteen (1944) The Hollywood Canteen was a special nightclub for serviceman during WWII, where they could get a hot meal, dance with a pretty girl, and meet real film stars before shipping out. Actress Bette Davis was the driving force behind the Canteen, supervising its construction, recruiting fellow stars to volunteer there, and managing it with her agent Jules Stein. Two years after it opened, the Canteen got its own film - a romantic comedy about a young G.I. who falls for starlet Joan Leslie (playing herself). The story was really an excuse to pack the film with star cameos by Davis, Canteen co-founder John Garfield, Joan Crawford, and Jack Benny (and many more), and musical numbers from the Andrews Sisters and Roy Rogers. However, it's an interesting glimpse into how Hollywood contributed to the war effort. With its patriotic message and star power, the film was a big success at the box office and a portion of the profits went back to the Canteen. Davis was rightfully proud of the success of the Canteen and her contribution is recognized during tonight's programming theme of "Actresses Who Made a Difference," part of TCM's month-long spotlight series on Trailblazing Women. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the real Hollywood Canteen (good and bad), check out episode #27 of the You Must Remember This podcast, "Bette Davis and the Hollywood Canteen."
10/19: Presidents on Film 8 PM - Fail-Safe (1964) 10 PM - Advise & Consent (1962) 12:30 AM - Seven Days in May (1964) 2:45 AM - Gabriel Over the White House (1933) With Election Day looming, you may be suffering from presidential fatigue; however, I think it's the perfect time to watch these political films...if only to remind you to vote on November 8th! Each of tonight's films depicts a President under pressure: trying to fend off World War III in Fail-Safe, pushing through a controversial Cabinet nominee in Advise & Consent, as the target of a military coup perpetrated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seven Days in May, and (following a visit from archangel Gabriel) crusading against government corruption and organized crime in Gabriel Over the White House. Depending on the day, any of these scenarios seems unfortunately all too plausible.
10/28: Universal Horror 8 PM - Dracula (1931) 9:30 PM - The Mummy (1932) 11 PM - The Invisible Man (1933) 12:15 AM - The Wolf Man (1941) On Halloween night, TCM will feature several Hammer Studios horror films of the 50s and 60s starring Christopher Lee; however, tonight, you can see the Universal Studios horror films of the 30s which inspired those later films, even more so than any literary sources. The Universal films created the iconic looks of classic literary characters like Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein's monster; while also adding new creatures to their rogues gallery like the Mummy and the Wolf Man. If you're in the mood for an atmospheric, spooky chiller - these films deliver. However, if you're in the mood for a laugh, there's plenty to giggle about here, too - from far-fetched plots to hammy acting. BONUS: 1:30 AM - The Black Cat (1934) This creepy, but stylish thriller was "inspired by" Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same title (and that's where the inspiration ended) and featured the first pairing of horror stars Karloff and Lugosi. The two actors are not playing supernatural monsters this time, but portray a sadistic cult leader and a man out for revenge. The film also features David Manners, the young hero who had previously faced off against both Lugosi in Dracula and Karloff in The Mummy.
