Best Pictures #41: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee: Skippy (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #41: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee

Skippy (1931)

As of 2017, Skippy, released in 1931, has the distinction of being the only Best Picture nominee based on a comic strip, comic book, or graphic novel. I can’t say I’ve heard of the Skippy character or comic strip, but I have heard of Jackie Cooper, who received a nomination for Best Actor for his role as the title character. Cooper was nine years old making him the youngest person (as of 2017) to be nominated for Best Actor. Cooper does indeed give a pretty good performance, making this mischievous child of privilege lovable and endearing. Young Cooper’s acting style leans into exaggeration, but so do the performances of the other actors and actresses, child and adult alike. Movie acting styles were still adapting from the hyperbolic performances necessitated by the recently passed silent era. 

Skippy is the son of the director of the Board of Health and his family is obviously well off. There are two neighbor kids, Eloise and Sidney, that Skippy tolerates, but he gets along much better with the kids in Shantytown, the abjectly poor and dilapidated part of town that is literally on the other side of the tracks (railroad tracks). He meets Sookie, a Shantytown kid, and they quickly become friends after Skippy notices that Sookie was the only kid that didn’t run away when an adult came to break up a fight. When Sookie’s unlicensed dog is taken by the dog catcher, Skippy promises to help Sookie pay the $3 license fee before the dog is put down. 

Most, if not all, of this movie’s charm comes from its naturally cute and adorable child actors. Most of the child actors give one note performances, except for Cooper and Robert Coogan as Sookie, but that is all that is required of them. The adult performances are one note too, but I think this is forgivable since children Skippy’s age do not understand subtlety very well. So, Skippy’s loving mother is purely loving and the mean dog catcher is purely mean. Skippy’s father says that one day he’ll sit down and have a long talk with Skippy about responsibility and other grown up things. There’s a distance between Skippy and his father and it is ultimately the father’s actions, not a long talk, that show Skippy another side of his father and teach Skippy important life lessons. 

Skippy is the only child of a wealthy family, with a politically powerful father, but he is not spoiled. He treats being a kid like having a job. He is also clever. When his parents forbid him from going over the railroad tracks to Shantytown, he goes under the tracks through a drain pipe. Skippy does everything he possibly can to help raise money for the dog license. He could’ve just gone home and forgotten all about it, but Skippy is a good kid. Instead he hatches a number of schemes including a very funny sequence in which the kids put on a vaudeville show and charge for admission.

Director Norman Taurog took home the Oscar for Best Director and, at 32 years old, remained the youngest person to win the award until Damien Chazelle won for directing La La Land (2016). Skippy’s visual style is basic and straightforward. There are not many complex shots or stylistic flourishes, but thanks to the story and performances, Skippy is not visually boring. Taurog got Cooper (his nephew) and Coogan to cry convincingly for a scene by telling Cooper that his real dog had been shot and had an out of sight crew member fire a gun with a blank. This very likely was not the best way to get the kids to cry. According to some sources, Cooper never forgave his uncle for that trick. 

It's not easy to make a mischievous, wealthy child character likable and relatable but thanks to Jackie Cooper and a smart story this film succeeds at just that. Skippy is ultimately a coming of age story about the first time that two kids experience unexpected responsibility and heavy emotions. The plot moves into dramatic, even upsetting, territory, but still remains light and pleasant in its overall tone. Skippy, the film and the character, develops a big heart and surprising amount of pathos and depth for a movie based on a comic strip about cute kids. This movie may come across as dated because of its over the top performances and wholesome tone, but there is still plenty of charm to keep it watchable. Skippy is a rare film, unavailable on DVD/Blu-ray or streaming services, but, fortunately, it airs from time to time on TCM and is well worth watching.

Nominee: Paramount Publix

Producer: Louis D. Lighton

Director: Norman Taurog

Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz , Norman Z. McLeod, Sam Mintz, additional dialogue by Don Marquis, based on the comic strip by Percy Crosby

Cast: Jackie Cooper, Robert Coogan, Mitzi Green

Release Date: April 5^th, 1985

Total Nominations: 4, including Outstanding Production

Wins: Director-Norman Taurog

Other Nominations: Actor-Jackie Cooper, Writing, Adaptation-Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Sam Mintz

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.

Best Pictures #40: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee: Trader Horn (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #40: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee

Trader Horn (1931)

Trader Horn is an old-fashioned adventure film about men surviving, persevering, and adventuring in a strange, untamed land. Until recently Trader Horn was a rare film but now it is readily available on DVD from Warner Archive. It stars Harry Carey as Aloysius “Trader” Horn, a veteran white trader touring through Africa by river with his sidekick Peru (Duncan Renaldo), who wears a comically large pith helmet. The film is based on a book written by the real Aloysius Horn. Their adventures are mostly episodic until they encounter a missionary widow who is searching for her long-lost daughter that was kidnapped as a baby many years ago. After the missionary dies, Horn and Peru take up the search.

It’s safe to assume that Trader Horn’s nomination for Outstanding Production was meant to recognize and acknowledge its epic production. It received no other nominations. This was the first non-documentary film to be shot on location in Africa, which would have been a big deal at a time when nearly every scene of every movie made by every studio was shot on soundstages and backlots. The reason for keeping productions close to studio headquarters was to have control over the production and cut down on problems that might cause costly delays. The production of Trader Horn photographed authentic African landscapes and wildlife but suffered many troubles, some of them tragic. Several crew members were stricken with malaria, including director W.S. Van Dyke and co-star Edwina Booth. It would take Booth six years to recover from her case of malaria. She retired from acting, sued MGM, and settled out of court. Two crew members were killed during filming, both native Africans. One fell off a boat and was eaten by a crocodile. The other was killed by a stampeding rhinoceros. His death was caught on film and used in the movie. It’s a quick shot and not graphic at all—you would never guess it wasn’t just a visual effect—but knowing that the death is real makes it a most disturbing moment to watch. 

Harry Carey is believable as the experienced adventurer that knows his way around the wilds of Africa and the other main actors give good performances, though the characters are thin. An adventure film like this does not require overly complex characters or plot—though those could only help the movie—but underdeveloped characters and a simple plot mean that the action scenes and exotic locations are what is left to engage the audience. A typical scene in Trader Horn will have Horn and Peru in a boat or on a trail, then cut to the wild animals or vistas. For long stretches of the film the characters watch animals graze and hunt. Horn and Peru stroll through the savanna at one point and come across nearly every kind of African animal you’d hope to see if you were on safari. Horn points out and names all of the different animals to Peru like a zoo tour guide and the movie cuts to shots of these animals and the cuts don’t always match well.

I think what would have been most appealing to audiences about Trader Horn at the time of its release are the scenes of African animals, people, and the promise of thrilling adventure. There is some excitement to be found in Trader Horn, but not as much as you’d hope to find in an adventure picture. I must admit that I did feel a flourish of excitement when Horn and his native guide swung on vines like Tarzan over a pit of crocodiles (the first sound Tarzan film would be made a year later in 1932, starring Johnny Weissmuller). The scene in which Horn and Peru are about to be sacrificed by a native tribe by being crucified upside down is also suspenseful. However, the preceding scene of Horn and Peru in a hut listening to the tribal drums beat faster and faster goes on for far too long, well past the point of building suspense. There are a few other sequences that go on longer than needed dramatically but show off the footage shot in Africa. The most notable these scenes happens early in the film when Horn and Peru arrive in a native village to trade. Shots of the native villagers and their version of daily hustle and bustle goes on and on but shows quasi-documentary footage of an exotic, far away people that audiences normally would not have seen. Trader Horn, being a Pre-Code film, even gets away showing topless native women; something I did not expect to see in film made in 1931.

Trader Horn was directed by W.S. Van Dyke, who had worked on films shot in exotic locations before, but also had the nickname “One Take Woody” for shooting scenes as quickly and efficiently as possible. I can understand why MGM would hire “One Take Woody” to helm an expensive production shot in a faraway land where safety is not guaranteed, get the shots required to make an exciting adventure movie, and get out quickly and inexpensively. The result, however, is underwhelming. All of the scenes of African wildlife and landscape are shot from a still, motionless camera. There are some shots that are impressive because of what they show (like a raging waterfall), but many feel dull.

There are many aspects of Trader Horn that are dated by today’s standards and that modern audiences would find offensive. Horn’s native gun bearer, Rencharo (Mutia Omoolu) is a mostly mute and faithful sidekick who would be an interesting character if the film had thought to portray him as such. A rhinoceros is shot and killed, along with other exotic, now endangered, animals, and the close-up shot of the dying rhino’s face is incredibly depressing. Big game hunting was viewed differently in the 1930s, as exciting and manly, and the rights of animals on screen did not exist. According to the IMDB and Wikipedia pages for Trader Horn, many of the scenes of animals attacking other animals were shot in Mexico by a second unit. The reason for this is because in Mexico at the time laws regarding the treatment of animals were lax. The big cats were starved in order to ensure vicious attacks on other animals.

The most curious thing in Trader Horn is the White Goddess character (Nina, the missionary’s long-lost daughter played by Edwina Booth) that rules a native tribe. Peru implores her to help him and Horn when they’ve been captured by her tribe because she is white like them and white people should help each other. Booth herself is as good as she can be playing an over-the-top character that does not speak any English—none of her dialogue, or any native dialogue is subtitled. The trailer for the film advertises “See the cruelest woman in all Africa rule pagan tribes.” I’m not sure how to feel about this character, but I am sure this would not happen in an adventure film made today.  

I couldn’t help but think of Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, nominated for Unique and Artistic Picture at the 1^st Academy Awards, which managed to make an exciting, entertaining film that treated native people respectfully, made them the stars of the movie, and worked with animals far better than in Trader Horn, even though both involved killing real animals. The most objectionable treatment of animals in Chang was the kidnapping of a baby elephant to get its mother to stampede and tear apart a hut, but the mother frees her baby and both return to the jungle. Leopards and tigers were killed in Chang and it is a sad thing to see, but these animals had been menacing the native Lao people and, as a result, death by big cats decreased in the following years. Trader Horn is MGM’s attempt to capture the thrill and excitement of exotic animals and locations, the danger and adventure of a quasi-documentary like Chang, and couch it in the more broadly appealing framework of a mainstream narrative. The result is a blend of fictional narrative and real nature documentary that has only some of the excitement it was it was aiming to capture. 

Nominee: MGM

Producer: Irving Thalberg

Director: W.S. Van Dyke

Screenplay: Richard Schayer, adaptation by Dale Van Every and John T. Neville, dialogue by Cyril Hume, based on the book by Alfred Aloysius Horn

Cast: Harry Carey, Edwina Booth, Duncan Renaldo

Release Date: May 23^rd, 1931

Total Nominations: 1, including Outstanding Production
Wins: N/A

Other Nominations: N/A

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.