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January 5 Dark Victory (Warner Bros., 1939) Source: TCM This movie kicked off the primetime programming for the first night of TCM's monthly theme of the studio system, which focused entirely on Warner Bros (after the daytime programming was devoted to Columbia features). I did enjoy the discussion between Alicia Malone and the two critics preceding the movie. Mark Harris I think used to work for Entertainment Weekly and wrote a great book about the five Best Picture nominees for 1967 and another one I haven't read about the five US directors who went into combat zones to make documentaries for the government during World War II. His newest book is a biography of Mike Nichols, which I will probably check out. He talked about how MGM was clearly the prestige studio of the era but how Warner Bros. had the best young stars and also tended to have a little more grit in their films than the other studios and dealt more openly with contemporary social issues. He also said they had a staff in New York that kept up with all the latest plays and novels and were ready to buy the rights to them usually well ahead of their competitors. I believe this movie was adapted from a play. I've already forgotten the female critic's name, but she's also written for magazines. She wanted to talk more about Warner's more recent history as the premiere nostalgia studio left and emphasized more than once that we may be currently standing at a crossroads for what the future of the movies are going to look like, as Warner recently announced they're going to release every one of their 2021 features to theaters and on streaming the same day (this intro to the film must have been recorded fairly recently). Anyway, on to the movie. I'm sure it's well known to all regular TCM viewers. Bette Davis plays a fabulously wealthy heiress who lives on a beautiful estate I believe in upstate New York that she shares with a gal pal (Geraldine Fitzgerald) who gets no backstory. She parties a lot and is surrounded by an entourage that rarely leave the house, most notable of which is future president Ronald Reagan. She also breeds horses for racing, and her trainer is Humphrey Bogart. It's funny to see all the future WB leading men popping up in supporting roles in the first 10 minutes of movie. Presumably Cagney and Flynn were unavailable. We're told she's 23 (I believe Davis was 31 at the time) and she supposes she will one day marry but is in no hurry about it. She begins experiencing bouts of double vision and gets thrown from her prize horse when her view of the fence directly in front of them suddenly splits in two. Later, she falls down the grand staircase in her home. These incidents alarm the doctor who delivered her (Henry Travers), and he seeks out a brain specialist (George Brent) on the very day he's about to close his office in Manhattan and relocate permanently to his country home in Vermont. Having lost his last patient on the operating table, he's decided to switch to pure research on cells. He tells Travers as much and is about to show him out, but Davis has accompanied Travers, and went Brent sees her in the waiting room, he's partially captivated by her beauty and partially alarmed some telltale signs something is seriously wrong she's exhibiting. And so he tells his nurse to cancel his train tickets, saying "There will be other trains on other days", but we of course now he's now staying in New York for most of the rest of the movie. Spoiler Alert So, Brent operates on Bette's brain, but it's clear that the malignancy will return, probably in a little less than a year, and this time it will certainly be fatal. Not sure how he could tell all that, but hey, it's the movies. Also, it's one of only in the movies diseases, maybe not quite Ali McGraw Syndrome, as Roger Ebert once called it, wherein the dying patient suffers no symptoms other than getting more beautiful, but pretty close. We're told Bette will live perfectly happy and symptom free for the rest of her life until maybe a handful hours before she'll drop dead she will suddenly have a darkening of her vision. Brent and Travers decide not to tell her, and eventually Brent lets Fitzgerald in on the secret, too. Davis complicates matters by falling in love with Brent, and he's already fallen for her. Davis is in one regard lucky in that everyone around her wants her to be as happy as possible for whatever amount of time she has left, and everyone works hard to ensure her happiness. But she'll read the words "prognosis negative" (hilariously later the title of a movie of the cast members of Seinfeld want to go see - I didn't know until later that was a sly reference to this movie), and this is where the moments of heaviest drama come in. Feeling betrayed by Brent, Davis momentarily seeks refuge in Bogie's arms. I guess this was the only movie they ever did together. Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong. She was the star, and he was just a contract player, but you feel his weight in his one big scene. I like Reagan, too, in a smaller part, as a drunken hanger-on with a good heart. Brent is pretty blah, as he usually is. I have a crush on young Geraldine Fitzgerald, and this was certainly good year for her between her roles in this movie and Wuthering Heights. Davis, of course, is uber-intense. Those eyes! Boy, I didn't know when that song came out what that really meant. I was just entering my teen years, and I only knew from Death on the Nile and that Witch Mountain sequel. But this movie highlights the eyes intensely. She doesn't get to ugly herself up very much, as she seemed to enjoy. She's supposed to be glamorous in this film. But she runs the gamut of emotions from fiery and independent to helpless and terrified to lovesick with just a tinge of jealousy to bitter and resentful to joyously happy to finally resolved and brave. It's an even broader range than Jezebel, I think. I really like this movie, and it's hard to say why, exactly, other than the acting. It's really preposterous a lot of the time, a weepy "women's pic", but I always get swept up by it. Total films seen this year: 10

Sitting here stroking my beard and considering Holt's only other performance I really remember and that was in The Magnificent Ambersons. Even Welles said he was a most "interesting actor." I think anyone, even Garfield (who was considered for a part at one time) would have had a difficult time staying equal to the performances of Bogart and Huston in that one. But as I always say when tossing out opinions on things I know little about, what the hell do I know?

HOW TO STEAL A MILLION 1966 WHO'S MINDING THE MINT 1967 HOT MILLIONS 1968 HOW TO FRAME A **** 1971 THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG 1975

GILDA As I've mentioned recently I just read the biography of Glenn Ford by his son, Peter, so I've decided to concentrate on some of his most famous films. I DVR'd Gilda the other night and I have THE BIG SLEEP in my queue. This was Rita Hayworth's movie. For 1946 this must have been pretty racy. Director Charles Vidor had some interesting lighting scenes where one character was in light and the other was dark. I thought that was a fine artistic technique. I'm sure it's used often but that was the first time I really noticed it. A great way to keep the viewer focused on only one character while he/she is talking to another...who you basically see only in silhouette. Nice. Artistic. The big singing/dancing number at the end seemed clumsy to me. I know she trained as a dancer and appeared with Astaire but that song and dance scene in GILDA seemed clunky to me...but then...that wasn't meant to be the focus of the scene...was it. Refreshing how there were no swear words even though the themes screamed out for them. Oh, for a simpler time. And one more thing. I wonder who had the cigarette contract for that film? Very few scenes were sans a cigarette in someone's hand.

Yes, it's nearly here -- TCM Programming Challenge #44. And, just to give you a bit more incentive, for the first time in a long time, prizes (TCM memorabilia, DVDs, books, etc.) will be awarded to ALL participants. If you've ever wanted to try doing a Programming Challenge, now's your chance. It's challenging, (no pun intended) tons of fun, and, if you have any questions at all, experienced TCM Programming Challengers will be available to lend a hand. The 44th TCM Programming Challenge begins Sunday, January 17th. Time To Get Classic!

To me, MARY TYLER MOORE is a goddess. Her show is the 2nd best thing TV ever came up with. I watched reruns in the last year or two and watched 'em all! As dated as bits seem momentarily, the writing has a wonderful breadth and prescience, it is never dated. And that WONDERFUL CAST!

The Gunfighter (1950)

I'LL GET BY (1950)

Elvis was eager to accept a straight dramatic role as Robert Mitchum's kid brother in THUNDER ROAD when Mitchum offered him the part. Unfortunately Col. Tom Parker demanded more money for him than was in the entire budget of the moonshine drama so Mitchum cast his own son, James, in the role instead. It would have been interesting to see how Presley might have fared as an actor. Keely Smith, who was pretty wooden as an actress, was hired to sing a song in the film. Fair chance it might have been Elvis singing it instead. I don't know that Elvis was ever offered any other acting roles that were not in conventional musical star vehicles tailor made for him. That might have been Elvis as on the left as the brother that Bob wanted to prevent from becoming a moonshine runner.

When I "rate" a movie, I rate it based on how much it entertained me. A film can entertain by being funny, heartwrenching, captivating, etc. I don't care to rate the technical aspects of the film, unless it felt like my enjoyment of the film was affected by how it was edited, or the acting, or what have you. Reviewers that try and determine a film's quality based on their perception of the technical quality of the film bore me. I want to know how someone felt while watching the film. I want to know if they liked the film. Did they connect with it? Or was it the worst thing they've ever seen? I don't care about a film's supposed reputation for being good, if I hated it, if I didn't connect with it, it gets a big old thumbs down. I'm not interested in pretending to like highly acclaimed films because other people said it was good. With all that said, last night I watched Girl Happy (1965) starring Elvis Presley. Elvis' movies are often maligned for being silly, light fluff. His acting skills (or lack thereof) are criticized. But I don't care. These films weren't produced to be ground-breaking cinema. They were meant to capitalize on Elvis' popularity with teenage and twenty-something young women. His films do exactly what they're supposed to do: Showcase Elvis with a young starlet of the day in some sort of romantic situation, with a fun locale as a backdrop. Insert a bunch of random opportunities for Elvis to sing and some fun supporting characters and what you've got is a fun, light-hearted, entertaining film. With that said, I can understand why others wouldn't enjoy these films, but I do. In Girl Happy, Elvis plays Rusty, part of a quartet of musicians who perform at a Chicago hotel. Gary Crosby (Bing's son who looks like a cross between Bing and Dr. Bellows from I Dream of Jeannie), Joby Baker (usually a "friend" in the Gidget films) and Jimmy Hawkins (who apparently was in It's a Wonderful Life according to Wiki) round out the quartet. The owner of the hotel is mob boss "Big Frank" who has an 18-year old daughter Valerie (Shelley Fabares). Valerie wants to go down to Fort Lauderdale, FL for a 10-day spring break vacation. Her father is hesitant to let her go, but acquiesces when Valerie reminds him that she's an adult. Big Frank is still unsteady about allowing his daughter to go to spring break. Rusty, witnessing this whole exchange and wanting to leave snowy Chicago for sunny Florida, makes the suggestion that he and the band should go down to Florida as chaperones, so to speak. Big Frank agrees and even offers to pay their expenses. The boys travel down to Florida and end up getting a room at the same hotel that Valerie is staying at. *At this point, I thought how unlikely it'd be that Elvis & co. could just travel down to Florida spontaneously during spring break and be able to get a hotel room anywhere, let alone be able to get one at the same hotel as Valerie. But I digress. The band's hotel room is interesting. Two of their walls are floor-to-ceiling glass, with patio doors. They only have horrendous vertical blinds to provide any sort of privacy. And a la The Brady Bunch, none of the windows or doors have any glass. At one point, I think Elvis forgets this and walks right through the wall, but I think the door was supposed to be closed. Anyway, Rusty and the guys are able to watch over Valerie pretty well, until she catches the attention of an Italian playboy. Meanwhile, Rusty has his sights set on the gorgeous Deanna (Mary Ann Mobley aka Miss America 1959), but every time they're about to hook up, they're interrupted by one of the other band members or by his "job" looking after Valerie. I really enjoyed this film. It was fun. Shelley was gorgeous. Elvis was his normal Elvis self, but that's all that is needed for this film. There's an excellent supporting cast: Nita Talbot (whom I recognized as Sandra Dee's friend/roommate in "That Funny Feeling") plays a stripper; Jackie Coogan is a police officer; and John Fielder (Piglet in "Winnie the Pooh," Oscar and Felix's poker buddy in "The Odd Couple" and my personal favorite, Eddie, The Sex Machine, in an episode of The Golden Girls) plays the hotel owner. I didn't think this film was as good as Viva Las Vegas, but I thought it was better than Kissin' Cousins (which I also enjoyed).

Thank you! This is a little off the wall, but a week ago, I watched JOANNA LUMLEY'S NILE, which showed up in my youtube suggestions. it is a THREE PART DOCUMENTARY wherein TV'S PATSY STONE Travels the ENTIRE NILE (both the WHITE and BLUE branches) all the way through EGYPT and SUDAN and ETHIOPIA past Lake Victoria and Uganda and into its very source in the jungles of RWANDA. she is ****Ing HARDCORE and it is UTTERLY WILD to watch, again, PATSY "FASH MAG SLAG" STONE sleeping on the desks of Sudanese ferry boats and such.

Uncle Remus -- James Baskett in Song of the South (1946)

I was just about to post about Tommy, but I'm glad I "looked up" before doing so. At least he got to see the Dodgers win the World Series again!

I watched DEATH ON THE NILE (1978)- which is an old friend, one I taped as a child in the 1980's and watched over and over again to where I remember certain lines. as a film, it's not anywhere near as well constructed as it needs to be AND YET, how can one get mad at the SUMPTIOUS BUFFET OF CAMP ACTING this brings us., as well as some great scenery and costumes? I do not watch this movie without reciting lines back to the screen, it gets kinda ROCKY HORROR, especially in re: THE WAY PETER USTINOV SAYS the name "Jacqueline" as "JACK-A-LEEN" [which reminds me of how GRACE JONES says it in BOOMERANG] and how SIMON MACORKINDALE says "JACKIE!" which just invokes memories of the MARTIN SHORT CHARACTER JACKIE ROGERS JUNE-YAH!!!! from SCTV. "THAT'S FOR BEIN SUCH A SH!TTY ACTRESS!" There's also BETTE DAVIS in FULL KABUKI MAKE-UP, not entirely at ease in her part but HIGHLY WATCHABLE; ,MAGGIE SMITH in lesbian chic tuxedo [she won The Oscar that year for CALIFORNIA SUITE]; MIA FARROW being a ***damn MESS- but pulling it off, a REAL Egyptian Cobra, DAVID NIVEN as DAVID NIVEN, GEORGE KENNEDY as GEORGE KENNEDY and a really, really AWFUL sterotype INDIAN MANAGER CHARACTER who- honestly- could and should have been cut from the film. "goody goody gum drops!" indeed! Acting Honors really do (and forever will) go to ANGELA LANSBURY tho, she looks GREAT in a TURBAN (almost as good as VON STROHEIM!)

I'm an old comic book fan, and I liked Steve Lightle's work. He had the misfortune of following Keith Giffen's heralded run on Legion, but he had a clean, polished look that I liked.

SHALAKO (1968)

I liked Sandy Dennis in THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS. She played opposite Jack Lemmon very well. She was also good in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (for which she won an Oscar) and THE FOUR SEASONS. She had a strange, halting way of speaking lines(IMO) but a few minutes into a film I wouldn't notice it anymore.

a TIE between THE RED SHOES and THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE

I enjoyed Sandy Dennis in the films Sweet November and The Out of Towners. One more good film that I liked , is The Fox.

Rawhide

Trevor, Claire

Same here. Even my wife teases me when she sees me crying at the end. Hey, I have a sensitive side. The acting is first rate (well, Bogie as an Irish dude is out-there), but this is one of Bette Davis' best performances. But that ending,,,,, I often use that as an example of Hollywood magic. Just pushing the envelope as it relates to being over-the-top, but if it doesn't get to you,,,, well you have no blood in your veins! A first rate example of the Warner Bros studio "A" team at their finest.

4. is Paul Sand

Coal Miner's Daughter is one of my favorite movies.

HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE 1965 THE BIG BOUNCE 1969

My second favorite movie of 1948 is Hamlet. (My favorite, I Remember Mama, received 4 nods but not for Best Pic.) I've seen all of the screen versions of Hamlet and, unlike Hamlet who just couldn't make up his mind, I can: this version is the best. Oscars went to Best Picture, Actor Laurence Olivier, Art-Set Decoration and Costumes. Olivier lost the Director Oscar to John Huston for Treasure of Sierra Madre, who richly deserved to be recognized. As did Walter Huston for Supporting Actor. It is puzzling why Bogart, who gave one of his greatest performances, was not nominated. 1948 was a terrific year for movies. These three pictures, for me, were at the top of an excellent list.

It will be on at least ten more times before summer.

I would have LOVED to see ELVIS in that part!

Fringe

As a matter of record, Lois Chiles, who was stiff (in more than one way) in Death on the Nile, actually did turn out to be a hoot in two small comic supporting parts in the 80s: Sweet Liberty and Broadcast News.

Renee Zellweger Next: did tv commercials

Ford V Ferrari (2019) Next: a movie with an intermission or opening overture

Thanks, Peebs. This actress made only one movie at Universal, and it was with one of the studio's most popular leading men. It was a modern-day Western and the male lead even sang the title song during the credits. Name the actress and the movie.

Patricia Berry next : O.M.

Ann Sheridan Next: P.B.

Our third post-code star is SANDY DENNIS. Perhaps she's most remembered for her role as the teacher in UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE (1967). She was also in THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK (1969). And COME BACK TO THE 5 AND DIME JIMMY DEAN JIMMY DEAN (1982).

DULCY 1940

RED LINE 7000 1965

Pat Boone

Winters, Jonathan

Saturday January 9, 2021 Coffee on TCM the big heat

I agree with you that I Remember Mama is the best (and my favorite) film of 1948. Though I like Olivier's Hamlet, I prefer Branagh's 1996 version, partly because his cuts are not so drastic, and partly for other reasons of acting and camera style. Olivier cuts Rosenkrantz, Guildenstern, and Fortanbras, as well as a lot of dialogue. I like my Hamlet to be as complete as possible. I realize that one has to make cuts when adapting a long play for the screen, but I think Olivier doesn't always make the right choices. But of course it's good to have a record of his performance. I'm not a fan of The Treasure of Sierra Madre. Although I enjoy many of John Huston's works, I don't think it was until Wise Blood and The Dead that Huston made truly great films.

The Iron Curtain (1948)

One film stands far above the other four for me. But, perhaps, from my selection of an avatar, you already know which one I mean. It is unquestionably one of my ten favourite films of all time. My second favourite film of 1948 is a massively underrated tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler, Adventures of Don Juan. Then, again, "superficial" "non-important," merely entertaining films of this type are never taken seriously when it comes to the big awards. And, yes, I've seen the other four films nominated on the 1948 Oscar list.

I also watched DEATH ON THE NILE ("Stop!") and EVIL UNDER THE SUN. It's true the plots are implausible at best, but great casts make them fun to watch. DEAR HEART (1965) I love GERALDINE PAGE in that part. CHURCHILL AND THE MOVIE MOGUL (2019) learned a lot! Followed by THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941) a movie I love. LISTEN, DARLING (1938) which is MGM corn incarnate - and cute as a button with a fascinating cast! Last night it was DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931) which is the best version of that story I know. MIRIAM HOPKINS best part!

Fun With Dick and Jane (prefer earlier version) The Original The Lady Killers and The Lavender Hill Mob Take The Money and Run Married to the Mob Prizzi's Honor

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) The Hot Rock (1973)