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TCM On Demand for May 20, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 2. Days of Wine and Roses (1962) -- Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman, Alan Hewitt, Tom Palmer, Debbie Megowan, Maxine Stuart, Jack Albertson, Ken Lynch. Uncredited: Mel Blanc (cartoon voices), Olan Soule, Lynn Borden, Jennifer Edwards, Jack Riley. Lemmon and Remick earned Academy Award nominations for their work in this drama about a married couple's struggles with alcoholism. Directed by Blake Edwards ("Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Experiment in Terror"), the drama was based on an acclaimed 1958 JP Miller teleplay for the CBS anthology series "Playhouse 90." The television production starred Cliff Robertson, Piper Laurie and Bickford. Miller adapted his teleplay for the film version. The film's title tune won the Oscar for Best Original Song (music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer). The theme song, which has become a standard, charted twice in 1963 on the Billboard Hot 100. Andy Williams' version rose as high as No.26; Mancini's peaked at No.33. In a 2004 AFI survey of the Top 100 movie songs of all time, the tune was ranked at No. 39. Another Oscar-winning Mancini-Mercer collaboration that made the list: "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) was No. 4. The film also received Oscar nominations for Best Black-and-White Art Direction-Set Decoration (Joseph C. Wright, George James Hopkins) and Best Black-and-White Costume Design (Don Feld). Lemmon's Best Actor nomination was his first recognition for a straight dramatic role. He previously had been nominated twice for comic performances. He won the 1955 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance as Ensign Pulver in the comedy/drama "Mister Roberts." He also received a 1959 Best Actor nod for his performance as a musician in drag in Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot." He picked up other Best Actor nominations for the dramatic films "Save the Tiger" (1973), "The China Syndrome" (1979) and "Missing" (1982), and the comedy "Tribute" (1980). He won for "Save the Tiger." Remick's Best Actress nomination was the only one of her distinguished career. She died of cancer on July 2, 1991 at the age of 55. Edwards' daughter Jennifer, who plays the young child of Lemmon and Remick, appeared in many of her father's films -- among them, "S.O.B." (1981), "The Man Who Loved Women" (1983), "That's Life" (1986), "Sunset" (1988) and "Son of the Pink Panther" (1990). She probably is best remembered for her starring role in the special NBC TV film "Heidi," which caused a stir when it aired on Sunday, November 17, 1968. Network operatives switched to the program at 7 p.m. Eastern time, although there was a minute remaining in an overlong American Football League game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders. When the network made the switch, the Jets were ahead 32-29. But the Raiders scored twice in the game's final stages for a dramatic 43-32 comeback victory. The incident outraged home viewers and the game became notorious in pro football and TV history as "The Heidi Bowl." Expires May 26, 2015.

TCM On Demand for May 20, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 3. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) -- Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams, Joe Seneca. This domestic drama, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel, won Academy Awards for Best Picture (producer Stanley R. Jaffe), Best Director (Robert Benton), Best Actor (Hoffman), Best Supporting Actress (Streep) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Benton). The film also received nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Henry), Best Supporting Actress (Alexander), Best Cinematography (Néstor Almendros) and Best Film Editing (Gerald B. Greenberg). Some noteworthy items about the film's Oscar awards and nominations: It was Hoffman's first of two Best Actor awards (the other was for "Rain Man" nine years later). He and Marlon Brando are the only people to win two Best Actor Oscars for films that were named Best Picture. Brando's Oscars were for "On the Waterfront" (1954) and "The Godfather" (1972, which he declined). It was the first of three Oscar wins for Streep, who holds the record for most career acting nominations with 19. She later won Best Actress awards for "Sophie's Choice" (1982) and "The Iron Lady" (2011). This was her second nomination, occurring one year after her Best Supporting Actress nod for "The Deer Hunter." At 8 years and 276 days old, Henry became the youngest person in any acting category to be nominated for an Academy Award. He has held that record for 36 years. Benton earned a second writing award five years later. He won the 1984 Best Original Screenplay Oscar for "Places in the Heart." Hoffman stars in the drama as Ted Kramer, a self-absorbed New York City ad executive who gets a jolt when his apparently long-suffering wife Joanna (Streep) walks out on him. As a result, Ted winds up having to care for their young son Billy (played by the precocious Henry). Rearing a child without his wife, Ted experiences some difficult times, including an exercise in bad breakfast cuisine. Eventually, Ted becomes a better man and father. But a year-and-a half after her departure and eventual divorce from Ted, Joanna returns with a legal case to gain custody of Billy. Memorable scene No. 1: After Ted's co-worker Phyllis Bernard (Williams) spends the night with him at his apartment, she has an unexpected nighttime encounter with Billy. The boy's reaction to seeing a naked woman? After asking her name, he wonders: "Do you like fried chicken?" Her response: "Fried chicken? Very much." The part of Phyllis originally was intended for Streep. But when the producers couldn't get Kate Jackson -- starring at the time in the ABC TV series "Charlie's Angels" -- to play Joanna Kramer, Streep was upgraded to that key role. Williams, probably best remembered for her appearances as Diane Freeling in "Poltergeist" (1982) and "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" (1986), later received a 1994 Oscar nomination for directing the live-action short film "On Hope." Memorable scene No. 2: Eighteen months after the disastrous French toast incident, a more experienced Ted easily prepares the breakfast menu with help from Billy. Expires May 26, 2015.

For years, he and Christopher Plummer were arguably the most notable active stars who had never received Academy Award nominations. Then Plummer received Best Supporting Actor recognition for his portrayal of Count Leo Tolstoy in "The Last Station" (2009). Two years later, he won in that category for "Beginners." Oldman finally received a nomination for his performance as George Smiley in the 2011 film version of John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Since Oldman is almost 30 years younger than Plummer, there's hope that he'll have many other chances to win an Oscar, too. I've always admired his performance in "The Contender" (2000) as the Republican head of the House Judiciary Committee. In the film, his character steadfastly opposes a Democratic president's nomination of a woman (Joan Allen) to serve as the new vice president. Allen was nominated for Best Actress. Jeff Bridges, who played the Bill Clinton-like president, received a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

How interesting that TCM will air "The Late Show" at the same time that CBS presents the last regular edition of "The Late Show with David Letterman." Dave signs off for good 24 hours later with a special farewell presentation.

TCM On Demand for May 19, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) -- Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, Walter Hampden, Harry Davenport, Katharine Alexander, George Zucco, Fritz Leiber, Etienne Girardot, Helene Whitney, Minna Gombell, Arthur Hohl, Curt Bois, George Tobias, Rod La Rocque, Spencer Charters, Kathryn Adams, Diane Hunter, Sig Arno. Uncredited: Charles Drake, Gail Patrick, Laura Hope Crews, Charles Halton, Rondo Hatton, Louis Jean Heydt, Victor Kilian, Elmo Lincoln, Nestor Paiva, Louis Zamperini. Directed by William Dieterle ("The Life of Émile Zola," "Portrait of Jennie"), this film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1831 novel was nominated for two Academy Awards. It was recognized for Alfred Newman's score and its achievement in sound (John Aalberg, RKO Radio Sound Department). Set in 15th-century Paris, the film stars Laughton as the title character, Quasimodo, a misshapen bell ringer at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. He becomes an unlikely hero when he tries to protect Esmeralda (O'Hara), a young gypsy woman vilified and hunted by authorities. The story has been filmed numerous other times, ranging from a 1923 silent version starring Lon Chaney, Sr. to Disney's 1996 animated musical featuring the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Jason Alexander and Mary Wickes. From screen appearance to screen hero: Zamperini (1917-2014), who appears as a street urchin in the movie, later became the subject of the 2014 film biography "Unbroken." Directed by Angelina Jolie, the drama recounted Zamperini's ordeals as a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II. The film was based on the 2010 best-selling novel by Laura Hillenbrand. Zamperini was portrayed by Jack O'Connell. "The back thing with Notre Dame": In a 2002 installment of TV's "The Sopranos" ("For All Debts Public and Private," Season 4, Episode 1) Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri (Steve Schirripa) confused Quasimodo with a noteworthy 16th-century French seer. But Bobby's boss, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), corrected him: Bobby: Mom really went downhill after the World Trade Center. You know, Quasimodo predicted all this. Tony: Who did what? Bobby: All these problems -- the Middle East, the end of the world. Tony: Nostradamus. Quasimodo's the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Bobby: Oh, right. Notredamus. Tony: Nostradamus -- and Notre Dame. It's two different things completely. Bobby: It's interesting, though, they'd be so similar, isn't it? And I always thought, OK, Hunchback of Notre Dame. You also got your quarterback and your halfback of Notre Dame. Tony: One's a ******* cathedral. Bobby: Obviously I know, I'm just saying. It's interesting, the coincidence. What? You're gonna tell me you never pondered that? The back thing with Notre Dame? Tony: No! Expires May 25, 2015.

TCM On Demand for May 19, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) -- Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Guy Kibbee, Thomas Mitchell, Eugene Pallette, Beulah Bondi, H.B. Warner, Harry Carey, Sr., Astrid Allwyn, Ruth Donnelly, Grant Mitchell, Porter Hall, Pierre Watkin, Charles Lane, William Demarest, Baby Dumpling (Larry Simms). Uncredited: Dub Taylor. Stewart became a major star because of Frank Capra's classic tale about politics in Washington D.C. -- and on the local level. The actor stars as Jefferson Smith, an idealistic citizen appointed by the governor of his state (Kibbee) to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. Of course, Smith's appointment is designed so the state's corrupt power structure can manipulate him for its own purposes. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked the picture No. 29 on its list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. When the AFI updated the list in 2007, the film climbed to No. 26. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Stewart), Best Supporting Actor (Carey, Sr. and Rains), Best Writing, Screenplay (Sidney Buchman) and Best Art Direction (Lionel Banks). The film's only Oscar win was for Best Writing, Original Story (Lewis R. Foster). Stewart would win the Best Actor Oscar a year later for his performance opposite Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in "The Philadelphia Story" (1940). Mitchell, who had a banner year with roles in this film, "Gone with the Wind," "Only Angels Have Wings" and the Charles Laughton version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," received the Best Supporting Actor award for "Stagecoach." Seven years later, Capra would reunite with Stewart, Mitchell, Bondi and Warner for the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life." Memorable scenes: Upon his arrival in Washington, Smith wanders away from his welcoming party and winds up on a sightseeing spree, highlighted by a reverential visit to the Lincoln Memorial. Expires May 25, 2015. 3. Quentin Durward (1955) -- Robert Taylor, Kay Kendall, Robert Morley, George Cole, Alec Clunes, Duncan Lamont, Laya Raki, Marius Goring, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Eric Pohlmann, Harcourt Williams, Michael Goodliffe, John Carson, Nicholas Hannen, Moultrie Kelsall, Frank Tickle, Bill Shine, Ernest Thesiger. Taylor stars as Sir Walter Scott's heroic title character, a 15th-century Scottish knight who becomes involved in political intrigue in France. Durward is asked by his elderly uncle, Lord Crawford (Thesiger), to evaluate a French countess (Kendall) he intends to marry. But when Durward arrives in France, he finds that the beautiful heiress balks at the idea of marrying the aged Crawford. Meanwhile, Durward falls in love with her himself. The movie was directed by Richard Thorpe, who also worked with Taylor in the swashbucklers "Ivanhoe" (1952) and "Knights of the Round Table" (1953). Expires May 25, 2015.

TCM On Demand for May 18, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. The Blue Angel (1930) -- Emil Jannings, Marlene Dietrich, Kurt Gerron, Rosa Valetti, Hans Albers, Reinhold Bernt, Eduard von Winterstein, Hans Roth, Rolf Müller, Roland Varno, Carl Balhaus, Robert Klein-Lörk, Charles Puffy, Wilhelm Diegelmann, Gerhard Bienert. Dietrich became an international star thanks to her iconic performance in this drama set in post-World War I Germany. She plays cabaret singer Lola Lola, the obsession of a college professor (Jannings) who stands to lose his estimable reputation because of her. The tragic tale, which was released in German-language and English-language versions, was directed by Dietrich's frequent collaborator, Josef von Sternberg. It was remade in 1959 by director Edward Dmytryk with future Bond villain Curt Jürgens ("The Spy Who Loved Me") and May Britt -- who retired from acting after her marriage to entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. a year later -- as the key characters. The original film provided Dietrich with her signature song: "Falling in Love Again." Dietrich (1901-1992) cashed in on the movie's success by moving to America, where she enjoyed a long career in such noteworthy films as "Blonde Venus" (1932), "Shanghai Express" (1932), "The Scarlet Empress" (1934), "The Devil Is a Woman" (1935), "Destry Rides Again" (1939), "Rancho Notorious" (1952), "Witness for the Prosecution" (1957), "Touch of Evil" (1958) and "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961). In 1999, seven years after her death, the American Film Institute ranked her ninth on its list of the Top 25 female screen legends of all time. Expires May 24, 2015. 2. Cabaret (1972) -- Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Grey, Helmut Griem, Fritz Wepper, Marisa Berenson, Elisabeth Neumann-Viertel, Helen Vita, Sigrid von Richthofen, Gerd Vespermann, Ralf Wolter, Georg Hartmann, Ricky Renée, Estrongo Nachama, Kathryn Doby, Inge Jaeger, Angelika Koch, Helen Velkovorska, Gitta Schmidt, Louise Quick. Uncredited: Oliver Collignon. Bob Fosse's film version of the 1967 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical earned eight Academy Awards on March 27, 1973, but lost Best Picture honors to "The Godfather." The movie's Oscar wins were as follows: Best Director (Fosse). Best Actress (Minnelli). Best Supporting Actor (Grey). Best Cinematography (Geoffrey Unsworth). Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Rolf Zehetbauer, Hans Jürgen Kiebach, Herbert Strabel). Best Film Editing (David Bretherton). Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation (Ralph Burns). Best Sound (Robert Knudson, David Hildyard). Both the stage musical and the film were derived from British author Christopher Isherwood's 1945 novel "The Berlin Stories," set in the decadent German city between the world wars. His works were dramatized as the 1951 stage play "I Am a Camera," which became a 1955 film starring Julie Harris and Laurence Harvey. Fosse's film stars Minnelli as Sally Bowles, an American free spirit who performs at the Kit Kat Club in 1931 Berlin. The film follows her experiences in the German city as the Nazi regime begins to take power in Germany. Grey, who won a Tony for his performance as the cabaret's master of ceremonies, reprised the role in the film. York co-stars as one of Bowles' romantic interests. Among the songs by Fred Ebb and John Kander performed in the movie are the title song, "Willkommen (Welcome), "Mein Herr," "Money, Money" and "Tomorrow Belongs to Me." In 2006, the film was No. 5 on the American Film Institute's ranking of the top 25 movie musicals of all time. It was surpassed only by "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "West Side Story" (1961), "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) and "The Sound of Music" (1965). The title song also was ranked No. 18 on AFI's 2004 survey of the top 100 movie songs of all time. Expires May 24, 2015.

TCM On Demand for May 18, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 3. Casablanca (1942) -- Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, Madeleine Lebeau, Dooley Wilson, Joy Page, John Qualen, Leonid Kinskey, Curt Bois. Uncredited: Marcel Dalio, Helmut Dantine, Ludwig Stössel, Norma Varden. Eminently quotable World War II drama that overcame numerous obstacles to become the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 1943 -- and a movie for the ages. Based on an unproduced play titled "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, the drama stars Bogart as Rick Blaine, an American expatriate who runs a popular club and casino in western Morocco. Since the outbreak of the war, Casablanca has become a refuge for people desperate to escape the clutches of the Nazis. When Rick comes into the possession of two letters of transit -- documents permitting people to travel to safety in America -- he is forced to re-evaluate a longtime personal credo. "I stick my neck out for nobody," he says a couple of times early on in the movie. Making things even more difficult is the sudden arrival of Ilsa Lund (Bergman), an old flame who shows up with her fugitive husband Victor Laszlo (Henreid), an anti-Nazi resistance fighter. The film also won Oscars for Best Director (Michael Curtiz) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for twin brothers Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, with Howard Koch). The film also was nominated for Best Actor (Bogart), Best Supporting Actor (Rains, as Louis Renault, the duplicitous local prefect of police), Best Cinematography (Arthur Edeson), Best Film Editing (Owen Marks) and Best Music, Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Max Steiner). Bergman was nominated for Best Actress, but it was for her performance as Maria in the screen adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Bergman, who never considered this a favorite film, once told an interviewer that its evolution into a classic was "remarkable" considering its production problems. "When we did it, we had no faith in it at all because the script was so bad," she said. "And it was written day by day. There was nothing clear about it. And we didn't know where we were going." Veidt, the German-born actor who played the sinister Nazi officer, Major Strasser, was in real life an opponent of Adolf Hitler's regime. The actor fled Germany when the Nazis gained power and contributed heavily to the Allied war effort. He did not live to enjoy the movie's success because he died of a heart attack on April 3, 1943, shortly after its general release in theaters. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked this drama No. 2 -- behind "Citizen Kane" (1941), and ahead of "The Godfather" (1972) -- on its list of the greatest movies of all time. When AFI updated the list in 2007, the film dropped to No. 3, behind "Kane" and "The Godfather." In 2003, CBS televised a special about AFI's survey of the top heroes and villains in movie history. Rick Blaine was the No. 4 hero, behind Atticus Finch ("To Kill a Mockingbird"), Indiana Jones ("Raiders of the Lost Ark") and James Bond ("Dr. No"). The No. 5 hero was Marshal Will Kane of "High Noon." The No. 1 villain was Dr. Hannibal Lecter of "The Silence of the Lambs." In another AFI survey, a 2005 ranking of the greatest movie quotes of all time, this film produced six entries -- more than any other picture. The unforgettable lines were: #5: "Here's looking at you, kid." (Rick to Ilsa, and he says it more than once). #20: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." (Rick's final words in the movie, spoken to Captain Renault). #28: "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'." (Ilsa to the club's pianist and singer, played by Wilson). #32: "Round up the usual suspects." (Captain Renault, who says the line twice during the film). #43: "We'll always have Paris." (Rick to Ilsa at the airport). #67: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." (Rick, after he sees Ilsa for the first time since the Germans invaded Paris). And here's one that was nominated for the AFI list, but did not appear in the Top 100: "Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." -- Rick during his final moments with Ilsa at the airport. Memorable dialogue: Captain Renault: What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca? Rick: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters. Captain Renault: The waters? What waters? We're in the desert. Rick: I was misinformed. More memorable dialogue: Ilsa: I wasn't sure you were the same. Let's see, the last time we met... Rick: Was La Belle Aurore. Ilsa: How nice! You remembered. But of course, that was the day the Germans marched into Paris. Rick: Not an easy day to forget. Ilsa: No. Rick: I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray. You wore blue. Even more memorable dialogue: Captain Renault (blows whistle): Everybody is to leave here immediately! This café is closed until further notice! Clear the room at once! Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds? Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here. Emil the croupier (handing cash to Renault): "Your winnings, sir." Captain Renault: Oh, thank you very much. (Then sternly). Everybody out at once!" "As Time Goes By": Written by Herman Hupfeld (1894-1951) for the 1931 Broadway musical comedy "Everybody's Welcome," the song has become indelibly linked to the Bogart-Bergman film. Since 1999, Warner Bros. has combined the song with its corporate logo to open its films and close its television productions. In a 2004 AFI survey of the Top 100 movie songs of all time, the tune came in at No. 2, behind "Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz" and ahead of the title song for "Singin' in the Rain." "Play It Again, Sam": No one ever says the line exactly this way in the movie. But Woody Allen used it as the title of his 1969 Broadway play, in which he starred as a "Casablanca" fan who becomes part of a romantic triangle with his best friend (Tony Roberts) and his best friend's wife (Diane Keaton). Meanwhile, the play's hero receives advice on life and love from the ghost of Bogart (played by Jerry Lacy). A 1972 film version of the play, directed by Herbert Ross, also starred the four actors from the stage version. It was the first picture to team Allen and Keaton, who went on to work together in several other films, including "Sleeper" (1973), "Love and Death" (1975), "Annie Hall" (1977) and "Manhattan" (1979). Expires May 24, 2015.

"San Andreas" has one asset that "Earthquake" didn't -- Alexandra Daddario. It's just a matter of time before she becomes a major star!

TCM On Demand for May 17, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. An American Hippie in Israel (1972) -- Asher Tzarfati, Shmuel Wolf, Lily Avidan, Tzila Karney, Fran Liberman-Avnim, Suzan Devor. Tzarfati stars as the title character, an American G.I. named Mike who has been wandering throughout Europe as an antiwar advocate. His desire for peace takes him to Israel, where he becomes involved in an adventure with an actress (Avidan) as well as two other new friends (Karney, Wolf). The film was written, produced and directed by Amos Sefer. Memorable quote: "I want this place to serve as a living symbol for the whole world. We'll show the world that it's possible to live without wars, without violence, without machines and buttons. The only sounds that are coming out of this place will be those of song, joy and laughter." -- Mike, referring to the utopian society he and his new friends intend to establish on an isolated island. Expires May 23, 2015. 2. The Red Shoes (1948) -- Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann, Albert Basserman, Jean Short, Gordon Littmann, Julia Lang, Bill Shine, Léonide Massine, Austin Trevor, Esmond Knight, Eric Berry, Irene Brown, Ludmilla Tchérina, Jerry Verno. Directed by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, this visually stunning presentation about the world of ballet was Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's tale. The film won Academy Awards for Best Color Art Direction-Set Decoration (Hein Heckroth, Arthur Lawson) and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Brian Easdale). It also was nominated for Best Picture, Best Writing, Motion Picture Story (Pressburger) and Best Film Editing (Reginald Mills). It also made the flame-haired Scottish ballerina Shearer (1926-2006) an international star, although she ultimately chose marriage and a family over a sustained film career. In the film, Shearer stars as the gifted ballerina Victoria "Vicky" Page, who is forced to choose between Julian Craster (Goring) -- the talented composer she loves -- or the demands of ballet company director Boris Lermontov (Walbrook). Memorable dialogue: Lermontov: Why do you want to dance? Vicky Page: Why do you want to live? Lermontov: Well, I don't know exactly why...but I must. Vicky Page: That's my answer, too. Expires May 23, 2015. 3. The Tales of Hoffman (1951) -- Moira Shearer, Robert Rounseville, Ludmilla Tchérina, Ann Ayars, Pamela Brown, Léonide Massine, Robert Helpmann, Frederick Ashton, Mogens Wieth, Lionel Harris, Philip Leaver, Meinhart Maur, Edmond Audran. Three years after "The Red Shoes," filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger reteamed with classical dancer Shearer for this screen version of the unfinished 19th-century opera by Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880). The opera was based on three short stories by German author E.T.A. Hoffman (1776-1822). Rounseville appears as Hoffman throughout the film. Shearer first shows up as a ballet dancer named Stella in the prologue. She next performs as the lifelike mechanical doll Olympia in Act 1, a segment derived from Hoffman's 1816 story "Der Sandmann." Her singing voice was provided by Dorothy Bond. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Color Art Direction-Set Decoration (Hein Heckroth) and Best Color Costume Design (also Heckroth). Expires May 23, 2015.

TCM On Demand for May 16, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Chimes at Midnight (1965) -- Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, Dame Margaret Rutherford, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Ralph Richardson (narrator), Marina Vlady, Walter Chiari, Michael Aldridge, Julio Peña, Tony Beckley, Andrés Mejuto, Keith Pyott, Jeremy Rowe, Alan Webb, Fernando Rey, Keith Baxter, Norman Rodway, José Nieto, Andrew Faulds, Charles Farrell, Fernando Hilbeck, Patrick Bedford, Beatrice Welles Beatrice Welles. Uncredited: Ingrid Pitt. Welles wrote and directed this tragedy, in which he stars as William Shakespeare's fictional, irrepressible bon vivant, Sir John Falstaff. The production was an aggregation of five plays by the Bard, primarily "Henry IV, Part I" and "Henry IV, Part II." The movie's title is from "Henry IV, Part II - Act 3, Scene 2, as Falstaff talks to his longtime friend Justice Robert Shallow (played in the movie by Webb): Falstaff: We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow. Shallow: That we have, that we have, that we have; in faith, Sir John, we have...Jesus, the days that we have seen! Memorable scene No. 1: Welles' re-creation of the 1403 Battle of Shrewsbury -- in which the army of King Henry IV (Gielgud) defeats rival forces headed by Henry "Hotspur" Percy (Rodway) -- is a well-edited masterpiece. Memorable scene No. 2: Falstaff rushes excitedly to London in 1413 when he learns that his friend Prince Hal (Baxter) is being crowned King Henry V of England. What he isn't prepared for is the new monarch's repudiation of him and their previous fun-filled relationship. In his 2004 book "A History of Shakespeare on Screen: A Century of Film and Television," author Kenneth S. Rothwell wrote that "Welles self-referentially identified with the king's rejection of Falstaff, seeing it as a mirror to Hollywood's rejection of him." Rothwell also quoted Baxter, who said of Welles: "You felt that there was a great deal of him in Falstaff -- this sort of trimming one's sails, always short of money, having to lie, perhaps, and to cheat." Expires May 22, 2015. 2. The Last of Sheila (1973) -- Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, Raquel Welch, Yvonne Romain, Pierre Rosso, Serge Citon, Robert Rossi, Elaine Geisinger, Elliot Geisinger, Jack Pugeat. Uncredited: Vito Scotti (various voices). Written by the Tony Award-winning composer Stephen Sondheim and actor Anthony Perkins, this stylish and witty murder mystery was directed by Herbert Ross ("The Goodbye Girl," "The Turning Point"). The story revolves around a millionaire movie producer named Clinton Green (Coburn) whose gossip columnist wife (Romain) was killed in a hit-and-run accident after a party in Southern California. A year later, with the homicide still unsolved, Green decides to ferret out the culprit himself. He invites six of the partygoers -- Hollywood insiders -- to a yachting trip in the south of France, where he hosts a very special parlor game. The players/suspects are a director (Mason), a high-powered agent (Cannon), an actress and her husband (Welch, McShane) and a screenwriter and his wife (Benjamin, Hackett). Memorable quote: "Well, I think I'll turn in. I'm almost dead on my feet." -- Philip (Mason), excusing himself after one of the other players tries to kill him. Expires May 22, 2015.

Suzan Ball was in "City Beneath the Sea" (1953) with Woody Strode. Woody Strode was in "The Silver Chalice" (1954) with Paul Newman. Next: Paul Rudd.

King was the subject of the recent British documentary "B.B. King: The Life of Riley" (the title refers to his real first name). The film was produced and directed by Jon Brewer and narrated by Morgan Freeman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkpNbbgyx_Y

Bella Darvi was in "Hell and High Water" (1954) with Cameron Mitchell. Cameron Mitchell was in "Hombre" (1967) with Paul Newman. Next: James Spader.

Rossana Podestà was in "Helen of Troy" (1956) with Niall MacGinnis. Niall MacGinnis was in "The Mackintosh Man" (1973) with Paul Newman. Next: Elaine Stewart.

This Toyota Camry commercial featuring King was seen frequently on television in the months leading up to his death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8unft7p054Q The ad has created a controversy because it apparently was inspired by a real-life story. http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/10/22/72680.htm

TCM On Demand for May 15, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Earthquake (1974) -- Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Geneviève Bujold, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gortner, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, Victoria Principal, Walter Matthau (billed in the closing credits as Walter Matuschanskayasky), Monica Lewis, Gabriel Dell, Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., Lloyd Gough. California's greatest nightmare was realized onscreen in this disaster film that also introduced the theater-shaking process called "Sensurround." Produced and directed by Mark Robson ("The Harder They Fall," "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness"), the movie was based on a screenplay by George Fox and Mario Puzo. The film won an Academy Award for Best Sound (Ronald Pierce, Melvin M. Metcalife, Sr.). In addition, it received a special Oscar for its visual effects (presented to Frank Brendel, Glen Robinson and Albert Whitlock). The production also was nominated for Best Cinematography (Philip H. Lathrop), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Alexander Golitzen, E. Preston Ames and Frank R. McKelvy) and Best Film Editing (Dorothy Spencer). When the movie was first telecast on television in 1976, NBC aired it over two nights with some deleted scenes restored as well as new footage shot by Universal for TV. Heston and Gardner, who play a married couple in this film, previously co-starred in the 1963 period piece "55 Days in Peking." When you consider their earlier collaboration, it seems almost amazing that they would appear together in another film. Heston's candid published journals indicated that she drove him crazy during the making of "Peking." "Today marked the worst behavior I've yet seen from that curious breed I make my living opposite," he wrote after one painstaking day of filming. "Ava showed up for a late call, did one shot (with the usual incredible delay in coming to the set), and then walked off just before lunch when some Chinese extra took a still of her. She came back after a painful three-hour lunch break only to walk off, for the same reason." Another take on the earthquake disaster film hits theaters on May 29, 2015 with the release of "San Andreas," a big-budget, visual effects effort starring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Colton Haynes, and Paul Giamatti. Expires May 21, 2015. 2. The Hurricane (1937) -- Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith, Thomas Mitchell, Raymond Massey, John Carradine, Jerome Cowan, Al Kikume, Kuulei De Clerq, Layne Tom, Jr. Directed by John Ford, this disaster film was based on the 1936 novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, who wrote the book trilogy about the HMS Bounty. Lamour, whose movie career was long associated with the sarong, wears the island garb well as Marama, a South Pacific island princess. Hall, who became a television icon decades later in "Ramar of the Jungle," plays Marama's husband Terangi, who runs afoul of racist French colonial authorities in Tahiti. Astor plays the empathetic wife of a local French governor (Massey). Astor and Massey also played a couple in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937). This was one of several films in which Astor co-starred with Cowan. Among the others: "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "There's Always a Woman." Ford's film received the Academy Award for Best Sound Recording (Thomas T. Moulton). It also was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Mitchell, who would win the award for "Stagecoach" two years later) and Best Music, Score (Alfred Newman). Swedish director Jan Troell ("The Emigrants") filmed a 1979 remake titled "Hurricane," which starred Mia Farrow, Jason Robards, Max von Sydow and Trevor Howard. Expires May 21, 2015. 3. The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) -- Preston Foster, Alan Hale, Jr., Basil Rathbone, John Wood, Louis Calhern, David Holt, Dorothy Wilson, Wyrley Birch, Gloria Shea, Frank Conroy, William V. Mong, Murray Kinnell, Henry Kolker, Edward Van Sloan, Zeffie Tilbury, John Davidson. Uncredited: Ward Bond, Jason Robards, Sr., Winston Hibler. "King Kong" creators Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack reteamed for this disaster tale based on the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of the Italian cities Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79. The movie's opening credits features a declaration that the production was based on an original screenplay and not the 1834 novel by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Expires May 21, 2015.

Blues great B.B. King has died in Las Vegas at the age of 89. The Mississippi-born singer-guitarist earned 15 Grammy Awards during his career and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-32747861 King performed several songs in director John Landis' offbeat 1988 comedy/drama "Into the Night," which starred Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer and featured cameo appearances by several filmmakers.

Sheen portrayed Tony Blair two other times. "The Deal," a 2003 movie for British television, was about Blair's power-sharing agreement with fellow Labour heavyweight Gordon Brown (played by David Morrissey, The Governor from TV's "The Walking Dead"). Brown succeeded Blair as PM in 2007. Sheen also appeared as Blair in "The Special Relationship," a 2010 HBO production about the British prime minister's dealings with Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid) during the president's second term. Hope Davis appeared as First Lady Hillary Clinton. Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" series) returned to the role of Blair's wife, Cherie. The British actress also played Mrs. Blair in "The Queen" (2006). "The Deal," "The Queen" and "The Special Relationship" all were written by British playwright Peter Morgan. Sheen also portrayed TV host David Frost in the 2008 film version of Morgan's play "Frost/Nixon."

Audie Murphy was in "The Duel at Silver Creek" (1952) with Lee Marvin. Lee Marvin was in "Pocket Money" (1972) with Paul Newman. Next: Charles Drake.

Kurt Kasznar was in "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (1954) with Elizabeth Taylor. Elizabeth Taylor was in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958) with Paul Newman. Next: James Robertson Justice.

TCM On Demand for May 14, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: Zero Hour! (1957) -- Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden, Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, Geoffrey Toone, Jerry Paris, Peggy King, Charles Quinlivan, Carole Eden, Steve London, Jo Ann Wade, Raymond Ferrell, John Ashley, Willis Bouchey, Robert Stevenson, Maxine Cooper, Mary Newton, David Thursby, Will Sage, Noel Drayton, Will J. White, Fintan Meyler, Hope Summers, Larry Thor, Richard Keith, Russell Thorson, Arthur Hanson. Uncredited: William Conrad (narrator), John Zaremba. Is it possible for anyone to watch this thriller with a straight face anymore? While viewing it, can movie fans erase thoughts of pilots named Roger and Oveur, an inflated autopilot named Otto, gladiator movies, a glue-sniffing control tower supervisor and Beaver Cleaver's mother speaking jive? More about that later. Directed by Hall Bartlett ("Jonathan Livingston Seagull") and based on a Canadian teleplay by writer Arthur Hailey -- who would later write the best-selling 1968 novel that spawned the "Airport" disaster movies of the 1970s -- this film focuses on an ill-fated passenger flight from Ottawa, Ontario to Vancouver, British Columbia. When a bout of food poisoning incapacitates members of the flight crew, it's up to Ted Stryker (Andrews) -- a former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot -- to take over the controls and pull off a safe landing. One problem: Stryker has been a basket case because of disastrous decisions he made during a World War II mission. As a result, he's going to need some guidance from Vancouver airport personnel while he's in the cockpit. Authorities somehow manage to locate Stryker's wartime superior officer (played by Hayden, Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month for May 2015). In case you didn't know it, this film was the model for the 1980 comedy hit "Airplane!" by brothers David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams. The beauty of their satirical film was its use of prominent actors known for their appearances in more dramatic fare, particularly Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and Leslie Nielsen. The film's success provided a notable career boost for Nielsen, who excelled in similar comedies (the "Naked Gun" series, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," "Spy Hard") until his death in 2010. "Airplane!" and its 1982 sequel also familiarized moviegoers with its lead actors, Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty. Hays' troubled character, Ted Striker, was a U.S. fighter pilot during the Korean conflict. Hagerty played Striker's former girlfriend Elaine, the name of Darnell's character in the 1957 film. Here's a comparison of the two movies from YouTube: Expires May 20, 2015.

James Best was in "The Left Handed Gun" (1958) with Paul Newman. Next: Kate Vernon.

Julie Adams was in "Mississippi Gambler" (1953) with Piper Laurie. Piper Laurie was in "The Hustler" (1961) with Paul Newman. Next: Keith Andes.

TCM On Demand for May 13, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) -- Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Russell, Gladys George, Roman Bohnen, Ray Collins, Minna Gombell, Walter Baldwin, Steve Cochran, Dorothy Adams, Don Beddoe, Marlene Aames, Charles Halton, Ray Teal, Howland Chamberlain, Dean White, Erskine Sanford, Michael Hall, Victor Cutler. Uncredited: Gene Krupa, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Joyce Compton, Blake Edwards. Producer Samuel Goldwyn's drama about the sometimes bumpy return of American G.I.s from World War II action earned seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor (March) and Best Supporting Actor (Russell). The film also won for Best Writing, Screenplay (Robert E. Sherwood), Best Film Editing (Daniel Mandell) and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Hugo Friedhofer). The only nomination that did not win was Best Sound, Recording (Gordon Sawyer, Samuel Goldwyn SSD). March became only the second person to win two Best Actor Oscars. His first was for playing the title characters in the 1931 film version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Spencer Tracy received back-to-back awards for Best Actor for his performances in "Captains Courageous" (1937) and "Boys Town" (1938). Russell, a real-life veteran who lost both his hands in a wartime training accident, also was presented an honorary Oscar "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in 'The Best Years of Our Lives'." He thus became the only person to receive two Oscars for the same movie. Although Russell had never acted before, Wyler called his work in the film "the finest performance I have ever seen on the screen.'' In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked this drama No. 37 on its list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. When AFI updated the list in 2007, the film remained at the 37th spot. Expires May 19, 2015. 2. I'll Be Seeing You (1944) -- Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Tom Tully, John Derek (as Dare Harris), Chill Wills, Kenny Bowers. Directed by William Dieterle -- with contributions by George Cukor -- this poignant girl-meets-boy tale takes place on the homefront during World War II. Rogers stars as Mary Mitchell, a woman furloughed from prison during the Christmas holiday season. While traveling on a train to visit relatives in the town of Pine Hill, she meets a decorated war veteran -- Sgt. Zachary Morgan (Cotten). He ends up following her to her hometown, where they develop a relationship. What he doesn't know is that she must return to prison in eight days to continue serving a six-year term for involuntary manslaughter. Meanwhile, he tries to cope with physical and psychological wounds incurred during his service in the Pacific Theater of the war. This was one of Temple's best roles during the adolescent phase of her film career. She co-stars as Mary's obnoxious teen cousin Barbara, who apparently enjoys giving Mary a hard time. The movie took its title from the popular song written by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. Expires May 19, 2015.