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TCM On Demand for January 9, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: Too Late Blues (1961) -- Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens, Everett Chambers, Nick Dennis, Vincent Edwards, Val Avery, Marilyn Clark, James Joyce, Rupert Crosse, Mario Gallo, J. Alan Hopkins, Cliff Carnell, Richard O. Chambers, Seymour Cassel, Dan Stafford. Uncredited: Ivan Dixon, Allyson Ames, June Wilkinson. Produced, directed and co-written by John Cassavetes, this black-and-white drama stars Darin as a principled jazz musician who falls in love with a beautiful singer (Stevens). Complications ensue when their relationship affects the members of his band. This film was one of many collaborations between Cassavetes and Cassel, who will turn 80 on January 22, 2015. The actor also appeared in Cassavetes' independent films "Shadows" (1959), "Faces" (1968, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), "Minnie and Moskowitz" (1971) and "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976). This was one of three selections by Turner Classic Movies' special celebrity Guest Programmer Michael Feinstein. It aired in prime time on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Expires January 15, 2015.

Wow! I can remember the days -- long before Turner Classic Movies was on the air -- when TBS would show several of Rod Taylor's movies on his January 11th birthday. Maybe that was the genesis of TCM's birthday tributes. "Sunday in New York" aired Wednesday on TCM, and "The Time Machine" was on Saturday, January 3rd. Both are available on Watch TCM.

This movie's dazzling opening credits sequence almost guaranteed you would pay attention to the list of cast and crew members: Also impressive is the sequence that immediately follows the opening credits:

It just occurred to me that a possible reason why Ali MacGraw didn't play Daisy in "The Great Gatsby" is because she co-starred with Steve McQueen in Sam Peckinpah's 1972 caper film "The Getaway." Then she left her husband, Paramount studio executive Robert Evans, for McQueen.

TCM On Demand for January 8, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Hallelujah, I'm a Bum! (1933) --Al Jolson, Madge Evans, Frank Morgan, Harry Langdon, Chester Conklin, Tyler Brooke, Tammany Young, Bert Roach, Edgar Connor, Dorothea Wolbert, Louise Carver. Uncredited: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart. Directed by Lewis Milestone ("All Quiet on the Western Front"), this musical comedy was based on a story by Ben Hecht and a screenplay by S.N. Behrman. The great Jolson stars as a tramp named Bumper who finds ways to survive in New York City during the Great Depression. After he rescues a suicidal woman (Evans) suffering from amnesia, she falls in love with him. When she regains her memory, it turns out she is linked to the mayor of New York (Morgan). The movie's songs were written by Rodgers and Hart, who make cameo appearances in the picture. Expires January 14, 2015. 2. A King in New York (1957) -- Sir Charles Chaplin, Dawn Addams, Oliver Johnston, Michael Chaplin, Maxine Audley, Jerry Desmonde, John McLaren, Robert Arden, Joan Ingram, Harry Green, Sidney James, Phil Brown, Alan Gifford, Shani Wallis. Chaplin's next-to-last film was this biting satire of celebrity, commercialism, American politics and atomic energy advocates. It was filmed in the United Kingdom because Chaplin couldn't go to New York City. After making a trip to his native London in 1952, he was denied re-entry into the United States because of his political views, and remained abroad thereafter. He briefly returned to America in 1972 to receive an honorary Academy Award "for the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of [the 20th] century." In the film, which also was written, directed and scored by Chaplin, he stars as the recently deposed King Shahdov of the fictional nation of Estrovia. He flees to New York, but discovers that his prime minister (Desmonde) has bolted to South America with the country's finances. But he learns that he may be able to cash in on his notoriety. Memorable scene: Shahdov visits a progressive school for boys and has an interesting conversation with a budding young anarchist named Rupert Macabee (Michael Chaplin). The younger Chaplin apparently knew his father's lines as well as his own. If you look carefully, you can see the boy mouthing the words of his dad. Acting seems to be firmly engrained in the Chaplin bloodline. The film great's daughter Geraldine, who played Omar Sharif's wife in "Doctor Zhivago" (1965), has a 30-year-old offspring named Oona. She was christened after Sir Charles' wife Oona O'Neill Chaplin, whose father was the great American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The younger Oona Chaplin appeared as Talisa Maegyr Stark in Seasons 2 and 3 of the HBO miniseries "Game of Thrones." Her pregnant character, the wife of Winterfell's heroic leader Robb Stark, was dispatched brutally (along with her husband and mother in law) during the infamous "Red Wedding" massacre in the Season 3 episode "The Rains of Castamere." Since then, the younger Chaplin starred in "The Crimson Field," a 2015 British drama series about nurses in World War I. Sir Charles' final film was "A Countess from Hong Kong" (1962), in which he directed Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren in a romance set aboard a luxury liner sailing from Hong Kong to the United States. Chaplin made brief appearances as a ship's steward. Expires January 14, 2015.

TCM On Demand for January 7, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. The Devil to Pay! (1930) -- Ronald Colman, Frederick Kerr, Loretta Young, David Torrence, Florence Britton, Myrna Loy, Paul Cavanagh, Crawford Kent. Directed by George Fitzmaurice ("Raffles," "Arsène Lupin Returns"), this drama stars Colman as a prodigal son who returns to the family mansion in London. Despite his controversial reappearance, he soon begins making time with an heiress (Young) who insists that he stop seeing his old girlfriend (Loy). After many years of starring in silent movies, this was one of Colman's earliest sound pictures. It was released during the same period in which he received 1929-1930 Academy Award nominations for his performances in "Bulldog Drummond" and "Condemned." Young, who was born on January 6, 1913, was still in her teens when she made this movie. Turner Classic Movies observed the 102nd anniversary of her birth by showing 10 of her films on Tuesday, January 6, 2015. Expires January 13, 2015. 2. Jeremiah Johnson (1972) -- Robert Redford, Will Geer, Delle Bolton, Josh Albee, Joaquín Martínez, Allyn Ann McLerie, Stefan Gierasch, Richard Angarola, Paul Benedict, Charles Tyner, Jack Colvin, Matt Clark. Uncredited: Tanya Tucker. Sydney Pollack directed Redford in Western tale of a U.S. Army veteran who becomes a legendary mountain man in the Rocky Mountains during the mid-19th century. This was one of many film collaborations between Pollack and Redford, who met as young actors during the filming of "War Hunt," a 1962 drama about the Korean conflict. After Pollack turned to directing in the mid-1960s, he and Redford teamed up for other projects, including "The Way We Were" (1973), "Three Days of the Condor" (1975), "The Electric Horseman" (1979), "Out of Africa" (1985) and "Havana" (1990). In the following clip, Johnson fends off attacks by Crow warriors who make life difficult for him throughout the movie: Memorable quote: "These here is God's finest sculpturing. And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches except for this right here! And there ain't no priests excepting the birds! By God, I are a mountain man, and I'll live until an arrow or a bullet finds me!" -- Del Gue, the colorful trapper played by Gierasch, talking about life in the mountains. The veteran character actor died September 6, 2014 of complications from a stroke. Expires January 13, 2015. 3. The Sting (1973) -- Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, John Heffernan, Dana Elcar, Jack Kehoe, Dimitra Arliss, Robertearl Jones, James Sloyan, Charles Dierkop, Lee Paul, Sally Kirkland, Avon Long, Arch Johnson, Ed Bakey, Brad Sullivan, John Quade, Larry D. Mann, Leonard Barr, Paulene Myers, Ta-Tanisha, Joe Tornatore, Jack Collins, Tom Spratley, Kenneth O'Brien, Ken Sansom, William "Billy" Benedict. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" stars Newman and Redford reunited with director George Roy Hill for this 1930s caper film that won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Redford stars as Johnny Hooker, a young Joliet, Illinois grifter who wants vengeance for the murder of his mentor and partner, Luther Coleman (played by Jones, the father of actor James Earl Jones). The killing was conducted by henchmen for crime kingpin Doyle Lonnigan (Shaw), so Hooker goes to Chicago to seek the help of Luther's old associate, Henry Gondorff (Newman). Although he hasn't pulled a "big con" in years, Gondorff manages to put together an experienced team of confidence men capable of gaining a measure of revenge for Luther's death. The film's other Oscars were for Best Director (Hill), Best Original Screenplay (David S. Ward), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Henry Bumstead and James W. Payne), Best Costume Design (Edith Head, her eighth and final Oscar), Best Film Editing (William H. Reynolds) and Best Adaptation Score (Marvin Hamlisch for his incorporation of Scott Joplin rags). Hamlisch also won two other Academy Awards for another 1973 Redford movie, "The Way We Were." He picked up Oscars for Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Original Song (for the title tune, shared with lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman). Hamlisch's version of Joplin's "The Entertainer" -- used as the theme song for this movie -- became a No. 3 Billboard hit in 1974. Redford received his only Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his performance in this film. He later won a Best Director award for "Ordinary People," his first project behind the camera. He also was nominated for his direction of the 1994 drama "Quiz Show." On March 24, 2002, Redford was presented an honorary Oscar, not only for his significance as an actor, director and producer, but also as the "creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere." In the following clip, Gondorff manages to outcheat a cheater in a big poker game: A "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" reference: One of the taglines for this movie was "This time, they might just get away with it." Memorable quote: "Luther said I could learn something from you. I already know how to drink." -- Hooker, after sobering up a drunken Gondorff during their first meeting. Expires January 13, 2015.

TCM On Demand for January 5, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Arabesque (1966) -- Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel, Kieron Moore, Carl Duering, John Merivale, Duncan Lamont, George Coulouris, Ernest Clark, Harold Kasket. Three years after he teamed with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in the Hitchcockian mystery "Charade," director Stanley Donen worked with Peck and Loren in this complicated political thriller set in London. The film was based on the 1961 novel "The Cypher" by Gordon Cotler. Peck stars as a visiting American college professor at Oxford University who inadvertently becomes involved in Middle Eastern intrigue. Before long, he finds himself forced to flee from would-be assailants with a European beauty (Loren) he barely knows. The musical score was composed by Henry Mancini, who previously provided the music for "Charade." Cast trivia: It was Loren who presented Peck with his only Academy Award for Best Actor on April 8, 1963. Peck won for his performance as the gentlemanly 1930s Alabama attorney in the film version of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." Loren had received the Best Actress Oscar the year before for the World War II drama "Two Women." On March 25, 1991, Peck returned the favor by presenting Loren with an honorary Oscar as "one of the genuine treasures of world cinema who, in a career rich with memorable performances, has added permanent luster to our art form." Expires January 11, 2015. 2. Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) -- Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter, Neville Brand, Betty Field, Telly Savalas, Edmond O'Brien, Hugh Marlowe, Whit Bissell, Crahan Denton, James Westerfield. Uncredited: Leo Penn, Chris Robinson. John Frankenheimer's biopic about prison lifer-turned-ornithologist Robert Stroud (1890-1963) earned Oscar nominations for Lancaster (Best Actor, as Stroud), Savalas (Best Supporting Actor), Ritter (Best Supporting Actress) and Best Cinematography (Burnett Guffey). Ritter's nomination was her sixth and last. She is tied with Glenn Close and Deborah Kerr for the most Oscar nods by a female without ever winning. The somewhat fictionalized tale follows Stroud's transformation from hardened criminal -- he was convicted of two murders -- to brilliant and accomplished bird expert. Malden co-stars Harvey Shoemaker, the hard-nosed warden of Leavenworth who clashes with Stroud on more than one occasion. Ritter plays the controlling mother who dislikes the woman (Field) Stroud marries in prison. Brand appears as the prison guard who becomes as trusting of the inmate as anyone could. Savalas is a fellow Leavenworth inmate who learns to like birds. O'Brien plays the writer who takes an interest in Stoud's case. The movie's title is a bit of a misnomer because Stroud was no longer allowed to have pets by the time he was transferred to the prison island of Alcatraz in the 1950s. Expires January 11, 2015. 3. The Miracle Worker (1962) -- Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory, Inga Swenson, Andrew Prine, Kathleen Comegys. Uncredited: Beah Richards, Michele Farr, Dale Ellen Bethea, Michael Darden, Alan Howard. Poignant drama based on the early years of the inspirational author and lecturer Helen Keller (1880-1968). For their performances, Bancroft won the Academy Award for Best Actress and Duke received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the age of 16. The biopic also produced a Best Director nomination for Arthur Penn, who went on to film such memorable projects as "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967), "Alice's Restaurant" (1969), "Little Big Man" (1970), "Night Moves" (1975) and "The Missouri Breaks" (1976). Bancroft re-created her Tony Award-winning role as Annie Sullivan, the instructor who attempts to communicate with young Helen (Duke) -- the blind, deaf and nonspeaking daughter of a prosperous Alabama family. Duke, who became the youngest person to win a competitive Oscar (the record is now held by Tatum O'Neal, who was 10), later portrayed Sullivan opposite Melissa Gilbert's Helen in a 1979 TV version of this story. Duke died on March 29, 2016 at the age of 69. She succumbed to sepsis as the result of a ruptured intestine. Expires January 11, 2015.

TCM On Demand for January 4, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Bus Stop (1956) -- Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O'Connell, Betty Field, Eileen Heckart, Robert Bray, Hope Lange, Hans Conried, Max Showalter. Uncredited: Del Moore, Edward G. Robinson, Jr. Monroe had one of her best roles as an Arizona café singer named Chérie who draws the attention of a marriage-mind Montana cowboy (Murray, in his screen debut). Murray and Monroe Based on two plays by William Inge, the romantic tale was directed by Joshua Logan ("Picnic," "Sayonara"). Murray earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance. He also married co-star Lange on April 14, 1956, four months before the movie's release. Cover Credit: BORIS CHALIAPIN Expires January 10, 2015. 2. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) -- Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris, Stanley Adams, Madame Spivy, Val Avery, Herbie Faye, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Jack Dempsey, Barney Ross, Rory Calhoun, Gus Lesnevich, Willie Pep. Directed by Ralph Nelson ("Lilies of the Field," "Duel at Diablo'), this is a film version of Rod Serling's 1956 teleplay about the final days in the career of "Mountain" Rivera (Quinn), a battered boxer who is beginning to show signs of irreversible physical damage. Gleason plays his cynical manager, who has begun to bet against his own fighter, while Rooney is Rivera's trainer. Harris co-stars as the social worker who tries to persuade Rivera to seek another line of work. Quinn and Harris The original television version aired on CBS' "Playhouse 90" series with Jack Palance in the role of Rivera and the father-and-son duo of Ed Wynn and Keenan Wynn as his trainer and manager, respectively. The TV version won a Peabody Award for excellence and several Emmys, including Best Single Program of the Year and honors for Palance, Serling and director Nelson. The winner of the movie's first bout Muhammad goes to the "Mountain": The film begins with Rivera taking a beating from Clay, the real-life boxer who would win the heavyweight title in 1964 and change his name to Muhammad Ali. Expires January 10, 2015. 3. A River Runs Through It (1992) -- Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Lloyd, Edie McClurg, Stephen Shellen, Vann Gravage, Nicole Burdette, Susan Traylor, Michael Cudlitz, Rob Cox, Buck Simmonds, Fred Oakland, David Creamer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Robert Redford's third film as a director was based on a 1976 semi-autobiographical story by author Norman Maclean (1902-90). Skerritt, who made his film debut with Redford in the 1962 movie "War Hunt," stars as the Reverend Maclean, a Presbyterian minister with two sons in early 20th-century Montana. The younger Macleans -- the serious Norman (Sheffer) and the rambunctious Paul (Pitt) -- are opposites. But what the family has in common is the sport of fly-fishing, a metaphor for life. Blethyn, the British actress who received Oscar nominations for her performances in "Secrets & Lies" (1996) and "Little Voice" (1998), co-stars as Mrs. Maclean. This was one of the early screen appearances in the career of Gordon-Levitt, who plays the young Norman. Redford, the narrator of the film, later returned to Montana as a movie setting for his 1998 drama "The Horse Whisperer," in which he starred as well as directed. Memorable quote: "In Montana, there are three things we're never late for: church, work and fishing" -- Paul Maclean. Memorable scene: Paul becomes involved in a battle of wills with a particularly feisty fish: Pitt, a golden boy who at times eerily resembles the younger Redford, co-starred with the actor-director in the 2001 espionage thriller "Spy Game." Expires January 10, 2015.

TCM On Demand for January 3, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 3. The Odd Couple (1968) -- Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler, Herbert Edelman, David Sheiner, Larry Haines, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley, Iris Adrian. Uncredited: Heywood Hale Broun, Billie Bird, Angelique Pettyjohn. Matthau reprised his role of Oscar Madison in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's comedy about mismatched roommates. Lemmon stepped into the role of Felix Ungar, who was played by Art Carney on stage. This was the second of 10 films that Lemmon and Matthau appeared in together. Their first teaming was in Billy Wilder's "The Fortune Cookie," for which Matthau won the 1966 Best Supporting Actor Oscar. They also starred in "Odd Couple II," a 1998 updating of the original film. This film received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon) and Best Film Editing (Frank Bracht). Through the years, there have been many other renderings of this tale, including the 1970s ABC sitcom that starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. There was a 1982-1983 all-black television version ("The New Odd Couple" with Ron Glass and Demond Wilson) and a 1985 female Broadway edition (starring Sally Struthers as Florence Ungar and Rita Moreno as Olive Madison). There was even a 1975 Saturday morning animated homage called "The Oddball Couple," featuring a cat named Spiffy and a dog named Fleabag. In February 2015, CBS revived the premise with a half-hour sitcom starring Matthew Perry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix. The film's director, Gene Saks ("Barefoot in the Park"), died on March 28, 2015 at the age of 93. Memorable quote: "I can't take it anymore, Felix. I'm cracking up. Everything you do irritates me. And when you're not here, the things I know you're gonna do when you come in irritate me. You leave me little notes on my pillow. Told you 158 times I cannot stand little notes on my pillow. 'We're all out of cornflakes. F.U.' Took me three hours to figure out that F.U. was Felix Ungar!" -- Oscar, hashing out some differences with Felix. He wasn't called "The Great One" for nothing: There's a scene in which sportswriter Oscar misses a rare baseball triple play while covering a Pittsburgh Pirates-New York Mets game at Shea Stadium. The reason: He gets an untimely phone call in the press box from Felix about dinner plans. The film's producers had arranged for the great Pittsburgh outfielder Roberto Clemente to hit the ball that starts the game-ending triple killing. But Clemente balked because his pride wouldn't allow him to look bad, even for a movie. So the staged ninth-inning play is only seen from a distance, and the stadium's public address announcer introduces the batter as Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski. Expires January 9, 2015.

Although the song mentions the wrong year, Johnny Horton had the No. 1 hit of 1959 with "The Battle of New Orleans." Check out this elaborate production from the June 7, 1959 edition of "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBmE_clkBBU Sadly, Horton was killed on November 5, 1960 after his appearance at the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas. His car was hit by a drunk driver in Milano, Texas. He was 35 years old.

Is that where the infamous riot began?

In addition to being Elvis' 80th birthday, January 8, 2015 is also of significance because it's the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, which made Andrew Jackson a national hero and presidential material. It also put the finishing touches on the War of 1812, although the conflict between the United States and Great Britain had been settled weeks earlier. Cecil B. DeMille's black-and-white film "The Buccaneer" (1938) visited this territory with Fredric March as the notorious privateer Jean Lafitte, who sides with the American forces led by General Jackson (Hugh Sothern). Anthony Quinn, who appeared as a character named Beluche in DeMille's film, was the director's son-in-law for a time. The only film that Quinn ever directed in his illustrious career was a 1958 color remake of "The Buccaneer," starring Yul Brynner as Lafitte and Charlton Heston as Jackson. Here's a trailer featuring DeMille, who served as the executive producer of Quinn's version of "The Buccaneer":

You're half right! But it has nothing to do with a weapon.

TCM On Demand for January 2, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Berserk! (1967) -- Joan Crawford, Ty Hardin, Diana Dors, Michael Gough, Judy Geeson, Robert Hardy, Geoffrey Keen, Sydney Tafler, George Claydon, Philip Madoc, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Thomas Cimarro, Peter Burton, Golda Casimir, Ted Lune, Milton Reid, Marianne Stone, Miki Iveria, Howard Goorney, Reginald Marsh, Bryan Pringle. Crawford's penultimate feature-film appearance was in this British suspense thriller about the co-owner and emcee of a traveling circus beset by mysterious tragedies. Hardin co-stars as the handsome high-wire acrobat who becomes her lover. Dors emerges as a rival for his affections. Geeson, who co-starred with Sidney Poitier that year in "To Sir, With Love," has the role of Crawford's obstinate daughter. The film was directed by Jim O'Connolly ("The Valley of Gwangi"). Expires January 8, 2015. 2. Horse Feathers (1932) -- Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Thelma Todd, David Landau. Uncredited: Nat Pendleton. Collegiate-themed comedy starring the Marx Brothers and directed by Norman Z. McLeod ("Monkey Business," "Road to Rio"). The laughfest stars Groucho as Professor Wagstaff, the new president of Huxley College who tries to upgrade the talent level of the school's football team. Among the movie's wacky scenes is "The Password is Swordfish": And then there's the famous canoe scene in which Todd's femme fatale tries to elicit crucial information from Wagstaff about Huxley's football program: Expires January 8, 2015. 3. Strait-Jacket (1964) -- Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson, Howard St. John, John Anthony Hayes, Rochelle Hudson, George Kennedy, Edith Atwater, Mitchell Cox. Uncredited: Lee Majors. The famed horror filmmaker William Castle ("The Tingler," "House on Haunted Hill") produced and directed this thriller starring Crawford as Lucy Harbin, an axe murderer released from a psychiatric hospital after 20 years. As a result, she goes home to her daughter Carol (played by Baker), who was a 3-year-old child when the tragedy occurred. Before long, a new series of axe murders begins. Could Lucy be suffering a relapse? The movie's screenplay was written by Robert Bloch, who adapted his 1959 novel "Psycho" for Sir Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 hit screen version. Expires January 8, 2015. 4. TCM Presents Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence -- Bill Murray (2008) -- The former New York Times film critic sits down with Murray, the former "Saturday Night Live" star-turned-Oscar nominee ("Lost in Translation," "Ghostbusters"), to discuss how classic film and filmmakers influenced him. Expires January 8, 2015.

Brando probably would have insisted on kissing his horse, as he did in "The Missouri Breaks"!

TCM On Demand for January 1, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. A Hard Day's Night (1964) -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Anna Quayle, Deryck Guyler, Richard Vernon, Eddie Malin, Robin Ray, Lionel Blair, Alison Seebohm, David Jaxon. Uncredited: Susan Hampshire, Kenneth Haigh, David Langton, Jeremy Lloyd, Edina Ronay. This black-and-white fictional version of a couple of days in the lives of the Beatles received an Academy Award nomination for Alun Owen's original screenplay. It also was nominated for Best Adaptation Score (by Sir George Martin, the Beatles' record producer). Directed by Richard Lester, who also collaborated with the Beatles for their 1965 Technicolor followup "Help!," the stylish film became very influential for years to come. The somewhat casual storyline revolves around the group's upcoming live performance on a British television variety show. Making things difficult is Beatle Paul's devilish grandfather John McCartney (played by Brambell, star of the British TV series "Steptoe and Son"), who travels around with the band. Rossington plays Norm, a stricter version of the Beatles' real-life manager at the time, Brian Epstein. Junkin plays Shake, the full-time road manager who happens to be Norm's full-time whipping_boy. Spinetti, who plays the harried director of the variety show, co-starred with the Beatles in two other musical productions -- "Help!" (1965) and the made-for-television film "Magical Mystery Tour (1967)." Among the songs performed in the movie are the title song, "I Should Have Known Better," "If I Fell," "Can't Buy Me Love," "I'd Be Happy Just to Dance with You," "And I Love Her," "Tell Me Why" and "She Loves You." In 2011, Time magazine listed its top 25 movie soundtracks of all time. This movie's compilation of songs came in at No. 3, although the magazine noted that the Beatles' 1964 work was also a studio album: "By then, American teenagers had already succumbed to the mop-topped allure of John, Paul, George and Ringo. But 'A Hard Day’s Night' helped turn the group into more than just a passing fad. The album’s 13 songs were all written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Listen to it today -- especially the tracks 'If I Fell,' 'Can’t Buy Me Love' and 'I Should Have Known Better' -- and it’s pretty clear that these lads from Liverpool were going to go far." Memorable scene No. 1: The movie begins with the famous opening chord of the title song as three members of the Fab Four are chased by real fans through a train station. Be sure to notice that when Beatle George trips, Beatle Ringo goes down, too! Memorable scene No. 2: Beatle Paul's wily old grandfather (Brambell) gets into the act during the Fabs' performance of "She Loves You" on live television. Memorable dialogue: John: Hey, pardon me for asking, but who's that little old man? Paul: Uh, what little old man? John: That little old man. Paul: Oh, that one! That's my grandfather. George: Your grandfather? Paul: Yeah. George: That's not your grandfather. Paul: It is, you know. George: But I've seen your grandfather. He lives in your house. Paul: Oh, that's my other grandfather, but he's my grandfather as well. John: How do you reckon that one out? Paul: Well, everyone's entitled to two, aren't they? And this is my other one. Also: John: He's a nice old man, isn't he? Paul: He's very clean. Hall of Fame comments: Starr was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in April 2015, making him the last member of the Beatles to be selected as a solo act. Ringo had a notorious way with words, and the title of this movie came from a throwaway comment he once made. His best line in "A Hard Day's Night" occurs in the first seven-and-a-half minutes. There's a scene in which the Beatles are traveling by train, and a pompous commuter (played by Richard Vernon) arrives in their compartment. He offends the Fabs by closing a window they wanted open and turning off Ringo's radio. When Beatle John sasses the commuter, the older man sniffs, "And don't take that tone with me, young man. I fought the war for your sort." Retorts Ringo: "I bet you're sorry you won!" Later in the movie, an interviewer asks Ringo if he's a mod or a rocker. "Uh, no, I'm a mocker," he replies. Memorable quote: "Sorry we hurt your field, Mister." -- Beatle George, after a man admonishes the band members for romping around on private property. Be sure to notice: When Beatle John is in the train compartment with his mates early on in the movie, he pretends to snort a Pepsi-Cola bottle -- a subtle drug reference. Musical muse: One of the schoolgirls on the train is played by Pattie Boyd, who later became Mrs. George Harrison and eventually Mrs. Eric Clapton. She inspired the Beatles song "Something" (written and performed by Harrison) and the hits "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" (written and performed by Clapton). From the Beatles to Bond: The gorgeous blonde who hovers near Beatle Paul's grandfather at the Le Cercle gambling club is actress Margaret Nolan. She later appeared as Dink, James Bond's Miami Beach masseuse at the beginning of "Goldfinger." Nolan also was the model painted gold in the opening credits of the 1964 film about 007. The gambling club in the Beatles movie was also used for the famous first appearance of Sir Sean Connery as Bond in "Dr No" (1962). Expires January 7, 2015. 2. Jimi Hendrix (1973) -- Gary Weis, who produced short films for "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970s, co-directed (with Joe Boyd and John Head) this documentary about the life and times of the legendary rock guitarist (1942-1970). The film features some of Hendrix's live performances as well as comments by Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, Little Richard and Hendrix's father Al. There also is footage of Hendrix's appearance on the September 9, 1969 episode of "The Dick Cavett Show." Among the songs performed by Hendrix: "Purple Haze," "Wild Thing," "Like A Rolling Stone," "Hey Joe," "Johnny B. Goode" and the controversial rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." André Benjamin, better known as André 3000 of the hip-hop duo Outkast, starred as Hendrix in the 2013 biopic "Jimi: All Is By My Side." Expires January 7, 2015.

So when did Jack Lemmon come into the picture as Butch -- before or after Garner?

"The Milago Beanfield War" was shown at least once -- in 2009 -- when TCM explored "Race & Hollywood: Latino Images in Film."

I like the Redford version of "The Great Gatsby," but I don't love it. As much as I admire Mia Farrow, I would have liked to see Ali MacGraw play Daisy. I can't remember if MacGraw was the original choice, but it was her idea to make the movie. She was married to Paramount production chief Robert Evans at the time. But Farrow wound up with the role -- and the first-ever cover of People magazine in 1974. Some things I love about "The Great Gatsby": Sam Waterston -- As narrator Nick Carraway, he is the heart and soul of the film, and we see many things through his eyes. This was a noteworthy picture for the actor, who went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for his work in "The Killing Fields" (1984). He also starred in the long-running "Law and Order" television series and the recent HBO drama "The Newsroom." Lois Chiles -- This was the second consecutive Redford film that featured this statuesque Texan with the dark good looks. She played a minor role in "The Way We Were" (1973). This time, she appears as Daisy's friend, professional golfer Jordan Baker. Chiles would go on to match wits (and generate sparks) with Roger Moore's James Bond in the 1979 out-of-this-world spy film "Moonraker." Her character's unforgettable name: Dr. Holly Goodhead. Scott Wilson -- I've always liked this Atlanta-born actor from his early roles in "In Cold Blood" (1967) and "In the Heat of the Night" (1967). As George Wilson, the deluded husband of the unfaithful Myrtle (Karen Black), he becomes the unfortunate catalyst for Gatsby's undoing. Now 72, Scott Wilson later loomed as a solid presence during Seasons 2-4 of TV's "The Walking Dead" in the role of veterinarian Hershel Greene. Nelson Riddle's adaptation score -- The veteran arranger (1921-1985), who collaborated with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis and Linda Ronstadt, won his only Academy Award for his work on this film. He also created the theme for the 1960s television series "Route 66" and provided music scores for TV's "The Untouchables" and "Batman." Theoni V. Aldredge's costumes -- "The Gatsby look" was very hot in 1974, and much of the credit for that goes to the Greek-born designer (1923-2011) who won an Oscar for her efforts in the film. Almost 40 years later, Australia's Catherine Martin, the wife of director Baz Luhrmann, won a Best Costume Design Oscar for her husband's 2013 version of "The Great Gatsby." The green light at the end of Daisy's dock -- In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, it's a metaphor for Gatsby's desire to reclaim his past. It's a haunting image each time it appears in the film. Is the film loyal to the source material, considered by many to be the Great American Novel? Let's just say it's about as good a screen adaptation of Fitzgerald's work as you'll ever find. The movie's screenwriter would go on to win three 1974 Academy Awards -- Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (with Mario Puzo) -- for "The Godfather Part II." His name: Francis Ford Coppola.

If this was shot fairly recently, they both look amazing for people now in their 80s.

Probably. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was one of the first great modern buddy movies, and the chemistry between the garrulous Butch and the taciturn Sundance was near-perfect. And the 29-minute chase sequence IS great. When it comes to sex appeal, I always will love Katharine Ross. I also remember what costume designer Edith Head said when she won a 1973 Academy Award for her fashions for Paul Newman and Robert Redford in "The Sting." "Just imagine dressing the two handsomest men in the world," she declared, "and then getting this."

Many consider that episode -- credited to the great science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison -- to be the best "Star Trek" storyline during its series run from 1966 to 1969. Here's a clip in which "Star Trek" star William Shatner reminisces with Dame Joan:

Hurt's most famous movie scene was in Ridley Scott's classic outer space thriller "Alien" (1979): He later re-created the moment for "Spaceballs," Mel Brooks' 1987 film spoof of "Star Wars" and space movies:

Political activist that he is, Redford was intrigued by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and their investigation into the 1972 Watergate break-in and subsequent Nixon White House coverup. It was he who persuaded Woodstein to write "All the President's Men," which became an immediate best-selling book. He then acquired the rights to turn it into a movie.

What I've admired most about Redford is how he took charge of his own career after "Butch Cassidy." As a result, he consistently appeared in -- and produced and directed -- quality films for the next four decades.