BenHere

There isn't one this month. This is the only part of the Now Playing email that isn't also available on the main site. I like it. This month I'm missing it. I can print it out on 2 pages and use it even if I'm not near a computer. I hope this is just for this month because of 31 Days of Oscar.

Actually, you can search by studio. Except the one Major they leave off of the search criteria (radio buttons) is Columbia.

Three Smart Girls with Deanna Durbin is on June 7th. That's a Universal film.

At least a couple of the previous courses occurred over two months. Based on how much territory is left uncovered by this course, they certainly could have used 2 months this time around. It also occurs to me that it might have useful to organize the weeks by studio, rather than decade.

This question isn't meant to provoke anybody, I'm just curious what further musicals, not in the line-up, that folks would want to add to the must-see list. My first addition would be Love Me Tonight (1932), with Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier, directed by Rouben Mamoulian. Casually described as the best Lubitsch film that wasn't a Lubitsch film. It also been characterized as the first 'modern' musical, the first to get beyond the static, stagy presentations of the first film musicals. I find it gloriously witty, rhythmic even in the spoken dialogue.

Reading the course introduction, it says "... the vast array and sheer numbers of Hollywood musicals produced from the historic major studios such as MGM, Warner Bros, RKO, Paramount, Universal, and 20th Century Fox...". Didn't Columbia produce any musicals?

Over the years, I've found Meet Me in St. Louis to be one of my 'comfort movies' - it makes me feel warm and comfy. Such a perfect film. Lately, I've gotten in the habit of watching The Harvey Girls every time it shows. Oh Judy.

Yes, I did leave off Fox. Not intentionally.

Simplifying things quite a bit here. MGM's style is generally described as opulent, lavish, full of big stars, owned the musical after 1939. Warner's was blue-collar, underworld, common-man, nothing flashy. But what about the rest of the Majors? Universal owned horror in the 30s, but did they have style beyond that? Columbia, Paramount, RKO? Did these studios have an overriding style or look or philosophy?

Throwing out an idea here. Ben introduced the last original evening of Bob's Picks the other night. Choked me up quite a bit. But there are 20+ years of Bob's Picks. Archived, maybe catalogued somewhere. How would folks feel if there continued to be monthly Bob's Picks, drawing on what has already been done? Repeating the picks from 10 or 15 or 20 years ago. Most likely with Ben doing the hosting and drawing on Robert's own introductions. Or possibly with a guest host. Would it be too much if Robert's original recorded intros and outros were used? Is this idea way off base

I received my Now Playing Guide for September and saw that the September spotlight is called Painfully Funny - Exploring Slapstick in the Movies. I'm not sure who's hosting it on TCM, but like the Summer of Darkness noir-fest last year, there will be a free online course associated with it, taught by the same Ball State professor who did last year's course, Richard Edwards. (https://www.canvas.net/browse/bsu/tcm2/courses/slapstick) Unfortunately the sign-up seems to be disabled. I hope I'm too early and not too late. The course itself opens on 8/28. Anybody have any further info abo

Even more things I learned from the movies: - Wire-haired terriers are just as clever as collies. And a lot more fun. - The best use for chin stubble – lighting matches. - There is nothing like a dame. But dolls come pretty close. And broads? Don’t even think about it. - Drunk people sure are funny. - If you’re rich and single, Deco’s the way to go. - Huge New York penthouses used to be very affordable.

Here are a few more things I learned from the movies: - Best first aid for the seriously injured – whiskey and a cigarette. If you’re short on whiskey, bourbon will do. Never cooking sherry. - Everybody in Washington goes to the Lincoln Memorial to think things over. - Every window in Washington has a lovely view of the Capitol. - Every window in Paris has a lovely view of the Eiffel Tower. - A good way to get God’s attention is to start by saying, “I’m not a prayin’ man…” - No one ever wins at solitaire. Ever.

I've been diligently stuffing my DVR with plenty of January offerings. February is always the month to count on for the fewest TCM premieres and maximum amount of "seen it more than enough" movies. It's also the month ( I guess) that TCM counts on bringing in the 'once a year viewers' who only want to see the same 10 movies every year and are convinced that those are the only good films made before they were born.

I have a multi-page document of my own entitled "Things I Learned From the Movies". I keeping adding to it as I 'learn' new things. Here are a few: - A man's hair can never be too shiny. - Every cross-country train has one car featuring a full musical production. - Nobody needed toilets until the late 1950s. - Throwing up is just loud coughing. - A hundred years ago, you couldn’t hear what anybody said. - People didn't use to bleed so much. And my favorite - "It's better when you help"-Slim