Stephan55

Hah, I love that movie and had to watch this clip 3 or 4 times... very funny. Wonder if it really was a Warner Bros. edit made for laughs, or just a phoney. Funny regardless.

Hah, Dargo I bet you and I could share some familiar tales. Yep, I was "bachelor #3" and she choose #2. But she really meant to pick me as when Lange asked her what it was that made her make her decision, she said that we "all sounded so great," but it was the answer to one question that swayed her. And that was my answer, that she had mistakenly attributed to #2. We both looked at each other with surprize when she said that and shrugged our shoulders. She must have been confused, and Jim Lange even mentioned that it was bachelor #3 who said that, but #2 went on the date anyway. Oh well, I missed out on a terrific trip to far-off and exotic Ensenada (the Dating Game wasn't known for it's big expenditures). So were you able to ditch the chaperone? BTW, she did give me a call, and we hooked up after her "date" with #2. We spent a very enjoyable weekend camping at Pirates Cove, near Avila. But that, my friend, is another off-topic story.... While I'm on the subject of beaches. There's another "Pirates Cove" that you're probably familiar. It's a secluded part of Zuma beach near Malibu, at Point Dume. The beach is kind of shallow and pretty isolated by large rocky outcroppings extending to the water, with a steep cliff at its back. A bunch of us found out about it in early HS, and it was a treat to visit. Anyway, in the summer of 1967, we went up there and that whole section of Point Dume was cordoned off. Because the way it's situated it's easy to isolate that beach and there have been commercials and such filmed there. But this time they were filming the Statue of Liberty scene for The Planet Of The Apes. We usually brought some cheap binoculars with us whenever we went to Zuma, and this time they paid off with dividends. Even though we were'nt allowed down there, there was a camera crew and a bunch of locals up on the bluff looking down at the action, and we could still see well enough to make out Chuck, Nova, and a support gang down below. Had to wait almost a year to see the movie, but when it came out, we recognized the beach scene, though there was no Statue Of Liberty mock-up when we saw the actual filming. That must have been filled in later during special effects editing. Along this same light, I was fortunate to see some of the filming of the D-Day landing scene from The Americanization Of Emily that was filmed on Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, in 1964. My mom had some friends in Oxnard who said they were making a movie there and invited us up to see. Though at that time I didn't have any binoculars and wasn't close enough to make out James Garner on the beach, the simulated combat action and fireworks were still pretty impressive at the time. And of course, I had the bragging rights that I'd been there.

Taken "good naturedly" Well Sepia, Everyone has a story to tell. But I'd have lived a very short and unadventurous life if that is all I could manage for an autobiography. Just a few snipits from memory lane stimulated by this thread and it's posters.

That's a Great story (edit) sorry, I meant Darkblue! Reminds me of my mom and grandparents simple rural background. And hilariously interesting. I had to google "Michael Ironside, actor" just so I could get a fix on this guys head. And yeah, I've seen him in several movies... including SCANNERS, TOTAL RECALL, and of course, STARSHIP TROOPERS. Such humble beginnings don't have to limit a person. How does the saying go? "From little acorns mighty oaks will grow"... edit: Scot-Irish and French ancestry on my mother's side (that I am aware) My family was poor white trash from rural Missouri. A small farming community. My Grandma had 11 kids that survived. Lost two shortly after birth. My mom was the 3rd borne, with one older sister and half brother ahead of her. I was the first grandson. Had an uncle about a year older, and another not quite 2 years older. My mom left me with my grandparents when I was a baby while she went to California looking for work (a better life). My grandma was still breastfeeding my youngest uncle, and I'm told she had me on the other teat. The house was very small with no foundation. Literally sinking into the ground. No running water. Good well with a hand pump in the yard. Outhouse, woodstove. Hot water heated in buckets on the stove for a weekly bath in water we all shared. No privacy. Bathed in a washtub in the kitchen. Bathed according to age, with the youngest getting the cleanest water first. Drinking bucket with a dipper near the kitchen door. Anyone (family or neighbors) coming in or leaving was free to share the dipper. At night all manner of daybeds were layed out. With a full house it was literally head-to-foot bodies, wall-to-wall. My grandparents lived in that house until the early 1970's when my mother and I bought them a newer, better house on the corner. Without anybody living in the old home place it literally fell to the ground within 10 years. When I was a little kid living with my grandparents I wasn't aware that we thought of ourselves as poor. But most of the community wasn't much better off than we were. There was a neighbor up the road that had a modern house with an indoor toilet and a telephone. Actually it was more like a community phone because they'd send someone down to my grandma and tell her my mom was calling long distance from California. We thought we ate well, though the pantry also held considerable government rations. My grandpa and eldset uncle served in WW2. My two youngest uncles and myself served much later. I was the first grandchild to attend college, courtesy of the GI bill.

I remember meeting both Little Oscar and Engineer Bill when I was a kid. A bunch of kids (myself included) had conned our parents to take us to some store grand opening where our 'heroes' would be appearing. Engineer Bill was wearing his engineer dungarees and his railroad engineer hat. He had us all holding hands in one big circle, while he walked around the outside of the circle patting each of us on our heads. A different time, I remember a bunch of us standing around waiting for Little Oscar to show up in his Weinie Mobile. When we saw it pull in the parking lot we all started screaming and yelling. Then little Oscar got out, wearing his big oversized white cook hat, and gave each of us a package of minnie franks. I remember thinking that he wasn't much taller than us kids, and we were 'little' kids at the time. Had similar meetings with Sheriff John (of Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade), Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger), Tom Hatten (used to host Popeye and draw cartoons), and Chuckles The Clown (NOT from the Mary Tyler Moore show, was a real kids TV show host in So Cal in the 1950's and a precurser to Bozo). Later was even on the Bozo The Clown Show when it was all live broadcasts. Even met The Three Stooges in person, but it was Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser at the time (my favorite, Curly "Joe" Howard, had long since passed away). That autographed picture of the Cisco Kid brought back memories. I had one of those too, but I can't remember ever meeting him. I used to watch his show though, along with The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and the like, were all childhood staples for me. My mom had a friend who was an actress at the time, her name was Carol Quinn. She never made it big, but when she was a young h o t t i e she played bit parts. She had a portfolio and used to show me photos of her with different actors and actresses that she either knew or had worked with. I remember one of her with Abbott and Costello. She used to bring autographed pictures for me. I remember her taking me to audition for Dennis the Menace. I was called to come back along with Jay North. His mom was there and we played around until each of us was called in to interview again. I remember having to yell "Hello Mr. Wilson" a lot. Carol told my mom that I might get the part as the producers had narrowed it down to either me or Jay, but for whatever reason my mom had second thoughts about the whole thing and refused to let it go any further. I remember being disappointed at the time, especially when I used to watch the show and thought that could've been me on TV. But who knows how it would have all turned out if I'd actually gotten the part. I may have been cornholed as "Dennis The Menace" for the rest of my life??? Still I suppose it would have paid much better than "Stephan the Menace." When I was in High School I worked at a novelty shop in Manhattan Beach. The owner was an old New Yorker, and she knew celebrities from as far back as the vaudeville days. She introduced me to Harold Peary (The Great Gildersleeve), and I had no idea who he was. She asked him to "do the laugh," which he did, but it did nothing for me. He just said, "Well, it was before his time." Today when I see some of Peary's old films (on TCM, where else) I fondly remember the man I met long ago. I was on the Manhattan Beach pier one summer when the cast of The Munsters showed up. Well, not all of them, but I did see Al Lewis (Grandpa) and Butch Patrick (Eddie) there for some reason. Butch, was playing around the water. It was getting late in the afternoon and I remember Al was wearing plaid shorts and a white T-shirt. His skin was very pale and his legs were skinny and white. He had this big cigar in his mouth and he looked out-of-place. Being a fan of the show, I recognized him immediately and when our eyes met I said "You are..." and he shook his head yes. He had a kind-of tired and disgusted look on his face. I then said "I bet you get tired of people asking you, huh?" He nodded again, never saying a word. I decided to leave him alone and walk on. Saw Chill Wills strolling big as life in LAX once. He was wearing cowboy boots and sporting a big, Texan cowboy hat, almost as if he'd just come off a movie set. Big man. I worked with this kid who was going to film school. He was a real film fanatic, which at that time I kind-of found it hard to understand. In the days before VHS he had a relatively large collection of expensive 16mm films he'd collected for private showings. He'd get these tickets or passes to Hollywood events and sometimes he'd ask me to go with him. We'd watch these premiers and test audiance some yet to be released and many never to be released television shows. Got to see a several celebrities like George Burns, Groucho Marx, Red Buttons, and many others while in his company. My mom knew a Titanic survivor and we'd occassionally visit her. She lived in a house in Hermosa Beach that her husband had built for her. It had round windows like portholes and inside was filled with Titanic memorabilia. Her name was Edwina MacKenzie, but when on the ship her maiden name was Trout. She was 27 years old when the Titanic sank and her memmories of the event were quite vivid. She was a very friendly, talkative woman who remained lucid and active up to her death at 100. As far as "Greatness" goes, I suppose meeting Robert F. Kennedy would be one of my highs. On May 16, 1968, he was campaigning for president in Southern California. He was right next door to my high school in the TRW parking lot in Redondo Beach. The Juniors and Seniors were let out early to go over there. He was standing behind a podium talking about civil rights and U.S. apartheid, the Vietnam War, the U.S. and Arab - Israeli relationship, and answering tough questions on hot topics. There were some people there with signs in relatively respectful silent opposition. Each held a poster size piece of cardboard with a large letter. They were lined up so the letters read "STICK WITH NIXON." Later, some of those people dropped away so their message eventually became amusingly garbled. We had our own hastily prepared sign as well. It read "Get A Hair Cut!" It was meant in good fun because Bobby always had a habit of flicking his hair away from his forehead. He goodnaturedly acknowledged us and said in his Bobby Kennedy voice, that he'd just gotten a hair cut before he arrived, so we could put our sign down. At that we all yelled in harmony "Sock It To Um Bobby!" (a cliche of the day) Later he shook our hands. I was young and questioning almost everything, but still idealistic enough to think at that time that he was a leader that I could believe in. About three weeks later he was in the Ambassador Hotel. He'd just won the California primary.... When I lived in Alaska I met many mushers from the Iditorod and Yukon Quest sled dog races. Including the founder of the Iditorod Sled Dog Race, Joe Redington, and the first woman to win the race in 1985, Libby Riddles, and the woman who won the race again, again, and again, Susan Butcher. While training sled dogs one winter I met Norman Vaughan, at the time the oldest Iditorod musher at the age of 80. Norman had quite the gift of gab, and much history to gab about. Norman was a life long adventurer. When he was 23 he dropped out of Harvard to become part of Admiral Byrd's historic Antarctic expedition (1928-1930). He became a sled dog handler and trainer for Byrd who named an Antarctic Mountain after him. To hear Norman talk about the South Pole one would think he ran the entire expedition, but then there was no one left alive to refute his words. Afterwards he competed in the 1932 Winter Olympics as a sprint musher. During WW2 he commanded a Special Army Unit using sled dogs for search and rescue. His teams played a heroic part ferrying supplies and wounded during the "Battle of the Bulge" when foul weather locked up the skies, and snow impeded all but the hardiest of ground travel. Norman also served in Korea, and retired a Colonel. From 1981-1992, he was part of an expedition to recover a squadron of P-38's and two B-17s buried in Greenland ice since 1942. In his 80's Norman wooed, courted and married his fourth and last wife, Carolyn Muegge, who was an attractive woman less than half his age. In 1994, at 88, Norman returned to Antarctica and climbed Mt. Vaughan for the first time. Norman promised his mother he wouldn't touch a drop of liquer until his 100th birthday. True to his word, on the celebration of his century, he tasted alcohol for the first time. A few days later he passed away. Norman Vaughn was quite an inspirational figure and I am privileged to have known him. According to Norman's life and motto, I'm still a kid with many miles ahead of me yet to travel. Regarding some others more in line with this thread... As a young man I was on the Dating Game (no I wasn't picked) but I got to meet Jim Lange. When I was a manager in a store in Marina Del Rey, California, in the late 1970's, I saw and "met" a number of "celebrities" that used to shop there. Some of the folks who strolled in were Lou Ferrigno (a very gentle, soft spoken giant), Charles Nelson Reilly, Linda Hamilton (way before she did "Terminator" and "Beauty and The Beast"), and several others that I can't think of at this moment. Aside from who they were, they were walking around and behaving pretty much like anyone else. Several of the regulars from the Hollywood Squares used to shop there. Paul Lynde, Morey Amsterdam, and the hilarious Jonathan Winters. He'd get this cherubic grin on his face when he saw us looking at him, and I'd start bustin' up without him saying or doing anything, just the anticipation of what he might say or do was enough, and he knew it. I think he got a kick out of it as much as we did. Wally Cox rode a motorcycle and seemed to enjoy sharing stories. He once told a few of us that when he was living with Marlon Brando he didn't get along with Brando's pet raccoon "Russell," especially when using the bathroom. He'd be sitting there and Russell would open the door and come in to wash his food in the bathtub... Wally said he always found that "disconcerting." John Davidson once asked me what was the best spaghetti to buy? I just gave him the most expensive brand we had. Having not tried it myself, I told him that it was a "popular" brand.... One time one of the clerks excitedly came up to me and said that Bo Derek was in the store (this was right after "10" which explains his excitement). I asked "where?" And he said that she was at the meat department. I casually strolled over to have a look and saw these two young girls talking to one of the butchers and looking at the various cuts. I'll admit that one of them looked a lot like Bo, but they were both very short and casually dressed, so at the time I returned and said, "Awe, she just looks like Bo Derek." But the clerk insisted she was really Bo Derek and pointed out that John was hanging out at the donut counter drinking coffee. No mistaking him, so Yep. It was really her. I guess if she'd been sporting the braids I'd have recognized her right off. We were open 24/7 and late one evening Linda Lovelace strolled in with an entourage. She had this big motorhome in the parking lot with "Lovelace" painted on the side, so she wasn't trying to be discreet. There were also several high-class call-girls who shopped there. Some of the regulars were quite friendly and talkative, some even dropping a few names. There was a kid who used to work there who was trying to break into show business. He was quite talented and used to entertain us with his impersonations. He had an apartment at the Marina City Club. His rent at that time was about everything he earned at the store. He rode a bicycle everywhere and invited some of us to see his apartment. His bed was a mattress on the floor. He had no furniture to speak of, some empty milk and soda crates for stools and tables. I asked him why he wanted to live like that and he told me that it was for the address. He said that there were two kinds of people who lived there... Those who had "made-it" (in the entertainment industry), and those who were seeking an opportunity to "make-it" by rubbing shoulders with the former. I can't even remember his name now. I wonder if he was ever able to "make-it?"

http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/53316-underground-schedule-change-tonight/ I see that you caught the "error" while the film change was in progress, I didn't discover it until I checked today to see what I had (and hadn't) recorded. I do have a copy of NOTHING LASTS FOREVER (1984) that I recorded when TCM last aired it. If you send me a PM with your mailing address I'd be happy to send the disc to you. Hopefully that won't violate any "rights issues." I'm just alittle disappointed that this misinformation "glitch" caused me to miss an opportunity to see one of the few Robert Ulrich films, and Natalie Woods last. BRAINSTORM is currently on schedule to play again later this month, so I may have another shot at that. No telling when THE ICE PIRATES will be reshown. I won't shed any tears over this, just a little disappointed. I've lost many, many, many,... times more opportunities to watch a good ole' movie on TCM due to my provider's poor signals and interruptions, etc. than when TCM makes a schedule change that I don't catch. I can forgive TCM. With my provider it's a habitual problem that I pay a hefty sum to support.

I can see that. Funny how their current month schedule link is up-to-date; and their weekly schedule is now up-to-date, but their daily schedule is NOT. I suggest that TCM have their IT person, or whomever is qualified and authorized, to make sure that when one of their "master" schedules is updated, that ALL of their schedules receive the same UPDATE, at the SAME TIME. Would have eliminated last nights frustration. And possibly future frustration from most TCM devotees. We already have to contend with outages, poor signal quality, and interruptions from our TCM providers, it would be nice to be able to count on TCM having a consistently reliable online schedule that we can refer to. Also, would be really nice to implement some sort of automatic email alert "program schedule change" notification for TCM subscribers.

Like yourself, I receive the Now Playing Guide in the mail. I like reading it, but it's not reliable. I almost exclusively use the 3-month-out online monthly schedules and save a copy of that to my PC and edit it from the more accurate TCM Full Daily/Weekly schedules. This has worked for me for a number of years now, but it does take a lot of time. It would be really nice and convenient if TCM would provide an automated email update service such as you suggest for those schedule changes. Or, at the very least a color code for schedule changes as MovieCollectorOH suggested. I abhor the need to use outside TCM sources to double-check a posted TCM schedule.

Thanks for the Links, Movie. I have saved zapit so I can refer to it. I always start with TCM's Monthly Schedule http://www.tcm.com/schedule/monthly.html?tz=EST&sdate=2015-06-01 Then revise with their daily and/or weekly schedules as needed. Weekly http://www.tcm.com/schedule/weekly.html?tz=CST&sdate=2015-05-30 (which, BTW, I see does now have the accurate listings for last night, though still NOT on the Daily http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.html?tz=CST&sdate=2015-05-30 Go figure!) I can't check what ZapIt said about last night on TCM as it appears to only go forward for about 4-5 days. But it seems silly that sources other-than TCM would have more accurate schedule information than TCM's own online schedule/s. And if I have to refer to all these alternates just to verify what TCM is actually going to show, then I'll only likely do it when it is a very special movie that I want to be sure to watch or record. Certainly won't be doing all this double-checking all the time. It's bad enough using TCM's Full Daily Schedule to cross-check their monthly schedule, but I'd resigned myself to that habitual effort long ago. Like I said, thankfully this is a rare occurance.

That would be helpful, but in this case it wouldn't have mattered as they are still listing the TCM Full Daily Schedule as if nothing has /had changed... http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.html?tz=CST&sdate=2015-05-30 So unless one uses Twitter or Facebook, or has DVR access to a service like Schedules Direct, etc. they will not be up-to-speed if relying on just TCM's online schedule for accuracy, when things like this happen. Fortunately, this is a rare occurance.

Nope, I have to program it manually like a VCR.

I have an aftermarket HD DVR that I program manually based on the best schedule information that I have, which evidently is not always good enough.

Thanks Holden, Like yourself, I plan to record BRAINSTORM at that time. Hopefully it won't be swapped out for something else at that time.... ???? Wonder when/if TCM will show ICE PIRATES AGAIN?

Thanks Barton Evidently we "Need" more than just TCM's Full on-line schedule to be kept abreast of the latest, last minute changes that sometimes occur. I do not subscribe to Twitter or Facebook, etc. and my only sources for TCM programing have been their published monthly hardcopy and their monthly online schedules, which are both subject to change. I have been referring to the TCM Daily Full online Schedule for the latest revisions, which has (from my experience) up until now, been up-to-date with what TCM actually broadcasts. I own my own HD DVR which I then program to record whatever I will not be available to immediately watch. I am still wondering how such "rights" to broadcast can be revoked at the last minute like this, especially on films that TCM has either recently broadcast or has previously broadcast numerous times in the past.

A "Rights Issue" for what, Nothing Lasts Forever (1984)? That film was shown by TCM earlier this year. Likewise TCM has aired Paris Blues several times before, without problem. How can these "Right's Issues" crop up out of the blue, to the point that TCM programers are not even aware early enough to post in their "revised" Full schedule? And if such changes are NOT noted in the "latest" on-line schedule, what good does "daily monitoring" of it do for us when it comes to watching or recording? edit What schedule was "Barton" looking at? It is still posting that NOTHING LASTS FOREVER played last night on the TCM FULL DAILY SCHEDULE http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.html?tz=CST&sdate=2015-05-30

Did anyone else catch this "glitch" in last nights film lineup? I had the DVR set to record INTRUDER IN THE DUST and later THE ICE PIRATES last night. Today, when I looked at the recordings, I noticed that at the end of IITD, there was no end wrap-around by Ben, and no pop-up giving the next 3 programs. The next movie began just before the DVR shutoff and instead of NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, which was (and still is listed in the current Full-schedule) BRAINSTORM began. BRAINSTORM carried over into when ICE PIRATES was supposed to start, and even though I had the DVR set to record until 10 minutes into the next feature (Perversion For Profit) because of the unscheduled & unlisted last minute program change the DVR shut off well before the end of ICE PIRATES. At the time I thought, maybe I had overlooked a last minute program change, but when I checked last nights schedule today it was still listing the below programs. Had I known BRAINSTORM was going to be on I would have recorded it too. Instead of missing both it and ICE PIRATES which I'd never seen. BRAINSTORM (1983) was Natalie Wood's last film. She died while this film was in production. Natalie Wood had been acting since she was a young child and was one of only a few child stars that was able to successfully transition from child-to-teen-to-adult roles. She was only 43 when she died November 29, 1981. Though Natalie had already completed most of her major scenes, her death shut down MGM production of BRAINSTORM. However, after a display of interest in her last film was demonstrated, additional funding was acquired and director/producer Douglas Trumbull rewrote some scenes and used a body double in others (a la Jean Harlow's last film SARATOGA in 1937), enabling the completion and distribution of BRAINSTORM in September 1983. Although (unlike SARATOGA) BRAINSTORM fell far short of recouping its $18 million production costs by almost $8 million at the box office. THE ICE PIRATES (1984) was the 3rd of only about a dozen films featuring Robert Ulrich. During his all to brief life and acting career Robert Ulrich was featured and starred in several television programs and is perhaps best known for the "Spencer For Hire" PI series (1985-1988). But he was only in about a dozen feature films and was the lead in only a few of those (including ICE PIRATES). Robert Ulrich was first diagnosed with cancer in 1996. After undergoing chemo he was pronounced "cancer free" in 1998. But the cancer returned and he passed away in April 2002, at the age of 55. Evidently the people at TCM are still unaware that someone did a programing switcharoo last night. 11:15 PM B/W 87 min TV-G drama Intruder In The Dust (1949) Only a young boy and an old woman stand between an innocent black man and a lynch mob. Dir: Clarence Brown Cast: David Brian , Claude Jarman Jr. , Juano Hernandez .B/W 87 min , CC CLOSE LEONARD MALTIN REVIEW: D: Clarence Brown. David Brian, Claude Jarman, Jr., Juano Hernandez, Porter Hall, Elizabeth Patterson. Black man (Hernandez, in a solid performance) is accused of murder in a Southern town, and a gathering mob wants to lynch him. First-rate adaptation of William Faulkner novel. Surprisingly strong for a mainstream Hollywood film of that period; good use of locations, superbly photographed by Robert Surtees. Biggest problem: Brian's character is always speechifying and moralizing. Screenplay by Ben Maddow. REVIEW: close captioned Buy The DVD BUY Intruder In The Dust DVD Who shot Vinson Gowrie in the back? The jailhouse at Jefferson, Mississippi, may not hold the actual killer, but it does have the suspect an angry lynch mob wants: Lucas Beauchamp,...more $19.99add to cart enlarge Close 1:00 AM 1433052000 comedy Nothing Lasts Forever (1984) EXPAND 1:00 AM Color 82 min comedy Nothing Lasts Forever (1984) A displaced artist falls in with a group of social outcasts who actually rule the world. Dir: Tom Schiller Cast: Zach Galligan , Apollonia van Ravenstein , Lauren Tom .Color 82 min 2:30 AM 1433057400 horror Ice Pirates, The (1984) EXPAND 2:30 AM Color 91 min TV-14 horror Ice Pirates, The (1984) Two space pirates are dragooned into helping a princess find her father. Dir: Stuart Raffill Cast: Robert Urich , Mary Crosby , Michael D Roberts .Color 91 min 4:15 AM 1433063700 short Perversion For Profit (1965) EXPAND 4:15 AM Color 31 min TV-MA short Perversion For Profit (1965) This anti-porn short film shows a floodtide of filth engulfing the country in the form of newsstand obscenity. Cast: Damian O'Flynn ,Color 31 min

When one woman gives herself... You possess All women... Charles Laughton - Rembrandt (1936) I had the good fortune to be watching another vintage Alexander Korda biopic, REMBRANDT, starring the great Charles Laughton, along with his wife and lifelong love, Elsa Lanchester. When early in the film Laughton delivered the lines from the "poem" that I had referenced in my earlier post. The scene is in a rowdy Holland inn. Rembrant was asked why a man should want to paint his wife after seven years of marriage... Whereupon Laughton (as Rembrant) delivered an elegant tribute to his wife Saskia, describing her as "all women..." "A man in the land of whores and the lord gave him all that the human heart could desire. But beyond all, this man was in love with his wife. The secret he possessed was a vision... A creature, Half child, half woman, Half angel, half lover, brushed against him. And of a sudden he knew that when one woman gives herself to you, you possess all women. Women of every age and race and kind, and more than that, the moon the stars, all miracles of legend, are yours. The brown skinned girls who inflame your senses with their play... The cool, yellow haired women who entice and escape you... The gentle ones who serve you... The slender ones who torment you... The mothers who bore and suckled you.... All women who god created out of the teaming fullness of the earth are yours and to love as one woman. Throw a purple garment lightly over her shoulders and she becomes the Queen of Sheba. Lay your tousled head lightly upon her breast and she is a Delilah, waiting to enthrall you. Take her garments from her, strip the last veil from her body, and she is a chaste Suzanna, covering her nakedness with fluttering hands. Gaze upon her as you'd gaze upon a thousand strange women, but never call her yours, for her secrets are inexhaustable, you'll never know them all. Call her by one name only... I call her Saskia." Rembrandt (1936 film) British biopic 85 minutes Produced & Directed by Alexander Korda Written by June Head & Lajos Bíró, From a story by Carl Zuckmayer Featuring: Charles Laughton, Gertrude Lawrence, Elsa Lanchester, Edward Chapman, Roger Livesey, John Bryning, Music by Geoffrey Toye Distributed by London Film Productions United Artists Release dates 6 November 1936 (UK) 25 December 1936 (US) After hearing this, I realized that I had mistakenly given Laughton credit for the writing, when in fact he was the deliverer of this beautiful soliloquy. My memory from that time was that Charles Laughton had received credit on the parchment, and that the poem had been dedicated to his wife, which I had mistakenly construed to be Elsa Lanchester, as opposed to Rembrandt's wife Saskia. This explains why all my searches for this poem had failed me as Laughton was not the author. And perhaps these lines originally appeared in the script of the movie, written by June Head & Lajos Bíró, or from the story by Carl Zuckmayer. In any event, I think the lines are a beautiful tribute to womankind, and within them perhaps lies one of the secrets to a lasting monogamous relationship. I always marvel at such life long relationships, and if Laughton can only receive rightful credit for rendering those beautiful lines with his wonderful voice, it appears obvious (to me) that he was a practitioner of its sentiment. I was unable to upload a 2.5 minute clip from this scene as the size exceeded the allowance. But for those interested in hearing the words from a master, I have provided a YouTube link below. The scene begins at about 6:50 minutes into the movie, and ends at 9:05 min (lasting about 2:15 min). I heartily recommend this little film for those that enjoy Alexander Korda biopics, and especially for fans of Charles Laughton. Rembrandt (1936) - Alexander Korda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZK6DN_tW4 Images from the film http://www.artcrimeillustrated.com/2014/07/rembrandt-1936-charles-laughton-as.html

My bad for jumping to conclusions. Not sure if some of the things that Robert and Ben sometimes say can actually be construed as "gossip," in the literal sense, since when they do stray into these gray areas of discourse, while what they say about a particular actor may be somewhat sensational, or intimate in nature, it's generally confirmed as being true, as opposed to just rumour. And I confess that when I learn some of these backstories about an actor it will often enrich my appreciation of both them and the films that they are in. For just one example, in a case of "Life Imitating Art", RO has shared about actor Lew Ayres' pacifistic beliefs after his portrayal in ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930), and portraying Dr. Kildare in a number of MGM films. Robert shared that during WW2, Lew's views about war and killing had cost him dearly, both publicly and privately, when he was identified as a conscientious objector. Lew was at the top of his game when the the U.S. entered the war, but placing him in that box nearly destroyed his acting career. The reality was that Lew did NOT avoid military service (unlike some other Hollywood stars) but because of his beliefs he requested to be A-O-1, so that he could serve as a non-combat medic. But at that time the military assigned MOSs according to their need, and not an individuals wishes. Inductees were not allowed to make such a specific request as a condition of their enlistment. Because Lew felt so strongly about not killing another human being, those now archaic army regs forced him to request a 4E (conscientious objector) status. However, there always seem to be some exceptions in the military, and in Lew's case, he became a medic and in April 1942, his status was changed to 1A. Lew served as a First Aid instructor then, true to his character, took a drop in rank so that he could apply his skills where he believed they were needed most... saving troops in combat. Lew was both a medic and a chaplain's assistant in the Pacific Theatre. Lew saw action in both the Philippines and New Guinea providing care to soldiers and civilians alike while under fire. He was one of a handful of medics that participated in the invasion of Leyte Island. Lew was no different than other combat medics in the war in that he risked his life to render aid, rescue and evacuate others while under extreme combat conditions. Lew donated all his service pay to the American Red Cross. Lew served with distinction for three and a half years while in the Medical Corps, earning three Battle Stars. However, despite his military service and war record, when Lew returned to Hollywood after WW2, the stigma of being labeled a conscientious objector haunted him. It wasn't until he was cast as the compassionate Dr. Robert Richardson (a role very close to the real Ayres, and "Art imitating Life") opposite an Academy Award winning performance by Jane Wyman in JOHNNY BELINDA (1948), that Lew was able to maintain a viable living as an actor. However the damage had already been done and Lew never regained the stardom of his prewar Hollywood status. Lew was a man of his convictions, and I may never have known this until Robert Osborne offered the little side-line into the actors life. However, knowing what I now know, I am endeared to both Lew the man and Lew the actor. I actively seek out any movie that he's been in, and observe him carefully as he evolved through his early career and after the war. And I credit the brief wrap-around comments of TCM host Robert Osborne for steering me to discover this deep appreciation for an actor and his movies. BTW, Lew shared similar humanistic views with another famously labeled conscientious objector, Alvin C. York, who also served with distinction during WW1.

I actually knew that Dargo, and I was hoping that someone else did too! Thanks But, I do think it is apropos in the reference to which I applied.

This post is not meant to demean the OPs concern in starting this thread. This is just a hypothetical, since no one in the know from the TCM programing dept. has yet to enlighten us with an explanation... But just suppose, TCM is "damned when they do and damed when they don't?" There have been threads complaining about some of the unacceptable film versions that TCM occassionally airs. i.e. shorter run time versions, versions with "sped-up" end titles, versions in pan-and-scan, edited versions, the list goes on.... TCM has been accused of editing these titles themselves (which they don't). The lack of oversight in the TCM program and acquisitions dept. has been accused of not doing their jobs by allowing these "unacceptable" films to slip by. Some viewers have stated that TCM should not have shown these films, though scheduled, and should have replaced them with a different film that met the high TCM "uncut, unedited, and commercial free" triad of standards that TCMs regular viewers have long grown accustomed to and expect, and even demand from their beloved station. We are (or should be) aware of the Turner Broadcasting system (controlled by Time Warner) budget cut-backs of a few months ago. These budget cuts were system wide and even the relatively small and close-nit TCM staff was hit. Perhaps not as severely as other areas, but TCM did loose some staff, possibly affecting the people in oversight and research. We are aware of programing changes when TCM preempts the "posted" schedule for a "timely" film tribute to someone in the industry who has recently passed away. Most viewers are undertanding of this, but this has not prevented a few from complaining that the tribute wasn't necessary, could have/should have been delayed, or wasn't timely enough, or (when several pass away in a short time span) why wasn't there a special tribute given for all of them, or at least their favorite.... Then there are these other "mysterious" program changes which are the subject of this current thread. As in anything that is not "iron clad," some "baddies" get caught, and some slip through the net. Suppose these films were the ones that TCM's QA/QC people (or person) caught. Just suppose these were unacceptable prints that were discovered after the schedule was posted. TCM had the choice to show them, "because they were already posted on the schedule," and thereby risk the ire of disgruntled TCM viewers for not catching such "flawed" films, thereby subjecting them to view inferior product.... or TCM could replace those films with others in their library that met their high standards, but perhaps have already been shown many times, thereby providing fodder for further complaint. Of course there are many other possibilities, some already discussed here, as in SansFin's post. What if a last minute deal had been cut for a TCM premier that necessitated a program change, would that not be a worthy exchange? With perhaps an already thin staff, does TCM "owe" it to its viewers to post an explanation for the decision making rationale behind every program change it makes? Or does it owe us an apology when it occassionally airs a film that does not live up to its (and our) high standards? There have been a few times when errors have occurred in the past that not only were such apologies publicly posted but even aired. I recall Ben Mankiewicz doing so when glitches occurred with broadcasts of "Gandhi" (1982) and the 1937 version of "A Star Is Born" a few years ago (2010 or 2011?), and, if my memory serves me, after they aired the abruptly ending "The Mummy's Hand" (1940), on Oct 31, 2012. In fact when reviewing that month I discovered at least a dozen program changes on just the films that I'd planned to watch that month... So without reviewing all of my noted program changes from the last decade, I feel safe to say that this is most definitely NOT a recent trend. Of course most of these films have since been rebroadcast numerous times (perhaps not "The Mummy's Hand" and a few others... but most of them). Those who remember Ben's acknowlegement and public apology for TCM's broadcast errors and promise that TCM would reschedule those particular films were hopefully placated at that time. I even remember Robert Osborne announcing a couple of years ago, on "Bob's Picks" an apologetic explanation that a particular version of the comedy "Charley's Aunt" (of which there were at least two different 1930 & 1941 film versions bearing the same name) had been provided by the film distributor that was NOT the one they'd originally planned to air, and the switcharoo version was not discovered until the last minute. A decision was made to broadcast the version provided so, explanation in hand, we watched Charlie Ruggles instead of Jack Benny that evening. These exceptions aside, is TCM obligated to broadcast or post or inform us (other than in the posted program schedule revisions) an explanation behind every program change that occurs???? I know that it would be nice for us to know, but do we really need to know? And if TCM prioritised itself in such a way, what other things would have to be sacrificed for the cost of such explanations in time and money? Objectively speaking, when TCM occassionally disappoints us (especially at this relatively low level) can't we first give TCM the benefit of the doubt? When objectivity is not offended, is it not prefered to edify than denigrate? And for ALL the things they seem to most often do right, I agree with markfp2, "What's wrong with praising TCM?" Why is it in human nature that when someone (or entity) does most things right, it goes unsaid, unrecognized, but when something is not to our satisfaction, for whatever reason, we are quick to jump to conclusions and broadcast our discontent. A mentor once told me that it is wisest to praise in public and chastise in private. I remember President Kennedy once saying, perhaps in reference to executive decision making and congress, that "Success has a thousand fathers, but failure only one." (or perhaps he said that failure was a bastard, with no one claiming paternity). Not sure of the exact relevance of that last quote to this post and thread, but it's a truism and came to mind while typing this....

Granted, it likely will not prevent an asteroid from from smashing into the earth, or reverse the detrimental effect of climate change... Small potatoes in the big scheme of things, really. However we all live in little artificial worlds of our own creation, so for certain individuals that literally live for TCM, any alteration can seem like an earth shattering event... The passing of a favorite celebrity, no matter how distant, or the absence of a favored host, can shake and rattle their world. I enjoy RO, he was one of the early reasons why I became more interested in TCM. Now I enjoy both RO & BM pretty much equally. Though I would like the status of these two TCM hosts to remain as they have been indefinitely, I know that this is NOT reality. Robert is 83, Ben is 48, in the natural progression of things Robert will seek retirement long before Ben. Ben seems to enjoy this gig perhaps as much as I/we enjoy him. He is a very good fit and it would appear that he would be the natural replacement for Robert when that time comes. I think that is a good thing. It also appears likely that TCM will seek at least one co-host to fill Ben's position when that time comes. TCM struck gold when they "found" Robert and Ben, hopefully that streak of luck will continue. Swithin said: For the most part, I find the intros to be about gossip, about stars, etc.; not about the movies themselves. I dislike gossip as well. Would love to have everything I hear be factual and spot-on relevant... unfortunetly, that is not a possibility in any venue these days, perhaps it never has been possible, ever... I think that, for the most part, Robert and Ben shy away from "gossipy" opinion and trivia... especially of the defacing kind. But on the other hand, sometimes a back-story (and what Hollywood anything doesn't have some kind of back-story) can add to and even elevate the conversation. Everyone has experienced problems or difficulties that they live with, some quite severe. When someone succumbs to or overcomes those issues it can serve as either a warning or an inspiration for the rest of us. Whether personal or job related, difficulties in production, creative ways to work around difficulties, etc.... numerous hypotheticals that can illustrate why sometimes these trivia side-lines can make one appreciate a movie, or an actor, et al, all the more. In another thread TB mentioned that children and spouses, et al of stars can be biased... That is a given. All persons are biased to some degree or another, and memories can be both selective and flawed. However, even listening to biased and selective remembrances, especially coming from family members, can be quite revealing. What Dargo said.... I'm not gender biased when it comes to running mates. Madeleine Stowe is certainly everything you said. I think whoever takes on this kind of a hosting position should both have a healthy background on the subject matter, and really want the job, as an ongoing proposition. If TCM continues to have a myriad of guest and Spotlight hosts, that is a good thing. But I am happy with at least two main people as the regular faces that I routinely invite into my home. It's a fallacy, of course, but after all these years I "feel" as if Robert and Ben have become "trusted" friends. In that we share a love of movies and I pretty much trust what they have to say. So I invite them into my house and let them tell me about a "new" or different film that they think I might find interesting and enjoy. Or they tell me something new or different about an old film that I've already seen, so that I might take another look with refreshed eyes. I enjoy this relationship. I find it relaxing, entertaining, fun and sometimes educational. This relationship would not work for me if I did not like the personalities of these hosts. So yes, TCM IS about the movies, but when it comes the type of movies that TCM airs, ESPECIALLY when it comes to the types of films that TCM airs, the host plays a very important role in retaining older and attracting newer audiance members. In the beginning I came to TCM just to watch the movies. Now I come to TCM (and these boards) to learn more about the movies I watch. And when it comes to Robert & Ben and all the others.... I enjoy making "new" "friends," but I want to keep my old friends, for as long as is possible.

What helped make both of these films (The Proud Rebel & The Blue Dahlia) winners for me this evening was the intimate wraparounds with Ben discussing the films and Alan Ladd with Ladd's son David, who co-starred with his father in THE PROUD REBEL (1958). The more I know about a film and those involved with it, the more I find myself appreciating the film, and the likelihood that I'll watch it again.

Yes, that is the main thing. But the TCM hosts are one of the key factors that make this station unique. The "wraparound" film commentary and guest discussions about the films, be it about the films themselves, or input on the actors, directors, producers, special effects, et al, all enhance my overall film understanding and viewing experience. It's more than just watching one movie after another, it's the personality, style and grace of these hosts that help to make watching these films so much more interesting. Over the years, thanks to Robert and Ben, and others, intro and end commentary, I have learned much, and been stimulated to learn even more. I most often gravitate to the programed time slots in which Robert and Ben are going to speak about the films I watch, even if it's a film that I've already seen before. And yes, I know that it can be a sensitive subject, but I do think at this stage that it is important for TCM to be aware of our constructive input on whom they place in those hosting positions. In the slight chance that it may affect or endorse their decision process. And this is not a precedent. There have been numerous topics discussed on these boards which do not directly relate to the films themselves, including several "Like" and "Don't Like" co-host and guest host threads in the past... This is simply an affirmation for two of the great hosts that TCM does have, and that I would like for them to keep, for as long as possible. If Robert lives to be 103 and is still able and willing to share with us on TCM I would be happy for that. But just as I dislike the necessity of discussing of wills, estate plans, POA letters, and DNR directives, etc. having them in place beforehand can certainly help alleviate a lot of the decision making stress that often occurs in their absence.

Of course that is "the assumption." This has been the TCM modus operandi for 20 years, and if they maintain the status quo, for whatever reason, then I'm hoping, for consistency sake, that Ben becomes their main man. He is the natural shoe-in and we are all familiar with him and he with the "product." Of course, I agree that Ben stands on his own merit. He is intelligent, affable, articulate, an excellent interviewer, and certainly knows his craft and environment, which is one of the reasons why he appears so natural in front of the camera. Of course probably anyone with equitable characteristics could do what Ben does, and just having the "name" or family background doesn't guarantee a person of equal talent and character. But I do think that a person with Ben's innate capabilities certainly advantaged himself with his heritage. Meaning that he had a family historied in the industry and journalism that allowed an inside opportunity to absorb more and first hand access to the ins & outs. Of course there are issues with wrap around accuracy, and since the people in front of the camera rely on the research department to present much of that information there is much needed room for improvement. And I agree, when we viewers detect such errors it does reflect poorly on the station. As both jamesjazzguitar and fixreyman have pointed out, money is no doubt a factor. There have been budget cut backs, and though the cuts to TCM staff have apparently been the least of those experienced by the Turner Broadcasting system (controlled by Time Warner), none-the-less, some staff has been lost, so perhaps oversight and research have been more seriously affected. If money were no object, I for one, would love to have such expansion as you suggest, perhaps at least 3-4 minutes of accurate and enlightening wraparounds on every film that TCM airs, 24/7, with the added diversity of either different hosts, or such tried and true commodities as Bill Hader, and others, during the non-prime time hours. If that meant having one or two fewer films each day for time constraints, I'd be willing to sacrifice that. I'd also like them to bring back the old MGM and Warner cartoons they used to air. However, if TCM continues as they have, for whatever reasons, I'm hoping they stick with Ben as the prime time step-in when Robert retires, and if Ben does not feel up to it all by his lonesome, I'm hoping that TCM recruits someone with equal elan for the weekend day and fill-in work that Ben does now. Whoever that may be, will have big shoes to fill. In the meantime, I am grateful for both Robert and Ben, and that TCM is able to do the job that it does, as well as it does, with the staff that it has. And continues to do so without commercial interruption....

I've been watching how Ben Mankiewicz has been handling most of the hosting duties on TCM during Robert Osborne's recent illness and recovery, and I think that he's doing an exemplary job! (Robert Osborne's last extended medical leave was from July to December in 2011) I first noticed Ben as a regular co-host on The Young Turks talk show (with Cenk Uygur) from 2002-2007, and as a co-host of At The Movies (with Ben Lyons) from 2008-2009 (after Gene Siskel had passed away, when Roger Ebert was too ill to carry on). I then caught sight of Ben when he began hosting TCM's short lived Cartoon Alley (2004-2007) which used to be a Saturday morning staple for me, bringing back childhood memories with those MGM & Warner cartoons that I grew up with. I really miss that series and wish that TCM would revive it. I've been a fan of TCM since its inception and though I enjoyed Ben's wise cracking on Young Turks, I'll admit, when he first came on-board as the weekend daytime host at TCM, with his almost "to laid back" attitude and goatee, I was a bit skeptical as to how long he'd last and whether or not I'd care. But as the years have passed, I've grown older and (hopefully) a little wiser, and I find I've grown accustomed to regularly seeing and listening to Ben. I really enjoyed watching the interaction between Ben and his guest host father, Frank Mankiewicz, on TCM when they discussed the reality surrounding the political movies TCM aired in October 2012. Frank Mankiewicz had been a journalist, a political adviser (for George McGovern, Robert F. Kennedy, and Gary Hart), regional director for the Peace Corps, and president of National Public Radio (which is my favorite radio). So having him appear on TCM with his son was a real treat for me. Most of us are now aware of Ben's famed "Mankiwicz" heritage and background, but it took me awhile to realize that there is a lot of real savvy behind Ben's smooth exterior. Ben and his older brother Josh (also a journalist), grew up in Washington, D.C., in a Jewish-Mormon household. They are the grandsons of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, and great-nephews of screenwriter, producer, and director, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and their Uncle was screenwriter Don Mankiewicz. So when Ben's TCM logo flashes on the screen that "movies are in his blood and part of who he is" that is no exageration. I have no doubt that Ben was very close to his father, and Frank Mankiewicz recently passed on October 23, 2014, at the age of 90. And as has been posted on these boards, Ben also recently lost his Uncle Don Mankiewicz on April 25, 2015, at the age of 93. Those devotees that attended the December 2013, TCM Cruise were also witnesses to Ben's marriage to second wife Lee Russo, and the couple have a young child together. (edit: childs gender was corrected by a TCM forum member via PM, thank you) Ben can pack more information and trivia into a minutes commentary than practically anyone I know, and he does it quite naturally. Guest hosts aside, in the 20 years since TCM began it has only had two "permanent" hosts: Robert Osborne (since April 14, 1994) and Ben Mankiewicz (since Sept. 2003). Courtesy of TCM, both Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz are regulars in in my home and have become like extended "family" to me. Ben (born March 25, 1967) is now 48, and I feel a little TCM "family" pride on how well I think he is doing. Robert (born May 3, 1932) is now 83, and I wish him well, and hope that he fully recovers and returns soon. But when the sad day does come for Bob to pass the TCM baton, I feel confident that Ben will be able to continue the race with the same pride, enthusiam and professionalism that we've become accustomed to seeing on TCM. I derive comfort in that thought.