markfp2

oops! Sorry for the double post. Message was edited by: markfp2

I didn't hear it, but I guess whoever writes they copy for the announcer to read really didn't have a clue as to the content of the movie.

Just last night I was in the local Wal-Mart and they had a huge selection of Paramount DVDs for $4.88. Selection included "When Worlds Collide" and a number of John Wayne movies including "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance",The Shootest, "Donovan's Reef", and "El Dorado". That' not much more than it would cost somebody to mail it to you.

It was a promotional dinner to show off MGM's stable of stars. Remember, MGM's slogan was "more stars then there are in heaven".I think it might have been for the studio's anniversary (25th?). I've seen a still picture of this gathering a number of times, usually with a list of stars, but I can't recall where. I believe it originally appeared in one of the weekly picture magazines, of the time, like Life or Look. You might try starting with your public library and see if they have any books on either MGM or Lewis B. Mayer. I think there's a good chance it would be in a book like that. You might also try a Google search.

Welcome to the forum. Interesting idea, as long as they don't show the remakes.

Welcome!!! I love it when we get new young classic film fans here. No doubt you'll get long lists of great titles so I won't do that. However I will give you some advice. Besides watching the well known major films check out the lesser-known films that run overnight or during the early dayparts. Some of the best "hidden gems" of the TCM library are run then. If you have a VCR or a DVD recorder, use it 'til it melts. If you like comedies or westerns or whatever, don't be afraid to sample films of a different genre.The worst that can happen is that you'll see some films you might not like. If you don't already do so, either subscribe to "Now Playing", TCM's program guide, or click on "schedule", at the top of this page, and print up the monthly schedule. If you choose to print it up you can get the schedule up to two months in advance. This way you won't miss anything on the schedule. One other thing as you develop your tastes for different kinds of movies, watch what you enjoy and never feel that you should or shouldn't watch something because somebody else says so. The only person you have to please is yourself. Be sure to become a regular here on the forum. New opinions are always welcome.

As somebody pointed out TCM showed it last Christmas, but no doubt it'll get shown again. Seems like it gets run a couple of times a year. I always like this much overlooked and underrated film. I got to see it, first-run, in Cinerama, at the then new, now gone, Hellman Theatre in Albany, NY. It's my favorite three-strip Cinerama film, although How The West Was Won is right up there too. Too bad watching it on TV can't do justice to any Cinerama film.

It doesn't really surprise me. While those of us who are into classic films know the film and the cast, to the general public it's not a well known picture. Other than maybe John Wayne most younger folks never heard of them. You can be sure if it was for "Star Wars" or something like that it would bring a bundle. As for "The Informer" you just have to know where to sell it. I'll bet if it was put up for auction with one of the companies that specialize in movie collectables it would do very well.

I always thought I was pretty knowlegable about British films, but you've stumped me on this one. At first I thought you might have the wrong title, but I finally did find it listed on a database. In fact, it sounds pretty interesting and I wouldn't mind seeing it myself. My guess it was made for the domestic British market and had little or no distribution (at least under that title) in the U.S. Maybe somebody else can help.

It's just like I replied to somebody, a day or two ago, regarding another film. "Go, Man, Go" was produced by and independent company and released by United Artists. UA only had the theatrical distribution rights which probably expired years ago. There are many films like this that just disappear and are never seen again. Perhaps the producer died and his family had no interest in movies and stopped paying the storage on the films which then were destroyed or maybe all the existing prints are rotting away in his widow's basement. Who knows? It's possible that the film has fallen into public domain, but nobody has come up with a print of it so it can be put out on DVD. Of course, United Artists became part of MGM which has now been sold to Sony so I suppose it's possible that somewhere in the vaults it may still exist. The big question is would Sony feel it was worth the cost to release it. As the king says in The King and I "is a puzzlement".

It's an error that keeps showing up on TCM's schedules which nobody ever corrects. 130 minutes is the running time for the 2002 remake of "Four Feathers".The correct running time for the original is 116 minutes. I recorded it the last time they showed it and that's what it runs.

I would agree that it would be a good film to show, but I haven't seen it around in years. It was produced by an independent company and distributed by Cinerama Releasing which is long gone. Sadly, a lot of films made by independents just seem to vanish without anyone having the DVD or broadcast rights.

Sounds like you're thinking of "The Little Fugitive" (1953) which was a low-budget film that was shot at New York's Coney Island. I was about to say that TCM has shown it before, but after thinking about it, it may have been AMC before they made their pact with the devil. It's been released on DVD by Kino Video. If you click on the "shopping" at the top of this page you will be linked to Movies Unlimited a company that sells just about any DVD that's available. I looked, and they do have this title.

You won't see it on TCM because they don't show made-for-tv movies, but I know I've seen it within the last couple of years. I can't recall who showed it, but it it might have been Encore's Mystery Channel or one of the other premium movie channels.

TCM doesn't own the Universal library (including the pre-48 Paramounts). They simply lease certain titles from them. I wish they did own it, them maybe we'd get to see all those many hundreds of great titles that are sitting Universal's vault someplace. Universal decides what titles they want to lease to TCM, not the other way around.

Welcome to the boards. I sent you some information that might help you. Just go to the top of this page and click on "private messages".

I think we need to show a little tolerance here. It's been brought out many times that TCM will always show a film letterboxed when possible. If a film is not part of their library, then they are at the mercy of whoever they got it from. If they order a letterboxed version and they receive a pan & scan version and it's too late to change the printed schedules what should they do? If they show the pan & scan they'll get grief and if they pull the film and substitute something else without advance notice they'll get grief anyway. They can't win either way. As for me I'd rather they show the version they have and then reschedule it when they can get the proper one as they did with last year's showing of "Reds".

The last I heard of this picture was in the 1980's when it was in an obscure tv movie package being distributed by Time-Life Television which is no longer in business. I can't remember who bought them out. While I certainly wouldn't want to see TCM getting into running made-for-tv movies on a regular basis. I think an exception could be made for this outstanding film which stars two of movies greatest legendary stars. The movie is over 30 years old so just from that standard it could be considered in the realm of "classics". If TCM could come up with this one, you won't hear any complaints from me.

Actually, according to Leonard Maltin's books it's in "Naughty Nineties". It is on one of the collections, but they're pretty cheap. I've seen them in Wal-Mart for about $11. No, I've never been a big fan of A&C either. I might watch a film now and then, but that's enough for me.

Here's another welcome to you jasoncinema1. You have a powerful task ahead of you and that's educating your peers to the joys of classic films. It's so important that TCM developes new and younger viewers and that shouldn't be done by just showing newer films. As you found out there is so much to enjoy in the oldies and it's really a shame that so many younger people today find it so "uncool" (or whatever the term is nowadays) to watch anything older than a few years or god forbid in black and white. They are missing so much. Thanks for making my day and please become a regular on these boards.

Wouldn't be great if TCM could pursade the cable companies and satellite services to carry both feeds like they do with some other channels. It would be easier for those of us who record a lot. Although I can't really see them giving up channel space for a non-commercial station since there isn't any commercial money get a cut from. I know, even better, let's get TCM to have a TCM2 channel. One could show nothing but old films and the other could show "newer" old films, say 60s-70s and '80s. It might keep the bickering on these boards down. Oh well, I can dream.

I also agree. "Cinema Paradiso" is one of those rare cases where a fairly recent film can already become a classic. I also agree with tcmprogrammer for showing the original version. I've seen both versions and I think this a much better one, especially if one has never seen it before. That said, it would be interesting to show the extended version sometime so people can judge for themselves. Thank goodness it's being shown on TCM and in Italian. The dubbed version is one of the worst dubbing jobs I can remember.

You ask good questions, but I think they would be better addressed to the distibutor of the film and not TCM. They can only show the version they receive. Any "butchering" was done prior to TCM getting the rights. As for TCM showing silent versions of Gone With The Wind and Wizard of Oz, you're just being rediculous.

Sorry, but this is a pet peeve of mine. I don't put any stock in these kinds of lists. The only fair way to consider what's the greatest "whatever" film is to have everyone who votes see every film of that type ever made, before they vote, and of course that's impossible. These things just are popularity contests. No more, no less.

If you look at the bottom of this page you can link to TCM's international channels. They have one in the UK, France, Spain and Latin America and recently Canada, but sadly for you, nothing in Germany that I know of. Maybe when you get over there you can rally all the German film buffs to demand TCM. Good luck!