speedracer5
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Posts posted by speedracer5
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This is a very interesting article that LA Times did. Debbie Reynolds shares many interesting anecdotes from her career.
While I'm sure that Reynolds isn't everyone's cup of tea, I really enjoy her performances. She's energetic and spunky in many of her roles, like Singin' in the Rain and The Tender Trap. While I have to say that some of her dialogue in The Tender Trap makes me cringe (while it is a product of its time, it sounds so outdated now), I do enjoy her persona.
She also surprised me with her dramatic performance in The Catered Affair. She is very good in her films. It's especially amazing to me how well she dances in Singin' in the Rain. She wasn't known as a dancer when she was cast in the part. For someone who basically had to go through dancing boot camp to complete her role and dancing alongside Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor no less, she does a very good job.
What I love about Debbie Reynolds, is from all the interviews I've seen/read about her, she seems very humble and very nice and truly appreciative of her career. She's also a true fan of Hollywood (as evidenced by the costume collection she used to have) and it shows through her recollections and anecdotes of her time in "Classic Hollywood." She would be fascinating to have as a dinner guest.
I recorded a few of the Debbie Reynolds movies that TCM aired a few days ago, but haven't watched them yet. From what I've seen of Reynolds' work, I really enjoyed:
Singin' in the Rain
The Tender Trap
The Catered Affair
The Mating Game (The pairing of Reynolds with Tony Randall is odd, but I enjoyed it anyway)
Susan Slept Here
Divorce, American Style
Charlotte's Web (voice of Charlotte)
Kiki's Delivery Service (voice of "Madame")
I recorded The Unsinkable Molly Brown but haven't watched it yet.
My husband also likes watching the Debbie Reynolds films with me (at least the young Debbie Reynolds films) because he thinks she's cute, so that's a plus as well.
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The Immortal Count by Arthur Lennig. After reading how Bela Lugosi treated his wife Lillian, I can't enjoy his films anymore.
And....I can't stand books that are written with the sole purpose if outing people. Obviously some of these authors are acting out homosexual fantasies by insisting certain actors and actresses were gay based on heresay.
I am also not a fan of books whose main purpose is to "out" someone, or to destroy their reputation/image in the industry. The books that have sensationalized headlines like: "Now, read the never told before true story about Blah Blah. Here's a portrait of the real BLAH BLAH." I just know that these books were written with the sole point of exploiting someone's name to make a buck off the public.
That's why I tend to read autobiographies or highly acclaimed biographies that use reputable sources. There are a few authors, who have written many celebrity biographies, that I try to avoid because they just write trash. I don't want to read a book that was written by The National Enquirer.
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I read Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland by Gerald Clarke. I thought it was a really good biography, very interesting, but very sad. While I knew Judy Garland's life was plagued with substance abuse issues, personal issues, financial issues and everything else in between, I never knew how much she went through. She was a very talented woman and it's a shame that she always seemed to find herself surrounded with people trying to exploit her. As far as I can tell from the book, she only seemed to have a few people who genuinely cared about her as a person and not just as someone who can make them money--Vincente Minnelli, Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly, just to name a few. Her life was very sad. Her father's rumored indiscretions with young boys in the local movie theater forced them from their home in Grand Rapids, MN. Her father died when Judy was still a teenager. Her mother, perhaps the ultimate stage mother of all time, relentlessly devoted herself to furthering Judy's career. Judy gets signed by MGM and is immediately given pills to keep her weight down, keep her awake and help her sleep. Thus starting her lifelong drug dependency. She was also forced to wear prosthetic disks on her nose and have capped teeth to make herself more attractive. When she hit puberty and started developing, she had to bind her breasts to make herself look more like a child. She was very self-conscious of her looks and never felt attractive-- except in her films with Vincente Minnelli. He took great care to make sure she looked good on screen. She lived a very sad life and despite what anyone tried to do for her, she was never happy.
Knowing about her personal life, it endeared me more to her film performances. It's amazing that despite her erratic professionalism and problems, she was able to turn in so many fantastic performances. From her onscreen image, you would never know what she was going through.
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I've also read Errol Flynn's My Wicked Wicked Ways and despite some of the unsavory things he admitted to doing, the book just made me love him more. He was a gifted raconteur. His book was fantastic. I couldn't put it down. I was at the last 10 pages or so and actually dragged out finishing it by reading 1 or 2 pages a day because I didn't want it to end.
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Desi Arnaz' autobiography, A Book, endeared me more to him as well. His story was very inspiring. It was a riches to rags to riches story. He grew up affluent in Cuba. His father was the mayor. Until a revolution in the early 30s forced him and his family to Miami. His father was imprisoned and later released and joined his family in Miami. Here is the former mayor of Santiago de Cuba living in an unheated warehouse eating beans out of a can and chasing rats out. Desi, about 15-16 at the time, got a job cleaning out bird cages to help support himself and his family. His father eventually started a relatively successful business making mosaic fireplace mantels (by buying up broken tile) for wealthy families in Miami. Desi, who also sang and played guitar, eventually got a job in a septet in a club. He was discovered by Xavier Cugat, who brought the young Cuban to New York. This led to him being in a Broadway play, Too Many Girls and he was then brought out to Hollywood to star in the film version, where he met Lucille Ball. The rest, as they say, was history. Desi eventually became president of one of the most successful television studios in the 1950s and starred in probably one of the most famous television sitcoms of all time-- I Love Lucy. His contributions to the television industry as both a performer and producer are horribly underrated. He was a true television pioneer. Not too shabby for a Cuban refugee who came to the country with not a dime to his name.
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I read The Picture of Dorian Gray years before I saw the movie, and speed, baby, I disagree with you. I thought the book was much more "deep", had more to say - and yes, I have to admit, took plenty of words to say it!
As you know, if you read the novel after seeing the film, the movie kind of leaves out a lot. (But this is par for the course with films based on books.)
The two "issues" I had most with the movie were:
1: The love story in the book was much more developed, and much more poignant. While I think Angela Lansbury did a good job as the sad and mistreated Sybil, I don't think the film does justice to that part of the tale, what goes on in Dorian's mind about Sybil, the whole thing.
2: This is my main quibble with the film version: Dorian Gray is supposed to be incredibly good-looking! That's the whole point, that was his downfall, in a way. But Hurd Hatfield just doesn't cut it, he's not attractive at all in my opinion. He looks like he's made out of plastic.
I can see the beautiful (in a "manly" way) Tyrone Power playing Dorian. He'd have to master an upper class British accent, but he could have done that.
Of course, George Sanders as the cynical, ammoral Lord Henry is perfect.
ps: If you want another perspective on Oscar Wilde's writings, check out his fairy tales (no pun intended - sorry!). They're incredibly imaginative and beautiful.
I read this post last week and meant to comment back. My husband and I had an offer accepted on a house and I've been involved in that (trying to get paperwork to the loan office, signing a billion forms, etc.).
I guess my problem with the book, wasn't really the contents persay, it was that Wilde's writing was so difficult to understand. While reading the book, I was beginning to wonder if Wilde was being paid by the word for this manuscript. I just lost interest in the book after awhile, but did finish it because I had invested so much time into it. It was very tedious to read. I was never so relieved to finish a book. Contrast this to reading Errol Flynn's My Wicked Wicked Ways where I purposely delayed finishing it because I didn't want it to end!
I do agree that the Sybil/Dorian relationship was better in the book and I agree that the movie Dorian was not as attractive as he should have been.
I also agree with George Sanders being perfect as the Professor.
I enjoyed watching the film. Reading the book was not as fun.
The good thing about having seen the film first was that it helped me cut through all Wilde's tedious vocabulary and writing and understand the gist of the scene in the book so that I could proceed and have some idea of what was going on.
I will check out his fairy tales. I do enjoy fairy tales. Thanks for the tip!
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That is to say, I definitely prefer to see the film first.
That's because the film is slightly to greatly ruined for me if I read the book first.
I don't worry at all about books being ruined - if I like the film enough, I'll still read the book. If the film doesn't strike me as all that good, I'll probably read something else.
I agree with this viewpoint. While I have done both (read the book first, then saw the film, or vice versa), I did read The Great Gatsby before seeing the most recent incarnation (and I have the Robert Redford version DVR'd), during my watching of the film, I found myself waiting for the next scene from the book to play out on screen. When a scene from the book was skipped or glossed over, I found it slightly disappointing-- especially if it was a scene/character/etc. that I really enjoyed. Whereas, if you watch the movie first and then read the book (like I did with The Picture of Dorian Gray), then you have a general idea of what happened and the book helps fill in the details and fleshes out the characters more. I've found that the book will include details that answers questions I've had about the film ("Oh! So that's why blah blah did that").
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Great schedule Lonesome! I love the Hollywood Blacklist, the Disney evening and the Husband and Wife teams. I especially love SOTM Robert Cummings. I'm not even kidding, I was totally considering Robert Cummings as my SOTM before settling on Betty Grable. I was trying to decide between three people: Betty Grable, Robert Cummings and Anne Baxter. My love of musicals won out and Grable was victorious.
It's kind of funny we were both thinking of the Hollywood Blacklist. How random is that?
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I'm not submitting a list. I would, however, like to make a comment about the absence of GWTW from the lists on this thread so far. In fact, only one person has included the most famous film of the studio era. Is modern opinion of the film, at least on these boards, really so low?
I'm not looking for a bunch of posters to start spewing here why they don't like the film. But for it to not make the ten best lists more often is surprising to me. Heck, even Cimarron has had more entries here.
This possibly might be considered blasphemy coming from a classic movie fan, but I haven't seen Gone With the Wind, so that's why I didn't include it on my list. I didn't want to vote for films I hadn't seen. I want to watch it though. I'm waiting for an opportunity to watch it when the weather outside is horrendous and I have absolutely nothing to do for 4 hours. I need to be able to set aside that amount of time to give it my full attention, because I don't want to invest that much time in the film and then have no idea what happened at the end.
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I'm finally getting around to watching "The Wonderful World of Disney: The Disneyland Story." It's at the part with Mickey's Sorcerer routine from Fantasia. Prior to this, there was a very extended scene from Song of the South, including scenes with Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox and Uncle Remus. There was also a clip of Uncle Remus singing "The Laughing Place." I feel like if TCM is willing to show this lengthy a scene from this film, they probably would show the whole film if they had the rights to do so.
Prior to this, I watched It's a Great Feeling with Doris Day. Loved the cameo at the end *****SPOILER ALERT***** with my boyfriend Errol Flynn revealed as Day's groom, Jeffrey Bushdinkle. Like Errol would really have a name like "Bushdinkle" lol. I loved the scenes prior to the reveal with Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan peering through the windows speculating on what that "corn ball" groom looked like. They figured he was a dud and that she was giving up a chance at stardom for him. If I were Day, I'd have ditched Hollywood and married Bushdinkle too!
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As always, I found quite a few things I want to see:
4/1 Lust for Life, City for Conquest
4/4 Trapeze
4/7 Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Pierce. The documentaries about Spencer Tracy, Fred Astaire, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.
4/10 Test Pilot
4/12 Love Me or Leave Me
4/14 The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
4/15 A Child is Waiting & I Could Go on Singing
4/16 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
4/17 Scaramouche
4/23 Ann Sheridan
4/24 Irma La Douce
4/28 The Harder They Fall
I've seen a couple of these films once before, but I wanted to see them again.
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SPEEDRACER5'S SCHEDULE
July 19, 2015
Daytime Theme: Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo
6:00am ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert. Dir. William Wyler. Paramount. 118 mins (p/s).
8:00am FIVE CAME BACK (1939) Chester Morris, Lucille Ball, Wendy Barrie. Dir. John Farrow. RKO. 74 mins (p/s).
9:15am THE SANDPIPER (1965) Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Eva Marie Saint. Dir. Vincente Minnelli. MGM. 116 mins (p/s).
11:15am KITTY FOYLE (1940) Ginger Rogers, Dennis Morgan, James Craig. Dir. Sam Wood. RKO. 105 mins (p/s).
Daytime Theme: (Not So) Dream Homes
1:00pm THE LONG, LONG TRAILER (1954) Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Marjorie Main. Dir. Vincente Minnelli. MGM. 95 mins (p/s).
2:45pm MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948) Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas. Dir. H.C. Potter. RKO. 93 mins (p/s).
4:30pm THE EGG AND I (1947) Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray, Marjorie Main. Dir. Chester Erskine. Universal. 108 mins (p/s).
6:30pm MA AND PA KETTLE (1949) Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride, Richard Long. Dir. Charles Lamont. Universal. 76 mins (p/s).
Guest Programmer: Paul Bunyan
8:00pm DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER (1955) Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Basil Ruysdael. Dir. Norman Foster. Disney. 93 mins (p/s).
9:35pm JOHNNY APPLESEED (1948) Dennis Day. Disney. 19 mins. Short.
10:00pm ROBIN HOOD (1973) Roger Miller, Brian Bedford, Phil Harris. Dir. Wolfgang Reitherman. Disney. 83 mins. (Premiere #1).
11:30pm THE SWORD IN THE STONE (1963) Rickie Sorenson, Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson. Dir. Wolfgang Reitherman. Disney. 75 mins (Premiere #2).
12:45am A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT (1921) Harry Myers, Pauline Starke, Rosemary Theby. Dir. Emmett J. Flynn. Fox Film. 80 mins (Premiere-Exempt).
2:15am PEEKS AT HOLLYWOOD (1946). 9 mins. Short.
2:30am THE SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Kuninori Kodo. Dir. Akira Kurosawa. Cowboy Pictures. 207 mins (p/s).
July 20, 2015
Daytime Theme: The Magnificent Seven
6:00am THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen. Dir. John Sturges. United Artists. 126 mins (p/s).
8:15am RETURN OF THE SEVEN (1966) Yul Brynner, Robert Fuller, Julian Mateos. Dir. Burt Kennedy. United Artists. 95 mins (p/s).
10:00am GUNS OF THE MAGNIFCENT SEVEN (1969) George Kennedy, James Whitmore, Monte Markham. Dir. Paul Wendkos. United Artists. 106 mins (p/s).
12:00pm THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE! (1972) Lee Van Cleef, Stefanie Powers, Michael Callan. United Artists. 100 mins (p/s).
Daytime Theme: Starring Myrna Loy
1:45pm LIBELED LADY (1936) Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy. Dir. Jack Conway. MGM. 98 mins (p/s).
3:30pm THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews. Dir. William Wyler. RKO. 165 mins (p/s).
6:15pm THE RAINS CAME (1939) Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, George Brent. Dir. Clarence Brown. Fox. 100 mins (p/s).
PRIMETIME THEME: Happy Birthday Natalie Wood!
8:00pm BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE (1969) Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliot Gould. Dir. Paul Mazursky. Columbia. 104 mins. (p/s).
9:45pm LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (1963) Natalie Wood, Steve McQueen, Edie Adams. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Paramount. 100 mins (p/s).
11:30pm PENELOPE (1966) Natalie Wood, Ian Bannen, Dick Shawn. Dir. Arthur Hiller. MGM. 97 mins (p/s).
1:15am EDITH HEAD PRESENTS FASHION FROM "PENELOPE" (1966) Natalie Wood, Edith Head. MGM. 5 mins.
1:30am KINGS GO FORTH (1958) Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood. Dir. Delmer Daves. United Artists. 109 mins (p/s).
3:30am GYPSY (1962) Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden. Warner Brothers. 149 mins (p/s).
July 21, 2015
Daytime Theme: Train Travel6:00am MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974) Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman. Dir. Sidney Lumet. EMI Films. 131 mins (p/s).
8:15am THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946) Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger. Dir. George Sidney. MGM. 101 mins (p/s).
10:00am SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932) Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong. Dir. Josef von Sternberg. Paramount. 80 mins (p/s).
11:30am STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951) Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Warner Brothers. 100 mins (p/s).
Daytime Theme: 'Escape' Films1:15pm ESCAPE ME NEVER (1947) Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, Eleanor Parker. Dir. Peter Godfrey. Warner Brothers. 101 mins (p/s).
3:00pm ESCAPE (1940) Norma Shearer, Robert Taylor, Conrad Veidt. Dir. Mervyn LeRoy. MGM. 102 mins (p/s).
4:45pm THE ESCAPE ARTIST (1982) Griffin O'Neal, Raul Julia, Desi Arnaz. Dir. Caleb Deschanel. Orion Pictures. 94 mins (Premiere #3).
6:30pm TARZAN ESCAPES (1936) Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Buckler. Dir. John Farrow. MGM. 89 mins. (p/s).
PRIMETIME THEME: Happy Birthday Don Knotts!8:00pm THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN (1966) Don Knotts, Joan Staley, Liam Redmond. Dir. Alan Rafkin. Universal. 90 mins (p/s).
9:30pm THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT (1967) Don Knotts, Leslie Nielsen, Joan Freeman. Dir. Edward J. Montagne. Universal. 102 mins (premiere #4)
11:15am HOW TO FRAME A F IGG (1971) Don Knotts, Joe Flynn, Edward Andrews. Dir. Alan Rafkin. Universal. 103 mins (premiere #5).
1:00am THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG (1975) Bill Bixby, Don Knotts, Susan Clark. Dir. Norman Tokar. Disney. 100 mins (p/s).
2:45am THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN (1979). Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Tim Matheson. Dir. Vincent McEveety. Disney. 88 mins (p/s).
4:15am THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (1964). Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston. Dir. Arthur Lubin. Warner Brothers. 102 mins (p/s).
July 22, 2015
Daytime Theme: "Enchanted" Movies
6:00am ENCHANTED APRIL (1935) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Katharine Alexander. Dir. Harry Beaumont. RKO. 66 mins (p/s).
7:15am THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE (1945) Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young, Herbert Marshall. Dir. John Cromwell. RKO. 91 mins (p/s).
9:00am ENCHANTED ISLAND (1958) Dana Andrews, Jane Powell, Don Dubbins. Dir. Allan Dwan. Warner Brothers. 93 mins (p/s).
10:45am ENCHANTMENT (1949) David Niven, Teresa Wright, Evelyn Keyes. Dir. Irving Reis. RKO. 102 mins (p/s).
12:30pm THE ENCHANTED POT (1962) 15 mins. Short.
12:45 pm NOW PLAYING JULY 2015. 30 mins.
Written by Garson Kanin & Starring Judy Holliday
1:15pm BORN YESTERDAY (1950) Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, William Holden. Dir. George Cukor. Columbia. 102 mins (p/s).
3:00pm ADAM'S RIB (1949) Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday. Dir. George Cukor. MGM. 101 mins (p/s).
4:45pm THE MARRYING KIND (1952) Judy Holliday, Aldo Ray, Madge Kennedy. Dir. George Cukor. Columbia. 92 mins (p/s).
6:30pm IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU (1954) Judy Holliday, Peter Lawford, Jack Lemmon. Dir. George Cukor. Columbia. 81 mins (p/s).
PRIMETIME THEME: Betty Grable, Star of the Month8:00pm SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES (1942) Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, John Payne. Dir. Irving Cummings. Fox. 90 mins (premiere #6).
9:30pm THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM (1947) Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, Anne Revere. Dir. George Seaton. Fox. 85 mins (premiere #7).
11:00pm MOON OVER MIAMI (1941) Don Ameche, Betty Grable, Robert Cummings. Dir. Walter Lang. Fox. 91 mins (p/s).
12:45am THE DOLLY SISTERS (1945) Betty Grable, John Payne, June Haver. Dir. Irving Cummings. Fox. 114 (p/s).
2:45am CONEY ISLAND (1943) Betty Grable, George Montgomery, Cesar Romero. Dir. Walter Lang. Fox. 90 mins (p/s).
4:15am DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940) Don Ameche, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda. Dir. Irving Cummings. Fox. 94 mins (p/s).
July 23, 2015
Daytime Theme: Gloria De Haven's 90th Birthday6:00am SUMMER HOLIDAY (1948) Mickey Rooney, Gloria DeHaven, Walter Huston. Dir. Rouben Mamoulian. MGM. 92 mins. (p/s).
7:45am BETWEEN TWO WOMEN (1945) Van Johnson, Lionel Barrymore, Gloria DeHaven. Dir. Willis Goldbeck. MGM. 82 mins (p/s).
9:15am TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR (1944) June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, Van Johnson. Dir. Richard Thorpe. MGM. 124 mins (p/s).
11:30am SUMMER STOCK (1950) Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken. Dir. Charles Walters. MGM. 108 mins (p/s).
1:30pm THE METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STORY (1950) Lionel Barrymore, Dore Schary, Frank Whitbeck. Dir. Herman Hoffman. 60 mins. (p/s).
Daytime Theme: Raymond Chandler's Birthday2:30pm LADY IN THE LAKE (1947) Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan. Dir. Robert Montgomery. MGM. 103 mins (p/s).
4:15pm MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley. Dir. Edward Dmytryk. RKO. 93 mins (p/s).
6:00pm THE BIG SLEEP (1946) Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgley. Dir. Howard Hawkes. Warner Brothers. 113 mins (p/s).
PRIMETIME THEME: Required Theme "As Time Goes By," Detectives through the decades.
8:00pm THE THIN MAN (1934) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan. Dir. W.S. Van Dyke. MGM. 91 mins (p/s).
9:45pm THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George. Dir. John Huston. Warner Brothers. 100 mins (p/s).
11:30pm TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles. Dir. Orson Welles. Universal. 95 mins (p/s).
1:15am LADY IN CEMENT (1968) Frank Sinatra, Raquel Welch, Richard Conte. Dir. Gordon Douglas. Fox. 93 mins (Premiere #8).
3:00am PEEPER (1976) Michael Caine, Natalie Wood, Kitty Winn. Dir. Peter Wyams. Fox. 87 mins (Premiere #9).
4:30am DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID (1982) Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Carl Reiner. Dir. Carl Reiner. Universal. 89 mins (p/s).
July 24, 2015
Daytime Theme: Otto Preminger & Dana Andrews
6:00am LAURA (1944) Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb. Dir. Otto Preminger. Fox. 87 mins (p/s).
7:30am FALLEN ANGEL (1945) Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell. Dir. Otto Preminger. Fox. 97 mins (p/s).
9:15am DAISY KENYON (1947) Joan Crawford, Dana Andrews, Henry Fonda. Dir. Otto Preminger. Fox. 98 mins (p/s).
11:00am WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950) Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill. Dir. Otto Preminger. Fox. 95 mins (p/s).
Daytime Theme: Scary Phone Calls
12:45pm MIDNIGHT LACE (1960) Doris Day, Rex Harrison, Myrna Loy. Dir. David Miller. Universal. 107 mins (p/s).
2:45pm SORRY WRONG NUMBER (1948) Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards. Dir. Anatole Litvak. Paramount. 89 mins (p/s).
4:15pm DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Warner Brothers. 105 mins (p/s).
6:00pm WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (1979) Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst. Dir. Fred Walton. United Artists. 97 mins (premiere #10).
7:45pm HOT DOG (1930) Dogville Comedy Short. 15 mins.
Friday Night Spotlight: Dancing Ladies, Vera-Ellen8:00pm WONDER MAN (1945) Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen. Dir. Bruce Humberstone. RKO. 95 mins (p/s).
9:45pm ON THE TOWN (1949) Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Vera-Ellen. Dir. Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen. MGM. 97 mins. (p/s).
11:30 pm THREE LITTLE WORDS (1950) Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera-Ellen. Dir. Richard Thorpe. MGM. 100 mins (p/s).
1:15am HAPPY GO LOVELY (1951) David Niven, Vera-Ellen, Cesar Romero. Dir. Bruce Humberstone. RKO. 87 mins (p/s).
2:45am THE BELLE OF NEW YORK (1952) Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Marjorie Main. Dir. Charles Walters. MGM. 80 mins (p/s).
4:15am LET'S BE HAPPY (1957) Vera-Ellen, Tony Martin, Robert Flemyng. Dir. Henry Levin. Allied Artists. 93 mins (p/s).
July 25, 2015
Daytime Theme: Tennessee Williams
6:00am A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1952) Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter. Dir. Elia Kazan. Warner Brothers. 125 mins (p/s).
8:15am SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER (1959) Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Montgomery Clift. Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Columbia. 112 mins (p/s).
10:15am CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958) Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives. Dir. Richard Brooks. MGM. 108 mins (p/s).
12:15pm THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA (1964) Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr. Dir. John Huston. MGM. 125 mins (p/s).
Daytime Theme: Face Movies2:30pm A FACE IN THE CROWD (1957) Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa. Dir. Elia Kazan. Warner Brothers. 125 mins (p/s).
4:45pm FUNNY FACE (1957) Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson. Dir. Stanley Donen. Paramount. 103 mins. (p/s).
6:30PM BABY FACE (1933) Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Donald Cook. Dir. Alfred E. Green. Warner Brothers. 76 mins. (p/s).
The Essentials: Films That Take Place in Kansas8:00pm PAPER MOON (1973) Ryan O'Neal, Tatum O'Neal, Madeline Kahn. Dir. Peter Bogdanovich. Paramount. 102 mins (p/s).
9:45pm DODGE CITY (1939) Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Ann Sheridan. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Warner Brothers. 104 mins (p/s).
11:30pm DODGE CITY: GO WEST, ERROL FLYNN (2005). 9 mins. Short.
11:45pm PICNIC (1955) William Holden, Kim Novak, Betty Field. Dir. Joshua Logan. Columbia. 113 mins (p/s).
1:45am CARSON ON TCM: WILLIAM HOLDEN (1976). 12 mins (p/s).
Underground: Queens in Space2:00am BARBARELLA (1968) Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg. Dir. Roger Vadim. Paramount. 98 mins. (p/s).
3:45am QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (1958) Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, Lisa Davis. Dir. Edward Bernds. Allied Artists. 80 mins (p/s).
5:15am THE GRANDMOTHER (1970) Dir. David Lynch. Short. 34 mins.-
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SPEEDRACER5'S PROGRAMMING NOTES
Schedule for Sunday, July 19, 2015 through Saturday, July 25, 2015
Star of the Month: Betty Grable
Friday Night Spotlight: Dancing Ladies
TCM Silent Sunday: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1921)
TCM Imports: The Seven Samurai (1954)
The Essentials: Paper Moon (1973)
Underground: Space Queens
Required Themes: As Time Goes By: Detectives Through the Decades
Guest Programmer: Paul Bunyan
Premieres:
Robin Hood (1973)
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
How to Frame a F igg (1971)
Springtime in the Rockies (1942)
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947)
Peeper (1976)
Lady in Cement (1968)
The Escape Artist (1982)
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Exempt Premieres
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1921) Silent Sunday Night
Sunday, July 19, 2015We start the morning off with four films written by Dalton Trumbo. Trumbo was part of the “Hollywood Ten.” Trumbo, (along with nine of his colleagues) refused to answer the House Un-American Activities Committee’s (HUAC) questions about his involvement with the Communist Party. As a result, he along with nine other members of the Hollywood community were blacklisted. Trumbo used a front writer for some of his screenplays. He used the pseudonym “Robert Rich” to submit other works. He won two Academy Awards while blacklisted, one for Roman Holiday (which was awarded to his front writer, Ian McLellan Hunter) and the other for The Brave One awarded to “Robert Rich.” In the afternoon, we showcase four couples moving into what they think is their dream house, only for it to go awry quickly. In the evening, the legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan joins us to select his favorite Disney programming. Bunyan, a folk hero himself, selected three of his favorite films about his fellow legends—Davy Crockett, Robin Hood and King Arthur. Two of Bunyan’s films are TCM premieres: Robin Hood and The Sword in the Stone. He also selected a short film about another American legend: Johnny Appleseed. After The Sword in the Stone, we are continuing the King Arthur legend with our Silent Sunday Night selection: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Our TCM Imports selection this evening is Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai.
Monday, July 20, 2015Continuing with The Seven Samurai, we are showcasing The Magnificent Seven, an Old-West style remake of The Seven Samurai. We're also showing all three of the 'Magnificent' sequels. In the afternoon, we are airing three films featuring Hollywood’s “Perfect Wife,” Myrna Loy. Monday night is a Natalie Wood birthday salute, featuring five of her most popular films from the peak of her career. She worked with a variety of different stars, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Rosalind Russell to Steve McQueen.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Today we are saluting a bygone form of travel—train travel. Prior to The Golden Age of Flying in the 1950s and 1960s, Americans preferred to travel by rail. Trains were luxurious and exciting. This morning we’re featuring four train-oriented films. In the afternoon, “escape” into our escape themed films. Some escapes are literal (Tarzan Escapes) and others are more figurative (Escape Me Never). Make sure to tune in for the premiere of The Escape Artist, featuring everyone’s favorite Cuban bandleader, Desi “Ricky Ricardo” Arnaz. In the evening, we’re celebrating the birthday of Don Knotts. See Knotts in five of his most popular films, including the premieres of The Reluctant Astronaut and How to Frame a F igg.
Wednesday, July 22, 2014
This morning, we’re airing a series of “Enchanted” films. In the afternoon, we’re showcasing one of Hollywood’s best collaborations: Garson Kanin and Judy Holliday. Coincidentally, George Cukor directed all four of these films. The combination of Kanin and Holliday produced some of Hollywood’s best loved films including Born Yesterday which brought Holliday an Oscar for Best Actress. In the evening, we’re showcasing our Star of the Month, Betty Grable, in six of her most famous musicals. Tune in for the premiere of two of her best films: Springtime in the Rockies and The Shocking Miss Pilgrim.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
This morning we celebrate Gloria DeHaven’s 90th birthday with four of her best films at MGM including Summer Stock, Judy Garland’s final collaboration with pal Gene Kelly and final film at MGM. Be prepared to be immersed in the world of film noir as we celebrate author Raymond Chandler’s birthday with three films featuring his detective, Phillip Marlowe. We continue the detective theme into the evening with six films showcasing gumshoes through the decades. Be sure to watch the premiere of Peeper starring Michael Caine and Natalie Wood. The evening wraps up with Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, a film spoofing all the detective films of yore.
Friday, July 24, 2015
This morning features another successful collaboration, Otto Preminger and Dana Andrews. This theme is bookended by two of the best film noirs: Laura and Where the Sidewalk Ends. This afternoon, we’re being terrorized by scary phone calls, including the scariest call of all in When a Stranger Calls, a premiere for TCM. All July, we’ve been showcasing Dancing Ladies as part of our Friday Night Spotlight. Last week was Ann Miller and this week we’ll be featuring Vera-Ellen, one of the few dancers to dance with both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. We’re starting the evening with Vera-Ellen’s first film, Wonder Man and concluding with her last, Let’s Be Happy. Vera-Ellen was one of Hollywood’s best dancers and an underrated talent.
Saturday, July 25, 2015We’re starting off the weekend with a series of films based on Tennessee Williams’ plays. In the afternoon, we’re facing off with “Face” movies including the pre-code film, Baby Face, featuring Barbara Stanwyck and a young John Wayne. In the evening, it’s time for another installment of TCM’s The Essentials. Tonight’s theme features films that take place in “The Sunflower State,” Kansas. Our Essential this evening is Paper Moon, a film that takes place during The Great Depression and features Ryan O’Neal as a con artist who is forced to take an orphan (Tatum O’Neal) on a road trip to her aunt’s home. Along the way, the O’Neals con and scheme their way across the Midwest and discover a little about themselves along the way. We conclude the Kansas-themed films with two additional selections: Dodge City and Picnic. Our Underground selections celebrate space queens Barbarella (Queen of the Galaxy) and Talleah (Queen of Outer Space).
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Great schedule Taran! I love that you included The Black Cauldron in your Disney tribute. I also loved the Thelma Ritter SOTM choice and the Kim Novak birthday tribute.
I look forward to seeing more of your schedules in future challenges!
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I forgot that The Third Man wasn't a Welles film. I knew that too. I really enjoyed his appearance in that film. His Harry Lime character probably has one of the best screen entrances ever.
Has anyone listened to his "The Third Man" radio show? It's a spinoff of sorts featuring the Harry Lime character. It's a very interesting show.
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Each incarnation of the Essentials I imagine is pretty much the co-host (and probably to some degree Robert Osborne)'s favorite films. These films are "essential" to them. Why else would Drew Barrymore gush so much about My Fair Lady and Robert Osborne so vehemently disagree with her? That would also explain some wackier choices like I Love You Alice B. Toklas!
Like I said in a prior post, I would probably argue that an "essential" is both personal and technical. There are films that are "essential" to film history, films that changed filmmaking, created a Hollywood icon, etc. Then there are films that are essential to the individual. Half of the fun of being a movie lover is getting to share your love of film with others and hoping that they love it too. It's always slightly disappointing when I share a film I love with someone and at the end, they're lukewarm about it. I have so many films "essential" to me, that it's hard to narrow it down. I'm forever adding movies to my list of "essentials."
MY ESSENTIALS
The Adventures of Robin Hood- Like I said before, the first film to use Technicolor to its potential and made Errol Flynn a Hollywood icon. If this were the only film he made, he would be remembered.
Breakfast at Tiffany's- While not my favorite Audrey Hepburn film, there's no denying that this is the film that turned her into a Hollywood and fashion icon.
The Long, Long Trailer- I just love this movie and have seen it a million times. It never gets old.
Citizen Kane- No denying that this film is essential to filmmaking. I also love it. Such a great movie.
Gilda- Fantastic film noir and one that made Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth.
The Thin Man- Classic detective film and there's no denying the great chemistry between Powell and Loy.
Libeled Lady- The film that started to endear me to Jean Harlow. Powell and Loy are excellent too.
Gentleman Jim- One of Flynn's best films and one of the best boxing movies made. It doesn't hurt that it's chock-full of eye candy either. This is the film to watch if I just feel like drooling all night.
Picnic- I love me a good melodrama and the "Moonglow" dance between William Holden and Kim Novak is probably one of the sexiest scenes ever in film.
Some Like it Hot- Hilarious. Jack Lemmon steals the show. My favorite scene is the ridiculous impromptu party in Lemmon's upper berth with all the ladies.
Network- Absolutely fascinating drama.
Double Indemnity- Another of my favorite film noirs. Stanwyck's femme fatale is one of the ultimate femme fatales ever.
To Have and Have Not- Lauren Bacall's first film. The beginning of the Bogart/Bacall love affair. Hands down, one of the best screen debuts ever.
The Wizard of Oz- While not my favorite of Judy Garland's films, there's no denying that it is a true classic.
Singin' in the Rain- Not only one of the best musicals ever made, but one of the best movies ever made. Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" number is one of the all time classic moments in film.
All About Eve- Excellent film. The entire cast is superb, excellent script. Great ending. Great music. No flaws for this film-- except, after Birdie goes to get everyone's coats at Bill's party, where the heck did she go?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?- Amazing movie. Bette Davis does crazy well.
The Music Box- Laurel and Hardy. This movie is hilarious. Laurel and Hardy are so inept and ridiculous.
Sunset Boulevard- Another great film noir. Truly a classic.
Psycho- One of the best horror movies ever. Creepy, gory, scary, everything.
FILMS I'D DECLARE ESSENTIAL, BASED ON THEIR IMPORTANCE IN FILM MAKING:
Birth of a Nation (1915)- Granted, this film is BORING and I never want to see it ever again. However, there's no denying that it was groundbreaking in 1915 with its film making techniques.
The Jazz Singer (1927)-First talkie with lengthy dialogue and singing.
Metropolis (1927)- Revolutionary sci-fi movie.
Steamboat Willie (1928)- First Mickey Mouse cartoon, One of the first (if not the first) cartoons with synchronized sound and image.
It Happened One Night (1934)- First rom-com
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) First full length animated film. It's definitely not my favorite Disney cartoon by any means.
I could probably make an entire list of essentials just of my two favorite genres-- noir and musicals.
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May I say, without intending to cause a controversy; I have a queasy feeling regarding The Essentials its more recent incarnations. I understand those films most of us consider essential have been discussed and highlighted ad infinitum, increasing the chances selections will come from later eras with variable quality. I also realize the older I get the more likely it is films I would never consider essential will end up on someone's list (the 1980s, really?). Well, you get the idea; I would prefer the challenge of a host for an evening than a host for a series of nights.
If you were selected as Guest Programmer for an evening, what films would you pick?
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Well if all boils down to what makes a film an essential (since to me just being a great films doesn't).
You list two reasons I believe are solid and unique to Robin Hood; That the film represents the first use of Technicolor to its potential and that the role of Robin was Flynn's signature role (THE role he is remembered for). (to me that unique factor is key to the criteria for an essential, but factors like 'cast is perfect', 'top rate score, great story' apply to many films and are not unique factors).
I agree that some of the reasons I listed could apply to multiple films. I was just trying to come up with reasons why I felt this film was "Essential." I suppose I got a little too generic with my answers.
I suppose it would depend on what criteria is being used to declare a film "Essential." I think there are a handful of films that could be considered "Essential" solely because they revolutionized an aspect of film making. For example, The Jazz Singer. Whatever people's personal opinions of this film are, it doesn't really matter. There is no denying that this film is "essential" to film history.
Then of course, there are films that people consider "essential" to themselves. Like I love The Long, Long Trailer, it's essential to me, but I don't know if I'd go as far as to declare the film an "essential" for everyone.
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Special Rule Concerning Disney MoviesFor TCM Programming Challenge #28: Disney-created animated full-length movies may appear on Sunday evening.These movies count against limit for number of Premieres.Silent Sunday Nights and/or TCM Imports may be omitted if their time is overrun by these movies. They are to appear as normal if time allows.Please note: Not all movies of a Disney-themed Sunday night must be animated. It is quite acceptable to mix animated with live-action and hybrid Disney movies.The reason for this allowance is that I do not know how the new business arrangement between TCM and Disney will affect access to Disney library. I believe it appropriate that Challenge rules reflect real-world possibilities.Removal of normal proscription against Disney-created animated movies is for this Challenge only. Future Challenge-Setters may have more information on which movies might be available to TCM and they will use their best judgement in setting rules for their Challenges.This rule does not change status of Disney live action movies or Disney-owned animated movies which were made by other studios. These movies may appear as normal in any place in schedule as either Previously Shown or as Premiere.
Are we allowed to have the silent sunday nights and imports start a little later if our Disney films run over? And do Disney short subjects count against our premiere limit? Or are they treated like shorts?
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Feel free to choose films that have been declared "Essentials" before, if you agree that it is "Essential."
My first pick:
The Adventures of Robin Hood. While it is not the first Technicolor film, I think it is the first to use Technicolor to its potential. It's hard to find fault with this film. The lead, Errol Flynn, was made to portray Robin Hood and his name will forever be synonymous with Robin Hood. The rest of the cast is perfect: Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Alan Hale... This film has a top rate score, great story, fun swordfighting scenes and is an all around great film. Truly timeless. When watching the film, it is hard to believe that it is 77 years old. It looks like it could have been made yesterday.
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GOOD question, and I resemble a few of those remarks.
I'll sit with Ben, thanks for the choice.And now I'm off to ponder, although Casablanca is number one and Wizard of Oz is two.
How many choices do we have?
Thanks Primos!
Hmm... good question. I'm looking at last year's Essentials schedule to see how many different films were actually chosen, as we know that episodes of The Essentials were repeated.
It looks like there were about 29-30 different films chosen to be an "Essential."
To choose an even number, let's go with 30.
But I don't expect everyone to come up with 30 choices (unless you really want to). I really just wanted to open up a discussion for people to choose their favorites, or name films that they find important, or whatever other criteria you want to use to choose your Essentials. I thought it would be interesting to see what films everyone loves and why and if for purely selfish reasons, I thought this thread would provide me with great ideas on films to look out for on TCM. :-)
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Drew Barrymore is out.
Sally Field is (allegedly) in.
We know that March's "Essentials" are:
3/7- Roman Holiday
3/14- The More the Merrier
3/21- Now Voyager
3/28- The Prisoner of Zenda
The upcoming "Essentials" elicited many reactions, many of which asked the question (I'm paraphrasing): "Who says (or what makes) these films are essential?"
Let's play a game.
You are chosen to co-host "The Essentials" with Robert Osborne. Congratulations. During your tenure as host, what film(s) would you select and why do you think it is "Essential" ?
I know there are those here who aren't fans of Osborne. You can also pretend that Ben Mankiewicz is the co-host (whether temporary or permanent). Either way, the objective of this game is the same.
I would go first, but I will have to ponder my question a little bit before responding.
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The photo Kid Dabb posted in the Post an Interest Pic Thread...
Looks like a teenage Shirley Temple
Wow! Never in a million years would I have ever made the claim that Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Temple were lookalikes. However, I can see here, that prior to Norma Jeane's transformation, that claim was definitely valid. I'm glad that Shirley Temple didn't try to reinvent herself in the 1950s and try to be a blond sexpot. Now that would have been interesting.
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Thank you everyone for replying to my thread.
I wanted to put it in the General Discussions, but didn't want to be accused of putting it in the wrong place.
I love The Lady From Shanghai, I've been having trouble finding a copy of it. Looks like I'll have to order it online if I can't procure a physical copy. This movie is so weird but it's fantastic at the same time. Orson Welles was a true artist and it's a shame he wasn't appreciated in his own time.
I love his films because they make you think. Everything is not what it seems and it's not cut and dry. Each successive viewing provides something new. I always notice something different.
I really wish there was an Orson Welles box set, so I could get all his movies at once. It doesn't seem like there is, so I've been slowly trying to attain them one at a time. So far, I've found Touch of Evil and Citizen Kane.
I know I've asked this before on other threads and have never received a definitive answer, are there any Director's Cuts of Welles' films in existence?
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I remarked below that I like movie Nick and Nora better than book Nick and Nora, too -- Nick's eye is the only part of him that wanders in the film, Nora has more to do (although she does get a nice moment of telling Nick off for ignoring her suggestions in the book), and the marriage is a lot more fun. I do wish they'd left the jigsaw puzzle scene from the book in, though.
I often feel like a film adaptation doesn't do as good a job with characterization as the source material, but this is one of the exceptions where I find the characters better developed in the film. Thank Woody Van Dyke for telling Goodrich and Hackett "less of the mystery, more of the marriage," and thank Goodrich and Hackett for breathing such wonderful life into Nick and Nora. And then, of course, Myrna Loy and Bill Powell took it from there, and a classic was born.
I agree with you and Traceyk. I read The Thin Man book too and I agree that the movie version is better. Nora is fleshed out more in the film. In the book, she's more of a background character, whereas in the film, she's a main character along with Nick. I also liked the Charles' relationship better in the film. I think the book was more about the detective angle, whereas the film, while including the detective aspects, focused more on the relationship between Powell and Loy. I really wish Powell and Loy had been married in real life, they seem like such a perfect couple. I have to say that I've truly enjoyed all 13/14 of their collaborations that I've seen. One of the all time great movie couples.
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Multiple personalities:
The Three Faces of Eve
Sybil
MovieMadness, I don't mean to be annoying by quoting myself, but I definitely think "multiple personalities" deserves a spot on your list.
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I'll sit with Ben, thanks for the choice.
Debbie Reynolds to Receive SAG Lifetime Achievement Award tonight
in General Discussions
Posted
I also liked that as well. From many other accounts I've read, Bette Davis could be difficult to work with. It's nice to hear that she was nice to newcomers like Reynolds and stick up for people. Bette Davis is one of my favorites, she can do wrong for me, but it is nice to hear that she could be generous when she wanted to be.