Christopher Bean (Marie Dressler's last film)

[222characteractor]

Does anyone know whether Christopher Bean (with Marie Dressler, Lionel Barrymore and Beulah Bondi) every has been shown on TCM? Thanks.

[Guest]

don't think so

[smokey15]

I had requested this film from TCM's programmers for years but never received a response to my constant requests. I have watched TCM ever since it began in 1994 and since I have been a Marie Dressler fan for years I always watched out for her movies. Neither TCM nor TNT has ever shown "Christopher Bean" or "Caught Short". The internet movie database states that the sound disks for "Caught Short" are in the UCLA film archives but the existence of the film itself is unknown.

I have heard that the reason "Christopher Bean" is never shown is due to some legal/copyright issues as is the case with "Lettie Lynton" and "The Trial Of Mary Dugan". It seems so silly to me as these movies are anywhere from 74-78 years old so all the principal players in these lawsuits are dead. Why can't these films be shown? Who owns title and ownership to them?

I

[Guest]

I heard the same about CHRISTOPHER BEAN..... legal wrangling

[Arturo]

In 1952 or thereabouts, 20th Century Fox planned on teaming Clifton Webb and Thelma Ritter in a remake of Christopher Bean. Later, an abridged tv movie was done 1955 - 1956, starring Thelma Ritter. Don't remember who partnered her tho. It was shown a few years back on FMC (when they still meant classic Fox films and something other than the crass commercialism for their current movies/tv programs) on their 20th Century Fox Hour.