Possible Spotlight Ideas

[SummerStars]

I’ve noticed how within the past year on TCM they have featured some really clever and interesting spotlights for each month (Examples : March - Great movie endings,  May - Movie Series,  June - Musicals, etc.), so I thought up of some POSSIBLE ideas for upcoming spotlights that TCM could feature later this year or else in the not too distant future -

Sports Theme
Movies that focus on a primary sport, or a particular sporting event that plays an important role within the story, or else movies that are biographies on famous athletes.
e.g. PAT AND MIKE, TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME, PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, KNUTE ROCKNE, NATIONAL VELVET, THE FRESHMAN, or THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR (maybe, for the basketball scenes).

Animal Stars
The main or title character in the movie is any kind of species of animal.
e.g. LASSIE movies, RIN TIN TIN, FLIPPER, THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, FRANCIS THE TALKING MULE, ROY ROGERS AND TRIGGER movies, and possibly IT’S SHOWTIME, which is all about animal stars in movies.  It was featured this past January 1st after all the THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT movies.

Starring and directed by  
The star of the movie is also the director. e.g. Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Orson Welles, and perhaps Ida Lupino, Jose Ferrer, Sidney Poitier, and Robert Mitchum.

Musicians/Famous Singers on Film
Movies that star a famous musician or a whole band. e.g. Elvis Presley, The Beatles (A HARD DAY’S NIGHT, HELP!, and perhaps even LET IT BE or YELLOW SUBMARINE), ABBA: THE MOVIE, etc.

All Star Movies
This spotlight is one I would LOVE to see. Movies that contain as many stars as possible. These can be movies where the stars either have cameo appearances or make up the full cast.  Although, I’m not quite sure if this spotlight would include vignette films.
e.g. HOLLYWOOD REVUE, HOLLYWOOD PARTY, STAGE DOOR CANTEEN, THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, THOUSANDS CHEER, ‘TIL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY, ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, VARIETY GIRL (if TCM could get the rights to this rare all-star Paramount movie), DEEP IN MY HEART, IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, HOW THE WEST WAS WON, and possibly two “cult classics:” THE PHINX and WON TON TON: THE DOG WHO SAVED HOLLYWOOD (Incidentally, The Phinx WAS shown on TCM a few years ago for Summer Under the Stars when they showed Ruby Keeler movies.  According to Robert Osborne in the Now Playing Guide for that month, this may have been the first time that film was shown on TV since its 1970 release.)  It would also be really interesting if TCM would show, for this spotlight, THE MUPPET MOVIE, since it features a lot of celebrity cameos, but I don’t know if TCM would be able to obtain rights to it.

Now I have no idea if any of these spotlights have occurred in TCM’s history and I’m just not aware of it, but I guess it’s possible that a spotlight can be repeated, only if it’s been a long time since it was last featured, just like with the Star of the Month.

 

[TopBilled]

These are good ideas. Some of them have been done as primetime themes, but could be expanded for a month-long spotlight. 

They've been doing more special themes this past year, usually to promote books they're publishing and want to sell to viewers.

[jinsinna13]

6 hours ago, SummerStars said:

I’ve noticed how within the past year on TCM they have featured some really clever and interesting spotlights for each month (Examples : March - Great movie endings,  May - Movie Series,  June - Musicals, etc.), so I thought up of some POSSIBLE ideas for upcoming spotlights that TCM could feature later this year or else in the not too distant future -

Sports Theme
Movies that focus on a primary sport, or a particular sporting event that plays an important role within the story, or else movies that are biographies on famous athletes.
e.g. PAT AND MIKE, TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME, PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, KNUTE ROCKNE, NATIONAL VELVET, THE FRESHMAN, or THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR (maybe, for the basketball scenes).

Animal Stars
The main or title character in the movie is any kind of species of animal.
e.g. LASSIE movies, RIN TIN TIN, FLIPPER, THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, FRANCIS THE TALKING MULE, ROY ROGERS AND TRIGGER movies, and possibly IT’S SHOWTIME, which is all about animal stars in movies.  It was featured this past January 1st after all the THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT movies.

Starring and directed by  
The star of the movie is also the director. e.g. Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Orson Welles, and perhaps Ida Lupino, Jose Ferrer, Sidney Poitier, and Robert Mitchum.

Musicians on Film
Movies that star a famous musician or a whole band. e.g. Elvis Presley, The Beatles (A HARD DAY’S NIGHT, HELP!, and perhaps even LET IT BE or YELLOW SUBMARINE), ABBA: THE MOVIE, etc.

All Star Movies
This spotlight is one I would LOVE to see. Movies that contain as many stars as possible. These can be movies where the stars either have cameo appearances or make up the full cast.  Although, I’m not quite sure if this spotlight would include vignette films.
e.g. HOLLYWOOD REVUE, HOLLYWOOD PARTY, STAGE DOOR CANTEEN, THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, THOUSANDS CHEER, ‘TIL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY, ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, VARIETY GIRL (if TCM could get the rights to this rare all-star Paramount movie), DEEP IN MY HEART, IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, HOW THE WEST WAS WON, and possibly two “cult classics:” THE PHINX and WON TON TON: THE DOG WHO SAVED HOLLYWOOD (Incidentally, The Phinx WAS shown on TCM a few years ago for Summer Under the Stars when they showed Ruby Keeler movies.  According to Robert Osborne in the Now Playing Guide for that month, this may have been the first time that film was shown on TV since its 1970 release.)  It would also be really interesting if TCM would show, for this spotlight, THE MUPPET MOVIE, since it features a lot of celebrity cameos, but I don’t know if TCM would be able to obtain rights to it.

Now I have no idea if any of these spotlights have occurred in TCM’s history and I’m just not aware of it, but I guess it’s possible that a spotlight can be repeated, only if it’s been a long time since it was last featured, just like with the Star of the Month.

 

Like TopBilled said, these are good ideas.

I have a couple more.

Treasures From The Disney Vault: I know this has been done numerous times for primetime spotlights, but it could easily be expanded into a month-long spotlight. Plus, it also gives us the privilege to see actors who we don't see on TCM that often (James MacArthur, Annette Funicello, etc).

Actors Who Died Too Soon: There are many actors who died too soon. We could start from the 30's and 40's (Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard) and end with the most recent (Luke Perry).

 

[bluebirdsfly]

You know what would make for a pretty cool spotlight, if TCM could get access to air made for TV movies, the ones that used to air on the major networks. There's a bunch of Old Hollywood stars that starred in them. 

 

[SummerStars]

4 hours ago, bluebirdsfly said:

You know what would make for a pretty cool spotlight, if TCM could get access to air made for TV movies, the ones that used to air on the major networks. There's a bunch of Old Hollywood stars that starred in them. 

 

The first made for TV "movie" that came to my mind is Mr. Krueger's Christmas with James Stewart.  It isn't a full-length movie, though, but it would be interesting if TCM could air it at sometime (most appropriately for Christmas), especially since it hasn't been shown on TV in many years (to my knowledge).  I'm sure that there are numerous made-for-TV movies/shows that TCM could air that feature classic Hollywood stars, that many of us would be surprised to see -- for instance, the TV version of MARTY.

[Sgt_Markoff]

Hear, hear! My picks:

• Newspaper movies (now that newspapers are dying)
• Automobiles in movies (with a nod to Disney's success with 'Cars')
• Neglected negligee movies
• Gun Toting! movies which coincide with today's violent shooting sprees
• Women Gun Toters! (to air during women's history month)
• Musical stars in movies (to commemorate Ricky Nelson's role in Rio Bravo)
• Equine stars in movies (to commemorate the demise of Trigger)
• Child stars in movies (no, scratch this entire idea, groan)
• Ethnic immigrant stars in movies (banned!)
• Movie stars who went on to be forgotten
• Movie stars who avoided scandal (one week only)
• Movie stars who kept their affairs somewhat a secret (two weeks only)
• Miscegeny in movies
• Norwegian Americans in movies (to air during Aurora Borealis)
• Sports stars who drove sports cars in American movies
• Sweat: favorite corner crews in boxing films
• May - December wedding movies (to air in May)
• December - May wedding equestrian movies (to air with Kentucky Derby)
• Our Favorite ghettos and tenements in cinema
• the Many Sides of Jo Ann Pflug
• Stars who SCUBA (introduced by Jeff Bridges)
• Misunderstood sniper movies (to coincide with NRA lobbying)
• Great ships at sea  (to re-air in April 1912)
• the unknown Andy Devine
• Dol-film stars (hosted by Flipper's clone)
• Favorite Bartenders
• Cut! Those barbershop quartets
• Hats! Hats! Hats!
• Seamiest seamstresses
• Six degrees of Streisand's Nose
• The Importance of Being Michael Sarrazin
• Paul Sorvino: never got a dinner
• No Sax before a fight: bellboys we love

...just off the top of my head!

[TopBilled]

4 hours ago, Sgt_Markoff said:

the unknown Andy Devine

Great idea!  

[David Guercio]

I think a James Bond Spotlight would be cool.  It could be called TCM Spotlight On Bond James Bond 007 and I think the perfect host for it would be any of the Bond stars.  Too bad Roger Moore passed away.  I think Sir Sean Connery would be a perfect host.  Either with Alecia Malone or by himself.  You know how some of the Bond girls have acents?  That’s why I think Alecia Malone would be a perfect hostess with Sir Sean Connery as her co-host if they were to have she and him.  He could either be by himself or with her.  I think that would make a really wonderful Spotlight.  I really love them all.  But two of my favorite Bond’s are Sir Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

[TopBilled]

20 minutes ago, David Guercio said:

I think a James Bond Spotlight would be cool.  It could be called TCM Spotlight On Bond James Bond 007 and I think the perfect host for it would be any of the Bond stars.  Too bad Roger Moore passed away.  I think Sir Sean Connery would be a perfect host.  Either with Alecia Malone or by himself.  You know how some of the Bond girls have acents?  That’s why I think Alecia Malone would be a perfect hostess with Sir Sean Connery as her co-host if they were to have she and him.  He could either be by himself or with her.  I think that would make a really wonderful Spotlight.  I really love them all.  But two of my favorite Bond’s are Sir Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

I'd definitely like to see some James Bond flicks on TCM. Roger Moore is my favorite 007, and I also like Timothy Dalton in the role.

[David Guercio]

Me too and of course.  I really love all the Bond films.  I have seen every single one.  But four of my favorites are Dr No.  Goldfinger.  The Man With The Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me.  Dr No was also in the James Bond Jr Cartoon series in the 90s.  So was Jaws.

[Sgt_Markoff]

My favorite Bond film? 'From Russia With Love'. I've even traveled to the underground Roman cistern in Istanbul to view the spot where Karim Bey rowed Bond over to below the Russkie embassy to use the secret periscope.

[TopBilled]

It's been awhile since anyone's commented on this thread. 

I wanted to mention that TCM is doing a James Bond spotlight next month (September 2019).

An idea that hasn't been mentioned, but worth considering:

A spotlight on legendary producer Hal Wallis. He made so many excellent films at Warner Brothers and Paramount.

[Brrrcold]

He also did a lot of high-profile and entertaining work as an independent producer in the 1960s/70s, like BECKET, TRUE GRIT, ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS.

[TopBilled]

13 minutes ago, Brrrcold said:

He also did a lot of high-profile and entertaining work as an independent producer in the 1960s/70s, like BECKET, TRUE GRIT, ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS.

Yes, there were several important phases of his career. He has 377 producer credits on the IMDb, from 1930 to 1975. Hal Wallis produced an extraordinary, wide-ranging group of films that should be discussed and celebrated.