Complete 2012 "The Essentials" Line-up Announced

[hlywdkjk]

Complete Line-up for "The Essentials", 2012

co-hosted by Robert Osborne and Drew Barrymore

 

Saturdays

03 March - *Some Like It Hot* (and *This Is Spinal Tap*, late-night Essential)

10 March - *The Razor's Edge*

17 March - *Alice Adams*

24 March - *The Goodbye Girl*

31 March - *Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans*

 

07 April - *Gilda*

14 April - *The Fallen Idol*

21 April - *Close Encounters Of The Third Kind*

28 April - *The Third Man*

 

05 May - *Camille*

12 May - *Diabolique*

19 May - *Wuthering Heights*

26 May - *Dinner At Eight*

 

02 June - *Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*

09 June - *Jezebel*

16 June - *The Way We Were* (and *Kramer vs. Kramer* Late-Night Essential)

23 June - *Rebel Without A Cause*

30 June - *Sullivan's Travels*

 

07 July - *Summertime*

14 July - *The Band Wagon*

21 July - *To Have And Have Not*

28 July - *Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?*

 

04 August - *Some Like It Hot*

11 August - *Lolita*

18 August - *Captain's Courageous*

25 August - *The Razor's Edge*

 

01 September - *Alice Adams*

08 September - *The Goodbye Girl*

15 September - *Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans*

22 September - *Gilda*

29 September - *The Fallen Idol*

 

06 October - *Close Encounters...* (and *The Wild Bunch* Late-Night Essential)

13 October - *The Third Man*

20 October - *Camille*

27 October - *Diabolique*

 

03 November - *Wuthering Heights*

10 November - *Dinner At Eight*

17 November - *Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*

24 November - *Jezebel*

 

01 December - *Sullivan's Travel's* (And *Lost In America* Late-Night Essential)

08 December - *Summertime*

15 December - *The Band Wagon*

22 December - *Rebel Without A Cause*

29 December - *The Way We Were*

 

05 January - *To Have And Have Not*

12 January - *Whatever Happened To Baby Jane*

19 January - *Lolita*

26 January - *Captains Courageous*

 

---------------------

 

And use the August titles to start the speculation on "Summer Under The Stars" honorees too.

(I "nominate" Joe E. Brown, Shelly Winters, Lionel Barrymore and Tyrone Power)

 

Kyle In Hollywood

[TopBilled]

August SUTS honorees: it probably is Joe E. Brown, since SOME LIKE IT HOT would air in the evening, and we would see all his earlier films throughout the day. LOLITA might mean James Mason, though Shelley WInters would be good. Freddie Bartholomew seems just as possible as Lionel Barrymore. And I think Tyrone Power is right, because we have had Gene Tierney. The other candidate would be Clifton Webb, but with virtually all his film resume at Fox, I think that would be a bit unlikely. At least Power did the occasional freelance assignment and they do not need to rely completely on Fox if honoring him. We would get the films he did at the very end for Columbia and it would certainly be a treat if Universal's MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER showed up.

[AndyM108]

Thanks for posting the list, but brother, look at all the repeats. It'd be nice to see them broaden their definition of "Essentials" beyond movies we've seen a hundred times before. A few foreign or non-Chaplin / Lloyd / Keaton silent movies would be greatly appreciated.

 

OTOH at least we're being spared Splendor in the Grass for what seems like the 10th time in the past two years, so I guess I should count my blessings. Thank God for the other 21 hours of the day, because it's not just "The Essentials"--- TCM prime time in general is fast becoming little more than 3 hours worth of Greatest Hits and No Surprises.

 

[TopBilled]

I will agree with you a bit on this, Andy. And I am sure others are thinking the same thing.

 

One thing that seemed odd to me is Drew would pick CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and not E.T., if she was to select a Spielberg title.

 

This tells me that since CLOSE ENCOUNTERS has been in heavy rotation the past few months, that TCM has leased it for the year, and that someone else (higher up) suggested including that one in this year's Essentials program. I do not think Robert and Drew pick all the films. They just host them (and probably pick a high percentage of them, but not all of them). Drew would definitely have chosen E.T. for obvious reasons.

[LoveFilmNoir]

Thanks for posting this Kyle.

 

I too agree with the Ty Power speculation. Something is telling me that he will be honored in SUTS as the Fox contract star "surprise". It was Linda Darnell last year with "A Letter to Three Wives" as the Essential that Saturday. In 2010 it was Gene Tierney with "Leave Her to Heaven" as the Essential. I noticed his Fox films popping up on the schedule and I really hope this is the case. Keeping my fingers crossed!!!!

 

Oh TCM!!!

[slaytonf]

Does this mean Dinner at Eight, Some Like it Hot, and Wuthering Heights have not been on The Essentials before? That seems hard to believe, as they are among the highest in rotation of the films on TCM.

 

It's difficult to look on The Fallen Idol as an essential movie (or Alice Addams, either). Well, at least there's Diabolique.

[movieman1957]

Hmmm. I did not go "wow."

[hlywdkjk]

*"Does this mean Dinner at Eight, Some Like it Hot, and Wuthering Heights have not been on The Essentials before?"* - slaytonf

 

No. It doesn't mean that. Each of those films could have been an "Essential" selection in the past. (In the case of *Some Like It Hot*, I can almost guarantee it was already featured.)

 

The series is entering its 12th year so it is possible. There aren't a lot of details that I still remember from the Rob Reiner years.

 

Kyle In Hollywood

[Tikisoo]

>There aren't a lot of details that I still remember from the Rob Reiner years.

 

Nor much memorable from the Bogdanovich years either. Both PB & Reiner are full of personality & opinions, but I don't think hosting The Essentials allows much. Just goes to show what a bull Baldwin is, and I mean that in a good way.

 

I wish the Essentials gave us more than 2 minutes of discussion before or after the film. People seem to enjoy hearing true discussion of film presented by "experts", or even fans.

 

Anyone see the photo of Drew & Osborne? She looks teeny next to him-is she? Or is RO a large man? I always pictured him kind of small in stature and Drew as a tall super model type.

[LsDoorMat]

> {quote:title=TopBilled wrote:}{quote}August SUTS honorees: it probably is Joe E. Brown, since SOME LIKE IT HOT would air in the evening, and we would see all his earlier films throughout the day. LOLITA might mean James Mason, though Shelley WInters would be good. Freddie Bartholomew seems just as possible as Lionel Barrymore. And I think Tyrone Power is right, because we have had Gene Tierney. The other candidate would be Clifton Webb, but with virtually all his film resume at Fox, I think that would be a bit unlikely. At least Power did the occasional freelance assignment and they do not need to rely completely on Fox if honoring him. We would get the films he did at the very end for Columbia and it would certainly be a treat if Universal's MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER showed up.

I doubt TCM would give Joe E. Brown a SUTS tribute only because they usually honor him all day on his birthday, July 28.

[TopBilled]

Then, maybe it's Monroe. We shall see.

[JamesJazGuitar]

 

Isn't it just as logical, if not more so, to say: Drew would definitely NOT have chosen E.T. for obvious reasons".

 

In other words since she is in the movie she wouldn't chose it because some might view doing so as lacking class. (kind of like voting for oneself).

 

I don't find it odd at all that someone wouldn't pick a movie they were in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TopBilled]

Completely disagree. That would only make sense if she did not like her films or if she had not starred in a classic. E.T. is definitely a classic and I am sure she would be proud to screen it on TCM and talk about it.

 

Alec Baldwin did not exactly appear in any classics of that magnitude. If we have these actors doing Essentials, then shouldn't we have them at least present one of their films? Shirley Jones screened and discussed ELMER GANTRY two years ago when she was a guest programmer.

 

As for Drew, I also find it odd that none of the other films feature John Barrymore or Ethel Barrymore. I really think 20TH CENTURY should be part of this series and Drew should introduce Barrymore and Lombard's great screwball classic. This makes particular sense, especially since Drew herself became known as a screwball comedienne in many of her own films in recent years.

 

In my opinion, they are really missing the mark by having her discuss LOLITA and THE BAND WAGON. Anyone can discuss those.

 

This would be like having Steve Martin on discussing THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. We would be much more interested in hearing him talk about THE JERK or some classic comedian like Buster Keaton or Jerry Lewis.

[JamesJazGuitar]

My, point was that I could see Drew TCM going either way, here. You instead have a very strong, onesided POV here in that what they are doing is odd.

 

The fact TCM Drew don't associated Drew with some of her famous family members MIGHT relate to the same reason they didn't associated her with her movies and pick ET. For all we know Drew might of asked TCM to NOT associated her with the Barrymore 'brand' because (again) some viewers might find that tacky (self promoting, too ego driven). If this was a conscious decision by TCM Drew I don't find it odd at all (instead it can be viewed as classy).

 

I would find her talking about her relative's movies as well as her own interesting and in no way tacky. So here we do agree that TCM is somewhat 'missing the mark', but their intention might be very good natured (assuming it was a conscious one).

 

 

[hlywdkjk]

Drew Barrymore was asked to Co-host The Essentials because of the enthusiasm she showed for classic films and for all things TCM at the TCM Classic Film Festival last spring.

 

"Barrymore said, "I'm a TCM nut. I watch Robert Osborne every day of my life. To get to talk about classic cinema with such a brilliant man, I am simply in heaven. This is just the most wonderful opportunity to discuss my greatest passion, which is movies."

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=457581&name=Drew-Barrymore-to-Co-Host-12th-Season-of-The-Essentials&banner=4

 

Last April she appeared at the FF to introduce a screening of the long-unseen *Night Flight* that starred both her great-uncle Lionel Barrymore and her grandfather John Barrymore. Talking about her family legacy is obviously something she is not only comfortable doing but excites her too.

http://new.blog.imdb.net/2011/05/01/tcm-classic-film-festival-day-3-drew-barrymore-the-quintessential-tcm-fan/

 

Drew Barrymore's heritage no doubt played a role in her being asked to take up the duty of being co-host. I am sure it also influenced some of the films selected for "The Essentials" this year, notably Dinner At Eight and Captains Courageous. (And she had a hand in choosing some of the other titles that will be presented in the new season too.) Even so, it appears her film knowledge is wide-ranging and goes far beyond her family ties. I bet she was the first person to say that she didn't want "The Essentials" to be a Barrymore Family Retrospective this year.

 

"The Essentials" series is different from being a Guest Programmer.on TCM. The purpose and focus of "The Essentials" is to offer casual viewers a curated gateway into the world of "classic films". Both *Dinner At Eight* and *Captains Courageous* are "Essentials" titles worthy of that distinction regardless of the fact that Drew Barrymore is going to introduce them. The same could not be said of the Barrymore-overloaded *Rasputin And The Empress*.

 

As for *E.T. - The Extraterrestial*, is it a "worthy" title? Sure. But to include it in "The Essentials" this season with Drew Barrymore as co-host would appear to be an act of self-aggrandizement on her part and exploitation on the part of TCM. I would also find it easy to believe that she would rather not talk about her own work in the context of TCM and "The Essentials". She wants to talk with Robert Osborne about "movies" and not about herself.

 

Besides, *E. T .- The Extraterrestial* would be extremely expensive to lease and I have some doubt that an original (unaltered) copy of the film could even be had anymore. Speilberg digitally removed those guns out of the film for a reason.

 

So don't confuse "The Essentials" with "Guest Programmers." The two series have different purposes on TCM. One is highly personal for the co-hosts while the other is intended to be (casually) academic.

 

Kyle In Hollywood

[Lori3]

What TCM couldn't think of enough films to cover the 11 months, so they repeat them. Some these films have been shown on the Essentials programing before. Why don't they listen to some of the fans of TCM. I know of an essential film they haven't shown. How about the orginal The Postman Always Rings Twice with Garfield and Turner? I am disappointed but not surprised.

[sewannie]

> {quote:title=Lori3 wrote:}{quote}What TCM couldn't think of enough films to cover the 11 months, so they repeat them. Some these films have been shown on the Essentials programing before. Why don't they listen to some of the fans of TCM. I know of an essential film they haven't shown. How about the orginal The Postman Always Rings Twice with Garfield and Turner? I am disappointed but not surprised.

 

Most of the Essentials always get two showings the year they are an Essential. Occasionally, something is on just once for a special occasion... I think MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET was an Essential on Christmas Eve last year.

 

I'm not thrilled with most of these choices either...SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, I am since it was removed from November's schedule and I want to see it. I also hope THE RAZOR'S EDGE being shown in August means that Tyrone Power gets a SUTS day.

 

THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE was shown in November when the Blondes were SOTM.

 

As for not listening to the fans, maybe not as much as you or I would like, but they do. Joel McCrea as SOTM (YAY) proves that they do listen.

 

BTW...I like John Garfield too.

[hlywdkjk]

Lori3 -

 

As 'sewannie' noted, repeats of "The Essentials" later in the season have been part of the series from day one. In fact, during the first five years, the episodes used to be repeated on Sunday Afternoons too. (That's when I usually caught most of them.)

 

TCM programs repeats into the schedule so that one can have more than one opportunity to see the episode. Many viewers are not always home or planning to watching TCM every Saturday night.

 

*The Postman Always Rings Twice* was included in 2008/2009 "The Essentials" season when the series was co-hosted by Rose McGowan.

 

(And the previously discussed *Some Like It Hot* was an "Essential" way back in 2004 when Sydney Pollack was the host.)

 

But feel free to offer suggestions of "classic films" that you think are "Essential" films. The Programming Department checks out these Forums quite often and take note of suggestions made here.

 

Kyle In Hollywood

[JefCostello]

"The Misfits" seemed to be on every Essentials run lately, until this one.

 

[misswonderly3]

There's some good stuff on this list. They're showing at least two of my very favourite movies. I'm surprised but delighted that *Sunrise* is on the Essentials schedule, a beautiful poetic silent film, which is in itself an eloquent argument for why silent films still matter and should still be watched.

( I realize that my choice of the word "eloquent" may be inappropriate, given that I'm referring to silent films. Still, it just seemed like the right word.)

 

And *Sullivan's Travels* is a great film, an under-rated comedy with a profound message (kind of ironic, considering that Sturges is gently making fun of the concept of "message movies".) It's an exceptionally good movie in its own right, and on top of that, it stars JOEL McCREA ! (see edit at bottom of post.)

 

Did someone here lament a lack of foreign films on the roster? At least they've got *Diabolique*, a truly memorable French production, full of intrigue and labyrinthine plot twists.

 

 

And I have to disagree with whoever said they weren't too impressed with the choice of *Fallen Idol*. I could be wrong about this, and if so, I apologize, but it seems to me that many American film fans limit their movie love to made in the USA offerings. Sometimes I pick up a distinct lack of interest in British films around here ( of course not including our own TCM poster "filmlover" here, with his very own thread devoted to British movies - thanks, filmlover ! ) *Fallen Idol* is a very well-made movie, well-cast, and with a moving story. Plus, no one can accuse it of being too "common", of being shown too often on TCM .

 

 

Don't worry folks, I'm not going to go over each and every title on the new Essentials list. But those four stood out for me, and looks like there's lots of other good viewing this year as well as the films I discuss above.

And if you've already seen one, and don't want to see it again, hey, there's always lots of other things to do. Including catching up on some of those TCM films you've maybe recorded and never yet got around to watching...

 

Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 13, 2012 9:26 AM

I realize that "Sullivan's Travels" is not really a comedy, in fact it's got some pretty serious scenes in it. Maybe we could call it a drama with levity. I always want to call anything by Preston Sturges a comedy.

[hlywdkjk]

*The Essentials - A Stickie List*

 

TItles featured in the TCM series "The Essentials" series 2003 - 2011

(An incomplete list)

 

------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2011/2012_

Co-Hosted by Robert Osborne and Alec Baldwin

(Repeats Omitted)

 

Love Me Tonight

Hannah and Her Sisters

Mildred Pierce

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Splendor in the Grass

Ball of Fire

Gunga Din

An American in Paris

The Bicycle Thief

Cat People

East of Eden

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

Dodsworth

The Caine Mutiny

Bringing Up Baby

Out of the Past

City Lights

Fail-Safe

The Misfits

Cool Hand Luke (Double Feature Night)

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Double Feature Night)

All Quiet on the Western Front

Stage Door

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

A Place in the Sun

A Letter to Three Wives

Sunset Boulevard

The Bank Dick

Miracle on 34th Street

=====================

 

-----------------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2010/2011_

Co-Hosted by Robert Osborne and Alec Baldwin

(Repeats Omitted)

 

A Streeetcar Named Desire (Double Feature)

Saturday Night Fever (Double Feature)

White Heat

Lawrence Of Arabia

Gigi

Bonnie And Clyde (Double Feature)

Serpico (Double Feature)

Judgement At Nuremberg

Strangers On A Train

The Graduate

A Foreign Affair

The Lion In Winter

The Blue Dahlia

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1935)

The Best Years Of Our Lives

Mutiny On The Bounty (1962)

San Francisco

A Star Is Born (1954)

The Snake Pit

Meet Me In St. Louis

My Darling Clementine

Road To Morocco

Black Orpheus

Bad Day At Black Rock

The Sea Hawk

Leave Her To Heaven

The Sting

Kind Hearts and Coronets

Meet John Doe

======================

 

--------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2009/2010_

Co-Hosted by Robert Osborne and Alec Baldwin

(Repeats Omitted)

 

A Night at the Opera

Rocky

Cat Ballou

Ben-Hur

Take the Money and Run

Saboteur

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Funny Girl

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

Mutiny on the Bounty ('35)

The Devil and Daniel Webster

Battleground

Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde

The Letter

The Fortune Cookie

Random Harvest

Notorious

The Mouse that Roared

Tom Jones

The Man Who Came to Dinner

An Affair to Remember

The Asphalt Jungle

Lolita

The Guns of Navarone

The Long Hot Summer

Wuthering Heights

The Grapes of Wrath

=====================

 

---------------------------

 

 

_The Essentials 2008/2009_

Co-Hosted by Robert Osborne and Rose McGowan

(Repeats Omitted)

 

The Apartment

The Music Box/Sons of the Desert

The Bad and the Beautiful

The Great Escape

All About Eve

The Night of the Hunter

The Misfits

Paper Moon

Rebecca

Now, Voyager

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Paths of Glory

Psycho

Fanny

A Face in the Crowd

Seven Samurai

The Spiral Staircase

3:10 to Yuma

The Postman Always Rings Twice

You Can't Take it With You

Modern Times

The Apartment

Swing Time

Woman of the Year

Witness for the Prosecution

The Great Escape

=======================

 

----------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2007/2008_

Co-Hosted by Robert Osborne and Carrie Fisher

(Repeats Omitted)

 

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Only Showing as an Essential!)

Hud

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Fear Strikes Out

That Touch of Mink

The Great Dictator

Roman Holiday

The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Producers

My Fair Lady

Ball of Fire

The African Queen

Take the Money and Run

King Kong

Harvey

The Lost Weekend

Dodsworth

Topper

Sorry, Wrong Number

Pride and Prejudice

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Born Yesterday

Red River

The Importance of Being Earnest

=======================

 

-----------------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2006/2007_

Co-Hosted by Robert Osborne and Molly Haskell

(Repeats Omitted)

 

The Hustler

The Quiet Man

Brief Encounter

Duck Soup

Winchester '73

Imitation of Life ('59)

The Four Feathers

A Place in the Sun

Gilda

Ride the High Country

Top Hat

From Here to Eternity

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Sunset Boulevard

The Thin Man

Black Narcissus

Gone With the Wind

Kiss Me Deadly

Foreign Correspondent

The Maltese Falcon

Jezebel

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Written on the Wind

The Manchurian Candidate

Gunga Din

Stalag 17

Little Women ('33)

==================

 

-----------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2005/2006_

Hosted by Peter Bogdanovich

(Repeats Omitted)

 

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

The Lady from Shanghai

Adam's Rib

The Band Wagon

North by Northwest

His Girl Friday

Grand Illusion

Out of the Past

Swing Time

To Have and Have Not

Arsenic and Old Lace

Gaslight

They Were Expendable

The Lady Eve

The Big Sleep

Vertigo

Steamboat Bill, Jr.

White Heat

It Should Happen to You

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

The Magnificent Ambersons

The Merry Widow

Fort Apache

His Girl Friday

The Shop Around the Corner

Mogambo

The Awful Truth

Some Came Running

=====================

 

------------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2004/2005_

Hosted by Sydney Pollack (Season Two)

(Repeats Omitted)

 

Rear Window

High Noon

Annie Hall

Dr. Strangelove

Singin' in the Rain

Random Harvest

The Day of the Jackal

Tootsie

The Red Badge of Courage

Papillon

Spellbound

The Quiet Man

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Doctor Zhivago

Some Like It Hot

Citizen Kane

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Lion in Winter

Casablanca

====================

 

-------------------------------

 

_The Essentials 2003/2004_

Hosted by Sydney Pollack (Season One)

(Repeats Omitted)

 

==Partial List==

 

The Wild One

The Magnificent Seven

Guys and Dolls

Touch of Evil

2001: A Space Odyssey

Pillow Talk

A Star is Born ('54)

Strangers on a Train

The Shop Around the Corner

Lawrence of Arabia

The Apartment

An American in Paris

The Best Years of Our Lives

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Rebel Without a Cause

Bringing Up Baby

Notorious

On the Waterfront

=================

 

--------------------------

 

_Various Essentials Titles 2003 _

Hosted by Rob Reiner

(Very Incomplete)

 

I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

The Caine Mutiny

Mildred Pierce

Ninotchka

Rocky

The Defiant Ones

West Side Story

Sweet Smell of Success

==================

 

------------------------------

[Lori3]

Thank you both sewannie and Kyle in Hollywood for clarifying things for me. I appreciate it. And I will make suggestions to TCM regarding my ideas of essential films.

 

 

[Dargo]

Well, excuse me here folks while I break into song...

 

"See what the boys in the backroom will have."

 

...well, THIS "boy" in THIS "backroom" would ONE DAY like to have the 1939 version of *Destry Rides Again* included in "The Essentials"!!!

 

(...so what's the holdup here, barkeep???!!!)

[TopBilled]

It's rather interesting to look at the yearly selections. Carrie Fisher's list seems most eclectic and is by far the best in my opinion. It seems like she covered a theme of mental illness on film...at least on a semi-regular basis.

 

Pollack went with a few 70s classics in season two, so that gets kudos from me.

 

The others are a bit of a let-down. With the exception of GRAND ILLUSION, Bogdanovich seemed to have played it safe. I would've expected a few more foreign titles from him.

 

I still haven't decided if I enjoyed Alec Baldwin's rather lengthy run.

[Hibi]

Doesnt look like I'll be tuning in much. Stuff I've seen many times over......Sometimes I'd tune with Baldwin/RO to hear what they had to say and skip the movie. I doubt that will be the case with Drew.....