The TCM Programming Challenge

[jarhfive]

lzcutter,

 

"Gore Vidal" and his "I was not credited battle"? I could not find any relevant quotes. Was Mr. Veedle particularly nasty?

 

BTW: You mentioned your "RKO studios" reference material? I am interested in the history of RKO. Do you have a recommendation vis-a-vis "RKO studios" reference book(s)?

 

Rusty

[path40a]

Thanks for your interest (and encouragement), but I think there would be a conflict of interest if I participated in this one. However, I'll probably submit an entry in the next programming challenge that was proposed (provided someone else starts it).

 

I was tempted to submit an entry that included only films released since 1980 though ... with plenty of anime;-)

 

Message was edited by:

path40a

[filmlover]

LOL! You could even have a special day with Benji, whatever sequels it had, Oh Heavenly Dog, and call the day Going to the Dogs. You can bet a lot of the naysayers would jump on that and agree, lol.

[filmlover]

As to the next challenge after this one ends, are you sure you can't be convinced to take charge of it? Since I am the one to have suggested the next one be the "one studio each week" possibility, I still want to take part in it. And, definitely, I want to see what you come up with for your own sched.

[hlywdkjk]

I was tempted to submit an entry that included only films released since 1980 though ... with plenty of anime;-)

 

Or "Bringing Up Baby" 24/7?

 

Which reminds me of an April Fool's Day stunt when I was a youngster and a local radio station played "Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road" for the entire day.

 

Sorry you are recusing yourself from the challenge. I don't see a conflict of interest as you aren't selecting the "winner", but I honor your decision as a person with high ethical standards. Wanna run for public office instead?

 

Kyle in Hollywood

[constarkel]

After reading all of the posted programming schedules, I would have to say that I think EACH and EVERY one of them is head and shoulders above what we have been getting from the pros at TCM on the average.

[lzcutter]

You mentioned your "RKO studios" reference material? I am interested in the history of RKO. Do you have a recommendation vis-a-vis "RKO studios" reference book(s)?>>

 

Rusty,

 

Richard Jewell's "The RKO Story" is a good history of the studio. I recommend it highly.

 

 

As for Gore Vidal, in recent years he has been rather vocal about being snubbed for his contribution to Ben-Hur.

[Sheldon]

How about stars or supporting players who aren't usually covered? Someone suggested this and I think it's a great idea! Here are some names off the top of my head:

Eleanor Parker

Gloria Grahame

Cyd Charisse

Shirley Jones

Dan Dailey- a problem, I guess, because he did mostly Fox films

Frank Morgan

Margaret O'Brien

Gloria DeHaven

Angela Lansbury...

[MattHelm]

That's a good idea. I think that they should do a whole month devoted to the great character actors. TCM should even make an original documentary on them because they seem to be the unsung heroes of Hollywood. A lot of the classics would be nothing without them.

[lzcutter]

Rusty,

 

It looks like Pandro Berman (RKO's answer to Irving Thalberg in a way), got fed up with working for RKO in the late 1930s. Unlike the other studios, MGM (L. Mayer), WBros (J. Warner), Fox (D. Zanuck), Paramount (A. Zukor), Universal (Any Lasky), and even Columbia (H. Cohn), RKO did not have a strong personality at the helm and it is said that Berman got tired of the infighting and politics.

 

So, in 1940 he jumped ship to MGM.

 

He had an eye for talent and a talent for pairing stars together that others thought wouldn't work. He also had a way with dealing with the various insecurites and egos of the stars and the directors.

 

Though Thalberg is the name most people know as a "producers" producer, Pan Berman was cut from the same cut of cloth and had a much longer and more illustrious career than Thalberg.

 

Thalberg just had the advantage of dying young at the top of his game and so his reputation was frozen in time. Interesting to ponder if Thalberg would be as remembered today for his business acumen had he lived a long life.

[nsallieharding]

If everyone will take a look at the films that were chosen by those that have entered the TCM Challenge and the June schedule, you will notice that many of the films the challengers have picked out will be on in June. Films that have not been on in years or never before. Therefore all five who have entered are winners by getting some of their favorites on the schedule. If you have some favorite directors, actors or writers of films you would like to see on TCM you could make a weeks worth pf programming listing these films. Maybe some of them will show up and you can be a winner too.

[jarhfive]

lzcutter,

 

Thank you for the information. Guess what? I finished my "challenge" schedule!

I am printing the thing out for a final 'quality assurance' look-over. I will post tomorrow. It took most of today (Friday) to complete, but doing the thing was a lot of fun!

 

Again, thanks for the info.

 

Rusty

[lzcutter]

If everyone will take a look at the films that were chosen by those that have entered the TCM Challenge and the June schedule,>>

 

Allie,

 

How do you access the new June schedule? From the schedule page you can only see through May.

[lzcutter]

will post tomorrow. It took most of today (Friday) to complete, but doing the thing was a lot of fun!>>

 

Rusty,

 

I am looking forward to seeing your schedule! Yes, it is a lot of work and takes a couple of passes to make sure the times all line up!

[hlywdkjk]

Hey there my friend "down in the valley" -

 

http://turnerclassicmovies.com/schedule/month/?cid=&oid=6/1/2006&timezone=PST

 

Click or copy and paste into the address window. You'll find a few nice surprises.

 

Kyle in Hollywood

[lzcutter]

Kyle,

 

Thanks for the link. I love the film "Hoosiers" mainly because of its score. One of those great scores you carry with you always. I have it on vinyl, should check to see if it's available on CD. One of my fave scores, up there with Chinatown, Under Fire and Mockingbird. (I'm sure there will be ridicule but that's okay. When it comes to film scores, I know what I love).

 

The Wind- one of the best silent films ever. La Strada and Fanny and Alexandria! Sh! The Octopus, Clara Bow, Bette Davis and Louis Brooks docs, Show People, The Las Vegas Story, City of Conquest (maybe the one with the recently restored prologue ), Parnell (which I haven't seen since I was a kid), am hoping I am home and not traveling for work in June!

 

 

 

I've just about forgotten how hard the challenge was and will be ready for the next one (which will hopefully be after May, but if not, that's okay, I'll work it in)

[path40a]

This is great news allie, and worth making a note of; your efforts were not in vain!

[path40a]

I'll look forward to your entry Rusty!

 

NOTE: less than one week to go on this challenge, and the benefits of participating have been noted (e.g. by allie). Plus, they'll be a prize!

[jarhfive]

Thursday, June 1st:

 

Frank Morgan's Birthday

06:00 am Secrets Of The French Police (1932)/RKO/59 mins

07:15 am The Half-Naked Truth (1932)/RKO/77 mins

08:45 am The Nuisance (1933)/MGM/83 mins

10:15 am When Ladies Meet (1933)/Cosmopolitan/MGM/85 mins

11:45 am Enchanted April (1935)/RKO/66mins

01:00 pm The Perfect Gentleman (1935)/MGM/72 mins

02:15 pm Picadilly Jim (1936)/MGM/95 mins

04:00 pm The Great Morgan (1946)/MGM/57 mins

05:00 pm Washington Melodrama (1946)/MGM/80 mins

06:30 pm By Your Leave (1934)/RKO/82 mins

 

My Wedding Anniversary

08:00 pm The Locket (1946)/RKO/85 mins

09:30 pm Married Before Breakfast (1937)/MGM/70 mins

10:45 pm Palm Beach Story (1942)/Paramount/88 mins

12:30 am Father Of The Bride (1950)/MGM/92 mins

02:15 am The Catered Affair (1956/MGM/92 mins

04:00 am Arsenic And Old Lace (1944)/Warner Brothers/118 mins

 

Friday, June 2nd:

 

Johnny Weissmuller's Birthday

06:00 am Tarzan The Ape Man (1932)/MGM/99 mins

08:00 am Tarzan And His Mate (1934)/MGM/91 mins

10:00 am Tarzan Escapes! (1936)/MGM/89 mins

12:00 pm Tarzan Finds A Son (1939)/MGM/82 mins

02:00 pm Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941)/MGM/81 mins

03:30 pm Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942)/MGM/72 mins

05:00 pm Tarzan Triumphs (1943)/Sol Lesser/RKO/76 mins

06:30 pm Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)/Sol Lesser/RKO/70 mins

 

Magazine To Movie--Collier's Magazine

08:00 pm The Bedford Incident (1965)/Bedford/Columbia/102 mins

09:45 pm Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)/Walter Wanger Prod./80 mins

11:15 pm Ding Dong Williams (1946)/RKO/61mins

12:30 am Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)/MGM/138 mins

03:00 am Stagecoach (1939)/Walter Wanger Productions/96 mins

04:45 am The Big Game (1936)/RKO/74 mins

 

Saturday, June 3rd:

 

Darkness After Dawn

06:00 am Force Of Evil (1948)/MGM/78 mins

 

Serial Saturday Morning--The Hurricane Express (1932)/Mascot/227 mins

Starring John Wayne

08:00 am Episode 1-The Wrecker

08:30 am Episode 2-Flying Pirates

09:00 am Episode 3-The Masked Menace

09:30 am Episode 4-Buried Alive

10:00 am Episode 5-Danger Lights

10:30 am Episode 6-The Airport Mystery

11:00 am Episode 7-Sealed Lips

11:30 am Episode 8-Outside The Law

12:00 pm Episode 9-The Invisible Army

12:30 pm Episode 10-The Wrecker's Secret

01:00 pm Episode 11-Wings Of Death

01:30 pm Episode 12-Unmasked

 

My Man--Robert Taylor

02:00 pm Waterloo Bridge (1940)/MGM/108 mins

04:00 pm Lucky Night (1939)/MGM/82 mins

05:30 pm Undercurrent (1946)/MGM/116 mins

07:30 pm One Reel Wonders/30mins

 

The Essentials

08:00 pm Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925)/MGM/151 mins

11:00 pm Quo Vadis (1951)/MGM/171 mins

TCM Imports

02:00 am Simon Of The Desert (1965)/Altura Films International/40 mins

03:00 am Valley Of The Kings (1954)/MGM/86 mins

04:30 am The Hitchhiker (1953)/The Filmakers/RKO/71 mins

 

Sunday, June 4th:

 

Pasternakia

06:00 am Duchess Of Idaho (1950)/MGM/98 mins

08:00 am The Toast Of New Orleans (1950)/MGM/97 mins

10:00 am Nancy Goes To Rio (1950)/MGM/100 mins

12:00 pm Summer Stock (1950)/MGM/108 mins

02:00 pm A Date With Judy (1948)/MGM/113 mins

04:00 pm Meet Me In Las Vegas (1956)/MGM/112 mins

 

The Essentials

06:00 pm Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925)/MGM/151 mins

Keaton Nation

08:45 pm Our Hospitality (1923)/Joseph M Schenck/74 mins

10:00 pm Sherlock, Jr. (1924)/Buster Keaton Productions/44 mins

10:45 pm The Navigator (1924)/Buster Keaton Productions/MGM/59 mins

12:00 am Seven Chances (1925)/Buster Keaton Productions/56 mins

01:00 am Go West (1925)/Buster Keaton Productions/MGM/69 mins

02:15 am The General (1927)/Buster Keaton Productions/United Artists/75 mins

03:45 am Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)/Buster Keaton Productions/71 mins

05:00 am The Cameraman (1928)/MGM/75 mins

 

Monday, June 5th:

 

Walter Plunkett's Birthday

06:30 am Flying Down To Rio (1933)/RKO/89 mins

08:15 am Stingaree (1934)/RKO/73 mins

09:45 am The Return Of Peter Grimm (1935)/RKO/84 mins

11:15 am Freckles (1935)/RKO/69 mins

12:30 pm Quality Street (1937)/RKO/83 mins

02:00 pm The Soldier And The Lady (1937)/RKO/85 mins

03:30 pm To Beat The Band (1935)/RKO/70 mins

04:45 pm Devil's Doorway (1950)/MGM/84 mins

06:15 pm The Prisoner Of Zenda (1952)/MGM/ 96 mins

 

My Man And Star Of The Month--Edward G. Robinson

08:00 pm Sammy Going South* (1963)/Bryanston Films/Seven Arts/128 mins

10:15 pm The Red House* (1947)/Sol Lesser Productions/100 mins

12:15 am All My Sons* (1948)/Universal International/95 mins

02:15 am The Woman In The Window (1945)/International Pictures/99 mins

04:15 am The Sea Wolf (1941)/Warner Brothers/87 mins

 

Tuesday, June 6th:

 

Walter Abel's Birthday

06:00 am The Three Musketeers (1935)/RKO/96 mins

08:00 am The Lady Consents (1936)/RKO/76 mins

09:30 am Fury (1936)/MGM/90 mins

11:30 am Law Of The Underworld (1938)/RKO/58 mins

12:45 pm Green Light (1937)/Cosmopolitan/First National/Warner Bros./85 mins

02:15 pm Racket Busters (1938)/Cosmopolitan/Warner Brothers/71 mins

03:30 pm Two In The Dark (1936)/RKO/74 mins

05:00 pm Mr. Skeffigton (1944)/First National/Warner Brothers/145 mins

07:30 pm One Reel Wonders/30 mins

 

Magazine To Movie--Saturday Evening Post

08:00 pm The Hucksters (1947)/MGM/115 mins

10:00 pm Men Of The Fighting Lady/MGM/79 mins

11:30 pm Vengeance Valley (1951)/MGM/83 mins

01:00 am Tugboat Annie (1933)/MGM/86 mins

02:30 am Riding On Air (1937)/David Loew Productions/RKO/70 mins

04:00 am Earthworm Tractors (1936)/First National/Warner Bros/69 mins

05:15 am One Reel Wonders/15mins

 

Wednesday, June 7th:

 

Dean Martin's Birthday

06:00 am Bells Are Ringing (1960)/MGM/127 mins

08:30 am Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957)/MGM/114 mins

10:45 am Ada (1961)/Avon Productions/Chalmer Inc./109 mins

12:45 pm Rio Bravo (1959)/Armada Productions/141 mins

03:15 pm Toys In The Attic (1963)/Meadway Claude/The Mirisch Corp./90 mins

05:00 pm Some Came Running (1958)/MGM/137 mins

07:30 pm Dino, Desi and Billy: Beverly Beat(1965)/DDB LLC/30 mins

 

Magazine To Movie

08:00 pm A Christmas Story (1983)/Christmas Tree Films/MGM/93mins

Playboy

09:45 pm Jalna (1935)/RKO/78mins

Atlantic Monthly

11:15 pm Shadow Of Doubt (1935)/MGM/74 mins

Colliers Magazine

12:45 am Get-Rich-Quick-Wallingford (1921)/Cosmopolitan Productions/70 mins

Cosmopolitan Magazine

02:00 am New Adventures Get-Rich-Quick-Wallingford (1931)/MGM/95 mins

Cosmopolitan Magazine

03:45 am Woman In The Dark (1934)/RKO/66 mins

Liberty Magazine

05:00 am Joe Smith, American (1942)/MGM 63 mins

Cosmopolitan Magazine

[jarhfive]

Hello,

 

I thank coffeedan and his post dated 8/1/05 "Re:Whatever happened to good movies?" Coffedan's information was the 'kernel' of my programming. Find the thread and Coffedan's message...very interesting.

 

I thank Mongo--"Birthday" thread.

 

I thank lzutter for the programming 'template'.

 

I thank hlywdkjk for lots of information and tips.

 

I thank MattHelm for the "serial" idea.

Matt...honestly, I did not remember you placing your serials Saturday morning.

I was ready to 'upload' my programming (I was checking for another "Ben Hur" essential) and viewed your programming. Your idea must of stuck somewhere in my head.

 

I thank path40a for the challenge. I worked on this all day Friday and left all my 'other' work for Monday.

 

Briefly,

 

June 1st--my wedding anniversary. I programmed 'wedding' fare.

June 2nd--more Tarzan than anyone needs (or wants).

June 2nd--I programmed movies based on stuff appearing in Collier's magazine.

June 3rd--I programmed all 227 minutes of the John Wayne serial. I know that the episodes would normally 'spread' over several weeks. My programming all episodes Saturday morning is...I don't know...to 'fill in' several hours.

June 4th--Joe Pasternak...need I say more?

June 5th--Edward G. Robinson and Robert Taylor...my guys! I took some liberties

with 'have to lease' movies. I marked the Robinson programming that may be TCM premieres with an asterisk.

BTW: The one movie I listed that requires a TCM broadcast is the wonderful 'kids' adventure film--"Sammy Goes South" (aka "A Boy Ten Feet Tall"). I saw that thing as a boy, uh...40 years ago!

June 6th--I programmed movies based on stuff appearing in The Saturday Evening

Post magazine.

June 7th--I programmed movies based on stuff appearing in various magazines. I listed source magazine with the movie.

 

Rusty

[jarhfive]

Hello,

 

BTW: The June 7th 7:30 pm listing? Don't try to find the thing--it does not exist. Aww.

 

Rusty

[MattHelm]

Success! The Magazine to Movie idea is great. And the serial you chose would be great to see on there, too. I can't watch TCM on the weekend mornings usually, I'm not in the mood for heavy dramas or plots when I wake up. Probably the conditioning I received from the Pavlov experiment of my youth. I'd prefer to watch serials or cartoons, or something totally ridiculous. And thanks for remembering me on Dean Martin Day, too.

[jarhfive]

MattHelm,

 

Thank you for the thank you. Yesterday's 'work' was fun, despite my employer's computer 'locking up' on all the IMDB "flash-in-your-face" ads. My, ahem...business computer still runs Windows 95! The software simply can't hand all that s***.

 

Believe it or not, I have watched the John Wayne serial--independent VHF station, broadcasting from Denver...many years ago.

 

Rusty

[jarhfive]

MattHelm,

 

Sorry. Thank you for the kudos. Most of my brain has 'checked out'.

 

Rusty

[path40a]

Terrific job, Rusty, and thanks for taking the time to complete a week's programming for TCM! Thanks also for the explanatory post, always helpful & interesting to read.