October 2004 – archive
October 2004 – archive
Friday October 1 – Dick Foran (The Singing Cowboy) Day plus these fine films:
10:00 PM Casablanca (1942) – "Here’s looking at you kid" – what can one say about the film proclaimed to be the best film ever? Of course the cast is outstanding! Humphrey Bogart Ingrid Bergman Paul Henreid Claude Rains Conrad Veidt Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. Actually should have competed with [i]Mrs. Miniver[/i] in 1942 since it premiered in New York in November of that year. However it didn’t play in Los Angeles until its general release that January so it competed in 1943. Michael Curtiz finally won a Best Director Oscar on his fifth try and was never nominated again despite directing many quality films over nineteen more years; the film also won an Oscar for Writing. The great scenes between Bogart and Rains also earned them Best Actor & Supporting Actor nominations. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1989. #1 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list. #2 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list; Bogart’s Rick was voted the #4 hero by AFI. #37 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list.
12:00 AM The Maltese Falcon (1941) – the best ever Film Noir? Who knows? But it sure is a great Humphrey Bogart film (nominated for a Best Picture Oscar two years before [i]Casablanca[/I] won) that also features Mary Astor Sydney Greenstreet (an AA nominated performance) and Peter Lorre. Directed by John Huston who also received an Oscar nomination for writing the screenplay. "The stuff dreams are made of" says Bogartâ??s Sam Spade. Proof that a remake can be better than the original! Added to the National Film Registry in 1989. #23 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list. #26 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list.
Saturday October 2
4:00 PM The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) – I’m sure everyone’s seen this Errol Flynn Olivia de Havilland Basil Rathbone Claude Rains film classic in Technicolor! The film won three Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1995. #100 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list. Flynnâ??s Robin was voted #18 hero by AFI.
6:00 PM Cape Fear (1962) – I haven’t seen the updated version of this one yet but I did really enjoy this version which stars Gregory Peck & Robert Mitchum (though it is hard to watch at times). Also with Polly Bergen Martin Balsam even Telly Savalas. #61 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list. Mitchumâ??s Max Cady was voted #28 villain by AFI.
8:00 PM The Day Of The Jackal (1973) – this weekâ??s Essential the film is a faithful adaptation of the engrossing Frederick Forsyth novel about an assassin by director Fred Zinnemann. The movie is a very good one but unfortunately didnâ??t do very well at the box office in part because the director turned down Michael Caine in favor of an unknown face for the lead character (Edward Fox).
10:30 PM Notorious (1946) – is certainly one of Hitchcock’s most acclaimed (discussed & analyzed) films. It contains terrific characterizations by its three lead actors: Cary Grant (inexplicably ignored by the Academy) Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains (whose performance did receive a nomination). The love story within is what distinguishes this thriller from his others. Grant’s character must convince the woman he comes to love (Bergman) to seduce the enemy (Rains) whose genuine love for her is betrayed such that "we" are compelled to feel sorry for the villain. Of the many great scenes perhaps the most memorable include a wide tracking shot of a party in Rains’ home which ultimately focuses in on a key in Ms. Bergman’s hand which leads to Grant & Bergman trying to find the "contraband" in the basement. And of course the climactic sequence with Grant & Rains escorting Ms. Bergman down the stairs of his home while encountering (still more) bad guys. #38 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list. #86 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list.
12:30 AM The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) – This remake by Hitchcock of his 1934 film employs James Stewart Doris Day Bernard Miles Brenda de Banzie and Reggie Maldar (playing the Peter Lorre character from the first). Stewart and Day are "married with child" learn a secret on vacation causing their child to be kidnapped. The many memorable scenes include Stewart’s character being approached by a man who’s just been stuck with a knife in a Marrakech marketplace the clue given by this man and the ensuing confusion over what it means a taxidermy shop the Albert Hall scene (much like the first film though) and the second scene in which Ms. Day sings "Que Sera Sera" to help locate her son. Which is your favorite version?
Sunday October 3
8:00 AM The Time Machine (1960) – a sci fi classic which won the Best Effects Special Effects Oscar I actually think the film suffers in the final third with Yvette Mimieux. Rod Taylor plays H.G. Wells in his often copied or adapted story about time travel.
12:00 PM It Happened One Night (1934) – Frank Capra’s first Oscar winner was also the first film to sweep the top five awards (Best Picture Best Lead Actor Best Lead Actress Best Director and Best Writing) also the only nominations it received. The original script was titled "Night Bus" after the book on which the film was based; Myrna Loy turned down the lead. Includes the famous scene of Claudette Colbert raising her skirt above her knees while hitchhiking to Clark Gable’s astonishment. Added to the National Film Registry in 1993. #8 on AFIâ??s 100 Funniest Movies list. #35 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list. #38 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list.
4:00 PM The Pink Panther (1964) – this first film with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau is a comedy classic by director Blake Edwards. With David Niven Robert Wagner and Capucine (before Madonna I guess;- ) it features the great theme music by Henry Mancini as well as introducing the famous "Pink Panther" cartoon even though the filmâ??s title actually refers to a famous diamond.
Monday October 4 – Buster Keaton & Thatâ??s Entertainment Day!
Tuesday October 5 – let the musicals begin all month on Tuesdays & Wednesdays
7:30 AM The Broadway Melody (1929) – this Best Picture Oscar winner is an enjoyable though dated musical about two sisters trying to make it on Broadway and their men. You’ll also briefly see two venerated character actors early in their careers William Demarest and James Gleason.
8:00 PM Love Me Tonight (1932) – a four star delight starring Maurice Chevalier Jeanette MacDonald Charlie Ruggles Charles Butterworth Myrna Loy and C. Aubrey Smith. Added to the National Film Registry in 1990.
9:45 PM 42nd Street (1933) – nominated for a Best Picture (and Sound Recording) Oscar itâ??s been quite a while since Iâ??ve seen this gem starring Ruby Keeler Dick Powell Warner Baxter Bebe Daniels George Brent Guy Kibbee Una Merkel Ned Sparks and Ginger Rogers in all their glory. Added to the National Film Registry in 1998.
Wednesday October 6
7:00 AM Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933) – with a cast much like [i]42nd Street[/i] though less consistently good Iâ??ve seen this one more recently and itâ??s worth seeing too especially for the "Forgotten Man" sequence which ends the film. This one has Warren William Joan Blondell Aline MacMahon (great funny performance!) Ruby Keeler Dick Powell Guy Kibbee Ned Sparks and Ginger Rogers. Added to the National Film Registry in 2003.
1:00 PM The Great Ziegfeld (1936) – this biography of the Broadway legend played by William Powell won three Oscars including Best Picture and the first of consecutive Lead Actress Oscars for Luise Rainer (with [i]The Good Earth (1937)[/i]) whom I thought overacted a bit in this so so musical. However the production numbers for the time (and to some degree even now) must have been spectacular. The trend which continues to this day by Oscar voters to select a run-of-the-mill musical over other quality candidates especially comedies began here. It also stars Myrna Loy as Billie Burke Frank Morgan in a humorous role as Ziegfeld’s competitor AND partner and Fanny Brice & Ray Bolger as themselves.
4:00 PM Swing Time (1936) – one of the best Fred (Astaire) & Ginger (Rogers) musicals followed at 8 PM by perhaps the best (?). Funny scenes provided by Eric Blore Oscarâ??s Best Song "The Way You Look Tonight" and the famous (Oscar nominated Dance direction) "Bojangles of Harlem" number as well. #30 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list.
8:00 PM Top Hat (1935) – one of the best musicals ever IMO and perhaps Fred & Gingerâ??s best film as well. Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore are hilarious. Nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and Irving Berlinâ??s song "Cheek to Cheek" this film was added to the National Film Registry in 1990.
10:00 PM Show Boat (1936) – itâ??s hard for me to choose between this one and the 1951 version Lots of great songs of course in both. This one has Irene Dunne whoâ??s hard to beat as well as Allan Jones Charles Winninger Helen Morgan and Paul Robeson (who sings "Old Man River"). Directed by James Whale ([i]Frankenstein The Invisible Man[/i]) it was added to the National Film Registry in 1996.
Thursday October 7
8:00 PM The Farmer’s Daughter (1947) – is the film which saw Loretta Young receive her Best Actress Oscar & Charles Bickford also get nominated. It focuses on a young Swedish-American woman (Ms. Young) who leaves the family farm to go to the "big" city to earn an education but is bilked out of her money on the way and finds herself working as a maid to a US Senator (Joseph Cotten). During a rally for him she speaks up for immigrants and is thrust popularly into running as well.
10:00 PM Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1963) – so very funny. Peter Sellers (nominated for a Best Actor Oscar) plays three different characters but is perhaps upstaged by George C. Scott. The film and its director Stanley Kubrick were also nominated as was the writing. Great supporting acting also provided by Sterling Hayden Keenan Wynn Slim Pickens Peter Bull and James Earl Jones. Added to the National Film Registry in 1989. #3 on AFIâ??s 100 Funniest Movies list. #26 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list.
2:00 AM One Two Three (1961) – an hilarious Billy Wilder film. East meets West capitalism and communism explained and some fast talking by the film’s star James Cagney. A must see!
4:00 AM The Great Dictator (1940) – Charlie Chaplin spoofs Adolf Hitler in this somewhat controversial film. With Paulette Goddard and directed by Chaplin. It was nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Actor & Screenplay Writing (Chaplin) Supporting Actor (Jack Oakie) and Best Picture. Added to the National Film Registry in 1997. #37 on AFIâ??s 100 Funniest Movies list.
Friday October 8
4:00 PM The Naked Spur (1953) – this is one of the many great Anthony Mann westerns featuring James Stewart as a bounty hunter that must bring Robert Ryan to justice. Also with Janet Leigh. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1997.
11:15 PM Three Strangers (1946) – an entertaining film mysterious and all with three great lead actors – Sydney Greenstreet Peter Lorre and Geraldine Fitzgerald – that are linked together by a bet. Three stories in one written by John Huston.
Saturday October 9
6:15 AM Gentleman Jim (1942) – is perhaps my favorite early boxing movie and incredibly it’s a true story. Errol Flynn portrays Jim Corbett (Alan Hale his brother) who became the first heavyweight champion of the world under the new Marquis of Queensberry rules. Ward Bond does an excellent job portraying his rival the champ. Directed by Raoul Walsh.
8:00 AM D.O.A. (1950) – terrific film Iâ??m glad I saw thanks to a recommendation from a friend on another movie board. Edmond Oâ??Brien is a victim of a slow-acting poison who must track down his own killer!
12:00 PM Forbidden Planet (1956) – one of the science fiction gems from the 1950’s starring Walter Pidgeon who lives with his daughter Anne Francis (lovely) on the planet (from the title) … to which Leslie Nielsen arrives (from the Earth). Robby the Robotâ??s film debut and one of the main inspirations for the [i]Star Trek[/i] series.
8:00 PM Tootsie (1982) – how can Pollack pick one of his own films as an "Essential" shameless;- ) This is actually one of the better "man dresses up as a woman" comedies. It received 10 Oscar nominations including for Best Picture Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman) two Best Supporting Actresses (Jessica Lange who won and Teri Garr) as well as for director Pollack. Now that heâ??s shown his film why not get Martin Scorsese to do the Essentials now;- ) #2 on AFIâ??s 100 Funniest Movies list. #62 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list.
10:15 PM Some Like It Hot (1959) – one of the best comedies ever? I don’t know you decide. It was directed by Billy Wilder of course and it does feature two cross dressing men (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) and a very sexy (redundant?) Marilyn Monroe. #1 on AFIâ??s 100 Funniest Movies list. #14 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list.
Sunday October 10
12:00 PM Now Voyager (1942) – great cast better film. Bette Davis in an AA Best Actress nominated performance plays a woman who blooms. Paul Henreid & Claude Rains play the men who help her in her transformation from "old maid" to beautiful woman. Gladys Cooper also nominated (Supporting) and Bonita Granville round out the cast. Max Steinerâ??s score did win the Oscar. #23 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list.
9:30 PM Jaws (1975) – the film that ruined Hollywood? Many say this blockbuster changed the way (forever) that studio executivesâ?? particularly the finance "guys" decide which films to fund. It was the first big Steven Spielberg success who was reported to have been so scared when he read Peter Benchleyâ??s book that he wanted to return the favor. Robert Shaw Roy Scheider Richard Dreyfuss Lorraine Gray Murray Hamilton and "Bruce" the shark star (AFIâ??s #18 villain). This Oscar-nominated film won for Editing and Sound as well as for John Williamsâ?? famous score. It was added to the National Film Registry in 2001. #2 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart Pounding Movies list. #48 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list.
Monday October 11
9:30 AM Doctor Zhivago (1965) – long (David Lean directed of course) epic about lovers during the Russian Revolution with Omar Sharif Julie Christie Rod Steiger Geraldine Chaplin Alec Guinness and Tom Courtenay (Supporting Oscar nomination). Beautiful scenery sets cinematography and costumes as well as an unforgettable score helped it take home half of the 10 Oscars for which it was nominated. The film and its director received nominations. #7 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list. #39 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list.
8:00 PM & 11:15 PM The Third Man (1949) – acclaimed thriller starring Joseph Cotton & Orson Wells won the Best B&W Cinematography Oscar and received two other nominations including one for its director Carol Reed. Wellsâ??s Harry Lime is AFIâ??s #37 villain. #57 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list. #75 on AFIâ??s 100 Most Heart Pounding Movies list.
Tuesday October 12
8:00 PM Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) – this musical biography of George M. Cohan earned James Cagney his only Best Actor Oscar (out of three nominations) and Walter Huston his third nomination though his first for Supporting Actor (he was to win his only Oscar on his next & last nomination for Supporting Actor in [i]The Treasure of the Sierra Madre[/i] seven years later). Also with Joan Leslie. The film its director (Michael Curtiz) the editing and the story were also Oscar nominated. Besides for Cagney it also won Oscars for Sound Recording and Musical Scoring. Added to the National Film Registry in 1993.
Wednesday October 13
8:00 PM Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) – a great film for the whole family covering all the seasons but especially Halloween and Christmas. I actually grew up in St. Louis myself though not at the turn of the 20th Century like this film;- ) Great songs from its star Judy Garland including the title song the Trolley Song and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" which became a holiday favorite after its debut in this film. Mary Astor Lucille Bremer Leon Ames Tom Drake Marjorie Mann Harry Davenport June Lockhart and scene stealing Margaret O’Brien also star. Director Vincente Minnelli met his future wife (Ms. Garland) on this set. Nominated for four Oscars it was added to the National Film Registry in 1994 (the year TCM was born!).
Thursday October 14
10:00 PM Paths Of Glory (1957) – great WW I film by Stanley Kubrick. Kirk Douglas gives his usual (a gripping gritty performance) as a field leader caught between his men and inexplicable orders from above. Support provided by Adolphe Menjou George Macready even Richard Anderson ([i]The Six Million Dollar Man[/i]â??s Oscar Goldman). This film was added to the National Film Registry in 1992.
12:00 AM Sergeant York (1941) – Gary Cooper won his first Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal in this incredible true story of an American hero directed by Howard Hawks (also nominated). Best Supporting Actor nominee Walter Brennan Joan Leslie George Tobias and Margaret Wycherly (also nominated) lend support. The film received a total of eleven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture & Writing and also won for Editing.
2:30 AM The Dawn Patrol (1938) – thrilling remake of the 1930 Howard Hawksâ?? film about WW I flying aces and the leaders who must send these men on dangerous missions. This one features a terrific cast including Errol Flynn Basil Rathbone David Niven Donald Crisp and Barry Fitzgerald. Director Edmund Goulding used some footage from the original movie.
4:15 AM The Lost Patrol (1934) – great film familiar because itâ??s been copied about a troop of men who are trapped in a desert oasis that must survive snipers and each other while waiting for relief that may never come. Directed by John Ford the cast includes Victor McLaglen Boris Karloff Wallace Ford Reginald Denny and Alan Hale.
Friday October 15
4:00 PM Watch On The Rhine (1943) – this is a must-see which is also timely for todayâ??s times. A great film about standing up for what is right regardless of the odds with Oscar nominated dialogue ("speeches") everyone needs to hear spoken by Paul Lukas. Lukas is so good he won the Best Actor Oscar that year beating Humphrey Bogart (in [i]Casablanca[/i] no less!) and Gary Cooper (in [i]For Whom the Bell Tolls[/i]) among others. Bette Davis Geraldine Fitzgerald Lucile Watson (Supporting Actress nomination) and Beulah Bondi also appear. The picture itself received an Oscar nomination.
3:15 AM The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – excellent silent featuring a knockout performance by Maria Falconetti in her only film. Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. If you missed this when TCM aired it this summer donâ??t make the same mistake twice!
Saturday October 16
6:00 PM Operation Crossbow (1965) – I started watching this when it aired recently on TCM only to realize it was a film I had remembered in plot yet not by name. It was compelling enough to keep me interested again. Itâ??s a "spies during war" film set near the end of WW II with George Peppard Sophia Loren Trevor Howard and John Mills.
2:15 AM Freaks (1932) – a bizarre movie and one of those you’ll want to see for film historical purposes. Several comments from others about this on these boards too if you want further input. If you do watch it stick with it till the very end or youâ??ll certainly miss the experience.
Sunday October 17
8:00 AM Gunga Din (1939) – based on Rudyard Kiplingâ??s poem this is a very entertaining adventure film with an excellent cast including Cary Grant Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Victor McLaglen Sam Jaffe (in the title role) and Joan Fontaine. Directed by George Stevens after Howard Hawks was removed when [i]Bringing Up Baby[/i] bombed at the box office; it was added to the National Film Registry in 1999.
1:30 PM The Apartment (1960) – Corporate ladder climbing is just one of the story lines in this second (of seven) successful pairing(s) of Director Wilder and Lead Actor Jack Lemmon. Wilder took home three Oscars (Best Picture Best Director Best Writing – Screenplay) which may have been an attempt by Academy voters to fix their gaffe the previous year when these two were first paired in [i]Some Like It Hot[/i] AFIâ??s #1 Comedy which wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture!
Monday October 18
8:00 PM Blackboard Jungle (1955) – opens with "Rock Around the Clock" ushering in Rock n’ Roll as well as a cast of new young stars (Jamie Farr & Vic Morrowâ??s film debut). Stars Glenn Ford as the teacher in "the jungle" of students including Sidney Poitier Morrow Paul Mazursky and Farr. Anne Francis is Fordâ??s new wife. Four Oscar nominations including Writing and B&W cinematography.
10:00 PM The Birds (1963) – perhaps the first Hitchcock film I ever remember seeing; some friends and I thought we were getting away with something sneaking to watch it on TV late one night during a sleep over (only to have nightmares once we were finally able to fall asleep). This thriller is the first of two consecutive films he used blonde "actress" Tippi Hedron; Rod Taylor also stars with support from Jessica Tandy Suzanne Pleshette Veronica Cartright and Ethel Griffies. Most of the memorable scenes were created with 370 (Oscar nominated) effect shots primarily involving crows and/or seagulls inexplicably attacking people (the plot of the film?). #7 on AFIâ??s Most Heart Pounding Movies list.
Tuesday October 19 – Musical Month continues on Tuesdays & Wednesdays
10:00 AM Show Boat (1951) – speaking of Ava Gardner … this is actually the first version of this much filmed musical which I ever saw and a good one. Although "Old Man River" is not done as well the other songs may be done better than the 1936 version. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson are the leads the scene at the end should make you cry. And donâ??t overlook Joe E. Brown and Agnes Morehead as the parents of Ms. Graysonâ??s character.
8:00 PM Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – I love musicals and had never seen this one until recently. I love it too! I didn’t know how talented Howard Keel (from TV’s [i]Dallas[/i]) was till I saw this and am sorry there don’t seem to be many films which showcase the skills of Jane Powell either. Nominated for Best Picture (and 4 others) it won the Best Musical Score Oscar.
10:00 PM An American in Paris (1951) – "It’s wonderful it smarvelous" but itâ??s also an average musical IMO featuring 44 elaborate sets and winning six Oscars including Best Picture (though probably benefitting from a split vote between [i]A Streetcar Named Desire & A Place in the Sun[/i]. It does have a great if long dance sequence with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. And Oscar Levant and Nina Foch do provide excellent support. Director Vincente Minnelli received his first nomination (he later won for [i]Gigi[/i] another questionable Best Picture winner). Added to the National Film Registry in 1993.
12:00 AM Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – anybody who hasnâ??t seen this needs to. Part of film history (the story that is) and not just for the famous scene with Gene Kelly actually singing in the rain. Great performances by Debbie Reynolds Donald O’Connor and especially Jean Hagen (nominated for Best Actress by the Academy) are also included in this classic by director Stanley Donen. It also received an Oscar nomination for Best Music Score. Added to the National Film Registry in 1989.
Wednesday October 20
1:45 PM Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) – this true story of singer Ruth Etting & her relationship with the gangster who made her a star gives you an opportunity to see two special (and different) performances by Doris Day & James Cagney. Cagneyâ??s performance was Oscar nominated and the film received a total of six nominations winning one for Motion Picture Story Writing.
8:00 PM Oklahoma! (1955) – if you’ve never seen this don’t miss it! I find it unbelievable that none of its songs were recognized in AFI’s recent 100 Songs special! Shirley Jones’s first film won Oscars for Best Music and Sound Recording and has terrific acting by Gordon MacRae Rod Steiger Gloria Grahame Charlotte Greenwood James Whitmore and Eddie Albert.
10:45 PM South Pacific (1958) – this is my Mom’s favorite musical not mine but still worth watching if you haven’t seen it. The beach scenes with Mitzi Gaynor "washing that man right out of her hair" and the guys led by Ray Walston are hilarious. Some scenes are filtered with different colors which I personally find distracting. Lead Rossano Brazzi John Kerr and Juanita Hall as "Bloody Mary" are also noteworthy.
1:30 AM Gigi (1958) – Iâ??m going to have to watch this one again because I wasnâ??t overwhelmed by it the first time I saw it. Yet this ho hum musical earned all nine Oscars (including Best Picture!) for which it was nominated. Was it just a weak year or did [i]The Defiant Ones & Cat on a Hot Tin Roof[/i] cancel each other out as well? It’s a mystery. Added to the National Film Registry in 1991. Stars Leslie Caron Maurice Chevalier and Louis Jourdan.
3:30 AM A Star Is Born (1954) – last time I saw this I believe there are a few scenes which because they were lost had to be recreated with still photos and sound (which wasnâ??t lost). I donâ??t know if a pristine print exists. In any case this is a fabulous version of this popular story of a falling star finding & helping a newcomer only to be overshadowed by his prodigy. Judy Garland James Mason Jack Carson and Charles Bickford portray their parts with excellence naturally. Directed by George Cukor it received six Oscar nominations (including one for each of its two leads). Added to the National Film Registry in 2000.
Thursday October 21
10:30 AM King Kong (1933) – Fay Wray is the human star in this film about the famous mythical ape. Many times remade and copied and another in the works watching this original is still a special experience not to be missed. Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot also star. Added to the National Film Registry in 1991.
4:00 PM The Mark Of Zorro (1940) – great film to watch with your kids or grandkids. Features Tyrone Power Basil Rathbone Gale Sondergaard and the beautiful Linda Darnell.
8:00 PM Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939) – heartwarming film about a teacher and his students featuring Robert Donatâ??s Academy Award winning Best Actor performance and a Best Actress nominated performance by Greer Garson. The film and its director Sam Wood were also nominated as was the Writing Editing and Sound. Also with Paul Henreid.
12:15 AM The Paper Chase (1973) – a great college law school film featuring John Houseman’s Academy Award winning (Supporting) acting performance. Also stars Timothy Bottoms Lindsay Wagner James Naughton and Edward Hermann.
2:15 AM These Three (1936) – a film you must see if you want to understand the damage that rumor and innuendo can do. A child played by Bonita Granville in an Academy Award nominated performance destroys the lives of three people with the help of her Grandmother played by Alma Kruger. The three whose lives are turned upside-down are played convincingly by Merle Oberon Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea in this William Wyler directed film produced by Samuel Goldwyn filmed by Gregg Toland and "written" by Lillian Hellman.
4:00 AM The Children’s Hour (1961) – only listed here because itâ??s a remake of [i]These Three[/i] (also directed by William Wyler) with the original (unedited) storyline though inferior and with a rotten ending. With Audrey Hepburn Shirley MacLaine James Garner Miriam Hopkins and Fay Bainter (Oscar nominated Supporting Actress) it could have been so much better.
Friday October 22
6:00 AM Cimarron (1931) – only listed here because it won the Oscar for Best Picture. In fact it received 7 Oscar nominations including for its two leads Richard Dix and Irene Dunne (who both overact to excess). It shows us several old stereotypes (racial among others) though this is understandable for the time. Other than that it feels very long and in the end unfulfilling. Itâ??s a Western which focuses on the settling of Oklahoma through statehood. It does however have Edna May Oliver (always a plus).
8:15 AM Only Angels Have Wings (1939) – Howard Hawks directed film starring Cary Grant (and Jean Arthur) … what more do you need to know. Oh yeah Rita Hayworth is in it too! Another film which proves that 1939 was perhaps the best year ever for great films released!
3:00 PM Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) – an Oscar winning Best Picture with strong performances by Clark Gable (also in the previous year’s Best Picture winner) Charles Laughton (unforgettable as Captain Bligh – 19th on AFI’s list of Top Villains) and Franchot Tone which prompted three Lead Actor nominations from the film. This predictably led to the only other Lead Actor nominated (Victor McLaglen in [i]The Informer[/i]) taking home the gold. A classic story this was the first remake to win Best Picture (BP).
5:30 PM The Yearling (1946) – Beautifully shot (Best Color Cinematography & Art Direction Oscars) it gives one a bit of perspective about the way things were on a family farm in the past. It features Claude Jarman with Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. Peck Wyman director Clarence Brown and the film were Oscar nominated.
8:00 PM Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) – though you may tire of Cary Grant’s "ooowww"’s and "oh dear"’s watching it this is a very funny Frank Capra film starring Cary Grant & Priscilla Lane with an excellent supporting cast including Raymond Massey (playing the role Boris Karloff originated on Broadway) & Peter Lorre and Josephine Hull (from Harvey) & Jean Adair. Completely ignored by the Academy it is 30th on AFIâ??s 100 Funniest Movies list.
Saturday October 23
2:00 PM The Black Stallion (1979) – a truly beautiful film in every way … its story the acting the cinematography everything! Kelly Reno gives a touching performance as the boy in this horse epic with Mickey Rooney (fittingly) Teri Garr and the scenery providing strong support. Added to the National Film Registry in 2002.
12:30 AM The Great Train Robbery (1979) – Jurassic Park’s Michael Crichton not only wrote the book but faithfully adapted and directed this film with Sean Connery Donald Sutherland and always sexy Lesley-Anne Down.
Sunday October 24
8:00 AM Out of the Past (1947) – one of those gems that you may have never heard about â??cause it was ignored by the Academy. A terrific film noir starring Robert Mitchum Jane Greer Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1991.
1:30 PM The Rose Tattoo (1955) – a powerful performance by the woman this story was written for Anna Magnani who won the Academy Award for Best Actress in it. It also has Burt Lancaster who plays a rather exuberant character. Nominated for a total of 8 Oscars including Best Picture it won three. Based on the Tennessee Williams play.
3:30 PM Elmer Gantry (1960) – Burt Lancaster and Shirley Jones (Supporting) won Oscars for their acting in this powerful (also nominated) film starring Jean Simmons about religious sham artists or not. Arthur Kennedy and Dean Jagger also star.
10:15 PM Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1932) – with Fredric March & Miriam Hopkins
12:00 AM Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) – with John Barrymore
2:00 AM Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1941) – with Spencer Tracy Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner
Though I havenâ??t seen the silent I jotted down a couple notes after I watched the other two in rapid succession last year – [i]There have been almost a dozen movies made with this same title and almost double that number again with similar titles (if you count foreign and TV)! The two I saw were the 1931 version for which Fredric March won his first Best Actor Oscar (actually he shared it with Wallace Beery "The Champ") & the 1941 version starring Spencer Tracy Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner (directed by Victor Fleming). Neither film is particularly great though I found it interesting that the pronunciation of Jekyll was "jeek ill" (by Miriam Hopkins et al) in the first one and (the more familiar?) "jeck ull" in the second one. I don’t think I’ve seen any of the other versions except maybe the one with Abbott & Costello (though I do remember a certain Bugs Bunny cartoon[/i];- )
Monday October 25 – Fright Night
8:00 PM Dracula (1931) – with Bela Lugosi directed by Tod Browning. Added to the National Film Registry in 2000.
12:00 AM The Invisible Man (1933) – only a great voice like that of Claude Rains could have made this one the classic that it is. It also has Gloria Stuart (you know the old woman in 1997’s Best Picture [i]Titanic[/i]). Also with Una O’Connor and directed by James Whale.
1:15 AM Frankenstein (1931) – see the original if you haven’t before you won’t be disappointed. Added to the National Film Registry in 1991. With Boris Karloff Colin Clive & Mae Clarke. Directed by James Whale.
2:30 AM Bride of Frankenstein (1935) – supposedly better than the original judge for yourself. Boris Karloff and Colin Clive return in this sequel by director James Whale. Elsa Lanchester plays the title role. Some groundbreaking photography & special effects. Added to the National Film Registry in 1998.
Tuesday October 26 – the last Tuesday & Wednesday of Musical Month!
8:00 PM My Fair Lady (1964) – one of "my favorite movies" though it should have starred Julie Andrews who starred with Rex Harrison on Broadway. In a bit of Oscar irony Ms. Andrews won the Best Actress Oscar playing [i]Mary Poppins[/i] and Ms. Hepburn wasn’t even nominated. Alan Jay Lerner’s film adaptation of Bernard Shaw’s classic [i]Pygmalion[/i] story. The film won 8 (out of 12 nominations) Oscars including Best Picture Best Actor for Harrison and Best Director for George Cukor (his first on his fifth and last nomination … 31 years after [i]Little Women[/i]). Gladys Cooper and the marvelous Stanley Holloway were nominated for their supporting roles. #91 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list. #12 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list. "I Could Have Danced All Night" is #17 on AFIâ??s 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time.
11:00 PM West Side Story (1961) – This updated [i]Romeo and Juliet[/i] tale on the streets of New York is the only movie so far to share the Best Director Oscar between two directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Can you believe that Elvis was Director Wise’s first choice to play the "Romeo" (Tony) character opposite "Juliet" Maria played by Natalie Wood (whose singing voice was dubbed by Marni Nixon who also dubbed Ms. Hepburn’s singing voice in [i]My Fair Lady[/i])? The film won 10 (out of 11 nominations) total Oscars including Best Picture and both Supporting roles George Chakiris and Rita Moreno (who also uniquely has an Emmy a Grammy and a Tony Award as well!). Added to the National Film Registry in 1997. #41 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list. #3 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list. "Somewhere" is #20 on AFIâ??s 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time. "America" is #35 on AFIâ??s 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time. "Tonight" is #59 on AFIâ??s 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time.
Wednesday October 27
8:00 PM Oliver! (1968) – "Consider yourself at home" "Food glorious food" and many other many memorable songs (none of which were recognized by AFI!) and scenes mark this musical version of Charles Dickens’s classic [i]Oliver Twist[/i]. In my opinion you’ll find no better character acting than Ron Moody as Fagin (though he lost the Best Actor Oscar to Cliff Robertson’s [i]Charly[/i]) in this film – OUTSTANDING! The film won 5 (out of 11 nominations) Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director Carol Reed. Oliver Reed is good Mark Lester tolerable and Jack Wild (The Artful Dodger) received a Supporting Actor nomination.
Thursday October 28
8:15 AM Anna Karenina (1935) – great Garbo vehicle an adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic tale. Just the kind of film she excelled in. Fredric March Basil Rathbone Freddie Bartholomew Maureen O’Sullivan May Robson and Reginald Owen are also featured. #42 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list.
8:00 PM They Won’t Forget (1937) – this is really a terrific Mervyn LeRoy directed film featuring a standout (eccentric) performance by Claude Rains in a story based upon the infamous Leo Frank murder trial here in Georgia. Otto Kruger Elisha Cook Jr. and Lana Turner appears in her first film.
10:00 PM To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) – perhaps the best adaptation of a novel to the screen ever (won the appropriate Writing Oscar) featuring the role with which Gregory Peck will always be identified Atticus Finch (AFI’s #1 hero); he won the Best Actor Oscar on his fifth and last nomination. The film its director and child actor Mary Badham ("Scout") were also nominated. Added to the National Film Registry in 1995. #34 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list.
12:30 AM Fury (1936) – Fritz Lang directed this indictment of "mob rule" with Spencer Tracy Sylvia Sidney and Walter Brennan which was nominated for a Writing Oscar. Added to the National Film Registry in 1995.
Friday October 29
10:30 AM Ride The Pink Horse (1947) – an unusual film noir worth checking out. Starring and directed by Robert Montgomery and featuring an Oscar nominated Supporting Actor performance by Thomas Gomez.
2:00 AM M (1931) – this Fritz Lang directed thriller starring Peter Lorre I have seen and itâ??s a good one. There is a serial child killer on the loose whoâ??s disrupting things so much the "Mob" decides to help catch him. Some memorable imagery including a trial and speech near the end make this a "must see" for anyone who hasnâ??t yet.
Saturday October 30
10:00 AM High Noon (1952) – shown in real time surely a challenge for Director Fred Zinnemann this Gary Cooper classic also stars Grace Kelly and a terrific supporting cast. "Coop" won his second Best Actor Oscar on his fifth (and final) nomination playing Will Kane (AFIâ??s #5 hero). The film also won for Editing Musical Score and Song ("Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlinâ??" – #25 on AFIâ??s 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time). The film director Zinnemann and its Writing were also nominated. Added to the National Film Registry in 1989. #33 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Movies list. #20 on AFIâ??s Most Heart-Pounding Movies list.
1:00 PM The Song Of Bernadette (1943) – Jennifer Jonesâ?? Oscar winning performance (the film won three other Oscars) and Best Picture nominated (and eight other nominations including Best Actor for Charles Bickford and Best Supporting Actress for both Gladys Cooper and Ann Revere. Director Henry King was also nominated. Leonard Maltin gives it 4 stars I think you have to be a "believer" to get much out of it. The cast also includes William Eythe Vincent Price and Lee J. Cobb.
6:30 PM Bad Day At Black Rock (1955) – lots of familiar players in this drama about a man trying to uncover a secret in a Western town about an old friend of his. Spencer Tracyâ??s portrayal of that man was Oscar nominated and was director John Sturges and the story. Robert Ryan Anne Francis Dean Jagger Walter Brennan Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin "fill in the blanks". Tracyâ??s last picture with MGM was also the studioâ??s first Cinemascope effort.
8:00 PM Spellbound (1945) – this weekâ??s Essential is a psychological thriller which marks the first (of three) time(s) Mr. Hitchcock was blessed with the talents of Ingrid Bergman. Also cast was Gregory Peck (the first of his two pairings with the director). Peck plays an amnesiac who poses as a doctor in a mental asylum Bergman the one who tries to help him. This was the second film (after Rebecca) that Hitchcock did for Producer David O. Selznick and the results are uneven at best. The most memorable scenes involve some dream sequences enhanced with custom work by Salvidor Dali and the ending sequence which is seen from Leo Carroll’s character’s POV as he points a gun at Ms. Bergman’s following her as she walks towards a door until … I wouldn’t want spoil it;- ) It received an Academy Award for Best Music (Scoring) plus five other nominations including Best Picture & Director.
10:15 PM Psycho (1960) – what kind of director kills off his star (played by Janet Leigh) less than half way into his film? Only the Master could (get away with it) of course. And what a killing too! You won’t turn your back on the door to the bathroom when showering for a while after watching this shocker. From the stinging violin music to the murder itself this much copied masterpiece has no peer. It’s imagery was/is so memorable that it typecast Anthony Perkins for life. It’s also impossible to forget the look of the house on the hill the scene with Martin Balsam on the stairway or the ending view of Norman in the padded room. What begins as a "woman on the run from the law" film becomes a darkly humorous film about an unstable man. Awards – four Academy Award nominations including Best Director; Directors Guild of America nomination; added to the National Film Registry in 1992; #18 on AFI’s top 100 Movies; #1 on AFI’s top 100 Thrills; Norman Bates is #2 of AFI’s top 50 Villains
Sunday October 31 – Halloween
12:00 AM The Phantom of the Opera (1925) – this classic silent film with Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin has been remade retold and adapted "six ways from Sunday". Donâ??t miss the original! Added to the National Film Registry in 1998.
1:45 AM The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) – Just recently viewed this film adapted from the Oscar Wilde novel and was amused by a lot of the dialogue spoken by George Sanders (in particular) as Lord Henry Wotton – htttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037988/quotes – including "forgive me for the intelligence of my argument; I’d forgotten that you were a Member of Parliament." Stars Hurt Hatfield and also features Angela Lansbury (Oscar nominated Supporting Actress) Donna Reed and Peter Lawford.
3:45 AM The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939) – this is a fantastic film (another from 1939!) not to be missed starring the gorgeous Maureen O’Hara and Charles Laughton’s classic performance as Quasimodo. #98 on AFIâ??s 100 Greatest Love Stories list.