TCM Schedule for Thursday, June 27, 2013 -- What's On Tonight -- Sean Connery

[Staph]

In the morning, it's films directed by Felix Feist, followed by films starring Patricia Medina. And in prime time, there's a nice selection of the early works of Sean Connory, including Robin and Marian (1976 - costarring the luminous Audrey Hepburn) and The Wind and The Lion (1975 - with Connory as a Scottish-accented Moroccan, who was either a brigand or the rightful heir to the throne of Morocco). Enjoy!


7:00 AM -- The Threat (1949)
An escaped con kidnaps the people he thinks put him behind bars.
Dir: Felix Feist
Cast: Michael O'Shea, Virginia Grey, Charles McGraw
BW-66 mins, TV-PG,

Based on a story by Hugh King.


8:15 AM -- The Big Trees (1952)
An unscrupulous lumber baron has to join forces with former enemies to keep even bigger businessmen from taking over.
Dir: Felix Feist
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Eve Miller, Patrice Wymore
C-89 mins, TV-PG, CC,

According to Kirk Douglas in his autobiography called Ragman's Son, he accepted to play in this film for free, only in order to cut the matter short with Warner Bros, to break up his contract, so that he could be free again.


10:00 AM -- Donovan's Brain (1953)
A scientist keeps an unscrupulous tycoon's brain alive and falls under its influence.
Dir: Felix Feist
Cast: Lew Ayres, Gene Evans, Nancy Davis
BW-84 mins, TV-PG, CC,

The sign on the door of the attorney's office includes a "B. Chapman, CPA." Ben Chapman was the film's production supervisor.


11:30 AM -- Pirates of Tripoli (1955)
A pirate tries to help a deposed Arabian princess reclaim her throne.
Dir: Felix Feist
Cast: Paul Henreid, Patricia Medina, Paul Newland
C-71 mins, TV-G, CC,

Though she had an extensive career, especially in period roles, today Patricia Medina is best remembered as the wife of Joseph Cotton.


12:45 PM -- The Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956)
An American cowboy living in Mexico discovers his cattle is being eaten by a giant prehistoric dinosaur.
Dir: Edward Nassour
Cast: Guy Madison, Patricia Medina, Carlos Rivas
C-79 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

The beast was animated using two separate stop-motion animation methods. A two foot-high armatured, rubber covered model was moved, exposing a frame at a time. Also utilized was replacement animation", a technique involving several different models of the same character made of plaster, each slightly different to represent a particular action. When filmed in sequence for a few frames per second, the illusion of motion is achieved. The breathing effect of the creature was accomplished by pumping air in small increments into a cavity of the throat of the two foot-high model and then releasing it in the same manner. When seen on the screen the throat rises and falls creating the breathing effect. Two large rubber feet were filmed for the shots of the monster walking. These 'feet' were worn as shoes by a technician.


2:15 PM -- Miami Expose (1956)
A police detective uses the only witness to a gangland murder to smoke out the mobsters.
Dir: Fred F. Sears
Cast: Lee J. Cobb, Patricia Medina, Edward Arnold
BW-75 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Edward Arnold's final film.


3:45 PM -- Drums of Tahiti (1954)
An American living in 19th-century Tahiti gets involved in intrigue against the French colonial government.
Dir: William Castle
Cast: Dennis O'Keefe, Patricia Medina, Francis L. Sullivan
C-73 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Filmed in 3-D.


5:00 PM -- The Black Knight (1954)
A blacksmith fights evil as a faceless knight.
Dir: Tay Garnett
Cast: Alan Ladd, Patricia Medina, Andre Morell
C-86 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Conspirators King Mark of Cornwall and Sir Palamides are both played by future "Doctor Who"s: Patrick Troughton would take the role on television in 1966-69, whilst Peter Cushing portrayed the big-screen version in two mid-'60s Dalek films.


6:30 PM -- The Lady and the Bandit (1951)
A dramatization of the life of the English bandit Dick Turpin.
Dir: Ralph Murphy
Cast: Louis Hayward, Patricia Medina, Suzanne Dalbert
BW-79 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Based on Alfred Noyes' poem Dick Turpin's Ride.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: SEAN CONNERY



8:00 PM -- A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Epic re-staging of the Allies' heroic airdrop behind Nazi lines in Holland.
Dir: Richard Attenborough
Cast: Sean Connery, Robert Redford, Laurence Olivier
C-176 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format

According to the DVD version, Gen. R.E. Urquhart had no idea who Sean Connery was or why his daughters were so excited that he had been chosen to play their father in the movie. Richard Attenborough picked Connery because of his strong resemblance to the younger Urqhart.


11:00 PM -- Robin and Marian (1976)
An aging Robin Hood comes home to resume his relationship with Maid Marian and his battles against the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Dir: Richard Lester
Cast: Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Shaw
C-107 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

At 44, Sean Connery was the oldest actor to play Robin Hood up to that point. Russell Crowe was 46 when he played the role in 2010's Robin Hood.


1:00 AM -- The Anderson Tapes (1971)
After ten years in prison, a thief tries to adjust to improved surveillance methods.
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam
C-99 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

Final feature film of Wicked Witch of the West Margaret Hamilton.

This is the first movie in which Connery stopped wearing a toupee.


3:00 AM -- A Fine Madness (1966)
A womanizing poet falls into the hands of a psychiatrist with a straying wife.
Dir: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward, Jean Seberg
C-104 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format

The scene involving a topless Sue Ann Langdon and Sean Connery near the film's beginning was the subject of a photo feature in Playboy magazine.


5:00 AM -- The Wind And The Lion (1975)
An Arab chief triggers an international incident when he kidnaps an American widow and her children.
Dir: John Milius
Cast: Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith
C-119 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score -- Jerry Goldsmith, and Best Sound -- Harry W. Tetrick, Aaron Rochin, William L. McCaughey and Roy Charman

According to John Milius, when the film was screened for President Gerald Ford, Ford remarked that he recognized the place they filmed in Yellowstone National Park well because he used to be a ranger there. Milius refrained from informing him that the entire movie was filmed in and around Spain.

[CBHagman]

1. Sue Ane Langdon!

Now there's a name I haven't encountered in years. I remember her because she was cast opposite Herschel Bernardi in the series Arnie, but I had no idea about her saucy photo shoot with Sean Connery.

[url]http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0486057/[/url]