TCM Schedule for Thursday, December 4, 2014 -- What's On Tonight - Christmas Classics

[Staph]

In prime time, TCM is starting a month's worth of Christmas films. Tonight's are a pair of Barbara Stanwyck pictures and a couple of Judy Garland's movies, including Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) - for the third time in one week. Enjoy!


6:30 AM -- Now Playing December (2014)
BW-18 mins, CC,


7:00 AM -- Bedtime Story (1942)
A stage star's dreams of retirement conflict with her playwright husband's need for a hit -- with her starring.
Dir: Alexander Hall
Cast: Fredric March, Loretta Young, Robert Benchley
BW-85 mins, CC,

The scene Eve Arden's character is playing badly on stage during rehearsal (which Loretta Young's character then plays, in order to show Eve's character the right way to play it) is actually a scene from the 1936 movie "Theodora Goes Wild", a romantic comedy movie starring Irene Dunne.


8:30 AM -- The Lady Takes A Sailor (1949)
A woman is saved from drowning by a mysterious submarine, but nobody believes her.
Dir: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Jane Wyman, Dennis Morgan, Eve Arden
BW-99 mins, CC,

Same theme music was used in Bed of Roses (1933).


10:15 AM -- I Love Melvin (1953)
A photographer's assistant promises to turn a chorus girl into a cover girl.
Dir: Don Weis
Cast: Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Una Merkel
C-77 mins, CC,

Howard Keel was to have originally been the star in Judy (Debbie Reynolds)'s dream, but Keel and his song "And There You Are" were cut after previews and replaced with a brief scene between Reynolds and Robert Taylor.


11:35 AM -- A Visit With Debbie Reynolds (1959)
In this promotional short for Boston's Jimmy Fund, Debbie Reynolds asks the movie audience to contribute donations to assist with child cancer treatment and research.
BW-3 mins,


11:45 AM -- Half A Hero (1953)
A married writer moves to the suburbs to research a story.
Dir: Don Weis
Cast: Red Skelton, Jean Hagen, Charles Dingle
BW-71 mins, CC,

Red Skelton, ending his association with MGM, which had begun with Flight Command (1940), starred in two films in a row which did not garner contemporary New York Times reviews: this movie, followed by The Great Diamond Robbery (1954).


1:00 PM -- Looking For Love (1964)
A promising singer has to choose between show business and marriage.
Dir: Don Weis
Cast: Connie Francis, Jim Hutton, Susan Oliver
C-84 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

When Connie Francis ran into singer Elvis Presley on the set for this movie, he reportedly told her, "I hear you're using a lot of guest-stars in your new musical. How about a job for a hungry folk singer?" This was due to the fact that there were so many guest-stars scheduled in the film that it was joked anyone could be in it if they asked.


2:30 PM -- Billie (1965)
A high school girl's athletic prowess scandalizes a conservative small town.
Dir: Don Weis
Cast: Patty Duke, Jim Backus, Jane Greer
C-87 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Film debut of Donna McKechnie.


4:00 PM -- Flipper (1963)
A fisherman in the Florida Keys opposes his son's friendship with a dolphin.
Dir: James B. Clark
Cast: Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, Kathleen Maguire
C-90 mins, CC,

In an interview in 2012 Flipper writer and associate producer Ricou Browning said in 1961 he used his last $100 to write a book telling the boy and dolphin story and persuaded movie producer Ivan Tors to read the book. Tors like it so much he made the Flipper movie.


5:45 PM -- Ring Of Bright Water (1969)
A pet-shop otter changes a man's life when he feels compelled to move it to the Scottish coast.
Dir: Ernie Lewis
Cast: Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Jeffrey
C-107 mins, CC,

Based on the true story of Gavin Maxwell, who bought an otter in Iraq and brought it back to his home in Scotland, only to discover that this was a subspecies of otter not yet recorded. Maxwell gave his name to the new sub species' title: Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli.


7:40 PM -- One For The Book (1940)
In this fantastic short, famous literary figures step out of the pages of books after dark. Vitaphone Release B224-225.
Dir: Roy Mack
Cast: Miriam Grahame, Betty Hutton, Hal Sherman
BW-19 mins,



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: CHRISTMAS CLASSICS



8:00 PM -- Remember the Night (1940)
An assistant D.A. takes a shoplifter home with him for Christmas.
Dir: Mitchell Leisen
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi
BW-94 mins, CC,

According to director Leisen, the role of Lee's mother was originally taken by Marjorie Main. When Main's performance proved to be far too broad and overdone, the scene was re-shot with Georgia Caine.


9:50 PM -- All Girl Revue (1940)
Women are put in charge of all city positions for a day in this musical short. Vitaphone Release B262.
Dir: Lloyd French
Cast: June Allyson, Beverly Kirk, Crane Sisters
BW-8 mins,


10:00 PM -- Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business.
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold
BW-123 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Richard Connell and Robert Presnell Sr.

Frank Capra didn't want anyone to play John Doe except Gary Cooper, who agreed to the part (without reading a script) for two reasons: he had enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck.


12:15 AM -- In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard
Cast: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall
C-103 mins, CC,

Buster Keaton was working as a gag writer at MGM when this movie was made. The filmmakers approached him to devise a way for a violin to get broken that would be both comic and plausible. Keaton came up with an appropriate fall, and the filmmakers then realized he was the only one who would be able to execute it properly, so they cast him in the film. Keaton also devised the sequence in which Van Johnson inadvertently wrecks Judy Garland's hat, and coached Johnson intensively in how to perform the scene. This was the first MGM film Keaton appeared in since being fired from the studio in 1933.


2:13 AM -- Judy Garland Sings "Silent Night" (1937)
In this short film, Judy Garland sings "Silent Night, Holy Night", accompanied by the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers of Long Beach, California.
BW-2 mins,


2:15 AM -- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor
C-113 mins, CC,

Won a Juvenile Oscar Award for Margaret O'Brien for outstanding child actress of 1944

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay -- Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe, Best Cinematography, Color -- George J. Folsey, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- George Stoll, and Best Music, Original Song -- Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin for the song "The Trolley Song"

Composer Hugh Martin did not enjoy his experience writing the film's score. Although Martin greatly admired Judy Garland and the talent of those he was working with, he did not appreciate Producer Arthur Freed's volatile temperament, or the one-upsmanship and self important attitudes shared by the MGM hierarchy. He has said that he found all that showing off and competing for attention "depressing". A devout Christian, in later years he adapted "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" into "Have Yourself a "Blessed" Little Christmas" for several popular gospel singers, including Mahalia Jackson.


4:15 AM -- All Mine to Give (1957)
Pioneer children fight to build a new family after their parents die.
Dir: Allen Reisner
Cast: Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, Rex Thompson
C-102 mins, CC,

Twin brothers, Mark Easton and Paul Easton played twin infants in the movie. They were born in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday, February 29th, 1956. I guess that means that they are now only 13!

[CBHagman]

1. "Remember the Night" for those who can't watch it on TCM...

For DU classic film fans in the Washington, D.C., area, there are screenings of Remember the Night at AFI Silver Theatre (a couple of blocks from the Silver Spring Metro) on December 6th and 7th. It's featured as part of the roster of holiday films.

[url]http://www.afi.com/silver/films/calendar.aspx[/url]

[Staph]

2. Too long a drive!

But I'd love to see it on the big screen.

[CBHagman]

3. Sorry to hear that.

I went and saw it last year when AFI brought it in. I figured I'd better act quickly, because it is shown so rarely, but it looks as though both TCM and AFI are making it a habit.

It's one of those holiday movies that never quite became a tradition the way, for instance, Christmas in Connecticut and The Bishop's Wife seem to be.