TCM Schedule for Saturday, November 21, 2015 -- The Essentials - 60s Crime Stories

[Staph]

Tonight's Essentials are all about the sexy but stylish crime fighters and criminals. Who is both hotter and cooler than Steve McQueen, zooming across San Francisco in a Mustang, wearing a turtleneck and leather jacket? Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- MGM Parade Show #11 (1955)
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly perform in a clip from "For Me and My Gal"; Susan Hayward introduces a clip from "I'll Cry Tomorrow." Hosted by George Murphy.
BW-26 mins,


6:45 AM -- Gold Diggers In Paris (1938)
Three showgirls travel to Paris in search of rich husbands.
Dir: Ray Enright
Cast: Rudy Vallee, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert
BW-97 mins, CC,

Some songs were written for the movie by Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer and Al Dubin but not used: "My Adventure", "Let's Drink to a Dream", "Waltz of the Flowers" and "Is It Possible You're Possessable".


8:30 AM -- Seven Seas to Calais (1962)
Sir Francis Drake fights to take over Spain's treasure routes for Queen Elizabeth I.
Dir: Rudolph Maté
Cast: Rod Taylor, Keith Michell, Irene Worth
C-102 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Final film of director Rudolph Maté.


10:15 AM -- Batman and Robin: Batman Victorious (1949)
Batman fights to bring an invisible criminal mastermind to justice.
BW-17 mins,


10:30 AM -- Bowery Bombshell (1946)
The Bowery Boys tackle gangsters to clear one of their own from a bogus robbery charge.
Dir: Phil Karlson
Cast: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan
BW-66 mins, CC,

The spare tire on the boys' jalopy reads "Dead End", which happens to be the name of the movie--Dead End (1937)--that started their film careers.


12:00 PM -- Murder She Said (1961)
When nobody will believe she witnessed a murder, elderly sleuth Miss Marple takes a job as a maid to ferret out clues.
Dir: George Pollock
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow
BW-86 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The character of Miss Marple's friend, Mr. Stringer, was not part of the original story. The part was written for Stringer Davis who was married to Margaret Rutherford.


1:45 PM -- Cat Ballou (1965)
A prim schoolteacher turns outlaw queen when the railroad steals her land.
Dir: Elliot Silverstein
Cast: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan
C-96 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Lee Marvin

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Walter Newman and Frank Pierson, Best Film Editing -- Charles Nelson, Best Music, Original Song -- Jerry Livingston (music) and Mack David (lyrics) for the song "The Ballad of Cat Ballou", and Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment -- Frank De Vol

Even though everyone knew that they were making at least a good film, no one had any idea that they were making a classic. Jane Fonda recalled - "I have to admit, it wasn't until I saw the final cut of Cat Ballou that I realized we had a hit on our hands. I hadn't been around when they filmed Lee's horse, leaning cross-legged up against the barn in what's become a classic image, or when Lee tries to shoot the side of the barn."


3:30 PM -- The Kansan (1943)
A newly elected Marshall clashes with the banker who runs the town.
Dir: George Archainbaud
Cast: Richard Dix, Jane Wyatt, Albert Dekker
BW-79 mins,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Gerard Carbonara

Based on the story Peace Marshall by Frank Gruber.


5:00 PM -- The Big Country (1958)
Feuding families vie for water rights in the old West.
Dir: William Wyler
Cast: Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker
C-167 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Burl Ives

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Jerome Moross

Then US President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the movie four consecutive showings at the White House and called it "simply the best film ever made. My number one favorite film." According to Gregory Peck, director William Wyler intended the film to be a left-wing allegory for the Cold War.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: THE ESSENTIALS: '60S CRIME STORIES



8:00 PM -- Bullitt (1968)
When mobsters kill the witness he was assigned to protect, a dedicated policeman investigates the case on his own.
Dir: Peter Yates
Cast: Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset
C-114 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Film Editing -- Frank P. Keller

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound

According to Peter Yates, Steve McQueen made a point to keep his head near the open car window during the famous chase scene so that audiences would be reassured that it was he, not a stunt man, who was driving.


10:00 PM -- Point Blank (1967)
A gangster plots an elaborate revenge on the wife and partner who did him dirty.
Dir: John Boorman
Cast: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn
C-92 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The $93,000 that Walker is looking for is equivalent to $660,000 in 2014 dollars.


12:00 AM -- Experiment in Terror (1962)
A master criminal tries to force a bank teller to help him pull off a big heist.
Dir: Blake Edwards
Cast: Glenn Ford, Lee Remick, Stefanie Powers
BW-123 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Several elements of this film inspired scenes in David Lynch projects. To begin with, there is the Twin Peaks (1990) sign at the beginning of the film which served as obvious inspiration for the title card and setting of Lynch's television series of the same name. Also, a scene or two later (the infamous "opening" scene,) when Kelly is in here garage, the killer mentions that he has "killed twice before" - this is something which "Bob," the supposed killer from "Twin Peaks" also mentions. This scene also has uncanny resemblances to a scene in Lynch's Wild at Heart (1990) where Willem Dafoe's character, Bobby Peru, has Lula Fortune in his filthy grasp and is talking to her similarly. Later in the film, we find out that the killer in "Experiment in Terror" is actually called Garland "Red" Lynch. The resemblance to David Lynch's name is something which the director no doubt noticed, as he also named a character in "Twin Peaks" after him (Major Garland Briggs).


2:15 AM -- Class of 1984 (1982)
A new teacher arrives in a city high school run by a punk rock posse.
Dir: Mark L. Lester
Cast: Perry King, Merrie Lynn Ross, Tim Van Patten
C-98 mins, CC,

The concerto that Stegman (Timothy Van Patten) plays in the classroom was written by Van Patten himself.


4:15 AM -- Don't Get Angry (1953)
This short social guidance film offers advice covering anger management.
BW-11 mins,


4:15 AM -- Why Vandalism? (1955)
Troubled teens turn to vandalism for emotional release in this short film.
BW-16 mins,


4:15 AM -- Ask Me, Don't Tell Me (1961)
In this short film, San Francisco gang members turn their lives around working on community service projects.
Dir: David Myers
Cast: Stanley Mosk,
BW-22 mins,


4:15 AM -- Right or Wrong? (1951)
In this short film, a young boy is arrested for breaking a window, and must decide between turning in his accomplices or taking the blame himself.
C-11 mins,


4:15 AM -- Gang Boy (1954)
In this short film, a police officer tries to prevent a gang war by bringing the rival groups together over dinner.
Dir: Arthur Swerdloff
Cast: Curly Riviera,
C-27 mins,


4:15 AM -- The Trouble Maker (1959)
In this educational short film about coping with "unruly individuals," a student attempts to cause problems for others around him.
Dir: Herk Harvey
Cast: Bret Waller,
BW-12 mins,