TCM Schedule for Friday, September 21, 2018 -- What's On Tonight -- Genie in a Bottle

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM takes us to the jungle, with a bunch of films about wild animals. Then in prime time, instead of the traditional three wishes, we get four films that open up the genie's bottle. Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- THE GORILLA (1939)
Three screwball detectives try to protect a lawyer from a murderous gorilla.
Dir: Allan Dwan
Cast: Jimmy Ritz, Harry Ritz, Al Ritz
BW-66 mins,

This was the last The Ritz Brothers film directed by Allan Dwan, and their last for 20th Century-Fox (they would move on to Universal).


7:15 AM -- BENGAL TIGER (1936)
After causing his friend's death, an animal trainer marries the man's daughter to atone.
Dir: Louis King
Cast: Barton MacLane, June Travis, Warren Hull
BW-61 mins,

Based on a story by Roy Chanslor and Earl Felton.


8:30 AM -- THE LION HUNTERS (1951)
Bomba the Jungle Boy defends his animal friends from a team of unscrupulous hunters.
Dir: Ford Beebe
Cast: Johnny Sheffield, Morris Ankrum, Ann Todd
BW-80 mins, CC,

Fifth of the twelve Bomba the Jungle Boy films, all starring Johnny Sheffield, who played Boy to Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan.


10:00 AM -- JUNGLE CAVALCADE (1941)
Compilation of footage from Frank Buck's three films about his adventures capturing animals for the world's zoos.
Dir: Armand Denis
Cast: Frank Buck,
BW-78 mins, CC,

"Frank Buck's Jungle Cavalcade" is nearly a 100% compilation film that consists of footage from three previous Frank Buck expedition films; "Bring 'em Back Alive," "Wild Cargo," and "Fang and Claw." Unlike most compilation films from major studios (and there aren't a whole lot of them to start with), RKO made no attempt to keep the viewing audience from being aware of that they were watching nearly 100% archive footage. They sniped every ad and poster with "From - "BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE" - "WILD CARGO" and "FANG AND CLAW", in addition to crediting Clyde Elliott as the director of the "Bring "em Back Alive" sequences and Armand Denis as the director of the "Wild Cargo" sequences...on all of the advertising and the film. They also used such taglines as..."3 in 1 THRILLER! Streamlining the Mightiest Scenes from ALL His Greatest Pictures..."


11:30 AM -- ZENOBIA (1939)
When he cures a circus elephant, a country doctor gets an unwanted friend.
Dir: Gordon Douglas
Cast: Oliver Hardy, Harry Langdon, Billie Burke
BW-73 mins, CC,

This film was originally developed as a Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy vehicle, but was re-scripted after Stan Laurel, whose contract with Hal Roach had run out, declined to re-sign with the producer. Hardy's contract was still in force, and the team believed that if they waited until it expired, they could re-sign as a team and be in a stronger bargaining position. Ultimately that is what happened.


12:45 PM -- ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN (1965)
A young boy tries to liberate animals from the city zoo.
Dir: Ivan Tors
Cast: Jay North, Martin Milner, Andy Devine
C-92 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Uncredited actor Eddie Quillan is seen watching a clip from Hollywood Party (1934), in which he himself had a featured role 21 years earlier.


2:30 PM -- ELEPHANT STAMPEDE (1951)
The jungle hero fights off elephant poachers to help a missionary.
Dir: Ford Beebe
Cast: Johnny Sheffield, Donna Martell, John Kellogg
BW-71 mins, CC,

Asian Elephants were used-because African Elephants are hard to train.Larger ears were attached to the Asian Elephants to hide the fact.


3:45 PM -- CLARENCE, THE CROSS-EYED LION (1965)
Animal doctors fight to protect the wildlife of Africa.
Dir: Andrew Marton
Cast: Marshall Thompson, Betsy Drake, Richard Haydn
C-92 mins, CC,

Ivan Tors first discovered Clarence at "Africa, U.S.A.", an affection training compound located in Soledad Canyon near Los Angeles. Born cross-eyed, Clarence's strange physical condition inspired Ivan Tors to create the MGM feature film "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion" and the spin-off series Daktari (1966). When the audience saw what Clarence saw, it was in double vision. Reportedly, Clarence was very good with children. Another not so friendly lion named Leo doubled for Clarence in some scenes. He was used only for the snarling scenes and general scenes which didn't involve close proximity with humans. Leo had come to "Africa, U.S.A." from a family in Utah. His ferocity was due in part to the mistreatment he received from former owners who reportedly beat him with a stick.


5:30 PM -- DOCTOR DOLITTLE (1967)
A veterinarian who can communicate with animals travels abroad to search for a giant sea snail.
Dir: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley
C-149 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of Oscars for Best Effects, Special Effects -- L.B. Abbott, and Best Music, Original Song -- Leslie Bricusse for the song "Talk to the Animals". (Leslie Bricusse was not present at the awards ceremony. Sammy Davis Jr. accepted the award on his behalf.)

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography -- Robert Surtees, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration -- Mario Chiari. Jack Martin Smith, Ed Graves, Walter M. Scott and Stuart A. Reiss, Best Sound, Best Film Editing -- Samuel E. Beetley and Marjorie Fowler, Best Music, Original Music Score -- Leslie Bricusse, Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment -- Lionel Newman and Alexander Courage, and Best Picture

"The Reluctant Vegetarian" was one of the hardest scenes to film, mainly because of the number of animals that had to sit still for a lengthy period. The cast had hours of rehearsal and preparation before filming started. The first take went very well, until Rex Harrison stopped singing. Director Richard Fleischer asked him why, and Harrison said he heard him yell "Cut!" Fleischer denied it, and they were starting to argue about it when both heard a voice yell "Cut!" The guilty party turned out to be Polynesia the Parrot. Harrison said "That's the first time I've ever been directed by a parrot. But she may be right. I probably can do it better."



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: GENIE IN A BOTTLE



8:00 PM -- A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (1945)
Aladdin tries to make his fortune with the help of a beautiful genie.
Dir: Alfred E. Green
Cast: Evelyn Keyes, Phil Silvers, Adele Jergens
C-94 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color -- Stephen Goosson, Rudolph Sternad and Frank Tuttle, and Best Effects, Special Effects -- Lawrence W. Butler (photographic) and Ray Bomba (sound)

Shelley Winters is most easily spotted as one of Adele Jergens' blonde handmaidens, standing in the background at the aborted wedding scene.


9:45 PM -- THE BRASS BOTTLE (1964)
After being released from his bottle by Harold Ventimore, the genie Fakrash commits himself to improving his new master's life.
Dir: Harry Keller
Cast: Tony Randall, Burl Ives, Barbara Eden
BW-90 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Served as the inspiration for I Dream of Jeannie (1965). and also starred Barbara Eden who played Jeannie the Genie.


11:30 PM -- THE BOY AND THE PIRATES (1960)
Magic transports a boy to the days of cutthroats and buccaneers.
Dir: Bert I. Gordon
Cast: Charles Herbert, Susan Gordon, Murvyn Vye
C-84 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Timothy Carey was fired from this movie because he threw Charles Herbert across the deck of the pirate ship.


1:00 AM -- BOWERY TO BAGDAD (1955)
The Bowery Boys unleash an Arabian nightmare when they find Alladin's magic lamp.
Dir: Edward Bernds
Cast: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bernard Gorcey
BW-64 mins, CC,

The thirty-sixth of forty-eight Bowery Boys movies, and the final film of the incomparable Eric Blore. I remember him best in half of the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movies, as the officious butler/waiter/gentleman's gentleman.


2:15 AM -- MACON COUNTY LINE (1974)
When his wife is brutally murdered, the town¿s sheriff seeks revenge on three wrongful suspects.
Dir: Richard Compton
Cast: Alan Vint, Cheryl Waters, Geoffrey Lewis
C-88 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The movie was written on the back of scripts by Max Baer Jr. during breaks in filming The Beverly Hillbillies (1962).


3:45 AM -- RETURN TO MACON COUNTY (1975)
Two car-obsessed teenagers travel across the country to enter in a racing championship in California and pick up a girl who brings trouble along the way.
Dir: Richard Compton
Cast: Nick Nolte, Robin Mattson, Robert Viharo
C-89 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

After several years working in TV roles, this is actor Nick Nolte's first theatrical feature film credit.


5:30 AM -- THE CORVAIR IN ACTION! (1960)
Technicians herald the arrival of a new car that "delivers the goods as no other compact car can" in this short advertisement.
C-6 mins,


5:30 AM -- THE BOTTLE AND THE THROTTLE (1965)
In this short film, a teenager runs down a mother and child after having one too many alcoholic beverages.
C-10 mins,


5:30 AM -- LIVING STEREO (1958)
In this promotional short, the RCA Victor company explains one of their innovations, the stereophonic phonograph record.
BW-8 mins,