The TCM Ten 9/29-10/5 September 28, 2007
Posted by clydefro in : Classic Films , trackback
It’s been a busy week and I’ve not had time for any other contributions, but the TCM train rolls on with Henry Fonda in control. As always, all times are EST and program days begin at 6:00 AM.
Saturday September 29
2:15 AM They Won’t Forget (LeRoy, 1937) - BW-96 mins. - Working from a screenplay co-written by Robert Rossen, who’d go on to make several notable films including Body and Soul and The Hustler, Claude Rains stars as a southern district attorney hellbent on prosecuting a man for the murder of a young woman (played by Lana Turner). Similar ground as in the Fritz Lang film Fury, made the year before, and Lang apparently turned down the chance to direct this film. Made for Warner Bros. and currently not available on DVD.
Sunday September 30
2:00 AM Diabolique (Clouzot, 1955) - BW-116 mins. - Clouzot’s films are favorites of mine and this is probably at the top. A man’s wife and mistress team up for murder - or do they? This is as watchable as they come. Forty years later, Hollywood tried to remake it and unsurprisingly screwed up. In R1, a DVD is available from Criterion, but it was one of their early ones and the disc is bare. Many expect a re-issue somewhere down the line.
Monday October 1
9:30 AM Detour (Ulmer, 1945) - BW-68 mins. - TCM shows this quite often and there are several DVDs available, with the Image R1 probably looking the best. The film needs a full restoration, as every version I’ve seen has been in pretty bad shape. Ulmer’s film is definitely a noir that is loved by others more than by me, but I think most would agree it’s an essential experience. I have difficulty getting past just how cheap it looks, yet I can’t help but love a line like “fate, or some mysterious force, can put the finger on you or me for no good reason at all.”
Tuesday October 2
8:15 AM Tennessee Johnson (Dieterle, 1942) - BW-104 mins. - Prior to President Clinton’s imbroglio, the only President of the United States to face impeachment was Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson (he too was acquitted, just barely). Aside from being the subject of fun Lincoln-Kennedy coincidences (i.e. both had vice presidents who were from southern states and with the last name Johnson), he’s best known for the impeachment charges, if at all. Though born in North Carolina, Johnson is almost always identified as one of the three presidents hailing from Tennessee, my home state. He was the only southern senator to remain in office after secession and ended up as military governor of the state. Also, the small town I’m from was named after President Johnson. I’m afraid this has little to do with Dieterle’s biopic, where Van Heflin plays the title role. I do find it a little funny that a film about a fairly notorious figure, usually noted primarily for being impeached, was a studio release during World War II. An MGM production, not on DVD and with R1 rights now held by Warner Bros.
Wednesday October 3
1:00 AM Meet John Doe (Capra, 1941) - BW-123 mins. - In the years leading up to WWII, Frank Capra was arguably the greatest director working in Hollywood. I’ve certainly always had a soft spot for his films, including this one starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. It’s interesting that Cooper won his first Oscar for Sergeant York the same year Meet John Doe was released and Stanwyck that year also starred in The Lady Eve and Ball of Fire, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. I’ll gladly take that as evidence that the studio system has never been bettered, in terms of sheer quality and consistency. Capra’s film is available on DVD from numerous sources, but it’s in the public domain and a definitive version has yet to be released. Tonight’s showing comes courtesy of director James Mangold, who will be serving as guest programmer for the evening.
Thursday October 4
11:45 PM The Best Man (Schaffner, 1964) - BW-103 mins. - Gore Vidal adapted his own play about a messy presidential election between front-runners Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson. Fonda is TCM’s star of the month for October and he’s been pretty well-represented on DVD, but this one remains elusive. It’s inferior to Fonda’s other big political picture from two years earlier, Advise & Consent, but an interesting film nonetheless (especially if you enjoy politics). It looks like United Artists released it theatrically, so MGM (now controlled by Fox) should have R1 DVD rights.
3:15 AM That Certain Woman (Goulding, 1937) -BW-94 mins. - Written and directed by the British filmmaker Edmund Goulding, who would later hit a nice peak with leading man Tyrone Power in The Razor’s Edge and Nightmare Alley, this also stars Fonda, in support of WB star Bette Davis. It looks to be a sort of silly melodrama, but the combination of these three principals piqued my interest. It’s also unavailable on DVD (and perhaps a candidate for a future Bette Davis set).
Friday October 5
8:00 AM Stage Struck (Lumet, 1958) - C-95 mins. - I kind of doubt this is very good, but it re-united Henry Fonda and Sidney Lumet the year after they made 12 Angry Men (which is scheduled for the previous day, along with the director and star’s other notable teaming Fail-Safe) so I’m immediately intrigued. It was, then, Lumet’s second feature and a Technicolor remake of 1933’s Morning Glory, with Susan Strasberg in Katharine Hepburn’s part. The setting is New York theatre life. I see no indication that the film has ever been released on VHS or DVD, anywhere. RKO is listed as the production company, with Walt Disney’s Buena Vista Film Distribution Co. as the distributor. Since Warner Bros. recently released Morning Glory on DVD, I wonder if they own the rights to this as well, or if it’s controlled by Disney.
8:00 PM Curse of the Demon (Tourneur, 1958) - BW-82 mins. - Following Nightfall, which TCM scheduled and canceled a couple of weeks ago (it’s said to be back on for January), friends Jacques Tourneur and Dana Andrews re-teamed for this. I’m looking forward to watching it, as I’ve never seen the film (nor many others with the word “demon” in the title). The version released in the UK is 13 minutes longer and titled Night of the Demon. TCM appears to be showing the shorter American cut, though they have allotted 105 minutes for the film so who knows. Both cuts are included in the R1 DVD released by Sony so I might be better off just giving that look to make sure I see the full thing.
12:15 AM The Leopard Man (Tourneur, 1943) -BW-67 mins. - Tourneur’s reputation was made working with producer Val Lewton on low-budget horror art including Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie. I prefer The Leopard Man though, with its suspense-filled shadows and creepy images. It tells the story of a solid black leopard that escapes from an ill-conceived stunt and the strange murders that follow. Those other two Tourneur-Lewton pictures precede this one. All three are available in Warner Bros.’ excellent box set dedicated to Lewton, but The Leopard Man isn’t available individually.
Comments»
no comments yet - be the first?