The June 2013 TCM Schedule

[Sue Sue Applegate]

And for me, when the biographer knows ALL the dirt, and still has an appreciation, that says something. LBJ did move some mountains, but nobody wants to give him much credit for it because he was such a personality. But he did move us forward as a nation, if nothing else help us to move on from the Kennedy/King assasination tragedies. Right place, right time.

Lady Bird Johnson (Claudia Taylor) has a lasting, living legacy with her wildflower center here in Texas, and because of her concerted efforts, Texas is more beautiful in the spring that when she first went to D.C. with that wild man she married.

George Hamilton did an interview with Houston's Ernie Manouse (who has that soft, unobtrusive RO delivery), and still had lovely comments to make about his association with the Johnson clan.

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[ChiO]

Three guesses as to where Philip Yordan was born, and the first two don't count...Yes, Chicago. A talented hustler, which after all is what this City is all about.

FYI -- a former Alderman was convicted yesterday for corruption, making him the first Aldermanic two-time loser. He recently finished a 2.5 year stretch in the Big House. But wait...there's more!

Charges are pending. If convicted, it's a three-peat!

Gotta luv Da City.

[CineMaven]

Theresa---you gotta see Detective Story @ 8pm (ET) on MONDAY, June 28th. Some of the best moments of several careers are seen on screen in this one ensemble film, including work by Eleanor Parker, Kirk Douglas, William Bendix, and more. The themes and emotions in this movie are still relevant and just as complex, all these years later. The only difference: filmmakers like William Wyler and writers like Sidney Kingsley aren't around and society is too preoccupied with juvenile distractions from the realities of human life to concentrate long enough to tell this kind of multi-faceted story in a movie.

...as I climb down from soap box, and shuffle away, mumbling my apologies for this momentary, heartfelt rant.

I've seen this film before, but now I've got to make sure to record it. I know Kirk's considered such a hammy actor, but I love watching him play flawed men. This being Eleanor Parker's month, I'll pay closer attention to her. The cast is excellent and I really thought William Bendix gave a fantastic performance. Really got a kick out of Joseph Wiseman, too.

Pssst! I love positive heartfelt rants.

[JackFavell]

This is one of the few Kirk movies I unreservedly love. Detective Story is just so great an ensemble, it's hard NOT to like it.

[moira finnie]

I don't think Kirk Douglas was hammy in Detective Story either. His intensity suited the role of a man facing his own contradictions and being eaten alive by his work. I've always felt that he was brilliant in these early years of his screen acting career, which seems to have been the stage when KD was an actor first, a movie star second.

Maybe it was because of her beauty or her honesty in her portrayal, but I thought that Eleanor Parker's chemistry with Douglas was exceptional. The pain, fear and love that she expresses with just her eyes in their scenes together makes me wish that she had worked with Wyler more often.

One surprisingly interesting performance here: Gerald Mohr, whose smooth--nay, slick style is shown for the self-defensive shield it probably was for this busy actor. In this movie, we are given a glimpse of something beneath the usually imperturbable surface.

I always knew that William Bendix was adorable, (even when he was scary in The Glass Key and The Dark Corner, he's a beast, but a kind of cute beast). His work in Detective Story should have earned him more recognition and opportunities as a dramatic actor--but at least "the revoltin' development" of taking over the role of Chester Riley from Jackie Gleason got him a different kind of fame.

[moira finnie]

Two intriguing movies are on TCM on Wed. June 19th:

Guilty Pleasure or a Good Time? In any case, we can each decide this afternoon when Devotion (1946) pops up again on the TCM schedule at 2:45PM ET. Since we will soon have a chance to ask Paul Henreid's daughter questions about her father's career--and Paul is the Star of the Month in July, it might be timely to catch this movie today. (For me this is a good time--even though the real Brontes--esp. when they were children--ought to make a wonderful film someday).



Our earlier discussion of this interesting movie included these comments:

I was watched Devotion today, I didn't know it was about the Brontes, if it wasn't for the cast I think the truth that is presented as the Bronte's live would have put me off, putting my tongue firmly in cheek and watching some of my favourite actors I did manage to enjoy it. What struck me most of all was the pity that the film was made too early to make use of the real Haworth, not Heyworth as they kept pronouncing it, it's all still there, the parsonage, church, The Black Bull and the apothecary, we were only there 3 weeks ago. It was so laughable that Paul Henreid played Arthur Bell Nichols without adopting Nicholl's look, at least the girls were allowed to wear the fashions of the time albeit they were brought up the social ladder quite a bit, they weren't accepted to high society. I did like the fact that the film focused on their education and life experiences rather than the romance between Nicholls and the 2 sisters. The 'devotion' of the title was far more for me about the devotion between the sisters and secondary the love between the sisters and the one man. I didn't like the portrayal of Branwell, he was a drunk and a drug addict but I've read no ecollection of him being so petty and self concerned. it must have been hard living with 3 genius sisters, not the 2 this film portrayed, Anne's being in the background and literary contribution hardly worthy of a mention irked me too. If you want to watch Olivia De Havilland (never has she looked as much like her sister than here) and Ida Lupino together, it's a good film and played the respective writers quite well within the limited lines that they were allowed.

I agree with you about the film, it can be irksome to watch if you know anything at all about the Brontes. I think you hit on everything that bothered me. I do like Ida Lupino, but am not thrilled with Olivia's character at all or much else. If they'd retained the tone of the scenes with Ida, all wuthering heights-ish, and thrown out the script and started over again, it could have really been something.

How do you really pronounce Haworth?

We're all on the same page about DEVOTION. The less you know about the Brontes, the better. Paul Henreid as an English curate is bizarre casting. In real life, Charlotte was described by one woman as the shortest woman she'd ever seen outside a circus. Too bad Linda Hunt never played the part at the appropriate time.

But if you can accept DEVOTION as just a movie, Ida Lupino certainly is good.

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Hey, did anyone else see IF WINTER COMES this morning? I only saw the last half hour but I really liked what I saw. Walter Pidgeon was good in a way I have almost never seen, as a man reeling from slanderous attacks on his reputation, seeing how small minded people in his town turned his generous acts into something evil. He and Deborah Kerr had good chemistry, and I very much enjoyed the design of the film. I'd love to know if the rest of the film matched the ending. Again, I've never seen Walter Pidgeon so emotional and sympathetic before, though I've always liked him.

This is being aired again at 4:45pm ET on TCM (sorry I'm so late posting this).

[JackFavell]

I watched If Winter Comes again today and found it to be the all too rare combination of MGM studio gloss and stark drama that works. With fine acting all around, and especially from Pidgeon, Lansbury and Leigh, this film was definitely made during the Dore Schary years. It's not sweetness and light by any means. Deborah Kerr and Pidgeon have a great unspoken rapport, but fans of Kerr might be disappointed as she leaves the movie halfway through only to return at the very end.

I'm amazed that If Winter Comes hasn't received more praise somewhere along the way. It starts with a sort of Fordian/Judge Priest theme - a good man in a small town tries to help those around him, eventually pays for his good deeds by being shunned publicly as the 'christian' townspeople turn on him, believing the worst of him without evidence. They are propelled by his own wife's fears and coldbloodedness. Pidgeon's strength of character is questioned on rumor alone, oddly, since he seems to be the only really good man in the entire town. Even though he has been completely above boards, his reputation is ruined and his personal and professional life are left in shambles, to the glee of the townspeople judging him. Perhaps it's due to the fact that at heart, he doesn't love his wife (Angela Lansbury in the spookiest, coldest role she had up until The Manchurian Candidate).

An incredibly great performance by Pidgeon, his frustration is palpable as he twists in the wind trying to do the right thing. I think there might be a veiled connection to the blacklist or maybe it's just small town fascism as the focus in this film. The townspeople are quite vicious in a way one wouldn't expect at MGM, but is reminiscent of the red scare, as they climb aboard the gossip mill. In the end, someone is hounded until they can't take it anymore and this lifts the movie higher toward dark tragedy than I would have thought an MGM movie could be. The 'happy' ending is a long time in coming, and the shadows of the evil of common men and women permeate this film, even at the resolution. Very similar to High Noon.

[Rita Hayworth]

Tomorrow, Saturday June 22nd

8:00 PM

Searchers, The (1956)

An Indian-hating Civil War veteran tracks down the tribe that slaughtered his family and kidnapped his niece.
Dir: John Ford Cast: John Wayne , Jeffrey Hunter , Vera Miles.

10:15 PM

Moby Dick (1956)

Epic adaptation of Herman Melville's classic about a vengeful sea captain out to catch the whale that maimed him.
Dir: John Huston Cast: Gregory Peck , Richard Basehart , Leo Genn.

All Times are Eastern ...

[moira finnie]

Legendary Russian actor Ivan Mosjoukine stars in tonight's Silent Sunday Nights on TCM at 12 midnight (ET). He plays the noted 19th century British actor, Edmund Kean in a movie based on an Alexandre Dumas' play for Kean (1924-Alexandre Volkoff), which was filmed near Paris for Albatros, the company that consisted of many Russian emigres. Christine (Ann Harding) wrote a bit about this intriguing Russian pioneer here in a previous post:

http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... start=2310

There's more information about Ivan Mosjoukine and Albatros at these links too:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/movie ... d=all&_r=0

http://silentsareentertainingtoo.wordpr ... osjoukine/

[JackFavell]

Thanks for bringing this up, Moira, as the TCM schedule has no information about this movie. I looked it up yesterday and meant to post here about it but forgot.

I saw a version of this story (by Sartre) with Anthony Hopkins some years ago and was really taken with the subject. Mosjoukine has totally intrigued me since Christine posted about him in those links. So this movie is a must see! I don't think we'll get to see this one again very soon.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Just getting ready to watch A Millionaire For Christy with Eleanor Parker and Fred MacMurray, and I'll be taking notes!

[Rita Hayworth]

Just getting ready to watch A Millionaire For Christy with Eleanor Parker and Fred MacMurray, and I'll be taking notes!

I will be watching that too. Sue Sue!!!

[Sue Sue Applegate]

I think Eleanor Parker and Fred MacMurray make such a cute couple!

[Rita Hayworth]

A Millionaire for Christy ...

I think Eleanor Parker and Fred MacMurray make such a cute couple!

You got that right Sue Sue ... it was one of the most delightful movies that came out and I was laughing my head off at certain parts of the movies and its was so original and a classic to watch. I did not realized that Eleanor Parker can do a Comedy so well that I was dying for more. It was so good and I just loved every second of it.

Eleanor Parker ... more I see of her ... I find her to be a very versatile actress and a delightful find as well. The problem with me back in those days there were so many stars and I just so impressed by her ability to act in any situation warrants it.

I have seen 12-16 movies of her of this month alone and I was stunned of how well that she can act ...

[CineMaven]

Take notes Christabel.

* * * *



What a great watch "DETECTIVE STORY" is. Rigid Righteousness is the killer here and it consumes Kirk Douglas hook, line and dimpled chin. A great cast shines in this movie, though Lee Grant grates on my very last nerve. Joseph Wiseman is a hoot. Oh, and besides Faylen, Bendix and MacMahon...there's my girl Gladys George. She comes in for one scene and shows 'em how it's done, facing off with Kirk Douglas. ( Way to go, Gladdy!!! ) Those around Douglas' detective try to knock some sense into him. But nope...nothing will stop Douglas from going down in flames; and it's riveting to witness. He made me think of William Holden in "Sunset Boulevard" who could not leave Norma Desmond's decaying mansion; it was like there was some sort of invisible twilight zoned electric fence around the perimeter that wouldn't let him leave. If only Jim ( Kirk Douglas ) had gone home when his shift ended, his life might not have ended so disastrously. But he just...couldn't...leave...the area.

MARY: "I'm leaving you Jim."
JIM: "When will you come back?
MARY: "Never."

Seeing much of TCM's Star of the Month: Eleanor Parker's work during this month has been very satisfying; taking in her whole career in toto gives me a better understanding of the breadth and depth of her acting being. So it's having already seen her in different incarnations this June, which puts a different spin for me revisiting "Detective Story." When Mary, played Parker, tells Jim "NEVER" it reminds me so much of the finality in which Paul Muni says "I steal." Parker goes through a few different emotions in this movie. Can you imagine seeing your husband early in the day loving, happy; anticipating him coming home to you that night after not seeing him for two days. And by the end of the day, your ex-lover comes out of the woodwork, and your marriage is in shambles...right there in the office...in front of EVERYBODY! The man you loved has changed in the space of a few hours. Sheesh! When she's confronted with her past ( Gerald Mohr ) there's shame, fear and guilt there. Why does the Chief ( Horace MacMahon ) insist on finding out if Jim ( Douglas ) knows about her past indiscretion and if his vendetta agains the abortion doctor is personal. ( Hmmm...why didn't he just take her word for it? I wonder if he was trying to show Jim up; to maybe put a mirror to his face. That thought came to me for the first time in all my viewings of this movie. ) By the end of it, I found Mary incredibly brave ( especially for a woman in the 1950's ) to decide to leave her marriage rather than stay and be a punching bag for her husband's rigidity and blame. I really enjoy this film. It has one of my sad happy sad endings.

Here are a couple of more detectives who hide their inner demons behind Law & Order. Only one of them has a really good and hopeful outcome: