Our own Kingrat is the moderator for The 19th TCM Programming Challenge: Easy as 1-2-3 over on the TCM Message Boards. You can see the thread here. There have been many detailed and imaginative entries in the contest already, which make great reading, if only as a wish list--though we have seen times in the recent past when the TCM programmers have been inspired by members' choices in this event. The contest only has a week to go, so if you are eligible to enter or would just like to see some inspired schedules, there's no time like the present to share in the fun.
Here's how King explained the premise of the contest this time, though complete info can be seen in the original thread:
Choose three sets of three films. Each set of three films will introduce either 1) someone who worked in classic films (actor, director, writer, composer, costume designer, cinematographer, etc.) or 2) a genre of film. You can make the genre as general or specific as you like. For instance, you could use the western, the John Wayne western, the John Ford western, the 1950s western, the pro-Indian western, and so on. Likewise, you could introduce an actor or a phase of that actor's career (Katharine Hepburn; Hepburn's 1930s films; Hepburn & Tracy, etc.) Here's a chance to share three of your special enthusiasms and nine films you'd like people to see. Have fun with this part of the challenge: Films with Ridiculous Hats is definitely a genre. You may choose three film workers, three genres, or any combination. You may schedule your films anywhere in the week you like.
Here's my schedule. Kyle's is pretty great and I'll see if I can get permission to post his over here as well since it, too, is out of competition.
lzcutter's schedule and notes--submitted out of competition:
Sunday, Nov 5th, 2011:
Hunt Stromberg Presents
6:00 A Our Modern Maidens (1929) Joan Crawford, Dir. Jack Conway, MGM, 76 mins
7:30 A Chained (1958) Joan Crawford, Dir. Clarence Brown, MGM, 74 mins.
9:00 A Small Town Girl ( 1936) Janet Gaynor, Dir.Wm. Wellman, MGM, 106 mins p/s
10:45 A Northwest Passage (1940) Spencer Tracy, Dir. King Vidor, MGM, 126 mins p/s
Entering My House Justified: A Birthday Salute to Joel McCrea
12:00 P Banjo on My Knee (1936) Joel McCrea, Dir. John Cromwell, Fox, 95 mins P
2:00 P The Silver Cord (1933) Joel McCrea, Dir. John Cromwell, RKO, 74 mins
3:30 P Private Worlds (1934), Joel McCrea, Dir. Gregory LaCava, PAR, 84 mins P
First a Silent, then a Talkie
5:00 P Wizard of Oz (1925) Dorothy Dwan, Dir. Larry Semon, Chadwick, 72 mins, p/s
6:15 P Wizard of Oz (1939) Judy Garland, Dir. Vic Fleming, MGM, 101 mins, p/s
8:00 P Beau Geste (1926) Ronald Coleman, Dir. Herbert Brennon, PAR 101mins P
10:00 P Beau Geste (1939) Gary Cooper, Dir. Wm. Wellman, PAR, 120 mins p/s
Silent Sundays
12:00 A The Iron Mask (1929) Douglas Fairbanks, Dir. Allan Dwan, UA, 103 mins E
TCM Imports
1:45 A Bitter Rice (1949) Silvano Magnano, Dir. Giuseppe De Santis, Lux, 101 mins E
3:30 A White Nights (1957) Maria Schell, Dir. Luchino Visconti, Rank, 107 mins E
5:30 A Now Playing: The Show (2011)
Monday, Nov. 6
The Monopoly Man: Charles Coburn
6:00 A Bachelor Mother (1939) Charles Coburn, Dir. Garson Kanin, RKO, 82 mins p/s
7:30 A The Lady Eve (1941) Charles Coburn, Dir. Preston Sturges, PAR 95 mins, p/s
9:15 A George Washington Slept Here (1943) Claudette Colbert, Dir William Keighley, WBros, 93 mins p/s
11:00 A The Constant Nymph (1943) Charles Coburn, Dir. Edmund Goulding, WB, 106 mins p/s
Screen Couples: Francis Gifford and James Craig
1:45 P Marriage is a Private Affair (1955) Lana Turner, Dir. Robert Z. Leonard, MGM, 118 mins p/s
3:45 P Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945) Ed. G. Robinson, Dir. Roy Rowland, MGM, 105 mins p/s
5:30 P Little Mr. Jim (1947) Jackie "Butch" Jenkins, Dir. Fred Zinneman, MGM, 92 mins
Like Father, Like Son
8:00 P Last of the Mohicans (1920) Wallace Beery, Dir. Maurice Tourneur, Fox,73 mins p/s
9: 00 P Stars in My Crown (1950) Joel McCrea,Dir. Jacques Tourneur, MGM, 91 mins p/s
10:45 P Reaching for the Moon (1931) Doug Fairbanks, Sr. Dir. Edmund Goulding, UA 90 mins P
12:15 A Angles Over Broadway (1940) Doug Fairbanks, Jr. Dir. Ben Hecht, COL, 78 mins p/s
1:45 A Alibi Ike (1935) writer: Ring Laudner, Dir. Ray Enright, WBros, 73 mins, p/s
3:15 A Tomorrow the World writer: Ring Laudner, Jr. Dir. Leslie Fenton, UA, 86 mins p/s
5:00 A Val Lewton: The Man Behind the Shadows (2008) Kent Jones, TCM, 77 mins p/s
TUESDAY, Nov. 7th
Everybody's Buddy- Harry Morgan:
6:15 A Thunder Bay (1953) James Stewart, Dir. Anthony Mann, UNI, 103 mins p/s
8:00 A Bend of the River (1952) James Stewart. Dir. Anthony Mann, UNI, 92 mins p/s
10:00 A The Ox-bow Incident (1943) Henry Fonda, Dir.Wm. Wellman, FOX, 75 mins p/s
11:30 A Dragonwyck (1946) Vincent Price, Dir. J. Mankewicz, FOX, 103 mins p/s
2:00 P How the West Was Won (1963) John Wayne, Dir. John Ford, MGM, 155 mins p/s
5:00 P The Far Country (1955) James Stewart, Dir. Anthony Mann, PAR, 103 mins p/s
7: 00 P Private Screenings: Stanley Donen (2006) TCM Documentary, 60 mins.
Glenda Farrell: Star of the Month:
8:00 P Scandal for Sale (1932) Glenda Farrell, Dir. Russell Mack, UNI, 74 mins P
9:15 P Girl Missing (1933) Glenda Farrell, Dir. Robert Florey, WBros, 69 mins p/s
10:30 P Lady For a Day (1933) Warren William, Dir. Frank Capra, COL, 96 mins p/s
12:15 A Heat Lightning (1934) Aline McMahon, Dir. Mervyn LeRoy, WBros, 63 mins p/s
1:30 A Merry Wives of Reno (1923) Glenda Farrell, Dir. H. Bruce Humberstone, WBros, 64 mins
3:00 A In Caliente (1935) Delores Del Rio, Dir. Lloyd Bacon, WBros, 84 mins, p/s
4:30 A Traveling Saleslady (1935) Glenda Farrell, Joan Blondell, Dir. Ray Enright, WBros, 64 mins, p/s
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8th: A Man Makes His Own Luck: A Salute to Millard Mitchell
6:00 A A Double Life (1930) Ronald Coleman, Dir. George Cukor, UNI, 104 mins p/s
8:00 A Winchester '73 (1932) James Stewart, Dir. Anothy Mann, UNI, 92 mins p/s
9:45 A Convicted (1950) Glenn Ford, Dir. Henry Levin, COL, 91 mins p/s
11:30 A My Six Convicts (1952) Millard Mitchell, Dir. Hugo Fregonese, COL, 105 mins p/s
1:15 P Singin' in the Rain (1952) Gene Kelly, Dir. Stanley Donen, MGM , 103 mins p/s
3:00 P The Big Street (1942) Henry Fonda, Dir. Irving Reis, RKO, 92 mins p/s
4:45 P The Naked Spur (1953) James Stewart, Dir Anthony Mann, MGM, 94 mins p/s
6:30 P Strictly Dishonorable (1951) Janet Leigh, Dir. Melvin Frank, MGM, 90 mins
Guest Programmer: Mark Knopfler
8:00 P Border Reiver / Ride the Pink Horse (1947) Robert Montgomery, Dir. Robert Montgomery, UNI, 101 mins p/s
9:45 P Beachcombing / Bird of Paradise (1932) Joel McCrea, Dir. King Vidor UNI, 80 mins p/s
11:15 P Quality Shoe / Sullivan's Travels (1942) Veronica Lake, Dir. Preston Sturges, PAR, 91 mins.
12:45 A Madame Geneva's / A Tale of Two Cities (1935) Ronald Colman, Dir. Jack Conway, MGM, 123 mins p/s
3:00 A A Rag-Picker's Dream / It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) Don Defore, Dir. Roy del Ruth, ALLIED, 116 mins p/s
5:00 A Without Lying Down: Power of Women in Film (2000) TCM documentary, 56 mins p/s+
THURSDAY, Nov. 7th
Directed by Dorothy Azner
6:00 A Christopher Strong (1933) Katharine Hepburn, Dir. Dorothy Azner, RKO, 77 mins p/s
7:30 A Craig's Wife (1936) Rosalind Russell, Dir. Dorothy Azner, Columbia, 85 mins, p/s
9:45 A The Bride Wore Red (1937) Joan Crawford, Dir. Dorothy Azner, MGM, 104 mins p/s
11:30 A Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Maureen O’Hara, Dir. Dorothy Azner, RKO, 90 mins p/s
Alright, Who Did It? Who Did It?
1:00 P Who Done It (1942) Abbott and Costello, Dir. Erle C. Kenton, UNI, 77 mins P
2:30 P Murder, He Says (1945) Fred McMurray, Dir. George Marshall, PAR, 94 mins p/s
4:15 P I Love Trouble (1948) Franchot Tone, Dir. S. Sylvan Simon, COL, 106 mins P
6:00 P Footsteps in the Dark (1941) Errol Flynn, Dir. Lloyd Bacon, WBros, 96 mins, p/s
Glenda Farrell: Star of the Month
8:00 P Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935) Dick Powell, Dir. Busby Berkley, WBros, 95 mins, p/s
10:45 P We're in the Money (1935) Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell, Dir. Ray Enright, WBros, 65 mins p/s
12:00 A Gold Diggers of 1937 (1937) Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell, Dir. Lloyd Bacon, WBros, 101 mins p/s
1:45 A Miss Pacific Fleet (1936) Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell, Dir. Ray Enright, WBros, 66 mins. p/s
3:00 A Torchy Blane (1937) Glenda Farrell, Dir. Frank McDonald, WBros, 65 mins
4:15 A Torchy Gets Her Man (1938) Glenda Farrell, Dir. William Beaudine, WBros, 58 mins
5:15 A Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939) Glenda Farrell, Dir. William Beaudine, WBros, 58 mins,
FRIDAY, Nov. 8th
Not the Man I Used to Be
6:15 A Street of Chance (1942) Burgess Meredith, Dir. Jack Hively, PAR, 74 mins P
7:30 A Fear in the Night (1947) Paul Kelly, Dir. Maxwell Shane, PAR, 74 mins P
8:45 A Two in the Dark (1936) Walter Abel, Dir. Ben Stoloff, RKO, 74 mins
10:00 A Power of the Whistler (1945) Richard Dix, Dir. Lew Landers, COL, 66 mins P
11:15 A Crossroads, (1942) William Powell, Dir. Jack Conway, MGM, 83 mins
12:45 P The Haunted Strangler (1958) Boris Karloff, Dir. Robert Day, MGM, 78 mins
2:00 P Nightmare (1956) Ed. G. Robinson, Dir. Maxwell Shane, UA, 89 mins p/s
3:30 P Spellbound (1945) Gregory Peck, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, UA, 116 mins p/s
5:30 P Random Harvest (1942) Greer Garson, Dir. Mervyn LeRoy, MGM, 128 mins, p/s
1-2-3 Allan Dwan
8:00 P Tide of Empire (1929) Renee Adore, Dir. Allan Dwan, MGM, 78 mins
9:15 P Brewster's Millions (1945) Dennis O’Keefe, Dir. Allan Dwan, UA,79 mins p/s
10:30 P Cattle Queen of Montana (1954) Barbara Stanwyck, Dir. Allan Dwan, RKO, 88 mins Bonus Feature
12:00 A Slightly Scarlet (1956) John Payne, Dir. Allan Dwan, RKO, 99 mins
TCM UNDERGROUND
2:00 A Wild in the Streets (1968) Christopher Jones, Dir. Barry Shear, AIP, 97 mins E
3:45 A rpm (1970) Gary Lockwood, Dir. Stanley Kramer, COL, 99 mins E
SATURDAY, Nov. 9th
A Little Series with your Cereal
6:00 A The Falcon's Brother (1942) George Sanders, Dir. Stanley Logan, RKO, 64 mins p/s
7:15 A Calling Philo Vance (1940) James Stephenson, Dir. William Clemens, WBros, 63 mins
8:30 A Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940) Buster Crabbe, Dir. Ford Beebe, UNI, 28 mins P
9:00 A The Case of the Curious Bride (1935), Warren William, Dir. Michael Curtiz, WBros, 74 mins, p/s
10:15 A Arsene Lupin Returns (1938) Melvyn Douglas, Dir. Geo. Fitzmaurice, MGM, 82 mins, p/s
12:00 P Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) Warren William, Dir. Peter Godfrey, COL, 69 mins. p/s
Featuring Lennox Pawle
1:15 P David Copperfield (1935). W.C. Fields, Dir. George Cukor, MGM, 133 mins, p/s
3:30 P The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) Helen Hayes, Dir. Edgar Selwyn, MGM, 74 mins, p/s
5:00 P Mata Hari (1931) Greta Garbo, Dir. George Fitzmaurice, MGM, 90 mins, p/s
6:30 P Sylvia Scarlett (1936) Katharine Hepburn, Dir. George Cukor, MGM, 90 mins, p/s
The Essentials Indiana Who?
8:00 P Secret of the Incas (1954) Charlton Heston, Dir. Jerry Hooper, PAR, 101 mins, P
9:45 P The Egyptian (1954) Victor Mature, Dir. Michael Curtiz, FOX, 140 mins, P
12:15 A Doc Savage, Man of Bronze (1975) Ron Ely, Dir. Michael Anderson, WBros, 111 mins, P
2:15 A The Mummy (1959) Peter Cushing, Dir. Terence Fisher, UNI, 88 mins, p/s
3:45 A The Mummy (1932) Boris Karloff, Dir. Karl Freund, UNI, 78 mins p/s
5:15 A Bring 'em Back Alive (1932), Dir. Clyde Elliott, RKO, 60 mins
Hunt Stromberg probably needs no introduction. He was a prolific producer at MGM, producing all of Jean Harlow's films, many of Joan Crawford's early films and a number of prestige films at the ultimate dream factory. In the early 1940s, he struck out on his own forming his own company. For this schedule, I have an offering of some of his films from 1929-1958.
Most long-time posters know how I feel about Joel McCrea. I even started the thread "Joel McCrea for Star of the Month" to shine the spotlight on this very underrated actor. I offer up a trio of not so well known McCrea films in hopes that when the time comes for McCrea to get his month in the spotlight, the schedule will include this trio as well.
First a Silent, then a Talkie is rather self explanatory. It would, perhaps, make a good idea not only for the channel but for the Film Festival as well. There are plenty of titles that could be used. I used two of my favorites.
We all know how much I love Doug, Sr and I never miss a chance to promote him in my challenge schedules. The Iron Mask is one of his best and perhaps his most elegiac.
Anyone who loves Cinema Paradiso will recognize the two titles in my TCM Imports category.
Who resembles the Monopoly Man more than Charles Coburn? I couldn't think of anyone.
Like Father, Like Son looks at a trio of film professionals, one director (Maurice Tourneur), one star (Doug, Sr- my love knows no bounds) and one writer, Ring Lardner. Their sons followed in their footsteps and three films of the younger are highlighted here as well.
Henry "Harry" Morgan, long before he became beloved as TV's Col. Potter made his early career playing the sidekick of more renowned stars. From Jimmy Stewart to Henry Fonda to John Wayne, Morgan provided the necessary back-up and heavy lifting required of good character actors.
I saw Glenda Farrell earlier this month at a noir-fest and thought she was just terrific, stealing every scene she was in with Franchot Tone. I would love for this fast-talking, witty actresses to get her moment in the TCM spotlight. So, on Tuesday and Thursday evening, she is my Star of the Month. Some of the films include a trio of films she did with Joan Blondell. I can't wait!
Millard Mitchell is another one of those great character actors whose face and voice we recognize immediately. He provided back-up in dramas, comedies, musicals and westerns. He was very versatile and very good.
Wednesday evening singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Mark Knopfler sits down with Robert O to introduce a series of films. The twist, they are films that may have inspired the accompanying songs.
Dorothy Azner was a pioneering female director and Thursday morning is dedicated to her.
Alright, Who Did It? Who Did It? Besides being one of the most well-known quotes from Mr. Roberts, it is also a block of who done its offered up for your enjoyment.
Not the Man I Used to Be is a look at films that deal with amnesia.
My 1-2-3- plus one focuses on Allan Dwan. He began his career in the early, early days of film making and kept making films until his retirement in the early 1960s. The auteur theory left Dwan in the dustbin of film history but those of us who love his workman like ethic and his films know that he should be better known.
Thanks to Rich (scsu1975) for his great recaps of bad, bad juvenile delinquent films. They inspired me to put these two on the schedule for TCM Underground.
Lastly, Saturday begins with a number of film series making an appearance on what would be a weekly basis.
Lennox Pawle was another character actor that many films buffs don't know until they see him on the screen. He is priceless in David Copperfield sparring with Edna May Oliver.
And Indiana, Who? is a series of films that may (or may not) have inspired Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg and Lucas aren't saying but the similarities between Indy and Chuck Heston's hero in Secret of the Incas says they were. And likely by the others on the schedule as well.
I hope you enjoy this out-of-competition schedule (no votes allowed).
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
You had me at Millard Mitchell, Lynn! Great schedule, one of your finest, and you even honored one of those unsung MGM couples, Frances Gifford and James Craig (though Jim made some sweet time with Marsha Hunt too!). Oh, how I hope that this one will find its way to the desk of the TCM programmer. Bitter Rice is one of those Italian dramas I've always wanted to see (though I think I may have caught it decades ago on NYC tv--when I was too young to understand much).
