TCM Schedule for Thursday, January 12 -- TCM Spotlight -- Jack Cardiff

[Staph]

There's more of cinematographer Jack Cardiff this evening, with four of his films made with director Michael Powell. Unfortunately, TCM has decided to push my two favorites, The Red Shoes (1948) and The Black Narcissus (1947) until the middle of the night. If you have not seen these two, it's to fire up the DVR. Enjoy!



6:45 AM -- A Lawless Street (1955)
A Marshal's past comes back to haunt him.
Dir: Joseph H. Lewis
Cast: Randolph Scott, Angela Lansbury, Warner Anderson.
C-77 min, TV-PG , CC

Scenes shot using Scott's stunt double are painfully obvious, as the double dark hair is no match for Scott's salt-and-pepper.


8:15 AM -- Screen Directors Playhouse: Claire (1956)
A doctor's bride is haunted by guilt over the death of his first wife.
Dir: Frank Tuttle
Cast: George Montgomery, Angela Lansbury, Jean Willes
26 min, TV-PG

Angela Lansbury's grandfather was George Lansbury, British Labour Party leader in the 1930s.


8:45 AM -- Hysteria (1965)
An amnesiac stumbles on to a murder plot.
Dir: Freddie Francis
Cast: Robert Webber, Anthony Newlands, Jennifer Jayne.
85 min, TV-PG

Filmed at MGM British Studios in the UK.


10:15 AM -- Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
A girl on the road to stardom fights the dehumanizing effects of Hollywood life.
Dir: Robert Mulligan
Cast: Natalie Wood, Christopher Plummer, Robert Redford.
C-129 min, TV-PG , CC

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Ruth Gordon, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Robert Clatworthy and George James Hopkins, and Best Costume Design, Color -- Edith Head and Bill Thomas

This is an interesting movie for film buffs since many scenes feature shots in various areas and departments of Warner Bros. Studios, in Burbank, California. The actual studio appeared as the mythical "Swann Studios" in the film.


12:30 PM -- Joy In The Morning (1965)
A law student and his bride try to build a life together despite her fear of intimacy.
Dir: Alex Segal
Cast: Richard Chamberlain, Yvette Mimieux, Arthur Kennedy.
C-102 min, TV-PG

One of Richard Chamberlain's rare appearances on the soundtrack (aside from the musical film The Slipper and the Rose (1976)) -- he sings the title song for this one.


2:15 PM -- Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)
A distraught mother searches for her seemingly non-existent daughter, bringing her sanity into question.
Dir: Otto Preminger
Cast: Keir Dullea, Carol Lynley, Lucie Mannheim.
107 min, TV-PG , CC

Columbia Pictures wanted Otto Preminger to cast Jane Fonda as Ann Lake, who was eager to play the role, but Preminger insisted upon using Carol Lynley.


4:15 PM -- Once A Thief (1965)
A young ex-con trying to go straight gets caught up in another criminal scheme.
Dir: Ralph Nelson
Cast: Alain Delon, Ann-Margret, Van Heflin.
106 min, TV-PG , CC

Production was delayed several days while the crew waited for cloudy daytime weather to add atmosphere to the big finale. This was just fine with star Ann-Margret. She had been introduced for the second time to future-husband Roger Smith, who was performing in a Frisco nightclub, and she wasn't looking forward to leaving him.


6:15 PM -- The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Card sharps try to deal with personal problems during a big game in New Orleans.
Dir: Norman Jewison
Cast: Steve McQueen, Edward G. Robinson, Ann-Margret.
C-103 min, TV-14 , CC

Spencer Tracy was originally cast as Lancey Howard but poor health forced him to withdraw and he was replaced by Edward G. Robinson.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: JACK CARDIFF



8:00 PM -- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
An aging military man looks back on the loves and friends who shaped his life.
Dir: Michael Powell
Cast: Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook.
C-163 min, TV-G , CC

Director Michael Powell was intrigued by how second-unit cameraman Jack Cardiff was filming the animal heads and gave Cardiff his first big break as the cinematographer on his next film, Stairway to Heaven.


10:49 PM -- One Reel Wonder: Touring Northern England (1950)
In this "Traveltalk," we learn about the history, culture, and people of Northern England.
C-9 min,

Filmed in Cumbria, Lancashire, and Yorkshire, England.


11:00 PM -- Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)
Interviews and classic clips trace the career of one of the screen's greatest cinematographers.
Dir: Craig Mccall
C-86 min, TV-14 , CC

In 2001 Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) became the first director of photography in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Honorary Oscar.


12:30 AM -- A Matter of Life and Death (1947)
An injured aviator argues in celestial court for the chance to go on living.
Dir: Michael Powell
Cast: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote.
C-104 min, TV-PG , CC

The first scene shot was David Niven washing up on the beach. Originally planned to fade in from black, Michael Powell decided on the spot that the effect would be too cheesy. When Jack Cardiff told him to look through the camera, Cardiff then deliberately breathed right onto the lens, which fogged the glass for a few seconds until it evaporated. Powell loved the idea and had him use it for the shot.


2:30 AM -- The Red Shoes (1948)
A young ballerina is torn between her art and her romance with a young composer.
Dir: Michael Powell
Cast: Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer.
C-135 min, TV-G , CC

Won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Hein Heckroth and Arthur Lawson, and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Brian Easdale

Nominated for Oscars for Best Film Editing -- Reginald Mills, Best Writing, Motion Picture Story -- Emeric Pressburger, and Best Picture

Cinematographer Jack Cardiff wasn't keen on doing a ballet film so he forced himself to take in as many ballet productions as he could to familiarize himself with this art form. He was soon won over.


4:50 AM -- One Reel Wonder: India On Parade (1937)
In this "Traveltalk," we learn about the landmarks, people and customs of India.
C-9 min,

Filmed in Boroda, and in Agra, including the Taj Mahal.


5:00 AM -- Black Narcissus (1947)
Nuns founding a convent in the Himalayas are tormented by the area's exotic beauty.
Dir: Michael Powell
Cast: Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar.
C-101 min, TV-14 , CC

Won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Alfred Junge, and Best Cinematography, Color -- Jack Cardiff

Jack Cardiff came up with the idea of starting the rainfall end scene by first having a few drops hit the rhubarb leaves before cueing a full-force rainstorm. He personally created the first drops with water from a cup when the scene was shot. Michael Powell was so pleased with the effect that he decided to make the scene, originally the penultimate one, the closing shot. Cardiff, however, was a great fan of the original scene (which had already been shot) that was supposed to follow this one and close the film. To this day Cardiff amusingly calls the opening drops of the rainfall "the worst idea I ever had".

[CBHagman]

1. Glad to see "Cameraman" is airing again.

I caught most of that last week, and it put me in the mood to go on a Jack Cardiff binge.

[Bolo Boffin]

2. I've got the Criterion version of Black Narcissus.

What a wild movie that is!