TCM Schedule for Friday, May 17, 2013 -- Friday Night Spotlight: Second Looks

[Staph]

Today seems to be a celebration of the work of Cedric Gibbons, who spent 32 years as supervising art director for some 1500 MGM films, with direct responsibility in well over 150 of those. He designed the Oscar itself, winning it 11 of the 37 times he was nominated for it. Some of his designs influenced American interiors, and it has been argued that he was the most important art director in the history of American cinema. And tonight's theme continues to be Second Looks, a chance to see movies that were not so well regarded when first released but now worthy of a second look. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- Thrill Hunter (1933)
A blowhard cowboy talks himself into a job as a movie stunt man.
Dir: George B. Seitz
Cast: Charles "Buck" Jones, Dorothy Revier, Edward Le Saint
BW-61 mins, TV-G,

According to the book "Let's Go to the Movies!" by Lester Gordon published by Santa Monica Press in 1992, the reason his name appears in over 1500 film credits is as follows: "His 1924 contract stated that every film released by MGM in the USA would give him the credit of Art Director, even though others did the majority of the work."


7:15 AM -- Mad Holiday (1936)
A temperamental film star's vacation turns deadly when he uncovers a murder.
Dir: George B. Seitz
Cast: Edmund Lowe, Elissa Landi, ZaSu Pitts
BW-72 mins, TV-G,

Suggested by the story "Murder in a Chinese Theatre" by Joseph Santley.


8:30 AM -- The Thirteenth Chair (1937)
A phony psychic tries to solve a murder that took place during her seance.
Dir: George B. Seitz
Cast: Dame May Whitty, Madge Evans, Lewis Stone
BW-67 mins, TV-G,

Filmed before in 1919 and 1929.


9:45 AM -- Pierre Of The Plains (1942)
A French-Canadian trapper's adventures jeopardize his romance with an innkeeper.
Dir: George B. Seitz
Cast: John Carroll, Ruth Hussey, Bruce Cabot
BW-66 mins, TV-G,

Version of Pierre of the Plains (1914), Heart of the Wilds (1918), and Over the Border (1922)


11:00 AM -- My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937)
A glamorous woman takes over a newspaper and clashes with the editor.
Dir: George B. Seitz
Cast: Edna May Oliver, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Pidgeon
BW-74 mins, TV-G, CC,

Based on a story by Herman J. Mankiewicz, grandfather of TCM's Ben Mankiewicz.


12:15 PM -- Spring Madness (1938)
A Harvard man romances a coed from a nearby college.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon
Cast: Maureen O'Sullivan, Lew Ayres, Ruth Hussey
BW-67 mins, TV-G,

Philip Barry's play, "Spring Dance", opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 25 August 1936 and had 24 performances. The opening night cast included José Ferrer (The Lippencott), Tom Neal (Doc Boyd), Philip Ober (Walter Beckett) and Mary Wickes (Mildred).


1:30 PM -- Sporting Blood (1940)
A young man trying to rebuild the family racing stables falls for the daughter of a bitter rival.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon
Cast: Robert Young, Maureen O'Sullivan, Lewis Stone
BW-82 mins, TV-G,

Bradbury Foote wrote the original script entitled "One Came Home", also used as the working title. Since the onscreen credit states "original screenplay" by Grace Norton, it is not known if any of Foote's material was used in the film.


3:00 PM -- Where Danger Lives (1950)
A psychopath draws her doctor into her murderous schemes.
Dir: John Farrow
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue, Claude Rains
BW-80 mins, TV-PG, CC,

The name of Maureen O'Sullivan's character is "Julie Dorn". "Dorn" was the original stage name of leading lady Faith Domergue.


4:30 PM -- Mission Over Korea (1953)
A rookie pilot in the Korean War wants to avenge his brother's death.
Dir: Fred F. Sears
Cast: John Hodiak, John Derek, Audrey Totter
BW-85 mins, TV-G,

Based on a story by writer/reporter Richard Tregaskis, recipient of the Overseas Press Club's George Polk Award in 1963 for best reporting requiring exceptional courage and enterprise abroad (for Vietnam Diary).


6:00 PM -- Never Too Late (1965)
A woman with grown children discovers she's pregnant again.
Dir: Bud Yorkin
Cast: Paul Ford, Connie Stevens, Maureen O'Sullivan
C-104 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Timothy Hutton (who is Jim Hutton's son) made his first screen appearance in this movie as the little boy who runs to his father. And I have a certain fondness for this film myself. In college, I appeared as a female version of Lloyd Nolan's



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: SECOND LOOKS



8:00 PM -- Ace In the Hole (1951)
A small-town reporter milks a local disaster to get back into the big time.
Dir: Billy Wilder
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur
BW-111 mins, TV-14, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay -- Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels and Walter Newman

When the film was released, it got bad reviews and lost money. The studio, without Billy Wilder's permission, changed the title to "The Big Carnival" to increase the box office take of the film. It didn't work. On top of that, Billy Wilder's next picture Stalag 17 was a hit and Billy Wilder expected a share of the Stalag 17's profits. Paramount accountants told him that since this picture lost money, the money it lost would be subtracted from the profits of Stalag 17.


10:00 PM -- Top Banana (1954)
An egotistical television comic falls for a pretty salesgirl and tries to make her a star.
Dir: Alfred E. Green
Cast: Phil Silvers, Rose Marie, Danny Scholl
C-84 mins, TV-G, CC,

Originally shot and edited in 3-D, the idea of this film was to for the audience to experience a major Broadway show in the best seat in the house for the price of a movie ticket. Unfortunately, the film was released flat when the 3-D craze ended and no longer exists in that format. Two versions of the film exist, one with extended scenes and longer numbers. The current broadcast version is the truncated version.


12:00 AM -- It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
World War II buddies get mixed up with gangsters and an egotistical TV star when they hold a 10-year reunion.
Dir: Gene Kelly
Cast: Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse
C-102 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- André Previn, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay -- Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Betty Comden and Adolph Green originally conceived this musical as a sequel to their smash, On the Town, having the new film reunite Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. The concept was changed somewhat because was Mr. Sinatra was unavailable to reprise his role.


2:00 AM -- Our Man in Havana (1960)
A salesman in Cuba takes up spying to support his spendthrift daughter.
Dir: Carol Reed
Cast: Alec Guinness, Burl Ives, Maureen O'Hara
BW-107 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

Fidel Castro's government gave permission for this film, which presents the fallen regime of Fulgencio Batista, in an unflattering light and also condemns American and British meddling, to shoot on location in Havana, only months after the revolution. It was completed during the brief period in 1959 before Cuba had aligned itself with the Soviet Union.


4:00 AM -- Autumn Leaves (1956)
A woman falls for a younger man with severe mental problems.
Dir: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Joan Crawford, Vera Miles, Lorne Greene
BW-106 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

In an interview for a much later documentary on Joan Crawford, Cliff Robertson recounts his first meeting with her, at her home. Already somewhat intimidated by working with the legendary Crawford, he is let in, then hears her call from poolside, where she's sunning, "Come on out, dear boy. We've been waiting for you." Robertson has nothing but admiration for Crawford's talent and incredible technical disciple. At one point, director Bob Aldrich wanted Crawford to cry, but only slightly. A tear or two. "Which eye?" Robertson recalls Crawford asking. Then repeats the anecdote, amazed, "'Which EYE?'"