TCM Schedule for Thursday, July 11, 2013 -- TCM Memorial Tribute -- Ray Harryhausen

[Staph]

Today TCM is celebrating the birthday of boy-next-door Tab Hunter, born Arthur Andrew Kelm on July 11, 1931, in New York City. Never a great actor, Hunter had a long career as a teen idol, and a second wind in his 50s and 60s. In prime time, TCM is remembering special effects genius Ray Harryhausen, who passed away on May 7, 2013. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- Gun Belt (1953)
A notorious outlaw tries to go straight, only to be framed by his former gang.
Dir: Ray Nazarro
Cast: George Montgomery, Tab Hunter, Helen Westcott
C-78 mins, TV-PG,

Based on a story by Arthur E. Orloff, a prolific author of episodic western and crime television dramas.


7:30 AM -- Return To Treasure Island (1954)
A student vies with crooks for buried treasure.
Dir: E. A. Dupont
Cast: Tab Hunter, Dawn Addams, Porter Hall
C-75 mins, TV-PG,

Based on the characters created by Robert Lewis Stevenson in his novel Treasure Island.


9:00 AM -- The Burning Hills (1956)
A young cowboy and a Mexican girl run from a ruthless criminal.
Dir: Stuart Heisler
Cast: Tab Hunter, Natalie Wood, Skip Homeier
C-92 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

According to Tab Hunter's autobiography, studio executives were so displeased by Natalie Wood's "Mexican" accent that they even considered dubbing in another actress's voice.


10:45 AM -- The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
A college dropout has no choice but to go into the Army.
Dir: David Butler
Cast: Tab Hunter, Natalie Wood, Jesse Royce Landis
BW-103 mins, TV-G, CC,

Filmed in part at Fort Ord, California.


12:30 PM -- Gunman's Walk (1958)
A rancher's rebellious son tries to teach him that violence is no longer an answer.
Dir: Phil Karlson
Cast: Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Kathryn Grant
C-95 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format

Though in most respects a forgettable movie, Gunman's Walk is notable for being one of the few films in which the blond, blue eyed, square jawed Tab Hunter was cast as a brooding, violent and generally unlikable character.


2:15 PM -- Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
A hotshot young flyer falls for a French prostitute during World War I.
Dir: William A. Wellman
Cast: Tab Hunter, Etchika Choureau, Marcel Dalio
BW-93 mins, TV-PG, CC,

The scene where Thad Walker escorts a U.S. General (played by Paul Fix) to a brothel is based on a real incident from William A. Wellman's wartime experience. During the war, Wellman supposedly encountered General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing in a Paris brothel. Several years later, Pershing came to Hollywood to tour the Paramount Studios, where Wellman was working as a cameraman. When Pershing saw Wellman, who was standing in a line of movie technicians, the general said to him, "I'm sure I know you. Have we met before?" Wanting to protect the general's reputation, Wellman replied, "Yes, but I'd rather not say where, sir." Pershing and Wellman later had a private meeting in a back office at the studio, where they talked about their wartime service. The meeting had a positive effect on Wellman's career, as the studio executives took notice of him. Wellman was promoted to Assistant Director, and from there soon became a full Director.


4:00 PM -- The Golden Arrow (1964)
An Arabian bandit discovers he's the long lost son of a Sultan.
Dir: Antonio Margheriti
Cast: Tab Hunter, Rossana Podestà, Umberto Melnati
C-91 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format

Tab Hunter's voice is dubbed by another actor in the English language version.


5:45 PM -- Ride the Wild Surf (1964)
Three young surfers travel to Hawaii in search of love and the perfect wave.
Dir: Don Taylor
Cast: Fabian, Shelley Fabares, Tab Hunter
C-102 mins, TV-G, CC,

Those shots of Fabian, Peter Brown, and Tab Hunter - photographed from mid-chest up - riding their surfboards were actually shot in California inside Columbia Studios. The actors balanced on Radio Flyer wagons in front of a rear-projection screen showing ocean waves. Assistants then sprayed them with water while maneuvering the wagons to give the desired effect.


7:30 PM -- Now Playing July (2013)
Features highlights of the month's programming on TCM, including festivals and stars.
BW-22 mins, TV-PG, CC,


TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM MEMORIAL TRIBUTE: RAY HARRYHAUSEN



8:00 PM -- Jason And The Argonauts (1963)
The legendary hero enlists the help of the gods to steal the golden fleece.
Dir: Don Chaffey
Cast: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond
C-104 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Ray Harryhausen regards this as his best film.


10:00 PM -- The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1973)
Sinbad battles a fiendish magician and his many monsters.
Dir: Gordon Hessler
Cast: John Phillip Law, Tom Baker, Caroline Munro
C-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

This film helped Tom Baker get the role as the fourth Doctor Who.


12:00 AM -- Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (1977)
When a witch turns a young prince into a baboon, Sinbad fights to save him.
Dir: Sam Wanamaker
Cast: Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Jane Seymour
C-113 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

After the live action filming was done, it took animator Ray Harryhausen almost 1½ years to do the animation, all from his own home studio.


2:00 AM -- Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
Space invaders attack the nation's capital.
Dir: Fred F. Sears
Cast: Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis
BW-84 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

One of the buildings struck by crashing flying saucers is Union Station, Washington's main train station. This may have been inspired by a 1953 accident when a runaway passenger train smashed into the station concourse.


3:30 AM -- The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Nuclear tests set a dormant prehistoric monster on a path of destruction.
Dir: Eugène Lourié
Cast: Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway
BW-80 mins, TV-PG, CC,

This film (which was inspired by the successful 1952 re-release of KING KONG) was the first film to feature a giant creature awakened or mutated by a Nuclear Bomb. This was said to have been one of the inspirations for Tomoyuki Tanaka to go ahead and film Godzilla.


5:00 AM -- I'm King Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper (2005)
TCM original documentary that explores the career of Hollywood producer Merian C. Cooper.
Dir: Christopher Bird, Kevin Brownlow
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Merian C. Cooper, David Strohmaier
C-57 mins, TV-PG, CC

Features clips from The Lost World (1925), Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life (1925), The Midshipman (1925), The Big Parade (1925), Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927), Captain Salisbury's Ra-Mu (1929), The Four Feathers (1929), The Dawn Patrol (1930), The Lost Squadron (1932), Doctor X (1932), The Most Dangerous Game (1932), King Kong (1933), Flying Down to Rio (1933), The Son of Kong (1933), Becky Sharp (1935), Gone with the Wind (1939), Fort Apache (1948), Mighty Joe Young (1949), This Is Cinerama (1952), The Searchers (1956), and The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt (1986).