TCM Schedule for Thursday, September 12, 2013 -- Star of the Month - Kim Novak

[Staph]

Today TCM is celebrating the birth of child star Dickie Moore, born John Richard Moore Jr. on September 12, 1925, in Los Angeles, California. He retired from acting at age 29, and formed a public relations firm called Dick Moore Associates. He gave Shirley Temple her first screen kiss in Annie Roonie (1942), and has been married to fellow child star Jane Powell since 1988. In prime time, it's more of Star of the Month Kim Novak. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- Passion Flower (1930)
A society woman courts heartache when she falls in love with her chauffeur.
Dir: William de Mille
Cast: Kay Francis, Kay Johnson, Charles Bickford
BW-79 mins, TV-G,

Director William de Mille is Cecil de Mille's brother.


7:30 AM -- Star Witness (1931)
An old man who witnessed a crime is threatened by gangsters.
Dir: William A. Wellman
Cast: Walter Huston, Frances Starr, Grant Mitchell
BW-68 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Lucien Hubbard

Variety reported that the film was rushed into release because of a gang shooting in Harlem in which several children were shot and the police could not get witnesses to talk. The Motion Picture Herald also reported that Warner Bros. gave the proceeds of the first two performances at The Winter Garden to families of 5 children who were shot by gang warfare in Little Italy.


8:45 AM -- Gabriel Over The White House (1933)
A crooked president reforms mysteriously.
Dir: Gregory LaCava
Cast: Walter Huston, Karen Morley, Franchot Tone
BW-86 mins, TV-G, CC,

The protest march of the "army of the unemployed" in the story was no doubt a reference to the protest march of the "Bonus Army" in 1932, where veterans of WWI marched on Congress to demand payment of promised bonuses. They were attacked with tanks and tear gas by the U.S. Army led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur on orders of President Herbert Hoover. William Randolph Hearst, who railed against that action in his newpapers, saw to it that the President in this film helped the people. Meanwhile, Louis B. Mayer, a staunch Republican, delayed the movie until Hoover was out of office.


10:15 AM -- This Side Of Heaven (1934)
An eccentric family tries to work together when the father is accused of embezzlement.
Dir: William K. Howard
Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Fay Bainter, Mae Clarke
BW-77 mins, TV-G,

Scenes from the film Another Language (1933) is shown in the movie theater that Hal and Peggy attend, but the AFI Catalogue reports that these are probably outtakes.


11:45 AM -- The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)
True story of the French scientist's battle to establish modern medical methods.
Dir: William Dieterle
Cast: Paul Muni, Josephine Hutchinson, Anita Louise
BW-86 mins, TV-G, CC,

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Paul Muni, Best Writing, Original Story -- Pierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney, and Best Writing, Screenplay -- Pierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture

An electrician for Warner Bros. studio came up to Paul Muni after an advanced screening of the film and told him that his 9-year old son asked him to buy him a microscope because of Muni's performance. Even though he went on to win the coveted Oscar Muni said that this was the greatest compliment he had ever received and that all other accolades meant nothing compared to that compliment.


1:15 PM -- The Bride Wore Red (1937)
A chorus girl crashes an exclusive Swiss resort to snare a rich husband.
Dir: Dorothy Arzner
Cast: Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Robert Young
BW-103 mins, TV-G, CC,

Originally, in 1937, Dorothy Arzner had been assigned by MGM producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1937 to direct Luise Rainer in "The Girl from Trieste," an unperformed Ferenc Molnár play about a prostitute trying to reform herself who discovers the hypocrisies of the respectable class which she aspires to. After the death of Irving Thalberg, Louis B. Mayer was put in charge of MGM. Mayer disliked the perceived exploitation of the female lead's character, and insisted that Molnár's play be rewritten so that it was no longer about a prostitute, but instead a slightly dark Cinderella story with a happy ending. Retitled by Mankiewicz as The Bride Wore Red, Rainer withdrew and was replaced by Joan Crawford.


3:00 PM -- My Bill (1938)
An impoverished widow fights scandal for the sake of her four children.
Dir: John Farrow
Cast: Kay Francis, Bonita Granville, John Litel
BW-65 mins, TV-G, CC,

Based on the play Courage, by Tom Barry. Previously made as Courage (1930), starring Belle Bennett and Leon Janney.


4:15 PM -- The Great Mr. Nobody (1941)
An accident-prone reporter stumbles into love and a big story.
Dir: Ben Stoloff
Cast: Eddie Albert, Joan Leslie, Alan Hale
BW-71 mins, TV-G,

In a newspaper photo of the first valor award given, the presenter of the award was Edmund Mortimer.


5:30 PM -- Out of the Past (1947)
A private eye becomes the dupe of a homicidal moll.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas
BW-97 mins, TV-PG, CC,

After Humphrey Bogart refused the lead it was offered to John Garfield and then Dick Powell, both of whom turned it down. Robert Mitchum was fourth choice.


7:15 PM -- MGM Parade Show #22 (1955)
Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald perform in a clip from "Maytime"; Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz introduce a clip from "Forever Darling." Hosted by George Murphy.
BW-26 mins, TV-G,


7:51 PM -- Headpin Hints (1955)
In this short film, professional bowlers Lee Jouglard and Sylvia Wene give some tips and show off their skill.
Dir: William Deeke
BW-8 mins,



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: STAR OF THE MONTH: KIM NOVAK



8:00 PM -- Picnic (1956)
A handsome drifter ignites passions at a small-town Labor Day picnic.
Dir: Joshua Logan
Cast: William Holden, Kim Novak, Betty Field
C-113 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- William Flannery, Jo Mielziner and Robert Priestley, and Best Film Editing -- Charles Nelson and William A. Lyon

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Arthur O'Connell, Best Director -- Joshua Logan, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- George Duning, and Best Picture

William Holden didn't want to do the dance sequence with Kim Novak, fearing it would make him look foolish. He told co-star Cliff Robertson, "I just don't know how to dance." Hoping to persuade the studio to cut the dance scene, Holden insisted on being paid an $8,000 "stuntman premium." To his surprise, the studio paid up and Holden was forced to do the dance scene, although he was allowed to do it under the influence of alcohol. In that scene, he is actually intoxicated, and it still remains one of only four movies that he ever danced in (the others being Sabrina, Dear Ruth and Sunset Blvd.), and one of the most memorable scenes in the movie.


10:00 PM -- Pal Joey (1957)
An opportunistic singer woos a wealthy widow to boost his career.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak
C-109 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration -- Walter Holscher, William Kiernan and Louis Diage, Best Costume Design -- Jean Louis, Best Film Editing -- Viola Lawrence and Jerome Thoms, and Best Sound, Recording -- John P. Livadary (Columbia SSD)

After Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn saw the success of Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth in Cover Girl, he promised this film to them (Kelly had his big break by creating the role of Joey Evans on Broadway). Sadly, the story took another 15 years to reach the screen and by that time Kelly was under contract to MGM. Hayworth was cast as the older woman, with Kim Novak now playing the younger woman.


12:00 AM -- The Eddy Duchin Story (1956)
The famed pianist loses the love of his life and almost loses his son's love as well.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Kim Novak, Rex Thompson, James Whitmore
BW-123 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- Harry Stradling Sr., Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Morris Stoloff and George Duning, Best Sound, Recording -- John P. Livadary (Columbia SSD), and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story -- Leo Katcher

The characters of "Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Wadsworth" are fictionalized versions of the real-life Mr. and Mrs. W. Averall Harriman, Marjorie Duchin's uncle and aunt. Averell Harriman was the heir to his father's, George Herriman, railroad fortune, and devoted most of his life to public service, including stints as US ambassador to the Soviet Union and to the Paris Peace talks during the Vietnam War. At the time "The Eddy Duchin Story" was released (1956), Harriman was in the midst of his term (1955-1959) as Governor of New York, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination that year.


2:15 AM -- Jeanne Eagels (1957)
The famed actress fights drug addiction to build a career and find love.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Kim Novak, Jeff Chandler, Agnes Moorehead
BW-109 mins, TV-PG,

As with most film biographies, this film is more screenwriter's fancy than fact. Among other things, Jeanne Eagels was never a carnival dancer and was never known to have been the cause of another performer's suicide. Further, the character of Sal Satori was a fictional compilation character based upon several men in Ms. Eagels's life.


4:15 AM -- Love Me Or Leave Me (1955)
True story of torch singer Ruth Etting's struggle to escape the gangster who made her a star.
Dir: Charles Vidor
Cast: Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell
C-122 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Won an Oscar for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story -- Daniel Fuchs

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- James Cagney, Best Music, Original Song -- Nicholas Brodszky (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics) for the song "I'll Never Stop Loving You", Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Percy Faith and George Stoll, Best Sound, Recording -- Wesley C. Miller (M-G-M), and Best Writing, Screenplay -- Daniel Fuchs and Isobel Lennart

This was the only time, after becoming a star in the 1930s, that James Cagney ever accepted second billing for a major role. He thought that Doris Day's character was more central to the film's plot, and so ceded top billing to her.