TCM Schedule for Sunday August 17 - Summer Under the Stars: John Hodiak

[rdmtimp]

The gone-too-soon (age 44) John Hodiak takes the spotlight today.

(all times Eastern)

6:00 AM STRANGER IN TOWN, A (1943)
A Supreme Court justice on vacation takes on crooked small-town politicians. Dir: Roy Rowland Cast: Frank Morgan , Richard Carlson , Jean Rogers . BW-67 mins,

7:15 AM AMBUSH (1949)
A Westerner searches for a white woman held by the Apaches. Dir: Sam Wood Cast: Robert Taylor , John Hodiak , Arlene Dahl . BW-89 mins, CC,

8:45 AM ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI (1951)
An explorer leads the way west for 19th-century settlers along the American frontier. Dir: William Wellman Cast: Clark Gable , Ricardo Montalban , John Hodiak . C-78 mins, CC,

10:15 AM BATTLE ZONE (1952)
A rivalry develops between two Marine combat photographers over the attentions of a Red Cross nurse during their stint in the Korean War. Dir: Lesley Selander Cast: John Hodiak , Linda Christian , Stephen McNally . BW-82 mins, CC,

11:45 AM BATTLEGROUND (1949)
American soldiers in France fight to survive a Nazi siege just before the Battle of the Bulge. Dir: William Wellman Cast: Van Johnson , John Hodiak , Ricardo Montalban . BW-119 mins, CC,

2:00 PM HOMECOMING (1948)
A married man's wartime love affair spells trouble when peace comes. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy Cast: Clark Gable , Lana Turner , Anne Baxter . BW-113 mins, CC,

4:00 PM MARRIAGE IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR (1944)
A spoiled rich girl refuses to let marriage interfere with man-chasing. Dir: Robert Z. Leonard Cast: Lana Turner , James Craig , John Hodiak . BW-117 mins, CC,

6:02 PM BIRDS AND THE BEASTS WERE THERE, THE (1944)
This short film focuses on three animal parks in Miami, Florida. Vitaphone Release 1288A. Dir: André De La Varre Jr. Cast: Knox Manning , C-10 mins,

6:15 PM TWO SMART PEOPLE (1946)
In New Orleans, lady crook tries to steal a con man's hidden loot. Dir: Jules Dassin Cast: Lucille Ball , John Hodiak , Lloyd Nolan . BW-93 mins, CC,

8:00 PM LIFEBOAT (1944)
Survivors of a torpedoed boat take in a German Naval officer from the sub that sank them. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Tallulah Bankhead , William Bendix , Walter Slezak . BW-97 mins, CC,

9:46 PM SO YOU THINK YOU'RE ALLERGIC (1945)
In this comedic short, a man suffering fits of sneezing believes he is allergic to everything, even his own wife. Vitaphone Release 1376A. Dir: Richard Bare Cast: Roland Winters , Barbara Billingsley , Gene Sheldon . BW-11 mins,

10:00 PM BELL FOR ADANO, A (1945)
A major and his men attempt to restore order to the war-torn Italian town of Adano. Dir: Henry King Cast: Gene Tierney , John Hodiak , William Bendix . BW-104 mins, CC,

12:00 AM HARVEY GIRLS, THE (1946)
Straitlaced waitresses battle saloon girls to win the West for domesticity.Dir: George Sidney Cast: Judy Garland , John Hodiak , Ray Bolger . C-101 mins, CC,

1:45 AM ARNELO AFFAIR, THE (1947)
A neglected wife gets mixed up with an hypnotic charmer and murder. Dir: Arch Oboler Cast: John Hodiak , George Murphy , Frances Gifford . BW-87 mins,

3:15 AM LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT, A (1950)
A secret service agent falls in love with an illegal immigrant. Dir: Joseph H. Lewis Cast: Hedy Lamarr , John Hodiak , James Craig . BW-74 mins, CC,

4:30 AM MAISIE GOES TO RENO (1944)
On a trip to Reno, a Brooklyn showgirl tries to stop a soldier and his wife from divorcing. Dir: Harry Beaumont Cast: Ann Sothern , John Hodiak , Tom Drake . BW-90 mins, CC,

[meinchoh]

1. Wrong age

He was born in 1914 and died in 1955 at the age of 41 NOT 44. Do the math.

[uppityperson]

2. Welcome to DU, have you any input beyond pointing out an age error?

[CBHagman]

3. I just found this.

Frankly I did not remember a thing about John Hodiak, though I've seen his work. Here's a tribute to the Pittsburgh native, and it's well worth reading.

[url]http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/movies/2014/04/16/One-hundred-years-of-John-Hodiak/stories/201404160030[/url]

While in Chicago Hodiak was discovered by a Metro Goldwyn Mayer talent agent and signed a deal that included a request from Louis B. Mayer that he change his name. Mayer felt Hodiak was not a marquee-friendly moniker.

But Hodiak was proud of his heritage and refused: "I like my name. It sounds like I look."

High blood pressure made him unfit for military duty, but it helped his acting career. The dearth of male actors during World War II made him a hot commodity in Hollywood. His dark, lean features and well-honed performing skills landed him a walk-on role in "A Stranger in Town," his first film.

But his big break came in 1944 when Hitchcock borrowed Hodiak from MGM to play John Kovac, the torpedoed ship's crew member in "Lifeboat" at 20th Century Fox.

(SNIP)

He also exhibited tremendous range. He could play a loud-mouth as well as a character that was quietly, ruggedly charming. In 1945's "A Bell for Adano," with co-star Gene Tierney, he sets the mood by working against his emotions in a Humphrey Bogart sort of way. Like Bogie, he could keep a poker face but make you feel that something extraordinary was simmering just below the surface.