TCM Schedule for Friday, December 2, 2016 -- What's On Tonight - Star of the Month - Myrna Loy

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM is featuring films by director Alan Crosland, best remembered as the director of The Jazz Singer (1927). And starting in the afternoon and continuing throughout prime time, it's the beginning of the month for Star of the Month, Myrna Loy. From the TCM website:

Beginning in movies as an extra in silent films, Myrna Loy (1905-1993) progressed from Oriental vamp to "perfect wife" and, along the way, proved herself a performer of unusual wit, grace and intelligence. Like Clark Gable, she commanded both the male and female audience; men saw her as the ideal mate and women wanted to be like her. With her unflappable poise and (as film historian David Shipman put it) "dry-martini voice," Loy achieved icon status with her portrayal of Nora Charles in the Thin Man movies. In 1936 she was the No. 1 female box-office attraction in films. That same year, fans voted her "Queen of the Movies" to Clark Gable's "King."

Born Myrna Williams in Raidersburg, Montana, Loy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and by 18 was dancing in the chorus at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Rudolph Valentino, after testing Loy for one of his films, failed to cast her but did offer a recommendation that helped the aspiring actress get a start. She made her film debut in 1925 and a year later was signed to a five-year contract at Warner Bros., where her roles included a bit part in The Jazz Singer (1927). The final film under her Warners contract was the romantic drama The Naughty Flirt (1931); she was by then a veteran of some four dozen movies.

In 1932 Loy was signed by MGM, where her early roles included the title character's sadistic daughter in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), the most notorious of her "Oriental" vamp characters; and the comedy crime thriller Penthouse (1933), directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It was that director who was inspired to cast William Powell and Loy as Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man (1934), which turned both into instant superstars with their diamond-bright playing of the husband-and-wife sleuthing team. Five popular sequels would follow, including After the Thin Man (1936) and Shadow of the Thin Man (1941).

Loy made a total of 14 movies with Powell, including the Oscar®-winning The Great Ziegfeld (1936), in which she played Billie Burke to his Florenz Ziegfeld; and Love Crazy (1941), a delightful comedy in which Powell pretends to be insane to win back Loy as his wife. Her other most compatible costar at MGM was Clark Gable, with whom Loy starred in seven movies including Manhattan Melodrama (1934), Wife Vs. Secretary (1936), Parnell (1937), Too Hot to Handle (1938) and Test Pilot (1938).

Loy's definitive "perfect wife" portrayal came in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), William Wyler's look at the postwar adjustment of a trio of soldiers including Fredric March as her husband. Wise, humorous, sexy and loving, Loy gave this touching film its emotional center. Although the movie won seven Oscars®, Loy, amazingly, was not even nominated. In fact, she never won an Oscar® nomination in competition but was awarded an honorary award in 1991 for her career achievement. Loy returned to comedy opposite Cary Grant in both The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948). She also appeared in an underrated film adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, The Red Pony (1949), co-starring Robert Mitchum.

Loy played the practical mother of a large family in the charming Cheaper By the Dozen (1950), which proved so successful that it spawned a sequel, Belles on Their Toes (1952). Also in the '50s she played comedy in The Ambassador's Daughter (1956) and drama in Lonelyhearts (1958). Taking up the stage late in life, Loy continued working in the theater, television and movies through the 1970s. Her final film was Just Tell Me What You Want (1980). Married four times, she published her autobiography, Being and Becoming, in 1987.

by Roger Fristoe

* Movies in bold type will air on TCM

Enjoy!


6:15 AM -- THE CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG (1934)
Perry Mason gets caught between feuding neighbors who claim to be married to the same woman.
Dir: Alan Crosland
Cast: Warren William, Mary Astor, Allen Jenkins
BW-74 mins, CC,

First time the character Perry Mason ever appeared on film.


7:36 AM -- HOLLAND IN TULIP TIME (1934)
This short film focuses on Holland's culture, customs, and those famous tulips.
Dir: Ruth Fitzpatrick
C-8 mins,


7:45 AM -- MASSACRE (1934)
A college-educated Sioux goes to Washington to fight for his people's rights.
Dir: Alan Crosland
Cast: Richard Barthelmess, Ann Dvorak, Dudley Digges
BW-70 mins,

Based on a story by Robert Gessner and Ralph Block.


9:04 AM -- GOOFY MOVIES NUMBER FOUR (1934)
In this short film, Pete Smith provides comedic narration over footage compiled from various silent films.
BW-9 mins,


9:15 AM -- MIDNIGHT ALIBI (1934)
An elderly recluse shelters a gambler on the run from bogus murder charges.
Dir: Alan Crosland
Cast: Richard Barthelmess, Ann Dvorak, Helen Chandler
BW-58 mins,

The production featured in a real-life murder case when shots fired during the making at the Warner Brothers studio were mistaken for the shots fired when Nellie Madison shot her husband across the street from the lot thus giving Mrs. Madison time to briefly escape.


10:15 AM -- THE PERSONALITY KID (1934)
Success corrupts a young prizefighter and leads him to neglect his wife.
Dir: Alan Crosland
Cast: Pat O'Brien, Glenda Farrell, Claire Dodd
BW-68 mins,

Based on a story by Gene Towne and C. Graham Baker.


11:30 AM -- WHEN A MAN LOVES (1927)
In this silent film, a French adventurer fights to save a young innocent forced into a life of prostitution.
Dir: Alan Crosland
Cast: John Barrymore, Dolores Costello, Warner Oland
BW-112 mins,

December's Star of the Month Myrna Loy (uncredited) can be recognized as the chained prisoner directly behind Manon in the prison, on the wagon, and on the deck of the ship.


1:30 PM -- THE GREAT DIVIDE (1929)
A businessman masquerades as a bandit to kidnap a flapper and end her reckless days.
Dir: Reginald Barker
Cast: Dorothy Mackaill, Ian Keith, Myrna Loy
BW-73 mins, CC,

Released in both a sound and a silent version, allowing it to be distributed to theaters not yet equipped with sound systems.


2:50 PM -- LAMBCHOPS (1929)
In this short film, George Burns and Gracie Allen perform a comic routine along with the musical number, "Do You Believe in Me? I Do." Vitaphone Release 891.
Cast: George Burns, Gracie Allen,
BW-8 mins,


3:00 PM -- NOAH'S ARK (1929)
An American playboy's discovery of honor and courage during World War I parallels the biblical story of the flood.
Dir: Michael Curtiz Cast: Dolores Costello, George O'Brien, Noah Beery
BW-100 mins,

When cameraman Hal Mohr was shown how the climactic flood scene was to be shot, he objected on the grounds that it would place many of the extras in jeopardy. Mohr told the executives that while the trained stuntmen knew what to expect and could prepare for it, the ordinary extras would have no idea what was coming, and many would be hurt. When his objections were overruled, he quit the picture, and was replaced by Barney McGill. During filming of the scene, the huge torrents of water overwhelmed the actors; three were drowned, one was so severely injured his leg had to be amputated and almost a dozen had broken limbs and other serious injuries. Among the extras who survived the flood scene were John Wayne and Andy Devine.


4:45 PM -- SHOW OF SHOWS (1929)
Warner Bros. stars perform a series of musical and dramatic sketches.
Dir: John G. Adolfi
Cast: Frank Fay, William Courtenay, H. B. Warner
C-124 mins,

The film contains John Barrymore's only screen appearance as Richard III, one of his greatest stage successes. However, the excerpt is not from the play "Richard III", but from William Shakespeare's "Henry VI: Part III", a "prequel" to "Richard III" in which he also appears.


7:00 PM -- MYRNA LOY: SO NICE TO COME HOME TO (1991)
Kathleen Turner hosts this retrospective look at Loy's career.
Dir: Richard Schickel
Cast: Kathleen Turner,
C-46 mins, CC,

In 1960 Loy campaigned for John F. Kennedy. Later she did battle with Californian Governor Ronald Reagan over open-housing legislation and for years afterward was a vigorous member of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing.


7:50 PM -- FINE FEATHERS (1933)
This short film takes a look at various types of birds, from hummingbirds to cranes.
Dir: Jules White
C-9 mins,



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: STAR OF THE MONTH: MYRNA LOY



8:00 PM -- THE DEVIL TO PAY (1930)
A spendthrift's return shakes up his family.
Dir: George Fitzmaurice
Cast: Ronald Colman, Frederic Kerr, Loretta Young
BW-72 mins,

The film's original director was Irving Cummings with Dorothy being played by Constance Cummings. After some scenes were shot, George Fitzmaurice replaced Cummings as director, and Loretta Young took over the role of Dorothy, with all previous scenes re-shot.


9:30 PM -- ARROWSMITH (1931)
A crusading doctor fights his way through tragedy to find his true calling.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett
BW-99 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Adaptation -- Sidney Howard, Best Cinematography -- Ray June, Best Art Direction -- Richard Day, and Best Picture

The first American sound film to feature a black character ("Dr. Oliver Marchand" played by Clarence Brooks) with a university degree who speaks perfect English, does not shuffle, and does not act in the usual stereotypical manner in which blacks were depicted in Hollywood films at the time.


11:19 PM -- MOVIE ALBUM FEATURETTES (1931)
This short film showcases various clips of silent films accompanied by humorous narration. Vitaphone Release 1326.
BW-10 mins,


11:30 PM -- CONSOLATION MARRIAGE (1931)
A couple who married after each was jilted faces the return of their former loved ones.
Dir: Paul Sloane
Cast: Irene Dunne, Pat O'Brien, John Halliday
BW-81 mins, CC,

Carmel Myers was considered for the role of Elaine but, after a halt in production, Myrna Loy was cast in that role instead.


1:00 AM -- THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH (1930)
A gold digging cabaret singer is unaware that her latest love is penniless.
Dir: William Seiter
Cast: Loretta Young, David Manners, Conway Tearle
BW-67 mins,

Myrna Loy was actually a fully trained professional dancer, having studied with Ted Shawn (husband of modern dancer Ruth St. Denis and co-leader with her of the Denishawn company), but "The Truth About Youth" and Warners' all-star musical "The Show of Shows" were among the few movies in which she actually got to dance.


2:15 AM -- THE SQUALL (1929)
A gypsy beauty sets the men of a farming family to fighting over her favors.
Dir: Alexander Korda
Cast: Myrna Loy, Richard Tucker, Alice Joyce
BW-102 mins,

One of the earliest sound films to include an actor exclaiming a curse word. Fifty minutes into the film, the character Paul, played by Carroll Nye, says "Damnation".


4:15 AM -- TRADE WINDS (1938)
A private eye falls for the murderess he's pursuing.
Dir: Tay Garnett
Cast: Fredric March, Joan Bennett, Ralph Bellamy
BW-94 mins, CC,

Ann Sothern's character proved so popular in this movie, it was spun off to create series of "Maisie" films.

[TeamPooka]

1. I love Myrna Loy.