TCM Schedule for Friday, December 16, 2016 -- What's On Tonight - Star of the Month - Myrna Loy

[Staph]

Today, it's more of all Myrna Loy, all the time --- when an actress makes 139 film and television appearances, you can fill a lot of time during her turn as Star of the Month on TCM. Enjoy!


6:45 AM -- TEST PILOT (1938)
An irresponsible test pilot's wife and best friend try to get him to grow up.
Dir: Victor Fleming
Cast: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy
BW-119 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Original Story -- Frank Wead, Best Film Editing -- Tom Held, and Best Picture

After Jim flies away from Ann, he passes over the ballpark where they recently attended a baseball game. Although the movie takes place in Kansas, the ballpark shown in the fly over is Wrigley Field, south of downtown Los Angeles.


9:00 AM -- MAN-PROOF (1938)
A woman refuses to give up on the man she loves, even after he marries someone else.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Myrna Loy, Franchot Tone, Rosalind Russell
BW-75 mins, CC,

From a book by Fanny Heaslip Lea.


10:30 AM -- PARNELL (1937)
True story of the Irish politician whose fight for freedom was compromised by his affair with a married woman.
Dir: John M. Stahl
Cast: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Edna May Oliver
BW-118 mins, CC,

The film lost $637,000 at the box office and is considered by many to be the worst flop in Clark Gable's and Myrna Loy's distinguished careers.


12:30 PM -- WIFE VS. SECRETARY (1936)
A secretary becomes so valuable to her boss that it jeopardizes his marriage.
Dir: Clarence Brown
Cast: Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy
BW-88 mins, CC,

The name of one of the screenwriters, Alice Duer Miller, is seen as the author of an article in a magazine, and Clark Gable remarks, "Hey, Alice has written a very nice article here."


2:00 PM -- PETTICOAT FEVER (1936)
A lonely radio operator in Alaska falls for an engaged woman.
Dir: Geo. Fitzmaurice
Cast: Robert Montgomery, Myrna Loy, Reginald Owen
BW-80 mins,

Starring the patron saint of the Classic Films Group of Democratic Underground, Robert Montgomery!




3:30 PM -- WHIPSAW (1935)
A G-man woos the sole female member of a criminal gang.
Dir: Sam Wood
Cast: Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy, Harvey Stephens
BW-82 mins, CC,

MGM executive E.J. Mannix chastised cinematographer James Wong Howe for filming Myrna Loy with mussy hair when she awakens at John Qualen's house, since MGM spent millions glamorizing their star.


5:00 PM -- STAMBOUL QUEST (1934)
A notorious enemy spy falls for an American medical student during World War I.
Dir: Sam Wood
Cast: Myrna Loy, George Brent, Lionel Atwill
BW-86 mins, CC,

The soundtrack and scenery was all wrong for Istanbul, shockingly wrong, as if Istanbul was medieval Baghdad as opposed to 20th century Anatolia. More importantly, and similarly, the two times that they showed messages (1 theatrical announcement, and 1 message to Ali Bey) in Ottoman Turkish, the messages were actually written in Arabic, not Turkish.


6:30 PM -- MEN IN WHITE (1934)
A young doctor has to choose between his studies and his marriage to a society girl.
Dir: Richard Boleslavsky
Cast: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Jean Hersholt
BW-74 mins, CC,

Because of the suggested illicit romance and the suggested abortion in the movie, it was frequently cut. The Legion of Decency cited the movie as unfit for public exhibition.


7:47 PM -- HOLLAND IN TULIP TIME (1934)
This short film focuses on Holland's culture, customs, and those famous tulips.
Dir: Ruth Fitzpatrick
C-8 mins,



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



8:00 PM -- BROADWAY BILL (1934)
An heiress and her brother-in-law defy her father by going into horse racing.
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly
BW-102 mins, CC,

In his autobiography, Frank Capra says he was disappointed in the film, mostly because Warner Baxter was deathly afraid of horses, so that he could not film many warm scenes between them. Baxter was "terrified of being bitten or kicked." It was the primary reason he remade the film (Riding High (1950)) with Bing Crosby, who loved horses.


10:00 PM -- THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
Three returning servicemen fight to adjust to life after World War II.
Dir: William Wyler
Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews
BW-170 mins, CC,

Won an Honorary Award for Harold Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives.

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Fredric March (Fredric March was not present at the awards ceremony. Cathy O'Donnell accepted the award on his behalf.), Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Harold Russell, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Robert E. Sherwood, Best Film Editing -- Daniel Mandell, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Hugo Friedhofer, and Best Picture

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)

For his performance as Homer Parrish, Harold Russell became the only actor to win two Academy Awards for the same role. The Academy Board of Governors thought he was a long shot to win, so they gave him an honorary award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance." Later that ceremony he won for Best Supporting Actor.


1:00 AM -- THIRD FINGER, LEFT HAND (1940)
A man-shy fashion editor pretends to be married until a suitor claims to be her husband.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard
Cast: Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Walburn
BW-97 mins, CC,

The director of the Production Code Administation (PCA) had MGM delete several gags that suggested Margot was pregnant, since, he said, illegitimacy could not be the basis for a comedy.


2:45 AM -- LUCKY NIGHT (1939)
During a drunken night out, an heiress marries a broken-down gambler.
Dir: Norman Taurog
Cast: Myrna Loy, Robert Taylor, Joseph Allen
BW-82 mins,

Robert Taylor and Myrna Loy reprised their roles from the film on the May 11, 1939 episode of the radio show "Good News of 1939."


4:15 AM -- TOO HOT TO HANDLE (1938)
Rival newsreel photographers vie for scoops and a beautiful lady flyer.
Dir: Jack Conway
Cast: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Walter Pidgeon
BW-107 mins, CC,

The opening sequence of a fake bombing raid was allegedly conceived by Buster Keaton, then a freelance MGM gagman.