TCM Schedule for Saturday, March 31, 2018 -- What's On Tonight: Religious Epics

[Staph]

There's another daylight schedule looking like an old-time movie house's Saturday matinee -- cowboy movies, cartoons, and a short travelogue. Then in prime time and throughout tomorrow, take it away, Roger Fristoe!

In honor of Easter Sunday, TCM celebrates the season of Passover with a night of religious epics created during the 1950s and '60s, when such films were at a peak of popularity. These films feature an imposing list of directors and stars, and some of them have come to define their genre.

Quo Vadis (1951), based on the classic novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, is set in ancient Rome and concerns the persecution of Christians during the final years of Emperor Nero's reign. Mervyn LeRoy directs a cast headed by Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov (as Nero). The movie was nominated for eight Oscars®, including Best Picture, and was so successful that it was said to have saved MGM from the brink of bankruptcy. The Silver Chalice (1954), based on the novel by Thomas B. Costain, focuses on a Greek artisan (Paul Newman in his movie debut) who is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ. Victor Saville directed a cast that also includes Virginia Mayo, Jack Palance, Pier Angeli and Natalie Wood.

Ben-Hur (1959), a MGM blockbuster on an even greater scale than Quo Vadis, had the largest budget (more than $15 million) of any film at that time, and was the highest-grossing picture of its year. It won a record-breaking 11 Oscars® including Best Picture, Director (William Wyler) and Actor (Charlton Heston in the title role). The film was a remake of a 1925 silent; both were based on the 1880 Lew Wallace novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Solomon and Sheba (1959) takes some liberties with the Bible in spinning a tale of King Solomon of Israel (Yul Brynner) and the Queen of Sheba (Gina Lollobrigida). King Vidor directed, with George Sanders and David Farrar costarring.

King of Kings (1961), a remake of a 1927 Cecil B. DeMille silent, is directed by Nicholas Ray and casts Jeffrey Hunter as a blue-eyed Jesus. An imposing supporting cast includes Robert Ryan, Hurd Hatfield, Siobhán McKenna and Viveca Lindfors. Barabbas (1962) stars Anthony Quinn as the criminal freed by Pontius Pilate (Arthur Kennedy) so that Christ could be crucified. Richard Fleischer directed another impressive cast featuring such names as Jack Palance, Ernest Borgnine and Silvana Mangano.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), inspired by a 1949 novel by Fulton Oursler, tells the story of Christ from the Nativity through the Resurrection. Director George Stevens brought the film in at a running length of four hours and 20 minutes, with an all-star cast headed by Max von Sydow as Jesus. Other key roles are played by Charlton Heston, Dorothy McGuire, Claude Rains and José Ferrer, with sometimes-distracting cameos by John Wayne and many others.

The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966) is a five-part epic, directed by John Huston from a screenplay by Christopher Fry. The movie covers the first 22 chapters of Genesis, ranging from the story of Adam and Eve to that of Abraham. Again, in the grand tradition of these Biblical films, the cast is packed with famous names including George C. Scott, Ava Gardner, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, Michael Parks and Huston himself (as Noah and the voice of God).

by Roger Fristoe

Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- KID GALAHAD (1937)
A mob-connected trainer grooms a bellhop for the boxing ring.
Dir: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart
BW-102 mins, CC,

While Bette Davis praised Edward G. Robinson as a performer and as a person, she was repulsed by having to kiss him.


8:00 AM -- MGM CARTOONS: THE BEAR THAT COULDN'T SLEEP (1939)
Disturbances keep a bear from hibernating for the winter.
Dir: Rudolf Ising
Cast: Rudolf Ising
C-9 mins, CC,

First appearance of Barney Bear.


8:00 AM -- TELEGRAPH TRAIL (1933)
An Army scout volunteers to string telegraph wires through Indian territory.
Dir: Tenny Wright
Cast: John Wayne, Duke, Frank McHugh
BW-54 mins, CC,

Yakima Canutt appeared here in only his second outing with John Wayne. From this film on, the two were to research, choreograph and perfect the western genre fight scene by camera angle position and their throwing of punches technique. From here on, their technique would be employed by Hollywood and became one of the most widely used techniques in the film industry.


8:00 AM -- HOW TO SLEEP (1935)
In this comedy short, Robert Benchley tries to teach the audience how to sleep and how to fall asleep.
Dir: Nick Grinde
Cast: Robert Benchley,
BW-11 mins,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Comedy -- Jack Chertok

Featured as an extra on the DVD of the Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera (1935).


8:00 AM -- FORGOTTEN TREASURE (1943)
This short film highlights the film preservation efforts of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Dir: Sammy Lee
BW-10 mins,

Includes footage of Presidents McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Taft, King George V and King George VI of Great Britain, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.


9:30 AM -- RED BARRY: HIGH STAKES (1938)
The fourth chapter in the Red Barry serial. An undercover detective must uncover the truth and figure out who stole two million dollars in bonds.
BW-21 mins,


10:00 AM -- TARZAN FINDS A SON! (1939)
The jungle king adopts the infant survivor of a plane crash.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, John[ny] Sheffield
BW-82 mins, CC,

Tarzan had to "find" a son, because censors would not allow Jane to become pregnant because she and Tarzan were not legally married.


10:00 AM -- POPEYE: I EATS MY SPINACH (1933)
Popeye must outdo Bluto at the rodeo to win back and save Olive Oyl from him.
Dir: Dave Fleischer, Seymour Kneitel
Cast: William Costello, William Pennell, Mae Questel
BW-7 mins, CC,

Mickey Mouse can be seen sitting on the bench behind Olive Oil just after Bluto shows up in the ring.


12:00 PM -- CALAMITY JANE (1953)
The Wild West heroine helps bring a star attraction to Deadwood and finds love.
Dir: David Butler
Cast: Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn McLerie
C-101 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for the song "Secret Love"

Nominee for Oscars for Best Sound, Recording -- William A. Mueller (Warner Bros. Sound Department), and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Ray Heindorf

Warner Bros. studio head Jack Warner decided to make "Calamity Jane" after he tried - and failed - to buy the movie rights to "Annie Get Your Gun" as a vehicle for Doris Day. He not only drew on another legendary "wild woman" of the Old West for his heroine, he hired the same male star, Howard Keel, who'd appeared in the film of Annie Get Your Gun (1950).


2:00 PM -- QUENTIN DURWARD (1955)
A gallant Scots knight falls in love with his uncle's future wife.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Robert Taylor, Kay Kendall, Robert Morley
C-101 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The lead was first offered to Grace Kelly, who declined. (Obviously, she was offered the role of Isabelle, Countess of Macroy (played by Kay Kendall), rather than the title role of Quentin Durward, played by Robert Taylor!)


4:00 PM -- BACK FROM ETERNITY (1956)
When an airliner crashes in the jungle, the repaired plane can only hold five of the survivors.
Dir: John Farrow
Cast: Robert Ryan, Anita Ekberg, Rod Steiger
BW-97 mins, CC,

Barbara Eden's movie debut.


6:00 PM -- SOYLENT GREEN (1973)
A future cop uncovers the deadly secret behind a mysterious synthetic food.
Dir: Richard O. Fleischer
Cast: Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Edward G. Robinson
C-97 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

During shooting, Edward G. Robinson was almost totally deaf. He could only hear people if they spoke directly into his ear. His dialogue scenes with other people had to be shot several times before he got the rhythm of the dialogue and was able to respond to people as if he could hear them. He could not hear director Richard Fleischer yell "cut" when a scene went wrong, so Robinson would often continue acting out the scene, unaware that shooting had stopped.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: RELIGIOUS EPICS



8:00 PM -- THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965)
All-star epic retelling of Christ's life.
Dir: George Stevens
Cast: Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Robert Loggia
C-199 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- William C. Mellor and Loyal Griggs (William C. Mellor's nomination is posthumous, as he died from a heart attack during the film's production. Loyal Griggs was brought in finish the movie.), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Richard Day, William J. Creber, David S. Hall, Ray Moyer, Fred M. MacLean and Norman Rockett, Best Costume Design, Color -- Vittorio Nino Novarese and Marjorie Best, Best Effects, Special Visual Effects -- J. McMillan Johnson, and Best Music, Score - Substantially Original -- Alfred Newman

Telly Savalas shaved his head bald for his role as Pontius Pilate. He kept his head shaved for the rest of his life.


11:30 PM -- BARABBAS (1962)
A thief is pardoned so Jesus can be crucified in his place.
Dir: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Anthony Quinn, Silvana Mangano, Arthur Kennedy
C-138 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The solar eclipse that takes place during the crucifixion scene was the real thing, an event for which director Richard Fleischer delayed shooting in order to capture the ethereal nature of the phenomenon on 15 February 1961.


2:00 AM -- QUO VADIS (1951)
A Roman commander falls for a Christian slave girl as Nero intensifies persecution of the new religion.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn
C-174 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Leo Genn, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Peter Ustinov, Best Cinematography, Color -- Robert Surtees and William V. Skall, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- William A. Horning, Cedric Gibbons, Edward C. Carfagno and Hugh Hunt, Best Costume Design, Color -- Herschel McCoy, Best Film Editing -- Ralph E. Winters, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Miklós Rózsa, and Best Picture

In his memoirs, "Dear Me" (1981), Ustinov recalled that MGM had sought him for the role of Nero, but dithered for months, refusing to commit. During this time he received numerous telegrams from the studio, one of which stated that they were concerned that he might be too young to play the notorious Roman emperor. Ustinov replied that Nero died when he was 30 and that, if they waited much longer, he'd be too old. The studio cabled back: "Historical research has proved you correct. You have the part."


5:00 AM -- THE SILVER CHALICE (1954)
A silversmith is charged with engraving the Holy Grail.
Dir: Victor Saville
Cast: Virginia Mayo, Pier Angeli, Jack Palance
C-135 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- William V. Skall, and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Franz Waxman

When the film ran on television in 1966, Paul Newman took out ads in the Hollywood trade papers, calling it "the worst motion picture produced during the 1950s", apologizing for his performance, and asking people not to watch the film. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect, and many people tuned in to watch it on television. Newman once screened the movie for friends at his house, giving them whistles, pots, and wooden spoons, and encouraging them to make noisy critiques of the film.