TCM Schedule for Friday, December 7, 2018 -- What's On Tonight: TCM Spotlight: Songs on Screen

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM has a couple of Carroll Baker films, followed by films that tell the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific. Then in prime time, TCM begins a month-long celebration of songs that began in films and became a part of American pop musical culture. Take it away, Roger!

From the time the movies learned to talk--and to sing--they have provided us with a treasure trove of great songs that have become inseparably linked with the films in which they were heard. This month, TCM spotlights some of the great songs that became a part of pop culture after being featured in movie soundtracks.

Join TCM host Dave Karger as he sits with singer/songwriter Chris Isaak to discuss the tunes chosen by Isaak for our tribute to Songs on Screen. Their conversation will cover the songwriters, the performers and the films themselves.

Isaak, celebrated for his 1950s rock'n'roll style and songs about lost love, is known for such hits as "Wicked Game," "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" and "Somebody's Crying." He has enjoyed a close association with director David Lynch, who has used Isaak's music in several films, as well as casting him in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992).

While some of Isaak's song choices are the obvious ones, others are not. For instance, from the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night (1964) his selection is the Lennon/McCartney "She Loves You," which would become the group's best-selling single. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) has only one song--the Johnny Mercer/Henry Mancini ballad "Moon River," sung so hauntingly by Audrey Hepburn--so that choice is preordained. So is the title tune from the Barbra Streisand/Robert Redford romance The Way We Were (1973); it was the only original song in that film and was composed by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Marilyn and Alan Bergman.

However, from the Elvis Presley vehicle Jailhouse Rock (1957), Isaak chooses &quot You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care," a Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoll song that's less well-known than their title song for the film. Tune in to our Spotlight to catch the full listing of these choices along with Isaak's picks from the following films:

The Blackboard Jungle (1955), the story of beleaguered teachers in an inner-city school, starring Glenn Ford and featuring a breakout role for a young Sidney Poitier, was noted at the time for its groundbreaking use of rock'n'roll songs on the soundtrack.

High Society (1956), a musicalized version of The Philadelphia Story (1940) starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, has the distinction of containing one of the last scores by the great Cole Porter before his retirement in 1958. Thunder Road (1958), a cult crime film with Robert Mitchum as a daring moonshiner, has songs composed or co-composed by the star (one of which is also performed by him).

The Graduate (1967), director Mike Nichols' definitive coming-of-age social comedy, is almost as famous for its Simon & Garfunkel score as for its storyline about a college graduate (Dustin Hoffman) involved with an older woman (Anne Bancroft). To Sir, with Love (1967), starring Sidney Poitier as an inspiring teacher in London's tough East End, had a Don Black/Mark London title tune performed by Lulu that became a No. 1 single, plus songs by other composers and lyricists.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), a heist movie starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, has music by Michel Legrand--including the famous "The Windmills of Your Mind," with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman--that became director Norman Jewison's favorite score from any of his films. Shaft (1971), the cool private-eye adventure starring Richard Roundtree, boasts a score written and performed by Isaac Hayes that includes the riveting theme song.

Tommy (1975), a film version of the rock opera album by The Who, stars Roger Daltrey and Ann-Margret and has a score by Pete Townshend with contributions by John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Thank God It's Friday (1978), a disco musical starring Jeff Goldblum and Debra Winger, features performances by The Commodores, Donna Summer and many other musical stars of the era.

by Roger Fristoe

Enjoy!



6:45 AM -- BABY DOLL (1956)
A child bride holds her husband at bay while flirting with a sexy Italian farmer.
Dir: Elia Kazan
Cast: Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach
BW-115 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Carroll Baker, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Mildred Dunnock, Best Writing, Best Screenplay - Adapted -- Tennessee Williams, and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Boris Kaufman

Tennessee Williams' first choice for the title role was Marilyn Monroe (who was straining to improve herself as an actress at the time and wanted the role badly), but Elia Kazan preferred newcomer Carroll Baker, whose work he was familiar with from the Actors Studio in New York. According to Baker's autobiography, Monroe acted as an usherette at the premiere, which was a benefit for The Actors Studio.


8:45 AM -- HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962)
Three generations of pioneers take part in the forging of the American West.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb
C-165 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of Oscars for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen -- James R. Webb, Best Sound -- Franklin Milton (M-G-M SSD), and Best Film Editing -- Harold F. Kress

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- William H. Daniels, Milton R. Krasner, Charles Lang and Joseph LaShelle, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- George W. Davis, William Ferrari, Addison Hehr, Henry Grace, Don Greenwood Jr. and Jack Mills, Best Costume Design, Color -- Walter Plunkett, Best Music, Score - Substantially Original -- Alfred Newman and Ken Darby, and Best Picture

Carroll Baker plays George Peppard's mother in the film, but the actor was three years older than Baker in real life.


11:30 AM -- HELL TO ETERNITY (1960)
A young man adopted by Japanese-Americans becomes a hero in World War II.
Dir: Phil Karlson
Cast: Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone
BW-132 mins, CC,

In the film, Guy Gabaldon's adoptive Japanese-American family the Unes is taken from their home in Los Angeles and sent to an internment camp farther inland for the duration of the war. In reality, actor George Takei--who played George Une--was five years old at the beginning of World War II and he and his family were taken out of their home and sent to an internment camp in Arkansas for the duration of the war.


1:45 PM -- DECEMBER 7TH: THE MOVIE (1943)
After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. fights to survive the early days of World War II.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Walter Huston, Harry Davenport, Paul Hurst
BW-84 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Documentary, Short Subjects

Walter Huston, who plays Uncle Sam, the personification of the United States, was born in Canada.


3:15 PM -- AIR FORCE (1943)
A bomber crew sees World War II action over the Pacific.
Dir: Howard Hawks
Cast: John Ridgely, Gig Young, Arthur Kennedy
BW-124 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Film Editing -- George Amy

Nominee for Oscars for Best Writing, Original Screenplay -- Dudley Nichols, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- James Wong Howe, Elmer Dyer and Charles A. Marshall, and Best Effects, Special Effects -- Hans F. Koenekamp (photographic), Rex Wimpy (photographic) and Nathan Levinson (sound)

Aerial scenes were filmed in Texas and Florida because airplanes appearing to be Japanese were not allowed on the west coast due to a fear of Japanese invasion.


5:30 PM -- THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO (1944)
General Jimmy Doolittle trains American troops for the first airborne attacks on Japan.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Van Johnson, Robert Walker, Tim Murdock
BW-138 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects -- A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic), Donald Jahraus (photographic), Warren Newcombe (photographic) and Douglas Shearer (sound)

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Robert Surtees and Harold Rosson

When Lawson's plane arrives in "Tokyo" and sees the fire and smoke from the previous bomber, Davy Jones, we are not looking at a special effect. During the making of the film, there was a fuel-oil fire in Oakland, near the filming location. The quick-thinking filmmakers scrambled to fly their camera plane and B-25 through the area, capturing some very real footage for the movie.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: SONGS ON SCREEN



8:00 PM -- THE GRADUATE (1967)
A recent college graduate has an affair with his neighbor's wife, then falls for their daughter.
Dir: Mike Nichols
Cast: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross
C-106 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of an Oscar for Best Director -- Mike Nichols

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Dustin Hoffman, Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Anne Bancroft, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Katharine Ross, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, Best Cinematography -- Robert Surtees, and Best Picture

Robert Redford screentested with Candice Bergen for the part of Benjamin Braddock, but was finally rejected by Director Mike Nichols. Nichols did not believe Redford could persuasively project the underdog qualities necessary to the role. When he told this to Redford, Redford asked Nichols what he meant. "Well, let's put it this way", said Nichols, "Have you ever struck out with a girl?" "What do you mean?" asked Redford. "That's precisely my point", said Nichols. Redford told Nichols that he perfectly understood the character of Benjamin, who was a social misfit. He went on and on about his ability to play the part. Nichols finally said to him, "Bob, look in the mirror. Can you honestly imagine a guy like you having difficulty seducing a woman?"


10:00 PM -- THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968)
A bored tycoon turns to bank robbery and courts the insurance investigator assigned to bring him in.
Dir: Norman Jewison
Cast: Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke
C-102 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Michel Legrand (music), Alan Bergman (lyrics) and Marilyn Bergman (lyrics) for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind"

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Score for a Motion Picture (not a Musical) -- Michel Legrand

After watching a five hour rough cut of the film, composer Michel Legrand took a six week vacation during which he wrote 90 minutes of music. The film was then reedited to the music, instead of the other way around. If this experiment had failed, Legrand would have written a second score in the traditional way free of charge.


12:00 AM -- THUNDER ROAD (1958)
A fast-driving moonshiner locks horns with a Chicago gangster.
Dir: Arthur Ripley
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Gene Barry, Jacques Aubochon
BW-93 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The locations heard in the song "Thunder Road" (sung by Robert Mitchum) actually describe real places in east Tennessee and Kentucky. The "Thunder Road" route runs south from Harlan, KY, thru The Cumberland Gap to Maynardville, TN, just north of Knoxville. The moonshine runner then goes through downtown Knoxville and onto Kingston Pike where he crashes on Bearden Hill (Bearden is a Knoxville suburb). The route is easily followed on a map.


2:00 AM -- DEATH BY INVITATION (1971)
The reincarnation of a witch burned at the stake seeks vengeance on her tormentors' descendants.
Dir: Ken Friedman
Cast: Norman Paige, Aaron Phillips, Shelby Leverington
C-82 mins, Letterbox Format

Film debut of Shelby Leverington.


3:30 AM -- HORROR HOTEL (1960)
A young coed travels to a village to continue her research on witchcraft, and discovers some horrifying secrets.
Dir: John Moxey
Cast: Patricia Jessel, Betta St. John, Christopher Lee
BW-78 mins, CC,

Released in Britain as "The City Of The Dead" in September 1960, and not released in the U.S. until September 1962 when it opened in Los Angeles as "Horror Hotel".


5:00 AM -- THE RELAXED WIFE (1957)
A short industrial film that seeks to help working men and their wives deal with life's little problems.
C-13 mins,

At the beginning and end of the film, it is mentioned that it is "presented by" the Roerig division of Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company. Later in the film, the definition of the Greek work "ataraxia" is given. It is no coincidence that Pfizer sold a prescription drug with the brand name Atarax (hydroxyzine). So, this "public service" film is actually a long commercial for their sedative (amoung other uses) Atarax.


5:00 AM -- AGE 13 (1955)
In this short film, a troubled teen deals with the death of his mother and ill treatment by his stepfather.
Dir: Arthur Swerdloff
Cast: Michael Keslin,
C-27 mins,

Like many films produced and/or directed by Sid Davis, this one was recorded silently. The sound was recorded later and synched to fit the picture; in many cases, Arthur Swerdloff, the editor, cut to another shot to allow him to re-sync the audio and the video. See also, Gang Boy (1954).