TCM Schedule for Thursday, April 18, 2013 -- What's On Tonight -- Welcome to the Pearly Gates

[Staph]

In the daylight hours today, TCM is featuring films starring Flora Robson, one of the screen's most memorable Queen Elizabeth I of England and a superb actress in other roles as well. And in prime time, we get a chance to see five variations of the afterlife. Enjoy!


7:30 AM -- Friends and Lovers (1931)
A society woman and her husband blackmail the men who flirt with her.
Dir: Victor Schertzinger
Cast: Adolphe Menjou, Lily Damita, Laurence Olivier
BW-68 mins, TV-G,

Sackville Street is part of the Savile Row tailoring area in Mayfair in London. Many people are familiar with the idea of the high quality tailoring in Savile Row. "Savile Row", in terms of tailors, is traditionally regarded as including Savile Row itself and a few of the adjoining streets, such as Sackville Street.


8:45 AM -- Westward Passage (1932)
An heiress gives up her fortune to wed a poor novelist, then dreams of giving their children the finer things.
Dir: Robert Milton
Cast: Ann Harding, Laurence Olivier, ZaSu Pitts
BW-73 mins, TV-PG,

Based on a story by Margaret Ayer Barnes.


10:00 AM -- 2,000 Women (1944)
The Nazis turn a posh hotel into a POW camp for Englishwomen stranded in France.
Dir: Frank Launder
Cast: Jean Kent, Renee Houston, John England
BW-97 mins, TV-G,

First film of Robert Arden.


11:45 AM -- Great Day (1945)
Small-town women face personal problems while preparing for a visit from Eleanor Roosevelt.
Dir: Lance Comfort
Cast: Eric Portman, Flora Robson, Sheila Sim
BW-80 mins, TV-G,

Based on a play by Leslie Storm. Her son, James Doran of "The Ipress Files" fame, also became a playwright and film writer.


1:15 PM -- Fire Over England (1937)
A British spy infiltrates the Spanish court to thwart their planned invasion of England.
Dir: William K. Howard
Cast: Flora Robson, Raymond Massey, Leslie Banks
BW-89 mins, TV-G,

It was while screening Fire Over England that agent Myron Selznick saw Vivien Leigh and decided that she was Scarlett O'Hara. Coincidently she was in Hollywood to accompany her lover and future husband, Laurence Olivier who was making Wuthering Heights and Myron brought her down to the Gone with the Wind set, the Burning of Atlanta and introduced her to his brother David as his new Scarlett O'Hara.


3:15 PM -- High Tide at Noon (1957)
A fisherman and his boss's daughter face marital problems because of class differences.
Dir: Philip Leacock
Cast: Betta St. John, William Sylvester, Paul Massie
BW-100 mins, TV-PG,

Dirk Bogarde was asked to play Nils, the role eventually played by Michael Craig.


5:00 PM -- Innocent Sinners (1957)
A young girl in a bombed out part of London decides to plant a garden in a ruined church.
Dir: Philip Leacock
Cast: June Archer, Christopher Hey, Marianne Stone
BW-96 mins, TV-G,

Based on the novel An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden. She's one of my favorite novelist (I love In This House of Brede), and apparently Bruce Willis and/or Demi Moore are fans as well. Their eldest daughter is named Rumer.


6:30 PM -- Murder At The Gallop (1963)
Elderly sleuth Miss Marple suspects foul play when an old friend is supposedly scared to death by a cat.
Dir: George Pollock
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Robert Morley, Flora Robson
BW-81 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

Stringer Davis, who plays Miss Marple's friend Mr. Stringer, was actually Margaret Rutherford's husband. The part of Mr. Stringer was created for him.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: WELCOME TO THE PEARLY GATES



8:00 PM -- Carousel (1956)
A dramatic love story unfolds between a rough-talking, macho carousel barker, and a young, innocent mill worker.
Dir: Henry King
Cast: Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell
C-129 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

In 1956, Twentieth Century-Fox had two Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II films in release - this film and The King and I, as well as the CinemaScope version of Oklahoma!. "Carousel", although a critical success, was a box-office failure (probably because of its very serious, downbeat plot), while "The King and I" was a smash hit both critically and financially. Because of this, Fox put all of its Oscar campaign clout behind "The King and I". The result was that "The King and I" was nominated for, and received, several Oscars, while "Carousel" became one of only two Rodgers and Hammerstein films to be completely shut out of the Academy Awards (the other being the critically savaged and unsuccessful 1962 remake of "State Fair&quot . Conductor and music supervisor Alfred Newman led the orchestra for both "Carousel" and "The King and I", and won for the latter film. One of "Carousel"'s art directors, Lyle R. Wheeler, and one of its set decorators, Walter M. Scott, also worked on "The King and I", and, like Newman, won Oscars for that film.


10:15 PM -- Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
A prizefighter who died before his time is reincarnated as a tycoon with a murderous wife.
Dir: Alexander Hall
Cast: Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes, Claude Rains
BW-94 mins, TV-G, CC,

Won Oscars for Best Writing, Original Story -- Harry Segall, and Best Writing, Screenplay -- Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Robert Montgomery, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- James Gleason, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Joseph Walker, Best Director -- Alexander Hall, and Best Picture

Columbia chief Harry Cohn had serious misgivings about this adaptation of Harry Segall's minor stage play. He preferred to reserve his more lavish budgets for surefire successes (i.e., anything featuring the studio's biggest star, Rita Hayworth). However, Sidney Buchman was eventually able to talk Cohn into forking out for costly celestial sets and Farnsworth's elaborate mansion and also into hiring Robert Montgomery on loan-out from MGM. Buchman was also able to convince Cohn that he had a better appreciation of what the public would pay to see than the Wall Street bankers who Cohn answered to.


12:00 AM -- A Matter of Life and Death (1947)
An injured aviator argues in celestial court for the chance to go on living.
Dir: Michael Powell
Cast: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote
C-104 mins, TV-PG, CC,

The first scene shot was David Niven washing up on the beach. Originally planned to fade in from black, Michael Powell decided on the spot that the effect would be too cheesy. When Jack Cardiff told him to look through the camera, Cardiff then deliberately breathed right onto the lens, which fogged the glass for a few seconds until it evaporated. Powell loved the idea and had him use it for the shot.


2:00 AM -- Cabin In The Sky (1943)
God and Satan battle for the soul of a wounded gambler.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne
BW-99 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Harold Arlen (music) and E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) for the song "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe"

This film is generally credited with the first appearance of the "moon walk" dance step. It is performed by Bill Bailey, brother of Pearl Bailey.


4:00 AM -- The Horn Blows At Midnight (1945)
An angel is sent to destroy the earth with a trumpet blast.
Dir: Raoul Walsh
Cast: Jack Benny, Alexis Smith, Dolores Moran
BW-78 mins, TV-G, CC,

For the rest of his career Jack Benny used the failure of this movie as one of his best jokes.


5:30 AM -- Now Playing May (2013)
BW-25 mins, TV-PG, CC,

[CBHagman]

1. Wow! What a great schedule.

I only recently saw A Matter of Life and Death, which I loved.



And Here Comes Mr. Jordan features many favorites (James Gleason, Claude Rains, Edward Everett Horton, anyone?), including our unofficial patron saint, Robert Montgomery.

[narnian60]

2. Margaret Rutherford in Murder at the Gallop.

Super delicious!

[Matilda]

3. I don't mind The Horn Blows at Midnight.

Silly plot, but Benny was very good. He really was a master of comic timing.