TCM Schedule for Thursday, December 1, 2016 -- What's On Tonight - Christmas Classics

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM is taking us to the ancient world, for an interesting collection of sword-and-sandal films of the 1960s. And in prime time, TCM is celebrating the season with Christmas classic films. If you have not seen any of these, watch or record. They're wonderful! I'm particulary fond of The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942) and It Happened On Fifth Avenue (1947). Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- Damon And Pythias (1962)
Two men from different cultures forge a strong friendship.
Dir: Curtis Bernhardt
Cast: Guy Williams, Don Burnett, Ilaria Occhini
C-99 mins,

The legend of Damon and Pythias can be sourced to the writings of philosopher Aristoxenus (4th century BC) who wrote extensively about the Pythagoreans, followers of Pythagoras' philosophy. The legend has the two as two Pythagoreans in Sicily. When Pythias was accused of plotting against Dionysius I, he was sentenced to death. Accepting his sentence, Pythias asked to be allowed to return home one last time, to settle his affairs and bid his family farewell. Dionysius believed this was simply an excuse and that the man wanted to escape. But when Damon offered to take Pythias' place in captivity, Dionysius agreed to set the prisoner free. When Pythias failed to return, Dionysius prepared to execute Damon. But then Pythias returned and offered his life instead. Dionysius was so pleased and astonished with their friendship that he pardoned them both. The tale attested to the supposed loyalty of Pythagoreans to each other and their moral strength in a time of crisis.


7:45 AM -- Hercules, Samson & Ulysses (1963)
When two legendary Greek heroes are marooned, they're pushed into conflict with the famed Biblical strongman.
Dir: Pietro Francisci
Cast: Kirk Morris, Richard Lloyd, Liana Orfei
C-86 mins,

U.S. fans regard this as the last of the big Italian sword and sandal/muscle-man epics. It was directed by Pietro Francisci, who had started the craze with his Hercules (1958).


9:15 AM -- The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)
The Greek Army sets out to destroy the Colossus of Rhodes.
Dir: Sergio Leone
Cast: Rory Calhoun, Lea Massari, Georges Marchal
C-129 mins, CC, Letterbox

Although he had experience directing other films, this was the first to give full on-screen credit to Sergio Leone.


11:30 AM -- Captain Sindbad (1963)
Sinbad takes on an evil wizard to save the princess he loves.
Dir: Byron Haskin
Cast: Guy Williams, Heidi Brühl, Pedro Armendariz
C-85 mins, CC, Letterbox

Guy Williams playing Sinbad was no stranger to swashbuckling as he also played Zorro on the TV series.


1:00 PM -- Atlas (1961)
An evil king convinces superhero Atlas to fight for him.
Dir: Roger Corman
Cast: Michael Forest, Frank Wolff, Barboura Morris
C-79 mins, CC

Although it is usually assumed that the somewhat skimpy battle scenes were due to director Roger Corman's legendary cheapness, Corman had actually arranged for the services of 500 soldiers from the local Greek army garrison. On the morning of filming, however, only about 50 showed up, and as the day wore on (and the heat intensified), some of them drifted away. In order to make it look like there were more "soldiers" than there actually were, Corman had them march in formation past the camera, then when out of camera range run around behind the crew and equipment, and march past the camera again. That is also why the battle scenes are filmed in close-up combat between individual soldiers or small groups of soldiers rather than in long shots of masses of battling infantry, as Corman had originally planned.


2:30 PM -- Atlantis, The Lost Continent (1960)
A Greek fisherman gets caught up in court intrigue in a land of scientific wonders.
Dir: George Pal
Cast: Anthony Hall, Joyce Taylor, John Dall
C-90 mins,

When a preview of this film was shown, a questionnaire was distributed among the viewers asking what scene they liked. One person answered, "The scene where Robert Taylor saved Deborah Kerr from the fire." This was in reference to the fact that much of the stock footage used in the film came from Quo Vadis (1951).


4:15 PM -- She (1965)
Explorers uncover a lost kingdom ruled by an immortal queen.
Dir: Robert Day
Cast: Ursula Andress, John Richardson, Peter Cushing
C-106 mins, CC, Letterbox

Peter Cushing and Bernard Cribbins spent a day at Chessington Zoo learning to ride camels. They bonded over this and a mutual love of birdwatching.


6:15 PM -- The Vengeance of She (1968)
The queen of a lost city possesses the body of a young innocent destined to take her place.
Dir: Cliff Owen
Cast: John Richardson, Olinka Berova, Edward Judd
C-101 mins, CC

Although planned as a sequel to Hammer's She (1965), a last-minute rewrite of the script removed all connections to the earlier movie. This now plays more as a remake of "She" with an immortal man in place of an immortal woman.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: CHRISTMAS CLASSICS



8:00 PM -- The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)
An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family.
Dir: William Keighley
Cast: Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley
BW-113 mins,

The authors asked Alexander Woollcott if he would like to play the part of Whiteside when the play opened on Broadway. He declined. The authors then approached Monty Woolley, who at that time was a professor at Yale. They wrote him "would it amuse you to play the part of Whiteside?" to which Woolley replied "it would amuse everyone."


10:00 PM -- It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)
Two homeless men move into a mansion while its owners are wintering in the South.
Dir: Roy Del Ruth
Cast: Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charlie Ruggles
BW-115 mins, CC

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani

The men are getting paid $1.00 an hour for shoveling snow. One dollar in 1947 is worth $10.46 in 2013. They are getting better than present minimum wage. Thanks, Trump!


12:00 AM -- O. Henry's Full House (1952)
Five stories reveal O. Henry's gift for the surprise ending.
Dir: Henry Koster
Cast: John Steinbeck, Charles Laughton, Marilyn Monroe
BW-118 mins, CC

When preview critics felt that "The Ransom of Red Chief" episode was weak, it was cut from the official premiere prints. When the film was released to television in the early 60's, the sequence was restored.


2:15 AM -- Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business.
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold
BW-123 mins, CC

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Richard Connell and Robert Presnell Sr.

Four different endings were filmed, but all were ultimately deemed unsatisfactory during previews. A letter from an audience member suggested a fifth ending, which Frank Capra liked and used in the finished film.


4:30 AM -- Fitzwilly (1967)
When an aging philanthropist goes broke, her butler robs from the rich so she can give to the poor.
Dir: Delbert Mann
Cast: Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon, Edith Evans
C-103 mins, CC, Letterbox

Fitzwilly's thrift store is named for St. Dismas, the "good thief," in Christian tradition.