I have been remiss, and I’m sure you’re all devastated. I swore to keep reminding everyone about TCM’s continued programming for their “Summer Under the Stars” series, and I missed doing so this past week. I blame my trip to San Francisco, and therefore my family. They always get me all mixed up as to my true priorities. In fact, it’s not only TCM I’ve neglected to mention, but the Anthony Mann series at the Walter Reade, about which I previously wrote last month. It’s been going on for over a week, but there’s still a lot of great stuff left, so if you’ve never seen Mann’s films, head up to Lincoln Center to check them out.
But back to TCM: If you’ve been living and dying by my twice-weekly notices, than you’re screwed, because since Doris Day rang in Friday the 13th, TCM has had some of its best days of the month. Humphrey Bogart, Burt Lancaster, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, and Edward G. Robinson, all leading up to today’s star, Bette Davis. Yeah, you hate me now, right? Well … you can check-in at their website you know! Sometimes I get busy. Besides, you can still catch Davis in Jezebel and Now, Voyager in primetime tonight at 8 and 10 PM (Eastern), respectively.
Since I didn’t get a chance to repeat it then, I would encourage anyone who enjoys film noir to rent my big pick for what was the Bogart day: Nicolas Ray’s 1950 film In a Lonely Place. It’s a great Bogart performance and a really interesting film.
Anyway, on we go. TCM has a fantastic weekend ahead, starting with 24 hours of Peter Sellers tomorrow (including three Pink Panther movies and the James Bond spoof Casino Royale). Frankly, the weather in New York this weekend (at least through Saturday) is supposed to suck, so if you happen to stay in doors, you could do worse than hang out with Jimmy Stewart. Sunday will feature the fabulous Olivia de Havilland (and therefore, plenty of Errol Flynn as well). And Monday brings the remarkable of Ginger Rogers (and therefore, plenty of Fred Astaire.
My original capsules regarding each star are located after the jump. If you want to revist my entire original post, well … you’re nuts. But you can do it right here.
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Aug. 20 — Peter Sellers: Whether or not this day includes the best movies possible, it certainly is comprised of some of the most entertaining. While there is (sadly) no Lolita or Being There, primetime is a series of comic classics starting with mystery spoof Murder By Death at 8 PM, and then three of the classic “Inspector Clouseau” movies: The Pink Panther (10 PM), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (Midnight) and Revenge of the Pink Panther (2 AM). They’re also showing the if-you’ve-never-seen-it-you-better-watch Dr. Strangelove. And, if you want to see what all the Bond hubbub was about regarding Casino Royale, you can check it out at 11:30 AM.
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Aug. 21 — James Stewart: Here’s another day that you might as well watch from 6-6. Stewart was one of Hollywood’s all-time great actors, and I’m not even going to bother with omissions from the schedule because there would always be so many. His day is actually programmed in a wonderful manner to showcase the variety of films and roles, while also highlighting some of his most famous. You’ve got Rope (12:45 PM), Vertigo (2:15 PM) and Rear Window (8PM) to fulfill the Hitchcock fix. While I might have picked The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (especially since they didn’t use it on John Wayne day), The Naked Spur (4:30 PM) – one of his great collaborations with Anthony Mann – and others are fair representatives of his role as a Western hero. A wonderful Ernst Lubitsch romantic comedy The Shop Around the Corner — a film much better than the modern one it inspired — You’ve Got Mail). And for you Donnie Darko fanatics out there (kinda sorta, but not really), at 2:15 AM, tune in to see cinema’s original six-foot tall imaginary rabbit in Harvey.
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Aug. 22 — Olivia de Havilland: This day is almost also dedicated to Errol Flynn since the two starred opposite each other in so many films. The Adventures of Robin Hood(8 PM) is probably their most famous, and I actually just happened to catch the General Custer “biopic” (they had a different idea of such a film in the 40s) They Died With Their Boots On (1:30 PM) recently myself. But if you want a really fun Flynn-de Havilland paring (their first one, I believe, featuring an 18 year old de Havilland), check out the 1935 swashbuckler Captain Blood (7:30 AM). True story: I first saw this film in a cinema studies class at NYU when for some reason Richard Dreyfuss was brought in as a guest-lecturer. Captain Blood is apparently one of his favorite films, so he chose to show it to us. TCM will also show Gone With the Wind at 4 PM.
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Aug. 23 — Ginger Rogers: Obviously you’ve got plenty of Fred Astaire musicals included, and they’re all worth seeing. Top Hat (11 AM) has always been a particular favorite of mine. But Rogers was also quite a talented actress in her own right. At 8 PM, check-out her Oscar winning role as the title character in Kitty Foyle. And then at 10 PM, see her star in The Major and the Minor, a film in which the 30-year-old Rogers is funny if not entirely convincing to anyone but the characters in the film as a 13 year old. Most notably, The Major and the Minor was only the second film directed by the great Billy Wilder. It’s an interesting look at his directing style before it was perfected.
Out of Focus 