TCM Schedule for Friday, December 28, 2012 -- What's On Tonight -- TCM Spotlight -- Ernst Lubitsch

[Staph]

We are celebrating the birth of Lew Ayres, born Lewis Frederick Ayre III on December 28, 1908 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To celebrate his birth, TCM is showing the first nine of his Dr. Kildare films. And in prime time, we have one last chance this month at the films of Ernst Lubitsch. If you have not seen it, don't miss Ninotchka at 8:00 EST. Enjoy!


6:15 AM -- Young Dr. Kildare (1938)
A medical school graduate must choose between a small-town practice and a big-city internship.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Lew Ayres, Lynne Carver
BW-82 mins, TV-G, CC,

The first of the Lew Ayres' Dr. Kildare films.


7:45 AM -- Calling Dr. Kildare (1939)
A young doctor treats a gangster and falls for the man's kid sister.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
BW-87 mins, TV-G, CC,

The character of Dr. Kildare was created by western author Max Brand, who also created the character Destry, made famous in the Jimmy Stewart film Destry Rides Again (1939).


9:15 AM -- The Secret Of Dr. Kildare (1939)
A young doctor tries to help a woman suffering from psychosomatic blindness.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Lionel Atwill
BW-84 mins, TV-G, CC,

Ayres' second wife was Ginger Rogers. They were married in 1934 and divorced in 1940.


10:45 AM -- Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (1940)
A young doctor uses pioneering methods to treat a mental patient.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
BW-77 mins, TV-G, CC,

From the screenplay: "Nurses are just like husbands. You can abuse them, insult them, work 'em to death, jump all over 'em. They'll take it. But give 'em a bad cup of coffee and you got a revolution on your hands."


12:03 PM -- The Story Of Dr. Jenner (1939)
The story of the man who invented vaccination.
Dir: Henry K. Dunn
Narrator: John Nesbitt
BW-10 mins,

Also known as Passing Parade No. 4: The Story of Dr. Jenner


12:15 PM -- Dr. Kildare Goes Home (1940)
A young doctor gives up big-city success to help his father set up a small-town clinic.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
BW-79 mins, TV-G, CC,

Dr. Kildare has finally finished his internship!


1:45 PM -- Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940)
A young doctor's marriage could be called off when the bride's brother is diagnosed with epilepsy.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
BW-75 mins, TV-G, CC,

The Medical Society of New York wrote a letter to the PCA protesting the way epilepsy was presented in the movie. They objected to the claims that epilepsy is inherited, that it is curable and that it leads to insanity.


3:01 PM -- See Your Doctor (1939)
A lecturer tells the audience that it is National Take Care Week, and describes a man's problems treating a bee sting.
Dir: Basil Wrangell
Cast: Robert Benchley
BW-8 mins,

Another in the long-running Joe Doakes series of shorts.


3:15 PM -- The People Vs. Dr. Kildare (1941)
An ice skater sues a young doctor for malpractice.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
BW-78 mins, TV-G, CC,

Pat O'Malley is supposed to be in this film as "Onlooker", but he does not appear.


4:45 PM -- Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941)
A young doctor's wedding turns into a tragic event.
Dir: Harold S. Bucquet
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
BW-83 mins, TV-G, CC,

Although credited with music score, Bronislau Kaper did not contribute to the soundtrack.


6:15 PM -- Dr. Kildare's Victory (1942)
A young doctor with a broken heart succumbs to the lure of a socialite.
Dir: Major W. S. Van Dyke II
Cast: Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Ann Ayars
BW-93 mins, TV-G, CC,

When Lew Ayres announced he was a conscientious objector to the war shortly after the film was released, hundreds of bookings were canceled because of protests. Loew's ordered that all cancellation requests be granted. When Ayres changed his status (in April 1942) to "non-combatant", many in the film industry stated that a boycott of his films would be intolerant and inconsistent with "Americanism".


7:49 PM -- Emergency Doctor (1956)
A tribute to all the doctors who put their lives on hold to save the lives of others.
Dir: Harry W. Smith
Narrator: Peter Roberts
BW-8 mins,



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: ERNST LUBITSCH



8:00 PM -- Ninotchka (1939)
A coldhearted Soviet agent is warmed up by a trip to Paris and a night of love.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire
BW-110 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Greta Garbo, Best Writing, Original Story -- Melchior Lengyel, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch and Billy Wilder, and Best Picture

Ernst Lubitsch only signed on as director after George Cukor decamped for Gone with the Wind. As part of his deal for directing, MGM agreed to make The Shop Around the Corner for Lubitsch afterwards.


10:00 PM -- To Be or Not to Be (1942)
A troupe of squabbling actors joins the Polish underground to dupe the Nazis.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack
BW-99 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Werner R. Heymann

Released after the death of star Carole Lombard, killed in an airplane crash after returning from a tour selling war bonds.


11:45 PM -- That Lady in Ermine (1948)
A newlywed countess falls for a Hungarian invader.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Betty Grable, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Cesar Romero
C-90 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Friedrich Hollaender (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics) for the song "This Is the Moment"

Director Ernst Lubitsch died early in production; Otto Preminger completed the film.


1:18 AM -- Gettin' Glamour (1946)
Profiles the troubles of the average woman and her makeup.
Dir: Philip Anderson
Narrator: Pete Smith
BW-8 mins,


1:30 AM -- That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
A happily married woman sees a psychoanalyst and develops doubts about her husband.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Merle Oberon, Melvyn Douglas, Burgess Meredith
BW-83 mins, TV-G,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture -- Werner R. Heymann

Despite the indifferent reception That Uncertain Feeling received, the cast treasured its experience with the master director and the atmosphere he created on set. Meredith enjoyed working on the production and years later recalled, "I don't know when I had a better time in my whole career than during that period." Of Lubitsch, Meredith said, "He was very psychic. I'd fall down laughing because right away he'd improvise, in the middle of a scene he was doing for me, some very personal thing about my life, with his big cigar in his mouth, and he knew I'd come over and say, 'How did you know about that?' and he'd say, 'I have ways of knowing.' "


3:00 AM -- Night Of The Creeps (1986)
A student prank unleashes alien predators on a college campus.
Dir: Fred Dekker
Cast: Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow
C-88 mins, TV-MA, Letterbox Format

All the last names of the main characters are based on famous horror and sci-fi directors: George A. Romero (Chris Romero), John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper (James Carpenter Hooper), David Cronenberg (Cynthia Cronenberg), James Cameron (Det. Ray Cameron), John Landis (Det. Landis), Sam Raimi (Sgt. Raimi) and Steve Miner (Mr. Miner - The Janitor). "Corman University" is a reference to director/producer Roger Corman.


4:30 AM -- TerrorVision (1986)
A family's satellite television becomes a gateway to an alien invasion.
Dir: Ted Nicolaou
Cast: Diane Franklin, Gerritt Graham, Mary Woronov
BW-85 mins, TV-MA, Letterbox Format

When Suzy introduces the monster to music, her arm is resting on top of Sanyo's first CD player model, the DAD-8. It was made between 1983-84 and is sought out by collectors for its rarity and quality sound.