TCM Schedule for Friday, April 12, 2013 -- Friday Night Spotlight: A Woman's World

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM is featuring children's movies, most with some fantasy elements. And in prime time, we've got a continuation of the theme of A Woman's World, tonight featuring films about the role of women in World War II. This is an excellent bunch, including Claudette Colbert in So Proudly We Hail! (1943), Since You Went Away (1944) and Three Came Home (1950). Enjoy!


6:45 AM -- TCM Presents Elvis Mitchell Under the Influence: Bill Murray (2008)
Celebrities reveal the classic movies that influenced their lives in interviews with acclaimed film critic/interviewer Elvis Mitchell.
Dir: Robert Trachtenberg
C-29 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Murray was bitten by the groundhog twice on the Groundhog Day (1993) set in 1992.


7:15 AM -- Gulliver's Travels (1939)
A human doctor washes ashore on an island inhabited by little people locked in a foolish war.
Dir: Dave Fleischer
Cast: Jessica Dragonette, Lanny Ross,
C-76 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Music, Original Score -- Victor Young, and Best Music, Original Song -- Ralph Rainger (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics) for the song "Faithful Forever"

The first American animated feature from a studio other than Disney.


8:45 AM -- The Secret Garden (1949)
An orphaned girl changes the lives of those she encounters at a remote estate.
Dir: Fred M. Wilcox
Cast: Margaret O'Brien, Herbert Marshall, Dean Stockwell
C-92 mins, TV-G, CC,

There are several moments when Mary (Margaret O'Brien) refers to her servant in India. When watching the film, one hears the word "servant," but Mary's mouth is clearly forming the word "Aya" as in other versions of The Secret Garden.


10:30 AM -- Jack And The Beanstalk (1952)
A baby-sitter dreams himself and his best friend into the famous fairy tale.
Dir: Jean Yarbrough
Cast: (Bud) Abbott, (Lou) Costello, Buddy Baer
C-78 mins, TV-G, CC,

Early in the movie, when Jack (Lou Costello) first meets the employment agency's receptionist (Dorothy Ford), he tells her: "I like girls like you, eyes of blue and five feet two". This is a reference to the refrain of the 1920's popular song, "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" It's only after she rises from her chair that he realizes his misconception; he is dwarfed by Dorothy Ford's 6' 2'' (1.88 m) full height.


11:45 AM -- The 5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T. (1953)
A young boy dreams that his piano teacher is a super-villain out to rule the world.
Dir: Roy Rowland
Cast: Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried
C-89 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Friedrich Hollaender and Morris Stoloff

According to Dr. Seuss, the film's creator and co-writer, one of the 150 boys vomited on the piano while filming. This caused a chain reaction and they were left with 150 vomiting boys. Dr. Seuss said that the film's reviews were similar.


1:15 PM -- Tom Thumb (1958)
A six-inch-tall boy takes on a pair of comical crooks.
Dir: George Pal
Cast: Russ Tamblyn, Alan Young, June Thorburn
C-92 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

Won an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects -- Tom Howard

The head of MGM's British operations was so impressed that George Pal brought this film in under budget that he suggested that Pal submit a script for his favorite unproduced project. Pal chose The Time Machine.


3:00 PM -- Zotz! (1962)
A college professor finds a mystical coin that gives him super powers.
Dir: William Castle
Cast: Tom Poston, Julia Meade, Jim Backus
BW-86 mins, TV-PG,

Cameo - Louis Nye: as the death ray inventor. He and Tom Poston, along with Don Knotts, were regulars The New Steve Allen Show and were famous for the recurring "Man on the Street" skits.


4:30 PM -- The Phantom Tollbooth (1969)
A bored boy enters a fantasy world where letters and numbers are at war.
Dir: Chuck Jones
Cast: Mel Blanc, Daws Butler, Candy Candido
C-89 mins, TV-G, CC,

This film was actually made in 1968 but due to MGM's financial problems and frequently changing management, the film was not heavily promoted. When it was released in 1970, it was not a box office success.


6:15 PM -- The Land That Time Forgot (1975)
A World War I U-boat takes a wrong turn and discovers a lost world of dinosaurs and cavemen.
Dir: Kevin Connor
Cast: Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon
C-91 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Michael Moorcock has said his original script was faithful to the book. But the last 20 minutes were changed by the producers to include the volcano and caveman attacks on the Tyler's men and destruction of the submarine.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: A WOMAN'S WORLD



8:00 PM -- So Proudly We Hail (1943)
Nurses caught behind enemy lines during World War II fight to survive.
Dir: Mark Sandrich
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake
BW-126 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Paulette Goddard, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Charles Lang, Best Effects, Special Effects -- Farciot Edouart (photographic), Gordon Jennings (photographic) and George Dutton (sound), and Best Writing, Original Screenplay -- Allan Scott

In keeping with Army regulation, Veronica Lake (Lt. Olivia D'Arcy) changed her famous "peek-a-boo" hairstyle. She only let her hair down once, in her final scene. Later she cut it, with much publicity, because women who copied her and worked in factories kept getting their hair caught in the machinery.


10:15 PM -- Since You Went Away (1944)
A mother and wife struggle to cope while her husband is off serving in World War II.
Dir: John Cromwell
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten
BW-177 mins, TV-G, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Max Steiner

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Monty Woolley, Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Claudette Colbert, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Jennifer Jones, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Mark-Lee Kirk and Victor A. Gangelin, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Stanley Cortez and Lee Garmes, Best Effects, Special Effects -- Jack Cosgrove (photographic) and Arthur Johns (sound), Best Film Editing -- Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom, and Best Picture

The opening sequence was re-shot. Originally it featured a male dog (whose genitalia photographed far too prominently). The shot was redone using a female dog. David O. Selznick's personal print, however, contains the original "naughty" version.


1:15 AM -- The White Cliffs Of Dover (1944)
An American woman with a British husband fights to keep her family together through two world wars.
Dir: Clarence Brown
Cast: Irene Dunne, Alan Marshal, Roddy McDowall
BW-126 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- George J. Folsey

Ronald Colman owned the rights to Alice Duer Miller's poem, but sold them to Clarence Brown, who in turn sold them and his services as director to M-G-M.


3:30 AM -- Three Came Home (1950)
A woman fights to survive as a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II.
Dir: Jean Negulesco
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond
BW-105 mins, TV-14, CC,

Agnes Newton Keith, the writer of the book that this film was based, wrote a letter about the film and its critical response. The letter was published in 'The New York Times' on 26 March 1950. It reads: "...I find that one or two critics (not 'The New York Times') question why the story was written....I wrote 'Three Came Home' for three reasons: For horror of war. I want others to shudder with me at it. For affection of my husband. When war nearly killed me, knowledge of our love kept me alive. And for a reminder to my son. I fought one war for him in prison camp. He survives because of me....The Japanese in 'Three Came Home' are as war made them, not as God did, and the same is true of the rest of us."


5:30 AM -- The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
Three returning servicemen fight to adjust to life after World War II.
Dir: William Wyler
Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews
BW-170 mins, TV-PG, CC,

Won an Honorary Award for Harold Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives.

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Fredric March (Fredric March was not present at the awards ceremony. Cathy O'Donnell accepted the award on his behalf.), Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Harold Russell, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Film Editing -- Daniel Mandell, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Hugo Friedhofer, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Robert E. Sherwood, and Best Picture

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Gordon Sawyer

During the wedding scene at the end, Harold Russell fluffed his lines during his vows. Rather than calling cut and ordering a re-take, William Wyler liked how natural it sounded and this was the take used.