TCM Schedule for Saturday, February 13, 2016 -- What's On Tonight: 31 Days of Oscar: Day 13

[Staph]

It's day thirteen of 31 Days of Oscar. Enjoy!



The link to the next film -- Richard Gere


7:45 AM -- Days Of Heaven (1978)
Young lovers pose as brother and sister to survive on the American frontier during the early 20th century.
Dir: Terrence Malick
Cast: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard
C-94 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Cinematography -- Néstor Almendros

Nominated for Oscars for Best Costume Design -- Patricia Norris, Best Sound -- John Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass Jr., John T. Reitz and Barry Thomas, and Best Music, Original Score -- Ennio Morricone

The screenplay is loosely based on the Milady back story featured in "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas père. In the Dumas novel, Milady was originally born Anne de Bueil and became a thief with her lover, a priest who had renounced his orders. On the run, they pretend to be brother and sister and hide in a village. She ends up seducing and marrying for her own interests the local nobleman. In most of the adaptations of the novel, the back story is missing, but the Italian adaption Milady and the Musketeers (1952) focuses on the very same events depicted in 'Days of Heaven (1978)', naturally with very different character motivations.

The link to the next film -- Robert Wilke


9:30 AM -- The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Seven American gunmen hire themselves out to protect a Mexican village from bandits.
Dir: John Sturges
Cast: Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen
C-128 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Elmer Bernstein

Yul Brynner had a major say in casting decisions, including the decision to cast Steve McQueen. He specifically requested that McQueen be cast as Vin Tanner. Brynner later regretted the move since he and McQueen developed a disastrous relationship on set. In later years, Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen reconciled. McQueen, dying of cancer, called Brynner to thank him. "What for?" queried Brynner. "You coulda had me kicked off the movie when I rattled you," replied McQueen, "but you let me stay and that picture made me, so thanks". Brynner told him, "I am the king and you are the rebel prince: every bit as royal... and dangerous to cross."

The link to the next film -- James Coburn


11:39 AM -- A Boy And His Dog (1946)
A young boy fights to save a dog from his cruel owner in this Academy Award winning film for Best Live Action Short Subject. Vitaphone Release 1556A.
Dir: LeRoy Prinz
Cast: Harry Davenport, Dorothy Adams, Heinie Conklin
BW-21 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Two-reel -- Gordon Hollingshead

Both Technicolor and black & white "reissue" prints of this title were made. UCLA has a color copy in their vaults. For many years, the one frequently seen on Turner Classic Movies was the black & white version, but a mint-Technicolor print began airing in 2015.


12:00 PM -- The Americanization of Emily (1964)
A British war widow falls for an opportunistic American sailor during World War II.
Dir: Arthur Hiller
Cast: James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas
BW-115 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Philip H. Lathrop, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White -- George W. Davis, Hans Peters, Elliot Scott, Henry Grace and Robert R. Benton

According to screenwriter Joe Eszterhas's 2004 autobiography "American Animal", producer Martin Ransohoff removed director William Wyler from the picture as Wyler wanted to change Paddy Chayefsky's script. It was a rare instance in which a producer supported a screenwriter over a director, particularly one of Wyler's caliber. As Chayefsky was known to have guarantees written into his contracts protecting his scripts, Ransohoff may have had no choice but to replace Wyler with Arthur Hiller.

The link to the next film -- Keenan Wynn


2:00 PM -- And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)
A documentary tracing the history of the Academy Awards.
Dir: Robert Epstein
C-95 mins, CC,


4:00 PM -- Best Friends (1982)
Longtime roommates and professional partners find they aren't prepared to make it legal.
Dir: Norman Jewison
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Jessica Tandy
C-109 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Michel Legrand (music), Alan Bergman (lyrics) and Marilyn Bergman (lyrics) for the song "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"

Burt Reynolds once said of his co-star Goldie Hawn in this movie: "Goldie Hawn and I had been talking for five years about doing a movie together. She's someone who makes me laugh. Really laugh. I knew her when she was a dumb blonde and even then she was one of the smartest people I knew."

The link to the next film -- Burt Reynolds


6:00 PM -- Hooper (1978)
An aging stuntman teams up with a young hotshot.
Dir: Hal Needham
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jan-Michael Vincent
C-99 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound -- Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don MacDougall and Jack Solomon

This film was not a tribute to just stuntmen in general, but to perhaps the greatest stuntman of all, Jock Mahoney. Mahoney is the stepfather of co-star Sally Field.

The link to the next film -- Sally Field


7:43 PM -- Crashing The Water Barrier (1956)
This short documentary follows the exploits of Donald Campbell, who attempts to set a water speed record on Lake Mead. Vitaphone Release 2589A.
Dir: Konstantin Kalser
C-10 mins,

Won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Konstantin Kalser



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: 31 DAYS OF OSCAR: DAY 13



8:00 PM -- Steel Magnolias (1989)
Small-town Southern women help each other through the trials of life.
Dir: Herbert Ross
Cast: Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts
C-118 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Julia Roberts

When Bette Davis saw the off-Broadway play, she thought it would be a great film for her, envisioning herself as Ouiser, Katharine Hepburn as Clairee, and Elizabeth Taylor as Truvy. However, when she contacted the rights holders for the movie adaptation, she found out that they intended to cast much younger actresses.

The link to the next film -- Shirley MacLaine


10:15 PM -- Being There (1979)
Political pundits mistake an illiterate gardener for a media genius and turn him into a national hero.
Dir: Hal Ashby
Cast: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas
C-130 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Melvyn Douglas (Melvyn Douglas was not present at the awards ceremony. Co-presenter Liza Minnelli accepted the award on his behalf.)

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Peter Sellers

After the novel's release and the subsequent purchase of rights to the book, Peter Sellers successfully lobbied for the lead role by sending a telegram to author Jerzy Kosinski with the message, "Gardener available for work". It was during casting and after the success of the later Pink Panther movies that Sellers became the only choice for the lead role.

The link to the next film -- Peter Sellers


12:30 AM -- Lolita (1961)
Vladimir Nabokov's racy classic focuses on an aging intellectual in love with a teenager.
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: James Mason, Sue Lyon, Shelley Winters
BW-153 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Vladimir Nabokov

Sue Lyon was chosen for the title role partly due to the size of her breasts. Stanley Kubrick had been warned that the censors felt strongly about the use of a less developed actress to portray the sexually active 14-year-old.

The link to the next film -- James Mason


3:15 AM -- The Story Of Three Loves (1953)
Passengers on an ocean liner recall their greatest loves.
Dir: Gottfried Reinhardt
Cast: James Mason, Moira Shearer, Agnes Moorehead
C-122 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Cedric Gibbons, E. Preston Ames, Edward C. Carfagno, Gabriel Scognamillo, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason, Arthur Krams and Jack D. Moore

MGM gave composer Miklós Rózsa only a week's notice to come up with a ballet for Moira Shearer. The composer said the assignment was beyond his range under the circumstances and was asked to provide an alternate piece. He selected Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini."

The link to the next film -- Leslie Caron


5:18 AM -- Eyes Of The Navy (1940)
This short film follows U.S. naval aviators through their basic training in Florida and advanced training at California.
Cast: Russell Wade, Charles Middleton
BW-20 mins,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Two-reel


5:39 AM -- The Gay Parisian (1941)
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo perform to the music of Jacques Offenbach in this short film. Vitaphone Release 632-633A.
Dir: Jean Negulesco
Cast: Cyd Charisse, Lubov Roudenko, Andre Eglevsky
C-20 mins,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Two-reel

Completing the film short, the ballet group returned to New York City to ponder their fate. The Ballet Russe impresario Rene Blum returned to Paris. Blum was arrested December 12, 1941 in his Parisian home. Among the first Jews to be arrested in Paris by the French police after France was defeated and occupied by the German Regime, he was held in the Beaune-La-Ronde camp, then in the Drancy deportation camp. On September 23, 1942, he was shipped to the Auschwitz concentration camp where he was later killed by the Nazis.

[longship]

1. You put your heart in these posts.

Don't think that people don't appreciate it.

Have a heartfelt heart.

[Staph]

2. Thank you for the heart!

I love movies, and it's wonderful to have a place to share that love with others. (And it's kinda nice to have a spot within DU where we aren't slinging mud at those who dare to disagree with our choice in presidential candidates!)

[longship]

3. The funny thing is that there is no cable TV or broadband INet where I live.

But I go to this group every day because I love cinema and the reminders in this forum of so many of my favorite films.

So I don't even get to tune in to TCM to see these great flicks!

Nevertheless, I keep coming back, every damned day!

[dinkytron]

4. I appreciate it. !!!!!! film buff. big time.

[CBHagman]

5. As always, thank you for the backstories.

I saw Days of Heaven just after it came out but had no idea of the source material (and I remember Linda Manz was the big news from that film, with her performance lauded by the critics).

The Brynner-McQueen clash and reconciliation is precisely the quotable anecdote I like to read -- witty, warm.

To read about the fate of Rene Blum, on the other hand...words fail me.