TCM Schedule for Friday, September 1, 2017 -- What's On Tonight: End of the Summer Beach Party

[Staph]

During the daylight hours, we're under the water with a selection of submarine movies. And in prime time, to celebrate the traditional end of summer, TCM is taking us to a bunch of beach parties. Enjoy!


6:15 AM -- Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
Officers on a WWII submarine clash during a perilous Pacific tour.
Dir: Robert Wise
Cast: Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden
BW-93 mins

Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster did not get along during filming, partly due to Lancaster making jokes about Gable's age. There was one major argument when Gable refused to allow the crucial plot development of Lancaster's character to take control of the submarine, because he felt this went against the image he had built up for more than twenty years at MGM. After refusing to work for two days, Gable eventually agreed to return to the studio when it was decided that his character would fall ill, necessitating Lancaster taking command.


8:00 AM -- Hell Below (1933)
A submarine captain clashes with one of his crew during World War I.
Dir: Jack Conway
Cast: Robert Montgomery, Walter Huston, Madge Evans
BW-101 mins, CC

The print shown on TCM is the 1937 re-release, with some bits of 1933 dialogue obviously eliminated in order to meet the stricter standards of the now enforced 1934 production code.


9:45 AM -- Operation Pacific (1951)
A dedicated submarine commander sacrifices everything to defeat the enemy.
Dir: George Waggner
Cast: John Wayne, Patricia O'Neal, Ward Bond
BW-109 mins, CC

The problems with submarine torpedoes shown in the movie are accurate. A poorly designed and tested firing pin could malfunction on a good hit (that is, a torpedo striking within about 45 degrees of perpendicular to the side of the target). Poor hits (at a very sharp angle to the side of the ship) could often produce more reliable explosions. Finding the problem, while not performed by the submarine crews as shown, actually did occur in a similar manner.


12:00 PM -- Up Periscope (1959)
A U.S. frogman infiltrates a Japanese-held island during World War II.
Dir: Gordon Douglas
Cast: James Garner, Edmond O'Brien, Andra Martin
C-111 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

All underwater miniature submarine shots were reused from the film Destination Tokyo (1943), shown at 3:45 this afternoon on TCM.


2:00 PM -- The Enemy Below (1957)
During World War II, an American destroyer meets a German U-Boat.
Dir: Dick Powell
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Curt Jurgens, Al Hedison
C-98 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Won an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects -- Walter Rossi

In an interview in July 1977 with 'The New York Times', Curd Jürgens -- who played the German submarine commander Capt. Von Stolberg -- "This was an important picture for me because it was the first film after the war in which a German officer was not interpreted as a freak."


3:45 PM -- Destination Tokyo (1943)
A U.S. sub braves enemy waters during World War II.
Dir: Delmer Daves
Cast: Cary Grant, John Garfield, Alan Hale
BW-135 mins, CC

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Steve Fisher

The Copperfin submarine was an exact scale model of a real US Navy submarine. However, for reasons of military security, equipment and operating mechanisms were of varying kinds and varieties not found on US submarines so the enemy could not get an accurate picture of what the interior of a Navy submarine looked like.


6:15 PM -- The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
A World War II 4-F saves the U.S. Navy when he's transformed into a dolphin.
Dir: Arthur Lubin
Cast: Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston
C-99 mins, CC

This was the final animated film work released by Warner Brothers before the animation studio was shut down. Warners would continue to release theatrical shorts produced by Depatie-Freleng Enterprises until 1969.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: END OF SUMMER BEACH PARTY



8:00 PM -- Beach Party (1963)
An anthropologist studies the dating habits of the teens hanging out on a nearby beach.
Dir: William Asher
Cast: Bob Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon
C-98 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Although "old fogey" Professor Sutwell knew nothing about beach life, actor Robert Cummings was a competent surfer himself, as documented in personal home movies shot in Hawaii by Hollywood's television host and author Ken Murray.


10:00 PM -- Muscle Beach Party (1963)
The beach gang goes head-to-head with the bodybuilders of a new gym that's interfering with their strip on the sand.
Dir: William Asher
Cast: Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Luciana Paluzzi
C-95 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Film debut of Peter Lupus, who is playing Flex Martian under the name "Rock Stevens". This would lead to an early career in Europe where he would play the lead role in various sword and sandal/mythological muscleman movies that were then in vogue. He's probably best remembered as team member Willy Armitage on Mission: Impossible (1966-1973).


12:00 AM -- Surf Party (1964)
A young girl visits her surfer brother in California.
Dir: Maury Dexter
Cast: Bobby Vinton, Patricia Morrow, Jackie DeShannon
BW-68 mins, CC

The soundtrack includes songs performed by Bobby Vinton, Jackie DeShannon, Ken Miller, Patricia Morrow, The Astronauts, and The Routers.


2:00 AM -- For Those Who Think Young (1964)
Teens fight to keep a wealthy businessman from shutting down their beachside hangout.
Dir: Leslie H. Martinson
Cast: James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Woody Woodbury
C-97 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

At the time the movie came out, Pepsi Cola's slogan was "Now It's Pepsi for Those Who Think Young". This wasn't a coincidence as Pepsi had a presence in the film. There are scenes of people ordering and drinking Pepsi, as well as a Pepsi machine in the club.


4:00 AM -- Ride the Wild Surf (1964)
Three young surfers travel to Hawaii in search of love and the perfect wave.
Dir: Don Taylor
Cast: Fabian, Shelley Fabares, Tab Hunter
C-102 mins

Those shots of Fabian, Peter Brown and Tab Hunter--photographed from mid-chest up--riding their surfboards were actually shot on a sound stage at Columbia Studios. The actors balanced on Radio Flyer wagons in front of a rear-projection screen showing ocean waves. Assistants then sprayed them with water while maneuvering the wagons to give the desired effect.

[longship]

1. WWII submariner movies are mostly okay. Beach party movies suck.

Run Silent, Run Deep was written by long time WWII executive officer and captain, Ned Beach, whose legend as the absolutely perfect submarine executive officer was undoubtedly richly deserved. The plot is a bit contrived, but life in a WWII sub is portrayed fairly accurately, claustrophobic and very dangerous. The silent service had the highest casualty rate of any other service in WWII. They also sunk more Japanese shipping than any other service, and second place wasn't even remotely close.

The Enemy Below was remade as a Star Trek episode that introduced Romulans to the series, Balance of Terror which also introduced actor Mark Lenard to the series, iconically long as Spock's father, but here as the Romulan commander.

Some scenes from the Star Trek episode:

The Enemy Below trailer:

The plot parallels are fairly obvious.

And yes, beach party films utterly suck.