TCM Schedule for Thursday, February 8, 2018 -- 31 Days of Oscar: Best Sound Winners

[Staph]

Today's theme for 31 Days of Oscar is Best Sound. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- FLIRTATION WALK (1934)
A West Point cadet falls for his commanding officer's daughter.
Dir: Frank Borzage
Cast: Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien
BW-98 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Sound, Recording -- Nathan Levinson (sound director), and Best Picture

Bobby Connolly shot the Hawaiian number on the biggest set ever constructed at Warner Bros. studio up to that time. He followed with the military wedding number, using 400 professional dancers.


7:39 AM -- MAIN STREET ON THE MARCH! (1941)
This short film focuses on America's changing mood to events leading up to WWII.
Dir: Edward L. Cahn
Cast: Naomi Childers, Barbara Bedford, May McAvoy
BW-20 mins,

Won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Two-reel


8:00 AM -- THIS LAND IS MINE (1943)
A soft-spoken school teacher tries to prove he's not a Nazi collaborator.
Dir: Jean Renoir
Cast: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, George Sanders
BW-103 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Stephen Dunn (RKO Radio SSD)

The singing of "Die Lorelei" by the German soldiers was a subtle dig at the anti-semitic regime of the Nazis, since the words were written by banned Jewish poet Heinrich Heine. Many of his books, considered "un-German," were burned in the book-burning episode at Opernplatz, Berlin, Germany, on 10 May 1933. However, his works were so popular that they were still published, but "author unknown" was the listed writer.


9:44 AM -- SEEING HANDS (1943)
This short film stresses how important individuals with a disability are to the war effort.
Dir: Gunther V. Fritsch
Cast: Russell Gleason, William Bishop, Robert Frazer
BW-11 mins,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Pete Smith


10:00 AM -- THE NORTH STAR (1943)
Ukrainian villagers unite to fight off invading Nazis.
Dir: Lewis Milestone
Cast: Anne Baxter, Dana Andrews, Walter Brennan
BW-106 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Original Screenplay -- Lillian Hellman, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- James Wong Howe, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Perry Ferguson and Howard Bristol, Best Sound, Recording -- Thomas T. Moulton (Samuel Goldwyn SSD), Best Effects, Special Effects -- Clarence Slifer (photographic), Ray Binger (photographic) and Thomas T. Moulton (sound), and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Aaron Copland

This is one of the films deemed "subversive" by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in October 1947, at the height of the "Red Scare" era typified by the tactics of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The committee decided that, even though Russia was our ally against Nazi Germany in World War II--when this film was made--the movie's sympathetic portrayal of Russian peasants and guerrillas who were fighting off Nazi forces was an "endorsement" of Communism. Senator McCarthy wasn't elected until 1948.


11:47 AM -- STAIRWAY TO LIGHT (1945)
This short film focuses on Dr. Phillipe Pinel, who initiated humane treatment of the mentally ill in the 18th century.
Dir: Sammy Lee
Cast: Dewey Robinson, Lotte Palfi, Wolfgang Zilzer
BW-10 mins,

Won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Herbert Moulton


12:00 PM -- THE SNAKE PIT (1948)
A young woman tries to recover her sanity in a corrupt mental institution.
Dir: Anatole Litvak
Cast: Olivia deHavilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn
BW-108 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Thomas T. Moulton

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Olivia de Havilland, Best Director -- Anatole Litvak, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Frank Partos and Millen Brand, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Alfred Newman, and Best Picture

Stephen King has said that watching this film on TV as a child deeply disturbed him and made him feel that he could suddenly go insane, directly contributing to his macabre interests and subsequently his writings.


2:00 PM -- THE BIG HOUSE (1930)
An attempted prison break leads to a riot.
Dir: George Hill
Cast: Chester Morris, Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone
BW-87 mins, CC,

Won Oscars for Best Writing, Achievement -- Frances Marion, and Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (sound director)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Wallace Beery, and Best Picture

The first film to receive an Academy Award for Best Sound. And Frances Marion's Academy Award for Best Screenplay made her the first woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting capacity.


3:45 PM -- THE GREAT CARUSO (1951)
The legendary opera singer fights to win his place in society.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Mario Lanza, Ann Blyth, Dorothy Kirsten
C-109 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (M-G-M)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Costume Design, Color -- Helen Rose and Gile Steele, and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Peter Herman Adler and Johnny Green

Jesse L. Lasky, who served as associate producer on this film, also knew the real Enrico Caruso. In 1918, whilst serving as the head of Famous Players (later Paramount) Studio, Lasky had paid Caruso to star in two silent films, My Cousin (1918) and The Splendid Romance (1919), neither of which was commercially successful.


5:45 PM -- STRIKE UP THE BAND (1940)
A high-school band sets out to win a national radio contest.
Dir: Busby Berkeley
Cast: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra
BW-120 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (M-G-M SSD)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Music, Original Song -- Roger Edens and George Stoll for the song "Our Love Affair", and Best Music, Score -- George Stoll and Roger Edens

The puppet orchestra made of fruit that comes to life playing instruments for Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland on a kitchen table, was the work of animator George Pal. He had just arrived in Hollywood from Europe via New York and this was among his first projects. Pal's work was relatively unknown by American audiences, thus he was uncredited. The idea for the sequence was that of another New York-to-Hollywood transfer: Vincente Minnelli.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: 31 DAYS OF OSCAR: BEST SOUND WINNERS



8:00 PM -- SAN FRANCISCO (1936)
A beautiful singer and a battling priest try to reform a Barbary Coast saloon owner in the days before the big earthquake.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke
Cast: Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy
BW-115 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (M-G-M SSD)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Spencer Tracy, Best Director -- W.S. Van Dyke, Best Writing, Original Story -- Robert E. Hopkins, Best Assistant Director -- Joseph M. Newman, and Best Picture

Al Shean (born Adolph Schoenberg), who plays the Professor in the film, was half of one of the most popular teams in vaudeville--Gallagher and Shean. He was also the younger brother of Minnie Marx, the matriarch of The Marx Brothers clan, and was instrumental in writing many of the sketches that his madcap nephews first performed on the vaudeville circuit before their enormous success on Broadway and in Hollywood.


10:03 PM -- QUICKER'N A WINK (1940)
In this short film, Dr. Harold E. Edgerton demonstrates the photography process he developed to allow the ability to view motion not able to be seen by the naked eye.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Clarence Curtis, June Preisser, Tex Harris
BW-9 mins,

Won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Pete Smith

Filmed at MIT


10:15 PM -- THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941)
Naval hero Lord Nelson defies convention to court a married woman of common birth.
Dir: Alexander Korda
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Alan Mowbray
BW-126 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Jack Whitney (General Service SSD)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Rudolph Maté, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Vincent Korda and Julia Heron, and Best Effects, Special Effects -- Lawrence W. Butler (photographic) and William A. Wilmarth (sound)

One of Winston Churchill's hobbies was writing for movies as ghost writer. He wrote two of Nelson's speeches, as propaganda pieces against Germany, which was invading Europe at the time the movie was filmed and released.


12:30 AM -- THE ALAMO (1960)
Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie join the fight for Texas' independence from Mexico.
Dir: John Wayne
Cast: John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey
C-162 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Won an Oscar for Best Sound -- Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD) and Fred Hynes (Todd-AO SSD)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Chill Wills, Best Cinematography, Color -- William H. Clothier, Best Film Editing -- Stuart Gilmore, Best Music, Original Song -- Dimitri Tiomkin (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for the song "The Green Leaves of Summer", Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Dimitri Tiomkin, and Best Picture

Originally to save on expenses, director John Wayne planned to shoot the film in Mexico. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (the custodians of the real Alamo) sent him a letter that if he pursued that course of action, he had better not show the film in Texas. Consequently Wayne found an amenable landowner, Happy Shahan, who allowed the production to film on his 20,000-acre ranch in Bracketville, Texas. When Wayne asked to meet the builder, he was introduced to a Mexican immigrant. A rather dubious Wayne asked him, "Do you think you can build the Alamo?" to which the Mexican replied, "Do you think you can make a picture, Mr. Wayne?"


3:16 AM -- THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG (1956)
This short film relates the story of the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.
Dir: Herman Hoffman
Narrator: Leslie Nielsen
C-30 mins, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Short Subject, Two-reel -- Dore Schary, and Best Documentary, Short Subjects -- Dore Schary

Shot on location at Gettysburg National Military Park


4:05 AM -- NOW YOU SEE IT (1947)
This short film demonstrates the use of micro- and macrophotography, providing several examples.
Dir: Richard L. Cassell
C-9 mins,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Pete Smith


4:15 AM -- THE SOUND BARRIER (1952)
A veteran pilot marries into a family in the aviation business.
Dir: David Lean
Cast: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick
BW-116 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay -- Terence Rattigan

Despite this fictionalized story of breaking the sound barrier, this feat was accomplished by Air Force General Chuck Yeager on October 14, 1947 at Edwards Air Force Base. Furthermore, Yeager explained that if a pilot were to break the sound barrier in the manner depicted in the film, the pilot would've been killed. The film was also heavily based on the endeavors of the de Havilland company in the UK. Geoffrey de Havilland Jr, son of company owner Geoffrey de Havilland, was killed in September 1946 whilst conducting high speed tests approaching the speed of sound over the Thames estuary.