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Staph

(6,245 posts)
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 12:06 AM Jun 2014

TCM Schedule for Thursday, June 5, 2014 -- Star of the Month - Rock Hudson

In the daylight hours, we have a selection of 1950s films with costumes designed by June birthday boy Walter Plunkett, who won one Oscar and received nine Oscar nominations for his costume designs. Today's films show Plunkett's costumes from ancient Rome to 16th century France to the wild west to behind-the-scenes and onstage Broadway. In prime time, we have a selection of films featuring Star of the Month, Rock Hudson. Enjoy!


6:15 AM -- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
Dick Cavett narrates this documentary about the MGM auction and the studio's glorious history.
C-51 mins, CC,


7:15 AM -- The Actress (1953)
True story of Ruth Gordon's early struggles on the road to stage stardom.
Dir: George Cukor
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Jean Simmons, Teresa Wright
BW-91 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White -- Walter Plunkett

Film debut of Anthony Perkins.



9:00 AM -- Kiss Me Kate (1953)
Feuding co-stars reunite for a musical version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller
C-110 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- André Previn and Saul Chaplin

In supplemental information on the DVD mention is made that Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore neglected to rehearse their "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" number more than once or twice because they thought it was silly. When it came time to shoot it they made numerous fumbles and mistakes which the director thought was on purpose. He later complemented them on making it look like something a couple of thugs would perform. They never told him the truth.



11:00 AM -- Jupiter's Darling (1955)
A beautiful Roman mounts a romantic campaign to halt Hannibal's invasion of the empire.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Marge Champion
C-96 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

A reprise of "I Had A Dream" performed by Esther Williams and George Sanders was filmed but cut from the release print.


12:45 PM -- Many Rivers To Cross (1955)
A pioneer woman sets her sights on a trapper.
Dir: Roy Rowland
Cast: Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, Victor McLaglen
C-95 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Cyril J. Mockridge's score was conducted (uncredited) by Miklós Rózsa. This was Mockridge's only picture at MGM, on loan from 20th Century Fox.


2:30 PM -- Diane (1956)
A beautiful woman serving as adviser to the King of France falls for his son.
Dir: David Miller
Cast: Lana Turner, Pedro Armendariz, Roger Moore
C-110 mins, Letterbox Format

Lana Turner's last film on her MGM contract.


4:30 PM -- Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)
A brutal rancher has to soften his ways to win the woman he loves.
Dir: Robert Wise
Cast: James Cagney, Don Dubbins, Stephen McNally
C-96 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Spencer Tracy was cast as Jeremy Roderick, but was replaced by James Cagney as Mr. Tracy complained and procrastinated about working on that location because of the altitude of working in the Rockies. This essentially resulted in Tracy's being fired from MGM, his home studio since 1935.


6:15 PM -- Gun Glory (1957)
A reformed gunslinger is rejected by everyone until he's needed to fight off outlaws.
Dir: Roy Rowland
Cast: Stewart Granger, Rhonda Fleming, Chill Wills
C-89 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Based on the novel Man Of The West by Philip Yordan.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: STAR OF THE MONTH: ROCK HUDSON



8:00 PM -- The Last Sunset (1961)
A sheriff finds the outlaw he's hunting leading a cattle drive and decides to help him before arresting him.
Dir: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone
C-112 mins, CC,

Rock Hudson drew unstinting praise from Robert Aldrich who was enormously impressed with his lack of ego and sheer professionalism.


10:00 PM -- The Tarnished Angels (1957)
A newsman falls for the wife of a barnstorming pilot whose work he's covering.
Dir: Douglas Sirk
Cast: Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone
BW-91 mins, Letterbox Format

During the location shooting in San Diego of this film, Robert Stack's wife was about to have their first child. While filming the tense scene where Stack propositions his own wife (played by Dorothy Malone), suddenly a plane flew right by the cameras with letters tailing four feet tall proclaiming IT'S A GIRL! Rock Hudson had arranged to have the hospital call immediately when the news came and hired a stunt pilot to tow the message behind the plane. Stack was deeply moved by Hudson's generosity, saying in his autobiography, "It's a moment I've never forgotten. Anybody who tells me that Rock Hudson isn't a first-class gent had better put up his dukes."


11:45 PM -- Bend of the River (1952)
A westerner with a questionable past leads a wagon train into the Oregon territory.
Dir: Anthony Mann
Cast: James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julia Adams
C-91 mins, CC,

James Stewart was so upset when Rock Hudson received more cheering and applause at the premiere that he vowed never to talk to the actor again, let along work with him - and he never did.


1:30 AM -- Winchester '73 (1950)
A man combs the West in search of his stolen rifle.
Dir: Anthony Mann
Cast: James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea
C-92 mins, CC,

A very young Rock Hudson can be seen playing native American chief Young Bull, during the attack on the army patrol.


3:15 AM -- Fighter Squadron (1948)
A dedicated flyer pushes himself and those around him during a perilous World War II campaign.
Dir: Raoul Walsh
Cast: Edmond O'Brien, Robert Stack, John Rodney
C-95 mins, CC,

Film debuts for both Rock Hudson and Jack Larson.


5:00 AM -- Backfire (1950)
A veteran tries to clear an old friend of a murder charge.
Dir: Vincent Sherman
Cast: Viveca Lindfors, Dane Clark, Virginia Mayo
BW-91 mins, CC,

Gambler Solly Blayne (Richard Rober) is shot from outside the living room window as he relaxes in his Los Angeles home, which is exactly the same way that gangster Bugsy Siegel was killed in Beverly Hills in 1948.


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