TCM Schedule for Saturday, December 20, 2014 -- The Essentials - Martini Movies

Tonight's Essentials are all shaken, not stirred, with nary a Bond in sight. Enjoy!



7:06 AM -- Spreadin' The Jam (1945)
In this musical short, a young woman who is unable to pay her rent gets some unexpected help from her fellow tenants.
Dir: Charles Walters
Cast: Jan Clayton, Ben Lessy, Helen Boyce
BW-10 mins,


7:15 AM -- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945)
A pair of wacky lackeys try to take Tinseltown by storm.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Frances Rafferty
BW-83 mins, CC,

The film, made by MGM under the studio's loanout deal with Universal for the team's services, is set on the MGM lot, but the studio's major stars - Clark Gable, Lana Turner and Judy Garland - are only mentioned by name and not seen. The actual cameos were confined to second-tier stars Rags Ragland, Preston Foster, Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins and Lucille Ball.


8:45 AM -- Her Highness And The Bellboy (1945)
A hotel bellboy is the unlikely choice to escort a visiting princess, over the protests of his invalid girlfriend.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Hedy Lamarr, Robert Walker, June Allyson
BW-111 mins, CC,

Mickey Rooney was supposed to star in this movie but Rooney ended up being drafted into the war, so Robert Walker was cast instead.


10:45 AM -- Carry On Nurse (1960)
Patients in a surgical ward rebel against the tyrannical head nurse.
Dir: Gerald Thomas
Cast: Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Chalrles Hawtrey
BW-87 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

In one scene where the Colonel is seen placing bets with the medical orderly, Wilfrid Hyde-White changed the name of the horse from the scripted "Bloody Mary" to "Rambler", which Hyde-White had backed earlier in the day. Harry Locke visibly reacts to the name change, but doesn't spoil the take.


12:15 PM -- The Mortal Storm (1940)
The Third Reich's rise tears apart a German family.
Dir: Frank Borzage
Cast: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young
BW-100 mins, CC,

Nazi leader Adolf Hitler banned this film from release in Germany because of its strong anti-Nazi sentiments. In addition, all MGM films from that point until the end of the war were also banned in Germany because of the fact that the studio made this one.


1:59 PM -- Flag Of Mercy (1942)
Short film "Angel of Mercy" (1939), which depicts the efforts of Clara Barton to organize a hospital service for soldiers, is re-edited with footage relating it to America's involvement in World War II.
Dir: Edward L. Cahn
BW-10 mins,


2:15 PM -- The Gunfighter (1950)
The fastest gun in the West tries to escape his reputation.
Dir: Henry King
Cast: Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell
BW-85 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story -- William Bowers and André De Toth

Based on the life and exploits of an actual western gunslinger named John Ringo, a distant cousin of the outlaw Younger family. The real Ringo was a ruthless murderer and survivor of the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral, against (Dr.) John Holliday, Wyatt Earp and the Earp brothers. Also unlike the movie's account, the actual John Ringo--his real name--suffered a severe bout of melancholy following a visit to his family in California in July of 1882 and went on a monumental ten-day alcoholic binge, which climaxed when he sat down under an oak tree, drew his gun and used it to commit suicide.


3:45 PM -- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Three prospectors fight off bandits and each other after striking-it-rich in the Mexican mountains.
Dir: John Huston
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt
BW-126 mins, CC,

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Walter Huston, Best Director -- John Huston, and Best Writing, Screenplay -- John Huston

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture

John Huston was fascinated by mysterious author B. Traven, who was a recluse living in Mexico. Traven approved of the director and his screenplay (by letter, obviously), and sent his intimate friend Hal Croves to the location to be a technical advisor and translator for $150 a week. The general consensus is that Croves was in fact Traven, though he always denied this. Huston was happy not to query him on the subject but his then-wife Evelyn Keyes was certain Croves was the mysterious author, believing that he was continually giving himself away, saying "I" when it should have been "he", and using phrases that were exactly the same as those to be found in Traven's letters to Huston. All very ironic, especially considering that Traven was offered $1000 a week to act as technical advisor on the film. It is known that "B. Traven" was a pen name, and Traven's true identity remains a mystery to this day.


6:00 PM -- She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949)
An aging Cavalry officer tries to prevent an Indian war in the last days before his retirement.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar
C-104 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color -- Winton C. Hoch

When Sgt. Quincannon (Victor McLaglen) is addressing the troops and warning them to "watch them words," he asks who owns a dog that had wandered over and was watching the assembled soldiers. Not receiving an answer, he concludes, "Nice dog! Irish setter!" The scene was improvised on the spot by director John Ford. The dog was an unnamed Navajo pet that had fallen asleep during the setup. Multiple takes were required because McLaglen kept blowing the line, calling the dog a "cocker spaniel."



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: THE ESSENTIALS: MARTINI MOVIES



8:00 PM -- The Thin Man (1934)
A husband-and-wife detective team takes on the search for a missing inventor and almost get killed for their efforts.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke
Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan
BW-91 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- William Powell, Best Director -- W.S. Van Dyke, Best Writing, Adaptation -- Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and Best Picture

While the "Thin Man" in the movie refers to character Clyde Wynant, in the opening credits of the film the cover of the novel "The Thin Man" is shown. On the dust jacket of the book we see a thin man who's not just a model for the photo but who is also author Dashiell Hammett.


9:45 PM -- Auntie Mame (1958)
An eccentric heiress raises her nephew to be a free spirit.
Dir: Morton DaCosta
Cast: Rosalind Russell, Forrest Tucker, Coral Browne
C-143 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Rosalind Russell, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Peggy Cass, Best Cinematography, Color -- Harry Stradling Sr., Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White or Color -- Malcolm C. Bert and George James Hopkins, Best Film Editing -- William H. Ziegler, and Best Picture

The line, "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death," does not appear in the book. It is derived from the stage play, where it was originally, "Life is a banquet and most poor sons-of-bitches are starving to death." Though "damn" and "hell" are both heard in the film, "sons-of-bitches" was apparently thought too rough.


12:15 AM -- Father Of The Bride (1950)
A doting father faces mountains of bills and endless trials when his daughter marries.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor
BW-93 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Spencer Tracy, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and Best Picture

Spencer Tracy wanted Katharine Hepburn for his screen wife, but it was felt that they were too romantic a team to play a happily domesticated couple with children, so Joan Bennett got the part.


2:00 AM -- Santa Claus (1959)
Santa Claus enlists Merlin to help him save Christmas from the devil.
Dir: Rene Cardona
Cast: José Elías Moreno, Cesáreo Quezadas 'Pulgarcito', José Luis Aguirre 'Trotsky'
C-95 mins,

In IMDB's ranking of films by fans on the website, this film is #77 in the Bottom 100!


3:45 AM -- A Visit to Santa (1963)
Two children dreaming of Christmas visit Santa at the North Pole in this short film.
C-12 mins,


4:00 AM -- New Year's Evil (1981)
During a rocking New Year's celebration, a man threatens to kill a series of women, including the show's host.
Dir: Emmett Alston
Cast: Roz Kelly, Kip Niven, Chris Wallace
C-86 mins, Letterbox Format

Based on a story by Leonard Newbauer and Emmett Alston.


5:30 AM -- R.F.D. Greenwich Village (1969)
A couple tours around New York in this promotional short for corduroy clothing.
C-11 mins,


5:30 AM -- Delicious Dishes (1950)
Experts demonstrate such innovative kitchen gadgets as the cheese slicer and the melon baller in this short film.
Cast: Arnold Morris,
BW-13 mins,