TCM Schedule for Thursday, February 26, 2015 -- 31 Days of Oscar - 1981-1983

Today's theme is political films (though the very political All The President's Men (1976) was just on Monday night). In prime time, TCM is featuring Oscar nominated and Oscar winning films from 1981 through 1983, but skipping 1981's nominees Atlantic City, On Golden Pond, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Reds; 1982's winner Gandhi (showing tomorrow evening), and nominees E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Missing, and Tootsie, and 1983's winner Terms of Endearment, and nominees The Dresser, The Right Stuff, and Tender Mercies. Enjoy!


7:15 AM -- The Gorgeous Hussy (1936)
President Andrew Jackson's friendship with an innkeeper's daughter spells trouble for them both.
Dir: Clarence Brown
Cast: Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore
BW-103 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Beulah Bondi, and Best Cinematography -- George J. Folsey

Crawford's only period film of the sound era. Its failure prompted her never to do another.


9:00 AM -- Seven Days in May (1964)
An American military officer discovers his superiors are planning a military coup.
Dir: John Frankenheimer
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March
BW-118 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Edmond O'Brien, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White -- Cary Odell and Edward G. Boyle

For security reasons, the Pentagon forbids camera crews near the entrances to the complex. John Frankenheimer wanted a shot of Kirk Douglas entering the building. So they rigged up a station wagon with a camera to film Douglas, in a full Marine colonel's uniform, walking up the steps of the Pentagon. The salutes Douglas received in that scene were real, as the guards had no reason to believe it was for a movie!


11:00 AM -- Z (1969)
A political assassination uncovers a hotbed of corruption.
Dir: Costa-Gavras
Cast: Yves Montand, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacques Perrin
C-127 mins, Letterbox Format

Won Oscars for Best Film Editing -- Françoise Bonnot, and Best Foreign Language Film - Algeria

Nominated for Oscars for Best Director -- Costa-Gavras, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Jorge Semprún and Costa-Gavras, and Best Picture

The movie is based on the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis. On May 22, 1963, Lambrakis was attacked and struck on the head (in the same manner depicted in the film) by right-wing extremists after giving an anti-war speech in Thessaloniki. He died of brain injuries from the attack on May 27, 1963. Following Lambrakis's assassination, a military junta of right-wing generals seized control of the Greek government in 1967. During this time, the letter Z (meaning "He is alive&quot became a common piece of protest graffiti in Greek cities, in memory of Lambrakis and his democratic ideals. The military junta banned the use of the letter "Z" as graffiti, in response to these protests. The Greek junta collapsed in 1974, following a disastrous invasion of Cyprus by Turkey (which led to the occupation of almost half Cyprus by the Turkish army), and democracy was restored to Greece. In the film, the Examining Magistrate (played by Jean-Louis Trintignant) is in reality Christos Sartzetakis, who later served as President of the Hellenic Republic (1985-1990).


1:08 PM -- Forbidden Passage (1941)
This short film documents the U.S. Department of Immigration's efforts to halt the smuggling of illegal immigrants into the country.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann
Cast: George Lessey, George Cleveland, Alec Craig
BW-21 mins,

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

Another "A Crime Does Not Pay" short subject.


1:30 PM -- Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business.
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold
BW-123 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Richard Connell and Robert Presnell Sr.

Frank Capra didn't want anyone to play John Doe except Gary Cooper, who agreed to the part (without reading a script) for two reasons: he had enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck.


3:45 PM -- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
An idealistic Senate replacement takes on political corruption.
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains
BW-130 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Lewis R. Foster

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- James Stewart, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Harry Carey, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Claude Rains, Best Director -- Frank Capra, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Sidney Buchman, Best Art Direction -- Lionel Banks, Best Sound, Recording -- John P. Livadary (Columbia SSD), Best Film Editing -- Gene Havlick and Al Clark, Best Music, Scoring -- Dimitri Tiomkin, and Best Picture

In his autobiography, Frank Capra states that after the film's general release, he and Harry Cohn received a cablegram from U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Joseph P. Kennedy saying that he felt the film would damage "America's prestige in Europe" and should therefore be withdrawn from European distribution. In response, they mailed favorable reviews of the film to Kennedy which persuaded him not pursue the matter any further, even though he still maintained his doubts.


6:00 PM -- The Candidate (1972)
A senate candidate's ideals weaken as his position in the polls gets stronger.
Dir: Michael Ritchie
Cast: Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas
C-110 mins,

Won an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced -- Jeremy Larner

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound -- Richard Portman and Gene S. Cantamessa

Groucho Marx has an uncredited walk-on cameo in what would be his last screen appearance.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: 31 DAYS OF OSCAR: 1981-1983



8:00 PM -- Absence of Malice (1981)
An ambitious reporter unwittingly slanders a businessman under federal investigation.
Dir: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban
C-116 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Paul Newman, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Melinda Dillon, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen -- Kurt Luedtke

In the film, Davidek, the newspaper's lawyer character, portrayed by John Harkins, explains the relevance of the film's "Absence of Malice" title. In a matter of law, the truth of a story can be irrelevant. If there is no knowledge that a story is false, then the media are absent of malice. If the media have been reasonable and prudent in producing a story, then they are not negligent. As such, the media can say whatever they like about someone and the affected party can do the media no harm (i.e. is powerless to stop them). Democracy is served.


10:00 PM -- The Verdict (1982)
An alcoholic lawyer struggles to redeem himself by pursuing a high-stakes malpractice case.
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason
C-129 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Paul Newman, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- James Mason, Best Director -- Sidney Lumet, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- David Mamet, and Best Picture

As this legal drama features a woman in a permanent vegetative state, the picture was made and released hot on the heels of the 1970s Karen Ann Quinlan legal case, which was fresh in the minds of the public consciousness and had recently been the subject of the 1977 tele-movie In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan (1977).

Star Paul Newman once said of this movie whilst publicizing the picture: "I'd rather have the freedom to do the kind of pictures like The Verdict (1982) . . . I enjoyed kicking the beejeezus out of the press in Absence of Malice (1981)".


12:15 AM -- Chariots Of Fire (1981)
Committed long-distance runners strive for the 1924 Olympics.
Dir: Hugh Hudson
Cast: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Alice Krige
C-124 mins, CC,

Won Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen -- Colin Welland, Best Costume Design -- Milena Canonero, Best Music, Original Score -- Vangelis (Vangelis was not present at the awards ceremony. Co-presenter William Hurt accepted the award on his behalf.), and Best Picture

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Ian Holm, Best Director -- Hugh Hudson, and Best Film Editing -- Terry Rawlings

Ian Charleson himself wrote Eric Liddell's inspiring speech to the post-race workingmen's crowd. Charleson, who had been studying the Bible in preparation for the role, told director Hugh Hudson that he didn't feel the scripted sanctimonious and portentous speech was either authentic or inspiring. Charleson was uncomfortable with performing the words as scripted. It was decided that Charleson himself should write words that he was comfortable speaking. And thus came the most inspiring speech of the movie.


2:30 AM -- The Big Chill (1983)
A friend's death brings together a group of former college activists.
Dir: Lawrence Kasdan
Cast: Glenn Close, Tom Berenger, Jeff Goldblum
C-105 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Glenn Close, Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen -- Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedek, and Best Picture

The characters were based on people Lawrence Kasdan lived with in the Eugene V. Debs co-op in Ann Arbor, MI, while attending the University of Michigan. Co-ops are co-ed housing in which the residents share household duties like cooking. This explains why the characters are so comfortable sharing the house and cooking, and are so attached to the Michigan football game.


4:23 AM -- Academy Awards Portfolio (1965)
In this promotional short, Cesar Romero presents a series of portraits of Academy Award winners from 1928 to 1961 created by artist Nicholas Volpe.
BW-1 mins,


4:30 AM -- Diner (1982)
A group of friends who hang out in a Baltimore diner face the problems of growing up.
Dir: Barry Levinson
Cast: Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern
C-110 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen -- Barry Levinson

Barry Levinson had the main actors arrive in Baltimore a week before filming began to get to know each other and build rapport. Predictably, the young male actors went out on the town to clubs and tried to pick up women. Sometimes they would use bogus stories about what they were doing in Baltimore. Tim Daly says he came up with the most popular one, that they were engineers working on a rotating rooftop restaurant.