TCM Schedule for Thursday, October 8, 2015 -- TCM Spotlight: Trailblazing Women

In the daylight hours, TCM is featuring the films of Jack Oakie. "America's Joyboy," beefy, plump-faced comedian Oakie, was one of the funniest top and second banana jokesters of stage, radio and especially film's "Golden Age." He would accomplish so much despite the fact that he was "functionally deaf" throughout his career and performed primarily with the aid of lip reading or vibrations. In prime time, TCM is celebrating women behind the camera, in series of films on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tonight's feature is Women Film Pioneers -- Independent Classics. Enjoy!


7:15 AM -- Street Girl (1929)
A girl from the wrong part of town finds a new life managing a jazz band.
Dir: Wesley Ruggles
Cast: Betty Compson, John Harron, Ned Sparks
BW-87 mins,

This was the first "official" RKO production.


8:44 AM -- Jack Buchanan The International Musical Comedy Star With The Glee Quartet (1930)
In this short film, originally filmed for "The Show of Shows" (1929) and deleted from the release print, comedian Jack Buchanan spoils the performance of the Glee Quartette when he attempts to join them for several songs. Vitaphone Release 3816.
BW-6 mins,


9:00 AM -- Colleen (1936)
An eccentric millionaire hires a gold digger to run his business.
Dir: Alfred E. Green
Cast: Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Jack Oakie
BW-90 mins, CC,

The running time at a press preview was 100 minutes, but it was cut to 89 minutes before release.


10:39 AM -- Daily Beauty Rituals (1937)
In this short film, Constance Bennett demonstrates her morning skin care and make-up regimen.
C-5 mins,


10:45 AM -- Hitting a New High (1937)
A crackpot press agent tries to pass off an aspiring opera singer as a jungle girl.
Dir: Raoul Walsh
Cast: Lily Pons, Jack Oakie, John Howard
BW-85 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- John Aalberg (RKO Radio SSD)

The film lost considerable money at the box office. Lily Pons never made another non-concert film.


12:15 PM -- The Toast of New York (1937)
A 19th century con artist rises from medicine shows to Wall Street.
Dir: Rowland V. Lee
Cast: Cary Grant, Edward Arnold, Frances Farmer
BW-109 mins, CC,

Both Fisk and his partner Ned Stokes (called Nick Boyd in the movie) were married but competed for the affections of showgirl Josie Mansfield. In real life she was a world-wise dark-haired, full-figured woman who bore little resemblance to the innocent, apple-cheeked blonde sincerity of Francis Farmer. Stokes and Mansfield blackmailed Fisk, and Stokes shot Fisk to death in 1872. Although the dying Fisk named Stokes as his murderer, he only served four years of a six year term for manslaughter.


2:15 PM -- Annabel Takes a Tour (1938)
A movie star on tour gets thrown into a variety of wacky publicity stunts.
Dir: Lew Landers
Cast: Jack Oakie, Lucille Ball, Ruth Donnelly
BW-67 mins, CC,

Follows The Affairs of Annabel (1938), also starring Jack Oakie and Lucille Ball.


3:30 PM -- Fight For Your Lady (1938)
A wrestling promoter helps an opera singer with his love life.
Dir: Ben Stoloff
Cast: John Boles, Jack Oakie, Ida Lupino
BW-66 mins,

Based on a story by Jean Negulesco and Isabel Leighton.


4:45 PM -- Radio City Revels (1938)
Burned-out songwriters find man who composes while asleep.
Dir: Ben Stoloff
Cast: Bob Burns, Jack Oakie, Kenny Baker
BW-90 mins,

In February 1938, this film was being shown on a double bill with The Jury's Secret (1938).


6:30 PM -- Something to Shout About (1943)
A producer on a losing streak accepts backing from a would-be star with no talent.
Dir: Gregory Ratoff
Cast: Don Ameche, Janet Blair, Jack Oakie
BW-90 mins,

Cyd Charisse's movie debut. Charisse got her start in Hollywood when Ballet Russe star David Lichine was hired by Columbia for a ballet sequence in the musical film Something to Shout About (1943). Cyd, who was then billed as Lily Norwood, appeared in the scene and attracted attention. Movie offers, including a dancing role opposite Fred Astaire in Ziegfeld Follies (1945), led to a seven-year contract offer by MGM.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: TRAILBLAZING WOMEN



8:00 PM -- Wanda (1970)
A rootless working class woman takes up with an abusive criminal.
Dir: Barbara Loden
Cast: Michael Higgins, Barbara Loden, Frank Jourdano
C-103 mins, CC,

After appearing in the failed movie Fade-In (1968) with Burt Reynolds, Barbara Loden married Elia Kazan and went into semi-retirement. Barbara wrote, directed and starred, however, in a bold independent film entitled Wanda (1970) and became an unexpected art house darling, distinguishing herself as one of the few woman directors whose work was theatrically-released during the period. She won praise in all three departments, nabbing the Venice Film Festival's International Critics Prize. Supposedly discouraged by a doubting, perhaps even resentful Kazan, Barbara never followed up on this success. She expressed interest and was in the midst of putting together another film, based on the novella The Awakening by Kate Chopin, when she learned in 1978 she had breast cancer. Barbara died two and a half years later, at age 48, after the cancer spread to her liver - before the project ever came to fruition. The Hollywood industry lost a burgeoning talent who just might have opened doors for other women directors had she been given the time.


10:00 PM -- Girlfriends (1978)
A young photographer fights to build her career while coping with her best friend's marriage.
Dir: Claudia Weill
Cast: Melanie Mayron, Bob Balaban, Eli Wallach
C-88 mins, CC,

Stanley Kubrick raved about this film in an interview with Vicente Molina Fox, which was conducted during the production of The Shining (1980), and named it his favorite film of 1978.


11:45 PM -- Valley Girl (1983)
A high-school fashion plate falls for a punk rocker.
Dir: Martha Coolidge
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Colleen Camp
C-99 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

This is the first movie in which Nicolas Coppola is billed as Nicolas Cage.


1:45 AM -- True Love (1989)
Bride and groom plan their weddings on their own while grappling with cold feet.
Dir: Nancy Savoca
Cast: Annabella Sciorra, Ron Eldard, Aida Turturro
C-101 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Filmed on location in the Bronx.


3:45 AM -- Border Radio (1987)
Two musicians try to find their bandleader, who's disappeared after stealing their fee from a crooked club owner.
Dir: Allison Anders
Cast: Chris D, Chris Shearer, John Doe
C-83 mins,

This movie was originally financed by Vic Tayback, who played Mel the cook on the TV show Alice (1976).


5:19 AM -- An Adventure In Filmmaking The Making Of The Blue Lagoon (1980)
This promotional short film presents the making of the motion picture, "The Blue Lagoon" (1980).
C-9 mins,


5:30 AM -- TCM Presents Elvis Mitchell Under the Influence: Joan Allen (2008)
Celebrities reveal the classic movies that influenced their lives in interviews with acclaimed film critic/interviewer Elvis Mitchell.
C-27 mins, CC, Letterbox Format