TCM Schedule for Saturday, October 12, 2019 -- The Essentials: Russ Tamblyn

In the daylight hours, TCM has the usual Saturday matinee lineup of films and shorts. Then in primetime, The Essentials is back! (or should that be The Essentials are back?), with trailblazing producer, director and screenwriter Ava DuVernay, who will join primetime host Ben Mankiewicz to discuss the films she has chosen. Tonight's theme features a few of the films of Russ Tamblyn, aka Rusty Tamblyn in his kid actor days, aka Dad to Amber Tamblyn. Enjoy!


6:00 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,

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

Both Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Bennett played the role of Amy March in big-screen productions of "Little Women". Joan Bennett played Amy March in the 1933 production (Little Women (1933)) alongside Katharine Hepburn. Elizabeth Taylor was Amy in the 1949 production (Little Women (1949)) co-starring June Allyson.


8:00 AM -- MGM CARTOONS: THE TREE SURGEON (1944)
The tree surgeon (a horse) races to the giant sequoia, which isn't feeling well.
Dir: George Gordon
Cast: Dick Nelson
BW-8 mins, CC,


8:08 AM -- GOOFY MOVIES NUMBER THREE (1934)
This short film has Pete Smith provide comedic narration over silent footage and present a spoof of James A. FitzPatrick's Traveltalk series.
BW-10 mins,


8:20 AM -- INDIA ON PARADE (1937)
This short film focuses on the landmarks, people and customs of India.
C-9 mins,


8:30 AM -- CODE OF THE SECRET SERVICE (1939)
Secret Service agents try to solve the theft of treasury banknote plates.
Dir: Noel Smith
Cast: Ronald Reagan, Rosella Towne, Eddie Foy Jr.
BW-58 mins,

In interviews during his presidency, Ronald Reagan called this movie, "the worst picture I ever made" and also said, "never has an egg of such dimensions been laid". He recalled that a movie usher who had seen the film once told him, "You should be ashamed." However, the film did have one positive effect for Reagan. After seeing the movie, a young man named Jerry Parr was inspired to enter the Secret Service. On March 30, 1981, Parr was the agent who quickly pushed Ronald Reagan into his limousine when John W. Hinckley Jr. fired six shots at the President outside the Washington D.C. Hilton. Parr's quick reaction, and his decision to take the wounded Reagan immediately to George Washington University Hospital, were credited with saving the President's life.


9:30 AM -- JUNGLE QUEEN: WILDCAT STAMPEDE (1945)
A young girl journeys to Africa to find her father, an explorer who vanished in the jungle.
Dir: Lewis D. Collins, Ray Taylor
Cast: Edward Norris, Eddie Quillan, Douglass Dumbrille
BW-19 mins, CC,

Fourth episode of thirteen.


10:00 AM -- POPEYE: CUSTOMERS WANTED (1939)
Popeye and Bluto compete in their penny arcades for Wimpy's business.
Dir: Dave Fleischer, Seymour Kneitel (uncredited)
Cast: Pinto Colvig, Margie Hines, Jack Mercer
BW-7 mins, CC,

This cartoon marks the first time Pinto Colvig performs the voice of Bluto, a role which he continues to regularly perform until 1942.


10:08 AM -- ANGELS ALLEY (1948)
An ex-con cousin of one of the Bowery Boys gets them into trouble with the law.
Dir: William Beaudine
Cast: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Billy Benedict
BW-67 mins, CC,

The first Bowery Boys movie not to feature Bobby Jordan.


11:30 AM -- TRAFFIC WITH THE DEVIL (1946)
This short film looks at the increase of traffic levels and accidents in the U.S.
Dir: Gunther V. Fritsch
Cast: Ben Hall, Ralph Montgomery, Gil Perkins
BW-19 mins,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Documentary, Short Subjects


12:00 PM -- A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964)
Inspector Clouseau tries to clear a beautiful woman accused of shooting her husband.
Dir: Blake Edwards
Cast: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders
C-102 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

According to Blake Edwards in the DVD boxed set documentary, a week into filming, Peter Sellers disappeared. When he returned, from an apparent holiday, Edwards was ready to kill him until Sellers told him of a peculiar hotel manager he met who had a funny French accent which Sellers was to give to the Clouseau character....Thus was born Clouseau's trademark odd pronunciations such as "beump" for bump and "meuths" for moths.


2:00 PM -- MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
Classic adventure about the sadistic Captain Bligh, who drove his men to revolt during a South Seas expedition.
Dir: Frank Lloyd
Cast: Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone
BW-133 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Picture

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Clark Gable, Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Charles Laughton, Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Franchot Tone, Best Director -- Frank Lloyd, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Jules Furthman, Talbot Jennings and Carey Wilson, Best Film Editing -- Margaret Booth, and Best Music, Score -- Nat W. Finston (head of departmment) with score by Herbert Stothart

Years later, in a conversation with playwright George S. Kaufman, Charles Laughton remarked that he had given such a good performance in this film because he came from a long line of seafarers. Referring to Laughton's performance in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Kaufman dryly commented, "I assume, then, that you also came from a long line of hunchbacks?"


4:30 PM -- THE BADLANDERS (1958)
Western outlaws join forces for a daring gold robbery in this remake of The Asphalt Jungle.
Dir: Delmer Daves
Cast: Alan Ladd, Ernest Borgnine, Katy Jurado
C-84 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Ernest Borgnine met his future wife Katy Jurado while working on this film. A reporter saw the two laughing over lunch one day and started a rumor that the two were involved romantically, which Borgnine insisted for the rest of his life was not true. The story persisted, though, and Borgnine's wife ended up divorcing him because of it. Ironically, he and Jurado grew closer and closer because of this trouble, and ended up marrying in 1959.


6:00 PM -- THE FIRST DEADLY SIN (1980)
A police detective nearing retirement tries to catch a serial killer.
Dir: Brian G. Hutton
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Faye Dunaway, James Whitmore
C-112 mins, CC,

Debut film of Bruce Willis as an extra and final leading role in a cinema movie of Frank Sinatra.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: THE ESSENTIALS: RUSS TAMBLYN



8:00 PM -- WEST SIDE STORY (1961 )
A young couple from dueling street gangs falls in love.
Dir: Robert Wise
Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn
C-154 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- George Chakiris, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Rita Moreno, Best Director -- Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins (For the first time a directing award is being shared.), Best Cinematography, Color -- Daniel L. Fapp, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Boris Leven and Victor A. Gangelin, Best Costume Design, Color -- Irene Sharaff, Best Sound -- Fred Hynes (Todd-AO SSD) and Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD), Best Film Editing -- Thomas Stanford, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, and Best Picture

Nominee for Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Ernest Lehman

When filming "The Taunting Scene", Rita Moreno was reduced to tears when she was harassed and nearly raped by the Jets, as it brought back memories of when she was raped as a child. When she started crying, the Jets immediately stopped what they were doing and tried to comfort her, while pointing out that the audience was going to hate them for what they were doing.


10:45 PM -- TOM THUMB (1958)
A six-inch-tall boy takes on a pair of comical crooks.
Dir: George Pal
Cast: Russ Tamblyn, Alan Young, June Thorburn
C-92 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects -- Tom Howard

In addition to being an accomplished dancer, Russ Tamblyn also studied acrobatics and gymnastics. It is Tamblyn, not a stunt double, doing the many athletic moves.


12:30 AM -- CLASH BY NIGHT (1952)
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband's best friend.
Dir: Fritz Lang
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan
BW-105 mins, CC,

This movie was shot while Barbara Stanwyck was in the process of divorcing Robert Taylor. The movie also featured the rising young star Marilyn Monroe. Barbara gave a good performance in one of her most memorable films. Despite her emotional devastation, the crew noted Barbara's lack of a diva tantrum, Fritz Lang later said, "She's fantastic, unbelievable, and I liked her tremendously. When Marilyn missed her lines---which she did constantly---Barbara never said a word."


2:30 AM -- THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (1985)
A movie character steps off the screen and into the life of his biggest fan.
Dir: Woody Allen
Cast: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello
C-82 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen -- Woody Allen

Jeff Daniels replaced Michael Keaton in the lead male role. Keaton was originally cast footage was shot for ten days. Director Woody Allen decided it wasn't working feeling, that Keaton, despite a good performance so far, was miscast being too contemporary for the part and was not fitting well into this period movie. Keaton had taken sizable salary cut to do a film with Allen. Apparently, Keaton was to appear in another later Allen film to make-up for this disappointment, but to date this has yet to occur.


4:00 AM -- PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981)
A traveling salesman's music-inspired dreams lead to tragedy.
Dir: Herbert Ross
Cast: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken
C-108 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Dennis Potter, Best Costume Design -- Bob Mackie, and Best Sound -- Michael J. Kohut, Jay M. Harding, Richard Tyler and Al Overton Jr.

The "pennies" that are seen raining down from heaven were penny sized sequins. After filming, they blew out the stage door, and could be found in the corners in the streets at MGM studios for almost a year.