Summer Under The Stars Viewing Guide: 8/25-8/31

It’s the final week of TCM’s Summer Under The Stars festival. And so, without further ado, here are my picks for the week.

8/25: Dustin Hoffman

I’m a sucker for Tootsie, the brilliant gender bending comedy. And normally that would be my pick for Dustin Hoffman’s SUTS day. But I decided to go in a completely different direction and pick Marathon Man. It remains one of the most effective thrillers ever made. Hoffman has a rich cast around him include Sir Laurence Olivier and Roy Scheider. Just don’t watch it before going to the dentist.

8/26: Mary Astor

Mary Astor never gets enough credit for what a great actress she was in my humble opinion. So I’m thrilled she’s getting some recognition this year. And my pick is the film where she first made a real impression on me. That would be the iconic film noir The Maltese Falcon. Astor shines as the femme fatale, one of the characters after the valuable black bird referenced in the title. She holds her own alongside the likes of Bogie, Sydney Green Street and Peter Lorre. John Huston’s directorial debut remains one of the moodiest and most effective crime stories ever put on film.

8/27: Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan is an unsung hero of the Golden Age of Hollywood. A endlessly talented character actor. While he often made a name for himself in westerns, for his SUTS day my recommendation is To Have And Have Not. The film is most famous for Bogie and Bacall falling in love during its production. And you can feel their instant chemistry in every frame of the movie. Brennan adds to the cast of colorful characters they meet along the way.

8/28: June Allyson

For June Allyson’s SUTS day, I have to go with Executive Suite. A rich ensemble piece directed by Robert Wise, it’s a fascinating look at corporate intrigue and how people endeavor to climb up the ladder. The cast is one of the best ever assembled for a movie: Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Frederic March, Shelley Winters… It feels like a precursor to the TV show Mad Men in a lot of ways. Except in this case the setting is the office of a manufacturing company instead of an advertising agency.

8/29: Paul Lukas

Paul Lukas’ most famous movie might well be Watch on the Rhine. But it’s not my favorite from his filmography. That honor goes to The Lady Vanishes. A late 30s masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock, The Lady Vanishes tells the fascinating story of a playgirl traveling in Europe who is convinced an elderly woman has disappeared on the train. Did the woman actually vanish or is the girl crazy? In typical Hitchock style, the resolution involves incredible twists and turns and it keeps you guessing right until the end.

8/30: Susan Hayward

I’m honestly surprised I Want to Live wasn’t included in the day devoted to Susan Hayward. But I digress. If you watch one film on her day, make it the top notch but sadly rarely screened House of Strangers. It’s a very effective family melodrama about recently released prisoner Max (Richard Conte) and his quest to take revenge on his brothers for betraying him. Hayward plays his love interest Irene, who helps him get perspective on his situation. Bonus? You also get Edward G. Robinson in this movie. That is always cause for celebration in my eyes.

8/31: Kirk Douglas

Summer Under The Stars goes out with a bang this year. The last featured star is Kirk Douglas. Still with us at the ripe old age of 103, Douglas’ resume is loaded with some of the best movies ever made. A big part of me wanted to choose Spartacus. It’s significant not just as a sweeping Kubrick epic, but for it’s part in ending the infamous Hollywood Black List. But my pick is Lust For Life. It’s easy to go overboard in a biopic. But Kirk Douglas is pitch perfect in Lust For Life. He brings the genius and the pain of Vincent Van Gogh to the screen in a way that’s so effective it moves me to tears even after repeat viewings. The movie does justice to Van Gogh the brilliant artist as well as Van Gogh the tortured soul. Many movies have been made about famous artists. But few have been as accurate about the creative process and the struggle of finding your artistic voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Under The Stars Viewing Guide: 8/18-8/24

It’s hard to believe we’re over halfway through the TCM Summer Under The Stars festival. Best to cram in as much great viewing as possible the last few weeks. Here’s my viewing guide for this week.

8/18: Audrey Hepburn

There is a plethora of great movies on Audrey Hepburn’s day. You have My Fair Lady, Funny Face, Charade, etc. But my pick for her SUTS day is a thriller she made called Wait Until Dark. Hepburn is so convincingly vulnerable that every second she’s is danger is agonizing. The third act is one of the best ever filmed for a thriller. And Alan Arkin is at his best playing the maniacal villain.

8/19: Buster Keaton

Before I offer my pick for Buster Keaton day, just let me say this. Watch as many of his films as you possibly can. The man was a genius. He pulled off stunts that I still can’t believe were possible in the early days of cinema. That being said, my selection is The General. There’s some amazing stunt work with a train at the end that will blow your mind.

8/20: Dorothy McGuire

For the SUTS day dedicated to Dorothy McGuire, I recommend A Summer Place. Is it melodramatic at times? Yes. Is it a bit of a soap opera? Yes. But it’s a very entertaining soap opera. And it’s also just a great movie to watch during the summertime. Plus it gives Sandra Dee an opportunity to really showcase her acting chops. Dee was capable of playing more than just cookie cutter good girls.

8/21: Joel McCrea

Joel McCrea is a person whose SUTS day I marked on my calendar as soon as the schedule was released. He was equally capable at doing dramas and screwball comedies. And it’s a screwball comedy that I have chosen. It’s Preston Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels. McCrea plays a Hollywood director whose fed up with making the same, predictable happy movies over and over. He disguises himself as a hobo and goes out into the world to learn about suffering. Along the way he teams up with Veronica Lake. For a screwball comedy, Sullivan’s Travels has a lot of insight and heart. It’s one of the deepest comedies you will ever see.

8/22: Leila Hyams

Leila Hyams is a first year SUTS honoree. And for her day, I recommend Tod Browning’s cult classic Freaks. It tells the backstage drama of a troupe of circus performers. Trapeze artist Cleopatra takes an interest in sideshow performer Hans. But it turns out she’s less interested in Hans than she is in Hans’ money. Freaks is weird, challenging and one of the most compelling cult movies I have ever seen.

8/23: Fred Astaire

If you love movies with great dancing, then you’re going to love day 23 of Summer Under The Stars. That day is devoted to the one and only Fred Astaire. I know it’s predictable to pick an Astaire and Rogers movie. But my favorite pairing of their is in the lineup. It’s Top Hat. Along with the great title number, Top Hat features Cheek to Cheek. That’s the number Rogers filmed in the infamous feather dress. The formula for Top Hat is the same as the other pairings of Astaire and Rogers pictures. They annoy each other at first. Then they fall in love and there’s some great dancing along the way. But Top Hat just has a special charm to me. Part of that I think is because it has some of the best songs of any of their movies. And that’s saying something.

8/24: Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine is an actress that I still don’t think gets enough credit for how versatile she is. She can do melodramatic comedies like Steel Magnolias, dramas like Terms of Endearment…and she can also sing and dance. That is range! So my selection for her SUTS day is Sweet Charity. MacClaine’s character is a taxi dancer who stays optimistic, despite life, especially her love life, constantly disappointing her. The movie was also directed by theater legend Bob Fosse and features costumes designed by Edith Head. It earned a few Oscar nominations. But it still deserves more recognition.

Happy viewing!

Summer Under The Stars Viewing Guide: 8/11-8/17

We’re almost into week two of TCM’s Summer Under The Stars Festival. I hope you’re enjoying time with new honorees as well as old favorites. Here are my viewing suggestions for week 2.

8/11: Humphrey Bogart

Regular readers of this blog know that Bogie is my favorite actor ever. I circled his day on my calendar right away. Truthfully there’s not a bad film to watch on his SUTS day. But if you twist my arm and make me pick just one movie to watch that day, I will recommend The African Queen. The story of the film’s production is almost as entertaining as the film itself. It gave Bogart the opportunity to act opposite another screen legend (Katharine Hepburn) and it earned  him a long overdue Oscar.

8/12: Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern may have made a name for herself with the films where she played Maisie. But my selection for her SUTS day is a film noir that was way ahead of it’s time: The Blue Gardenia. Sothern plays one of Anne Baxter’s roommates. The Blue Gardenia deals frankly with sexual assault (in this case an attempted sexual assault) and the impact it has on the victim. Bonus? The villain is played by Raymond Burr. Before he made a name for himself as good guy Perry Mason, he played a lot of scumbags in noir films.

8/13: Brian Donlevy

For the SUTS day devoted to Brian Donlevy, I really went back and forth. Part of me wanted to go with Impact!. There’s also The Glass Key, Beau Geste, and many other quality options. But I went with a cult science fiction film instead. My choice is The Quatermass Xperiment. In it, Donlevy plays Bernard Quatermass, a scientist who is the head of the British science programme. In The Quatermass Xperiment, Quatermass’ manned rocket ship returns to Earth. But two of the astronauts are missing and the one survivor appears ill and can no longer communicate. Not only that, but the survivor starts to slowly transform into a monster. It’s an intriguing story with some solid early science fiction special effects.

8/14: Liv Ullmann

Liv Ullmann has quite a few great movies to choose from on her day. But my choice is the Ingmar Bergman classic Persona. Ullmann’s character, Elisabet, is an actress who mysteriously goes mute one day while performing on stage. She is nearly catatonic the next day. There is no medical reason for what’s wrong with her. Elisabet is put in the care of a nurse named Alma (Bibi Andersson).  During their time together, Alma ends up telling Elisabet her life story and Elisabet’s therapy sessions turn out to be therapy sessions for Alma. Describing this film makes it sound boring. But it’s not. It’s a fascinating character study.

8/15: Rod Steiger

Rod Steiger is a first time SUTS honoree in 2019. And for his day I have to recommend Norman Jewison’s In The Heat Of The Night. While the film is most famous for Sidney Poitier’s iconic character of Virgil Tibbs, Steiger has plenty of moments to shine as well. Steiger plays Gillespie, a seemingly on the surface stereotypical southern police officer. But there’s much more to Gillespie than meets the eye. Poitier and Steiger have wonderful chemistry together. And the movie doesn’t shy away from tackling the issue of racism. It’s just as powerful 51 years after its release.

8/16: Irene Dunne

Irene Dunne was one of the great firebrand women of the 30s. Perhaps my favorite movie of hers is the screwball comedy The Awful Truth. Dunne and Cary Grant play a married couple that begins divorce proceedings based merely on suspicion. Once the divorce is finalized, they each go to insane lengths to ruin the other’s chance to get remarried. My favorite subplot is how Grant demands visitation rights so he can see the couple’s dog. The dog would later play Asta in The Thin Man.

8/17: Errol Flynn

Errol Flynn is best known for his swashbuckling movies. And while I adore both Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, I have to go with the movie that solidified his status as a swashbuckling legend: The Adventures of Robin Hood. Shot in vibrant technicolor, Flynn dazzles as the title character who is a tireless warrior of the people. And Flynn isn’t the only icon in this picture. There’s Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and even Claude Rains! If you love a good sword fight and a rollicking adventure, then you can’t do much better than The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Enjoy all the great viewing of week two!

 

Summer Under The Stars Viewing Guide: 8/5-8/10

August is upon us. And with that comes the Summer Under The Stars Festival on Turner Classic Movies. Each day a different star is featured for 24 hours. With so many movies to choose from each day, I figured I would give some recommendations to get you started. So, without further adieu, here is my viewing guide for the first full week.

8/5: Melvyn Douglas

This year Melvyn Douglas is being honored for the first time. This is long overdue! If you watch one movie on his SUTS day, make it Ninotchka. Featuring not just the charismatic Douglas, but a brilliant comedic performance by Greta Garbo, this is one of the sharpest screwball comedies ever made. It also features the famous scene where Douglas gets Garbo to laugh. My bonus pick that day is Being There, a brilliant political satire that is particularly relevant in our current political climate. Douglas gets to share the screen with comedic legend Peter Sellers.

8/6: Lena Horne

Tuesday is devoted to Lena Horne, a woman decades ahead of her time. An actress as well as a singer/dancer/civil rights activist, Horne left quite a mark on society and popular culture. For the day dedicated to her, I would recommend Stormy Weather. It not only showcases Lena Horne, but many other prominent African American entertainers of the time. The plot is thin. It involves Bill Williamson (legendary tap dancer Bill Robinson) reminiscing about his career. The film is then a retrospective of performances that allows us to see Horne and Robinson, as well as the Nicholas Brothers, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway. It’s a great showcase for talents that weren’t appreciated enough at the time.

8/7: James Stewart

On Wednesday we get 24 hours of iconic everyman James Stewart. I have to be honest. Any film of his you turn on will be worth your time. He was that great of an actor. But if you have time for only one, I recommend the good-hearted comedy Harvey. According to Internet Movie Database, Stewart stated in many interviews that the character of Elwood P. Dowd was his favorite character. Elwood is an alcoholic (although we very rarely see him drinking because of the production code) whose best friend is an imaginary large rabbit named Harvey. Everyone around him thinks he’s crazy. And some of his family members try to get him locked up. But Stewart makes the cooky character lovable and the most observant character in the movie. It’s fascinating how he sees what others don’t, despite the fact that he’s painted as the crazy one. Harvey is as quirky as it is touching and hilarious.

8/8: Ava Gardner

Thursday is a marathon of Ava Gardner movies. While her career was short, she made some solid movies while she could. The cream of the crop is the film noir classic The Killers. It’s here that Gardner proves to be much more than just a pretty face. In Kitty Collins, Gardner creates one of the greatest femme fatales in the history of the genre. Her chemistry with Burt Lancaster is fantastic, which makes the movie all the more compelling. Add to that the brilliant direction of film noir veteran Robert Siodmak, and you’ve got a potent mystery that you can’t turn away from.

8/9: Red Skelton

I have to be completely honest. Red Skeleton has never been my cup of tea. That being said, I do admire Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban. So my pick for Skeleton’s day is Neptune’s Daughter. It’s a screwball comedy where Williams plays a swimsuit fashion designer who wants to protect her scatterbrained sister from getting her heart broken by a South American heartthrob (Ricardo Montalban). Williams mistakes Skelton for the the heartthrob. And Skelton goes along with it. But then she meets the real thing. Williams ends up falling in love with Montalban. There are a few good gags along the way. It’s not the greatest movie ever made. But if you want a good diversion, it will do the trick.

8/10: Rita Moreno

Another first time honoree this year is the multi-talented Rita Moreno. I’m honestly surprised honoring someone of her caliber has taken this long. But better late than never. My pick that day is the film that won her an Oscar: West Side Story. It’s an iconic movie musical and for good reason. While Natalie Wood may have gotten top billing, it’s Moreno along with George Chakiris who steal the show. Moreno plays Anita, sister to Maria (Wood) and girlfriend to Bernardo (Chakiris), who is also the leader of the gang known as the Sharks. You know the story by now. It’s a modern take on Romeo and Juliet with the waring families being replaced by the rival gangs of the Jets and the Sharks. Moreno stands out because of her acting chops as well as her killer dance moves. Here we get to see that Moreno is a triple threat: a singer, dancer and actress. Anita could not have been cast any better. Moreno is absolutely mesmerizing. You real feel everything is happening to her, both the good and the tragic. It’s a brilliant performance.

That’s my guide to week one! See you next week.