TCM Schedule for Thursday, December 11 -- Bing Crosby

[Staph]

Today we've got some classic musicals of the 1950s and 1960s (with foreign locales), including Gigi, My Fair Lady, and The King and I. Tonight features the films of Bing Crosby, followed overnight by some of Bob Hope's films. Enjoy!


5:30am -- The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976)
An English lord who had once lived among the Indians returns to save his tribe from ruthless trappers.
Cast: Richard Harris, Gale Sondergaard, Geoffrey Lewis.
Dir: Irvin Kershner.
C-126 mins, TV-14

On account of this film, which George Lucas found to be better than its predecessor, he hired Irvin Kershner to direct Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).


7:45am -- There Goes My Heart (1938)
An heiress takes a job as a department store clerk.
Cast: Fredric March, Virginia Bruce, Patsy Kelly.
Dir: Norman Z. McLeod.
BW-83 mins, TV-G

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring -- Marvin Hatley

According to a New York Times article on 16 October 1938, the Citizen's Chiropractic Committee of New York State sued the film producers, authors and Alan Mowbray for $100,000 claiming damages to the profession. One doctor was very upset that the film implied it was possible to go through a chiropractic school through a correspondence course. The outcome of the suit is not known.


9:15am -- The Spiral Staircase (1945)
A serial killer stalks a mute servant girl in a remote mansion.
Cast: Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore.
Dir: Robert Siodmak.
BW-84 mins, TV-14

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Ethel Barrymore

While this film was based on Ethel Lina White's 1933 novel "Some Must Watch," there are several major differences. In the novel, the maid stalked by the killer was crippled, not mute. It was also set in contemporary England, not early 1900's New England. Finally, the title of the film and the idea of incorporating a "spiral staircase" as a thematic element comes from another source entirely: Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1908 novel "The Circular Staircase."


10:45am -- Gigi (1958)
A Parisian girl is raised to be a kept woman but dreams of love and marriage.
Cast: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli.
C-116 mins, TV-G

Won Oscar Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White or Color -- William A. Horning, E. Preston Ames, Henry Grace and F. Keogh Gleason, Best Cinematography, Color -- Joseph Ruttenberg, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White or Color -- Cecil Beaton, Best Director -- Vincente Minnelli, Best Film Editing -- Adrienne Fazan, Best Music, Original Song -- Frederick Loewe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) for the song "Gigi", Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- André Previn. Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Alan Jay Lerner, and Best Picture

Gaston's walk through Paris while singing "Gigi" uses camera magic to make parts of Paris which are miles apart seem adjacent to each other. This technique, called "creative geography", was created and named by French filmmaker Jean Cocteau.


12:45pm -- My Fair Lady (1964)
A phonetics instructor bets that he can pass a street urchin off as a lady.
Cast: Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn, Stanley Holloway.
Dir: George Cukor.
C-172 mins, TV-G

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Rex Harrison, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton and George James Hopkins, Best Cinematography, Color -- Harry Stradling Sr., Best Costume Design, Color -- Cecil Beaton, Best Director -- George Cukor, Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment -- André Previn, Best Sound -- George Groves (Warner Bros. SSD), and Best Picture

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Stanley Holloway, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Gladys Cooper, Best Film Editing -- William H. Ziegler, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Alan Jay Lerner

One of only four productions to win the Best Play Tony (1957) and the Best Picture Oscar (1964). The other three are The Sound of Music (1960/1965), A Man For All Seasons (1962/1966) and Amadeus (1981/1984).

Because of the way Rex Harrison talked his way through the musical numbers, they were unable to prerecord them and have him lip-sync, so a wireless microphone (one of the first ever developed) was rigged up and hidden under his tie. However, this meant that his mouth and words were completely in sync and everyone else's looked off, since they were lip-syncing (when everyone is lip-syncing, it's not that noticeable). The studio thought that this was too obvious so they altered Harrison's soundtrack, lengthening and shortening notes in various places so that his synchronicity is slightly off like all the other actors.


3:45pm -- The King and I (1956)
The king of Siam clashes with the British governess hired to teach his children.
Cast: Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno.
Dir: Walter Lang.
C-133 mins, TV-G

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Yul Brynner, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox, Best Costume Design, Color -- Irene Sharaff, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Alfred Newman and Ken Darby, Best Sound, Recording -- Carlton W. Faulkner (20th Century-Fox SSD)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Deborah Kerr, Best Cinematography, Color -- Leon Shamroy, Best Director -- Walter Lang, Best Picture

The reality of the "Shall We Dance" sequence was that Deborah Kerr suffered continual bruising from the hoops in her skirt, and Yul Brynner - a heavy chain-smoker who had already lost a lung to his habit - had to take oxygen in between takes.


6:00pm -- Summer And Smoke (1961)
A small-town spinster's repressed love for the local rebel spells danger.
Cast: Geraldine Page, Laurence Harvey, Una Merkel.
Dir: Peter Glenville.
C-118 mins, TV-PG

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Geraldine Page, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Una Merkel, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Hal Pereira, Walter H. Tyler, Sam Comer and Arthur Krams, and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Elmer Bernstein

The original Broadway play "Summer and Smoke" by Tennessee Williams opened Oct. 6, 1948 at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 102 performances.


What's On Tonight: TCM PRIME TIME FEATURE: BING CROSBY


8:00pm -- The Bells Of St. Mary's (1945)
A liberal priest tries to soften the strict nun running a boys' school.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers.
Dir: Leo McCarey.
BW-126 mins, TV-G

Won an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Stephen Dunn (RKO Radio SSD)

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Bing Crosby, Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Ingrid Bergman, Best Director -- Leo McCarey, Best Film Editing -- Harry Marker, Best Music, Original Song -- Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics) for the song "Aren't You Glad You're You", Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Robert Emmett Dolan, and Best Picture

The production was overseen by a Catholic priest who served as an advisor during the shooting. While the final farewell sequence was being filmed, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman decided to play a prank on him. They asked director Leo McCarey to allow one more take, and, as "Father O'Malley" and "Sister Benedict" said their last goodbyes, they embraced in a passionate kiss, while the offscreen priest-advisor jumped up roaring in protest.


10:15pm -- Pennies From Heaven (1936)
A singer gets mixed up with a grieving family and a haunted house.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Madge Evans, Louis Armstrong.
Dir: Norman Z. McLeod.
BW-81 mins, TV-G

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Arthur Johnston (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics) for the song "Pennies from Heaven (1936)".

Louis Armstrong was hired for this movie at Bing Crosby's insistence. Crosby also insisted that Armstrong receive prominent billing, the first time a black actor shared top billing with white actors in a major release film.


11:45pm -- High Society (1956)
In this musical version of The Philadelphia Story, tabloid reporters invade a society wedding.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra.
Dir: Charles Walters.
C-107 mins, TV-PG

Nominated for Oscars for Best Music, Original Song -- Cole Porter for the song "True Love", and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin

Grace Kelly, recently engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco, wore her actual engagement ring for as character's engagement ring. This was her last feature film before retiring from acting.


1:45am -- Road to Bali (1952)
Two song-and-dance men on the run dive for treasure while competing for a beautiful princess.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour.
Dir: Hal Walker.
C-91 mins, TV-G

This was the only "Road" picture of the seven to be photographed in Technicolor. Ten years later, the British-made "Hong Kong" finale would revert to black and white.


3:30am -- A Global Affair (1964)
A U.N. official tries to locate the mother of an abandoned baby.
Cast: Bob Hope, Yvonne De Carlo, Robert Sterling.
Dir: Jack Arnold.
BW-84 mins, TV-G

Final feature film of Robert Sterling, best known for playing the ghost George Kirby in the television series Topper (1953).

[Staph]

1. THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE: The Essentials

SYNOPSIS

Helen, a young woman working in a mansion owned by bedridden Mrs. Warren, has been mute since she was a child and saw her parents burned to death in their home. Dr. Parry, the new young physician in town, is convinced she can be cured and plans to take her to Boston to see specialists. Before he can do so, he's called away on a medical emergency, leaving Helen at the mansion with her employer, the invalid's shady son, the old woman's stepson and his secretary, a cranky nurse, and a couple of untrustworthy servants. One by one, most of them leave the house for one reason or another. Outside, a thunderstorm rages and a deranged killer, who has been murdering disabled young women, is on the loose. When Helen finds the secretary dead in the basement at the bottom of the spiral staircase, she realizes the killer is in the house with her. But being mute, how will she signal for help?

Director: Robert Siodmak
Producer: Dore Schary
Screenplay: Mel Dinelli, based on the novel Some Must Watch by Ethel Lina White
Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Editing: Harry Gerstad, Harry Marker
Art Direction: Albert S. D'Agostino, Jack Okey
Original Music: Roy Webb
Cast: Dorothy McGuire (Helen Capel), Ethel Barrymore (Mrs. Warren), George Brent (Professor Warren), Kent Smith (Dr. Parry), Rhonda Fleming (Blanche), Elsa Lanchester (Mrs. Oates).
BW-84m.


Why THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE is Essential

The Spiral Staircase could be a blueprint for constructing the standard gothic thriller. There is almost no device or cliché of the genre left untouched in the course of its 84 minutes - an old dark house full of sinister noises and cobwebbed recesses, thunderstorms, banging shutters, menacing glances, dire warnings, candle-snuffing gusts of wind, doors and windows mysteriously opened or closed, and potential rescuers eliminated one by one, leaving the menaced heroine ever more vulnerable. Combining all of these clichés together and exploiting them for maximum effect with a first rate cast and crew, The Spiral Staircase created a sensation in its day. And the movie still holds a special allure for many viewers who remember it as one of their most frightening early movie experiences. Part of its effectiveness is due to offbeat visual touches - close-ups of the killer's stalking eye, subjective point-of-view shots, skewed camera angles, the use of multiple mirrors and painted portraits on the walls that stand as silent witnesses to the creepy occurrences.

Unlike films whose importance and appeal arises from their prominence in the career of a particular actor or director, The Spiral Staircase is a perfect example of the studio system operating at the peak of its power with strong producers putting their stamp on a project from the beginning and gathering the best talent to bring it to life. In this case, the project started out with that most exacting of producers, David O. Selznick, and many film analysts have said they can see his fingerprints all over the movie. From Selznick, the project passed into the hands of another strong-willed producer who was then just beginning to make a name for himself, Dore Schary. He pulled much of the cast and crew from RKO's highly creative B-picture unit to create a film that, from the first horrifying murder, rarely veers away from its mission to terrify.

If any one individual can be credited with what makes The Spiral Staircase essential, it wouldn't be the lead Dorothy McGuire (whose performance as a mute innocent stalked by a deranged killer was critically praised). Nor would it necessarily be producer Dore Schary or director Robert Siodmak (whose careers were boosted tremendously by this film's success). That distinction would more likely go to Nicholas Musuraca, one of the top cinematographers in his field. Musuraca's work here draws on the atmospheric effects he put to even greater use in such noted film noirs as Stranger on the Third Floor <1940> and Out of the Past <1947> and in the moody horror pictures of Val Lewton's legendary B unit at RKO (Cat People <1942>, The Seventh Victim <1943>). His prowling camera, deep focus, and meticulously crafted lighting is what makes The Spiral Staircase an indelible viewing experience.

by Rob Nixon

[Matilda]

2. I've never seen "Summer and Smoke",

but I'd like to. I checked out Quickflix, but it's not there. I don't recall ever seeing it listed
on TCM here, but I'll keep an eye out - sometimes we do follow similar scheduling to the US.

Funny, when I was young and Laurence Harvey was young, he didn't appeal to me at all. Now I'm older,
I really enjoy the films he made in the fifties and early sixties. He was good; much better than I
ever realised at the time. (My only excuse is that I was young and silly.)