TCM Schedule for Friday, February 11 -- 31 Days of Oscar -- Any Regrets?

[Staph]

Today continues with the films of decorator Cedric Gibbons. The primetime films feature Oscar-winning and -nominated roles that were first offered to someone else -- someone who undoubtedly regretted turning down the role. I've included the regretful folks in the comments for the films. Enjoy!



4:00am -- Thousands Cheer (1943)
An egotistical acrobat joins the Army and falls in love with his commander's daughter.
Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, Mary Astor, John Boles
Dir: George Sidney
C-125 mins, TV-G

Nominated for Oscars for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color -- Cedric Gibbons, Daniel B. Cathcart, Edwin B. Willis and Jacques Mersereau, Best Cinematography, Color -- George J. Folsey, and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Herbert Stothart

Eleanor Powell's first color film and last MGM film.


6:15am -- National Velvet (1944)
A British farm girl fights to train a difficult horse for the Grand National Steeplechase.
Cast: Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Revere
Dir: Clarence Brown
C-124 mins, TV-G

Won Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Anne Revere, and Best Film Editing -- Robert Kern

Nominated for Oscars for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color -- Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary, Edwin B. Willis and Mildred Griffiths, Best Cinematography, Color -- Leonard Smith, and Best Director -- Clarence Brown

Producer Pandro S. Berman originally did not think that Elizabeth Taylor was right for the role due to the young actress' lack of physical development. In addition to riding lessons, she began eating more and doing "chest enlargement exercises". By the time the casting decisions were made, nature had given young Miss Taylor the necessary inches.


8:30am -- The Yearling (1946)
A Florida boy's pet deer threatens the family farm.
Cast: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman Jr., Chill Wills
Dir: Clarence Brown
C-128 mins, TV-G

Won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color -- Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse and Edwin B. Willis, and Best Cinematography, Color -- Charles Rosher, Leonard Smith and Arthur E. Arling

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Gregory Peck, Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Jane Wyman, Best Director -- Clarence Brown, Best Film Editing -- Harold F. Kress, and Best Picture

Jane Wyman's daughter (Maureen Reagan, then five years old) refused to speak to her for two weeks after she saw the film.


10:45am -- Random Harvest (1942)
A woman's happiness is threatened when she discovers her husband has been suffering from amnesia.
Cast: Ronald Colman, Greer Garson, Philip Dorn, Susan Peters
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
BW-127 mins, TV-G

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Ronald Colman, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Susan Peters, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell, Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore, Best Director -- Mervyn LeRoy, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Herbert Stothart, Best Writing, Screenplay -- George Froeschel, Claudine West and Arthur Wimperis, and Best Picture

In her final years at MGM, Joan Crawford was handed weak scripts in the hopes that she'd break her contract. Two films she hungered to appear in were Random Harvest (1942) and Madame Curie (1943). Both films went to bright new star Greer Garson instead, and Crawford left the studio soon after.


1:00pm -- Quo Vadis (1951)
A Roman commander falls for a Christian slave girl as Nero intensifies persecution of the new religion.
Cast: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, Peter Ustinov
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
C-175 mins, TV-PG

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Leo Genn, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Peter Ustinov, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- William A. Horning, Cedric Gibbons, Edward C. Carfagno and Hugh Hunt, Best Cinematography, Color -- Robert Surtees and William V. Skall, Best Costume Design, Color -- Herschel McCoy, Best Film Editing -- Ralph E. Winters, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Miklós Rózsa, and Best Picture

In An Audience with Peter Ustinov (1988), Ustinov recalled that he had been attached to the role of Nero for over a year before filming began. During this time he received a memo from the producers, informing him that they still wanted him for the part, but were concerned that he was too young. Ustinov replied that Nero died when he was 31; if they waited much longer, he would be too old for the part. He then received a reply, which he said he had kept and treasured. The reply stated: "Historical research has proved you correct."


4:00pm -- Executive Suite (1954)
When a business magnate dies, his board of directors fights over who should run the company.
Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck, Fredric March
Dir: Robert Wise
BW-105 mins, TV-PG

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Nina Foch, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White -- Cedric Gibbons, Edward C. Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis and Emile Kuri, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- George J. Folsey, and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White -- Helen Rose

This was one of the few Hollywood films of the era not to have a musical score. The opening credits are shown to the accompaniment of traffic noises and the tolling of a bell.


5:45pm -- Little Women (1949)
The four daughters of a New England family fight for happiness during and after the Civil War.
Cast: June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
C-122 mins, TV-G

Won an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color -- Robert H. Planck and Charles Edgar Schoenbaum

The basket that 'Margaret O'Brien' carries around in this movie is the same basket that Judy Garland carried in The Wizard of Oz (1939).


7:48pm -- One Reel Wonders: Smart As A Fox (1946)
A fox cub experiences life in the forest.
Narrator: Knox Manning
BW-10 mins

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Gordon Hollingshead


8:00pm -- The Graduate (1967)
A recent college graduate has an affair with his neighbor's wife, then falls for their daughter.
Cast: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, Murray Hamilton
Dir: Mike Nichols
C-106 mins, TV-MA

Won an Oscar for Best Director -- Mike Nichols

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Dustin Hoffman, Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Anne Bancroft, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Katharine Ross, Best Cinematography -- Robert Surtees, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, and Best Picture

Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft were not quickly chosen for the leads of this film. Warren Beatty was originally going to be the lead, but after he did not get the role, Robert Redford was selected. Patricia Neal was considered, but reportedly declined because she was uneasy about playing a lead role so soon after having a stroke.

In Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft's first encounter in the hotel room, Bancroft did not know that Hoffman was going to grab her breast. Hoffman decided off screen to do it, because it reminded him of schoolboys trying to nonchalantly grab girls' breasts in the hall by pretending to put their jackets on. When Hoffman did it onscreen, director Mike Nichols began laughing loudly off screen. Hoffman began to laugh as well, so rather than stop the scene, he turned away from the camera and walked to the wall. Hoffman banged his head on the wall, trying to stop laughing, and Nichols thought it was so funny, he left it in.


10:00pm -- Forrest Gump (1994)
A mentally challenged man stumbles through formative events in U.S. history.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Rebecca Williams, Sally Field, Michael Conner Humphreys
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
C-142 mins, TV-MA

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Tom Hanks, Best Director -- Robert Zemeckis, Best Effects, Visual Effects -- Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum and Allen Hall, Best Film Editing -- Arthur Schmidt, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Eric Roth, and Best Picture

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Gary Sinise, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration -- Rick Carter and Nancy Haigh, Best Cinematography -- Don Burgess, Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing -- Gloria S. Borders and Randy Thom, Best Makeup -- Daniel C. Striepeke, Hallie D'Amore and Judith A. Cory, Best Music, Original Score -- Alan Silvestri, Best Sound -- Randy Thom, Tom Johnson,
Dennis S. Sands and William B. Kaplan

Bill Murray, John Travolta and Chevy Chase turned down the role of Forrest Gump. Travolta later admitted that passing on the role was a mistake.

Tom Hanks signed onto the film after an hour and a half of reading the script but agreed to take the role only on the condition that the film was historically accurate. He initially wanted to ease Forrest's pronounced Southern accent, but was eventually persuaded by director Robert Zemeckis to portray the heavy accent stressed in the novel and patterned his accent after Michael Conner Humphreys (young Forrest) who actually talked that way.


12:30am -- Pretty Woman (1990)
A millionaire turns a streetwalker into a lady for one weekend.
Cast: Shane Ross, Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Ralph Bellamy
Dir: Garry Marshall
C-120 mins, TV-14

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Julia Roberts

Valeria Golino and Molly Ringwald were offered the role of Vivian but turned it down.

Richard Gere is actually playing the piano. He also composed the piece of music that is played.


2:45am -- Cat Ballou (1965)
A prim schoolteacher turns outlaw queen when the railroad steals her land.
Cast: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman
Dir: Elliot Silverstein
C-96 mins, TV-PG

Won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Lee Marvin

Nominated for Oscars for Best Film Editing -- Charles Nelson, Best Music, Original Song -- Jerry Livingston (music) and Mack David (lyrics) for the song "The Ballad of Cat Ballou", Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment -- Frank De Vol, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Walter Newman and Frank Pierson

Kirk Douglas turned down the role of Shaleen.

The film's horse trainer told Elliot Silverstein that the scene where a horse leans against a wall with its front legs crossed could not be shot because horses don't cross their legs, then that it might be possible if he had a couple of days. Silverstein invoked his rank as director and gave him an hour. The trainer plied the horse with sugar cubes while repeatedly pushing its leg into position, and they were able to get the shot. At his acceptance of the Oscar, Lee Marvin opened by saying, "Half of this probably belongs to a horse out in the Valley somewhere".