TCM Schedule for Friday, July 3 -- Directed by Sam Fuller

[Staph]

After finishing up the great films of 1939, we get some movies about children, and an evening of one of the directors missed in our month of great directors, Sam Fuller. Enjoy!


5:15am -- The Story Of Vernon And Irene Castle (1939)
True story of the dancing team who taught the world to two-step.
Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, Walter Brennan
Dir: H. C. Potter
BW-94 mins, TV-G


7:00am -- Idiot's Delight (1939)
A hoofer and a fake Russian countess are caught behind enemy lines at the outbreak of World War II.
Cast: Norma Shearer, Clark Gable, Edward Arnold, Charles Coburn
Dir: Clarence Brown
BW-110 mins, TV-G


9:00am -- Bachelor Mother (1939)
A fun-loving shop girl is mistaken for the mother of a foundling.
Cast: Ginger Rogers, David Niven, Charles Coburn, Frank Albertson
Dir: Garson Kanin
BW-82 mins, TV-G

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Felix Jackson


10:30am -- The Little Princess (1939)
When her father is reported dead in war, his daughter fights harsh conditions at her boarding school.
Cast: Shirley Temple, Richard Greene, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter
Dir: Walter Lang
C-93 mins, TV-G


12:15pm -- Candleshoe (1977)
A street urchin infiltrates a noblewoman's impoverished household in search of hidden treasure.
Cast: David Niven, Helen Hayes, Jodie Foster, Leo McKern
Dir: Norman Tokar
C-101 mins, TV-PG


2:00pm -- Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
An unscrupulous millionaire tries to catch two mysterious children with super powers.
Cast: Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Kim Richards
Dir: John Hough
C-97 mins, TV-G


4:00pm -- Return From Witch Mountain (1978)
A mad scientist kidnaps an alien teen with amazing powers.
Cast: Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann
Dir: John Hough
C-94 mins, TV-G


5:37pm -- Short Film: From The Vaults: Cairo Theatre Opening: MGM Big Parade Hits For '40 (1940)
Cairo's first MGM theatre opening, with introduction from Mr. Lewis Stone followed by samples of upcoming pictures.
Cast: Lewis Stone
BW-23 mins


6:00pm -- The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
A Kansas farm girl dreams herself into a magical land where she must fight a wicked witch to escape.
Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Dir: Victor Fleming
C-102 mins, TV-G

Won Oscars for Best Music, Original Score -- Herbert Stothart, and Best Music, Original Song -- Harold Arlen (music) and E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) for the song "Over the Rainbow"

Nominated for Oscars for Best Art Direction -- Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning, Best Cinematography, Color -- Harold Rosson, Best Effects, Special Effects -- A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic) and Douglas Shearer (sound), and Best Picture


What's On Tonight: TCM PRIME TIME FEATURE: DIRECTED BY SAM FULLER


8:00pm -- I Shot Jesse James (1949)
After shooting his best friend, an outlaw tries to cope with guilt.
Cast: Preston Foster, Barbara Britton, John Ireland, Reed Hadley
Dir: Samuel Fuller
BW-81 mins, TV-PG


9:30pm -- The Baron Of Arizona (1950)
A swindler forges documents to make himself the owner of an entire state.
Cast: Vincent Price, Ellen Drew, Vladimir Sokoloff, Beulah Bondi
Dir: Samuel Fuller
BW-97 mins, TV-PG


11:15pm -- The Steel Helmet (1951)
Americans trapped behind enemy lines fight off Communists during the Korean War.
Cast: Robert Hutton, Steve Brodie, James Edwards, Richard Loo
Dir: Samuel Fuller
BW-84 mins, TV-14


1:00am -- The Men Who Made the Movies: Sam Fuller (2002)
Film clips and an exclusive interview capture the genius of Sam Fuller, one of Hollywood's most rebellious and original directors.
Dir: Richard Schickel
BW-55 mins, TV-14


2:00am -- Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982)
An obsessed young woman launches an all-girl rock band.
Cast: Diane Lane, Ray Winstone, Peter Donat, David Clennon
Dir: Lou Adler
C-88 mins, TV-MA


3:30am -- Don't Knock the Rock (1956)
A disc jockey fights prejudice against rock 'n' roll and the kids who dance to it.
Cast: Bill Haley and His Comets, Alan Dale, Alan Freed, The Treniers
Dir: Fred F. Sears
BW-85 mins, TV-G


5:00am -- Short Film: Age 13 (1955)
A troubled teen deals with the death of his mother and ill treatment by his stepfather.
Cast: Michael Keslin
Dir: Arthur Swerdloff
C-27 mins, TV-G


5:30am -- Short Film: The Trouble Maker (1959)
In this educational film, a student attempts to cause problems for others around him
BW-12 mins, TV-G


5:45am -- The Relaxed Wife (1957)
The modern miracle of tranquilizers helps working men and their wives deal with life's little problems.
C-13 mins, TV-G

[Staph]

1. Idiot's Delight (1939)

An MGM offering with the delightful talents of Clark Gable and Norma Shearer under the direction of Clarence Brown, Idiot's Delight was a unique film for 1939. Made under the specter of fascism in Europe, the film is essentially a plea for pacifism. Still, Robert Sherwood altered the screenplay from his own stage play quite a bit by adding an extensive prologue, toning down the anti-war dialogue, eliminating any mention of Germany, stressing the romance, and adding a happy ending. Producer Hunt Stromberg figured that audiences wouldn't be too happy with the play's ending which left it unclear whether or not the two lead characters survive a climactic bombing sequence. MGM filmed two endings for the film, one for American audiences and another that was more spiritual and optimistic for international audiences who might be disturbed by the war clouds forming over European skies.

One casualty of the pre-war setting is the munitions manufacturer, played by veteran character actor Edward Arnold. The villain of the story is a business mogul without ethics, determined to make as much money as possible. Of course, the Arnold character wasn't meant to represent all munitions manufacturers, many of whom were close personal friends of MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer. But the timing of the film's release is particularly interesting, because audiences saw Idiot's Delight on the eve of America's entry into World War II. When it came time for war machine manufacturers to prepare the Allied warriors for battle, it would have been unusual, not to mention unpatriotic, to cast a munitions manufacturer as a villain. But in this pre-war film, it is the greedy businessmen who are blamed for the war, not fascist nations. Granted, the story takes place during World War I, but audiences understood that the real-life impending war was roughly analogous to that Great War.

Even though he was initially reluctant, Clark Gable agreed to dance and sing in the "Puttin' on the Ritz" musical sequence. He rehearsed the number for six weeks with choreographer George King and studied the early movies of Broadway musical legend George M. Cohan. Still, Gable worried about appearing clumsy, dancing around in his size 11-C shoes. So, at Gable's insistence, MGM studio cops stood guard outside the gate of the soundstage to prevent unwanted visitors from witnessing any potentially embarrassing moments. This was the first and last time he would dance in front of a movie camera. Gable's fiancee, the beautiful Carole Lombard, practiced with him off the set. Later on in 1939, Clark Gable starred in a little movie with Vivien Leigh that was set during the Civil War. Fortunately for Gable, the role of Rhett Butler did not require much fancy footwork, other than what was needed in winning over Scarlett O'Hara.

Director: Clarence Brown
Producer: Clarence Brown, Hunt Stromberg
Screenplay: Robert E. Sherwood
Cinematography: William Daniels
Editor: Robert J. Kern
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons
Music: Herbert Stothart
Cast: Norma Shearer (Irene Fellara), Clark Gable (Harry Van), Edward Arnold (Achille Weber), Charles Coburn (Dr. Hugo Waldersee), Joseph Schildkraut (Capt. Kirvline).
BW-111m. Closed captioning.

by Scott McGee