TCM Schedule for Thursday, April 14 -- Bob's Picks

[Staph]

Happy birthdays to Julie Christie, born on this day in 1941 in Assam, India, and to Rod Steiger, born on this day in 1925 in Westhampton, NY. We have a day of their films, including their only co-starring turn in Doctor Zhivago (1965). And in primetime, we have more of Robert Osborne's favorite films. Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- Far From the Madding Crowd (1967)
A romantic English lass can't choose among three very different suitors.
Cast: Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates.
Dir: John Schlesinger.
C-171 min, TV-14

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Music Score -- Richard Rodney Bennett

Future Fairport Convention band member David Swarbrick can be seen playing a fiddle during the barn dance scene.


9:00 AM -- Billy Liar (1963)
An emotionally stunted clerk retreats into his fantasies.
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Mona Washbourne, Julie Christie.
Dir: John Schlesinger.
99 min, TV-PG

Keith Waterhouse wrote the novel "Billy Liar" inspired by the cartoon story "Walter Mitty" by James Thurber.


10:45 AM -- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Illicit lovers fight to stay together during the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution.
Cast: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger.
Dir: David Lean.
C-200 min, TV-PG

Won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- John Box, Terence Marsh and Dario Simoni, Best Cinematography, Color -- Freddie Young, Best Costume Design, Color -- Phyllis Dalton, Best Music, Score - Substantially Original -- Maurice Jarre, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Robert Bolt

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Tom Courtenay, Best Director -- David Lean, Best Film Editing -- Norman Savage, Best Sound -- A.W. Watkins (M-G-M British SSD) and Franklin Milton (M-G-M SSD), and Best Picture

After a month went by with Marlon Brando failing to respond to David Lean's written inquiry into whether he wanted to play Viktor Komarovsky, he offered the part to James Mason, who accepted. Lean, who had wanted to cast Brando as Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and offered him roles in Ryan's Daughter (1970/I) and his unmade "Nostromo", decided on Mason as he did not want an actor to overpower the character of Yuri Zhivago. Mason eventually dropped out and Rod Steiger accepted the role. Steiger eventually would be involved in the filming of "Dr. Zhivago" for the better part of a year, which may have been a reason that both Brando and Mason shunned the role.


2:15 PM -- Now Playing April (2011)
19 min, TV-PG


2:45 PM -- The Loved One (1965)
An Englishman in Hollywood moves into the funeral business.
Cast: Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger.
Dir: Tony Richardson.
121 min, TV-PG

After WWII, Evelyn Waugh came to Hollywood to work on a movie adaptation of his novel "Brideshead Revisited". While in Hollywood he went to a funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Waugh was offended by the pretense of both the American film industry and the American funeral industry, and wove the two together into the novel on which this film was based.


5:00 PM -- In the Heat of the Night (1967)
A black police detective from the North forces a bigoted Southern sheriff to accept his help with a murder investigation.
Cast: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates.
Dir: Norman Jewison.
C-110 min, TV-14

Won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Rod Steiger, Best Film Editing -- Hal Ashby, Best Sound -- (Samuel Goldwyn SSD), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Stirling Silliphant, and Best Picture

Nominated for Oscars for Best Director -- Norman Jewison, and Best Effects, Sound Effects -- James Richard

Rod Steiger was asked by director Norman Jewison to chew gum when playing the part. He resisted at first but then grew to love the idea,and eventually went through 263 packs of gum during the shooting of the film.


7:00 PM -- Private Screenings: Norman Jewison (2007)
Director Norman Jewison discusses his life and career with TCM host Robert Osborne.
C-60 min, TV-PG

Canadian Jewison hitchhiked across the Deep South region of the US at age 18; he was struck by its apartheid-like, strictly enforced racial segregation. He considers The Hurricane (1999) the last in a trilogy of racial injustice movies he's directed, the first two being In the Heat of the Night (1967) and A Soldier's Story (1984). Jewison cast a then largely unknown Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Story", then coupled him with Rod Steiger in The Hurricane (1999).


WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: BOB'S PICKS


8:00 PM -- The Glass Key (1942)
A hired gun and his gangster boss fall out over a woman.
Cast: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Brian Donlevy.
Dir: Stuart Heisler.
85 min, TV-14

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on July 22, 1946 with Alan Ladd reprising his film role.


9:45 PM -- The Guardsman (1931)
A jealous husband dons a disguise to test his wife's fidelity.
Cast: Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Roland Young.
Dir: Sidney Franklin.
82 min, TV-G

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Alfred Lunt, and Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Lynn Fontanne

On the final day of filming, MGM head of production Irving Thalberg, informed the Lunts that they would be required to re-shoot what Thalberg thought was an unsatisfactory scene. The Lunts protested because they thought they had done their best but were finally coerced into re-shooting the scene. When Thalberg saw the newly shot footage he accused Alfred Lunt of purposely crossing his eye as to sabotage the re-shoot. Lunt replied that he couldn't do that on purpose and the reason why the eye was wandering was because of fatigue. Before Thalberg could ask for another re-shoot, Lunt went to the studio barber to get a haircut, making it impossible to re-shoot anymore.


11:15 PM -- Stage Door Canteen (1943)
A USO girl defies the rules when she falls for a soldier visiting the star-studded Stage Door Canteen.
Cast: Cheryl Walker, William Terry, Katharine Hepburn.
Dir: Frank Borzage.
131 min, TV-G

Nominated for Oscars for Best Music, Original Song -- James V. Monaco (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics) for the song "We Mustn't Say Good Bye", and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Freddie Rich

This movie features the only ever on-screen appearance of the famed actress Katharine Cornell.


1:30 AM -- The Pirate (1948)
An actor poses as a notorious pirate to court a romantic Caribbean girl.
Cast: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Gladys Cooper.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli.
C-102 min, TV-PG

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Lennie Hayton

Gene Kelly fought to get The Nicholas Brothers (Fayard Nicholas and Harold Nicholas) included in the movie. When one dance sequence was being rehearsed, Harold Nicholas was just going through the motions, and Gene Kelly accused him of not knowing the routine - so Nicholas danced the whole routine, alone, full-out and flawlessly. Kelly was speechless.


3:30 AM -- Born to Dance (1936)
A sailor on leave helps a young dancer make it to the top on Broadway.
Cast: Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Virginia Bruce.
Dir: Roy Del Ruth.
106 min, TV-G

Nominated for Oscars for Best Dance Direction -- Dave Gould for "Swingin' the Jinx", and Best Music, Original Song -- Cole Porter for the song "I've Got You Under My Skin".

Cole Porter picked James Stewart for the male lead and later said he sang "Easy to Love" as well as any professional singer. A dubbing track was prepared with baritone Jack Owens, but it was decided that Stewart's tenor voice was perfect for the song. In That's Entertainment! (1974), Stewart said, "The song had become a huge hit, even my singing wouldn't hurt it."