TCM Schedule for Friday, December 22, 2017 -- What's On Tonight: Christmas Double Feature

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, it's a all musicals - all the time. Then in prime time, it's the next to last of the TCM Christmas Double Feature (TCM finishes this theme on Christmas Eve). Tonight's themes are Christmas with Barbara Stanwyck (Christmas in Connecticut (1945) and Remember the Night (1940)), and Christmas with Judy Garland (Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and In the Good Old Summertime (1949)). Enjoy!


6:15 AM -- DUCHESS OF IDAHO (1950)
During a Sun Valley vacation, a woman tries to solve her roommate's romantic problems only to get caught in a love triangle of her own.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard
Cast: Esther Williams, Van Johnson, John Lund
C-98 mins, CC,

Eleanor Powell's last film.


8:00 AM -- ROYAL WEDDING (1951)
A brother-and-sister musical team find romance when they tour to London for Elizabeth II's wedding.
Dir: Stanley Donen
Cast: Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford
C-93 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) for the song "Too Late Now"

The story was loosely based on the real-life partnership of Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele Astaire. In real life, Adele Astaire married Lord Charles Cavendish, son of the Duke of Devonshire, just as Jane Powell, playing Fred's sister, marries an English Lord at the end of this film. Adele never appeared onscreen with brother Fred. This was the only time in his career that one of Fred Astaire's screen characters ever had a sister.


9:35 AM -- LIFE ON THE THAMES (1950)
In this short film, the viewer is given the history and contribution of London's Thames River.
C-9 mins,


10:00 AM -- TEA FOR TWO (1950)
An heiress has to say no to every question for 24 hours if she wants to star on Broadway.
Dir: David Butler
Cast: Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson
C-98 mins, CC,

This was the first movie in which Doris Day received top billing.


11:49 AM -- SPRINGTIME IN THE NETHERLANDS (1951)
This short film explores the customs and traditions of rural Holland.
Dir: Ralph F. Donaldson
C-9 mins,


12:00 PM -- LILI (1953)
A French orphan gets a job with a carnival puppet show.
Dir: Charles Walters
Cast: Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer, Jean Pierre Aumont
C-81 mins, CC,

Won an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Bronislau Kaper

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Leslie Caron, Best Director -- Charles Walters, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Helen Deutsch, Best Cinematography, Color -- Robert H. Planck, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis and Arthur Krams

This film was based on The Saturday Evening Post 's Paul Gallico's short story "The Man Who Hated People," which was inspired by the children's puppet show "Kukla, Fran and Ollie".


1:30 PM -- IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955)
World War II buddies get mixed up with gangsters and an egotistical TV star when they hold a 10-year reunion.
Dir: Gene Kelly
Cast: Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse
C-101 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay -- Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- André Previn

Gene Kelly bought the roller skates for the "I Like Myself" number from "IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER" down the block from his house at Pioneer Hardware on Beverly Drive. He also mentioned that the skates were not altered in any way - they weren't locked to his shoes, so when he tapped in them, he had no help.


3:13 PM -- JUST WHAT I NEEDED (1955)
This short film provides a humorous look at "unwanted" gifts.
Dir: Dave O'Brien
Cast: Dave O'Brien, Leon Tyler,
BW-9 mins,


3:30 PM -- JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957)
After learning to play the guitar in prison, a young man becomes a rock 'n roll sensation.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy
BW-97 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Gene Kelly was watching as Elvis Presley performed the "Jailhouse Rock" set-piece for the film.


5:15 PM -- GUYS AND DOLLS (1955)
A big-city gambler bets that he can seduce a Salvation Army girl.
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra
C-149 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- Harry Stradling Sr., Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Oliver Smith, Joseph C. Wright and Howard Bristol, Best Costume Design, Color -- Irene Sharaff, and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Jay Blackton and Cyril J. Mockridge

Marlon Brando had been cast in the role of Sky Masterson, a role coveted by Frank Sinatra, while Sinatra was relegated to the supporting role of Nathan Detroit. Relations between the two actors were strained during production. Many years later, Brando said of Sinatra, "Frank's the kind of guy who, when he gets to Heaven, is going to give God a hard time for making him bald."


7:57 PM -- A PRESENT WITH A FUTURE (1943)
Bette Davis explains to her children why they are getting war bonds for Christmas in this short film promoting the war effort.
Dir: Vincent Sherman
Cast: Patty Hale,
BW-2 mins,



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: CHRISTMAS DOUBLE FEATURE



8:00 PM -- CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero.
Dir: Peter Godfrey
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet
BW-101 mins, CC,

When Felix (S.Z. Sakall) first meets Yardly (Sydney Greenstreet), he takes an immediate dislike to him and mumbles under his breath, "Fat man" and walks away. In The Maltese Falcon (1941) Greenstreet played the role of Kasper Gutman whose code name was "Fat Man".


10:00 PM -- REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940)
An assistant D.A. takes a shoplifter home with him for Christmas.
Dir: Mitchell Leisen
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi
BW-94 mins, CC,

According to director Leisen, the role of Lee's mother was originally taken by Marjorie Main. When Main's performance proved to be far too broad and overdone, the scene was re-shot with Georgia Caine.


11:38 PM -- STAR IN THE NIGHT (1945)
In this short film, three cowboys see a bright light in the distance and decide to investigate on Christmas Eve. Vitaphone Release 1401A.
Cast: Lynne Baggett,
BW-22 mins,


12:00 AM -- MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor
C-113 mins, CC,

Won a Juvenile Oscar Award for Margaret O'Brien for outstanding child actress of 1944

Nominated for Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay -- Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe, Best Cinematography, Color -- George J. Folsey, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- George Stoll, and Best Music, Original Song -- Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin for the song "The Trolley Song"

The book on which the film is based originally ran as a weekly feature in the New Yorker Magazine in 1942. For the film many of the actions attributed to Tootie were actually done in real life by Sally Benson's sister Agnes. Also in reality, Benson's father moved the family to NYC and they never did come back for the World's Fair.


1:57 AM -- LOEWS CHRISTMAS GREETING (THE HARDY FAMILY) (1939)
In this short film, Andy Hardy and the rest of the Hardy family give a holiday greeting to the audience.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Lewis Stone, Cecilia Parker, Betty Ross Clarke
BW-3 mins,


2:15 AM -- IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard
Cast: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall
C-103 mins, CC,

Buster Keaton was working as a gag writer at MGM when this movie was made. The filmmakers approached him to devise a way for a violin to get broken that would be both comic and plausible. Keaton came up with an appropriate fall, and the filmmakers then realized he was the only one who would be able to execute it properly, so they cast him in the film. Keaton also devised the sequence in which Van Johnson inadvertently wrecks Judy Garland's hat, and coached Johnson intensively in how to perform the scene. This was the first MGM film Keaton appeared in since being fired from the studio in 1933.


3:59 AM -- JUDY GARLAND SINGS "SILENT NIGHT" (1937)
In this short film, Judy Garland sings "Silent Night, Holy Night", accompanied by the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers of Long Beach, California.
BW-2 mins,


4:15 AM -- LITTLE WOMEN (1949)
The four daughters of a New England family fight for happiness during and after the Civil War.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Margaret O'Brien
C-122 mins, CC,

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

In the novel, Amy is the youngest sister, but in order to use Margaret O'Brien, as Beth, Beth was made the youngest.

[CBHagman]

1. Well done, TCM!

Stanwyck and Garland for Christmas!

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