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TCM Schedule for Friday, June 15, 2018 -- What's On Tonight: Tom Courtenay
In the daylight hours, TCM is looking at doctors and nurses and the shady side of the law. In prime time, TCM is featuring films of British chameleon Sir Tom Courtenay. Once I looked at his filmography, I kept saying, I remember him! Here's TCM biography of him:One of British theater's most distinguished and hardest-working actors, Tom Courtenay rose from humble beginnings to garner awards and accolades in nearly every facet of his profession. After studying at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the late 1950s, Courtenay rose to fame amidst the British New Wave, deftly portraying classic angry young men in "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (1962) and "Billy Liar" (1963). Courtenay was poised for international stardom following his Oscar-nominated turn in the epic "Doctor Zhivago" (1965), but instead he made a casual withdrawal from film acting to concentrate on theater. The bold move proved fruitful, especially when he earned a Tony Award nomination for his first Broadway production, "Otherwise Engaged" (1977). But he made a triumphant return to film with perhaps the best performance of his career, playing the assistant to a tyrannical theater group manager in the acclaimed drama, "The Dresser" (1983), an Oscar-nominated performance he reprised from his 1981 Broadway turn. Courtenay spent the ensuing decades ably transitioning from stage to screen and back again, only to emerge with his first Emmy Award nomination for his performance in "Little Dorrit" (PBS, 2009), which only cemented his status as one of Britain's most decorated performers.
Born on Feb. 25, 1937 in Hull, Yorkshire, England, Courtenay was raised by his father, Thomas, a boat painter, and his mother, Anne. Growing up in modest surroundings, he attended the Kingston High School in Hull and studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. A natural actor, Courtenay made an instant splash at the academy, where his stage work quickly led him to high-profile roles on stage and screen. His breakthrough occurred early on when he landed the lead role of rebellious teen Colin Smith in the acclaimed drama, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (1962). The film helped usher in the British New Wave, a series of moody, realistic mid-1960s films that centered on angry young men from working class backgrounds. Alongside the likes of Richard Harris, Albert Finney and Richard Burton, the movement turned Courtenay into a star. For his performances in "Loneliness" and "Billy Liar" (1963), Courtenay was awarded two BAFTA awards in 1962 and 1963. They were the first of many awards for the journeyman actor.
In 1965, Courtenay appeared in the epic war film, "Doctor Zhivago," playing revolutionary leader Pasha Antipov, a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Despite all his early success, however, Courtenay began tiring of film acting and spent the rest of the 1960s concentrating on his first love, the theater. He began a long and storied career at the Royal Exchange Theater in Manchester, England, essaying a wide variety of roles in plays ranging from "King Lear" to "Peer Gynt." He maintained a relationship with the Royal Exchange throughout his career and continued to perform there well into the next century. He did continue to make scattered film appearances during this period - "A Dandy in Aspic" (1968), "Catch Me a Spy" (1971), "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" (1971) - but quit film acting for well over a decade. Meanwhile, he made his Broadway debut when he appeared in "Otherwise Engaged" (1977), which earned Courtenay his first Tony Award nomination. He received his second Tony nod a few years later for his leading role in Ronald Harwood's "The Dresser" (1981).
When he was asked to recreate his role in "The Dresser" for a film adaptation, Courtenay lifted his self-imposed exile from Hollywood to co-star in the 1983 film adaptation opposite old mate Albert Finney, his former British New Wave contemporary. Courtenay played Norman, the backstage assistant to the mononymous Sir (Finney), a tyrannical manager and lead actor of a Shakespearean touring company who discovers his life parallels King Lear's while he defies the Nazi bombardment of London during World War II. Both men received Best Actor Oscar nominations for their performances, but lost to Robert Duvall in "Tender Mercies" (1983). Meanwhile, Courtenay continued to balance his stage work with smaller film and occasional television roles over the next two decades, though he most likely would rather forget his part in the awful Bill Cosby comedy, "Leonard Part 6" (1987). Not necessarily exiling himself from film, Courtenay limited his exposure by appearing in only a handful of projects throughout the 1990s, including the real-life crime drama, "Let Him Have It" (1991). As he appeared on Broadway in Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" (1995), Courtenay portrayed Daniel Quilp in a miniseries adaptation of Charles Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop" (Disney Channel, 1995).
Following roles in the children's drama "The Boy From Mercury" (1996) and the satirical coming-of-age dramedy "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?" (1999), Courtenay stepped back even further from screens both large and small in an effort to concentrate on worthwhile projects. Moving on from actor to novelist, Courtenay published his critically acclaimed memoir, Dear Tom: Letters From Home (2000), which contained a series of letters between the actor and his mother, as well as a recollection of his life as a rising young actor in 1960s London. In 2001, Courtenay was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his distinguished work in British film and theater. Also that year, he starred alongside Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren in "Last Orders" (2001), a bittersweet drama about old mates coming to terms with the death of one of their own. After starring in his one-man show, "Pretending to Be Me" (2002), which was based on the letters and writings of poet Philip Larkin, Courtenay returned to Dickens to portray Newman Noggs in "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002). He followed with an appearance in the big budget children's fantasy, "The Golden Compass" (2007). Courtenay next starred as Mr. Dorrit in Masterpiece Theater's "Little Dorrit" (PBS, 2009). A surprise hit, "Little Dorrit" earned 11 Emmy Award nominations, including a best actor nod for Courtenay. He next joined Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins in "Quartet" (2012), a British-made dramedy about a foursome of retired opera singers who find their annual performance of Verdi on the composer's birthday in jeopardy when old conflicts are renewed.
Born on Feb. 25, 1937 in Hull, Yorkshire, England, Courtenay was raised by his father, Thomas, a boat painter, and his mother, Anne. Growing up in modest surroundings, he attended the Kingston High School in Hull and studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. A natural actor, Courtenay made an instant splash at the academy, where his stage work quickly led him to high-profile roles on stage and screen. His breakthrough occurred early on when he landed the lead role of rebellious teen Colin Smith in the acclaimed drama, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (1962). The film helped usher in the British New Wave, a series of moody, realistic mid-1960s films that centered on angry young men from working class backgrounds. Alongside the likes of Richard Harris, Albert Finney and Richard Burton, the movement turned Courtenay into a star. For his performances in "Loneliness" and "Billy Liar" (1963), Courtenay was awarded two BAFTA awards in 1962 and 1963. They were the first of many awards for the journeyman actor.
In 1965, Courtenay appeared in the epic war film, "Doctor Zhivago," playing revolutionary leader Pasha Antipov, a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Despite all his early success, however, Courtenay began tiring of film acting and spent the rest of the 1960s concentrating on his first love, the theater. He began a long and storied career at the Royal Exchange Theater in Manchester, England, essaying a wide variety of roles in plays ranging from "King Lear" to "Peer Gynt." He maintained a relationship with the Royal Exchange throughout his career and continued to perform there well into the next century. He did continue to make scattered film appearances during this period - "A Dandy in Aspic" (1968), "Catch Me a Spy" (1971), "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" (1971) - but quit film acting for well over a decade. Meanwhile, he made his Broadway debut when he appeared in "Otherwise Engaged" (1977), which earned Courtenay his first Tony Award nomination. He received his second Tony nod a few years later for his leading role in Ronald Harwood's "The Dresser" (1981).
When he was asked to recreate his role in "The Dresser" for a film adaptation, Courtenay lifted his self-imposed exile from Hollywood to co-star in the 1983 film adaptation opposite old mate Albert Finney, his former British New Wave contemporary. Courtenay played Norman, the backstage assistant to the mononymous Sir (Finney), a tyrannical manager and lead actor of a Shakespearean touring company who discovers his life parallels King Lear's while he defies the Nazi bombardment of London during World War II. Both men received Best Actor Oscar nominations for their performances, but lost to Robert Duvall in "Tender Mercies" (1983). Meanwhile, Courtenay continued to balance his stage work with smaller film and occasional television roles over the next two decades, though he most likely would rather forget his part in the awful Bill Cosby comedy, "Leonard Part 6" (1987). Not necessarily exiling himself from film, Courtenay limited his exposure by appearing in only a handful of projects throughout the 1990s, including the real-life crime drama, "Let Him Have It" (1991). As he appeared on Broadway in Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" (1995), Courtenay portrayed Daniel Quilp in a miniseries adaptation of Charles Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop" (Disney Channel, 1995).
Following roles in the children's drama "The Boy From Mercury" (1996) and the satirical coming-of-age dramedy "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?" (1999), Courtenay stepped back even further from screens both large and small in an effort to concentrate on worthwhile projects. Moving on from actor to novelist, Courtenay published his critically acclaimed memoir, Dear Tom: Letters From Home (2000), which contained a series of letters between the actor and his mother, as well as a recollection of his life as a rising young actor in 1960s London. In 2001, Courtenay was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his distinguished work in British film and theater. Also that year, he starred alongside Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren in "Last Orders" (2001), a bittersweet drama about old mates coming to terms with the death of one of their own. After starring in his one-man show, "Pretending to Be Me" (2002), which was based on the letters and writings of poet Philip Larkin, Courtenay returned to Dickens to portray Newman Noggs in "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002). He followed with an appearance in the big budget children's fantasy, "The Golden Compass" (2007). Courtenay next starred as Mr. Dorrit in Masterpiece Theater's "Little Dorrit" (PBS, 2009). A surprise hit, "Little Dorrit" earned 11 Emmy Award nominations, including a best actor nod for Courtenay. He next joined Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins in "Quartet" (2012), a British-made dramedy about a foursome of retired opera singers who find their annual performance of Verdi on the composer's birthday in jeopardy when old conflicts are renewed.
Enjoy!
6:45 AM -- ANOTHER FACE (1935)
Plastic surgery turns a gangster into a movie star.
Dir: Christy Cabanne
Cast: Wallace Ford, Brian Donlevy, Phyllis Brooks
BW-69 mins,
Also known as It Happened in Hollywood.
8:00 AM -- NORA PRENTISS (1947)
An ambitious singer ruins a doctor's life.
Dir: Vincent Sherman
Cast: Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett
BW-112 mins, CC,
Sheilah Graham reported that Ann Sheridan had an infection in one ear during production, and during the final shots of the film, could only be photographed from one side.
10:00 AM -- THE MAN WHO FOUND HIMSELF (1937)
A determined nurse puts a cocky surgeon back on track.
Dir: Lew Landers
Cast: John Beal, Joan Fontaine, Philip Huston
BW-67 mins,
Based on the story Wings Of Mercy by Alice F. Curtis.
11:15 AM -- BULLET SCARS (1942)
Hoods kidnap an honest doctor to patch up one of their own.
Dir: D. Ross Lederman
Cast: Regis Toomey, Adele Longmire, Howard Da Silva
BW-59 mins,
Based on an idea by Sy Bartlett and Charles Belden.
12:30 PM -- A WOMAN'S FACE (1941)
Plastic surgery gives a scarred female criminal a new outlook on life.
Dir: George Cukor
Cast: Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas, Conrad Veidt
BW-106 mins, CC,
Director Cukor wanted Anna's recital of her life story to be done in a tired, mechanical fashion, so he had Crawford repeat the multiplication tables over and over until he got the monotonous tone he was looking for. Then, he rolled the cameras.
2:30 PM -- THE DOUBLE MAN (1967)
Russian secret service officials attempts to kidnap a CIA officer and replace him with a double of its own.
Dir: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: Yul Brynner, Britt Ekland, Clive Revill
C-105 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
This movie was made and released about nine years after its source novel 'Legacy of a Spy' by author Henry Maxfield was first published in 1958. 'Legacy of a Spy' was also this film's working title.
4:30 PM -- BETWEEN TWO WOMEN (1937)
A nurse with an alcoholic husband falls for a doctor, only to find his interests lie elsewhere.
Dir: George B. Seitz
Cast: Franchot Tone, Maureen O'Sullivan, Virginia Bruce
BW-88 mins, CC,
Based on an original story by Erich Von Stroheim, all-purpose Hollywood denizon who was a director, actor, writer, art director, costume designer, producer and editor!
6:00 PM -- DARK PASSAGE (1947)
A man falsely accused of his wife's murder escapes to search for the real killer.
Dir: Delmer Daves
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett
BW-106 mins, CC,
Humphrey Bogart's complete uncovered face is not seen clearly until 62 minutes into the movie, when his character finally removes his bandages and looks into a mirror. All previous scenes with the character are either shown from his point of view or have his face obscured with shadows or bandages. Warner Brothers studio head Jack L. Warner was not pleased to discover that the face of one of his biggest stars is not seen for the first half of the movie. But the time Warner knew this, the film was too far along to be changed.
TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TOM COURTENAY
8:00 PM -- THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER (1962)
A boy from the Irish slums reviews his troubled past while training for a school race.
Dir: Tony Richardson
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage
BW-104 mins, CC,
Tony Richardson's loose filming technique didn't always sit well with Tom Courtenay, even though the result seemed to be a perfect match of acting and directing styles. On the commentary accompanying the British DVD release, the now veteran actor says rather favorably that it sometimes felt like they were shooting a documentary, but in 1962 he noted his surprise, upon first seeing the film, at "just how sloppy and modern it looked" and how he learned on this production that "one of the skills in acting is to take from the director what he can give you that helps, and don't take any notice of what he does or doesn't do that upsets your performance."
10:00 PM -- KING & COUNTRY (1964)
A British soldier, charged with desertion, is defended by an officer who despises his actions until he finds out there is more to the case than meets the eye.
Dir: Joseph Losey
Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Tom Courtenay, Leo McKern
BW-87 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
The introductory poem read by Tom Courtenay is Here Dead We Lie by A. E. Housman:
Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.
11:45 PM -- THE NIGHT OF THE GENERALS (1967)
A Nazi officer tries to catch a serial killer attacking prostitutes.
Dir: Anatole Litvak
Cast: Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay
C-144 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
Because Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif were being held to contracts signed several years earlier, when they were less famous, they both had to accept smaller fees than one would expect, given how famous they were when the film was made early in 1966. Neither was very happy with this situation, but they took care to claim the lavish living expenses to which they were entitled.
2:15 AM -- EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978)
A fashion photographer develops the ability to see through the eyes of a serial killer.
Dir: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Faye Dunaway, Brad Dourif, Rene Auberjonois
C-103 mins, CC,
Barbra Streisand, who was originally attached to star as Laura Mars, sings the theme song "Prisoner" from this movie. It's the only song that Streisand sings for a movie in which she does not appear.
4:00 AM -- COMA (1978)
A lady doctor investigates a series of strange deaths and disappearing bodies at her hospital.
Dir: Michael Crichton
Cast: Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley
C-113 mins, CC,
Producer Martin Erlichman first read the film's source novel when it was in galley form. Erlichman once said that for this movie he wanted to do for hospitals what Jaws (1975) had done to people with the ocean and sharks. He said: "People have a primal fear of the ocean and Jaws titillated that phobia. In a similar manner, Coma (1978) accents one's primal fears of hospitals. This is an even stronger phobia because a person can always refrain from going into the water, but cannot always avoid the necessity of going into hospital!".
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