TCM Schedule for Thursday, March 7, 2019 -- TCM Spotlight - Journalism in the Movies

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM is featuring films based on plays written by George S. Kaufmann. Be prepared to laugh long and loud! Then this evening begins TCM's month-long look at the news in the movies!

JOURNALISM IN THE MOVIES - THURSDAYS IN MARCH

Stop the presses! This month's Spotlight on TCM examines the role played by journalism in the world of cinema, with perspectives ranging from screwball comedies of the 1930s to hard-hitting dramas of the 1970s and '80s. The power of journalism and freedom of the press have been important topics over the decades and is gaining new urgency in recent times.

We celebrate the importance of the profession with a series of movies in which newspaper men and women work to uplift or take down individuals and establishments. Joining TCM host Ben Mankiewicz to discuss the films at hand are Carl Bernstein, the investigative journalist and author who was a key figure in the original news reporting in the Watergate scandal of the 1970s; and Anderson Cooper, the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. Bernstein appears on the first two Thursdays of our tribute and Cooper on the final two evenings.

Our Spotlight is divided into topics, beginning with Journalism and Politics and a screening of All the President's Men (1976), Alan J. Pakula's riveting film based on the book by Bernstein and fellow Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. Like the book, the movie focuses on the reporters' relentless efforts to uncover the details of the conspiracies that would bring down the administration of President Richard Nixon. Dustin Hoffman plays Bernstein and Robert Redford appears as Woodward. The movie won four Oscars out of eight nominations.

Also in this category are such classics as Citizen Kane (1941), Orson Welles' groundbreaking masterpiece about a newspaper magnate partly based on the real-life William Randolph Hearst; and All the King's Men (1949), Robert Rossen's Oscar-winning screen version of the Robert Penn Warren novel about the career of a Southern politician (Best Actor winner Broderick Crawford) as seen through the eyes of a journalist (John Ireland).

. . . .

by Roger Fristoe

Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- NOT SO DUMB (1930)
A scatterbrained miss throws a big party to advance her boyfriend's career.
Dir: King Vidor
Cast: Marion Davies, Elliott Nugent, Raymond Hackett
BW-76 mins, CC,

According to the October 26, 1929 edition of Exhibitors Herald-World, the opening driving scenes were filmed near Pasadena, CA. An eight-cylinder car was required, since it was discovered using a six-cylinder one caused interference with the sound recording. The "engine explosions" were "out of time with the high sound-wave frequency of the microphone." A platform was built over the front bumper where cameras and microphones were mounted, then cables were run to a sound recording truck that drove ahead. Elliott Nugent had to maintain a speed of 20 mph in his car to keep the pace even with the sound truck.


7:30 AM -- THE TENDERFOOT (1932)
An innocent cowboy sets out to back a Broadway play.
Dir: Ray Enright
Cast: Joe E. Brown, Ginger Rogers, Lew Cody
BW-69 mins, CC,

Although the onscreen credits list Richard Carle and George S. Kaufman for "story," the sources of the film were actually plays that each wrote. The musical play, "The Tenderfoot," Book and Lyrics by Richard Carle, who also starred in the play, opened in Chicago, Illinois in July 1903. It moved to The New York Theatre in New York City on 22 February 1904 and closed on 30 April 1904 after 81 performances. The play, "The Butter and Egg Man" by George S. Kaufman, opened at the Longacre Theatre in New York on 23 September 1925 and closed in April 1926 after 243 performances. This is the second of six film adaptations of the play released from 1928 to 1953.


8:45 AM -- MAKE ME A STAR (1932)
A grocery clerk goes to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune.
Dir: William Beaudine
Cast: Joan Blondell, Stuart Erwin, ZaSu Pitts
BW-86 mins, CC,

Many top Paramount stars are seen in connection with the fictional Majestic motion picture studio, including Maurice Chevalier (outside the studio gates), Gary Cooper and Tallulah Bankhead (walking around the studio lot), and Jack Oakie, Charles Ruggles, Clive Brook, Claudette Colbert, Fredric March, and Sylvia Sidney (attending the premiere of Wide Open Spaces).


10:15 AM -- DINNER AT EIGHT (1933)
A high-society dinner party masks a hotbed of scandal and intrigue.
Dir: George Cukor
Cast: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery
BW-111 mins, CC,

Jean Harlow got along with all of her co-stars, except Wallace Beery. She had worked with him before in The Secret 6 (1931) and the two had developed a dislike for each other that carried over. Beery thought that Harlow wasn't experienced enough as an actress and treated her rudely. Harlow found Beery gruff and boorish. Since the two were playing a husband and wife that can't stand each other, the real-life feelings worked to the comic benefit of the characters.


12:15 PM -- THE MAN WITH TWO FACES (1934)
An actor uses his skills to protect his sister from her sinister husband.
Dir: Archie Mayo
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Mary Astor, Ricardo Cortez
BW-73 mins, CC,

The original play opened in New York City, New York, USA on 25 November 1933 and had 57 performances. Anton Stengel and Margaret Dale originated their movie roles in the play, and the cast included Porter Hall and Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West!).


1:30 PM -- DANCE, CHARLIE, DANCE (1937)
A gullible "angel" sinks money into a doomed play.
Dir: Frank McDonald
Cast: Stuart Erwin, Jean Muir, Glenda Farrell
BW-64 mins, CC,

Based on the play "The Butter and Egg Man" by George S. Kaufman which opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St., on September 23, 1925 and ran for 243 performances. This is the fourth of six film adaptations of the play released from 1928 to 1953. The others are The Butter and Egg Man (1928), The Tenderfoot (1932 - which TCM played at 7:30 this morning), Hello, Sweetheart (1935), An Angel from Texas (1940 - showing on TCM at 5:15 pm) and Three Sailors and a Girl (1953).


2:45 PM -- FIRST LADY (1937)
A U.S. president's granddaughter fights a femme fatale to groom her husband for the White House.
Dir: Stanley Logan
Cast: Kay Francis, Preston Foster, Anita Louise
BW-83 mins, CC,

First Lady (1935). Comedy. Written by Katharine Dayton and George S. Kaufman. Directed by George S. Kaufman. Music Box Theatre: 26 Nov 1935- Jun 1936 (closing date unknown/246 performances).


4:15 PM -- NO PLACE TO GO (1939)
An aging man clashes with his social-climbing daughter-in-law.
Dir: Terry Morse
Cast: Dennis Morgan, Gloria Dickson, Fred Stone
BW-56 mins, CC,

The play opened in New York City, New York, USA on 24 September 1924 and had 141 performances.


5:15 PM -- AN ANGEL FROM TEXAS (1940)
A pair of slick Broadway producers con a wealthy cowboy into backing their show.
Dir: Ray Enright
Cast: Eddie Albert, Rosemary Lane, Wayne Morris
BW-69 mins, CC,

Also based on the play "The Butter and Egg Man" by George S. Kaufman. The opening night cast included Tom Fadden, Robert Middlemass and Harry Stubbs.


6:30 PM -- DULCY (1940)
A scatterbrained beauty tries to help her fiance's career by throwing a big party.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon
Cast: Ann Sothern, Ian Hunter, Roland Young
BW-73 mins, CC,

The original play opened in New York on 13 August 1921, with Lynn Fontanne as the title character. The book Schuyler Van Dyke is reading, "Nuts! An Intimate Glimpse Into the Life of the American Peanut," originally was "Pschopathia-Sexualis," but was changed at the request of the Hays office. This is based on the same play as Not So Dumb (1930 - shown this morning at 6:00 am).



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: JOURNALISM IN THE MOVIES



8:00 PM -- ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
Two Washington Post reporters investigate the Watergate break-in that ended Nixon's presidency.
Dir: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jason Robards Jr.
C-138 mins, CC,

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Jason Robards, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- William Goldman, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration -- George Jenkins and George Gaines, and Best Sound -- Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Rick Alexander (as Dick Alexander) and James E. Webb

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Jane Alexander, Best Director -- Alan J. Pakula, Best Film Editing -- Robert L. Wolfe, and Best Picture

One scene involving Robert Redford on the phone is done in a continuous six-minute single take with the camera tracking in slowly. Towards the end Redford makes a mistake, he calls the phone caller by the wrong name, but as he stays in character. It simply appears genuine, and this was the take used in the final cut.


10:30 PM -- CITIZEN KANE (1941)
The investigation of a publishing tycoon's dying words reveals conflicting stories about his scandalous life.
Dir: Orson Welles
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead
BW-119 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay -- Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles (On Friday, July 19th, 2003, Orson Welles' Oscar statuette went on sale at an auction at Christie's, New York, but was voluntarily withdrawn so the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences could buy it back for just 1 dollar. The statuette, included in a large selection of Welles-related material, was going to be sold by Beatrice Welles, the youngest of the filmmaker's three daughters and the sole heir of his estate and was expected to sell at over 300,000 dollars.)

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Orson Welles, Best Director -- Orson Welles, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Gregg Toland, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Perry Ferguson, Van Nest Polglase, A. Roland Fields and Darrell Silvera, Best Sound, Recording -- John Aalberg (RKO Radio SSD), Best Film Editing -- Robert Wise, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture -- Bernard Herrmann, and Best Picture

The camera looks up at Charles Foster Kane and his best friend Jedediah Leland and down at weaker characters like Susan Alexander Kane. This was a technique that Orson Welles borrowed from John Ford who had used it two years previously on Stagecoach (1939). Welles privately watched Stagecoach (1939) about 40 times while making this film.


12:45 AM -- ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949)
A backwoods politician rises to the top only to become corrupted.
Dir: Robert Rossen
Cast: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Joanne Dru
BW-110 mins, CC,

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Broderick Crawford, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Mercedes McCambridge, and Best Picture

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- John Ireland, Best Director -- Robert Rossen, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Robert Rossen, and Best Film Editing -- Robert Parrish and Al Clark

Al Clark did the original cut but had trouble putting all the footage that Robert Rossen had shot into a coherent narrative. Robert Parrish was brought onboard by Rossen and Harry Cohn, to see what he could do. Since Rossen had a hard time cutting anything he shot, after several weeks of tinkering and cutting, the movie was still over 250 minutes long. Cohn was prepared to release it in this version after one more preview, but this threw Rossen into a panic, so Rossen came up with a novel solution. Rossen told Parrish to "[s]elect what you consider to be the centre of each scene, put the film in the synch machine and wind down a hundred feet before and a hundred feet after, and chop it off, regardless of what's going on. Cut through dialogue, music, anything. Then, when you're finished, we'll run the picture and see what we've got". When Parrish was done with what Rossen had suggested, they were left with a 109-minute movie that was more compelling to watch. After the film won its Academy Award for Best Picture, Cohn repeatedly gave Parrish credit for saving the film, even though Parrish only did what Rossen told him to do.


2:45 AM -- MEET JOHN DOE (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business.
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold
BW-123 mins, CC,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story -- Richard Connell and Robert Presnell Sr.

Frank Capra didn't want anyone to play John Doe except Gary Cooper, who agreed to the part (without reading a script) for two reasons: he had enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck.


5:00 AM -- THEY WON'T FORGET (1937)
Bigotry flares when a teacher is accused of killing a small-town girl in the South.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, Edward Norris
BW-95 mins, CC,

Based on the notorious rigged murder trial and subsequent lynching of Leo Frank, the film does not mention that Frank was Jewish, a fact that contributed more to his being tried for a murder he didn't commit, found guilty and lynched than his Northern background (although that was also a factor). The real-life victim, Mary Phagan, was only 13 years old, a far cry from Lana Turner's post-pubescent sweater girl of 16.

[Auggie]

1. The should have included Deadline U.S.A. (1952)

It's a great but often overlooked Bogart vehicle, written and directed by Richard Brooks.