TCM
TiVo ALERT
For
June
15–June 22
THE
MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (June
20, 1:45 pm): Warner
Brothers wasn't known for making excellent comedies in the 1930s and
40s, and Bette Davis didn't become famous for her comedic skills.
However, this 1942 screwball comedy is the exception to the rule.
Davis is delightful and funny as Maggie Cutler, secretary to Monty
Woolley's character. Woolley's Sheridan Whiteside is an arrogant,
acerbic lecturer and critic who slips on the front steps of the house
of an Ohio family, injuring himself in the process. Since he's going
to be laid up for a while, Whiteside thinks nothing of completely
takes over the house, leading to some funny and madcap moments.
Woolley, who reprised the role he first made famous on Broadway, is
the best part of the movie. Davis is great here and showed
legitimate promise as a comedic actress.
FLAMINGO ROAD (June 22, 6:15 pm): Joan Crawford plays a carnival dancer (who is supposed to likely be about half her real age) who stays in a small town when the show moves on. She quickly becomes the object of attraction of a number of the men, and chooses a businessman with a drinking problem (played by David Brian) to marry. They move to Flamingo Road, the richest section of the town. While Crawford is solid and her name is above the title, it is clear that Syndey Greenstreet, who plays Sheriff Titus Semple (the corrupt local political boss), is the best part of the movie. Greenstreet, who was ill when making this film and comes across as a guy who is dying, is listed not only below Crawford, but Zachary Scott, who plays a sheriff's deputy. Greenstreet is perfect as the sleazy political boss who creates and ruins careers and lives. The confrontational scenes with Crawford and Greenstreet are outstanding. This was the second to last film for Greenstreet, who died less than five years after this 1949 movie was released.
FLAMINGO ROAD (June 22, 6:15 pm): Joan Crawford plays a carnival dancer (who is supposed to likely be about half her real age) who stays in a small town when the show moves on. She quickly becomes the object of attraction of a number of the men, and chooses a businessman with a drinking problem (played by David Brian) to marry. They move to Flamingo Road, the richest section of the town. While Crawford is solid and her name is above the title, it is clear that Syndey Greenstreet, who plays Sheriff Titus Semple (the corrupt local political boss), is the best part of the movie. Greenstreet, who was ill when making this film and comes across as a guy who is dying, is listed not only below Crawford, but Zachary Scott, who plays a sheriff's deputy. Greenstreet is perfect as the sleazy political boss who creates and ruins careers and lives. The confrontational scenes with Crawford and Greenstreet are outstanding. This was the second to last film for Greenstreet, who died less than five years after this 1949 movie was released.
ED’S
BEST BETS:
THE
SPY IN BLACK (June 15,
6:00 am): Director Michael Powell and screenwriter Emeric
Pressburger teamed for the first time in this fine espionage drama
set in World War I about a German spy (Conrad Veidt) assigned to
gather intelligence about the British fleet stationed in Scapa
Flow. A female agent (Valerie Hobson), posing as the town’s
schoolmistress, and a disaffected British naval officer (Sebastian
Shaw), are sent to provide assistance. Veidt is charmingly sinister
and becomes involved in a bittersweet romance with Hobson. There
are several nice little surprise twists as the story progresses,
and the ending is not quite what we expect, which makes it all for
the better. Powell and Pressburger are one of my favorite screen
teams and this movie is an excellent example of their work.
IN A LONELY PLACE (June 17, 2:30 pm): Nicholas Ray directed this gripping drama about a troubled, self-destructive screenwriter (Humphrey Bogart) who has an affair with starlet Gloria Grahame while trying to clear himself of murder charges. Long acknowledged as one of director Nicholas Ray’s finest films, strong performances dominate this tale of two turbulent characters in an atmospheric and quite cynical Hollywood backdrop.
ED.
A-. The censors watered
down Tennessee Wiliiams’s classic Pultizer Prize
winning play about greed and mendacity in the South, but it still
packs one hell of a punch, thanks to a great cast, especially
Elizabeth Taylor, who gives one of her best performances and steams
up the screen in doing so. Jack Carson scores in one of his last
roles as Paul Newman’s brother (and Burl Ives’ son).
Newman himself isn’t as dominant in this as he usually
is in other films, but still manages to give a powerful performance
nevertheless. However, considering the censorship, this is a film
that should have been made during the ‘80s, when such topics
could be honestly addressed, as Williams did in his play. It’s the
excellent cast that puts this film over the hump for the audience,
and it’s a wonderful film to see just for the performances.
DAVID: C+. This isn't a
bad film, but there are a number of reasons I don't think
it's anything special. First the good: Burl Ives is
fantastic as Big Daddy, the patriarch of the dysfunctional family
featured in the movie. He plays his role to near perfection. To begin
the not-so-good list, the screenplay of this Tennessee Williams' play
is too melodramatic. As I've mentioned before, I'm not much of a fan
of Paul Newman or Elizabeth Taylor. This 1958 film is an example of
why. The pair lack chemistry together, and, yes, I know the idea is
the two have marital issues. But that doesn't mean Newman and
Taylor can't work together to make a good film.
Taylor's character goes from understanding to psychotic in the
snap of a finger, and she fails to convey any authenticity, which
comes as no surprise to me. As for Newman, he overuses "method"
acting in this film as he was prone to do when playing angst-ridden
characters. His character broods and then lashes out during the
entire film for no logical reason. The Hays Code wouldn't permit the
heavily suggested homosexual aspects of Newman's character that are
in the play to be included in the film so viewers are left to wonder:
why is any of this occurring?
For the complete list of films on the TCM TiVo Alert, click here.
For the complete list of films on the TCM TiVo Alert, click here.
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