(check out the subtle Vance Packard advertising techniques!)
a few picks from Turner Classic Movies Print Schedule (times Pacific schedule Cdn)
Wednesday 21
6:30 PM Seven Men From Now (1956) A former sheriff hunts down the seven men who killed his wife. Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin. D: Budd Boetticher. 78m. (never seen this, sad to say)
8:00 PM Budd Boetticher "A Man Can Do That " (2005) Documentary that explores the life and career of action/adventure director Budd Boetticher. C 86m.
11:15 PM Western Union (1941) An outlaw goes straight to work for the telegraph company, which puts him in conflict with his lawless brother. Robert Young, Randolph Scott, Dean Jagger. D: Fritz Lang. C 95m. (the bias of communication, sans pigeons)
22 Thursday
8:00 AM Great Day In The Morning (1956) The Civil War triggers unrest in Colorado. Virginia Mayo, Robert Stack, Ruth Roman. D: Jacques Tourneur. C 92m. (not seen)
11:30 AM The Tarnished Angels (1957) A newsman falls for the wife of a barnstorming pilot whose work he's covering. Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone. D: Douglas Sirk. BW 91m. (my favorite Sirk, from Faulkner's Pylon)
1:15 PM Fighter Squadron (1948) A dedicated flyer pushes himself and those around him during a perilous World War II campaign. Edmond O'Brien, Robert Stack, Rock Hudson. D: Raoul Walsh. C 95m. (not seen Walsh)
5:00 PM A Christmas Story (1983) An Indiana schoolboy dreams of getting a Red Ryder air rifle for Christmas. Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin. D: Bob Clark. C 93m. (last chance before Xmas--Bob Clark is due for serious reconsideration)
7:00 PM Holiday Affair (1950) A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne'er-do-well. Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey. D: Don Hartman. BW 87m. (????)
10:15 PM Maytime (1937) An opera star's manager tries to stop her romance with a penniless singer. Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, John Barrymore. D: Robert Z. Leonard. BW 132m. (any time is a good time for a big sweet slice of operetta)
2:30 AM Festival of Shorts #13 (1998) A compilation of MGM's holiday shorts including Jackie Cooper's Christmas Party, Silent Night, Loew's Christmas Greeting, Holiday Greetings 1941 and Mario Lanza Christmas Trailer. BW & C 21m.
24 Saturday
5:00 AM Lady In The Lake (1947) Philip Marlowe searches for a missing woman in this mystery shot entirely from the detective's viewpoint. Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan. D: Robert Montgomery. BW 103m. (one of the great strange films)
5:00 PM The Shop Around The Corner (1940) Feuding co-workers don't realize they're secret romantic pen pals. Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan. D: Ernst Lubitsch. BW 99m. (linzertorte and a hit of coffee, memorable double bill of this and Anthony Mann's "Roman Empire" at Vic D'Or's in the 80's )
7:00 PM Christmas In Connecticut (1945) A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. D: Peter Godfrey. BW 101m. (good Xmas eve choice--Brooklyn Ruby puts a little reality in the eggnog)
9:00 PM Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family. Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor. D: Vincente Minnelli. C 113m. (also a good choice, sentimental but smart)
25 Sunday
7:30 AM Quo Vadis (1951) A Roman commander falls for a Christian slave girl as Nero intensifies persecution of the new religion. Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov. D: Mervyn LeRoy. C 169m.
10:30 AM King Of Kings (1961) Epic retelling of Christ's life and the effects of his teachings on those around him. Jeffrey Hunter, Siobhan McKenna, Robert Ryan. D: Nicholas Ray. C 171m.
1:30 PM The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) All-star epic retelling of Christ's life. Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Claude Rains. D: George Stevens. C 199m. (really not a bad line-up if you're stuck in bed or in a hotel or something though they might start to blend together)
