TCM Schedule Saturday, May 11: American Graffiti, Bogie, early John Wayne, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Fisher King

[ificandream]

MAY 11 AT A GLANCE
TROUBLED YOUTH
Rumble Fish (1983)
Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
Crime School (1938)
- TCM LATE NIGHT: JOHN WAYNE
Haunted Gold (1932)
- TCM DAYTIME
WEEKEND FEATURES
Jungle Book (1942)
MGM Cartoons: Little Buck Cheeser (1937)
Believe It or Not #11 (1932) (short)
India on Parade (1937) (short)
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
Directors Playhouse: Tom and Jerry (1955)
Popeye: Little Swee' Pea (1936)
Falcon's Brother, The (1942)
Forbidden Passage (1941) (short)
Sweet Charity (1969) (Musical Matinee)
Point Blank (1967)
Roadblock (1951)
American Graffiti (1973)
- TCM PRIMETIME
TCM SERIES: TWO FOR ONE
- PATTY JENKINS
Fisher King, The (1991)
(P) Synecdoche, New York (2008)
- NOIR ALLEY
Follow Me Quietly (1949)
- TCM LATE NIGHT: MISS MARPLE
Murder, She Said (1961)
Murder at the Gallop (1963)
MGM Parade Show #11 (1955)

FULL DAY'S SCHEDULE
12:00 AM Rumble Fish (1983)

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Absent-minded street thug Rusty James struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days of gang warfare.
Dir: Francis Ford Coppola Cast: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
Runtime: 94 mins Genre: Crime Rating: TV-MA CC:

Trivia: To mix the black-and-white footage of Rusty James and the Motorcycle Boy in the pet store looking at the Siamese fighting fish in colour, Stephen H. Burum shot the actors in black and white and then projected that footage on a rear projection screen. They put the fish tank in front of it with the tropical fish and shot it all with colour film.


2:00 AM Wild Boys of the Road (1933)

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An impoverished girl masquerades as a boy to run with a gang of young hobos.
Dir: William A. Wellman Cast: Frankie Darro, Edwin Phillips, Rochelle Hudson
Runtime: 77 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-PG CC: Y

Trivia: The movie shown in the theater scene about an hour into the film is another Warner Bros. release, Footlight Parade (1933).

3:30 AM Crime School (1938)

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A crusading warden sets out to improve conditions at a reform school.
Dir: Lewis Seiler Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Billy Halop
Runtime: 86 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Trivia: The boys at the reform school recite the Pledge of Allegiance without the phrase "under God." The phrase wasn't added to the Pledge by law until 1954.

5:00 AM Haunted Gold (1932)

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A cowboy and his girl fight bandits and a ghost over an abandoned mine.
Dir: Mack V. Wright Cast: John Wayne, Duke, Sheila Terry
Runtime: 58 mins Genre: Western Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Trivia: The statuette of the Maltese Falcon, previously used in the original version of The Maltese Falcon (1931) can be seen in the background inside the house several times and very prominently in the scene where the film's heroine, Sheila Terry, is playing the organ.

6:00 AM Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942)

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A boy raised by wolves adjusts to life among humans.
Dir: Zoltan Korda Cast: Sabu, Joseph Calleia, John Qualen
Runtime: 109 mins Genre: Adventure Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Jungle Book is a 1942 independent Technicolor action-adventure film by the Korda brothers, loosely adapted from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1894). The story centers on Mowgli, a feral young man who is kidnapped by villagers who are cruel to the jungle animals as they attempt to steal a dead king's cursed treasure. The film was directed by Zoltán Korda and produced by his brother Alexander, with the art direction by their younger brother Vincent. The screenplay was written by Laurence Stallings. The film stars Indian-born actor Sabu as Mowgli. Although the film is in the public domain, the master 35mm elements are with ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Oscar nominations:
ART DIRECTION (Color) -- Art Direction: Vincent Korda; Interior Decoration: Julia Heron
CINEMATOGRAPHY (Color) -- W. Howard Greene
MUSIC (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) -- Miklos Rozsa
SPECIAL EFFECTS -- Photographic Effects by Lawrence Butler; Sound Effects by William H. Wilmarth

Trivia: This was the first film for which original soundtrack recordings were issued. Previously, when record companies released music from a film, they had insisted on re-recording the music in their own studios with their own equipment. The "Jungle Book" records were taken from the same recordings used for the film's soundtrack, and their commercial success paved the way for more original-soundtrack albums.

Trivia: Although this movie was set in India, the production was actually shot in California, USA

8:00 AM Short: Little Buck Cheeser (1937)
In this parody of Buck Rogers, a mouse and his mice friends build a rocket to go to the moon.
Dir: Rudolf Ising Cast: Bernice Hansen
Runtime: 0 mins Genre: Animation Rating: TV-G CC: Y


8:08 AM Short: Believe It or Not #11 (1932)
This short film, part of the "Believe It or Not" series, features such odd sights as a church service held on a river in boats. Vitaphone Release 1410.
Dir: null Cast: Leo Donnelly
Runtime: 7 mins Genre: Documentary Rating: TV-G CC: N


8:16 AM Short: India on Parade (1937)
Short film on the landmarks, people and customs of India.
Dir: James A. Fitzpatrick Cast: James A. Fitzpatrick (narrator)
Runtime: 9 mins Genre: Short Rating: TV-G CC: N


8:26 AM Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

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Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a 1958 independently made[4] American science fiction horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran (credited as Nathan Hertz) and starring Allison Hayes, William Hudson and Yvette Vickers. It was produced by Bernard Woolner. The screenplay was written by Mark Hanna, and the original music score was composed by Ronald Stein. The film was distributed in the United States by Allied Artists as a double feature with War of the Satellites.

The Allied Artists television version runs 75 minutes instead of 66, including a long printed crawl at the beginning and end, repeated sequences, and hold-frames designed to optically lengthen the film's running time.

The film's storyline concerns the plight of a wealthy heiress whose close encounter with an enormous alien in his round spacecraft causes her to grow into a giantess, complicating her marriage which is already troubled by a philandering husband.[5]

A space visitor's touch turns an unhappy heiress into a vengeful giant.
Dir: Nathan Hertz Cast: Allison Hayes, William Hudson, Yvette Vickers
Runtime: 65 mins Genre: Horror/Science-Fiction Rating: TV-PG CC: Y

Trivia: The movie was shot in eight days for $89,000 (which was $10,000 under budget). This equates to about $820,000 in 2021.

9:30 AM Short: Screen Directors Playhouse series: Tom and Jerry (1955)
A priest tries to save a marriage that appears to be headed for the rocks in time for Christmas, in this episode of the Screen Directors Playhouse television series.
Dir: Leo McCarey Cast: Peter Lawford, Nancy Gates, Frank Fay
Runtime: 30 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


10:00 AM Cartoon: Little Swee' Pea (1936)
Popeye tackles lions, bears, snakes and countless other animals chasing after Swee'Pea at the zoo only to find himself the victim of an assault by Olive for scaring Swee'Pea with a toy on their arrival home.
Dir: Dave Fleischer, Seymour Kneitel Cast: Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, Jackson Beck
Runtime: 7 mins Genre: Animation Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


10:08 AM The Falcon's Brother (1942)

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A gentlemanly detective calls on his brother to help him stop the Nazis from assassinating a key diplomat.
Dir: Stanley Logan Cast: George Sanders, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph
Runtime: 63 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Trivia: Tom Conway (Tom Lawrence) was the real life elder brother of George Sanders (Gay Lawrence). This film was Sanders' final appearance as "The Falcon," a role of which he had grown tired. Sanders passed the baton to Conway, who played the role in nine subsequent films until 1946.

11:30 AM Short: Forbidden Passage (1941)
This documents the U.S. Department of Immigration's efforts to halt the smuggling of illegal immigrants into the country.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann Cast: Addison Richards, Harry Woods, William Tannen
Runtime: 20 mins Genre: Short Rating: TV-PG CC: N

12:00 PM Sweet Charity (1969)

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A taxi dancer's faith in love leads her to one bad match after another.
Dir: Bob Fosse Cast: Shirley Maclaine, Sammy Davis Jr., Ricardo Montalban
Runtime: 149 mins Genre: Musical Rating: TV-PG CC: Y

Oscar nominations:
ART DIRECTION -- Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen, George C. Webb; Set Decoration: Jack D. Moore
COSTUME DESIGN -- Edith Head
MUSIC (Score of a Musical Picture--original or adaptation) -- Adaptation score by Cy Coleman

Trivia: Although uncredited, Gwen Verdon, who starred in the Broadway musical version, was assistant choreographer in the film version of Sweet Charity (1969).

2:45 PM Point Blank (1967)

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A professional thief seeks revenge on his unfaithful wife and a fellow mobster who double-crossed him.
Dir: John Boorman Cast: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn
Runtime: 92 mins Genre: Crime Rating: TV-14 CC: Y

Trivia: This was the first film shot at Alcatraz, the infamous prison which had been shut since 1963, only three years before the production. Two weeks in the abandoned prison facility required the services of 125 crew members. MGM agreed to pay $2,000 per day ($16,400 in 2021) to rent the prison and to pay all expenses to re-establish power, water, and heat necessary for the production.

4:30 PM Roadblock (1951)

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An insurance agent's greedy wife leads him to a life of crime.
Dir: Harold Daniels Cast: Charles McGraw, Joan Dixon, Lowell Gilmore
Runtime: 73 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Trivia: One of the first films to be shot in the Los Angeles River.

6:00 PM American Graffiti (1973)

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Four high-school seniors face an uncertain future as they try to live through their last big school dance.
Dir: George Lucas Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith
Runtime: 109 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-MA CC: Y

American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. Set in Modesto, California, in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and early rock 'n' roll cultures popular among Lucas's age group at that time. Through a series of vignettes, it tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over the course of a single night.

While Lucas was working on his first film, THX 1138, Coppola asked him to write a coming-of-age film. The genesis of American Graffiti took place in Modesto in the early 1960s, during Lucas's teenage years. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors, but found favor at Universal Pictures after every other major film studio turned him down. Filming began in San Rafael, California, but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma. The film is the first movie to be produced by George Lucas's Lucasfilm.

American Graffiti premiered on August 2, 1973, at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, and was released on August 11, 1973, in the United States. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget (equivalent to approximately $5,332,993 in 2023[2] dollars), it has become one of the most profitable films ever. Since its initial release, American Graffiti has earned an estimated return well over $200 million in box-office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. In 1995, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Oscar nominations:
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- Candy Clark {"Debbie"}
DIRECTING -- George Lucas
FILM EDITING -- Verna Fields, Marcia Lucas
BEST PICTURE -- Francis Ford Coppola, Producer; Gary Kurtz, Co-Producer
WRITING (Story and Screenplay--based on factual material or material not previously published or produced) -- George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck

Trivia: Due to the low budget, George Lucas was unable to pay all of the crew members. He offered to give many of them a screen credit in lieu of payment, and they accepted. Traditionally, only department heads received screen credit. Giving screen credit to so many crew members has now become a tradition, which is why closing credits last so long now.

Trivia: When Charles Martin Smith pulls up on the Vespa in the beginning, his crash into the building wasn't scripted. He genuinely lost control of the bike, and Lucas kept the cameras rolling. Fortunately, the accident and the actor's reaction to it was in keeping with his character. Furthermore, the incident got the first big laugh from the audience in its first public premiere which Lucas and friends took as a very good sign for the film.

Trivia: One of the main reasons why so many studios initially turned down the script was because George Lucas wanted at least 40 songs on the soundtrack, which would obviously lead to a large bill over the rights to these songs. Universal finally agreed to fund the picture when Lucas' friend Francis Ford Coppola (fresh from the success of The Godfather (1972) the year before) came on board as producer.

Trivia: When John (Paul Le Mat) and Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) are sitting at the red light, a car full of girls pulls up next to them. One of the girls throws a water balloon through the window and it hits Carol. It was scripted to hit the side window and drench Phillips' face, who was then supposed to act really angry. However, she was accidentally hit square in the face and unable to refrain from laughing. Still, she kept going, ad-libbed through the scene and George Lucas kept it,

Trivia: Harrison Ford was asked to cut his hair for the film. He refused, stating that his role was too short, and offered to wear a hat instead.

Trivia: When Wolfman Jack makes an on-air prank call to Pinky's Pizza, the voice on the other end belongs to George Lucas.

8:00 PM The Fisher King (1991)

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A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.
Dir: Terry Gilliam Cast: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Adam Bryant
Runtime: 137 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-MA CC: Y

Oscar nominations:
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE -- Robin Williams {"Parry"}
(*WINNER*) ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- Mercedes Ruehl {"Anne"}
ART DIRECTION -- Art Direction: Mel Bourne; Set Decoration: Cindy Carr
MUSIC (Original Score) -- George Fenton
WRITING (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) -- Richard LaGravenese

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Trivia: For the "waltzing commuter" scene in Grand Central station, the main hall of the terminal was shut down for the shoot from 8pm until the first commuter trains arrived at 5:30 am the next morning. Lighting effects outside of the large terminal windows made it seem to be 5:00 in the evening the entire night, and over 400 extras waltzed around the mirror-ball topped Information Booth again and again throughout the night. Now, on New Year's, an orchestra plays there and people waltz for real.

10:30 PM Synecdoche, New York (2008)

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A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
Dir: Charlie Kaufman Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams
Runtime: 124 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-MA CC: Y

Trivia: At the start of the film, when Philip Seymour Hoffman is reading the news at the breakfast table, he says "Harold Pinter has died. Wait, no, he's won the Nobel prize". This is a reference to a famous news broadcast in which Sky News, in their rush to be first with breaking news, accidentally announced that Harold Pinter was dead. In fact, he had just been selected to recieve the Nobel prize for literature.

12:45 AM Follow Me Quietly (1949)

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Police track a mysterious killer nicknamed "The Judge."
Dir: Richard O. Fleischer Cast: William Lundigan, Dorothy Patrick, Jeff Corey
Runtime: 59 mins Genre: Crime Rating: TV-14 CC: Y

Trivia: The voice in The Judge's apartment building yelling downstairs is Marjorie Main.

2:15 AM Murder She Said (1961)

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When nobody will believe she witnessed a murder, elderly sleuth Miss Marple takes a job as a maid to ferret out clues.
Dir: George Pollock Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow
Runtime: 86 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Trivia: The name of the manor house where Miss Jane Marple conducts her inquiries is called Rutherford Hall in Dame Agatha Christie's novel. This was changed to Ackenthorpe in this movie to avoid comparison with the surname of Dame Margaret Rutherford (Miss Jane Marple).

Trivia: Despite privately remaining unimpressed by the film, Agatha Christie dedicated her 1962 novel "The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side" to Margaret Rutherford "in admiration".

4:00 AM Murder at the Gallop (1963)

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Elderly sleuth Miss Marple suspects foul play when an old friend is supposedly scared to death by a cat.
Dir: George Pollock Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Robert Morley, Flora Robson
Runtime: 81 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-G CC: Y

Trivia: Miss Jane Marple (Dame Margaret Rutherford) refers to a "remarkable novel" of Dame Agatha Christie's, "The Ninth Life." This was an in-joke; her creator wrote no such book.

5:30 AM Short: MGM Parade Show #11 (1955)
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly perform in a clip from For Me and My Gal. Susan Hayward introduces a clip from I'll Cry Tomorrow.
Dir: null Cast: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Susan Hayward
Runtime: 25 mins Genre: Documentary Rating: TV-G CC: N

[BigmanPigman]

1. I like the trivia you included.