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Staph

(6,245 posts)
Mon Apr 17, 2017, 09:17 PM Apr 2017

TCM Schedule for Friday, April 21, 2017 -- TCM Spotlight - Post-War Melodrama

Fridays in April, TCM is showing Post-WWII Melodramas. Today's selection in the category of Complicated Romances, begins at 3:45, and includes Possessed (1947), Dear Heart (1964), An Affair To Remember (1957), Brief Encounter (1945), Humoresque (1946), Autumn Leaves (1956), and Queen Bee (1955). But first, it's the first eight of nine films about "girl reporter" Torchy Blane. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- SMART BLONDE (1936)
An ambitious reporter forces her policeman boyfriend to let her help with a murder case.
Dir: Frank McDonald
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Winifred Shaw
BW-59 mins, CC,

The film was based on the McBride and Kennedy stories by Frederick Nebel. Kennedy, originally a drunken male reporter, was rewritten for the brash but sober female Blane.


7:15 AM -- FLY AWAY BABY (1937)
Reporter Torchy Blane takes to the skies to track down a band of killers.
Dir: Frank McDonald
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Gordon Oliver
BW-60 mins,

The famous Broadway columnist, What's My Line? (1950) star and possible murder victim Dorothy Kilgallen contributed to the script of this film. It is (very) loosely based on her participation in an around the world air race, as chronicled in Lee Israel's excellent book, "Kilgallen."


8:30 AM -- THE ADVENTUROUS BLONDE (1937)
Reporter Torchy Blane walks out on her own wedding to solve the case of a murdered actor.
Dir: Frank MacDonald
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Anne Nagel
BW-61 mins,

The $18.90 for the flowers would equate to $313 in 2016.


9:45 AM -- BLONDES AT WORK (1938)
Even a jail term for contempt can't keep reporter Torchy Blane from investigating the case of a murdered department store owner.
Dir: Frank McDonald
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy
BW-64 mins,

Fourth of nine "Torchy Blane" films from Warner Brothers made from 1937-39.


11:00 AM -- TORCHY BLANE IN PANAMA (1938)
An ambitious newspaper woman traces bank robbers to an ocean liner.
Dir: William Clemens
Cast: Lola Lane, Paul Kelly, Tom Kennedy
BW-59 mins,

This is the only time that Torchy is played by Lola Lane. All of the rest of the films star Glenda Farrell, except the last (Torchy Blane . . . Playing With Dynamite (1939)).


12:15 PM -- TORCHY GETS HER MAN (1938)
Female reporter Torchy Blane tries to crack a counterfeiting case.
Dir: William Beaudine
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy
BW-63 mins,

Filmed in part at Hollywood Park Racetrack, Inglewood, California.


1:30 PM -- TORCHY BLANE IN CHINATOWN (1938)
A daring lady reporter sets out to catch a blackmailer.
Dir: William Beaudine
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy
BW-58 mins, CC,

The print actually credits the "original story" to Murray Leinster and Will Jenkins. Perhaps the filmmakers didn't realize that "Will Jenkins" is a pseudonym for Leinster, but it was probably just an inside joke.


2:30 PM -- TORCHY RUNS FOR MAYOR (1939)
After digging up the dirt on local politicians, a newswoman decides to run for office.
Dir: Ray McCarey
Cast: Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy
BW-60 mins, CC,

Glenda Farrell's last turn as Torchy Blane.


3:45 PM -- POSSESSED (1947)
A married woman's passion for a former love drives her mad.
Dir: Curtis Bernhardt
Cast: Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey
BW-108 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Joan Crawford

Star Joan Crawford and director Curtis Bernhardt spent time in real psychiatric wards in Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and Pasadena, observing mental patients as research for the film. On one of these visits, Crawford and Bernhardt witnessed, without asking permission, a woman undergoing electro convulsive shock therapy. Warner Bros. was later forced to pay substantial damages to the woman, who claimed their presence was an invasion of privacy.



5:45 PM -- DEAR HEART (1964)
A middle-aged postmistress falls for an engaged man during a convention in New York.
Dir: Delbert Mann
Cast: Glenn Ford, Geraldine Page, Michael Anderson Jr.
BW-114 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Henry Mancini (music), Jay Livingston (lyrics), and Ray Evans for the song "Dear Heart"

Many of the same extras were used in the opening and closing scenes at the train station, most likely having been filmed at the same time. Noticeably, the young girl Jeannie that Evie speaks to after stepping off the train at the beginning of the film can also be seen boarding the train with her at the end of the film. The girl is wearing the same headband, sweater and flower print blouse. The black woman in the leopard print hat is also seen in the opening and closing scenes, wearing the same clothes.




TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: POST-WAR MELODRAMA



8:00 PM -- AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (1957)
A romantic shipboard romance inspires a couple to promise to meet six months later.
Dir: Leo McCarey
Cast: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning
C-115 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography -- Milton R. Krasner, Best Costume Design -- Charles Le Maire, Best Music, Original Song -- Harry Warren (music), Harold Adamson (lyrics) and Leo McCarey (lyrics) for the song "An Affair to Remember", and Best Music, Scoring -- Hugo Friedhofer

During filming cinematographer Milton R. Krasner pointed out to Cary Grant that a lump on his forehead was making it hard to film his close-ups. The lump was the result of a childhood accident, but Grant had been habitually rubbing it for years, leading it to swell. Doctors told him it would take four to six weeks for him to recover from its removal. Instead, he took a few days off, had his wife, Betsy Drake, hypnotize him, and had the procedure performed in the doctor's office under a local anesthetic. He recovered within days with no scarring.



10:15 PM -- BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945)
Two married strangers meet in a train station and fall in love.
Dir: David Lean
Cast: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway
BW-87 mins, CC,

Nominated for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Celia Johnson, Best Director -- David Lean, and Best Writing, Screenplay -- Anthony Havelock-Allan, David Lean and Ronald Neame

Originally the train station scenes were set for London, but with the threat of German rocket attacks during the last days of the war, the company was evacuated outside the city. The producers chose Carnforth Station in northwest England because it was one of the largest provincial stations and far enough from the coast that they would have time to turn off the lights in the event of an air raid and blackout warning.



12:00 AM -- HUMORESQUE (1946)
A classical musician from the slums is sidetracked by his love for a wealthy neurotic.
Dir: Jean Negulesco
Cast: Joan Crawford, John Garfield, Oscar Levant
BW-124 mins, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Franz Waxman

For the scene where Helen falls off the horse, Joan Crawford performed the stunt herself. Relieved that it had gone well, she nevertheless was forced to the stunt again when it was decided that Paul (John Garfield)'s rushing over and laying on top of her was too racy. It was reshot, and instead, Helen lies on top of Paul. Crawford later remarked: "I couldn't really understand what was the difference, him on top of me or me on top of him. Well, the difference was I had to fall off the horse again. I did, and I lived to tell the tale."



2:15 AM -- AUTUMN LEAVES (1956)
A woman falls for a younger man with severe mental problems.
Dir: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Joan Crawford, Vera Miles, Lorne Greene
BW-106 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

In an interview for a much later documentary on Joan Crawford, Cliff Robertson recounts his first meeting with her, at her home. Already somewhat intimidated by working with the legendary Crawford, he is let in, then hears her call from poolside, where she's sunning, "Come on out, dear boy. We've been waiting for you." Robertson has nothing but admiration for Crawford's talent and incredible technical disciple. At one point, director Bob Aldrich wanted Crawford to cry, but only slightly. A tear or two. "Which eye?" Robertson recalls Crawford asking. Then repeats the anecdote, amazed, "'Which EYE?'"


4:15 AM -- QUEEN BEE (1955)
A manipulative Southern socialite sets out to destroy the lives of all those around her.
Dir: Ranald MacDougall
Cast: Joan Crawford, Barry Sullivan, Betsy Palmer
BW-95 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Charles Lang, and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White -- Jean Louis

Joan Crawford personally bought the film rights to Edna L. Lee's novel "The Queen Bee" for $15,000, then sold them to Columbia under the following conditions: she would star, Jerry Wald would produce, Ranald MacDougall would write the screenplay and direct the film, Charles Lang would be the film's cinematographer and she would have contractual approval on her costume, make-up and hair designers. Each of these conditions was fulfilled.



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