TCM Schedule for Thursday, January 18, 2018 -- What's On Tonight: Star of the Month Charles Boyer

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM is showing films about life on the farm. Then in prime time, it's more of Star of the Month Charles Boyer. Enjoy!

("Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday, dear Staph!
Happy birthday to me!)


6:00 AM -- THE STRANGER'S RETURN (1933)
A divorcee visits her grandfather's farm to recover and discovers a life she never expected to love.
Dir: King Vidor
Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Miriam Hopkins, Franchot Tone
BW-87 mins,

This film did well at the box office, earning a profit for MGM of $106,000 ($1,969,000 in 2016) according to studio records.


7:45 AM -- THE WORLD CHANGES (1933)
When a farmer strikes it rich in business, success goes to his head.
Dir: Mervyn Le Roy
Cast: Paul Muni, Aline MacMahon, Mary Astor
BW-90 mins,

Based on the story America Kneels, by Sheridan Gibney.


9:30 AM -- AS THE EARTH TURNS (1934)
A young couple face the hardships of farm life in Maine.
Dir: Alfred Green
Cast: Jean Muir, Donald Woods, Russell Hardie
BW-73 mins,

Based on a story by New Englander Gladys Hasty Carroll.


11:00 AM -- STALLION ROAD (1947)
A veterinarian and a novelist compete for the heart of a lady rancher.
Dir: James V. Kern
Cast: Ronald Reagan, Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott
BW-97 mins, CC,

The role of Rory Teller (eventually played by Alexis Smith) was intended for Lauren Bacall who turned it down and briefly incurred a studio suspension.


12:48 PM -- FARM HANDS (1943)
In this short film, a gang of kids spend some time on a farm.
Dir: Herbert Glazer
Cast: Robert Blake, Buckwheat Thomas, Roger Moore
BW-10 mins,

The role of Mickey's dad is erroneously credited is some modern sources as being played by Murray Alper. The actor in question is Robert Young's younger brother, Joe Young, who was an MGM contract player and appeared in countless uncredited roles during the 1930's, 1940's and early 1950's under the professional name of Roger Moore.


1:00 PM -- THE PURCHASE PRICE (1932)
A night-club singer on the lam becomes a farmer's mail-order bride.
Dir: William A. Wellman
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Lyle Talbot
BW-68 mins, CC,

The blood during the fight between the two male leads was real. Director Wellman had approached Brent and Talbot individually about the fight scene and told both not to pull any punches. The two worked out the fight between themselves beforehand. However, when Talbot crashed into the wall as planned, his head struck a nail and he started bleeding profusely. He had to go to the studio's infirmary to get stitches after the scene ended.


2:17 PM -- PERSONALITIES (1942)
This short film showcases new studio talents for MGM.
Cast: Edward Arnold, Fay Bainter, Ronald Colman
BW-9 mins,


2:30 PM -- THE ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE (1947)
A farmer's daughter falls in love with a man who fought against her family in the Civil War.
Dir: Roy Rowland
Cast: Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, Janet Leigh
BW-106 mins, CC,

Janet Leigh said on TCM that Van Johnson was responsible for her stage name. He suggested she shorten her first name, Jeanette, to Janet; and he though that since the film they were doing was a civil war drama, Lee would go well. But then he suggested she spell it Leigh. She was concerned there might a problem with confusion with Vivian Leigh; but then Van Johnson reminded her of Van Heflin. He said "there's two Van's and it hasn't hurt either of us".


4:30 PM -- I'LL WAIT FOR YOU (1941)
A wounded gangster's recuperation on a remote farm leads to love.
Dir: Robert B. Sinclair
Cast: Robert Sterling, Marsha Hunt, Virginia Weidler
BW-73 mins, CC,

Remake of Hide-Out (1934), starring Robert Montgomery and Maureen O'Sullivan.


6:00 PM -- DEEP VALLEY (1947)
A farmer's daughter helps an escaped convict.
Dir: Jean Negulesco
Cast: Ida Lupino, Dane Clark, Wayne Morris
BW-106 mins, CC,

Unhappy with her situation at Warners, Lupino turned down a contract extension and ended her association with the studio.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: STAR OF THE MONTH: CHARLES BOYER



8:00 PM -- CLUNY BROWN (1946)
A servant girl's passion for plumbing shocks London society.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Charles Boyer, Jennifer Jones, Peter Lawford
BW-100 mins, CC,

This was the last film director Ernst Lubitsch completed himself. He died the following year during the filming of That Lady in Ermine (1948).


10:00 PM -- THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... (1953)
When a woman sells her earrings to pay a gambling debt, it leads to a string of betrayals.
Dir: Max Ophüls
Cast: Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux, Vittorio De Sica
BW-100 mins,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White -- Georges Annenkov and Rosine Delamare

Charles Boyer often fought with Max Ophüls about his character's motives. Ophüls one day during rehearsal broke down and said "Enough! His motives are he is written that way!" Boyer never asked him again and decided to play his character as being omnipotent in all his scenes.


11:49 PM -- ROMANTIC RIVIERA (1951)
This short film explores several places along the French Riviera.
C-9 mins,


12:00 AM -- UNE PARISIENNE (1957)
The daughter of a big French politico marries his secretary, but when her husband starts fooling around, she takes off to the Riviera.
Dir: Michel Boisrond
Cast: Charles Boyer, Henri Vidal, Brigitte Bardot
C-85 mins, Letterbox Format

The airplane used is the Morane-Saulnier MS.755 Fleuret, a prototype French two-seat jet trainer designed and built by Morane-Saulnier. It failed to gain any orders but was developed into the larger four-seat MS.760 Paris. The one and only prototype was registered F-ZWRS, in the movie it is shown as F-WZRS.


1:45 AM -- THE HAPPY TIME (1952)
A Quebec patriarch fights to keep his wayward son from leading his grandson astray.
Dir: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Charles Boyer, Louis Jourdan, Marsha Hunt
BW-94 mins, CC,

Kurt Kasznar originally looked for too much money and was replaced by Zero Mostel. However Columbia head Harry Cohn was adamant that anyone being investigated by the HUAC would not work at his studio, and so Kasznar was rehired.


3:30 AM -- THE COBWEB (1955)
Inmates and staff at a posh asylum clash over love and lunacy.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall, Charles Boyer
C-124 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Marks the return of Lillian Gish to MGM after a 22-year absence.


5:45 AM -- CONFIDENTIAL AGENT (1945)
A Spanish spy and an American heiress battle fascists in England.
Dir: Herman Shumlin
Cast: Charles Boyer, Lauren Bacall, Katina Paxinou
BW-118 mins, CC,

After seeing a rough cut of the movie, the studio was so upset by the lack of chemistry between Charles Boyer and Lauren Bacall that they made a trailer for the movie in which the two actors embrace passionately; none of that is in the actual movie.