TCM Schedule for Thursday, January 24, 2019 -- What's On Tonight: TCM Spotlight - Sword and Sandals

[Staph]

Last edited Wed Jan 30, 2019, 09:11 PM - Edit history (1)

During the daylight hours, TCM is in a royal mood, with films about princesses of all sorts. Then in prime time, TCM finally ends this endless month of historical or fantasy films from the genre known as Sword and Sandals. Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- NEW MOON (1930)
A Russian lieutenant falls in love with a beautiful princess.
Dir: Jack Conway
Cast: Lawrence Tibbett, Grace Moore, Adolphe Menjou
BW-78 mins,

In the film as originally shot, Buster Keaton appears in a comic relief supporting part as the prisoner "Lulu". This would have been his first official appearance in an MGM feature production since Louis B Mayer fired him in February 1933. Several stills survive of Keaton in this role, in a scene with Jeanette MacDonald. Although Keaton's scenes were cut before the film was released, he is still visible in the background during several production numbers - particularly "Stout Hearted Men".


7:30 AM -- MIDNIGHT SHADOW (1939)
A young girl must decide which of her suitors robbed and killed her father.
Dir: George Randol
Cast: Frances Redd, Buck Woods, Richard Bates
BW-52 mins,

Frances Redd is the sister of exotica organist Korla Pandit, but this was kept secret from the public to maintain Pandit's ruse that he was from India and not African-American.


8:30 AM -- WE WERE DANCING (1942)
A Polish princess gives up society for the love of a gigolo.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard
Cast: Norma Shearer, Melvyn Douglas, Gail Patrick
BW-95 mins, CC,

It was during the making of this film that the head of MGM, Louis B. Mayer personally offered Norma Shearer the title role in Mrs. Miniver (1942) but she turned it down.


10:15 AM -- DREAM WIFE (1953)
For state reasons, a diplomat fakes an engagement to a Middle Eastern princess.
Dir: Sidney Sheldon
Cast: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Walter Pidgeon
BW-99 mins, CC,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White -- Helen Rose and Herschel McCoy

After making this film Cary Grant announced his retirement from acting in February 1953. However, 18 months later he agreed to return to acting in To Catch a Thief (1955).


12:00 PM -- NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935)
A French princess in Colonial America gets involved with an Indian scout.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke
Cast: Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan
BW-104 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (sound director)

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Picture

The first of eight movies that Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made together, as "America's Singing Sweethearts."


1:48 PM -- THE COURTSHIP OF THE NEWT (1938)
A zoology professor provides a spoof biology lesson in this comedic short.
Dir: Roy Rowland
Cast: Robert Benchley, Jacques Lory,
BW-8 mins,

This short film is a remake of The Sex Life of the Polyp (1928) (Short).


2:00 PM -- HER HIGHNESS AND THE BELLBOY (1945)
A hotel bellboy is the unlikely choice to escort a visiting princess, over the protests of his invalid girlfriend.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Hedy Lamarr, Robert Walker, June Allyson
BW-111 mins, CC,

Hedy Lamarr insisted on top billing. Lamarr's relative star power had waned, and several of the film's up-and-coming young stars were likely more popular with audiences at the time. After a heated fight with the star, the studio acquiesced and Lamarr was billed first. However, her inflexibility on the matter likely contributed to the studio's unwillingness to renew her contract, and as result, this was her last motion picture for MGM.


4:00 PM -- BEAU BRUMMELL (1954)
An English Don Juan courts the Prince of Wales' favor while romancing his way through society.
Dir: Curtis Bernhardt
Cast: Stewart Granger, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Ustinov
C-112 mins, CC,

This movie had troubles with the U.S. censor, the Production Code Administration because of the apparent justification of the immoral relationship between the Prince of Wales (Sir Peter Ustinov) and Mrs. Fitzherbert (Rosemary Harris), because a steward at a gentlemen's club had the manner of a "sex pervert", because the Prince checks the gender of a dog, and because of the use of the word "damn". Changes were made, but the running time remained the same.


6:00 PM -- KISMET (1955)
In this Arabian Nights musical, the "king of the beggars" infiltrates high society when his daughter is wooed by a handsome prince.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Dolores Gray
C-113 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Howard Keel opened the 1947 London West End Rogers and Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma", followed with "Carousel". MGM needed a male musical lead to counter Warner Brothers 1949 singing star Gordon MacRae. Howard Keel made his MGM debut as Frank Butler in Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun (1950) with Betty Hutton. In 1953, MGM loaned Howard Keel to Warner Brothers to play Wild Bill Hickock with Doris Day in Calamity Jane (1953) which was Warner Brothers answer to Annie Get Your Gun (1950). This movie was Howard Keel's last film musical role. Howard Keel performed in stage musicals after 1955, but never was featured in another musical film.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: SWORD AND SANDAL



8:00 PM -- HERCULES, SAMSON & ULYSSES (1963)
When two legendary Greek heroes are marooned, they're pushed into conflict with the famed Biblical strongman.
Dir: Pietro Francisci
Cast: Kirk Morris, Richard Lloyd, Liana Orfei
C-86 mins, CC,

U.S. fans regard this as the last of the big Italian sword and sandal/muscle-man epics. It was directed by Pietro Francisci, who had started the craze with his Hercules (1958).


9:30 PM -- A WORD FOR THE GREEKS (1951)
This travel short focuses on the history, culture, and people of Greece.
Dir: James A. FitzPatrick
C-8 mins,


9:45 PM -- TYRANT OF LYDIA AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES (1963)
The son of Hercules battles the evil king of Lydia.
Dir: Allan Grunewald
Cast: Gordon Scott, Ombretta Colli, Gloria Milland
C-102 mins,

Original title in Italian -- Goliath e la schiava ribelle. Original U.S. English title -- Goliath and the Rebel Slave.


11:45 PM -- TERROR OF ROME AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES (1964)
A legendary hero tries to save a young Christian woman's life.
Dir: Allan Grunewald
Cast: Mark Forest, Marilù Tolo, Elisabetta Fanti
C-100 mins,

Original Italian title -- Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta.


1:30 AM -- HERCULES AGAINST THE MONGOLS (1963)
Hercules takes on the three sons of Genghis Khan.
Director: Domenico Paolella
Cast: Mark Forest, José Greci, Maria Grazia Spina
BW-90 mins,

Original Italian title -- Maciste contro i Mongoli.


3:05 AM -- LITTLE JOURNEYS TO GREAT MASTERS (1931)
This short film provides a glimpse at famous art galleries of Rome, Florence and the Vatican. Vitaphone Release 1248.
Dir: E. M. Newman
BW-8 mins,

First entry in the E. M. Newman Globe Trotter World-Wide Travel Talks series of one reel travelogues.


3:15 AM -- HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS (1964)
Failing to overrun Cracow, Genghis Khan kidnaps the beautiful heir to the throne. But Hercules saves her and defeats Khan's throne.
Dir: Domenico Paolella
Cast: Mark Forest, José Greci, Ken Clark
BW-91 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Original Italian title -- Maciste nell'inferno di Gengis Khan.


5:00 AM -- THE TARTARS (1961)
A barbarian army attacks Viking settlements along the Russian steppes.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Victor Mature, Orson Welles, Folco Lulli
C-83 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

According to Orson Welles' conversations with Peter Bogdanovich, as recounted in the book "This is Orson Welles", Victor Mature had his sandals built up by three inches to make him look taller.