TCM Schedule for Thursday, September 6 -- TCM Spotlight: Mack Sennett

[Staph]

This evening TCM is celebrating the life of director/actor/writer/producer/composer/cinematographer Mack Sennett. As IMDB says, his trademark was "Franticly wild comedies that had observed no physical reality while the characters descended into chaos in improvised storylines and situations. Many of the films had the appearance of a squad of incompetant policemen known as the Keystone Kops, who would arrive in overloaded cars which they would often leave destroyed while they contributed to the mess they were sent to stop. This group has come to be regarded as the trademark of Keystone Studios and one of the key images of silent comedy." Enjoy!


6:30 AM -- The Affairs of Martha (1942)
A servant's scandalous novel lands her employers in hot water.
Dir: Jules Dassin
Cast: Marsha Hunt, Richard Carlson, Marjorie Main
BW-67 mins, TV-G, CC,

Based on an original screenplay called Once Upon A Thursday, by Isobel Lenhart and Lee Gold.


7:45 AM -- The Heavenly Body (1943)
An astronomer's neglected wife takes up astrology and a handsome astrologer.
Dir: Alexander Hall
Cast: William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, James Craig
BW-95 mins, TV-G, CC,

Joan Crawford was offered the lead role but turned it down saying, "It was about a girl who stands around and does nothing. I told the studio to give the part to Hedy Lamarr."


9:30 AM -- The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
A scarred veteran and a homely woman are transformed by love.
Dir: John Cromwell
Cast: Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young, Herbert Marshall
BW-92 mins, TV-G, CC,

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Roy Webb

In 1973 it was announced that a remake would be made. According to Young the setting would be updated and Dorothy McGuire and he would be playing the parts of the housekeeper and blind pianist originally played by Mildred Natwick and Herbert Marshall. The idea fell through after McGuire watched a screening of the original at Young's invitation at the actor's home. She said that the film belonged to another period and that she did not want to go backward.


11:15 AM -- Yolanda And The Thief (1945)
A con man poses as a Latin American heiress' guardian angel.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan
C-108 mins, TV-G, CC,

Originally planned to star Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. Plans were abandoned when Garland was cast in the big budget western musical The Harvey Girls. The two would eventually be cast opposite each other in Easter Parade.


1:15 PM -- 3 Godfathers (1948)
Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey Jr.
C-106 mins, TV-G, CC,

This is a remake of the silent film The Three Godfathers, which starred Ford's long-time friend Harry Carey. When Carey died in 1947, Ford decided to remake the story in Technicolor and dedicate the film to his memory. Carey's son, Harry Carey Jr., plays one of the three, "The Abilene Kid".


3:15 PM -- The Kissing Bandit (1948)
A timid young man is forced to follow in his father's footsteps as a notorious masked bandit.
Dir: Laslo Benedek
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, J. Carrol Naish
C-100 mins, TV-G, CC,

Frank Sinatra did not want to make this movie, feeling that he was not right for the part. The studio, anxious to build him up as a leading man, forced him to be in it. He stated later that he never watched the film since he was embarrassed by the whole thing. Kathryn Grayson likewise disliked the film saying that it was her least favorite of all her films.


5:00 PM -- Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)
A pioneering efficiency expert tests his theories on his large family.
Dir: Walter Lang
Cast: Clifton Webb, Jeanne Crain, Myrna Loy
C-86 mins, TV-G, CC,

The big house the family moves to in Montclair is the same house set originally built for Judy Garland's family in Meet Me in St. Louis. Fox didn't have an appropriate standing outdoor set so they rented time on the "St. Louis Street" on MGM lot #2.


6:30 PM -- The Maltese Bippy (1969)
A porn star thinks he's become a werewolf.
Dir: Norman Panama
Cast: Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Carol Lynley
C-92 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format

Dan Rowan's and Maudie Prickett's final film performances.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: MACK SENNETT



8:00 PM -- With a Kodak (1911)
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Edward Dillon, Vivian Prescott, Fred Mace
BW-6 mins, TV-G,

Released as a split reel along with the comedy Pants and Pansies.


8:00 PM -- A Dash Through the Clouds (1912)
Aviation enthusiast Josephine rescues her suitor, Chubby, from an angry mob with the help of Slim and his airplane.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Kate Bruce, Sylvia Ashton, Fred Mace
BW-10 mins,

Released as a split reel along with the comedy The New Baby.


8:00 PM -- Manicure Lady (1911)
The manicure lady spurns the barber and dates a rich cad instead.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Mack Sennett, Vivian Prescott, Edward Dillon
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

Based on a story by Edwin August.


8:00 PM -- The Curtain Pole (1909)
A gentleman breaks the curtain pole and goes in search of a replacement, with disastrous results.
Dir: D. W. Griffith
Cast: Mack Sennett, Harry Solter, Florence Lawrence
BW-10 mins, TV-G,

Based on a story by G. W. Bitzer.


8:00 PM -- Comrades (1911)
Bums crash a fancy dress party.
Dir: Del Henderson
Cast: William Butler, John Dillion, Mack Sennett
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

Based on a story by Mack Sennett.


9:00 PM -- A Fishy Affair (1913)
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Ford Sterling, Laura Oakley, Nick Cogley
BW-6 mins, TV-G,

Released as a split reel along with the comedy The Bangville Police.


9:00 PM -- The Bangville Police (1913)
At a farm near Bangville, the young daughter see strangers in the barn. She quickly rushes to the house and calls the police.
Dir: Henry Lehrman
Cast: Mabel Normand, Fred Mace, Nick Cogley
BW-7 mins, TV-G,

Was the very first film to feature the group later known as the Keystone Kops. They got this name from the company that produced this title, Keystone.


9:00 PM -- Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life (1913)
Virtuous Mabel rejects the improper advances of a villainous cad. Barney Oldfield jumps in his racing car and speeds to the rescue.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Mabel Normand, Mack Sennett, Ford Sterling
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

Fourth of twelve movies that starred The Keystone Cops.


9:00 PM -- Mabel's Dramatic Career (1913)
Long after jilting his girlfriend, Mabel the kitchen maid, Mack is startled to see her onscreen at the local cinema.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Mabel Normand, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Mack Sennett
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

Also known as Her Dramatic Debut.


9:00 PM -- The Water Nymph (1912)
Mabel and her sweetheart go to the beach and play a trick on the boyfriend's father.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Mabel Normand, Mack Sennett, Ford Sterling
BW-8 mins, TV-G,

Released with Cohen Collects a Debt as the second half of a single reel offering on 23 September 1912, this was the initial Mack Sennett Keystone comedy release.


9:00 PM -- Life in the Balance (1913)
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Ford Sterling, Dot Farley, Raymond Hatton
BW-10 mins, TV-G,

Also known as Crashing Through.




9:00 PM -- On His Wedding Day (1913)
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Ford Sterling, Dot Farley, Nick Cogley
BW-6 mins, TV-G,

Released as a split reel along with the comedy Her New Beau.


9:00 PM -- The Speed Kings (1913)
Papa tries to thwart Mabel's romantic infatuation with a race car driver.
Dir: Wilfred Lucas
Cast: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling
BW-9 mins, TV-G,

Also known as Speed Kings Tetzlaff and Earl Cooper.


9:00 PM -- The Grocery Clerk's Romance (1912)
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Ford Sterling, James C. Morton, Gus Pixley
BW-8 mins, TV-G,

Released as a split reel along with the comedy At Coney Island.


9:00 PM -- A Flirt's Mistake (1914)
A woman's rotund husband finds it nearly impossible to resist flirting with any girl who comes in sight.
Dir: George Nichols
Cast: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Minta Durfee, Virginia Kirtley
BW-8 mins, TV-G,

Released as a split reel along with Moscow and Its Environs.


11:00 PM -- The Great Toe Mystery (1914)
Cast: Charley Chase, Charles Murray
BW-10 mins, TV-G,

I can't wait to find out why the mystery of the toe is so great!


11:00 PM -- The Rounders (1914)
In this silent short, two drunks go on a bender together.
Dir: Charles Chaplin
Cast: Charles Chaplin,
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

Also known as Going Down.


11:00 PM -- Mabel's Married Life (1914)
Mabel goes home after being humiliated by a masher whom her wimpy husband won't fight.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Mack Swain
BW-12 mins, TV-G,

Also known as The Squarehead.


11:00 PM -- Curses! They Remaked (1914)
Cast: Chester Conklin, Frank Opperman, Norma Nichols
BW-12 mins, TV-G,

There is no reliable documentation to confirm that Harold Lloyd appears in this film.


11:00 PM -- Recreation (1914)
The Little Tramp and a sailor fight over a girl.
Dir: Charles Chaplin
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Charles Bennett, Helen Carruthers
BW-5 mins, TV-G,

Released as a split reel along with the documentary The Yosemite.


11:00 PM -- Shot in the Excitement (1914)
Dir: Del Henderson
Cast: Chester Conklin, Alice Howell, Al "Fuzzy" St. John
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

Another early Keystones Cops short.


11:00 PM -- The Knockout (1914)
In this silent short, a young man tries to impress his girlfriend by signing on for a boxing match.
Dir: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Edgar Kennedy
BW-27 mins, TV-G,

Also known as Counted Out.


12:45 AM -- Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914)
In this silent film, a con man dupes a wealthy country girl into marriage.
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Marie Dressler, Charles Chaplin, Mabel Normand
BW-72 mins, TV-G,

The first feature-length comedy ever made, and also Charles Chaplin's first feature film.

Milton Berle claimed to have played the bit part of the newsboy who gets slapped in the face and kicked by Charles Chaplin. He later confronted Chaplin about having played the role, but Chaplin (nor anyone else, it seems) could not recall for certain whether or not it was indeed Berle. Most researchers believe the role to have been played by Gordon Griffith, Keystone's house child actor. However, there are still others who claim that the boy does not resemble Griffith, and could therefore possibly be Berle. There really is no definitive way of obtaining an answer unless some sort of original studio records turn up, so in the meantime this can be considered speculation at best. Berle would have been 6 years old at the time, Griffith would have been 7. The newsboy appears to be somewhat older, so most likely is neither of them. The TV series "Biography" showed a clip with Chaplin and a young boy claiming that the youngster is Berle in the segment "Milton Berle: Mr. Television."


2:00 AM -- The Noise of Bombs (1914)
Dir: Mack Sennett
Cast: Charles Murray, Edgar Kennedy, Chester Conklin
BW-12 mins, TV-G,

Ninth of twelve movies that starred The Keystone Cops.


2:00 AM -- Hash House Mashers (1915)
Cast: Charley Chase, Chester Conklin, Virginia Chester
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

The "Morning Oregonian" reported Chester Conklin as saying in 1920 that he considered himself one of the four great pioneers of film comedy, alongside Charles Chaplin, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and Mabel Normand.


2:00 AM -- Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition (1915)
In this silent short, a young husband at the San Diego Exposition can't restrain his wandering eye.
Dir: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Cast: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, Minta Durfee
BW-14 mins, TV-G,

One of two films about the San Diego Exposition made in 1915, both starring Fatty Arbuckle.


2:00 AM -- Ambrose's First Falsehood (1914)
Dir: Dell Henderson
Cast: Mack Swain, Phyllis Allen, Cecile Arnold
BW-11 mins, TV-G,

One of more than 40 films starring Mack Swain as Ambrose.


2:00 AM -- Fatty's New Role (1915)
In this silent short, a homeless man is mistaken for a mad bomber.
Dir: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Cast: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Frank Hayes, Mabel Normand
BW-13 mins, TV-G,

Fatty Arbuckle in an out-of-character role as a hobo.


2:00 AM -- Leading Lizzie Astray (1914)
A city slicker leads a small town girl astray, and her boyfriend tries to win her back.
Dir: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Cast: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Minta Durfee, Slim Summerville
BW-12 mins, TV-G,

Arbuckle and Minta Durfee were married at the time of this film.


3:30 AM -- Live Wires (1946)
In their first film, the Bowery Boys tackle gangsters.
Dir: Phil Karlson
Cast: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Mike Mazurki
BW-65 mins, TV-G,

The first of 48 Bowery Boys movies. In 1945, when East Side Kids producer Sam Katzman refused to grant Leo Gorcey's request to double his weekly salary, Gorcey quit the series, formed his own production company (owning 40% of it) with his agent Jan Grippo called Jan Grippo Productions, revamped the format including getting rid of the teenaged stories and rechristened the series The Bowery Boys (i.e., "Leo Gorcey and The Bowery Boys&quot .


4:45 AM -- In Fast Company (1946)
The Bowery Boys get wrapped up in a taxi war.
Dir: Del Lord
Cast: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Jane Randolph
BW-63 mins, TV-G,

The second of 48 Bowery Boys movies.

[CBHagman]

1. Sorry I missed this!

It looks like an amazing schedule.

But it's the last night of the DNC...

(Dodges popcorn thrown by Classic Film DUers.)

[Staph]

2. That popcorn wasn't from me!

I hope TCM replays some of these later!

[CBHagman]

3. One would hope.

There are some real rarities there.

Mind you, where else would we find these but TCM? Years ago I used to see silent films on public TV and of course at the student union, and I live in an area where there are arts theaters and museums with film schedules, but most of these are not otherwise accessible to the general public (though, to be fair, I haven't checked around for online options).