A Dud

[ken123]

IMHO this year's " Summer Under the Stars " has been, for the most part, a dud.

[jdb1]

I think it's true. The choice of movies has been less than inspiring.

I have been home this entire month, and I've watched very little of what TCM has been offering. I liked last year's series much better.

It's too bad, really, because the choice of stars seemed different and interesting. But a whole day's worth of their movies has been, in most cases, not too compelling.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

I didn't watch most of these movies, so I can't really criticize one way or the other.

But, if the series is called "Summer of the Stars" then let's have some of their starry roles.
Eg - why have Alan Ladd featured and then show "Citizen Kane"???? This was not one of his starring roles and not even a co-starring one. Idiocy....

I did enjoy Rosalind Russell's day though and finally saw some of her old movies - "My Sister Eileen" and "Design for Sin" and "Tell It to the Judge" - as well as ones I'd seen before - "Roughly Speaking" and "Auntie Mame"......
She really was a star!!!

Larry

[pktrekgirl]

Well, I pretty much agree.

The only days I have really enjoyed so far have been Dana Andrews, Rosalind Russell and Ronald Reagan. Joan Bennett's day was decent. But everything else gets a giant 'meh' from me.

Four of my absolute favorite stars had days...but days where there was nothing but 'same ole, same ole' stuff played, so there was no point in tuning in - Errol Flynn, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy and Gary Cooper. Four days of my absolute FAVORITES...and nothing at all that was even marginally rare.

Of course...there *was* all of those Jane Fonda and Elvis films I'd never seen....

I am looking forward to Loretta Young day. And there are a couple of gems during Mary Astor's day...in between the gazillionth MONTHLY showing of THE MALTESE FALCON and a few other 'same ole's of hers.

But the bottom line is that this has been a pretty uninspiring SUTS, unless one is almost a completely new classic film fan.

They did pretty much nothing for those of us who are interested in seeing more rare and/or obscure titles.

[mrsl]

Totally agree with everyone who has posted so far, but I do have to say, that although I've been a grouch pretty much for a couple of months now, I did feel better after spending the day with Elvis. Stay Away Joe was truly bad, but then Charro (which I had not seen) was actually pretty good, and you guys had Ina Balin to soothe your ruffled feathers. Speedway, Spinout, and Double Trouble were simply for fun, and you really can't knock Jailhouse Rock that much - good music, fairly good plot, and Judy Tyler was so cute, too bad about her.

Finishing out the day with Viva Las Vegas and Wild in the Country brought back lots of good teenage memories that you might have enjoyed recalling, if you'd given yourselves the chance. But, as usual, to each his own - today, all I've done was check the schedule early this a.m. and haven't even turned in to TCM since last night.

Last year I couldn't wait to see Ace in the Hole, but since it's been on at least 4 times since then, I can live without it again tonight. One good thing about this month is I've caught up on a lot of recipes on The Food Network, and decorating ideas on HGTV.

BTW, does anybody get the reasoning behind that nut commercial with Robert Goulet? To me it just looks rather ridiculous.

Anne

[movieman1957]

Anne:

Ridiculous may be the point of the commercial. That one was a Super Bowl commercial, if that tells you anything. It gives Goulet a chance to be seen. Kudos to the guy who thought to get him.

[Mr. Arkadin]

I would pretty much agree with this statement. There is always something I want to record each month, but pickings have been slim for this years SUTS. Sean Connery's day will have a few interesting shows and a day of Keaton is always a winner, but not much else to look for this week.

[sandykaypax]

I wasn't thrilled with August's choices when I first glanced at the schedule, but I've ended up recording lots of movies. It really has been a good month for me. I especially enjoyed the days devoted to Joan Bennett, Maureen O'Hara, Ronald Reagan, Jane Fonda, Spencer Tracy. I'm recording almost everything today for Loretta Young, and am looking forward to Mary Astor.

I was disappointed in some of the choices for Joan Crawford's day, but overall, not as bad of a month as I originally thought.

Sandy K

[moira finnie]

I haven't paid too much attention to the month long Summer Under the Stars series, but, as is the case with The Essentials and the month+ of Oscar movies, I don't think that they're geared toward me or anyone else who is pretty familiar with classic film already.

I did find some of the Rosalind Russell, Broderick Crawford, Ronald Reagan, and today's Loretta Young Day films to be pretty interesting and off the beaten track, particularly My Sister Eileen, and the Glenn Ford Western, The Fastest Gun Alive. Reagan was particularly interesting since he barely seems to act most of the time, making his efforts in King's Row, which TCM followed with the obscure but haunting film called Night Unto Night(1949) most interesting.

The latter film featured forgotten, highly effective actresses Viveca Lindfors and Osa Massen, who were probably the loveliest co-stars the future prez ever had, (except perhaps for Ann Sheridan). The film had an odd poetic take on epilepsy, which almost led our Mr. Reagan to pull out all the stops acting-wise. The glorious Franz Waxman music and Peverell Marley cinematography of the film contributed greatly to the moody atmosphere of the film. Interestingly, Broderick Crawford as a philosophy-spouting artist and Rosemary DeCamp as his earthy helpmate play a happily married, slightly bohemian artist family, (and they seem much happier than Scandal Sheet would later have them appear!). Director Don Siegel, who was just getting his start in features at this time, dismisses this film in his autobiography, A Siegel Film: An Autobiography, (along with that beloved 1945 Holiday Short, Star in the Night), but I think it's better than he, Reagan or most people might think. It has an interesting brooding quality, and is probably ideally seen late at night, where it belongs.

I'd never seen the Loretta Young pre-code, Employee's Entrance until today, (I loved the way no one was punished for their sins in that pre-code!) and I look forward to Paula, a rarely broadcast weeper that is on late tonight.

I wish that TCM could consider a week (or more) of films next year devoted to a Day each devoted to character actors, such as James Gleason, Edna May Oliver, Eric Blore, Edmund Gwenn, Monty Wooley, Zasu Pitts and maybe even Franklin Pangborn! Yeah, I know it'll happen when we have snow in August...but I can dream...can't I?

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Gee, Moira. You make me want to see Night Unto Night. I've never heard of it until you mentioned it here. Sounds fascinating.

I would also like to see classic character actors and actresses have their own day. When can I vote on this one?

Edna Mae for sure. And I have to put my plug in for Florence Bates, first woman lawyer in Texas!

[Mr. Arkadin]

However your feel about this months showing, you owe it to yourself to see The Hill (1965) this Friday. My favorite Connery film and one of the best performances of his career.

[sandykaypax]

I don't know much about The Hill. Action flick?

I've often thought about TCM doing a character actor salute. Wouldn't that be wonderful? When was the last time that a character actor had a day on SUTS? Or even someone like Lionel Barrymore or Frank Morgan who could slip into leading or character roles with ease.

Well, I guess that Mary Astor is someone who played leads and then moved into more character roles as she got older...but I'm thinking more about folks like Thelma Ritter, Spring Byington, Edna May Oliver.

Sandy K

[pktrekgirl]

However your feel about this months showing, you owe it to yourself to see The Hill (1965) this Friday. My favorite Connery film and one of the best performances of his career.

Thanks for this tip, Mr. Arkadin!

I am much more familiar with Sean Connery's later films - his 'modern' work, so to speak. And so I have never seen any of the films being shown on his day.

I will try and catch this one.

[movieman1957]

Sandy:

"The Hill" is directed by Sidney Lumet. It is set in a British prison camp (jail) during WWII in North Africa. The prisoners are British soldiers. The hill in the title is a hill in the camp where, when punished, the soldiers are forced to repeatedly climb it. Ossie Davis also stars. It's less an action picture and more of a drama. It has a good reputation.

I also think character actors would be fine. (I did program a theme around them in one of my Challenge Schedules.)

[markfp]

Well, I don't know if I would call the month a "dud" as there where certainly films scheduled that I enjoyed, but I have noticed that I recorded fewer films in August than in recent months. Of course, in a way, that was a blessing. It gave may recorders a little vacation.

I must say that including "Kane" in the Alan Ladd day was pushing it a little. In fact, the first time I saw the promo for it I thought it was a mistake and that the summer interns were running the place. However, it gave me an idea. It might be fun for TCM to do a day of films with future stars in early unbilled parts in well-known films. Like Ladd in "Kane" everybody had to start someplace.