The March 2013 TCM Schedule

[Rita Hayworth]

Kingme's Picks from March 25th to March 30th.

25th Monday

The trio of Greer Garson's movies starting with Her Twelve Men and ending with Sunrise At Campobello.

26th Tuesday

Crime Wave and Battle Taxi in the Morning

27th Wednesday

The only movie that I'm interested in The Pursuit of the Graf Spee back in 1957

28th Thursday

Nothing for me on this day, I will be ending up to Vancouver B.C. for the day to pick up some Rita Hayworth's photos that i ordered last year that finally came in ...

29th Friday

In the Morning, Crime Doctor and Just Before Dawn ... and Blaise Pascal in the Evening.

30th Saturday

Looking forward seeing The Sting Again ... and I haven't made my mind about the others as well.

In early morning, both The Bride of Frankenstein and Godzilla, King of the Monsters are on ... but, I seen these way too many times and passing them up.

[ChiO]

All times CST.

A couple of goodies on Tuesday:

11:45am – Crime Wave (Andre de Toth 1954) – An underrated film noir if ever there was one. One of my favorites. The plot’s simple – some escaped cons try to rope an ex-prisonmate who’s gone straight into helping with a heist. And the cynical cop is after them. The tension never lets up. And what a cast! With Sterling Hayden, Gene Nelson, Phyllis Kirk, Ted de Corsia, Charles Buchinsky (he later changed his name to Charles Bronson), Jay Novello, James Bell & the Mad Man of His Own Method – TIMOTHY CAREY!

4:00pm – Terror in a Texas Town (Joseph H. Lewis 1958) – The last movie made by the director of two of the finest noirs (Gun Crazy and The Big Combo) is an off-beat Western, the genre in which Lewis got his start. A whaler comes home from the sea to find that the town’s Greedy Bad Guy has killed his father so he can drill for oil on his father’s land. The whaler wants revenge. Written by Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten, with a cast and crew that look like a HUAC witness list. Yes, there’s a political subtext. With Sterling Hayden, Nedrick Young & Sebastian Cabot.

Wednesday is the exciting day for me -- Six Michael Powell films, two of which I've never seen and that are apparently not currently in print: Something Always Happens (1934) at 5:30am and Crown vs. Stevens (1936) at 6:45am.

Then, on Saturday, in addition to Rossellini there's...

11:30pm – Les Carabiniers (Jean-Luc Godard 1963) – Two young misfits decide to enlist in the military based on the promise that they’ll be able to rape, loot, plunder and kill without justification. Yes, it is a cynical anti-war statement and, yes, it is Godardian in structure. But one must always give a Godard movie a chance.

[moira finnie]

Thanks for that heads up, ChiO and kingme.


In celebration of what would have been the man's 97th birthday, it is wall to wall Sterling Hayden tomorrow on TCM during the day and Crime Wave is one of my favorites,* even if Hayden dismissed this and most of his movies with a shrug. Too bad they never seem to show those ol' Paramount movies with a very young Hayden pretending to be an actor instead of the sailor he longed to be. He may have been an even better writer.

As he wrote years later while contemplating the odd voyage he took through Hollywood and longing to run away from it all to sea once again,

"The sun beats down and you pace, you pace and you pace. Your mind flies free and you see yourself as an actor, condemned to a treadmill wherein men and women conspire to breathe life into a screenplay that allegedly depicts life as it was in the old wild West.,,, You see yourself coming awake any one of a thousand mornings between the spring of 1954, and that of 1958 ‑ alone in a double bed in a big white house deep in suburban Sherman Oaks, not far from Hollywood.... "The windows are open wide, and beyond these is the backyard swimming pool inert and green, within a picket fence. You turn and gaze at a pair of desks not far from the double bed. This is your private office, the place that shelters your fondest hopes: these desks so neat, patiently waiting for the day that never comes, the day you'll sit down at last and begin to write...."Why did you never write? Why, instead, did you grovel along, through the endless months and years, as a motion‑picture actor? What held you to it, to something you so vehemently professed to despise? Could it be that you secretly liked it—that the big dough and the big house and the high life meant more than the aura you spun for those around you to see?"

- Excerpts from Wanderer written by Sterling Hayden in 1963

Here are all the movies on tap tomorrow (all times shown are ET):


6:00 AM
ASPHALT JUNGLE, THE (1950)

A gang of small time crooks plots an elaborate jewel heist.
Dir: John Huston Cast: Sterling Hayden , Louis Calhern , Jean Hagen .
BW-112 mins, TV-PG, CC,

8:00 AM
GOLDEN HAWK, THE (1952)

Male and female pirates join forces against a corrupt Caribbean governor.
Dir: Sidney Salkow Cast: Rhonda Fleming , Sterling Hayden , Helena Carter .
C-82 mins, TV-PG,

9:30 AM
SO BIG (1953)

A schoolteacher-turned-farmer fights to save the land and her son.
Dir: Robert Wise Cast: Jane Wyman , Sterling Hayden , Nancy Olson .
BW-102 mins, TV-PG, CC,

11:15 AM
ARROW IN THE DUST (1954)

A deserter takes on his dead captain's identity to save a wagon train.
Dir: Lesley Selander Cast: Sterling Hayden , Coleen Gray , Keith Larsen .
C-80 mins, TV-PG, CC,

12:45 PM
CRIME WAVE (1954)

A reformed parolee is caught in the middle when a wounded former cellmate seeks him out for shelter.
Dir: Andre DeToth Cast: Sterling Hayden , Gene Nelson , Phyllis Kirk .
BW-74 mins, TV-14, CC,

2:00 PM
BATTLE TAXI (1955)

A hotshot jet pilot joins a helicopter rescue team during the Korean War.
Dir: Herbert L. Strock Cast: Sterling Hayden , Arthur Franz , Marshall Thompson .
BW-80 mins, TV-PG,

3:30 PM
FIVE STEPS TO DANGER (1957)

A couple attempts to keep important secrets from Communist spies.
Dir: Henry S. Kesler Cast: Ruth Roman , Sterling Hayden , Werner Klemperer .
BW-80 mins, TV-PG, CC,

5:00 PM
TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN (1958)

A whaler inherits his father's farm but has to fight off a corrupt town boss.
Dir: Joseph H. Lewis Cast: Sterling Hayden , Sebastian Cabot , Carol Kelly .
BW-81 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

6:30 PM
CAROL FOR ANOTHER CHRISTMAS, A (1964)

Three ghosts teach an industrialist the importance of international peacekeeping.
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast: Gordon Spencer , Barbara Amteer , Sterling Hayden .
BW-86 mins, TV-G, CC,

*Crime Wave (1954) remains a fave even if Dub Taylor never gets to hear Doris Day finish her song! Love the Dubster, but between the feature film Dragnet (1953) and this Andre de Toth gem, he must have needed a better agent.

[JackFavell]

Thanks XhiO and Moira, for mentioning the lineup or parts of on Tuesday.... I wasn't paying attention to the sched this week and I would have missed all that Sterling Hayden!

[JackFavell]

That's the chinese spelling. I never make mistakes typing....

[ChiO]

Actually, in Greek (& it is Greek Independence Day today), XiO would work.

Today being a feast day (Annunciation), time to enjoy some fish while watching "Banacek" with a Greek subtext.

[JackFavell]

Was Banacek Greek too, like Kojak? I never realized. I always thought he was Polish.

[movieman1957]

One that might interest some is on tomorrow called "I Know Where I'm Going." It is one of those gentle British comedies that is more atmospheric than funny but is lovely to watch. (12:45pm ET)

Wendy Hiller is a bride to be trying to get to a rather remote place to meet her future husband for her wedding. Weather and some good natured locals conspire, for her own welfare, to delay her arrival.

I saw it recently and liked it. It's a rare film and easy to let get by. Check it out.

[ChiO]

Was Banacek Greek too, like Kojak? I never realized. I always thought he was Polish.

You are correct. Banacek was Polish-American and, for the record, George Peppard did not change his name from Georgios Peppardakis. I was unclear. The episode was about solving the mystery of a theft of a priceless Greek chalice from a museum. One of the suspects was a brusque, ruthless and wealthy Greek (O, the stereotyping), Marius Avantalu, portrayed by that noted Greek thespian, Cesar Romero. What, the Savalas Brothers weren't available?

One that might interest some is on tomorrow called "I Know Where I'm Going." It is one of those gentle British comedies that is more atmospheric than funny but is lovely to watch.

Absolutely. It is the movie that got me to focus on Michael Powell. Of the Powell sexfecta on Wednesday, it is my favorite, though A CANTERBURY TALE (1944), made immediately before it, gives it a run for the money.

[JackFavell]

You are correct. Banacek was Polish-American and, for the record, George Peppard did not change his name from Georgios Peppardakis. I was unclear. The episode was about solving the mystery of a theft of a priceless Greek chalice from a museum. One of the suspects was a brusque, ruthless and wealthy Greek (O, the stereotyping), Marius Avantalu, portrayed by that noted Greek thespian, Cesar Romero. What, the Savalas Brothers weren't available?

Ahhh! The ruthless and wealthy greek tycoon! Of course, I should have known it was a guest shot. Hey, I like Cesar Romero, what a great sense of humor and irony he must have had.

One that might interest some is on tomorrow called "I Know Where I'm Going." It is one of those gentle British comedies that is more atmospheric than funny but is lovely to watch.
Absolutely. It is the movie that got me to focus on Michael Powell. Of the Powell sexfecta on Wednesday, it is my favorite, though A CANTERBURY TALE (1944), made immediately before it, gives it a run for the money.

Oh my, I hadn't checked the schedule that far in advance... wow, I've never seen the first two of his early films on tomorrow, nor The Graf Spee movie. The gorgeous cinematography in IKWIG is enough to make me watch again. It was my second Powell movie, after The Red Shoes, which was my mom's favorite. They used to show TRS on PBS in Chicago when I was a kid, and I loved it. But IKWIG made me seek out the other films by Powell. I wish they'd show some more, I haven't seen One Our Aircraft is Missing in ages, and there are a lot of other ones starting in the 30's that I'd love to check out.

[JackFavell]

I am in love with CRIME WAVE already, and it's only 10 minutes in!

[Rita Hayworth]

Crime Wave and Battle Taxi ... both of these films are pretty good ... but Battle Taxi is a little bit disappointing than Crime Wave. I like the photography and pace of both of these movies; but Crime Wave got 2 stars according to critics ... I think it is a 3 stars movie myself. I can't remember Battle Taxi's ratings was ... but I give it a 2.5 stars (kinda weak) ... anyway both films are good in its own merits!

[JackFavell]

CRIME WAVE was fantastic! Right from the start with the lighting and Dub Taylor and the hidden faces of the hoods (Charles Bronson and Ted de Corsia) and the incredible locations, well, this movie had me from the first second! This is the type of noir I look for. It's all angles, in more ways than one. And Gene Nelson shows up? I love him, with his ducktail haircut and t-shirt, he can't hide his inherent niceness. Then there was Sterling Hayden, who is growing on me like moss, I am starting to love him, and this movie, well, he was perfect as the On Dangerous Ground type cop whose seen it all more times than one person can handle, you were just sure was going to grind poor Nelson into a pulp by the end of the picture. Nice twists, and there is literally every character actor you'd want to see in a noir except for William Conrad. There is BRILLIANT location photography all around Los Angeles, It reminds me of how my sister's town, San Pedro still looks.

Did I mention Tim Carey? Oh yes, of course he turns up. Gene Nelson has to go on a heist with the bad guys, leaving his wife behind as insurance, watched by guess who. Whatever you do, DON'T LEAVE YOUR WIFE WITH TIM CAREY!

I loved the scene in the police station, too bright and flatly lit, looking like a real live police station, echo-ey and hollow sounding as well, this is where Sterling Hayden gets to strut his stuff at the beginning of the film. The mise en scene throughout the picture, oh, lordy it's wonderful... Andre de Toth is a god! We see Gene Nelson and Phyllis Kirk go into a clinch, then an edit to the crime taking place, and then another edit to an extreme closeup of the phone in Gene's apartment, ringing... we see Gene's hand come up to answer it, and Phyllis' hand moves to stop him.... and as they argue about it, we are still focused on just their hands....and it becomes quite clear that they are in bed together. THAT'S film-making! Oh do yourselves a favor and do a google image search for Crime Wave, 1954... get a load of the imagery, it's just beautiful, with great lighting and inventive angles. Everything looks like it's either under neon or fluorescent light. I loved every blessed second of this film.

[ChiO]

So...did you like it?

Whatever you do, DON'T LEAVE YOUR WIFE WITH TIM CAREY!

We are simpatico on that bit of Noir advice. From March 2009:

Suffice it to say, I love CRIME WAVE (#12 on my list for the long ago Bestafavorite Film Noir poll). The story is tight, De Toth's pacing is exhilarating, and every performance is wonderful, though two stand out. Sterling Hayden gives, in my view, his strongest, most fully developed human performance (of those I've seen). A perpetual scowl with an occasional sneer tossed in, he personifies a noir philosophy that the institutions and representatives of power may make our lives a living Hell, but they are just as doomed as the rest of us (and he conveys this despite a quasi-happy ending). And the last shot -- from scowl to cigarette to matchstick -- is a fine piece of minimalist acting. Then there's Timothy Carey...what kind of idiot leaves him to guard your hostage? Bless the logic of noir. A bravura performance, as always.

The first time I saw this was around 2005 in a "Forgotten Noir" class. Sitting directly behind the instructor, when Carey first appeared I let out a gasp-shout-laugh-spit-take that I could never replicate. At the break, he turned to me and asked, "Do you like Timothy Carey, too?" We have been pals ever since. Timothy Carey: He brings people together.

[JackFavell]

Hilarious! I gasped aloud just seeing Dub Taylor! Do you think Tim Carey would be happy that he brought people together?

I totally agree about Sterling Hayden, your description nails his performance! There's a lot of nuance there, although you don't realize it until the movie's over. He's got this thing... you know he's seen horrible things, injustices, the system fail.... he's jaded, but instead of playing that alone, he subverts it. That's not the amazing part. Any other actor would play cynical, downbeat, wisecracking macho guy, subverting or masking his disillusionment with a weary humor. But Hayden masks his disgust by emulating the gusto of a man who's having the time of his life! It's just brilliant. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if it is a mask, or if he just has let go of the feelings of disillusionment completely... they do no good anyway, and simply enjoys the hell out of the day to day WORK of being a cop. Like the only way he can bring himself to do this dirty job is to rouse himself and his men with false energy bordering on anger, exhibited with a gleeful sneer.