TCM Schedule for December, 2008

[srowley75]

Dec 25 - Merry Christmas. Today TCM is showing several movies with a Christian theme. At 9:20 AM The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)(Swedish actor in the lead part); at 1:00 PM King of Kings (1961) (All-American hunk actor in the lead part); and at 4:00 PM Ben-Hur (1959) (compassionate stranger seen only from the back). Actually, I would have thought the first two movies more suitable for Easter viewing. There are so many, many Christmas movies, some secular and some more religious-themed - why these? Not complaining; only puzzled.

I was hoping to see Come to the Stable scheduled this year for Christmas - though not necessarily a "Christmas movie," it nevertheless seems a logical choice because of its religious themes and the fact that the action takes place in the winter. And the themes of generosity and faith fit in well. I'm surprised Fox has never released this one to DVD - I would think it would be a good seller for them (relatively speaking where classics are concerned). But I'd just like to see it again - it's been a while.

[moira finnie]

Come to the Stable (1950) is a 20th Century Fox film and does appear on the schedules of Fox Movie Channel & AMC on occasion. I think it's a great Christmas choice too. I love the Elsa Lanchester character of the slightly eccentric but generous painter in the country. I hope it turns up!

[Bogie]

Meh, I'm tired of Ben-Hur

GIVE ME SPARTACUS!

Or is that not in the TCM library?

[jdb1]

I was just clicking around on the TCM website, and there was a small squib in the corner about an evening of films featuring Donald Pleasance on Oct. 18. However, I can't find that little inset now -- where did it go?

Anyway, I've always rather liked Pleasance, who is one of those actors who doesn't seem to be actually acting, yet a fully-formed character emerges from him. I also think that in a very understated way, he has always reminded me a little bit of Peter Lorre. Apparently, someone at TCM agrees, since Pleasance's profile there describes him this way:

Pleasence's ability to project both a disquieting instability and an understated malevolence made him a highly sought-after character player for the remainder of his career.

For me - when I think "disquieting instability" and "understated malevolence," I think Lorre (well, maybe his malevolence wasn't always that understated). Pleasance was better than Lorre at subtly keeping himself in the background of a scene; I never noticed any of the overt scene-stealing business that Lorre was so good at, and yet you never forget that Pleasance is there. We never really got to see the full scope of Pleasance's skills, since he rarely got the kind of scenery-chewing parts that Lorre played. Most of Pleasance's over-the-top performances were unfortunately embedded in some pretty awful programmers, usually of the horror variety. But we did get to see lots of pathos from Pleasance, and he was just as good at is as was Lorre.

[moira finnie]

Is this TCM article and lineup of films on Oct. 18th that you were looking for, Judith?

I see what you mean about the similarity to Peter Lorre, but, at least to me, there was something fundamentally icy about the highly skilled Donald Pleasence; which may be one reason why he always seemed to be an ideal choice for Pinter and Beckett's mysteriously malevolent characters, not to mention those Halloween flicks. Though he was less frosty in The Great Escape and could be quite witty in his characterizations, the humanity, warmth or humor that Lorre could convey when given half a chance in such movies as Hotel Berlin, The Mask of Dimitrios or Three Strangers, among others, wasn't a feature that came across to me in Pleasence films.

[jdb1]

Most definitely, I believe Lorre to be the warmer actor, although he, too, could chill the screen very easily. As I said, Pleasance didn't really get the same kinds of roles that Lorre did, but Lorre was much more the supporting star rather than just the supporting actor. But with Pleasance, in some of his roles you got the impression that there was an emotional man in there, either struggling to get out, or struggling to stay in.

I'm especially fond of Mask of Dimitrios, because Lorre gets to play a more believable figure, a real person, rather than a -- what -- I guess -- hmmmm -- whatever it was that Lorre usually played.

(By the way, I meant to post this in the October lineup thread. Sorry.)

[moira finnie]

(By the way, I meant to post this in the October lineup thread. Sorry.)

No need to be sorry. I understood. I like your distinctive description of Lorre as "a supporting star" as well as an an actor. Did you ever see any of the excerpts that were around for awhile of Pleasence as The Man in the Glass Booth, the late Robert Shaw's play based on Adolf Eichmann's trial? I don't know where I saw it as a kid, ("Ed Sullivan Show"? PBS?), but it scared the bejeesus out of me, even though even I could see what a brilliant actor Donald Pleasence was in the part.

[jdb1]

No, I don't recall that. I'm sorry I missed it. But you know, when I think of Pleasance, I generally think of him in some kind of long leather coat, SS style.

I do have a very vague memory of him as Prince John in the Richard Greene Robin Hood series. That was eons ago.

[klondike]

. We will never see the like of Lubitsch again, at least not in Hollywood.

You're quite right, Friend; I was reminded of that, in a sentimental aside last night, while watching a disc of Sullivan's Travels, in which Preston Sturges affectionately barbs his rival with several sly references.

[Gagman 66]

How's that? I haven't heard anyone mention the debut of De Mille's THE GODLESS GIRL (1929), This is a TCM and American broadcast premier. Furthermore, this is the outstanding Kevin Brownlow-Patrick Stanbury produced Photo-play Productions version from just last year, with the magnificent Carl Davis score!

[Metry_Road]

'Heaven's Gate (1981)', december 30th.

Haven't seen this movie since it's first release, so I don't remember much about it (except being bored by it). Maybe it has some redeeming quality that I missed the first time around. I'll give it another chance.

Regards

[movieman1957]

"Heaven's Gate" isn't being shown in widescreen. There seems to be several movies that aren't in widescreen in December. Some are Disney so I don't know if they didn't really use it but enough of those that should be are not being shown that way that it caught my attention.

(I got my "Now Playing" for Dec. today.)