February, 2006 - 31 Days of Oscar

Wednesday, February 1

6:00 AM Mogambo (1953)

8:00 AM Show Boat (1951) - Although "Ol’ Man River" (#24 on AFI’s 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time) is not sung by the great Paul Robeson in this one, the other songs may be done better than in the 1936 version of this famous musical, especially "Make Believe". Starring Howard Keel as Gaylord Ravenal and Kathryn Grayson as Magnolia, the scene at the end (including Ava Gardner) should make you cry. And don't overlook Joe E. Brown and Agnes Moorehead as the parents of Ms. Grayson's character. Directed by George Sidney, this film's Score and Color Cinematography were nominated for Oscars.

4:00 PM Brigadoon (1954) - Directed by Vincente Minnelli and written by Alan Jay Lerner (An American in Paris (1951)), this average Musical features Gene Kelly and Van Johnson as "Americans in Scotland" who discover the titled town amongst the heather & in the mists during their hunting trip. They meet the locals and learn their secret (the town appears only once, for one day only, every 100 years since 1754) after the engaged Kelly falls for a local lass, played by Cyd Charisse, from the town's elder (Barry Jones). But there's more to the secret which, along with a love triangle among some supporting characters (Jimmy Thompson, Elaine Stewart, & Hugh Laing) adds some drama extending this fantasy for more dancing and forgettable Lerner and (Frederick) Loewe songs. The film's Color Art Direction-Set Decoration, Costume Design, and Sound received Oscar nominations.

8:00 PM The African Queen (1951)

10:00 PM Casablanca (1942)

Thursday, February 2

12:00 AM Cactus Flower (1969) - Dizzy Goldie Hawn earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar opposite Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman in this silly 1960's sex comedy. Single, swinging dentist Matthau pretends he's married to avoid complications. When he decides to propose to Hawn, he has his assistant Bergman pretend to be the wife he's leaving to satisfy his girlfriend.

2:00 AM Shampoo (1975) - Lee Grant earned her Best Supporting Actress Oscar (Jack Warden, his first Supporting Actor nomination) opposite Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn in this sex farce about a hairdresser (Beatty) who beds all his clients.

4:00 AM The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

8:00 AM The Thin Man (1934)

10:00 AM The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939)

12:00 PM Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

2:15 PM The Heiress (1949)

4:15 PM Citizen Kane (1941)

6:15 PM The Third Man (1949)

8:00 PM Father Goose (1964)

10:00 PM Operation Petticoat (1959) - an above average comedy from director Blake Edwards starring Cary Grant as the Captain of a submarine, Tony Curtis as his first officer that can get him anything he needs, and Dina Merrill as the head nurse of a group which Grant & Co. must transport in close quarters;-) Also features four future television stars: Dick Sargent (Bewitched), Gavin MacLeod (The Love Boat), Marion Ross (Happy Days), and Arthur O'Connell (various).

Friday, February 3

12:15 AM Sabrina (1954)

2:15 AM Buck Privates (1941)

6:00 AM I Married A Witch (1942) - O.K., this is not really a great film. But how can you pass up a film starring Fredric March & Veronica Lake (Susan Hayward's in it too, as are Robert Benchley and Cecil Kellaway). And, apparently director Danny DeVito’s planned a remake (co-produced by Tom Cruise), for 2006 or later. Lake plays the titled several hundred years old witch (who doesn't look a day over 32); March is the current descendant of the man who burned her and her father (Kellaway) at the stake. Bent on ruining politician March's pending wedding to Hayward, Lake inadvertently changes his (and her) life forever with a love potion gaffe. Most memorable scene occurs in a burning, downtown hotel. Features an Oscar nominated Score.

7:30 AM Now, Voyager (1942)

9:30 AM The Bishop's Wife (1947) - another great Samuel Goldwyn produced film with Cary Grant playing an angel who helps a church bishop (David Niven) and his wife, played by Loretta Young. Initially, Grant was signed to play the bishop, Niven the angel. And, Billy Wilder was asked to improve the script. The film and its director, Henry Koster, were Oscar nominated; it won for Sound Recording.

11:30 AM Dodsworth (1936)

1:30 PM The Hurricane (1937) - an all new full review!

3:30 PM The Four Feathers (1939)

6:00 PM In Which We Serve (1942) - a TCM premiere!

8:00 PM The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

11:00 PM Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Saturday, February 4

3:00 AM Vogues Of 1938 (1937) - full review!

5:00 AM Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)

7:00 AM One Foot In Heaven (1941)

9:00 AM The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

11:00 AM On The Waterfront (1954)

1:00 PM Sayonara (1957) - a TCM premiere and an all new capsule review!

3:30 PM Battleground (1949) - full review!

5:30 PM Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) - full review!

8:00 PM Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) - this film is really about the Marine Corps and the rigorous training that was done before the Pacific campaign of World War II could become a reality. It stars John Wayne (True Grit (1969)), who received his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of unyielding leadership in the person of Sergeant John M. Stryker, and culminates with the famous flag raising. The film also received 3 other Oscar nominations, including for Best Writing.

10:00 PM The Westerner (1940)

Sunday, February 5

12:00 AM The Pride Of The Yankees (1942)

2:15 AM Ball Of Fire (1941) - full review!

4:15 AM The Maltese Falcon (1941)

6:00 AM Mr. Skeffington (1944)

8:30 AM Stage Door Canteen (1943) - full review!

10:45 AM The Uninvited (1944)

12:30 PM The Philadelphia Story (1940)

2:30 PM Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

4:30 PM Father Of The Bride (1950)

6:15 PM Topper (1937)

8:00 PM Sunrise (1927) - an all new full review!

10:00 PM She Done Him Wrong (1933)

11:15 PM The Cowboy And The Lady (1938) - a TCM premiere!

Monday, February 6

1:00 AM Kings Row (1942)

3:15 AM Dark Victory (1939)

5:00 AM The Life Of Emile Zola (1937)

7:00 AM Jezebel (1938)

8:45 AM Cabin In The Sky (1943)

10:30 AM The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

12:30 PM Black Narcissus (1947) - Deborah Kerr plays a nun sent to a remote hilltop in the Himalayas to establish a convent on the site of an "ancient" brothel. She is assisted by a local Prince (Sabu), who craves an education, and a handsome English government official (David Ferrer) while she struggles against the jealousy of a local beauty (Jean Simmons!) and a straying nun (Kathleen Byron). Breathtaking cinematography and color despite the dull, plodding story; won Oscars for its Color Art Direction-Set Decoration and Cinematography. Flora Robson, Jenny Laird, and Judith Furse also appear.

2:30 PM Henry V (1944) - Laurence Olivier won a special Oscar for his writing, his direction, and his playing the title role in his production of Shakespeare's story. He had received two nominations, Best Actor & Best Picture; the film's Art Direction & Score were also nominated. Too dull for my tastes.

5:00 PM Brief Encounter (1945)

6:30 PM The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

8:00 PM The Producers (1968) - see the original! This hilarious Mel Brooks directed comedy earned writer Brooks his only Oscar (for his Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen) and Gene Wilder his only acting nomination (Supporting). Accountant Wilder devises a way for womanizing producer Zero Mostel to make money, by producing a play that flops! But their casting of a flamboyant lead (Dick Shawn) inadvertently makes their attempt, a shockingly bad taste effort titled "Springtime for Hitler", a smash hit. Recently remade into a musical on Broadway AND a new film, this one was added to the National Film Registry in 1996.

9:30 PM The Front (1976) - an all new capsule review!

11:15 PM Zelig (1983) - Before Forrest Gump (1994), there was the chameleon Zelig! This creative film's Cinematography & Costume Design were Oscar nominated.

Tuesday, February 7

3:30 AM The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) - an all new full review!

11:00 AM The Sea Wolf (1941)

12:30 PM Little Caesar (1931)

2:00 PM Gunga Din (1939)

4:00 PM Ivanhoe (1952)

8:00 PM Flying Tigers (1942) - a TCM premiere!

10:00 PM Wake Island (1942) - a TCM premiere and an all new capsule review!

Wednesday, February 8

1:30 AM Way Out West (1938) - full review!

2:45 AM The Music Box (1932) - full review!

3:15 AM The Great Dictator (1940) - Charlie Chaplin spoofs Adolf Hitler! Nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor (Chaplin), & Writing (also Chaplin), and Supporting Actor (Jack Oakie). Added to the National Film Registry in 1997. #37 on AFI’s 100 Funniest Movies list.

5:30 AM Marie Antoinette (1938) - full review!

8:00 AM A Free Soul (1931) - full review!

9:45 AM Camille (1936)

11:45 AM A Tale Of Two Cities (1935)

2:00 PM Pride And Prejudice (1940)

4:00 PM Mrs. Miniver (1942)

6:15 PM Lassie Come Home (1943) - a family classic featuring the famous titled collie who returns home, against all odds, after an incredible journey to her family which includes Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester and child actor Roddy McDowall. Dame May Whitty, Elizabeth Taylor (in only her second film), Edmund Gwenn, and Nigel Bruce (to whom, with Taylor, Lassie had been sold by the impoverished family) also appear. Nominated for a Best Color Cinematography Oscar, it was added to the National Film Registry in 1993. Hugo Butler (Edison, the Man (1940)) adapted Eric Knight's novel of the same name.

8:00 PM Cleopatra (1963)

Thursday, February 9

12:15 AM My Fair Lady (1964)

3:15 AM Funny Face (1957) - Fred Astaire plays a much older photographer than Audrey Hepburn's character, but that doesn't keep a romance between them from blossoming when Astaire's character "discovers" Hepburn's, making her a famous model the world over. Directed by Stanley Donen, this average musical features several George & Ira Gershwin tunes as well as one of Kay Thompson's three on-screen roles. It received four secondary Academy Award nominations, for: Art Direction-Set Decoration, Cinematography (Ray June's last of three, unrewarded), one of Edith Head's many & Hubert de Givenchy’s only for Costume Design, and Leonard Gershe’s only for his Story and Screenplay, Written Directly for the Screen.

6:00 AM Easter Parade (1948)

9:30 AM Key Largo (1948)

11:30 AM Road to Morocco (1942) - one of the better Bing Crosby-Bob Hope "Road" films, Best Writing Oscar nomination, with Dorothy Lamour & Anthony Quinn. Added to the National Film Registry in 1996.

1:00 PM Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

5:00 PM Hamlet (1948)

8:00 PM The Big Country (1958)

11:00 PM The Boys From Brazil (1978) - Another one of those fascinating concepts (like Brainstorm (1983)) that could have been better executed. Gregory Peck plays Dr. Josef Mengele who, through Steve Guttenberg’s character, is tracked down by Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier, who received his last Best Actor Oscar nomination), who discovers the Doctor's sinister plot to bring back Hitler! The film's Editing and Score were also nominated. James Mason and Denholm Elliot also appear.

Friday, February 10

1:15 AM North By Northwest (1959)

3:45 AM The Story Of Louis Pasteur (1935)

5:15 AM I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (1932)

7:30 AM The Valley Of Decision (1945) - full review!

12:00 PM The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

2:00 PM Oklahoma! (1955)

4:30 PM Doctor Zhivago (1965)

8:00 PM Heaven Can Wait (1978) - a TCM premiere! This remake of the classic Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) won an Oscar for Art Direction-Set Decoration. The film's producer, co-director (with Buck Henry) & co-screenwriter (with Elaine May), Warren Beatty stars as football quarterback Joe Pendleton, who's mistakenly taken early to the afterlife by an escort (Henry). So, he's put back on Earth (by James Mason) in the person of a billionaire named Farnsworth, whose wife (Diane Cannon) and lover (Charles Grodin) have just murdered him, as a placeholder until a more appropriate body can be found. After surprising the co-conspirators by still being alive, Farnsworth meets a pretty Brit (Julie Christie) who's protesting against the billionaire's anti-environment plans. When Pendleton as Farnsworth changes these, she falls in love with him. Only Pendleton's friend Max (Jack Warden) knows his true identity; Farnsworth asks Max to help him get into football playing shape. Vincent Gardenia appears as the police officer investigating the strange goings-on. Nominated for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Score. Actors Beatty, Cannon, and Warden also received nominations.

10:00 PM 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Saturday, February 11

12:45 AM Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1963)

2:30 AM Lolita (1962)

5:30 AM The Americanization of Emily (1964) - an all new essential, capsule review!

7:30 AM Charade (1963) - an entertaining romp pairing Audrey Hepburn with Cary Grant in a comedy, mystery that includes some other named actors in humorous roles: Walter Matthau, James Coburn, & George Kennedy. Directed by Stanley Donen.

9:30 AM The Joker Is Wild (1957) - an all new full review!

11:45 AM On the Town (1949)

1:30 PM They Were Expendable (1945) - a terrific film about the surprising successes of the PT boats during World War II, initially thought unworthy of any role in the conflict. Directed by John Ford, and starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Ward Bond, Leon Ames, and more; it was nominated for two Oscars, Special Effects & Sound.

4:00 PM Fighting Seabees, The (1944) - a TCM premiere!

6:00 PM Shenandoah (1965)

8:00 PM The Graduate (1967) - an all new capsule review!

10:00 PM Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Sunday, February 12

12:00 AM The Big Chill (1983) - a great soundtrack and the highly recognizable cast are the highlights of this film which also included Kevin Costner until his scenes were cut.

2:00 AM A Fish Called Wanda (1988) - Kevin Kline won a Best Supporting Oscar on his only nomination (to date) in this very funny film co-written by Monty Python's John Cleese, who also appears in the film.

4:00 AM Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

9:00 AM The V.I.P.S. (1963)

11:00 AM Darling Lili (1970) - an all new full review!

1:30 PM The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) - full review!

3:30 PM To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

5:45 PM The Sting (1973)

8:00 PM Out of Africa (1985)

Monday, February 13

1:30 AM Quiz Show (1994) - excellent historical drama starring Ralph Fiennes as a smart, attractive wealthy young ("fair haired boy") man who becomes the center of a scandal as a quiz show contestant who gets the answers in advance. Paul Scofield (A Man for All Seasons (1966)) earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination as Fiennes ethical professor father. Director Robert Redford, the film and its writing were also nominated.

3:45 AM Picnic (1955)

5:45 AM Night Must Fall (1937)

8:00 AM The Big House (1930) - pre-code prison drama with Wallace Beery, Robert Montgomery, & Chester Morris as the cons, Lewis Stone as the warden. Leila Hyams plays Montgomery's sister. Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Beery; it won for Writing & Sound.

9:30 AM Grand Hotel (1932)

11:30 AM Possessed (1947) - full review!

1:30 PM The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers (1946)

3:30 PM Double Indemnity (1944)

5:30 PM Dive Bomber (1941) - an all new full review!

8:00 PM The Awful Truth (1937)

10:00 PM Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) - an all new full review!

11:45 PM 12 Angry Men (1957)

Tuesday, February 14 - Valentine's Day

3:15 AM Flying Down To Rio (1933) - an all new capsule review!

4:45 AM Ninotchka (1939)

6:45 AM Mrs. Parkington (1944) - full review!

10:45 AM The Princess And The Pirate (1944) - an all new full review!

2:00 PM Two Girls And A Sailor (1944) - an all new full review!

4:15 PM The Harvey Girls (1946)

6:00 PM The Band Wagon (1953)

8:00 PM Benji (1974) - a TCM premiere! Cute family movie about the title dog whose theme song was nominated for an Oscar.

9:30 PM The Sea Hawk (1940)

Wednesday, February 15

12:00 AM The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) - full review!

2:00 AM A Foreign Affair (1948)

4:00 AM High Society (1956) - an all new capsule review!

8:00 AM Wonder Man (1945) - a TCM premiere!

9:45 AM Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

12:00 PM Watch On The Rhine (1943)

2:00 PM Little Women (1949) - an all new full review!

4:15 PM Executive Suite (1954)

6:00 PM An American in Paris (1951)

8:00 PM Pillow Talk (1959) - features Doris Day's only Oscar nominated performance, and Thelma Ritter's 5th of 6 unrewarded Supporting Actress nominations. This Oscar winning story introduces the outdated "party line" concept to younger folks and is a very funny comedy with Rock Hudson and Tony Randall. The film's Art Direction-Set Decoration and Score were also nominated.

10:00 PM That Touch of Mink (1962) - light romantic comedy starring Cary Grant determined to undermine Doris Day's virtue; its Writing, Art-Direction, and Sound were Oscar nominated.

Thursday, February 16

12:00 AM Born Yesterday (1950)

2:00 AM White Heat (1949)

6:00 AM Madame Curie (1943) - an all new full review!

8:15 AM Johnny Belinda (1948)

10:00 AM The Way We Were (1973) - hard to recommend a film when the best thing about it is Marvin Hamlisch’s Oscar winning title song and Score

12:00 PM Funny Girl (1968) - before Babs became a polarizing political figure to rival Jane Fonda, she made her film debut in this William Wyler directed Musical and shared the Best Actress Oscar that year (with Katharine Hepburn - The Lion in Winter (1968)) for her portrayal of comedienne Fanny Brice in this Oscar nominated Best Picture. The film received six other Academy Award nominations including for its titled Original Song, Score, and Supporting Actress Kay Medford. It also stars Omar Sharif, Anne Francis, and Walter Pidgeon as Florenz Ziegfeld.

2:45 PM Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

6:00 PM A Stolen Life (1946) - an all new full review!

8:00 PM Sahara (1943)

10:00 PM The Lives Of A Bengal Lancer (1935)

Friday, February 17

12:00 AM Here Comes the Groom (1951) - full review!

2:00 AM The Road to Utopia (1946)

5:30 AM Three Comrades (1938)

9:00 AM The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

12:15 PM My Man Godfrey (1936)

2:00 PM To Be or Not to Be (1942)

3:45 PM Abe Lincoln In Illinois (1940)

5:45 PM Going My Way (1944)

8:00 PM The Quiet Man (1952)

10:15 PM She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Saturday, February 18

12:00 AM The Long Voyage Home (1940) - Directed by John Ford, this drama gives one a sense of the kind of men who work(ed?) on ships at sea, edited together from four Eugene O'Neill plays, earning Dudley Nichols a Best Screenplay Oscar nomination. The film was nominated for Best Picture; its Special Effects, Editing, Score, and Gregg Toland's Cinematography also received nominations. The recognizable cast includes: John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Barry Fitzgerald, John Qualen, Ward Bond, Arthur Shields, and J.M. Kerrigan.

2:00 AM Random Harvest (1942)

9:00 AM The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)

11:00 AM Rocky (1976)

1:30 PM Hook (1991) - a TCM premiere! Director Steven Spielberg's worst film (?) received Oscar nominations in 5 minor categories.

4:00 PM Dick Tracy (1990) - believe it or not, this film won 3 minor Oscars

6:00 PM Back to the Future (1985)

8:00 PM Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - a TCM premiere! Won 3 Oscars and a Special Achievement Award (as well as nominations in three other categories) for combining animation with live action.

10:00 PM Guys And Dolls (1955)

Sunday, February 19

7:30 AM Designing Woman (1957) - full review!

9:30 AM The Time Machine (1960) - a sci fi classic which won the Best Effects, Special Effects Oscar, I actually think the film suffers in the final third with Yvette Mimieux. Rod Taylor plays H.G. Wells in his often copied or adapted story about time travel.

11:30 AM The Letter (1940)

1:15 PM The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

3:00 PM Objective, Burma! (1945)

5:30 PM Destination Tokyo (1943) - an all new capsule review!

8:00 PM A Place in the Sun (1951)

10:15 PM Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Monday, February 20

12:15 AM Absence of Malice (1981) - Screenwriter Kurt Luedtke received his first Oscar nomination, before he won for 1985's Best Picture winner; Paul Newman & Melinda Dillon received acting nominations, Sally Field also stars.

2:15 AM The China Syndrome (1979) - timing is everything, this film and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident contributed to our current energy crisis; Jack Lemmon & Jane Fonda were Oscar nominated, producer Michael Douglas also stars.

4:30 AM Period Of Adjustment (1962) - an all new full review!

8:30 AM Sweet Charity (1969)

11:30 AM Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954)

1:30 PM The White Cliffs Of Dover (1944) - full review!

3:45 PM I Remember Mama (1948)

8:00 PM One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) - a TCM premiere!

9:30 PM The Gay Divorcee (1934)

11:30 PM Top Hat (1935)

Tuesday, February 21

3:00 AM The Public Enemy (1931) - an all new essential, capsule review!

4:30 AM Libeled Lady (1936)

6:15 AM Arrowsmith (1931) - a TCM premiere and an all new full review!

8:15 AM Northwest Passage (1940) - nominated for a Color Cinematography Oscar, this true story of Rogers’ Rangers features Spencer Tracy as the famous Major from the French and Indian (pre-Revolutionary) War times. Robert Young, Walter Brennan, Ruth Hussey, and Nat Pendleton also appear in this King Vidor directed film.

10:30 AM The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

4:15 PM Forbidden Planet (1956)

6:00 PM Sounder (1972)

8:00 PM Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) - Oscar's 1990 Best Picture winner earned Jessica Tandy another role (and an Oscar nomination) alongside a bunch of other gals in this Fannie Flagg (also Oscar nominated) written comedy drama.

10:15 PM Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) - one of those "Only in America" true stories about an ignorant girl from the sticks who makes it big as a country & western singer. A biography of Loretta Lynn featuring Sissy Spacek’s (only, to date) Oscar winning Best Actress performance, in which she sings all the songs herself! Tommy Lee Jones plays ‘Doo’, her #1 fan & supporter husband, who strays when her limelight and newfound independence overshadows his contributions to her success. Beverly D'Angelo plays fellow singer, and Lynn friend, Patsy Cline. Six other Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Screenplay.

Wednesday, February 22

12:30 AM Nashville (1975) - a TCM premiere! Producer/director Robert Altman earned two Academy Award nominations, Supporting Actor Keith Carradine’s song "I'm Easy" won the Oscar. Ronee Blakley & Lily Tomlin earned their only Academy recognition (to date) with Supporting Actress nominations. This musical drama also stars Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Shelley Duvall, Henry Gibson, and many other recognizable actors in early roles.

3:30 AM Kiss Me Kate (1953)

5:30 AM Above And Beyond (1952) - an all new full review!

8:00 AM Bright Victory (1951) - full review!

10:00 AM Air Force (1943) - full review!

4:30 PM Vivacious Lady (1937) - an all new full review!

6:15 PM The Naked Spur (1953)

8:00 PM The Professionals (1966)

10:00 PM Airport (1970)

Thursday, February 23

12:30 AM Bye Bye Birdie (1963) - an all new full review!

4:30 AM Captains Of The Clouds (1942) - full review!

6:30 AM Romeo And Juliet (1936)

9:00 AM Stage Door (1937)

11:00 AM My Favorite Wife (1940)

12:30 PM Bombardier (1943) - full review!

2:30 PM Manhattan Melodrama (1934) - full review!

4:15 PM Viva Villa! (1934)

6:15 PM Cleopatra (1934)

8:00 PM Imitation Of Life (1934)

10:00 PM The Facts of Life (1960) - full review!

Friday, February 24

4:15 AM Lili (1953) - an all new full review!

5:45 AM Gigi (1958)

7:45 AM Gambit (1966)

9:45 AM The Ladykillers (1955)

11:30 AM Genevieve (1953) - an all new capsule review!

1:00 PM Les Girls (1957)

3:00 PM South Pacific (1958) - Worth watching if you haven't seen it. The beach scenes with Mitzi Gaynor "washing that man right out of her hair", and the guys led by Ray Walston, are hilarious. Some scenes are filtered with different colors, which I personally find distracting. Lead Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr, and Juanita Hall as "Bloody Mary" are also noteworthy. Won the Oscar for Sound, was nominated for its Color Cinematography & Score.

6:00 PM The Stratton Story (1949)

8:00 PM The Karate Kid (1984) - Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi earned his only Oscar nomination (Supporting) as the patient, reluctant martial arts teacher of a young teenage boy named Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio, in the title role) who's struggling with his identity, and a bunch of bullies (including Chad McQueen), in this coming of age drama. Elisabeth Shue plays Daniel's would-be girlfriend; Randee Heller plays his mom. #98 on AFI's 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.

10:15 PM Same Time, Next Year (1978) - Oscar nominations for Ellen Burstyn, who stars opposite Alan Alda, Cinematography, Marvin Hamlisch's Song "The Last Time I Felt Like This", and Bernard Slade's adapted Screenplay (his only).

Saturday, February 25

12:30 AM A Song to Remember (1945) - a TCM premiere!

2:30 AM Swing Time (1936)

4:15 AM The Shanghai Gesture (1941)

6:00 AM Captain Caution (1940) - a TCM premiere!

7:30 AM I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) - an all new capsule review!

11:15 AM How the West Was Won (1962)

2:00 PM Hondo (1953) - an all new full review!

3:30 PM Sergeant York (1941)

6:00 PM Lovers And Other Strangers (1970) - a TCM premiere!

8:00 PM Awakenings (1990) - a TCM premiere!

10:15 PM Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - nominated for 2 Oscars: Song & Screenplay

Sunday, February 26

12:00 AM The Birdcage (1996) - a TCM premiere!

2:15 AM Tootsie (1982)

4:15 AM Network (1976)

6:15 AM Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

8:15 AM Lady For A Day (1933)

10:00 AM Captain Blood (1935)

12:00 PM San Antonio (1945) - full review!

2:00 PM Mildred Pierce (1945)

4:00 PM Gone With the Wind (1939)

8:00 PM Dark Command (1940) - an all new full review!

9:45 PM T-Men (1947) - a TCM premiere!

11:30 PM The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)

Monday, February 27

1:15 AM Adam's Rib (1949)

3:00 AM Merrily We Live (1938) - full review!

5:00 AM My Son, My Son! (1940) - a TCM premiere!

7:00 AM Waterloo Bridge (1940) - full review!

9:00 AM Desperate Journey (1942)

1:00 PM Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939)

3:00 PM The Lion In Winter (1968)

5:45 PM The Remains of the Day (1993) - excellent romance drama earning its two leads, Emma Thompson & Anthony Hopkins, lead acting Oscar nominations. The film, its director (James Ivory), its Writing, Costume Design, Art Direction-Set Decoration, & Score were also nominated.

8:00 PM Sense and Sensibility (1995) - even if Hugh Grant normally annoys you, like he does me, this is a pretty good film adaptation of Jane Austen's story about two sisters (played by Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, both Oscar nominated) who live with their mother and are romanced by Grant and Alan Rickman. Thompson (Howards End (1992)) won her second Oscar for Writing, she adapted the novel for the screen.

10:30 PM The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965) - an all new capsule review!

Tuesday, February 28

12:30 AM Anne Of The Thousand Days (1969)

3:00 AM Oliver! (1968)

6:00 AM This Sporting Life (1963) - a TCM premiere!

12:00 PM Midnight Lace (1960)

2:00 PM Suspicion (1941)

4:00 PM Captains Courageous (1937)

6:00 PM I Never Sang for My Father (1970) - full review!

8:00 PM The Conversation (1974) - Nominated for 3 Oscars, two for Francis Ford Coppola (Best Picture & Screenplay) and one for Sound. Added to the National Film Registry in 1995. Gene Hackman plays Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who thinks he hears something like a murder while he's working for corporate man Martin Stett, played by Harrison Ford. Cindy Williams and Teri Garr also appear in this thriller which is somewhat overrated, in my opinion.

10:00 PM American Graffiti (1973)

12:00 AM The Buddy Holly Story (1978) - This above average, if fictionalized, biopic earned Gary Busey (in the title role) his only Oscar recognition (to date), a Best Actor nomination. Joe Renzetti (who appears as a violinist), who received his only Academy recognition (so far), won the Oscar for his Score; he adapted Holly's terrific, leading edge (at the time) Rock n’ Roll music. The film's Sound also received a nomination; it was also the directorial debut for Steve Rash. Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith play Jesse Charles & Ray Bob Simmons (respectively), the other members of Holly's original band, the Crickets. Conrad Janis plays Ross Turner, the record producer who first "discovers" the band; Maria Richwine plays Turner's secretary, Maria Elena, who later becomes Holly's wife. Gloria Irizarry plays Maria's protective Aunt, Mrs. Santiago. TV's Fred Travalena plays Madman Mancuso, a radio disc jockey who plays one of Holly's songs continuously until he's taken off the air forcibly. Several amusing scenes come out of Holly's sound being classified as "jungle music" and he & his band being thought (sight unseen) to be Negroes because of it.

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