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Posted: |
Mar 8, 2014 - 12:24 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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On Friday, March 14th, at 1:15 AM ET, Turner Classic Movies will be showing the little-seen Kirk Douglas film THE RACERS. This 1955 film was directed by Henry Hathaway and was the last 20th Century Fox film for erstwhile actress (and Darryl F. Zanuck mistress) Bella Darvi. The film, which was scored by Alex North, has never been released on DVD.
The film was based upon a 1953 novel by Hans Ruesch, and when Fox purchased the rights, it became the first studio to acquire a novel which was originally published as a paperback. Although extensive background filming was done at actual race sites throughout Europe, including France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany, a great deal of the picture was shot on the studio backlot.
THE RACERS was the first CinemaScope picture shot in De Luxe color, rather than the standard Technicolor. Several technical innovations aided production, including a 4-inch telescopic CinemaScope lens allowing the cinematographer to shoot close-ups of the cast as they were driving, and a system that allowed the lenses to be remote-controlled, thereby reducing danger to the photography team during the racing sequences.
Sadly, TCM will be showing THE RACERS in a pan-and-scan format.
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Posted: |
Mar 24, 2014 - 5:01 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Tomorrow, March 25th, at 12:15 PM ET, Turner Classic Movies will be showing David Lean's 1949 film THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS. This romance stars Ann Todd, Claude Rains, and Trevor Howard. The screenplay, which is based upon a 1913 novel by H.G. Wells, was written by Eric Ambler (THE WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE). Richard Addinsell scored the film, and his main title has appeared on several compilation CDs as rerecorded by Morton Gould and Kenneth Alwyn. An MGM DVD of the film is now OOP and hard to find. When the film was released in the U.S. by Universal Pictures, it was re-titled "One Woman's Story."
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Posted: |
Mar 24, 2014 - 5:29 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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On Friday, March 28th, at midnight (the Thursday-Friday overnight), Turner Classic Movies will be showing the 1959 James Cagney film SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL. The film depicts a period of the Irish "troubles," during which the "Black and Tans," consisting of former soldiers recruited by the British government, attempted to quell the Irish nationalist rebellion in 1920.
Cagney’s co-stars, Don Murray and Dana Wynter, were borrowed from Twentieth Century-Fox for the production, while the credits note that Michael Redgrave and Sybil Thorndike appear by "special arrangement." The picture was filmed at the Ardmore Studios in Bray, Ireland, and on actual Irish locations, including the streets of Dublin. This may have been only the second American picture to be filmed entirely in Ireland, after 1951’s THE QUIET MAN. SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL was the first American film shot at Ardmore Studios, however, and was the first production of both Troy Films, which was director Michael Anderson's production company, and Pennebaker, Inc., which was founded by Marlon Brando and his father, Marlon Brando, Sr., in 1955. Producers George Glass and Walter Seltzer, who were also partners in Pennebaker, were former press agents who made their producing debut with this picture.
SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL had its world premiere in Dublin, Ireland on 21 May 1959. The film was initially banned from exhibition in Northern Ireland, where officials feared that the film would incite riots due to its subject matter. However, the ban was lifted in late August 1959.
The film was scored by William Alwyn. Muir Mathieson conducted the music with the Sinfonia of London. The score was released on a United Artists LP, the only CD release of which came in FSM’s “MGM Soundtrack Treasury” box set in 2008. SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL has never appeared on Region 1 DVD.
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TO EUGENE- Sheila Levine is dead and living in New York-75- can be seen on VUDU[CHECK COMPUTER] for $2.99-Something for everyone-70- can be seen in 4 parts on YOU TUBE.
Didn't catch this a couple of weeks ago. Thanks, DTM, for the heads-up.
If I might add to the list, Pretty Poison dir. Noel Black, from 1968. With Anthony Perkins and Tuesday Weld. Perkins is let out of a mental institution and immediately falls for Miss Weld's charms as a high school cheerleader with ulterior motives. In retrospect, Perkins here could be warming up for his continuing role in the Psycho series.
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Posted: |
Apr 14, 2014 - 4:50 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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On Friday, April 18th, at 5:05 PM ET, GET TV will be showing the 1959 pop music film HEY BOY! HEY GIRL! starring the husband and wife team of Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Shot in Las Vegas, HEY BOY! HEY GIRL! was the first film in which Prima and Smith appeared not just as musical performers, but as narrative protagonists. The film was made to capitalize on the entertainers' then-recent surge in popularity. In the film, the pair become involved in raising money for a summer camp program. HEY BOY! HEY GIRL! has never been made available on any video format.
GET TV is relatively new in my area. It's one of those channels like THIS TV, which exist because of the additional digital channels given to over-the-air broadcasters. But mine also appears on my local cable network. GET TV's primary programming consists of pre-1970s classic feature films, mainly from the Sony Pictures Television library. The channel includes commercials in its programming, as do THIS and other similar networks. But unlike some of the others, it often shows films in their widescreen aspect ratio. But they are not consistent in this. Often 1.85:1 films will be shown properly, but a very widescreen film like PICNIC (2.55:1) was shown pan-and-scan.
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On Monday June 30 at 7:30am PST, TCM will show one of the best and most unusual film noirs ever made, 'They Won't Believe Me'. This is Hidden Gem #10 which I have previously "inspected" (reviewed) and can be read HERE:
http://thecinemacafe.com/the-cinema-treasure-hunter/2013/6/22/wkph1bclcvl5jxi5844tpzri2fb3wk
If Bob has anything to add, posters or info on this film I'd be thrilled.
Unfortunately it looks as though the edited 80 minute version of this amazing film will be presented as opposed to the 95 minute original cut. Still, it's well worth checking out being unavailable domestically on DVD and rarely shown.
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I'm sad to report that due to the recent passing of veteran actor Eli Wallach and some of his films having been selected to be shown on TCM, They Won't Believe Me will not air on Monday June 30th as originally planned. I have been in touch with TCM and will immediately pass on any information regarding any future plans of its showing.
Thank you so much Bob for the info and shot of that amazing poster. If anyone hears anything about this unusual film coming to DVD or being shown anywhere I'd sincerely appreciate hearing about it.
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