TCM Schedule for Thursday, June 20, 2019 -- What's On Tonight: TCM Spotlight: Allied Powers

[Staph]

Throughout the day and evening, TCM continues their salute to the Allied Forces during World War II. Take it away, Roger!

WWII IN THE MOVIES: ALLIED POWERS - THURSDAYS IN JUNE

D-Day (June 6, 1944) marked the date on which more than 156,000 Allied troops of World War II invaded northern France to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, signaling the beginning of the end of Hitler's grip on Europe. TCM continues to pay respect to the armed forces of WWII and the 75th anniversary of D-Day with Never Surrender: WWII in the Movies, this month looking at the Allied Powers and some of the numerous movies made about their struggles and victories.

...

Behind Enemy Lines:

Eight Iron Men (1952) concerns an eight-man squad fighting in a small town on the Italian front. When one of their number is trapped in a foxhole, they must decide whether to attempt a rescue or abandon him as ordered. Lee Marvin plays the squad leader, and the cast also includes Bonar Colleano and Richard Kiley. Critic Steven H. Scheuer praised the "good character sketches" and "fine performances."

Bitter Victory (1957), a Franco-American production set in Benghazi during the Western Desert Campaign, tells of two British Army officers (Richard Burton and Curt Jurgens) who lead a dangerous commando mission behind enemy lines. Among their conflicts is the fact that Burton is the former lover of Jurgens' wife (Ruth Roman). The New Yorker film critic Richard Brody praised the film for its "vision of modern psychological and moral dislocation."

...

by Roger Fristoe

Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- ATTACK ON THE IRON COAST (1968)
Canadian commandos take on a Nazi post on the coast of France.
Dir: Paul Wendkos
Cast: Lloyd Bridges, Andrew Keir, Sue Lloyd
C-90 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

After the attack the men captured were placed POW camps; but the Germans respected their cunning and courage. The men killed were buried with military honors in a local cemetery, by the Germans.


7:34 AM -- MAIN STREET ON THE MARCH! (1941)
This short film focuses on America's changing mood to events leading up to WWII.
Dir: Edward L. Cahn
Cast: Naomi Childers, Robert Homans, Margaret Bert
BW-19 mins,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Two-reel


8:00 AM -- THEY WHO DARE (1954)
During World War II, a group of British soldiers stage a raid on the Greek islands.
Dir: Lewis Milestone
Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Denholm Elliott, Akim Tamiroff
C-108 mins,

This movie is based on the true story of "Operation Anglo", which involved an attack on two airfields on Rhodes by the S.B.S. (Special Boat Service), not the S.A.S. (Special Air Service) as portrayed in this movie.


10:00 AM -- DARBY'S RANGERS (1958)
An Army Major leads his men behind enemy lines during World War II.
Dir: William A. Wellman
Cast: James Garner, Etchika Choureau, Jack Warden
C-121 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Leading man James Garner was originally only supposed to have a supporting role here with Charlton Heston being top-billed, but when he signed to a new seven-year contract with Warners, the studio dropped Heston and gave Garner his role. Heston filed a damage suit in the Superior Court against the studio as a result of the switch.


12:15 PM -- MERRILL'S MARAUDERS (1962)
A grizzled U.S. general leads his men against the Japanese in Burma during World War II.
Dir: Samuel Fuller
Cast: Jeff Chandler, Ty Hardin, Peter Brown
C-98 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Vaughan Wilson, who plays Gen. Merrill's aide-de-camp Bannister, was actually one of the members of Merrill's Marauders (as Lt. Col. Samuel Wilson), and served as Merrill's deputy during the campaign.


2:02 PM -- TRIFLES THAT WIN WARS (1943)
This short film looks at how a number of inventions made a major contribution to the U.S. war effort.
Dir: Harold Daniels
Cast: Ernie Alexander, Bert Stevens, Tom Quinn
BW-11 mins,

Number 40 in the MGM Passing Parade series.


2:15 PM -- COUNTER-ATTACK (1945)
Two Russians fight to escape the seven Nazi soldiers trapped with them in a bombed building.
Dir: Zoltan Korda
Cast: Paul Muni, Marguerite Chapman, Larry Parks
BW-90 mins, CC,

Based on the Broadway play "Counterattack" which opened at the Windsor Theatre, 157 W. 48th St., on February 4, 1943 and ran for 85 performances until April 17, 1943.


4:00 PM -- THE PURPLE PLAIN (1955)
A blinded Canadian flier has to find his way through World War II Burma.
Dir: Robert Parrish
Cast: Gregory Peck, Win Min Than, Brenda De Banzie
C-102 mins, CC,

Win Min Than's husband was so jealous about losing her to the film's "decadent" Hollywood star Gregory Peck, he ordered his wife to eat garlic before romantic scenes with Peck. Fortunately, the production crew was able to convince her husband that Peck and the others were respectful of her so he went home leaving her to finish the picture in peace.


5:46 PM -- SOUVENIRS OF DEATH (1948)
This short film tells the story of how an automatic weapon used by Germans during WWII makes its way into the hands of a gangster.
Dir: Edward L. Cahn
Cast: Brick Sullivan, Don Castle, Mitchell Lewis
BW-10 mins,

The plot conceit of following a gun through multiple owners would be co-opted two years later for the feature Winchester '73 (1950).


6:00 PM -- CRY 'HAVOC' (1944)
A group of war nurses fights to survive the siege of Bataan.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell
BW-97 mins, CC,

Joan Crawford was offered the lead role but turned it down, saying "It should have been called 'The Women Go to War'." Her part was played by Joan Blondell.


7:39 PM -- INFLATION (1942)
In this wartime short film, the Devil assists Hitler in causing mischief with the U.S. economy.
Dir: Cy Endfield
Cast: Edward Arnold, Esther Williams, Barbara Bedford
BW-17 mins,

Film debuts of Stephen McNally, Vicky Lane, Howard Freeman, and Esther Williams.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: ALLIED POWERS



8:00 PM -- THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)
Thrown together by the Germans, a group of captive Allied troublemakers plot a daring escape.
Dir: John Sturges
Cast: Robert Graf, Nigel Stock, Angus Lennie
C-172 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Film Editing -- Ferris Webster

During the climactic motorcycle chase, director John Sturges allowed Steve McQueen to ride (in disguise) as one of the pursuing German soldiers, so that in the final sequence, through the magic of editing, he's actually chasing himself. McQueen played the German motorcyclist who hits the wire.


11:15 PM -- THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
The Japanese Army forces World War II POWs to build a strategic bridge in Burma.
Dir: David Lean
Cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins
C-162 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Alec Guinness (Alec Guinness was not present at the awards ceremony. Jean Simmons accepted the award on his behalf.), Best Director -- David Lean, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson (Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were blacklisted at the time and received no screen credit. They were posthumously awarded Oscars in 1984. Pierre Boulle was not present at the awards ceremony. Kim Novak accepted the award on his behalf.), Best Cinematography -- Jack Hildyard, Best Film Editing -- Peter Taylor (Peter Taylor was not present at the awards ceremony. William A. Lyon accepted the award on his behalf.), Best Music, Scoring -- Malcolm Arnold (Malcolm Arnold was not present at the ceremony. Morris Stoloff accepted the award on his behalf.), and Best Picture

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Sessue Hayakawa

During shooting, Sir Alec Guinness continued to have doubts about his performance, and the direction he was getting from Sir David Lean. To put Guinness at ease, Lean decided to show him a rough cut of certain sequences. One night, Lean ran over an hour's worth of footage for Sir Alec, with Guinness' wife and son also attending. During the screening, nothing was said. At the end, the Guinness family thanked Lean and promptly walked out, leaving Lean without a clue as to what to think of their reaction (or lack of). Later that night, Lean received a visit from Guinness, who told him that he and his family had decided that Nicholson was the best thing that Guinness had ever done.


2:15 AM -- THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961)
A team of Allied saboteurs fight their way behind enemy lines to destroy a pair of Nazi guns.
Dir: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn
C-156 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects -- Bill Warrington (visual) and Chris Greenham (audible)

Nominee for Oscars for Best Director -- J. Lee Thompson, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Carl Foreman, Best Sound -- John Cox (Shepperton SSD), Best Film Editing -- Alan Osbiston, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Dimitri Tiomkin, and Best PIcture

The plot went through so many twists, that Gregory Peck finally submitted his own version to Carl Foreman: "David Niven really loves Anthony Quayle, and Gregory Peck loves Anthony Quinn. Tony Quayle breaks a leg, and is sent off to the hospital. Tony Quinn falls in love with Irene Papas, and Niven and Peck catch each other on the rebound, and live happily ever after."


5:15 AM -- EIGHT IRON MEN (1952)
A World War II squadron tries to save a man trapped behind enemy lines.
Dir: Edward Dmytryk
Cast: Bonar Colleano, Arthur Franz, Lee Marvin
BW-81 mins, CC,

The German machine gun used to keep the soldier pinned in the shell hole kept malfunctioning. The prop men could not correct the problem. Tired of the delays, Lee Marvin, a WWII vet, stepped in and fixed the gun.