TCM Schedule for Thursday, November 26, 2020 -- What's On Tonight: Hitchcock-a-thon

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, it's fun for the whole family, kids' films for those who aren't into football. Then in prime time, TCM begins a twenty-four hour, twelve-film Hitchcock marathon. Five of the films we'll see today and tomorrow were was unavailable for three decades because their rights were bought back by Sir Alfred Hitchcock and left as part of his legacy to his daughter Patricia Hitchcock. They've been known for a long time as the infamous "five lost Hitchcocks" amongst movie buffs, and were re-released in theaters around 1984 after a thirty-year absence. The others are Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Trouble with Harry (1955), and Vertigo (1958). Enjoy!


7:45 AM -- Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)
1h 27m | Drama | TV-G
A baby-sitter dreams himself and his best friend into the famous fairy tale.
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer

The car Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are driving in the early black-and-white section of the movie is a 1951 Henry J, which was manufactured by the Kaiser-Frazer Motor Co. and named for founder Henry J. Kaiser. In addition to being bought from an authorized dealer, the car could also be ordered through the Sears-Roebuck mail-order catalog, although its name was changed from "Henry J" to "Allstate".


9:15 AM -- The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
1h 42m | Comedy | TV-G
A World War II 4-F saves the U.S. Navy when he's transformed into a dolphin.
Director: Arthur Lubin
Cast: Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston

This was the final animated film work released by Warner Brothers before the animation studio was shut down. Warners would continue to release theatrical shorts produced by Depatie-Freleng Enterprises until 1969.


11:00 AM -- The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
1h 57m | Comedy | TV-G
A young boy plays matchmaker for his widowed father.
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Glenn Ford, Shirley Jones, Stella Stevens

Appearing in "Courtship of Eddie's Father" in his film debut in the uncredited role of Child at Party in Indian headdress is Ron Howard's (Eddie) younger brother, Clint Howard. This marks the beginning of a career for Clint punctuated by appearing in film and television work that also involves his brother Ron.


1:15 PM -- Lassie Come Home (1943)
1h 28m | Drama | TV-G
A faithful collie undertakes an arduous journey to return to her lost family.
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Cast: Roddy Mcdowall, Donald Crisp, Dame May Whitty

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color -- Leonard Smith

Dame Elizabeth Taylor replaced Maria Flynn in the role of Priscilla. Some sources say Flynn was afraid of the dog on the set. Others say that she grew taller than Roddy McDowall, or that the strong Technicolor lighting caused her eyes to water. In any case, production was halted. Producer Samuel Marx was walking the 600 block of North Foothill Road in Beverly Hills doing his nightly patrol as an air raid warden when he met Francis Taylor, who patrolled the 700 block. Knowing he and Sara wanted to get their daughter into the movies, he asked him to bring Elizabeth to the studio. There she was introduced to Lassie, and the production resumed.


3:00 PM -- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
2h 25m | Comedy | TV-G
An eccentric inventor uses his flying car to free a kingdom of children from oppression.
Director: Ken Hughes
Cast: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman for the song "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

I usually gather my trivia from IMDB or Wikipedia, but I remember reading a review of this film years ago, by the incomparable Tom and Lorenzo. Please enjoy their Musical Monday review, but be aware, it is definitely NSFW!

https://tomandlorenzo.com/2014/12/musical-monday-chitty-chitty-bang-bang/


5:45 PM -- The Black Stallion (1979)
1h 57m | Drama | TV-PG
A boy and a horse forge a close friendship after being shipwrecked together in Africa.
Director: Carroll Ballard
Cast: Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Terry Garr

Winner of an Oscar Special Achievement Award for Alan Splet for sound editing

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Mickey Rooney, and Best Film Editing -- Robert Dalva

Once completed, the film was shelved for two years by United Artists. Carroll Ballard recalled the studio "suits" complaining, "What is this, some kind of an art film for kids?" It took the full clout of Francis Ford Coppola to see that the film finally reached theatres.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: HITCHCOCK-A-THON



8:00 PM -- Rear Window (1954)
1h 52m | Drama | TV-PG
A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey

Nominee for Oscars for Best Director -- Alfred Hitchcock, Best Writing, Screenplay -- John Michael Hayes, Best Cinematography, Color -- Robert Burks, and Best Sound, Recording -- Loren L. Ryder (Paramount)

According to Georgine Darcy, the scene in which the man and woman on the fire escape struggle in their attempt to get in out of the rain can be attributed to a prank by Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Each actor and actress in the apartment complex facing Jeff's rear window wore an earpiece through which they could receive Hitchcock's directions. Hitchcock told the man to pull the mattress in one direction and told the woman to pull in the opposite direction. Unaware that they had received conflicting directions, the couple began to fight and struggle to get the mattress inside once the crew began filming the scene. The resulting mayhem in which one of the couple is tossed inside the window with the mattress provided humor and a sense of authenticity to the scene, which Hitchcock liked. He was so pleased with the result that he did not order another take.


10:00 PM -- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
1h 59m | Mystery | TV-PG
International spies kidnap a doctor's son when he stumbles on their assassination plot.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie

Winner of an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for the song "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)"

Throughout the filming, Doris Day became increasingly concerned that Sir Alfred Hitchcock paid more attention to camera set-ups, lighting, and technical matters than he did to her performance. Convinced that he was displeased with her work, she finally confronted him. His reply was, "My dear Miss Day, if you weren't giving me what I wanted, then I would have to direct you!"


12:15 AM -- The Birds (1963)
2h | Horror | TV-14
In a California coastal area, flocks of birds unaccountably make deadly attacks on humans.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Visual Effects -- Ub Iwerks

Sir Alfred Hitchcock saw Tippi Hedren in a 1961 commercial aired during the Today (1952) show and put her under contract. In the commercial for a diet drink, she is seen walking down a street and a man whistles at her slim, attractive figure, and she turns her head with an acknowledging smile. In the opening scene of this movie, the same thing happens as she walks toward the bird shop. This was an inside joke by Hitchcock.


2:30 AM -- Psycho (1960)
1h 49m | Horror | TV-PG
A woman on the run gets mixed up with a repressed young man and his violent mother.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Janet Leigh, Best Director -- Alfred Hitchcock, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- John L. Russell, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White -- Joseph Hurley, Robert Clatworthy and George Milo

According to Stephen Rebello, the Hays Office censors requested changes to the shower scene. Some believed they had caught a brief glimpse of one of Janet Leigh's breasts. (Rebello confirms that "there are definitely a couple of frames showing a bare breast and nipple." ) Sir Alfred Hitchcock waited several days and sent the movie back unedited. This time, it passed the censors' inspection.


4:30 AM -- Rope (1948)
1h 20m | Mystery | TV-14
Two wealthy young men try to commit the perfect crime by murdering a friend.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Dick Hogan, John Dall, Farley Granger

This movie was shot in ten takes, ranging from four and a half minutes to just over ten minutes (the maximum amount of film that a camera magazine or projector reel could hold). At the end of the takes, the movie alternates between having the camera zoom into a dark object, totally blacking out the lens/screen, and making a conventional cut. However, the second edit, ostensibly one of the conventional ones, was clearly staged and shot to block the camera, but the all-black frames were left out of the final print. Most of the props, and even some of the apartment set's walls, were on casters, and the crew had to wheel them out of the way and back into position as the camera moved around the set.