TCM Schedule for Thursday, June 16, 2022 -- What's On Tonight: Prime Time Theme: Revisionist Western

[Staph]

In the daylight hours, TCM is featuring films directed by William Wyler. From his IMDB mini-bio:

William Wyler was an American filmmaker who, at the time of his death in 1981, was considered by his peers as second only to John Ford as a master craftsman of cinema. The winner of three Best Director Academy Awards, second again only to Ford's four, Wyler's reputation has unfairly suffered as the lack of an obvious "signature" in his diverse body of work denies him the honorific "auteur" that has become a standard measure of greatness in the post-"Cahiers du Cinema" critical community.

His directorial career spanned 45 years, from silent pictures to the cultural revolution of the 1970s. Nominated a record 12 times for an Academy Award as Best Director, he won three and in 1966, was honored with the Irving Thalberg Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' ultimate accolade for a producer. So high was his reputation in his lifetime that he was the fourth recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, after Ford, James Cagney and Welles. Along with Ford and Welles, Wyler ranks with the best and most influential American directors, including Griffith, DeMille, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg.

Then in prime time, it's week three of a month of Revisionist Westerns. This week -- the films of Monte Hellman. Who, you say? From his TCM bio:

Hellman began his career under the guidance of Roger Corman and showed considerable promise with his off-beat 1960s Westerns and his Warren Oates vehicles of the 70s, particularly "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971). Lack of commercial success subsequently stymied his directing career.

Enjoy!


6:15 AM -- Jezebel (1938)
1h 44m | Drama | TV-PG
A tempestuous Southern belle's willfulness threatens to destroy all who care for her.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent

Winner of Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Bette Davis, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Fay Bainter

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography -- Ernest Haller, Best Music, Scoring -- Max Steiner, and Best Picture

Bette Davis came to the realization that William Wyler was a very special director when he insisted she come view the dailies with him, something she had never done with any other director before. They watched a scene where her character was coming down a staircase, a scene that had really irritated Davis, as she couldn't understand why Wyler decided to film it over 30 times. Watching the rushes, however, she saw one of the takes in which he had captured a fleeting devil-may-care expression that summed up her character perfectly. After that, she happily accepted however many takes Wyler wanted.


8:15 AM -- The Little Foxes (1941)
1h 56m | Drama | TV-PG
An ambitious woman takes on her corrupt brothers and honest husband in her drive for wealth.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Bette Davis, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Patricia Collinge, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Teresa Wright, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Lillian Hellman, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Stephen Goosson and Howard Bristol, Best Film Editing -- Daniel Mandell, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture -- Meredith Willson, and Best Picture

Bette Davis and William Wyler fought a great deal during filming. Disagreements ranged from Davis's interpretation of the character (Wyler thought she should be more sympathetic) to the appearance of the house (Davis thought it was far too opulent for a family struggling financially), to her appearance (Wyler thought her white makeup made her look like a Kabuki performer.) Davis eventually walked out of production, but returned when she heard rumors she was going to be replaced by Katharine Hepburn or Miriam Hopkins.


10:15 AM -- Mrs. Miniver (1942)
2h 14m | War | TV-G
A British family struggles to survive the first days of World War II.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright

Winner of Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Greer Garson, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Teresa Wright, Best Director -- William Wyler (William Wyler was not present at the awards ceremony because he was overseas shooting for the Army Air Force. His wife Margaret Tallichet on his behalf.), Best Writing, Screenplay -- George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West and Arthur Wimperis, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Joseph Ruttenberg, and Best Picture

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Walter Pidgeon, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Henry Travers, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- May Whitty, Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (M-G-M SSD), Best Film Editing -- Harold F. Kress, and Best Effects, Special Effects -- A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic), Warren Newcombe (photographic) and Douglas Shearer (sound)

The closing speech, delivered by the vicar (Henry Wilcoxon) at the end of the film, was actually written by Wilcoxon and directorWilliam Wyler the night before it was filmed. Wyler had grown dissatisfied with the speech the screenwriters had come up with and convinced Wilcoxon to help him improve it. The speech proved to be integral to the film's success and was distributed across America and Europe in order to boost wartime morale amongst soldiers and civilians alike.


12:45 PM -- Dodsworth (1936)
1h 41m | Romance | TV-PG
A husband whose wife left him looks for new love in Europe.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas

Winner of an Oscar for Best Art Direction -- Richard Day

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Walter Huston, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Maria Ouspenskaya, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Sidney Howard, Best Sound, Recording -- Oscar Lagerstrom (United Artists SSD), and Best Picture

William Wyler and Ruth Chatterton fought bitterly almost daily on the interpretation of Fran. Chatterton felt she should be played entirely as a villainess, whereas Wyler found reasons to sympathize with the character. According to Mary Astor, the tension was increased by Chatterton's own desperation at her advancing age. At 43, she was far from an old woman but well past the age when actresses typically enjoyed continued audience appeal and their choice of roles. Once a big star on stage, and briefly one in films a few years earlier, her success was waning and, according to Wyler, she exhibited very "haughty" behavior on the set. She was self-conscious about her figure and her looks, insisting on daily facials to maintain a youthful glow. Her insecurities manifested themselves as hatred and fear toward Wyler and his multiple-take working method. At one point, she reportedly slapped the director's face and locked herself in her dressing room.


2:45 PM -- Wuthering Heights (1939)
1h 43m | Romance | TV-PG
A married noblewoman fights her lifelong attraction to a charismatic gypsy.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven

Winner of an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Gregg Toland

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Laurence Olivier, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Geraldine Fitzgerald, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, Best Art Direction -- James Basevi, Best Music, Original Score -- Alfred Newman, and Best Picture

Sir Laurence Olivier admitted his first takes were full of overacting and "extravagant gestures". Director William Wyler stopped him: "Do you think you're at the Opera House in Manchester?" Olivier answered with all of his disdain for movies: "I suppose this anemic little medium can't take great acting." He was humbled when the entire cast and crew, including Wyler, burst out laughing.


4:45 PM -- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
2h 52m | Drama | TV-PG
Upon returning to small-town America, three World War II veterans have difficulty readjusting.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews

Winner of an Honorary Oscar Award for Harold Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives.

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Fredric March, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Harold Russell, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Robert E. Sherwood, Best Film Editing -- Daniel Mandell, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Hugo Friedhofer, and Best Picture

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)

William Wyler, who served as a major in the Army Air Force during World War II, incorporated his own wartime experiences into the film. Just as Fred Derry, Wyler flew in B-17s in combat over Germany, although not as a bombardier. Wyler shot footage for documentary films. (His hearing was permanently damaged when an anti-aircraft shell exploded near his plane while on a bombing raid.) Additionally, he modeled the reunion of Al and Milly--in which they first see each other at opposite ends of a long hallway--on his own homecoming to his wife, Margaret Tallichet.



WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: PRIMETIME THEME -- REVISIONIST WESTERNS - MONTE HELLMAN



8:00 PM -- Ride in the Whirlwind (1966)
1h 22m | Western | TV-G
Three cowboys are pursued by a posse because of an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.
Director: Monte Hellman
Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Jack Nicholson, Tom Filer

Monte Hellman reportedly spent over a year editing the film, then had it played at various film festivals throughout the world. In 1967 it received excellent reviews at the Montreal World Film Festival, and was shown out-of-competition at the Cannes Film Festival.


9:30 PM -- The Shooting (1966)
1h 22m | Western | TV-PG
A hired gun seeks to enact revenge on a group of bounty hunters in the Old West.
Director: Monte Hellman
Cast: Warren Oates, Will Hutchins, B. J. Merholz

No US distributor expressed any interest in the film. Nicholson sold the foreign rights to a French producer, but the producer went bankrupt and the print remained in bond at the Paris airport for almost two years. After "considerable legal maneuvering", Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson were able to get the rights reverted to them. In 1968 Hellman managed to get the film theatrical showings in Paris, albeit without a distributor. According to him, the film was a sizable art-house hit and played for over a year in Paris.


11:00 PM -- China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)
1h 38m | Western | TV-MA
Railroaders hire a condemned man to kill a rancher who's in the way.
Director: Monte Hellman
Cast: Warren Oates, Jenny Agutter, Fabio Testi

This was the very last film distributed by Allied Artists Corporation (early in its life, Allied Artists was known as Monogram Pictures, and was responsible for all the Bowery Boys/East Side Kids films (under the monikers; Little Tough Guys/Dead End Kids, their films were released by Universal). Citing extreme financial difficulties, Allied Artists filed for Chapter 11 in late 1978, and the following year, their entire catalogue (including the Monogram films) was purchased by Lorimar/Telepictures Corporation (itself subsequently purchased by Time Warner, Inc. a decade later). Some TV prints of the Bowery Boys features, the WB 'shield' logo precedes the opening credits).


12:45 AM -- The Missouri Breaks (1976)
2h 6m | Western | TV-MA
An outlaw's attempts to go straight fall short when a rival rancher hires a psychotic gunman.
Director: Arthur Penn
Cast: Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Lloyd

Jack Nicholson did not like the fact that Marlon Brando used cue cards while filming. In their scenes together, Nicholson broke his concentration every time Brando shifted his gaze to the cue card behind the cameraman.


3:00 AM -- Comes A Horseman (1978)
1h 58m | Western | TV-PG
Rival ranchers battle over oil rights.
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: James Caan, Jane Fonda, Jason Robards Jr.

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Richard Farnsworth

Before becoming an actor, Richard Farnsworth was a stuntman for over 30 years and had doubled for Jane Fonda's father Henry Fonda.


5:15 AM -- Wells Fargo Days (1944)
20m | Short | TV-PG
A gunman attempts to avoid trouble in a new town.
Director: Mack V. Wright
Cast: Dennis Moore, Louise Stanley, Karl Hackett

Originally made by the Cinecolor Corp. in 1939 as "The Man from Tascosa" and released through Monogram. Warner Bros. bought it in 1944 and released it under this title.