31 DAYS OF OSCAR-DAY 1 SCHEDULE

 

TCM’s regular programming has been put aside this month for its 25th annual 31 Days of Oscar festival.  Each film and short airing this February has won or been nominated for Oscar.  Every 31 Days celebration has a theme and this year is no different.  This year’s theme is 360 Degrees of Oscar where each film is connected by a performer who appears in the following film and so on.  For example, we start the showcase with Oscar-winning actor Laurence Olivier who received Best Actor nominations in The Entertainer and Wuthering Heights, the latter film co-starred Oscar-nominated actress Flora Robson who was in the next film, Caesar and Cleopatra and now you get the gist.  Have fun guessing what the connection is between the films, even though TCM lets you know on their 31 Days website.

I can’t forget to let you know that the Oscars airs early this year on February 9 aka next Sunday.

The Entertainer (6AM/5AM)-a washed-up entertainer uses alcohol and young women to escape his dreary life.

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Wuthering Heights (7:45AM/6:45AM)-the 1939 adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic novel of doomed love.

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Caesar and Cleopatra (9:30AM/8:30AM)-the one where Julius Caesar visits Cleopatra in Egypt.  Flirting and bickering follow.

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Quo Vadis (11:45AM/10:45AM)-see if you can spot a young Sophia Loren.

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Billy Budd (2:45PM/1:45PM)-the film debut of Terrence Stamp.

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Far From the Maddening Crowd (5PM/4PM)-Julie Christie has to choose between three men.  Oh, the horror!  Just google young Julie Christie.  To add: apparently it’s madding, not maddening.  My bad.

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Doctor Zhivago (8PM/7PM)-Lara and Yuri fall in love.  Their spouses Pasha and Tanya get the shaft.

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Funny Girl (11:30PM/10:30PM)-the film debut of Barbra Streisand which resulted in the only true tie in Oscar history.

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The Way We Were (2:15AM/1:15AM)-Polar opposites fight for their relationship to work.

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The Candidate (4:30AM/3:30AM)-A senatorial candidate begins to lose his ideals as he rises in the polls.

31 DAYS OF OSCAR-DAY 14

DAYTIME THEME-TIME FOR A GOOD CRY

LOVE AFFAIR

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Irene Dunne (Best Actress), Maria Ouspenskaya (Best Supporting Actress), Best Original Story, Best Art Direction, Best Original Song

Boy meets girl.  Boy and girl engaged to other people.  Boy and girl agree to meet six months later if they still have feelings for each other.  Only boy shows up.  What happened to girl?

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RANDOM HARVEST

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Ronald Colman (Best Actor), Susan Peters (Best Supporting Actress), Mervyn LeRoy (Best Director), Best Screenplay, Best B&W Art Direction, Best Score

Amnesiac boy meets girl.  Boy and girl marry.  Boy hits his head and remembers his former life, but not his current one.  Clusterf&^k ensues.

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BRIEF ENCOUNTER

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Celia Johnson (Bests Actress), David Lean (Best Director), Best Screenplay

Married boy and married girl meet.  Boy and girl try to consummate romance.  Fate intervenes.

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MATCHUP #1: FAVORITE MOVIE WEDDING-THE PHILADELPHIA STORY VS. FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950 VERSION)

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR THE PHILADELPHIA STORY: Best Picture, James Stewart (Best Actor-WON), Katharine Hepburn (Best Actress), Ruth Hussey (Best Supporting Actress), George Cukor (Best Director), Best Screenplay (WON)

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR FATHER OF THE BRIDE: Best Picture, Spencer Tracy (Best Actor), Best Screenplay

THE CASE FOR THE PHILADELPHIA STORY:  Katharine Hepburn has three guys wanting to marry her.  Who won?

THE CASE FOR FATHER OF THE BRIDE: Elizabeth Taylor became a real-life bride during the release of this movie.

VERDICT: Father of the Bride

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MATCHUP #2: FAVORITE MOVIE DIVORCE-KRAMER V. KRAMER VS. DODSWORTH

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR KRAMER VS. KRAMER: Best Picture (WON), Dustin Hoffman (Best Actor-WON), Meryl Streep (Best Supporting Actress-WON), Justin Henry (Best Supporting Actor), Jane Alexander (Best Supporting Actress), Robert Benton (Best Director-WON), Best Adapted Screenplay (WON), Best Cinematography, Best Editing

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR DODSWORTH: Best Picture, Walter Huston (Best Actor), Ruth Chatterton (Best Actress), Maria Ouspenskaya (Best Supporting Actress), William Wyler (Best Director), Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction (WON), Best Sound Recording

THE CASE FOR KRAMER VS. KRAMER: A movie about divorce won Best Picture.

THE CASE FOR DODSWORTH: The movie didn’t win best picture, but it’s really good.

VERDICT: Kramer vs. Kramer

31 DAYS OF OSCAR-DAY 2

DAYTIME THEME-THRILLERS

NIGHT MUST FALL 

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Robert Montgomery (Best Actor); Dame May Whitty (Best Supporting Actress)

Robert Montgomery has a hatbox in his room?  What’s in it?

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ALFRED HITCHCOCK TRIPLE FEATURE

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: Best B&W Cinematography

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR SUSPICION: Best Picture; Joan Fontaine (Best Actress-WON); Best Score

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR NORTH BY NORTHWEST: Best Orignal Screenplay; Best Art Direction; Best Film Editing

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MATCHUP # 1: BEST VISUAL EFFECTS-FANTASTIC VOYAGE VS. DOCTOR DOLITTLE

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR FANTASTIC VOYAGE: Best Art Direction (WON); Best Visual Effects (WON); Best Color Cinematography; Best Editing; Best Sound Effects

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR DOCTOR DOLITTLE: Best Picture; Best Visual Effects (WON); Best Original Song (WON); Best Cinematography; Best Sound; Best Editing; Best Art Direction; Best Score; Best Scoring of Music

THE CASE FOR FANTASTIC VOYAGE: Recreating the insides of someone’s body.

THE CASE FOR DOCTOR DOLITTLE: A giant snail.

THE VERDICT: Fantastic Voyage

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MATCHUP #2: BATTLE WITH THE BOTTLE-DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES VS. THE LOST WEEKEND

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES: Best Original Song (WON); Jack Lemmon (Best Actor); Lee Remick (Best Actress); Best Art Direction; Best B&W Costume Design

OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR THE LOST PICTURE: Best Picture (WON); Ray Milland (Best Actor-WON); Billy Wilder (Best Director-WON); Best Screenplay (WON); Best B&W Cinematography; Best Editing; Best Score

THE CASE FOR DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES: The co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson was a technical adviser on the set.  Lemmon and Remick both went to AA meetings in order to prepare for their roles.  Lemmon also spent evenings at a local jail and watched inmates in the drunk tank.

THE CASE FOR THE LOST WEEKEND: Ray Milland who has one of the worst IMDB pictures ever (look at it, I dare you), checked himself into Bellvue Hospital in order to experience what it was like in the drunk ward.  He also stopped eating regularly.  This was the first film to seriously deal with alcoholism.

VERDICT: The Lost Weekend for being the breakthrough film so that films like Days of Wine and Roses could be made.

DAY 24: BEST ACTOR PART II

The Story of Louis Pasteur

(1936-6:45am/5:45am)

Oscar Winners

Paul Muni as Louis Pasteur

Best Original Story–Pierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney

Best Adaptation–Pierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney

Oscar Nomination

Best Picture (Henry Blanke)

The story of the guy who made milk safe to drink for the rest of us.

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The Private Life of Henry VII

(1933-8:15am/7:15am)

Oscar Winner

Charles Laughton as King Henry VII

Oscar Nomination

Best Picture (Alexander Korda)

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Abe Lincoln in Illinois

(1940-10am/9am)

Oscar Nominations

Raymond Massey as Abraham Lincoln

Best B&W Cinematography–James Wong Howe

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Lust for Life

(1956-noon/11am)

Oscar Winner

Best Supporting Actor–Anthony Quinn as Paul Gaugin

Oscar Nominations

Kirk Douglas as Vincent van Gogh

Best Adapted Screenplay–Norman Corwin

Best Art Direction, Color–Cedric Gibbons, Hans Peters, and Preston Ames (Set Decoration); Edwin B. Willis and F. Keogh Gleason (Set Decoration)

This was probably the closest Douglas came to winning an Oscar.

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Bad Day at Black Rock

(1955-2:15pm/1:15pm)

Oscar Nominations

Spencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy

Best Director (John Sturges)

Best Screenplay–Millard Kaufman

Watch one-armed Tracy judo-chop Ernest Borgnine to the ground.

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The Search

(1948-4pm/3pm)

Oscar Winner

Best Motion Picture Story–Richard Schweizer and David Wechsler

Oscar Nominations

Montgomery Clift as Ralph “Steve” Stevenson

Best Director (Fred Zinnemann)

Best Screenplay–Richard Schweizer and David Wechsler

Ivan Jandl, the boy who played the young Czech, won a special Juvenile Academy Award for his performance.

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My Favorite Year

(1982-6pm/5pm)

Oscar Nomination

Peter O’Toole as Alan Swann

Based on Mel Brooks working with Errol Flynn during Your Show of Shows.

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Cat Ballou

(1965-8pm/7pm)

Oscar Winner

Lee Marvin as Kid Shelleen/Tim Strawn

Oscar Nominations

Best Adapted Screenplay-Walter Newman and Frank Pierson

Best Song–“The Ballad of Cat Ballou” by Jerry Livingston (music) and Mack David (lyrics)

Best Adaptation or Treatment Score–Frank De Vol

Best Film Editing-Charles Nelson

I haven’t seen this, but doesn’t Lee Marvin have a weird nose in this one?

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Harry and Tonto

(1974-10pm/9pm)

Oscar Winner

Art Carney as Harry Coombes

Oscar Nomination

Best Original Screenplay–Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfeld

Tonto’s the cat.

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There Will Be Blood

(2007-12:15am/11:15pm)

Oscar Winners

Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview

Best Cinematography–Robert Elswit

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture (Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi, and JoAnne Sellar)

Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Best Adapted Screenplay–Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Sound Editing–Matthew Wood and Christopher Scarabosio

Best Art Direction–Jack Fisk (Art Direction) and Jim Erickson (Set Decoration)

Best Film Editing–Dylan Tichenor

Anderson’s wife is Maya Rudolph.

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Network

(1976-3:15am/2:15am)

Oscar Winners

Peter Finch as Howard Beale

Best Actress–Faye Dunaway as Diana Christensen

Best Supporting Actress–Beatrice Straight as Louise Schumacher

Best Original Screenplay–Paddy Chayefsky

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture (Howard Gottfried)

Best Director (Sidney Lumet)

Best Actor–William Holden as Max Schumacher

Best Supporting Actor–Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen

Best Cinematography–Owen Roizman

Best Film Editing–Alan Heim

Finch won the first acting Oscar posthumously.  He died of heart attack two months before the ceremony.

DAY 22: BEST ACTOR PART I

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

(1932-6am/5am)

Oscar Winner

Fredric March as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde

Oscar Nominations

Best Adaptation-Percy Heath and Samuel Hoffenstein

Best Cinematography–Karl Struss

He tied with Wallace Beery

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Bright Victory

(1951-8am/7am)

Oscar Nomination

Arthur Kennedy as Larry Nevins

Best Sound Recording-Leslie I. Carey

A WWII vet has to accept his blindness.

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Fanny

(1961-9:45am/8:45am)

Oscar Nominations

Charles Boyer as Cesar

Best Picture (Joshua Logan)

Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture–Morris Stoloff and Harry Sukman

Best Color Cinematography–Jack Cardiff

Best Film Editing–William H. Reynolds

Boyer’s last Oscar nomination.

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Watch on the Rhine

(1943-noon/11am)

Oscar Winner

Paul Lukas as Kurt Muller

Best Picture (Hal B. Wallis)

Best Supporting Actress–Lucile Watson as Fanny Farrelly

Best Screenplay–Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett

The guy who beat Bogie, who was nominated for Casablanca.

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Life With Father

(1947-2pm/1pm)

Oscar Nominations

William Powell as Clarence Day, Sr.

Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture–Max Steiner

Best Art Direction, Color-Robert M. Haas (Art Direction) and George James Hopkins (Set Decoration)

Best Color Cinematography–Peverell Marley and William V. Skall

Powell thinks he rules the roost, but his wife Irene Dunne does.

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Love Me or Leave Me

(1955-4pm/3pm)

Oscar Winner

Best Motion Picture Story–Daniel Fuchs

Oscar Nominations

James Cagney as Martin Snyder

Best Screenplay–Daniel Fuchs and Isobel Lennart

Best Scoring of a Musical Picture–Percy Faith and George Stoll

Best Song–“I’ll Never Stop Loving You” by Nicholas Brodszky (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics)

Best Sound Recording-Wesley C. Miller

A biography of singer Ruth Etting.

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Babes in Arms

(1939-6:15pm/5:15pm)

Oscar Nomination

Mickey Rooney as Mickey Moran

Best Score–Roger Edens and George E. Stoll

The first “let’s put on a show!” from Judy and Mickey.

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Goodbye, Mr. Chips

(1939-8pm/7pm)

Oscar Winner

Robert Donat as Charles Edward Chipping

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture (Victor Saville)

Best Director (Sam Wood)

Best Actress–Greer Garson as Katherine

Best Screenplay–Eric Maschwitz, R.C. Sherriff, and Claudine West

Best Sound Recording-A.W. Watkins

Best Film Editing–Charles Frend

This is the guy who beat out Clark Gable and James Stewart in their best-known roles.

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Marty

(1955-10:15pm/9:15pm)

Oscar Winners

Ernest Borgnine as Marty Piletti

Best Picture (Harold Hecht)

Best Director (Delbert Mann)

Best Screenplay–Paddy Chayefsky

Oscar Nominations

Best Supporting Actor–Joe Mantell as Angie

Best Supporting Actress–Betsy Blair as Clara

Best B&W Art Direction–Edward S. Haworth and Walter Simonds (Art Direction); Robert Priestley (Set Decoration)

Best B&W Cinematography–Joseph LaShelle

A lonely butcher finds love…maybe.

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Sergeant York

(1941-midnight/11pm)

Oscar Winners

Gary Cooper as Sgt. Alvin York

Best Film Editing-William Holmes

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture (Hal B. Wallis and Jesse L. Lasky)

Best Director (Howard Hawks)

Best Supporting Actor–Walter Brennan as Pastor Rosier Pile

Best Supporting Actress–Margaret Wycherly as Mary Brooks York

Best Original Screenplay–John Huston, Howard Koch, Abem Finkel, and Harry Chandlee

Best Music Score of a Dramatic Picture–Max Steiner

Best Sound Recording–Nathan Levinson

Best B&W Art Direction-John Hughes (Art Direction) and Fred MacLean (Set Decoration)

Best B&W Cinematography–Sol Polito

This was Howard Hawks’ only Best Director nomination.

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Cyrano de Bergerac

(1950-2:30am/1:30am)

Oscar Winner

Jose Ferrer as Cyrano de Bergerac

Would you believe Ferrer only made his film debut two years earlier?

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The Goodbye Girl

(1977-4:45am/3:45am)

Oscar Winner

Richard Dreyfuss as Elliot Garfield

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture (Ray Stark)

Best Actress–Marsha Mason as Paula McFadden

Best Supporting Actress–Quinn Cummings as Lucy McFadden

Best Original Screenplay–Neil Simon

A woman finds out her ex subletted her apartment to an aspiring actor.