TCM Schedule for Friday, July 10, 2020 -- TCM Special Theme: Directed by John Ford

[Staph]

Before noon, TCM is showing just a few episodes of the 63 episodes of the Joe McDoakes series (So You Want To ...). Throughout the rest of the day, TCM continues the celebration the works of director John Ford. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- SO THIS IS COLLEGE (1929)
A scheming coed comes between college buddies.
Dir: Sam Wood
Cast: Elliott Nugent, Robert Montgomery, Cliff Edwards
BW-97 mins, CC,

When one of the freshmen has his pants stolen by Eddie in the bushes outside the prom, he exclaims "What am I, 'September Morn'?". "September Morn" is a 1911 painting by French artist Paul Emil Chabas of a nude woman bathing. It became a cause celebre in America during the 1910s when art dealers in both Chicago and New York were charged with indecency for displaying reproductions of it.


7:45 AM -- SO YOU NEVER TELL A LIE (1952)
Joe has a mix-up between a watch for his wife and a watch as a contest prize.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon, Rodney Bell, Phyllis Coates
BW-11 mins, CC,

The $85 watch would cost over $220 in 2020.


8:00 AM -- SO YOU DON'T TRUST YOUR WIFE (1955)
Joe mistakenly believes that his wife wants to kill him.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-10 mins, CC,

The 54th episode.


8:15 AM -- SO THIS IS LOVE (1953)
Opera singer Grace Moore turns to popular music when her dreams of a classical career fail to materialize.
Dir: Gordon Douglas
Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Merv Griffin, Joan Weldon
C-101 mins, CC,

On the day Grayson and Griffin filmed their big love scene, the Warner Brothers publicity department invited the entire University of Texas football team, in L.A. to play in the Rose Bowl game, to visit the set. Nervous about his first on-screen kiss, Griffin flubbed nearly 30 takes, earning hoots and whistles from the football players every time director Gordon Douglas yelled "Cut!" Frustrated with how long things were taking, and aware of rumors that Griffin was gay, Gordon suggested: "Just pretend Kathryn is Rock Hudson and you'll do fine!" This remark drew the greatest guffaw of all from the gridiron gang and so humiliated Griffin that he did a perfect smooch on the very next take.


10:00 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO BE PRETTY (1956)
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-10 mins, CC,

Episode 60.


10:15 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO BE IN PICTURES (1947)
Joe McDoakes learns what a bumpy road it can be to become an Hollywood star in this comedic short.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon, Jane Harker, Bess Flowers
BW-11 mins,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-reel -- Gordon Hollingshead

Actor and future President Ronald Reagan is referred to by the narrator as "Ronnie" Reagan as he walks through the studio streets.


10:30 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO BE A PLUMBER (1951)
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-9 mins, CC,

Episode 35.


10:45 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO ENJOY LIFE (1952)
Believing he has only a month to live, average guy Joe McDoakes decides to live life to the fullest in the time he has left.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-11 mins, CC,

When McDoakes refers to taking the piano out of the Presidential Suite on the transatlantic liner he is sailing on, he is referring to the then current President Harry Truman's penchant for playing the instrument.


11:00 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO WEAR THE PANTS (1952)
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-11 mins, CC,

Episode 41.


11:15 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO PLAY THE PIANO (1956)
Joe buys a piano, and the accompanying free lessons, and sets out to impress Alice.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-10 mins, CC,

His role as the piano mover in this Joe McDoakes short was the final theatrical film for comedy legend Charlie Hall, ending a 35 year film career.


11:30 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO THROW A PARTY (1950)
Joe and Alice McDoakes are planning on throwing a party.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-11 mins, CC,

Episode 24.


11:45 AM -- SO YOU WANT TO BE A GLADIATOR (1955)
Joe thinks he's back in the gladiator days, and finds himself sentenced to be thrown to the Coliseum lions after breaking a string while playing the lyre for King Nero.
Dir: Richard Bare
Cast: George O'Hanlon,
BW-10 mins, CC,

Episode 55.


12:00 PM -- FLESH (1932)
A simple-minded wrestler falls for a woman with a dark secret.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Wallace Beery, Karen Morley, Ricardo Cortez
BW-96 mins, CC,

While the film lists no Director, it was actually directed by John Ford. He had his name removed as 'Director' before release for an unspecified reason. If one looks at the opening credits it states at the bottom this film is a "A John Ford Production".


2:00 PM -- JUDGE PRIEST (1934)
A Southern judge confounds civic leaders with his laid-back approach to his job.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Will Rogers, Tom Brown, Anita Louise
BW-80 mins, CC,

"Based on Irvin S. Cobb's character of 'Judge Priest'" was a compromise onscreen source credit. Fox wanted to use "Based on the Judge Priest Stories by Irwin S. Cobb," but Mr. Cobb objected because he had written over 70 stories, was still writing them, and the statement might inhibit future sales of them.


3:30 PM -- MARY OF SCOTLAND (1936)
Biography of the flighty Scottish queen who was brought down by love.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Fredric March, Florence Eldridge
BW-123 mins, CC,

John Ford lost interest in this film early on. He didn't think the story was very strong, and didn't like the blank verse dialog. The film did not do well at the box office and Ford seldom mentioned it in conversation. Later, during filming of Stagecoach (1939), Ford harassed several actors, notably John Wayne, about their performances. As he began with Thomas Mitchell, who played Doc Boone, Mitchell reportedly said, "Just remember, I saw 'Mary of Scotland'". Ford left him alone for the remainder of the shoot.


6:00 PM -- DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (1939)
A young couple fights off Indian attacks to start a farm in the Mohawk Valley.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, Edna May Oliver
C-104 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Edna May Oliver, and Best Cinematography, Color -- Ray Rennahan and Bert Glennon

John Ford's first film in color.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPECIAL THEME: DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD



8:00 PM -- THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING (1935)
A gangster hides from the law by trading places with a mild-mannered double.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Arthur Hohl
BW-93 mins, CC,

This movie is the inspiration for 1998 Bollywood movie 'Duplicate' starring Shah Rukh Khan in the double role.


10:00 PM -- ARROWSMITH (1931)
A crusading doctor fights his way through tragedy to find his true calling.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett
BW-99 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Writing, Adaptation -- Sidney Howard, Best Cinematography -- Ray June, Best Art Direction -- Richard Day, and Best Picture

The first American sound film to feature a black character ("Dr. Oliver Marchand" played by Clarence Brooks) with a university degree who speaks perfect English, does not shuffle, and does not act in the usual stereotypical manner in which blacks were depicted in Hollywood films at the time.


12:00 AM -- THE INFORMER (1935)
An Irish rebel turns in his best friend to earn passage money to America, then has to dodge the suspicions of his cohorts.
Dir: John Ford
Cast: Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster
BW-92 mins, CC,

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Victor McLaglen, Best Director -- John Ford, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Dudley Nichols (Refused to accept his award because of the antagonism between several industry guilds and the academy over union matters. This marked the first time an Academy Award had been declined. Academy records show that Dudley was in possession of an Oscar statuette by 1949.), and Best Music, Score -- Max Steiner

Nominee for Oscars for Best Film Editing -- George Hively, and Best Picture

John Ford kept Victor McLaglen continually off-balance (and thus in character) by getting him drunk, changing his schedules, verbally abusing him on and off the set and filming scenes when he'd told McLaglen that they were only rehearsing. For the crucial rebel court scene, the story goes that Ford reduced the actor to a trembling wreck by promising him the day off only to bring him into the studio early and extremely hung over, insisting that he spit out his lines. McLaglen was so furious with Ford over this that he threatened to quit acting and kill the director.


2:00 AM -- DEATHSPORT (1978)
Futuristic Science Fiction about a sport to the death, using "destructocycles".
Dir: Nicholas Niciphor
Cast: David Carradine, Jim Galante, Chris Howell
BW-83 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Tragic fates befell several people involved with the production, Lead actress Claudia Jennings was killed in a car accident shortly after the release of the film, lead actor David Carradine died of accidental asphyxiation in 2008, and director Allan Arkush went on to make Caddyshack II (1988). This has led many to talk of the curse of Deathsport.


3:30 AM -- CHERRY 2000 (1988)
In 2017, a successful businessman travels to the ends of the earth to find that the perfect woman is always under his nose.
Dir: Steve Dejarnatt
Cast: Melanie Griffith, David Andrews, Pamela Gidley
BW-99 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Filmed in 1985 and slated for release in 1986 by Orion Pictures in the United States. Due to reasons unknown, this never materialized and the film was released in Europe instead. The film would make its American debut in late 1988 on Orion Home Video, capitalizing on the buzz surrounding star Melanie Griffith and her upcoming film Working Girl (1988), for which she received an Oscar nomination. Several years later, Griffith said that Cherry 2000 is her least favorite film but also acknowledged that the film enjoyed some cult status on cable.


5:15 AM -- THE CORVAIR IN ACTION! (1960)
Technicians herald the arrival of a new car that "delivers the goods as no other compact car can" in this short advertisement.
C-6 mins,


5:15 AM -- SIGNAL 30 PART 1 (1959)
This gruesome short film looks at the results of serious traffic accidents caused by careless driving.
Dir: Richard Wayman
C-27 mins,