TCM Schedule for Thursday, February 3, 2022 -- What's on Tonight: Starring Broderick Crawford

[Staph]

During the daylight hours, there is a selection of films starring Janet Leigh. Then in prime time, it's films starring Broderick Crawford. It's not the birthday for either...but enjoy!


6:00 AM -- Harper (1966)
2h 1m | Suspense/Mystery | TV-14
A broken-down private eye sets out to find a rich woman's missing husband.
Director: Jack Smight
Cast: Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris

The character of Susan Harper, played by Janet Leigh, was created for this film - she was not in the source novel.


8:15 AM -- That Forsyte Woman (1949)
1h 54m | Romance | TV-G
An unhappily married woman falls in love with her niece's fiance.
Director: Compton Bennett
Cast: Errol Flynn, Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Color -- Walter Plunkett and Valles

Originally Pidgeon was cast as Soames and Flynn as young Jolyon, but the actors felt they wanted to go against type and agreed to switch roles.


10:15 AM -- The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947)
1h 45m | Romance | TV-PG
A farmer's daughter falls in love with a man who fought against her family in the Civil War.
Director: Roy Rowland
Cast: Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, Janet Leigh

Janet Leigh's first film. Janet Leigh said on TCM that Van Johnson was responsible for her stage name. He suggested she shorten her first name to Janet; and he thought that, since the film they were doing was a civil war drama, Lee would go well. But then he suggested she spell it Leigh. She was concerned there might a problem with confusion with Vivian Leigh, but then Van Johnson reminded her of Van Heflin. He said "there's two Van's and it hasn't hurt either of us."


12:15 PM -- Confidentially Connie (1953)
1h 14m | Comedy | TV-G
An expectant mother hatches a series of madcap schemes to improve her husband's financial situation.
Director: Edward Buzzell
Cast: Van Johnson, Janet Leigh, Louis Calhern

The Magruders are played by real-life married couple Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, who appeared together in 22 films and TV episodes, as well as on the stage. They were also the parents of June Lockhart and grandparents of Anne Lockhart.


1:30 PM -- The Naked Spur (1953)
1h 31m | Western | TV-PG
A captive outlaw uses psychological tactics to prey on a bounty hunter.
Director: Anthony Mann
Cast: James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay -- Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom

James Stewart was 19 years older than co-star Janet Leigh.


3:15 PM -- Fearless Fagan (1952)
1h 19m | Comedy | TV-PG
When a circus clown is drafted, he tries to sneak his pet lion into the service.
Director: Stanley Donen
Cast: Janet Leigh, Carleton Carpenter, Keenan Wynn

After marrying and having two sons, Humeston found it hard to care for Fagan and gave him away to a zoo, according to a synopsis for Audrey Peyton's "Fagan and Floyd." Fagan reportedly died from an ulcerated stomach, and Humeston worked several jobs before retiring near Palm Springs.


5:00 PM -- The Spy in the Green Hat (1966)
1h 32m | Suspense/Mystery | TV-PG
Secret agents fight to keep a criminal mastermind from altering the course of the Gulf Stream.
Director: Joseph Sargent
Cast: Robert Vaughn, David Mccallum, Maxie Rosenbloom

This appears to be a film cobbled together from a two-part episode of the television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E.


6:45 PM -- Inside The Dream Factory (1995)
1h | Documentary | TV-G
Faye Dunaway hosts a behind-the-scenes look at the Hollywood star-making machine.
Director: Mark Woods
Cast: Cyd Charisse, Angela Lansbury, Jackie Cooper



WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: PRIMETIME THEME -- TEACHER TALES



8:00 PM -- Born Yesterday (1950)
1h 43m | Comedy | TV-PG
A newspaper reporter takes on the task of educating a crooked businessman's girlfriend.
Director: George Cukor
Cast: Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, William Holden

Winner of an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Judy Holliday (Judy Holliday was not present at the awards ceremony but watched it with several nominees in New York including fellow-best actress candidate Gloria Swanson. In Hollywood, Ethel Barrymore accepted on her behalf.)

Nominee for Oscars for Best Director -- George Cukor, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Albert Mannheimer, and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White -- Jean Louis and Best Picture

Judy Holliday and Broderick Crawford extended their famous gin-rummy scene to their off-screen relationship. Afraid of flying, Holliday insisted on taking the train to Washington for location shooting. Crawford went along and they passed the four-day trip playing gin for money. When they arrived in Washington, Holliday had won $600 from him, along with his undying friendship.


10:00 PM -- Big House, U.S.A. (1955)
1h 22m | Crime | TV-PG
Convicts escape prison to uncover hidden loot.
Director: Howard W. Koch
Cast: Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker, Reed Hadley

The role of the narrator switches from Chief Ranger Erickson to Special Agent Madden when the nature of the case switches from being under one jurisdiction to the other.


11:30 PM -- Down Three Dark Streets (1954)
1h 25m | Crime | TV-PG
An FBI Agent takes on the three unrelated cases of a dead agent to track down his killer.
Director: Arnold Laven
Cast: Broderick Crawford, Ruth Roman, Martha Hyer

All of the principal players drive 1954 model automobiles; FBI agent RIpley's is a 1954 Nash, Kate Martell's is a 1954 Chevrolet, and Joe Walpo's is a 1954 Cadillac; although not inappropriate to the time or the characters involved, this may also be a nod to keeping the film looking as "up to date" as possible in light of prolonged theatrical engagements and its inevitable release for television broadcast.


1:15 AM -- Convicted (1950)
1h 31m | Drama | TV-PG
A prison warden fights to prove one of his inmates was wrongly convicted.
Director: Henry Levin
Cast: Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford, Millard Mitchell

John Ireland was suspended by Columbia for refusing to work on Convicted. He subsequently went to court and won his case, which resulted in his being allowed to buy himself out of his Columbia contract.


3:00 AM -- Il bidone (1955)
1h 32m | Comedy | TV-14
A trio of swindlers roam the countryside with schemes to bilk poor people out of their money.
Director: Federico Fellini
Cast: Broderick Crawford, Richard Basehart, Franco Fabrizi

This movie forms the centerpiece of what has been termed Federico Fellini's "Trilogy of Loneliness" (with book-ending films La Strada (1954) and Nights of Cabiria (1957)).


5:00 AM -- MGM Parade Show #24 (1955)
25m | Documentary | TV-G
Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney perform in a clip from "Strike Up the Band".

[Frasier Balzov]

1. Where is "All the King's Men" ?

Seems like TCM ought to include the film for which Broderick Crawford won the Oscar.

Are they saving it for the Oscar cavalcade?

[Just_Vote_Dem]

2. You beat me to it n/t

[Staph]

3. I bet they're saving it for 31 Days of Oscar.

But I believe it was on in the last month or two as well.

[ificandream]

4. What? No "Highway Patrol"??

Yes, I know it's not a film but it's one of his most famous roles. Maybe the MOST famous.