TCM Schedule for Friday, May 3, 2024: Carnivals / Steve Martin

[Auggie]

Steve Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for his work in films, television, and recording, he has received many accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and an Honorary Academy Award, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards.

He also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2005, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics. The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.

Martin ended stand-up comedy to do movies. About the decision, he said, "My act was conceptual. Once the concept was stated, and everybody understood it, it was done ... it was about coming to the end of the road. There was no way to live on in that persona. I had to take that fabulous luck of not being remembered as that, exclusively.

"You know, I didn't announce that I was stopping. I just stopped."

The Jerk (1979), directed by Carl Reiner, was the first film in which Martin received top billing. It was a huge success, grossing over $100 million on a budget of approximately $4 million.

Pennies From Heaven (1981--airing tonight) followed, a film Martin hoped would showcase his acting range and help avoid being typecast as a comic actor. To prepare, Martin took acting lessons from director Herbert Ross and spent months learning how to tap dance. The film was a financial failure. Martin's comment at the time was "I don't know what to blame, other than it's me and not a comedy."

Martin also starred in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), and Father of the Bride (1991), all airing tonight.

Additional film endeavors include The Man with Two Brains (1983), All of Me (1984), Three Amigos (1986), Roxanne (1987), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Parenthood (1989), L.A. Story (1991), Bowfinger (1999), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), and The Pink Panther (2006).

FULL BIO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin



Martin fans will want to check out the new documentary STEVE! (Martin)­ -- a documentary in 2 pieces, currently streaming on AppleTV. I recommend it.


------------- MORNING & AFTERNOON: CARNIVALS (EST) -------------

6:30 AM | The Half Naked Truth (1933)
A carnival pitch man turns a sideshow dancer into an overnight sensation.
Dir: Gregory La Cava | Cast: Lupe Velez, Lee Tracy, Eugene Pallette

7:45 AM | Texas Carnival (1951)
A penniless carnival worker runs up a mountain of debts when he's mistaken for a millionaire.
Dir: Charles Walters | Cast: Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Howard Keel

9:15 AM | Maisie Was a Lady (1941)
A Brooklyn showgirl signs on as a maid for a family of wealthy eccentrics.
Dir: Edwin L. Marin | Cast: Ann Sothern, Lew Ayres, Maureen O'Sullivan

10:45 AM | Flamingo Road (1949)
A carnival dancer takes on a corrupt political boss when she marries into small-town society.
Dir: Michael Curtiz | Cast: Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet

12:30 PM | The Unholy Three (1930)
A ventriloquist, a strong man and a little person form a criminal alliance.
Dir: Jack Conway | Cast: Lon Chaney, Lila Lee, Elliott Nugent

1:45 PM | The Mind Reader (1933)
A fake mentalist tries to go straight, only to end up in jail.
Dir: Roy Del Ruth | Cast: Warren William, Constance Cummings, Allen Jenkins

3:00 PM | Lili (1953)
A French orphan gets a job with a carnival puppet show.
Dir: Charles Walters | Cast: Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer, Jean Pierre Aumont

4:30 PM | The Wagons Roll at Night (1941)
A circus manager turns a young farm boy into a star lion tamer.
Dir: Ray Enright | Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Eddie Albert

6:00 PM | Carnival Story (1954)
A trapeze act is torn apart by jealousy when the partners take in a starving girl.
Dir: Kurt Neumann | Cast: Anne Baxter, Steve Cochran, Lyle Bettger


---------------- PRIME TIME & LATE NIGHT: STEVE MARTIN ----------------

8:00 PM | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
A private eye hunts for Nazis while interacting with characters from 1940s films.
Dir: Carl Reine | Cast: Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Carl Reiner

10:00 PM | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle an heiress out of fifty thousand dollars.
Dir: Frank Oz | Cast: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly

12:00 AM | Father of the Bride (1991)
A father's mixed feelings about his daughter's marriage makes the wedding a torturous occasion for him.
Dir: Charles Shyer | Cast: Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Diane Keaton

2:00 AM | Pennies from Heaven (1981)
A salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent teacher.
Dir: Herbert Ross | Cast: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken

A film labeled a "financial failure" doesn't mean it's unwatchable, just that it didn't find an audience. Pennies from Heaven is decent production. Kudos to Steve Martin for giving it a try.