TV and Movies

[Oznell]

Yay, Kirk!  Love his intensity.  Here's the schedule:

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.html?tz=est&sdate=2019-08-31

TCM is front-loading their day's tribute with some of his excellent, quite youthful performances, i.e.:

6:00 a.m. Eastern--  "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers".  Kirk Douglas, Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott

Frequently aired but fabulous film noir with Douglas, Stanwyck and Heflin going through their overwrought but spectacularly entertaining paces.

and,

8:00 a.m. Eastern--  "Young Man with a Horn".  Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall, Juano Hernandez, Hoagy Carmichael.  

Interestingly directed by Michael Curtiz, and based at least partly on the life of Bix Beiderbecke.

Add in "The Bad and the Beautiful",  "Lust for Life" and "Spartacus",  and you have a nice retrospective of a varied and adventurous career.

(Trivial side comment:   I sometimes have a "shock of familiarity",  sort of family feeling looking at Kirk Douglas--  for generations, that cleft chin has recurred, and recurred in my own relatives, on both paternal and maternal sides. It looks so good on him!  And of course that feature continues on in his descendents too...)

I wish they had included Kirk's outing in the quirky, monumental production of O'Neill's "Mourning Becomes Electra" with Rosalind Russell.  One of the best films he made.  And he was so VERY good as the cool young gangster in "Out of the Past",  and as a conflicted, honorable military man, of course, in "Seven Days in May".  As often as I've seen that, that may be my favorite performance of his.

Speaking of "Spartacus" and Kirk's bold portrayal of the courageous slave, British actor and renaissance guy Peter Ustinov gave a hilarious, catty account, which is on youtube, of the making of that film.  Anyone familiar with Ustinov's razor wit and powers of mimicry (his various American accents put me always on the floor), will love that video...    

[drizzellla]

I am so sad to see Summer Under the Stars come to an end. It was nice to catch a movie that I never heard of before or watch a film that I had seen before. Some films are just worth seeing over and over again. 

So we end with two big Stars. And look forward to next August.

[Oznell]

Me too, @drizzellla..  Really enjoyed this August of cinema magic.  I've now got a bunch of films stockpiled on DVR and it'll be fun to roll them out at will.   Sorry to see August end, but like you say, it was with a bang!

[Katcat1]

@Oznell  I sure hope they show "Strangers when we Meet" with Kim Novak.  That was a good movie.  

[Oznell]

Oh, I wanted to see that one again too, @Katcat1, but unfortunately I don't think it's on the line-up---  grrrrr.

[Oznell]

Wasn't sure if I could find the Peter Ustinov account of making "Spartacus" on youtube again, but here it is.  It's long, but you can dip into it almost anywhere and be vastly entertained....

I didn't know there was so much bad blood between Charles Laughton and Laurence Olivier, nor that there were so many seething "undercurrents" on the set of "Spartacus".

Trust sardonic Peter Ustinov to give us all the backstage skinny....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3nrheg0In0

[Shelbelle]

Well, we cant say they are omitting his Oscar winning roles, because sadly, there were none. Just an Honorary Oscar. 

[Mz iMac]

"The Bad and the Beautiful"  and "Spartacus" are the only 2 I am interested in watching. 

[Johnnyeager]

At the 30th Academy Awards ceremony in March 1958 Kirk and Burt Lancaster sang "It's Great Not to Be Nominated."  

[Oznell]

Oh, I remembered two other ones I'd like to have seen them air, since they don't show them often:

"Two Weeks in Another Town"---   Has a sudsy premise, but is a scathing look at Hollywood and its treatment of those who once successful, have been chewed up and spit out.  Kirk is terrific as a recovering alcoholic and psychiatric patient recently released from inpatient treatment, and eager to get back into films, this time in glamorous Rome.  Co-starring are Cyd Charisse, Edward G. Robinson, and Claire Trevor.

"Ace in the Hole"---  Kirk really plumbs the depths with this one.  He's a corrupt,  ambitious journalist on the skids, who is willing to exploit a dangerous mine collapse scenario for personal gain.  He puts human life at risk, in an unholy alliance with other miscreants to manipulate news and events, and to profit from tragedy.   Bleak cynical noir at its best, and Kirk doesn't hold back one bit.