TV and Movies

[Oznell]

Take a peek at TCM's primetime schedule Thursday night.

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.html?tz=est&sdate=2019-03-14

8:00 p.m. Eastern--  "Ace in the Hole"    The always-charismatic Kirk Douglas as an unscrupulous reporter, out to advance his career, but at what cost?

In fact, the whole evening into the wee hours is being billed as "Journalism" night by TCM, but it's not just 'yellow' journalism, it's the noir-est of the noir!   After "Ace", just look at that line-up--  

"Sweet Smell of Success"

"Scandal Sheet"

"The Blue Gardenia"

"While the City Sleeps"

"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"

Some jazzy rhythms from tyrannical columnist Burt Lancaster, and driven hanger-on, Tony Curtis, in "Sweet Smell of Success":

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

Recorders, hit your marks!

[Oznell]

"I'd hate to take a bite out of you.  You're a cookie full of arsenic."      B.L. to T. C.

[Witchy Woman]

@Oznell 

I've not seen one of these movies, and don't record.  Will try to catch one or two while on.

Last night TCM was, once again, showing A Star is Born with Frederick March and Janet Gaynor.  I only marginally liked the version with Judy Garland. 

The whole premise that he's going out to swim in the ocean and asks her to make hot soup for him when he returns just made me laugh.  Really?  No alarm bells went off?

Maybe I'm the only person alive that doesn't like this story line, but it seems a tired one to me.

I watched it anyway 

[kaydee50]

Sweet Smell of Success is a very good movie with an exceptional Lancaster and Curtis, who IMO is an underrated actor and never got the credit he deserved.

Haven't seen Ace in the Hole for a long time and not familiar with the others so I'll try to check them out.

[kaydee50]

@Witchy Woman  I started a topic on the 1937 version, which I thought was great.  A wife I think wants to believe the best of her husband and so she thought he was on the road to recovery.  I was in tears at the end.  

[Oznell]

Hmmmm, @Witchy Woman,  if you've not seen any of them, and don't DVR, then probably your best bet in the earlier-aired ones would be "Sweet Smell of Success".   It's darkly cynical (but then most of them are) but is a critic's fave and has high entertainment value, as @kaydee50 points out. 

Of the later, wee-hours aired ones,  @Witchy Woman and @kaydee50  the classic "The Blue Gardenia" is mesmerizing, with "While the City Sleeps" a good runner up...  And @kaydee50, if you do have the ability to record, there's really not a bad one in the bunch of the later-aired ones, so all are good candidates for recording if you haven't seen.   (I feel like a promoter....) 

[Oznell]

Excruciatingly slimy new media publisher Vincent Price tangles with skeptical seasoned pro, Dana Andrews, in Fritz Lang's suspenseful "While the City Sleeps":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb_fX3twOl4

[Oznell]

I can never get over the superb cast of "While the City Sleeps".   Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, George Sanders, Thomas Mitchell, Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, Rhonda Fleming...

Here soignee Lupino and suave Sanders mix it up over drinks.  Total glamour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D23tfpM7TPk

[Witchy Woman]

@Oznell 

Well, missed them all for a variety of reasons.

Will have to see if I can check out a few from local library.  They have just about everything.

"While the City Sleeps" is at the top of that list.  The cast is amazing!

[Oznell]

Good news, @Witchy Woman -- you haven't missed them, yet.  They're on the Thursday night schedule.  (Sometimes if a movie line-up looks especially good, I try to give advance alerts.)