TCM'S Short Subject Selections - Dreary!
Vitaphone
on TCM in February is in for something of a let-down, it seems.
The much anticipated "Early Sound Shorts" block, for instance, instead of
highlighting any of the numerous recent UCLA restorations, inexplicably trots
out a dull bunch of titles indeed, with the bulk of them being of post-1932
vintage, reaching all the way to 1936, in fact. In a quick attempt to justify
the "Early Sound" tag, we have the whistling "Leo Beers," a split-reel that's
been around seemingly forever.
In the "Technicolor" block, there's "The Flag," which likely sounds far more
interesting than it is, and chances are high that the new "Young Composers"
score will be of the tossing-pots-and-pans-down-the-stairwell variety. "So
inspired... so modern..." Making it's 384th appearance on TCM as part of
this group is also "The Devil's Cabaret" which is missing it's key musical
sequence, and remains of note only to advocates of the Benny Rubin school of
comedy.
Looks like someone at UCLA or TCM pulled the plug on any notions of making this
a true event. Instead, we have the old AMC trick of re-packaging the same old
stuff again, and again, and again...
Connelly Christopher
Vitaphone
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|93
17,00.html
JimReid56
Jan Willis
> Does anyone know when the MGM short "Hollywood Party" will be shown?
Jim,
It... SHOULD.. be in the Tuesday, 2/26 block that begins
at 8pm, EST.
But it takes a bit of work to find that out.
According to TCM's "Introduction" to its coverage of the
festival,
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9303,00.html
you find:
"MGM's Hollywood on Hollywood includes Hollywood Party
(1937), featuring Charley Chase
and marking guest star Clark Gable's first appearance in
Technicolor."
That places it in the HOLLYWOOD ON HOLLYWOOD block, which
runs Tuesday
the 26th. Begins at 8pm, EST. 2 hour block. Details are at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9320,00.html
But, when you read the shorts listed there, you don't see
_Hollywood Party_ actually
listed.
However... if you then go TCM's LIST OF FILMS, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9328,00.html
It IS listed, though not in any order.
"Feb 26 08:00 PM
Hollywood on Hollywood - (2002)
Shorts with Tinseltown reflecting upon itself. Includes
newly restored version of
MGM's Hollywood Party (1937), marking guest star Clark
Gable's first appearance
in Technicolor. Gable also makes an appearance, at work on
his farm, in MGM's
Hollywood Hobbies (1939)."
...whew...
guess I better do that Big Master List, after alllllll.
Jan Willis
janwillis
combined
with what’s listed online at TCM.
I cannot find a single comprehensive list, though, and some of this IS
speculation.
Lang and Brian in Atlanta, do you know of a more complete list?
WEEK ONE: Tuesday, February 5th / All Times EST:
8:00 - 9:30pm, EST
New Documentary from Leonard Maltin and Peter Jones. Narrated by Chevy
Chase - - -
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story [2002 / 90m]
9:30 - 11pm / 90 minutes
ROBERT BENCHLEY Shorts
The hard copy Now Playing lists only three, but there’s room for 9-10, in
that time slot.
These three for sure:
[01] How to Behave
[02] How to Train a Dog
[03] The Romance of Digestion
Online, TCM’s overview of the Benchley series, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9305,00.html
mentions 10 titles, in this order, but _doesn’t_ promise
(a) which will be shown or
(b) in what order. So, here’s a possible list:
[01] How to Sleep
[02] How to Behave
[03] How to Train a Dog
[04] How to Vote
[05] How to be a Detective
[06] The Romance of Digestion
[07] No News is Good News
[08] My Tomato
[09] Important Business
[10] Why, Daddy?
All 10 might fit into a 90m slot.
Though they;'ve been on before, I hope they also show -
the hilarious A Night at the Movies (1937), with the kid who just STARES at
Benchley, in the movie theater,
and also 1939’s See Your Doctor, where Benchley receives personalized medical
care from Monty Wooley, after a possible black widow spider bite.
11pm - 12:30am EST
Repeat of the new documentary
[12:30am - 3 am EST (2 1/2 hours)
The dreaded Dogville Shorts, not every animal lover’s favorite series. Just one
man’s opinion, but those dogs were NOT happy, there )
DOGVILLE comedy(?) shorts
The hard copy Now Playing says the 150 minute slot “includes”
[01] Who Killed Rover?
[02] The Dogville Melody
Online, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9306,00.html
TCM confirms
[01] Hot Dog [1929]
and then suggests they will show -
[02] College Hounds [1929]
[03] Who Killed Rover? [1930]
[04] So Quiet on the Canine Front [1931]
[05] The Big Dog House [1931]
[06] The Two Barks Brothers [1931]
[07] The Dogway Melody [1930]
[08] Love-Tails of Morocco [1931]
[09] Trader Hound [1931]
But in what order, I don’t know. There’s probably enough room in the 2 1/2
time slot to show all 9 of these things.
3am- 4am EST / 60 minutes
BOBBY JONES Golf Shorts from director George Marshall with Hollywood guest
stars.
Now Playing says it’ll “include” these 3, though in no particular order:
[01] The Big Irons
[02] Practice Shots
[03] Trouble Shots
TCM’s online overview of the series, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9307,00.html
discusses, in this order,
[01] Practice Shots
[02] The Driver
[03] The Big Irons
[04] Trouble Shots
[05] The Spoon (with Walter Huston)
but More than 5 of these great Jones shorts can be fit into an hour time slot.
Seems to me like each ran about 8-9 minutes. Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but
I think the above 5 are from the 1931 series, made at the Flintridge County Club in L.A.
(( I wish they’d show 1933’s Hip Action from the “How to Break 90” series of
‘33, with Warner Oland & W. C. Fields))
4am - 6am EST ( 2 hours):
SPORTS Shorts
Here, it looks like TCM online has really come through:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9308,00.html
but I wish they’d done the same elsewhere -
[01] Basketball Headliners [1956] NIT Tournament with Bill Russell
[02] Desert Regata [1932] Salton Sea Outboard Motoring
[03] Decathlon Champion [1937] Glenn Morris, Olympic champion and future
Tarzan
[04] Diamond Demon [1947] William Daniels behind the camera, with the focus on
Johnny Price’s baseball tricks
[05] Gym College [1955] Florida State gymnastic team
[06] Holland Sailing [1956] Sailboat Races in Holland
[07] Chicago Bears [1934 Pete Smith visit]
[08] Rough Riding [1954 Technicolor Pete Smith short at Casper, Wyoming]
[09] Speed Week [1957 short on auto racing in Nassau, Bahamas]
[10] Sports Slants #1 [1931 / Boxing and Billiards]
[11] Strikes and Spares [ 1934 Pete Smith short with bowler Andy Varipapa and his
trick shots
[12] Tennis Techniques [1931, M-G-M]
Darn, where’s that cool Max Baer boxing short, Fisticuffs?
Jan Willis
janwillis
An estimated list of what will be shown -
8 - 10pm, EST
BEFORE THEY WERE STARS shorts:
Two hour slot. Looks like 11 shorts.
Now Playing guide confirms shorts with June Allyson, Judy
Garland, Bob Hope and Betty Hutton. But no details.
TCM’s online link, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9309,00.html
lists the following, in this particular order:
[01] The Hard Guy (Vitaphone, 1930) with Spencer Tracy
[02] Seeing Red (WB, 1939) with Red Skelton
[03] The Old Grey Mayor (WB, 1935) with Bob Hope
[04] All Girl Revue (WB, 1939) with June Allyson
[05] Rufus Jones for President (Vitaphone, 1933) with Sammy
Davis, Jr. & Ethel
Waters
[06] Buried Loot (M-G-M, 1935) Robert Taylor, in the very
first of the Crime Does Not Pay series.
[07] La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (M-G-M, 1935 )with Judy
Garland, but I watch it for
Buster Keaton in Technicolor!
Pete Smith narrated short. Buster is one of the many
guest stars, in his case doing a
very brief bit of a skit with Andy Devine.
http://www.zianet.com/jjohnson/fiesta.htm
and
http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0027616
[08] Every Sunday - Deanna Durbin and Garland
[09] Important News (1936) - Chic Sale with that James
Stewart whippersnapper
[10] Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra (1939) with a young
Betty Hutton
[11] Inflation (M-G-M, 1944) with satanic Edward Arnold
and Esther Williams
10 pm - 12:30am / EST
120m running time is listed in the Now Playing guide, but
it’s in a 150m time slot,
just in case.
DIRECTORS IN THE MAKING Shorts
The Now Playing guide lists 3, and those are repeated at
TCM online, with a 4th
one added, at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9310,00.html
The “catch” is that those four add up to only 62 minutes,
leaving another hour to
fill with ... something.
[01] Love on Tap [1939] 11 min. musical by George Sidney
with Truman Bradley,
Mary Howard, the Merriel Abbot Dancers, orchestra leader
Carwood Van.
[02] The Tell-Tale Heart (1941) - 21m / the Poe story
directed by Jules
Dassin with Joseph Schildkraut.
[03] Forbidden Passage (M-G-M, 1941) 21m / Fred Zinnemann
directed short on
illegal immigration.
[04] The Magic Alphabet [1942] 11m / biographical short
from Jacques Tourneur,
narrated by John Nesbitt of Passing Parade fame.
Stephen McNally is Dutch doctor Christiaan Eijkman, whose
search for a cure for
beriberi on the island of Java in the 1890s led to the
discovery of vitamins.
12:30 pm - 2:30am EST
WESTERN shorts:
Now Playing lists a 120m running time for this theme. Now
Playing lists three
shorts, while TCM online lists 6, in this order:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9311,00.html
[01] Frontier Days (1945) with Dorothy Malone and
Inspector... uh, Robert Shayne
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037718
[02] Oklahoma Outlaws (1943) Robert Shayne in a Breezy
Eason short “where the
land rush footage can be traced to Tumbleweeds”
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0036229
[03] Roaring Guns (1944) Robert Shayne and the underrated
Norman Willis
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037229
[04] Trial by Trigger (1944) with Robert Shayne. TCM says
it “utilizes a nail-biting
runaway train sequence from a 1927 film called The Valley of
the Giants.”
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037396
[05] Wagon Wheels West (1943) with Charles Middleton, Nina
Foch and ... Robert
Shayne in a Breezy Eason short.
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0036510
[06] Wells Fargo Days (1945) with Dennis Moore
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0224377
All six should fit just right into that 120m slot.
2:30 am - 4:30am EST
WW II PROPAGANDA shorts:
Now Playing lists a 120m running time for this theme. Now
Playing lists three
shorts, while TCM online lists 6, in this order:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9312,00.html
[01] Plan for Destruction [M-G-M, 1943] dealing with
“German WW I
General Karl Haushofer, whose theories inspired Hitler's
fight for global
dominance.”
[02] Eyes of the Navy [M-G-M, 1940] with a “behind the
scenes look at the Naval
aviation schools in Pensacola and San Diego."
[03] An unnamed WB short, but as it’s about the following
subject
http://us.imdb.com/Plot?0034511
so it must be
Beyond the Call of Duty (22m, narrated by Ronald Reagan).
[04] From the Four Corners [1941] with Leslie Howard
“driving home the message
of solidarity within the British Commonwealth as he spoke
with actual soldiers from
Australia, Canada and New Zealand.”
[05] Mr. Blabbermouth [M-G-M, 1942] about the dangers of
“believing and spreading
rumors. As the film suggested, many of the most destructive
rumors about the Axis'
supposed military superiority were actually started by enemy
agents out to
undermine morale.” This may be narrated by John Nesbitt.
[06] The House I Live In [1945] with Sinatra in a message
of religious tolerance for
the homefront during WWII. As TCM Online notes, this is
prior to Crossfire and
Gentleman’s Agreement.
4:30am - 6am/ EST
FITZPATRICK TRAVELTALKS Shorts:
Looks like six, according to TCM online. Now Playing’s
got a 90m running time and I estimate the following 6 would
add up to around 80m, since one of them is a two-reeler.
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9313,00.html
I know that the narration can put you to sleeeeeeeeeep,
but... if you’ve never seen
these, check out Los Angeles in 35, Chicago in 48, Manhattan
in 49!
Listed are:
[01] Los Angeles: Wonder City of the West [1935]
[02] Paris on Parade [1938]
[03] The Capital City, Washington, DC [1940]
[04] Looking at London [1946] Postwar visit to London
[05] Chicago the Beautiful [1948]
[06] Visiting Italy [1951]
[07] Seeing Spain [1953]
[08] Mighty Manhattan, New York’s Wonder City [1949 / a
two-reeler]
Jan Willis
TTrocc7007
Why aren't YOU writing the stuff fior TCM?
Thanks!
Tom Troccoli
janwillis
> Geez Jan! Why aren't YOU writing the stuff fior TCM?
> Thanks!
Thank you, Tom.
(Lang at TCM? Can I be a freelancer...or a paidlancer...)
I'm one of those natural born compilers, so this was "fun"
for me, as odd as that sounds.
Tom, their second week is actually put together (online)
better than week one. It was just a matter of getting it
altogether
like this, and then doing a bit of doublechecking.
I think we'll see all of these tomorrow night, but in
a slightly rearranged order, if it goes like Feb. 5th.
(And maybe a few unannounced ones thrown in, perhaps.
There's a bit of time, here and there, not accounted for by
TCM)
The short that is upcoming that's NOT been given the big
buildup, online, is one of the few premieres, ironically:
_Hollywood Party_, the technicolor short with Charley
Chase. It's going to be shown on 2/26, but it takes a bit
of detective work to confirm that.
Jan
James L. Neibaur
had never seen that one before.
JN
Please visit the most poorly designed web pages online:
my Favorite Movies web page:
http://hometown.aol.com/jimneibr/myhomepage/movies.html
and my Favorite Performers web page:
http://hometown.aol.com/jimneibr/myhomepage/rant.html
Brian Westley
>I liked seeing La Fiesta with the color footage of Buster Keaton, et. al. I
>had never seen that one before.
And 12-year-old Judy Garland singing about marijuana...
(OK, singing about a cockroach that can't travel due to a lack of marijuana)
---
Merlyn LeRoy
Frederica
Brian Westley wrote:
Is this the short that supposedly takes place at the "Fiesta de Santa Barbara?"
If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's on the laserdisc of LIBELED LADY. Buster
looks like he's three sheets to the wind.
Frederica
Brian Westley
>Brian Westley wrote:
>> jimn...@aol.combatant (James L. Neibaur) writes:
>> >I liked seeing La Fiesta with the color footage of Buster Keaton, et. al. I
>> >had never seen that one before.
>>
>> And 12-year-old Judy Garland singing about marijuana...
>> (OK, singing about a cockroach that can't travel due to a lack of marijuana)
>Is this the short that supposedly takes place at the "Fiesta de Santa Barbara?"
Yep.
>If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's on the laserdisc of LIBELED LADY. Buster
>looks like he's three sheets to the wind.
---
Merlyn LeRoy
janwillis
8 - 10pm, EST
JAZZ / SWING Shorts:
1 hour slot. Looks like 5 shorts.
Now Playing guide confirms Streamlined Swing and Jammin’
the Blues.
TCM’s online link, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9314,00.html
lists the following, in this particular order:
[01] Jammin’ the Blues (1944), with a stunning visual
look. I never tire of seeing
this one. Check this one out, if you haven’t seen it yet!
It’s listed first, according to
TCM Online.
[02] Artie Shaw and his Orchestra in Symphony of Swing
(1939)
They perform “Jeepers Creepers,” “Alone Together” “Deep
Purple” with Helen
Forrest, and “Lady be Good,” according to TCM Online.
I’ve not seen this one yet, but TCM Online gives it high
marks for its visual
sense, too.
[03] Buster Keaton’s Streamlined Swing (1938)
with the Sing Band. Cute, but I wouldn’t have connected
Buster to it if I’d not
known. What do y’all thinki? Anyone know how much personal
involvement Buster
had in this short?
[04] Martin Block’s Musical Merry-Go-Round #4 (1948)
Les Brown and his Band of Renown
Virginia O’Brien, vocalist.
[05] Spreadin the Jam (1945)
9 pm - 11:30pm / EST
BIG BAND DANCE SHORTS:
The Now Playing guide says that this block’s running time
is 90m but then puts it
in a 150m time slot, so set your VCRs accordingly, just in
case.
TCM online, at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9315,00.html
[01] Artie Shaw and His Orchestra (1938)
“Begin the Beguin,” “Nightmare,” “Let’s Stop the Clock,”
“Non-Stop Flight,” “and
“Proschai.” Vocalists are Helen Forrest and Tony Pastor.
[02] Desi Arnaz and His Orchestra (1945)
Songs include “Babaloo” and “Easy Street,” with guest
appearance by the dance
team, Searles and Galian.
[03] Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra (1933)
Built around a “roller skating nightclub in NY’s Central
Park Mall,” with some
Busby Berkeley type touches, according to TCM Online. The
short includes
“Shadow Waltz,” “We’re in the Money,” “Tony’s Wife,” and
“Lullaby of the Leaves.”
Vocalist Sylvia Froos also appears.
[04] Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (1938)
“Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps,” "Dusk in Upper Sandusky."
vocalist Bob Eberly gets to
solo on "It's the Dreamer in Me" and Evelyn Oaks on "I Love
You in Technicolor."
[05] Johnny Green and His Orchestra (1939)
" “Easy Come, Easy Go,” "I Like Mountain Music," "How Can I
Hold You Closer.”
[06] Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra (1939)
"Loyal Sons of Rutgers," "I've Got Those 'Oh What an Easy
Job You've Got,” “All I Do Is
Wave a Stick Blues," and "Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet."
[07] Woody Herman and His Orchestra (1938)
“Carolina in the Morning," dancers Lee Wiley in the skit,
"Two Little Girls in One," Hal and
Honey Abbott in the dance number, "Jailhouse Blues." Herman
sings and plays on "You Must Have
Been a Beautiful Baby" and ends the short with a rousing
version of "Doctor Jazz."
11:30 pm - 1am EST
ACADEMY AWARD WINNING shorts:
Now Playing lists a 90m running time for this theme. Now
Playing lists three
shorts, while TCM online lists 5, in this order:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9316,00.html
[01] Robert Benchley’s How to Sleep (193
[02] The Public Pays(1936)
One of the best of the Crime Does Not Pay series.
Cy Kendall as a good guy, too! As the police chief of a
small town beset by
racketeers out to extort money from the community’s milk
producers, Kendall and
his men fight a losing battle until one of the owners
(Frederik Vogeding, if my memory’s right, who was so good as
the Berlin police
officer in Charlie Chan at the Olympics and as the racketeer
in CC in Shanghai)
refuses and agrees to fight the racketeers.
[03] The Declaration of Independence (1938)
John Litel as Thomas Jefferson, though the focus is on
another character,
Caesar Rodney (Ted Osborne), whose vote made the difference
in the document
being adopted.
[04] I Won’t Play (1944)
Janis Paige at her luscious best, in this WWII short,
centered on Dane Clark’s
Joe Fingers, a know-it-all solider who drives his fellow
servicemen nuts, with his tall
tale stories of his encounters with the rich and famous,
until entertainer Janis Paige
arrives at the overseas base for a quick visit, with
unexpected results.
[05] Stairway to Light (1945)
From John Nesbitt’s The Passing Parade series, dealing with
a French
physician who risked his reputation and life to advance a
humane method of
treating people with mental illness.
1am - 3am EST
TECHNICOLOR shorts:
120m running time. TCM online lists 6, in this order:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9317,00.html
[01] Premiere of the silent short, The Flag (1926), with a
new score by one of the
TCM Young Composers winners, Vivek Madala. Francis X.
Bushman as George
Washington and Doris Kenyon as Betsy Ross.
[02] The Devil’s Cabaret with satanic Charles Middleton’s
nightclub, a Trading
Spaces creation.
[03] 1934’s La Cucaracha,”the first live-action 3-strip
Technicolor film,” and a
popular song around a.m.s., too.
[04] 1934’s Good Morning, Eve, “the second live-action
3-strip Technicolor film,”
with Leon Errol as Adam with his Eve traveling through time,
stopping off in Ancient
Rome and King Arthur’s England. Haven’t seen this one,
yet, myself.
[5] Carnival of Rhythm (1941), Jean Negulesco’s musical
short built around black
dancer Katherine Dunham.
[06] The Gay Parisian (1942) Negulesco again, with the
Ballet Russe de Monte
Carlo.
3am - 4:30am, EST
JOE McDOAKES Shorts:
One of my favorite series! A REALLY nice history of the
series is at TCM, with background on Richard
Bare, George O’Hanlon, Jane (hubba hubba!!) Harker, Phyllis
Coates, etc.,
at:http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9318,00.html
This one’s buried in the middle of the night, but if
you’ve never tried this series,
set the timer!
[01] So You Want to Give Up Smoking [1942]
[02] So You Think You Need Glasses [1942]
[03] So You Want to Play the Horses [1946]
[04] So You Want to Save Your Hair [1946]
[05] So You’re Going to be a Father [1947]
[06] So You Want to be in Pictures [1947], a nice
behind the scenes at WB short,
[07] So You Want to Hold Your Wife [1947]
[08] So You Want an Apartment [1948]
4:30am - 6am
EARLY SOUND shorts, details at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9319,00.html
Here are TCM Online’s descriptions, courtesty of writer
Richard Steiner:
LEO BEERS
A Movietone Musical Revue
SEA SPIDERS
A MGM documentary about the daily life of Tahitian natives
narrated by Gayne Whitman.
CHILI AND CHILLS (1932)
A MGM Oddity in which a couple driving in Mexico encounter a
village where all the residents
speak Russian. They also witness some ususual fights - one
between two turtles and one between a
German Sheperd and a rattlesnake. (apparently Jules White
was ... nevermind....
MICROSCOPIC MYSTERIES (1932)
Pete Smith narrates this study of insect life viewed through
a microscope. It's one of the first entries
in the "MGM Oddities" series.
DUCK HUNTERS PARADISE
A humorous short subject on the art of duck hunting.
WHISPERIN' BILL (1933)
Charles 'Chic' Sale stars as a farmer who receives a visit
from a Congressional candidate. During
their meeting we learn about the farmer's son who went to
fight for his country but returned home a
broken man.
FINE FEATHERS (1933)
Various species of exotic and tropical birds are glimpsed in
this MGM Oddity narrated by Pete
Smith.
ROPING WILD BEARS (1934)
Bears who threaten livestock are rounded up by forest
rangers and shipped off to zoos in this MGM
short.
OLD SHEP (1936)
A farmer is forced to consider euthanasia for his old and
infirm dog.
Well, I’ve seen this one, so I can tell you it’s
...euthanasia ...with a shotgun, as farmer Chic Sale has
to decide what to do about his elderly dog, Old Shep.
Hope the reality show creators don’t catch this one...
Dave Lewis
> nightclub, a Trading
> Spaces creation.
I was blown away by this short, and happened to mention it to my friend
Frank Powers, who wrote:
Dave, The Devil's Cabaret was an attempt to salvage footage from a never
completed 2-strip Technicolor extravaganza to have been called The March Of
Time. The bit with the ballet scene with the big devil's head is that
footage. The remainder was put together on the MGM lot. I have similar
stuff in two other MGM shorts, one with Benny Rubin featuring a scrap with
what appears to be Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker or a reasonable facsimile,
working to the accompaniment of a Trumbaueresque unit, and an early Three
Stooges with Ted Healey featuring the "Woman in the Shoe" sequence. Both
were probably TMOT footage.
The reason for the abandonment of TMOT appears to have been the collapse of
the movie musical public appeal in 1930. Many studios were caught
flat-footed and would try to convert this loss by cutting the musical
numbers to make the films into bad straight comedies or chopping the musical
numbers out and using them in later shorts or other later films as MGM did.
Incidentally, Joe Busam pointed out that the toothsome blonde devil's
secretary is Mary Carlisle who later starred with Bing Crosby in a couple of
Paramount features the earliest being College Humor.
****
anyone out there have a little more info about The Devil's Cabaret or TMOT?
I'm particularly interested who might've written the "hot" background music
for the short- certainly not Tiomkin, who wrote the ballet music for the
TMOT sequence. LeRoy Shield perhaps?
Uncle Dave Lewis
janwillis
> I was blown away by this short, _The Devil's Cabaret_, and happened to mention it to my friend
> Frank Powers, who wrote:
> Dave, The Devil's Cabaret was an attempt to salvage footage from a never
> completed 2-strip Technicolor extravaganza to have been called The March Of
> Time. The bit with the ballet scene with the big devil's head is that
> footage. The remainder was put together on the MGM lot.
Uncle Dave,
In _A Song in the Dark_, the subject of some discussion
here recently, Richard Barrios
gives some space to the production of _The March of Time_,
from its inception to its partial
evolution into short subjects, with lots of people trying
their hand at salvaging it as a feature
(a la the feature, _Hollywood Party_), before its final
incarnation as _Broadway to Hollywood_.
If you don't have a copy, I'll pull mine - - though
Chris Connelly will probably get to his, first!
> anyone out there have a little more info about The Devil's Cabaret or TMOT?
> I'm particularly interested who might've written the "hot" background music
> for the short- certainly not Tiomkin, who wrote the ballet music for the
> TMOT sequence. LeRoy Shield perhaps?
I don't know that Barrios gets into the composer for the
"hot" music for
_The Devil's Cabaret_, though.
Jan Willis
Precode
About six years ago, we attempted to reconstruct THE MARCH OF TIME at
Cinecon by showing every short (plus BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD) that
contained numbers from it, with Miles Kreuger doing the play-by-play.
A long afternoon, but quite a rewarding one.
Mike S.
janwillis
Tuesday, February 26th / All Times EST:
(A)
HOLLYWOOD ON HOLLYWOOD Theme:
2 hour time slot / 8pm - 10pm/ EST
The mailed out Now Playing guide confirms the one we’re all
waiting for - -
1937’s Hollywood Party.
TCM’s online link, at
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9320,00.html
lists several more, though ironically it ...o-m-i-t-s...
Hollywood Party, the world
premiere short....
Its inclusion IS confirmed, however, over at TCM online,
via
the 2/26 details at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9328,00.html
and at the close of the “introduction” to the festival, at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65%7C63%7C9288%7C,00.html
So, s-o-m-e-w-h-e-r-e... in the two hour slot... hopefully
first, but
NOT necessarily so, is
[01] Hollywood Party (Technicolor, 1937) with Charley
Chase.
and the rest:
[02] Out Where the Stars Began (Vitaphone, 1938)
Fritz Feld and Evelyn Thaw in a Broadway Brevity short.
[03] Buster Keaton’s Hollywood Handicap (1938)
Part of the M-G-M trio that included last week’s
Streamlined Swing, this one also
stars the Original Sing Band. They impulsively hock their
instruments in order to raise
money for a bet on their new race horse, who’ll compete in
the Hollywood Derby at the
Santa Anita track.
This short again takes advantage of the Sing Band’s ability
to “play” music via
their voices.
Brief appearances by everyone from Oliver Hardy to Edmund
Lowe to Jolson, at
the race track.
[04] Screen Actors [1950]
Narration by John Nesbitt, with visits to the Hollywood
Studio Club and quick
glimpses at the studios, with some away from work looks at
Walter Pidgeon, Gene
Autry, and Andy Devine.
[05] Hollywood Hobbies (1939)
Quick, quick glimpse of Buster Keaton at the ballpark, as
two fans (the always
welcome Joyce Compton and Sally Payne) visit a celebrity
baseball game (comedians
vs. leading men). This comes later in the short, after the
fans first stalk Clark Gable to
his house, then spot Robert Young at the Bel-Air Stables.
Billy Benedict is behind the
wheel of the car, as the tour guide who’s driving the girls
around town.
(B)
Repeat of the new documentary, ADDED ATTRACTIONS
10pm - 11:30pm / EST
(C)
CLASSIC COMEDY SHORTS
90m time slot // 11:30pm - 1:00am / EST
Now Playing lists 3, which TCM Online confirms and adds two
more, at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9321,00.html
[01] Our Gang’s Bear Shooters (1930)
[02] The Dentist (1932)
I assume it’s still the TCM edition of The Great Man’s
short, with those !&@^
added “funny” music effects.
[03] Edgar Bergen & Charley McCarthy in
Double Talk (1937)
[04] The Three Stooges, in their Ted Healy form, in
Nertsery Rhymes (1933)
and
[05] The Ritz Brothers in Hotel Anchovy (1934),
(D)
WARNER BROS. HISTORICAL SHORTS:
90m time slot / 1am - 2:30am/ EST
TCM online lists 4 technicolor shorts, in this order:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9322,00.html
[01] Lincoln in the White House (1939)
Frank McGlynn as Lincoln, with Dickie Moore as his son.
[02] The Declaration of Independence (1938)
A repeat from last week, with John Litel as Thomas
Jefferson, though the focus
is on another character, Caesar Rodney (Ted Osborne), whose
vote made the
difference in the document being adopted.
[03] Old Hickory
with John Hamilton as Andrew Jackson.
[04] Teddy the Rough Rider (1940)
Sidney Blackmer as Teddy Roosevelt in this 2-reel look at
his life.
(E)
CRIME DO NOT PAY Shorts
90m time slot / 2:30am - 4am / EST
Three are listed in Now Playing and TCM Online, though I
think the slot provides
room for a fourth.
Here are the one listed, with some “spoilers,” at:
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9323,00.html
[01] Torture Money (1937)
Pretty good one, as a reporter uncovers an insurance fraud
racket, as a gang
stages phony car accidents to collect the insurance.
[02] Drunk Driving (1939)
To me, it’s one of the highlights of the series, along with
the forensics entry,
They’re Always Caught (1938), which was turned into the
feature, Kid Glove Killer.
In Drunk Driving, Dick Purcell is the lead, as the up and
coming businessman
who has a drinking problem. Despite some warnings, he
refuses to stop mixing his
drinking and driving, with some especially hard hitting
personal results. An ending
that still packs a
punch!
The above TCM online link will provide the “spoiler”
ending, if you want it to be
a surprise. ( They do get one plot detail wrong, about the
short’s climax, I notice)
[03] Sucker List (1941)
Horse racing, gambling, and crooks come together, as a scam
targets “suckers”
with phony tips on what races to bet on. Lynne Carver,
Norman Willis (catchy name, there),
and George Cleveland.
(F)
PETE SMITH Shorts:
4am - 5 am, EST
60 min. slot
Looks like 5 shorts, but I’m not sure about the order
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9324,00.html
[01] Dexterity (1937)
Highlights the abilities of some acrobatic dogs, an axe
slinger, and a blindfolded
horseshoe pitcher
[02] Candid Cameramaniacs (1937)
The history of Photography, with an emphasis on the “camera
bugs” of the
contemporary scene.
[03] Radio Hams (1939)
Amateur broadcasters and short-wave radio
[04] Studio Visits (1946)
Behind the scenes at the studio, with Lena Horne, Muriel
Evans and Irene
Hervey. Example: Horne’s deleted “Ain’t it the Truth”
scene from Cabin in the Sky.
[05] The Domineering Male (1940)
Guide for men that id’s how women have succeeded at
pursuing the male.
(G)
John Nesbitt’s THE PASSING PARADE Shorts:
5am - 6am / EST 60m time slot
Five are being shown
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|9288|9325,00.html
[01] The Passing Parade #1 (1938), the first in the series
Trio of ideas, here - mail-order marriage, the unclaimed
money left in bank accounts,
and a car’s life history from birth to death
[02] New Roadways (1939), the second in the series
New advancements in scientific research, such as plastic
surgery. Haven’t seen
this one, yet, myself.
[03] The Story of Alfred Nobel (1939), the third in the
series
The evolution of Nobel, from dynamite to peace prizes.
[04] Yankee Doodle Goes to Town (1939)
[05] Forgotten Victory (1939)
the stormy introduction of Russian winter wheat to America,
by Mark Carelton,
which changed the very nature of “the bread we eat every
day.”
...hmmmmm.... I wish they’d expanded the slot, and added
some of these, which have
aired on TCM in the past, or at least TNT, as filler:
Dreams (1940), a very effective short from Felix Feist on
the subject of dreams,
including the prophetic ones of Lincoln. With a young
Peter Cushing.
The Fabulous Fraud (1948),
DANDY short from Edward L. Cahn on Franz Mesmer, about
the rise and fall of
a phony who accidentally stumbles onto the power of
hypnotism, featuring John
Baragrey, Morris Ankrum and Marcia Mae Jones. Great
visuals, music and direction.
Terrific example of the storytelling appeal of the whole
series, as it takes the idea of
“mesmerized” and spins a great tale.
People on Paper (1945),
with the focus on comic strips, and glimpses of Chet Gould,
Chic Young, Harold Gray,
Milt Caniff, Al Capp, Hal Foster, etc.
1942’s The Film that was Lost, about MoMA’s preservation
efforts,
and
1943’s Forgotten Treasures, a return to MoMA.
I’ve seen the 1942 one, several times, but am not sure if
the 1943 one has
been shown yet on TCM. Anyone know?
And that’s all, Folks!
Jan Willis
Karamzin
> WEEK 4 of 4:
> Tuesday, February 26th / All Times EST:
> HOLLYWOOD ON HOLLYWOOD Theme:
> 2 hour time slot / 8pm - 10pm/ EST
> [01] Hollywood Party (Technicolor, 1937) with Charley
> Chase.
This film is really enjoyable, IMHO the best of the Lewis Lewyn films,
and Charley is showcased a bit more than you'd expect.
> and the rest:
>
> [03] Buster Keaton's Hollywood Handicap (1938)
> Part of the M-G-M trio that included last week's
> Streamlined Swing, this one also
> stars the Original Sing Band. They impulsively hock their
> instruments in order to raise
> money for a bet on their new race horse, who'll compete in
> the Hollywood Derby at the
> Santa Anita track.
> This short again takes advantage of the Sing Band's ability
> to "play" music via
> their voices.
> Brief appearances by everyone from Oliver Hardy to Edmund
> Lowe to Jolson, at
> the race track.
A bonus treat in this ho-hum by-the-numbers short is Richard "yeeew
eat it!" Cramer as one of the plainclothes detectives.
> John Nesbitt's THE PASSING PARADE Shorts:
> 5am - 6am / EST 60m time slot
> Five are being shown
> ...hmmmmm.... I wish they'd expanded the slot, and added
> some of these, which have
> aired on TCM in the past, or at least TNT, as filler:
> ...
> 1942's The Film that was Lost, about MoMA's preservation
> efforts,
> and
> 1943's Forgotten Treasures, a return to MoMA.
> I've seen the 1942 one, several times, but am not sure if
> the 1943 one has
> been shown yet on TCM. Anyone know?
Maybe it's wise that these two shorts covering MOMA's salad days are
NOT shown. It would just show everyone how far their Film "Museum"
has gone in the WRONG direction.
> And that's all, Folks!
>
> Jan Willis
Thanks again, Jan! It's really nice of you to post this helpful
information.
(I still can't get this damned channel -- Cablevision won't carry it
and evergreens block a satellite reception -- but luckily I have close
relations in another part of the country!).
Ed Watz
janwillis
those weekly deliveries
of fresh flowers to your mom....
.....hmmmmmmmmm....
Jan - may ALL moms be as nice (and VCR literate) as Ed's is!
Karamzin
> Much obliged, Ed...I was WONDERING about the backstory to
> those weekly deliveries
> of fresh flowers to your mom....
>
> .....hmmmmmmmmm....
>
> Jan - may ALL moms be as nice (and VCR literate) as Ed's is!
Actually there's Ma, four brothers, one sister, and two adult nieces
and nephews who ALL get and record Turner Classic Movies for me...this
is not even including my in-laws in Europe, who get SAT1. Only I
can't get TCM. It nearly provokes a Sig Rumann-style rage ("Vy does
dis happen to me? I, who appreciate it de most!"), no just kidding.
Helpful hint to those who want a satellite dish: don't buy a house
"down in the Valley"!
Ed Watz
"Cody likes his strawberries" -- Ma in WHITE HEAT
Scott Cleveland
>> [02] The Devil's Cabaret with satanic Charles Middleton's
>> nightclub, a Trading
>> Spaces creation.
>
>I was blown away by this short, and happened to mention it to my friend
>Frank Powers, who wrote:
>
>Dave, The Devil's Cabaret was an attempt to salvage footage from a never
>completed 2-strip Technicolor extravaganza to have been called The March Of
>Time. The bit with the ballet scene with the big devil's head is that
>footage. The remainder was put together on the MGM lot. I have similar
>stuff in two other MGM shorts, one with Benny Rubin featuring a scrap with
>what appears to be Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker or a reasonable facsimile,
>working to the accompaniment of a Trumbaueresque unit, and an early Three
>Stooges with Ted Healey featuring the "Woman in the Shoe" sequence. Both
>were probably TMOT footage.
>
I've seen the Woman In The Shoe sequence (in a better print) in Lord
Byron Of Broadway. A really really bad movie. If i remember right
there are two color sequences in this film (my video copy is in
storage at the moment).
-------------------------------------
Scott Cleveland
>
>
>
>
>