TCM Schedule for Thursday, June 21, 2018 -- What's On Tonight: TCM Spotlight - Mad About Musicals

Throughout the day TCM is going Mad About Musicals in the 1950s, continuing the decade covered on this Tuesday. Tell us more, Roger!

Musicals of the 1950s reflected the broadening scope of contributions by directors, producers, composers and editors, along with further technical developments including, as it was put in a song from the 1957 musical Silk Stockings, "Breathtaking CinemaScope and stereophonic sound." The times may have been conservative, but the musicals were often dazzling.

Gene Kelly, a homegrown MGM dancing talent, achieved new heights in such movies as An American in Paris (1951), which was directed by Vincente Minnelli and won a Best Picture Oscar®. Other Kelly highlights of the decade included Singin' in the Rain (1952, considered by many as the greatest of all movie musicals), Brigadoon (1954) and It's Always Fair Weather (1955).

Meanwhile, Astaire--whose early years at RKO had been so sensational--entered a new Golden Age as a performer in MGM musicals including Royal Wedding (1951), The Band Wagon (1953, directed by Minnelli) and Silk Stockings. In the latter two films, Astaire found another perfect partner in Cyd Charisse. A second Minnelli film, Gigi (1958), was honored by a Best Picture Academy Award®, along with eight other Oscars® including one for Minnelli as Best Director.

A big trend of the '50s was transforming popular Broadway shows into film musicals, an endeavor that encompassed Show Boat (1951), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Guys and Dolls (1955) and Pal Joey (1957). Betty Hutton had a big success in another of these adaptations, Annie Get Your Gun (1950), and Doris Day challenged her by playing a similar character in the original musical Calamity Jane (1953).

Other originals of distinction included Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), which won an Oscar® for Best Scoring along with four other nominations including one as Best Picture; and High Society (1956), the great Cole Porter's musical adaptation of The Philadelphia Story, which earned nominations for Best Scoring and Best Original Song (True Love).

by Roger Fristoe

Enjoy!



6:00 AM -- ROAD TO BALI (1953)
Two song-and-dance men on the run dive for treasure while competing for a beautiful princess.
Dir: Hal Walker
Cast: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour
C-91 mins, CC,

This was the only "Road" picture of the seven to be photographed in Technicolor. Ten years later, the British-made The Road to Hong Kong (1962) would revert to black and white.


7:40 AM -- 1955 MOTION PICTURE THEATRE CELEBRATION (INTERNATIONAL) (1955)
This short features theatrical trailers of original musicals released by MGM in 1955 and visits the sets of films still in production.
Cast: George Murphy, Lauren Bacall, Charles Boyer
C-18 mins,


8:00 AM -- SMALL TOWN GIRL (1953)
A sheriff's daughter falls for a playboy arrested for speeding.
Dir: Leslie Kardos
Cast: Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller
C-93 mins, CC,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Nicholas Brodszky (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics) for the song "My Flaming Heart"

Bobby Van performs a long 'dance' sequence in which he jumps continuously. At first glance it seems that he does it all in one take. However, the dance was so tiring that it was cut into four segments so that he could rest. The cuts are covered by changes in camera angle and placement.


9:45 AM -- CALAMITY JANE (1953)
The Wild West heroine helps bring a star attraction to Deadwood and finds love.
Dir: David Butler
Cast: Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn McLerie
C-101 mins, CC,

Winner of an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for the song "Secret Love"

Nominee for Oscars for Best Sound, Recording -- William A. Mueller (Warner Bros. Sound Department), and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Ray Heindorf

Warner Bros. studio head Jack Warner decided to make "Calamity Jane" after he tried - and failed - to buy the movie rights to "Annie Get Your Gun" as a vehicle for Doris Day. He not only drew on another legendary "wild woman" of the Old West for his heroine, he hired the same male star, Howard Keel, who'd appeared in the film of Annie Get Your Gun (1950).


11:30 AM -- KISS ME KATE (1953)
Feuding co-stars reunite for a musical version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller
C-110 mins, CC,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- André Previn and Saul Chaplin

In the song "We Open In Venice" they state "No theater guild attraction are we". Theater Guild shows tended to be of the 'story, stop for a song, resume story' variety. Following the success of Oklahoma! (1955), recognized as the first "integrated" show where the songs were part of the story, rather than a separate entity, many shows, including this one, started following the integrated format. This line is merely telling the audience what to expect.


1:30 PM -- HIGH SOCIETY (1956)
In this musical version of The Philadelphia Story, tabloid reporters invade a society wedding.
Dir: Charles Walters
Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra
C-112 mins, CC,

Nominee for Oscars for Best Music, Original Song -- Cole Porter for the song "True Love", and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin

The song True Love, written by Cole Porter especially for the movie, was a million seller and both Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby were awarded platinum records for the song. This is the only platinum record ever given to sitting royalty as Grace Kelly had become Princess Grace by the time it was awarded.


3:30 PM -- PAL JOEY (1957)
An opportunistic singer woos a wealthy widow to boost his career.
Dir: George Sidney
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak
C-109 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration -- Walter Holscher, William Kiernan and Louis Diage, Best Costume Design -- Jean Louis, Best Sound, Recording -- John P. Livadary (Columbia SSD), and Best Film Editing -- Viola Lawrence and Jerome Thoms

This is one of Frank Sinatra's few post-From Here to Eternity (1953) movies in which he did not receive top billing, which surprisingly went to Rita Hayworth. Sinatra was, by that time, a bigger star, and his title role was predominant. When asked about the billing, Sinatra replied, "Ladies first." He was also quoted as saying that, as it was a Columbia film, Hayworth should have top billing because, "For years, she WAS Columbia Pictures", and that with regard to being billed "between" Hayworth and Kim Novak, "That's a sandwich I don't mind being stuck in the middle of." As Columbia's biggest star, Hayworth had been top billed in every film since Cover Girl (1944), but her tenure was soon to end with They Came to Cordura (1959).


5:30 PM -- GUYS AND DOLLS (1955)
A big-city gambler bets that he can seduce a Salvation Army girl.
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra
C-149 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- Harry Stradling Sr., Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Oliver Smith, Joseph C. Wright and Howard Bristol, Best Costume Design, Color -- Irene Sharaff, and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Jay Blackton and Cyril J. Mockridge

Frank Sinatra loathed the non-singing Marlon Brando for getting the starring role, while Sinatra got a lesser part. His nickname for the sometimes barely coherent Brando was "Mumbles." Many years later, Brando said of Sinatra, "Frank's the kind of guy who, when he gets to Heaven, is going to give God a hard time for making him bald."



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: TCM SPOTLIGHT: MAD ABOUT MUSICALS



8:00 PM -- SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954)
When their older brother marries, six lumberjacks decide it's time to go courting for themselves.
Dir: Stanley Donen
Cast: Howard Keel, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn
C-102 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Winner of an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin

Nominee for Oscars for Best Writing, Screenplay -- Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich and Dorothy Kingsley, Best Cinematography, Color -- George J. Folsey, Best Film Editing -- Ralph E. Winters, and Best Picture

The censors weren't too happy about the line in the song "Lonesome Polecat" where the brothers lament "A man can't sleep when he sleeps with sheep". By not showing any sheep in the same shot as the brothers, the film-makers were able to get away with it.


10:00 PM -- A STAR IS BORN (1954)
A falling star marries the newcomer he's helping reach the top.
Dir: George Cukor
Cast: Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson
C-176 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- James Mason, Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Judy Garland (Judy Garland couldn't attend the ceremony because she was giving birth to her third child and only son, Joey Luft. Even though she did not win the Academy Award she always stated that Joey was the best "Academy Award" she ever received that night.), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Malcolm C. Bert, Gene Allen, Irene Sharaff and George James Hopkins, Best Costume Design, Color -- Jean Louis, Mary Ann Nyberg and Irene Sharaff, Best Music, Original Song -- Harold Arlen (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics) for the song "The Man that Got Away", and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Ray Heindorf

The film was re-edited several times. Premiering at 181 minutes, the studio (Warner Bros.) cut the film by 30 minutes despite the objections of director George Cukor and producer Sidney Luft (Judy Garland's husband). In 1983, all but 5 minutes of the cut footage was found and re-instated, but some footage had to be reconstructed using production stills. The restored version received its world premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in New York on July 7, 1983. As soon as the lost musical numbers appeared, the audience started applauding. At the end, the audience gave the film a standing ovation. Both of Judy Garland's daughters, Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft, were in the audience. Afterwards, they had to be taken to a dressing room, where it took them 20 minutes to stop crying.


1:04 AM -- THE MILLION DOLLAR NICKEL (1952)
This propaganda short focuses on how the war against Communism can be fought by the purchase of a stamp.
Dir: Peter Ballbusch (uncredited)
Cast: Pier Angeli, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie Caron
BW-9 mins,

Film debut of Pier Angeli.


1:15 AM -- MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID (1952)
True story of Annette Kellerman, the world's first great swimming star.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon
C-110 mins, CC,

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color -- George J. Folsey

Esther Williams broke her neck diving off a 50-foot tower during the sequence in which she wears a golden swimming costume. She spent six months in a body cast before recovering to complete the film.


3:15 AM -- JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957)
After learning to play the guitar in prison, a young man becomes a rock 'n roll sensation.
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy
BW-97 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Originally choreographer Alex Romero created a dance for the song "Jailhouse Rock" that was in a style apropos for a more classically trained dancer than Elvis Presley. When Romero realized that his plans for the number were never going to work, he asked Elvis how would he normally move to the song, leading Elvis to become the uncredited choreographer for what many consider his most famous dance number in all of his movies.


5:00 AM -- ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (1956)
A music promoter decides to get into the new world of rock music.
Dir: Fred F. Sears
Cast: Bill Haley and His Comets, The Platters, Ernie Freeman Combo
BW-77 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Queen Elizabeth II requested a print of this film be shown at Buckingham Palace - one of this first times this was done with a major motion picture.