jam packed february

That about describes it- a jam-packed February for film lovers and especially classic film fans. First off, if you are a TCM fan you know that January was a great month with the Shadows of Russia TCM Spotlight, put together by film critic Lou Lumenick and Farran Smith Nehme, otherwise known as one of our favorite film bloggers, The Self-Styled Siren. One of the highlights for me was being able to catch Comrade X with Hedy Lamar and Clark Gable.

This month is busy, busy, busy also, and we will be trying to add to the festivities as best we can. A few things to be on the lookout for:

At TCM it is the annual celebration known as 31 Days of Oscar- usually many of the films are ones that see regular rotation on TCM during the year, but this year sees several unusual entries that in years past. Check out the schedule at the 31 Days of Oscar site. Jack Benny superfans, such as myself, will be tickled to see his 1937 Artists and Models with Ida Lupino (thanks to Laura at her Miscellaneous Musings for that tip! Check out her site for even more hot tips!)

The Academy Awards kicked off the month with their announced nominees. Not much too add, as in years past there wasn't much to get excited about. However, this year sees the second animated film nominated for Best Picture in Academy history: Up. Needless to say, we are rooting for Pixar's delightful film.

DVD releases of note for this month will include two great sets from Sony coming Feb. 9th: Bad Girls of Film Noir 1 & 2. Vol. 1 includes The Killer that Stalked New York, Two of a Kind, Bad for Each Other and The Glass Wall. The line-up for Vol. 2 includes Night Editor, One Girl’s Confession, Over-Exposed, and Women’s Prison. A nice entry for a year that is already seeing a derth of traditional DVD releases. And let us not neglect to mention the Criterion release of Leo McCarey's film Make Way for Tomorrow due Feb. 23rd.

Lastly, and in some ways more importantly, this month there is a blog-a-thon being hosted by The Self-Styled Siren and Ferdy on Films from February 14th through the 21st: For the Love of Film. It's blog-a-thon with a purpose near and dear to old Uncle Loophole's heart: Film Preservation. The stated mission: "Creating awareness about the need for film preservation and raising funds for the National Film Preservation Foundation." Needed monies will be raised and many bloggers, some of whom are very familiar to Shelfers, will be participating- we hope to do so as well. Check out the website at For the Love of Film. Also check out this short commercial and do your part: spread the word.



As we said- things are pretty busy this month, so be sure to check back in and around The Shelf nation!



Well, there's some good news and some bad news. Last week all the towels were stolen. But on the other hand the water wasn't running so nobody needed the towels. Everything balances.

must see tv..., er, internet

I know we've been away from our battle stations for a little while, but a healthy dose of Jury Duty and catching up afterwards will do that for you. Nonetheless, I have read several things lately around the ol' Shelf Community and our neighbor bloggers and friends and found many things worth reading. Some of the best commentary and film history is right here at your fingertips with a few clicks of the mouse. Allow me to highlight a few; it's time for another edition of The Shelf's Passing Parade.

Item 1:
Big Hollywood is big time for sure, so congratulations are in order to John Nolte (formerly Dirty Harry) and Andrew Breitbart. While it is a daily read, two articles in particular are wonderful gems:
First up, one of our favorites, Robert Avrech, of the great Seraphic Secret, posted an article today on the story of silent film actress Alma Rubens and her rise and fall and all too brief life. It is perfect companion to our various discussions about the Hollywood of the silent and pre-code era. Wonderful piece.
Second, Noel Anenberg gives a very interesting take on the classic western High Noon and how it is analogous to our present political situation.

Item 2:
Those of you who may have seen the documentary Warners at War on last year's Homefront Collection DVD, or even have read Hollywood Goes to War or various biographies of the Warner Brothers, have heard of Warner's 1943 effort at propaganda called Mission to Moscow. It's a now little-seen film which Warners produced in 1943 starring Walter Huston as an ambassador to the USSR; ostensibly based on the real life story and book of the actual ambassador. It was an effort at boosting relations between our wary ally and our wary selves, but it only really gave Warners headaches over the years. TCM ran it on their schedule recently and the awesome Self-Styled Siren has seen and wrote a great review of the film and discussed it's impact and place among classic films. Please go check out her post and tell her Uncle Loophole sent ya'. It's been one of my favorite posts in recent memory.

Item 3:
There is another great post on a now little known actress whose career spanned decades on stage and screen: but chances are many people have seen her and never really knew who she was. Remember the chain smoking lady from the afterlife office in Beetlejuice? Well her name was Sylvia Sydney and she worked with many of the greats including Fritz Lang (in one of my favorite little Lang films he did in the US- Fury with Spencer Tracy) and Hitchcock. Moira Finne has penned an extensive portrait of this fascinating woman and her equally fascinating life over at TCM's Movie Morlocks.

Item 4:
Speaking of TCM, have you been attending TCM U during the 31 Days of Oscar? You should be- just click on the TCM ad at the top to go over and check out the schedule.

Item 5:
And finally, make sure to check in with the DVD Savant Glenn Erickson and his new feature at film.com every month: Glenn's Guide for the Classics Collector.

Hope you've enjoyed this addition of the Passing Parade and will enjoy the articles. Be sure to check them out and stay tuned for more of the Shelf.



People gotta talk themselves into law and order before they do anything about it. Maybe because down deep they don't care. They just don't care.

repost: shelf interview with robert osborne

In honor of the beginning of TCM's annual 31 Days of Oscar celebration, and our weekly TCM Oscar Top Shelf picks, we are reposting the interview tha JC Loophole conducted with TCM's host and Academy and Film Historian Robert Osborne. Please feel free to comment below and enjoy! Stay tuned for our weekly Shelf picks.


Turner Classic Movie's 31 Days of Oscar is upon us, and the man with perhaps the most experience and knowledge about the Oscars around TCM and, just around period, is Robert Osborne. Robert Osborne has been the host of Turner Classic Movies since it first hit the air. He is a film historian, journalist, the official historian of the Academy Awards and author, most notably of the indispensible 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards. He is not only extremely knowledgeable about film history, but he's interviewed many stars and downright legends. In addition to all of that he is a gentleman and a very nice guy. And at the end of the day - a classic film fan like the rest of us. Recently, before the Academy Awards show, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Osborne about TCM, the Oscars, interviewing the stars and classic films.

JC: Mr. Osborne…

RO: Hey, J.C.! How are you?

JC: I’m doing great, how are you?

RO: Good. Thank you for all of the nice things you write about TCM.

JC: Well, I guess I am a TCM fanatic.


RO: Well we like that! That’s not a bad thing to be!

JC: You’ll have to forgive me if I am little nervous, because I’m not quite as experienced as you in conducting interviews.

RO: Don’t be nervous. I’m your friend; I come into your house every night.

JC: Yes, you do!

RO: So don’t be nervous!

JC: OK, well I just have a couple quick questions. I know your time is valuable, and you have others to talk to, but I want to ask you kind of a couple of things about the Oscars. Kind of in line with 31 Days of Oscars and also just some things about classic films in general. The Oscars, of course, are coming up soon…

RO: Right…

JC: You’ll be there of course.

RO: Right…

JC: It is the benchmark awards show, but it also has had its share of criticism and odd years and things like that. Why have the Oscars endured for so long?

RO: Well, I think they’ve endured because they really do represent the best in Hollywood. We’re all kind of movie fans and movie buffs. So it’s kind of the pick of the litter. It’s also usually involved with people that we’re familiar with; at one time it was Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and Better Davis, and now it’s George Clooney and Julie Christie and new people. But through the ages, you know, it’s always been filled with glamorous people and it takes us, the Oscar show itself, takes us to a world that most people don’t, you know, aren’t inhabiting all times. So I think all of that together is… and it’s also synonymous with being the benchmark and being the best at whatever you do, so I think that’s why it’s endured. I also think it’s endured because there’s never been a scandal connected to it. Which is amazing- because something that involved with attracting money and if a picture wins an Oscar it can make a lot more money- that there’s not been ever a scandal connected to it, the Oscars. And they work very hard to protect that. That’s very important. So I think there are many, many reasons, but I think the main reason it has fascinated people for so long is- and our 31 Days of Oscar schedule would be a sample of that, because it’s representing great films, that endure, and films that, even if you’ve sent them once or twice, or fifteen times, you still want to see them again.

JC: There are a lot of them, that you see pop up on television, and you’ve just got to stop what you’re doing and finish watching it.

RO: Right. There are certain movies like- and I get really angry with myself- Casablanca. It will be on TCM and I’ll think, ‘Well, I’ve seen this…you know, much too much,” (laughs) and you watch one scene and you’re still there two hours later.

JC: Because you’re drawn into that world.

RO: Yes. They almost…, some of these great movies that we have, and we so many of them in this month of February, is that they almost refuse to let you leave once you get in. They’re like page turners on a book. One scene just takes you to the other. I’m forever saying, “Oh, well, I’m just going to wait until that scene where they do this or that scene where Ingrid Bergman does that”, but you’re still there at the end of the movie. It’s one of those things that’s so great about good film making.

JC: One of my favorite shows on TCM is Private Screenings.

RO: Oh, thank you.

JC: It’s fascinating to me how at ease everybody seems to be with you when you talk to them. Do you have a chance to talk them before the actual interview?

RO: Well some of them I have known before. I think that part of that comes with them watching TCM and realizing that I’m not going to go out and try and trap them and that I’m not interested in their personal life, except maybe in how it affected their screen choices and things. I have to tell you, TCM is a very friendly place and people come down there and the whole crew and everybody makes them feel comfortable and at home. And I think that ease makes people at ease then when they are sitting talking to me. And also, what we usually do is when we have somebody like an Angela Landsbury or Jane Fonda or Jane Powell or whoever, you know we kind of sit and chat for a couple or three hours, and that’s cut down to an hour. So it’s not as though it’s like there is a “freneticness” to it all. They can relax and talk and they get the feeling that they are talking with somebody that not only knows their background but likes them and is interesting in them. I think one of the problems that a lot of celebrities understandably have today in the newsmedia is that they’re out for news scoops or scandal or something…

JC: The “gotcha” element…

RO: Yeah, the gotcha thing. And we don’t have that and I think that helps them relax.

JC: Is there somebody that you have interviewed that you had an idea of who they were and didn’t know them that well, but when you interviewed them they surprised you, in a good way or bad way?

RO: Well, yeah. Robert Mitchum I had known on and off for a long time, and I had been to film festivals with him and sat and talked with him and sometimes tried to get away from him only because he was a heavy drinker and he liked to sit at the bar for hours. He was fascinating and told great stories. You know, he was much brighter than we ever give him credit for. He would write poetry and all that sort of stuff. He would tell fascinating stories, but after a while, when you have to get up and work the next day or do something, you don’t want to be sitting at a bar at two AM for the third night in a row. And so, I’d known him on and off for a long time, and he came to do the interview. He was very witty and all of that, until the camera was on, and then he absolutely stonewalled me the whole time the camera was on.

JC: I remember seeing that…

RO: He’d do yes and no answers and everything. And then we’d break for lunch and he’d be like a Chatty Cathy doll again. He was just being cantankerous and ornery. (both laughing) You know, I could’ve killed him, I could’ve killed him. The only other thing he would do, he would raise his hand, because he had emphysema so terribly he had a nurse with him and the oxygen tank. He would raise his hand, and we thought he had to go to the bathroom. He’d go out and have a cigarette. He’d be sitting out there with a nurse and an oxygen tank attached to him having a cigarette. And you just wanted to say, “Are you crazy?” Well, he obviously was a really great guy and certainly one of my favorite actors.

JC: One of my favorite interviews was the Private Screenings you did with Mickey Rooney, that was also included on the recent Mickey and Judy DVD Collection. He just seemed so much fun.

RO: Yeah, he was crazy, you know, too and he’s one of the most talented people in the world.

JC: Is there someone out there; actor, actress, director, that you haven’t interviewed that you would love to?

RO: I’d love to do one with Olivia de Havilland. She unfortunately lives in Paris, so that’s not too easily arranged. I’d like to do Michael Caine. I’d love to do Gena Rowlands. There are several. What we don’t ever try to do though, is just collect people just to be collecting them. They’re expensive to do and they’re fun to do, but we also want to have an exclusive club of people. So we’re very selective about who we invest the time in to do that. There are certainly people with great careers that would be interesting to talk to, but we really try to hold it down to a minimum and get people that are really valid, where somebody like you, is really interested in watching, because you’ve not been disappointed in it.

JC: It’s a wonderful show…

RO: Thank you.

JC: When I got interested in classic films, when I was very little, my dad exposed me to quite a few, and radio shows as well. And now I’m in my 30s and I still surprise people with my interest (they think I’m too young to know the films) and the writing that I do about classic films. From my perspective I see more and more people my age and younger getting interested and passionate, and running websites about them. I’m introducing my kids to them…

RO: Great! That’s music to my ears.

JC: They are big Abbott and Costello and Three Stooges fans right now, much to my wife’s chagrin…

RO: (Laughs) Well that’s great. How do you like our 31 Days of Oscar schedule this year?

JC: I love it, with the “Decades.”

RO: Good…

JC: Last year with the schedule divided up into categories [Oscar nomination categories] and was great to see the different kind of films that were nominated. And I think in a way, like you mentioned earlier, this is a good way for people to get more familiar with, not just the Oscars, but with some films that they didn’t know were ever nominated.

RO: Right. Well, you know it’s also interesting, because if you have a history with the film too. We change, so therefore those films change for us. A movie that maybe we saw as a kid and didn’t like, you can see know and really appreciate. By the same token, a film that you liked as a kid or when you are in high school or just out of high school, that you thought was terrific, you look at it now and you say, well that’s not really so great. But it also gives us a chance to see films, not in our 31 Days of Oscar so much because those are all pretty much great films or they wouldn’t have been in that echelon, but just Turner Classic Movies in general. You’ll see a film, that may not be a terrifically great film, but it comes at a certain time in an actor’s life, and actor you particularly like, and it’s interesting to see how their careers were all built. And I love that about our channel too.

JC: Is there a place, for someone who is just starting to get interested- I’m talking in the line of films- for somebody is just getting interested in classic film, what’s a good starting point for them?

RO: Well, I really think that’s the whole concept of our franchise, “The Essentials.” It’s kind of like, if you really want a background in film, these are some of the ones that are essential to see. That’s once a week on Saturday nights, and it goes all year long. This year, Carrie Fisher has been co-hosting with me and next year it’s Rose McGowan. And I think that’s the best place to start to see these films. We try to explain why it’s essential and why this is an important film, and I think that would be a good place for anybody to start.

JC: Is there a director or actor or actress that you think their body of work is underrated and they are due for rediscovery?

RO: Well, I think Howard Hawks doesn’t get as much attention as he deserves. He was a great director in so many, every different category. And also a wonderful director, Clarence Brown, that almost nobody talks about, that did The Yearling, National Velvet and a lot of the Garbo films. He was one of those great directors that nobody really talks about, but of course in those days nobody really talked about anybody but the stars. Unless you were a Hitchcock or a Cecil B. DeMille and had your own publicist, people didn’t know who you were all that much. Clarence Brown is still forgotten and more attention should be paid.

JC: And what was your favorite classic film DVD release from last year?

RO: From last year? That- I would have to think about, there were so many. I can’t think of just one off the top of my mind just now. That’s a good question, I’ll have to give that some thought.

JC: OK (laughs) Well, thank you Mr. Osborne for chatting with me today.

RO: Thanks, it was nice talking to you!

JC: I appreciate it. It was wonderful talking to you.

RO: And thanks for your enthusiasm! Goodbye.




Thanks very much to Robert Osborne for taking the time to talk with me and thanks to Turner Classic Movies and Sarah Schmitz at TCM for setting up the interview.




You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.

shelf interview: robert osborne

The 80th Academy Awards are over, and doubtlessly many are arguing over the presentations, merits (or lack thereof) of the nominees, etc. Let's take a brake from all of that and turn back to Turner Classic Movies and 31 Days of Oscar. Or more specifically that host of hosts, Robert Osborne. Robert Osborne has been the host of Turner Classic Movies since it first hit the air. He is a film historian, journalist, the official historian of the Academy Awards and author, most notably of the indispensible 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards. He is not only extremely knowledgeable about film history, but he's interviewed many stars and downright legends. In addition to all of that he is a gentleman and a very nice guy. And at the end of the day - a classic film fan like the rest of us. Recently, before the Academy Awards show, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Osborne about TCM, the Oscars, interviewing the stars and classic films.

JC: Mr. Osborne…

RO: Hey, J.C.! How are you?

JC: I’m doing great, how are you?

RO: Good. Thank you for all of the nice things you write about TCM.

JC: Well, I guess I am a TCM fanatic.


RO: Well we like that! That’s not a bad thing to be!

JC: You’ll have to forgive me if I am little nervous, because I’m not quite as experienced as you in conducting interviews.

RO: Don’t be nervous. I’m your friend; I come into your house every night.

JC: Yes, you do!

RO: So don’t be nervous!

JC: OK, well I just have a couple quick questions. I know your time is valuable, and you have others to talk to, but I want to ask you kind of a couple of things about the Oscars. Kind of in line with 31 Days of Oscars and also just some things about classic films in general. The Oscars, of course, are coming up soon…

RO: Right…

JC: You’ll be there of course.

RO: Right…

JC: It is the benchmark awards show, but it also has had its share of criticism and odd years and things like that. Why have the Oscars endured for so long?

RO: Well, I think they’ve endured because they really do represent the best in Hollywood. We’re all kind of movie fans and movie buffs. So it’s kind of the pick of the litter. It’s also usually involved with people that we’re familiar with; at one time it was Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and Better Davis, and now it’s George Clooney and Julie Christie and new people. But through the ages, you know, it’s always been filled with glamorous people and it takes us, the Oscar show itself, takes us to a world that most people don’t, you know, aren’t inhabiting all times. So I think all of that together is… and it’s also synonymous with being the benchmark and being the best at whatever you do, so I think that’s why it’s endured. I also think it’s endured because there’s never been a scandal connected to it. Which is amazing- because something that involved with attracting money and if a picture wins an Oscar it can make a lot more money- that there’s not been ever a scandal connected to it, the Oscars. And they work very hard to protect that. That’s very important. So I think there are many, many reasons, but I think the main reason it has fascinated people for so long is- and our 31 Days of Oscar schedule would be a sample of that, because it’s representing great films, that endure, and films that, even if you’ve sent them once or twice, or fifteen times, you still want to see them again.

JC: There are a lot of them, that you see pop up on television, and you’ve just got to stop what you’re doing and finish watching it.

RO: Right. There are certain movies like- and I get really angry with myself- Casablanca. It will be on TCM and I’ll think, ‘Well, I’ve seen this…you know, much too much,” (laughs) and you watch one scene and you’re still there two hours later.

JC: Because you’re drawn into that world.

RO: Yes. They almost…, some of these great movies that we have, and we so many of them in this month of February, is that they almost refuse to let you leave once you get in. They’re like page turners on a book. One scene just takes you to the other. I’m forever saying, “Oh, well, I’m just going to wait until that scene where they do this or that scene where Ingrid Bergman does that”, but you’re still there at the end of the movie. It’s one of those things that’s so great about good film making.

JC: One of my favorite shows on TCM is Private Screenings.

RO: Oh, thank you.

JC: It’s fascinating to me how at ease everybody seems to be with you when you talk to them. Do you have a chance to talk them before the actual interview?

RO: Well some of them I have known before. I think that part of that comes with them watching TCM and realizing that I’m not going to go out and try and trap them and that I’m not interested in their personal life, except maybe in how it affected their screen choices and things. I have to tell you, TCM is a very friendly place and people come down there and the whole crew and everybody makes them feel comfortable and at home. And I think that ease makes people at ease then when they are sitting talking to me. And also, what we usually do is when we have somebody like an Angela Landsbury or Jane Fonda or Jane Powell or whoever, you know we kind of sit and chat for a couple or three hours, and that’s cut down to an hour. So it’s not as though it’s like there is a “freneticness” to it all. They can relax and talk and they get the feeling that they are talking with somebody that not only knows their background but likes them and is interesting in them. I think one of the problems that a lot of celebrities understandably have today in the newsmedia is that they’re out for news scoops or scandal or something…

JC: The “gotcha” element…

RO: Yeah, the gotcha thing. And we don’t have that and I think that helps them relax.

JC: Is there somebody that you have interviewed that you had an idea of who they were and didn’t know them that well, but when you interviewed them they surprised you, in a good way or bad way?

RO: Well, yeah. Robert Mitchum I had known on and off for a long time, and I had been to film festivals with him and sat and talked with him and sometimes tried to get away from him only because he was a heavy drinker and he liked to sit at the bar for hours. He was fascinating and told great stories. You know, he was much brighter than we ever give him credit for. He would write poetry and all that sort of stuff. He would tell fascinating stories, but after a while, when you have to get up and work the next day or do something, you don’t want to be sitting at a bar at two AM for the third night in a row. And so, I’d known him on and off for a long time, and he came to do the interview. He was very witty and all of that, until the camera was on, and then he absolutely stonewalled me the whole time the camera was on.

JC: I remember seeing that…

RO: He’d do yes and no answers and everything. And then we’d break for lunch and he’d be like a Chatty Cathy doll again. He was just being cantankerous and ornery. (both laughing) You know, I could’ve killed him, I could’ve killed him. The only other thing he would do, he would raise his hand, because he had emphysema so terribly he had a nurse with him and the oxygen tank. He would raise his hand, and we thought he had to go to the bathroom. He’d go out and have a cigarette. He’d be sitting out there with a nurse and an oxygen tank attached to him having a cigarette. And you just wanted to say, “Are you crazy?” Well, he obviously was a really great guy and certainly one of my favorite actors.

JC: One of my favorite interviews was the Private Screenings you did with Mickey Rooney, that was also included on the recent Mickey and Judy DVD Collection. He just seemed so much fun.

RO: Yeah, he was crazy, you know, too and he’s one of the most talented people in the world.

JC: Is there someone out there; actor, actress, director, that you haven’t interviewed that you would love to?

RO: I’d love to do one with Olivia de Havilland. She unfortunately lives in Paris, so that’s not too easily arranged. I’d like to do Michael Caine. I’d love to do Gena Rowlands. There are several. What we don’t ever try to do though, is just collect people just to be collecting them. They’re expensive to do and they’re fun to do, but we also want to have an exclusive club of people. So we’re very selective about who we invest the time in to do that. There are certainly people with great careers that would be interesting to talk to, but we really try to hold it down to a minimum and get people that are really valid, where somebody like you, is really interested in watching, because you’ve not been disappointed in it.

JC: It’s a wonderful show…

RO: Thank you.

JC: When I got interested in classic films, when I was very little, my dad exposed me to quite a few, and radio shows as well. And now I’m in my 30s and I still surprise people with my interest (they think I’m too young to know the films) and the writing that I do about classic films. From my perspective I see more and more people my age and younger getting interested and passionate, and running websites about them. I’m introducing my kids to them…

RO: Great! That’s music to my ears.

JC: They are big Abbott and Costello and Three Stooges fans right now, much to my wife’s chagrin…

RO: (Laughs) Well that’s great. How do you like our 31 Days of Oscar schedule this year?

JC: I love it, with the “Decades.”

RO: Good…

JC: Last year with the schedule divided up into categories [Oscar nomination categories] and was great to see the different kind of films that were nominated. And I think in a way, like you mentioned earlier, this is a good way for people to get more familiar with, not just the Oscars, but with some films that they didn’t know were ever nominated.

RO: Right. Well, you know it’s also interesting, because if you have a history with the film too. We change, so therefore those films change for us. A movie that maybe we saw as a kid and didn’t like, you can see know and really appreciate. By the same token, a film that you liked as a kid or when you are in high school or just out of high school, that you thought was terrific, you look at it now and you say, well that’s not really so great. But it also gives us a chance to see films, not in our 31 Days of Oscar so much because those are all pretty much great films or they wouldn’t have been in that echelon, but just Turner Classic Movies in general. You’ll see a film, that may not be a terrifically great film, but it comes at a certain time in an actor’s life, and actor you particularly like, and it’s interesting to see how their careers were all built. And I love that about our channel too.

JC: Is there a place, for someone who is just starting to get interested- I’m talking in the line of films- for somebody is just getting interested in classic film, what’s a good starting point for them?

RO: Well, I really think that’s the whole concept of our franchise, “The Essentials.” It’s kind of like, if you really want a background in film, these are some of the ones that are essential to see. That’s once a week on Saturday nights, and it goes all year long. This year, Carrie Fisher has been co-hosting with me and next year it’s Rose McGowan. And I think that’s the best place to start to see these films. We try to explain why it’s essential and why this is an important film, and I think that would be a good place for anybody to start.

JC: Is there a director or actor or actress that you think their body of work is underrated and they are due for rediscovery?

RO: Well, I think Howard Hawks doesn’t get as much attention as he deserves. He was a great director in so many, every different category. And also a wonderful director, Clarence Brown, that almost nobody talks about, that did The Yearling, National Velvet and a lot of the Garbo films. He was one of those great directors that nobody really talks about, but of course in those days nobody really talked about anybody but the stars. Unless you were a Hitchcock or a Cecil B. DeMille and had your own publicist, people didn’t know who you were all that much. Clarence Brown is still forgotten and more attention should be paid.

JC: And what was your favorite classic film DVD release from last year?

RO: From last year? That- I would have to think about, there were so many. I can’t think of just one off the top of my mind just now. That’s a good question, I’ll have to give that some thought.

JC: OK (laughs) Well, thank you Mr. Osborne for chatting with me today.

RO: Thanks, it was nice talking to you!

JC: I appreciate it. It was wonderful talking to you.

RO: And thanks for your enthusiasm! Goodbye.




Thanks very much to Robert Osborne for taking the time to talk with me and thanks to Turner Classic Movies and Sarah Schmitz at TCM for setting up the interview.




You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.

31 days of oscar kickoff

Well Shelfers, it's that time of year again. That time when film industry and fans turn their focus towards the awards season, and the grandmaster of them all: The Academy Awards. That means that Turner Classic Movies has now turned their programming over to their annual 31 Days of Oscar. And again this year we will join the celebration here at The Shelf by giving you our daily picks and a whole lot more. In addition to our Shelf picks, we will feature an exclusive interview with TCM host and Officail Oscar Historian, Robert Osbourne and in depth looks at some of Oscar's biggest winners and films that should've been winners. You can also expect DVD reviews, return of the weekly roundup, and more Shelf madness. It's gonna be fun so stick around.

So to kick things off we'll give you our picks for this weekend. This year, TCM has a great website devoted to 31 Days of Oscar, and they've done things a little different. Each day is devoted to different decades: 1980s Saturdays, 1990s and 2000s Sundays, 1920s and 1930s Mondays, 1940s Tuesdays, 1950s Wednesdays, 1960s Thursdays and 1970s Fridays.

Saturdays pick: The Trip To Bountiful (1985) An aging woman escapes her controlling family to visit her childhood home. Starring: Geraldine Page, John Heard and Carlin Glynn. Directed by Peter Masterson. Nominated for 2 Academy Awards: Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Geraldine Page won for Best Actress.
Geraldine Page. How can you go wrong with a legend like Geraldine Page? I mean, she was with John Wayne in Hondo. This is a great little movie about a woman whose life is domineered by her brood, and yet all she wants is one last look at her hometown. Unfortunately, her hometown of Bountiful has dwindled and passed on to abandoned homes and buildings; as abandoned as she feels.

Sunday's pick: Quiz Show (1994) A blue-blood academic gets swept up in the quiz show scandals of the '50s. Starring: John Turturro, Rob Morrow and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Robert Redford. Nominated for four Academy Awards.
I have written here previously of my love for this film. It's a slice of life look at the 1950s and different strata of classes and the one place where they meet and merge into a whole other animal: television. The film turns in some very powerful performances from Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes and Paul Scofield in a great supporting role as Mark Van Doren. Robert Redford does a great job directing this film, and the story itself is powerful enough to carry it through. But the performances turn it into a great drama with characters who you can't let of.

Stay tuned for next week! More to come...




I guess when you've lived longer than your house and your family, then you've lived long enough.

31 days of Oscar: day 31

For 31 days, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Editing - Nominees and Winners . Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

7:00 AM Theodora Goes Wild (’36)
9:00 AM Quo Vadis (’51)
12:00 PM The Manchurian Candidate (’62)
2:15 PM The Odd Couple (’68)
4:15 PM Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (’67)
6:15 PM The Adventures of Robin Hood (’38)
8:00 PM North by Northwest (’59)
10:30 PM Objective, Burma! (’45)
1:00 AM Crimson Tide (’95)
3:30 AM The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming (’66)

And our Oscar pick goes to... North by Northwest ! This is probably my favorite Hitchcock film, which is saying quite a bit as I have many favorite Hitchcock films. Cary Grant was wonderful in this role... which is, by design, a Cary Grant role. And Kim Novak is also quite good. The dining car scene on the train is an example of great actors working with a great director and excellent script. If you haven't seen it, make sure you don't miss it.

North by Northwest was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, including Best Writing, but did not win. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc release, and as part of the Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




Sixty-four thousand dollars for a question, I hope they are asking you the meaning of life.

31 days of Oscar: day 30

For 31 days, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Adapted Screenplay - Nominees and Winners . Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:30 AM Lady for a Day (’33)
8:30 AM Sounder (’72)
10:30 AM Breaker Morant (’80)
12:30 PM Sayonara (’57)
3:00 PM Sense and Sensibility (’95)
5:30 PM In Cold Blood (’67)
8:00 PM The Elephant Man (’80)
10:15 PM Awakenings (’90)
12:30 AM Stand by Me (’86)
2:15 AM The Silence of the Lambs (’91)
4:30 AM Quiz Show (’94)

And our Oscar pick goes to... Quiz Show ! This is probably the only "modern classic" you'll see among our picks, and it is well deserved. This is perhaps my favorite Redford-directed movie. Based on the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, Ralph Finnes and Jon Turtutto star as opponents, Charles Van Doren and Herb Stempel (respectively) on a popular television quiz show, Twenty-One. Van Doren is educated, handsome and comes from a distinguished family. Stempel is the opposite- arrogant and paranoid, but he shares one trait - he is very intelligent. Producers of the show latch on to Van Doren as the star of the show and ensure that he wins against Stempel, who accuses the show of a fix. Congressional investigator Dick Goodwin (played by Rob Morrow) investigates the claim, and his findings will ebrupt in a national scandal. The performances and directing are solid, and the screenplay is exception, making it a truly enjoyable film: a real modern-day "classic", if you will. Morrow is exceptional good as Goodwin, and also co-produces the film. Goodwin is the author of the book Remembering America, on which the movie is based.

Quiz Show was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, but did not win. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc release, and is long overdue for the 2 disc special edition treatment.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




Sixty-four thousand dollars for a question, I hope they are asking you the meaning of life.

31 days of Oscar: day 29

For 31 days, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Original Screenplay - Nominees and Winners (part two). Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

7:00 AM Paisan (’46)
9:00 AM The Producers (’68)
10:30 AM Divorce, Italian Style (’62)
12:15 PM I, Vitelloni (’53)
2:15 PM Wild Strawberries (’57)
4:00 PM Dead Poets’ Society (’89)
6:30 PM The Purple Rose of Cairo (’85)
8:00 PM Lover Come Back (’61)
10:00 PM Four Weddings and a Funeral (’94)
12:00 AM Rain Man (’88)
2:30 AM Diner (’82)
4:30 AM The Front (’76)

And our Oscar pick goes to... The Producers! I'm speaking of the original 1968 film of course- the orignial. Zero Mostel is one of films most underrated funny men, and Gene Wilder was embarking on a film career. Mel Brook's first big film is still one of his funniests. And it's a tribute to the original, in a way, that Mel Brooks rewrote it as a musical that was a hit on Broadway, and that musical was made into a film. Do yourself a favor- see the original.

The Producers was nominated for 2 Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Gene Wilder. It won the Oscar for Best Writing for Mel Brooks' original screenplay. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a two- disc Special Edition release, or as single disc release.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




I'm condemned by a society that demands success when all I can offer is failure!

31 days of Oscar: day 28

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Original Screenplay - Nominees and Winners (part one). Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:00 AM Citizen Kane (’41)
8:15 AM Princess O’Rourke (’43)
10:00 AM The Goddess (’58)
12:00 PM Never On Sunday (’60)
1:45 PM Monsieur Verdoux (’47)
4:00 PM The Great Dictator (’40)
6:00 PM In Which We Serve (’42)
8:00 PM The Train (’64)
10:30 PM Absence of Malice (’81)
12:30 AM The China Syndrome (’79)
2:45 AM Chinatown (’74)
5:00 AM The Conversation (’74)

It would seem that we would pick Citizen Kane, one of the greatest films of all time. Normally we would, but let's do something a little different - and pick an excellent film from an equally great filmmaker- Charlie Chaplin. And our Oscar pick goes to... The Great Dictator! This famous film uses one of the strongest political and social means of commentary that exists: satire. And to great effect. Chaplin spoofs and deflates Hitler to great effect.

The Great Dictator was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, but did not win. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a two- disc Special Edition release, or as part of the Charlie Chaplin Collection Gift Set.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




Let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world!

31 days of Oscar: day 27

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Screenplay - Nominees and Winners . This would be a difficult choice to make, as there are some really excellent films in the line-up, but we must make the hard decisions regardless. You don't have to tho'- you can watch 'em all if you want. I can sense TiVos going into overdrive! Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:15 AM Watch on the Rhine (’43)
8:15 AM The Citadel (’38)
10:15 AM The Story of Louis Pasteur (’35)
11:45 PM A Place in the Sun (’51)
2:00 PM The Bad and the Beautiful (’52)
4:00 PM Ninotchka (’39)
6:00 PM After the Thin Man (’36)
8:00 PM My Man Godfrey (’36)
10:00 PM Wuthering Heights (’39)
12:00 AM The Little Foxes (’41)
2:00 AM The Pride of the Yankees (’42)
4:15 AM Johnny Belinda (’48)

And our Oscar pick goes to... My Man Godfrey! William Powell and Carole Lombard star in what is perhaps one of the best (and my favorite) romantic screwball comedies of all time. Lombard plays spoiled and airheaded socialite Irene Bullock who finds an apparently "forgotten man" (euphemism for homeless, or resident of a Hoverville), Godfrey, as part of an elaborate scavenger hunt for a group of wealthy people. Irene desperately wants a protégé and hires Godfrey as the family butler. And what a family! The household is full of loons, and Godfrey attempts to create order out of chaos where he can. The overly dramatic Irene soon falls for Godfrey, who gently rebuffs Irene, as a relationship between employer and servant would be improper. But Godfrey has secrets and a past which he isn't divulging, and could change everything as he changes everyone.

My Man Godfrey was nominated for 6 Academy Awards; and the first film to be nominated in all four acting categories, but did not win. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film has been available in several terrible public domain releases, but fortunately was also released in a good single disc Criterion release. This film is long overdue for a clean-up and the special edition treatment from Warner Brothers. Perhaps it may be available as part of the rumored William Powell (or Powell/Myrna Loy) box set.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.

Stay tuned for a special round-up- we'll be talking about the best from 2006 and look ahead to 2007. There isn't much coming out this week- so we won't be covering this week's releases. You'll want to save your cash for some great box sets coming in the next month or two anyway.



All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.

31 days of Oscar: day 26

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Original Motion Picture Story and Best Motion Picture Story - Nominees and Winners . Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

5:45 AM The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (’46)
7:45 AM The Stranger (’46)
9:30 AM The 49th Parallel (’41)
11:45 PM Destination Tokyo (’43)
2:15 PM Action in the North Atlantic (’43)
4:30 PM None Shall Escape (’44)
6:00 PM Here Comes the Groom (’51)
8:00 PM The Private War of Major Benson (’55)
10:00 PM Hondo (’53)
11:30 PM The Sniper (’52)
1:00 AM Naked City (’48)
2:45 AM Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (’47)
4:30 AM Mystery Street (’50)

And our Oscar pick goes to... Hondo! Starring John Wayne and Geraldine Page, in her screen debut, this film is a gripping western drama. Hondo Lane (Wayne) is a US Calvary Scout who happens upon a mother, Angie (Page) and her son living in hostile Apache territory. Hondo looks out for them, not understanding why they would live in such a dangerous area. Her no good husband has gone to town, where he has a run-in with Hondo, who doesn't realize who he is. Hondo is forced to kill him. It isn't long until the Apache capture Hondo, and Angie attempts to save him by convincing the Apache leader, Vittorio, that Hondo is her husband. The film was based on Louis L'Amour's short story, "The Gift of Cochise". Interestingly enough it was originally presented in 3-D, and movie goers were given 3-D glasses to use in theater.

Hondowas nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Actress and Best Writing/Original Screenplay, but did not win. The Writing nomination was disqualified when L'Amour and the producers asserted it was not an original screenplay, but (of course) based on the short story. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc special edition release.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




That dog don't take to pettin', son.

31 days of Oscar: days 22-25

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Thursday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 25, is a weekend-long marathon of a single category. The Category for the weekend marathon is Best Picture Winners . Although many of the films are easy selections, we’ll give you one film per day that is definitely a “Shelf Favorite”. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, but these are films that we will be sure to sit in front of with a bowl of popcorn. Here's the schedule for the weekend (all times are EST):

Thursday, Feb. 22
8:00 PM Ben-Hur (’59)
12:00 AM The Best Years of Our Lives (’46)
3:00 AM Mrs. Miniver (’42)

Friday, Feb. 23
5:30 AM Cimarron (’31)
8:00 AM Mutiny on the Bounty (’35)
10:30 AM It Happened One Night (’34)
12:30 PM You Can’t Take it With You (’38)
3:00 PM The Life of Emile Zola (’37)
5:00 PM The Great Ziegfeld (’36)
8:00 PM The Greatest Show on Earth (’52)
11:00 PM An American in Paris (’51)
1:00 AM Gigi (’58)
3:00 AM Annie Hall (’77)
4:45 AM The Lost Weekend (’45)

Saturday, Feb. 24
6:30 AM On the Waterfront (’54)
8:30 AM All Quiet on the Western Front (’30)
11:00 AM From Here to Eternity (’58)
1:00 PM The Bridge on the River Kwai (’57)
4:00 PM Lawrence of Arabia (’62)
8:00 PM A Man for All Seasons (’66)
10:15 PM Out of Africa (’85)
1:00 AM Kramer vs. Kramer (’79)
3:00 AM American Beauty (’99)

Sunday, Feb. 25
5:30 AM Hamlet (’48)
8:15 AM West Side Story (’61)
11:00 AM My Fair Lady (’64)
2:00 PM Gone With the Wind (’39)
6:00 PM Casablanca (’42)


Here are our Shelf Oscar picks:

Thursday: Ben-Hur
Friday: It Happened One Night
Saturday: A Man for All Seasons
Sunday: Casablanca

Ben-Hur is, of course, a sprawling epic is biblical proportions…literally. It was nominated for an astonishing 12 Academy Awards, of which it won 11, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. It Happened One Night is a perfect screwball comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and won all, including Best Picture.
A Man for All Seasons is an excellent historical drama which was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won 6. Casablanca is one of my favorite films of all time. It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won 3, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing.

You can watch the films this weekend on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. Ben-Hur is available as a single disc release, or as a fantastic 4 disc Collector's Edition. It Happened One Night is also available as a single disc release or as part of the recent Frank Capra Box Set. A Man For All Seasons was just re-released as a Special Edition this week. And Casablanca is available as a 2-disc Special Edition.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.

By the way, enjoy the Oscars this Sunday night. I don't watch them any more. I just don't have a pony in this race, unless it's for a long overdue Best Director win for Martin Scorsese or a win for Peter O'Toole. And only then because they deserve to win an Oscar.



Almost at the moment He died, I heard Him say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Even then. And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand."

31 days of Oscar: day 21

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Sound - Nominees and Winners (part two) . Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:00 AM So This is Washington (’43)
7:30 AM Dodsworth (’36)
9:30 AM Lost Horizon (’37)
11:45 AM Green Dolphin Street (’47)
2:15 PM T-Men (’47)
4:00 PM The Bells of St. Mary’s (’45)
6:15 PM Vivacious Lady (’37)
8:00 PM Three Smart Girls (’37)
9:30 PM That Touch of Mink (’62)
11:15 PM Ball of Fire (’41)
1:15 AM Batman Forever (’95)
3:30 AM Backdraft (’91)

And our Oscar pick goes to... The Bells of St. Mary’s! The films with priests or nuns as heroes are yet another genre that has perhaps gone the way of the dodo. I'm afraid Pat O'Brien wouldn't get much work if he were alive today. I also doubt if anyone's agent would even let them think about doing a film like Boy's Town. What a shame, but this is the world we live in, or rather, that we have made for ourselves. The Bells of St. Mary's is actually a very warm, gentle and funny film, and the kind of "faith" film (if there is such a thing) that is sorely absent in Hollywood today. The cynacism and politically correct leftist Hollywood could never even begin to try and make a film like this. The characters are, in addition to being religious, are genuine and believe in what they do. They are presented as good, sincere people and the kids and parents they are trying to help are regular people with problems, who want to do the right thing in the end. Faith and compassion and a few humorous hijinx make postive changes. All without the legal system or government intervention, or movie stars telling them how to live. Who woulda thunk it? Do yourself a favor, kick off your shoes and check it out, and remember a time when such things were possible.

The Bells of St. Mary's was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Actor for Bing Crosby, Best Actress for Ingrid Bergman and Best Director for Leo McCarey. The film won the Oscar for Best Sound. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc release.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




Just remember, if you're ever in trouble, just dial O for O'Malley!

31 days of Oscar: day 20

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Sound - Nominees and Winners (part one) . Some excellent films again today, with several making their premiere on TCM. Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:30 AM Not as a Stranger (’55)
9:00 AM Captain Caution (’40)
10:30 AM The Men in Her Life (’41)
12:00 PM The Southerner (’45)
2:00 PM I Want You (’51)
3:45 PM Our Very Own (’50)
5:30 PM Sayonara (’57)
8:00 PM Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (’57)
10:15 PM The Eddy Duchin Story (’56)
12:30 AM Kotch (’71)
2:30 AM The Patriot (’00)

And our Oscar pick goes to... Gunfight at the O.K. Corral ! Yes, another western for today's pick. And we can do that- it's the Shelf's Oscar pick after all. I've never been a huge Burt Lancaster fan, but I am a big fan of Kirk Douglas, who turns in an interesting performance here as Doc Holliday. Lancaster and Douglas would pair up again for a decent comedy in 1986's Tough Guys. Gunfight is a rousing action film, but not a historical look at the legendary event. In fact, few of the "Wyatt Earp" films, of which there are many, ever really take a documentary approach, instead preferring character development and action over facts. That's OK - this is Hollywood we are talking about. There are plenty of books and information on the real thing. That being said, one of my favorite "Wyatt Earp" flicks is 1993's Tombstone with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. I'll be your huckleberry.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound and Best Film Editing, but did not win. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc release.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




There's always a man faster on the draw than you are, and the more you use a gun, the sooner you're gonna run into that man.

31 days of Oscar: day 19

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Costume Design - Nominees and Winners. Some excellent films again today, with at least four making their premiere on TCM. Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:00 AM Pal Joey (’57)
8:00 AM Bell, Book and Candle (’59)
10:00 AM Pepe (’60)
1:00 PM Flower Drum Song (’61)
3:15 PM The Hawaiians (’70)
5:30 PM Funny Lady (’75)
8:00 PM The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (’62)
10:15 PM The Slender Thread (’65)
12:00 AM The Solid Gold Cadillac (’56)
1:45 AM The Talented Mr. Ripley (’99)
4:15 AM Pennies from Heaven (’81)

And our Oscar pick goes to... The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ! It's been quite a while since westerns were serious contenders for any Academy Award. In fact the western is undergoing a serious renaissance, one that Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck have championing on television, and that Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner was able to bring back to the big screen with Open Range. In fact, there are several westerns slated for release this year, including a remake of 3:10 to Yuma. I am excited by that film in particular. Here's hoping fans will go in droves and bring back even more westerns to the big screen. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance stars James Stewart and John Wayne, and was directed by John Ford. It's a tight, almost psychological, western and character study about what who makes a hero and what makes a up the true character of a person.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, but did not win. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc release.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

31 days of Oscar: day 18

This month, Turner Classic Movies celebrates movies and the Academy Awards by presenting 31 Days of Oscar. Each Day from Feb.1 through March 3, a different category of the awards will be the theme of the day; featuring films that were nominated or won in that category. The Shelf will be joining in the celebration by giving you our Oscar pick of the Day!

Today's category is Best Score - Nominees and Winners (part two). If you love musicals, this is your day! Some really excellent films, in fact, so many that I was tempted to choose several. My advice is to make it another lazy Sunday marathon. Here's today's schedule (all times are EST):

6:00 AM Oklahoma! (’55)
8:30 AM South Pacific (’58)
11:15 AM Singin’ in the Rain (’52)
1:00 PM Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (’54)
3:00 PM Paint Your Wagon (’70)
5:45 PM Night and Day (’46)
8:00 PM The Glenn Miller Story (’54)
10:00 PM Blue Skies (’46)
12:00 AM The Band Wagon (’53)
2:00 AM The Goldwyn Follies (’38)
4:00 AM The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (’64)


And our Oscar pick goes to... The Glenn Miller Story! Although some of my favorite musical were on the list, I had to go with a sentimental favorite. The Glenn Miller Story stars James Stewart as Glenn Miller and the beautiful June Allyson as his wife, Helen Miller. The biopic traces the beginnings of Miller's music career and his search for his signature sound. The film's heart, however, is the story of Glenn and Helen's romance and marriage. The film doesn't flinch from Miller's tragic disapperance over the English Channel during World War II in 1944. The music is fantastic, and was performed by members from the Glenn Miller orchestra.

The Glenn Miller Storywas nominated for three Academy Awards, including for Best Music and Best Screenplay. The film won the Oscar for Best Sound. You can watch the film today on TCM, or you can order the DVD through the usual online retailers and the TCM shop. The film is available as a single disc release. You can also check out last year's It Came from the Bargain Bin! review of The Glenn Miller Story from The Shelf.

For more information on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar, visit the Turner Classic Movies website.




Honestly!!