Jealous. That's how I feel every time I see a TCM guest programmer introducing his or her favorite movies. And while it's bad enough that TCM has guest programmers that aren't me, now they have fan programmers that aren't me either. How fun would that be, chatting about some lovely film with movie know-it-all (in a good way) Robert Osborne?
Stacia at She Blogged by Night has an interview with one of the chosen fan programmers explaining what the experience was like. She was asked to pick 10 films that meant something to her for TCM to narrow down.
What would my picks be?
The Maltese Falcon - A favorite. I especially love watching Sam's little laughs at Brigid's lies and his interactions with the fat man.
The Third Man - Another favorite. Besides the classic ferris wheel scene, there's also the great buildup to the reveal of Orson Welles' character. And you just have to sympathize with Holly Martins and his situation: "That sounds like a cheap novelette." "Well, I write cheap novelettes."
The Philadelphia Story - For the dialogue and characters.
The Muppet Movie - Because Kermit was too modest to mention it when he was a TCM guest programmer. This is also a movie I remember fondly from my childhood, when I used to watch it on our RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc Player (I can still hum the opening music it had before every movie, and I often remember from the movies we owned the scene when we had to flip to the other side of the disc). I also love seeing all the guest stars, particularly Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, and Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy. How can you not love a movie about friendship and dreams? "Life's like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending..."
Father of the Bride - Spencer Tracy reminds me of my dad, who got me into classic movies in the first place. When I got married, he quoted some lines from this movie that made me cry.
The Hustler - Incredible performances. (And I could also talk semi-intelligently about the novel.)
The Long Hot Summer - More Newman, which is always nice, and a great look at all different kinds of relationships. Particularly interesting is the pressure on Clara to find a husband to satisfy both her heart and head.
Holiday - One of my Overlooked Oldies, which fits right in with the idea of TCM introducing people to classics they should know.
It's Always Fair Weather - I grew up on musicals, and this is a unique one that I think deserves some more attention.
The Major and the Minor - If I could only pick one film to talk about on TCM, it might very well be this one. It's the first movie I brought up in my Overlooked Oldies for a reason. Not only do I find the whole thing charming, but I also think it's significant as Billy Wilder's debut as a Hollywood director. Imagine if it hadn't gone well, what other movies we might be missing out on -- The Apartment, Some Like it Hot, Sunset Blvd. I find it incredible that he was able to write so well in what was not his first language. He manages to satirize and make fun of people while still getting you to sympathize and care for them. Pretty amazing.
What film(s) would you pick if you had the chance to go on TCM? An all-time favorite, even if it was well-known? A lesser-known movie with a lot of personal meaning? A really obscure gem to show off your film knowledge and try and one-up Mr. O? Share your thoughts, maybe TCM is listening for next time...
(And by the way, happy 15th anniversary, TCM.)
Showing posts with label It's Always Fair Weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It's Always Fair Weather. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Overlooked Musical: It's Always Fair Weather
Did you ever watch On the Town and find yourself wondering what might have happened to those three guys when the war was over? In a way, It's Always Fair Weather is the answer.
Originally conceived as sequel to On the Town, the sailors have morphed into soldiers with only Gene Kelly returning as a main character. He's joined by Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd to make up a trio of army buddies whose war experiences have made them the closest of friends. When the war is over and the three prepare to go their separate ways, they make a pact to meet again in ten years.
While you might think that three such very good friends would try to keep in touch during the intervening years, the story is about them coming back together and realizing they now have nothing in common, except for perhaps their disillusionment with life. Cyd Charisse enters the picture as a TV producer ready to use the reunion as fodder for a sappy reality show which ends up bringing the guys together in an unexpected way.
The cynical perspective that pervades makes for a darker movie than most MGM musicals. Television is satirized in the movie's Midnight With Madeline program, with Delores Gray playing the show's star as an over-the-top, insincere diva. The corporate world is also a target, with ad-man Dailey's character song "Saturation-Wise" making fun of business jargon (five years before The Apartment did it).
But there's also moments of sheer fun and joy, like the three friends dancing with garbage can lids on their feet and Gene Kelly's "I Like Myself" solo on roller skates. The film is also interesting to look at as it makes full use of CinemaScope, filling up the widescreen format and using split screens and montages to tell the story.
A major theme of the movie is how people change over time and what happens to friendships. One of my favorite scenes is when the reunited pals go to lunch. The same trio that once sang about being friends until death now sing about their disappointment at being back together. To the tune of the Strauss waltz "The Blue Danube", each friend in turn asks "why am I here?" and labels the other two with names like hick, square, snob and punk. This funny bit gets right to the heart of the matter: each friend, in recognizing how the other two are not what he expected, also realizes he is not the person he once wanted to be, either. While it's a less-than-rosy look at life and friendship, there is an underlying truth here about how dreams and relationships shift over time. And there's a hopeful undercurrent of finding a way to change or accept the person you've become.
While it's no Singin' in the Rain, if you're looking to expand your range of musicals and you like Gene Kelly, add It's Always Fair Weather to your list.
Originally conceived as sequel to On the Town, the sailors have morphed into soldiers with only Gene Kelly returning as a main character. He's joined by Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd to make up a trio of army buddies whose war experiences have made them the closest of friends. When the war is over and the three prepare to go their separate ways, they make a pact to meet again in ten years.
While you might think that three such very good friends would try to keep in touch during the intervening years, the story is about them coming back together and realizing they now have nothing in common, except for perhaps their disillusionment with life. Cyd Charisse enters the picture as a TV producer ready to use the reunion as fodder for a sappy reality show which ends up bringing the guys together in an unexpected way.
The cynical perspective that pervades makes for a darker movie than most MGM musicals. Television is satirized in the movie's Midnight With Madeline program, with Delores Gray playing the show's star as an over-the-top, insincere diva. The corporate world is also a target, with ad-man Dailey's character song "Saturation-Wise" making fun of business jargon (five years before The Apartment did it).
But there's also moments of sheer fun and joy, like the three friends dancing with garbage can lids on their feet and Gene Kelly's "I Like Myself" solo on roller skates. The film is also interesting to look at as it makes full use of CinemaScope, filling up the widescreen format and using split screens and montages to tell the story.
A major theme of the movie is how people change over time and what happens to friendships. One of my favorite scenes is when the reunited pals go to lunch. The same trio that once sang about being friends until death now sing about their disappointment at being back together. To the tune of the Strauss waltz "The Blue Danube", each friend in turn asks "why am I here?" and labels the other two with names like hick, square, snob and punk. This funny bit gets right to the heart of the matter: each friend, in recognizing how the other two are not what he expected, also realizes he is not the person he once wanted to be, either. While it's a less-than-rosy look at life and friendship, there is an underlying truth here about how dreams and relationships shift over time. And there's a hopeful undercurrent of finding a way to change or accept the person you've become.
While it's no Singin' in the Rain, if you're looking to expand your range of musicals and you like Gene Kelly, add It's Always Fair Weather to your list.
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