Summer Under the Stars - Week 4

Hello, hello, dear hearts! Thank you so much for returning for Week 4 of my picks for TCM's Summer Under the Stars Month. I cannot believe August is coming to an end already! This last post will have nine days of film picks to close out the month. I was not exactly the model of discipline for a couple of the days this time around. Nobody's perfect, right? *wink*

Here are my picks for August 23 - 31



SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 | ERNEST BORGNINE

5pm PST - MARTY (1955)

I think one of the reasons I love this film so much is because we get to see Borgnine in a different role. Not the bad guy, not a jerk, like he plays in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (both excellent films, by the way). He's just a guy, living his life. The interaction between Marty and his mother is probably one of my favorite aspects of this film. Borgnine won a well-deserved Oscar for this role. Director Mann does a brilliant job and was rewarded with an Oscar as well.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 | GLADYS GEORGE

5pm PST - THE MALTESE FALCON (1944)

This is not Gladys George's biggest part in a film, but boy oh boy does she pack a punch. She's mysterious. She leaves you wondering just what she's guilty of, if anything. She's perfect and intriguing. It can't be easy as an actor to take a small role and add so many layers to it, but Gladys does just that in this film. Is there anybody out there who hasn't seen THE MALTESE FALCON? If so, please be sure to watch it. I've seen it too many times to count. Stellar all the way around.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 25 | DICK POWELL

6:15pm PST - MURDER, MY SWEET (1944)

Ok. I may have a bit of a crush on Dick Powell. Noir Dick Powell, that is, and Dramatic Dick Powell. So you see, I could not contain myself to add a teensy bit more than one film for this day. If you only watch one, make it MURDER, MY SWEET. It was Powell's break-out film, away from his musical, light-hearted roles. He's sublime as Philip Marlowe. Sublime, I say! Adapted from Raymond Chandler's (one of my favorite authors!) book FAREWELL MY LOVELY and gorgeously directed by Edward Dmytryk. This film is jam-packed with fantastic actors, including sizzling Claire Trevor and sexy, sweet Anne Shirley (once married to John Payne who I always felt would have made an exceptional Philip Marlowe).

9:30am PST - STATION WEST (1948)

4:15pm PST - THE PITFALL (1948)

5pm PST - CHRISTMAS IN JULY (1940)

12:45pm PST - THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952)

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 | SOPHIA LOREN

11pm PST - YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW (1963)

I've only seen this film once, and it was years ago. I recall that I truly enjoyed it, but to be honest, I don't remember much about it other than Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni were absolutely superb. This film is three different stories with Sophia and Marcello as the main characters in each of the tales. I hope you will watch this one! I'm looking forward to becoming reacquainted with this one.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27 | EDMUND O'BRIEN

10:30pm PST - THE BIGAMIST (1953)

I love Ida Lupino. Love! So this film is a double delight because not only is Ida starring in it, she is also the director. What a woman! Le sigh. The acting is remarkable. Edmund O'Brien manages to make us feel sympathy and compassion for his character, a bigamist. Now that's saying something! Joan Fontaine has a smaller role, but she is true to form, delivering an exquisite performance as well. This is the only film in which Ida directed herself although she did direct many films as well as TV shows.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 | ARLENE DAHL

6:15am PST - NO QUESTIONS ASKED

Here's a film that I've not seen so I just don't have an opinion about it. It's a crime drama about a lawyer who makes some bad choices (gasp!). Also starring Barry Sullivan and George Murphy. Directed by Harold F. Kress who won an Academy Award for editing for HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962) and THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974).

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 | JOSEPH COTTEN

9:15pm PST - THE THIRD MAN

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Oh, this film...it's on my Top Five Favorite Films List. If you've not seen it, please do watch it. It's just such a gem. I could go on and on, but I won't. Joseph Cotten plays such an endearing character. I have a soft spot for him as Holly, the lovesick, self-depreciating, compassionate pulp writer. The scenes he shares with beautiful Alida Valli are positively vibrating with his feelings for her. Written by another of my personal favorites, Graham Greene and directed by yet another personal favorite, Carol Reed. A must-see if ever there was one! And don't get me started on the music...or the dutch angles...

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 |  BETTY GRABLE

8:45pm PST - I WAKE UP SCREAMING

This is another new-to-me film. I chose it for a couple of reasons besides the fact that I've never seen it: I love classic crime drama films and Victor Mature is part of the cast. This is a remake of VICKI which I have seen and enjoyed. I'm looking forward to comparing the two films. Directed by Bruce Humberstone who also directed SUN VALLEY SERENADE and several of the CHARLIE CHAN movies.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 | ALAN LADD

9:45am PST - THE GLASS KEY (1942)

This film is a must-see, dear hearts! Adapted from the novel by Dashiell Hammett (said to be Hammett's favorite of all his work) and the inspiration for Akira Kurosawa's YOJIMBO (another must-see!). The chemistry between Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake is the stuff of legends in this, their second film together. Also starring the underrated (in my opinion) Brian Donlevy and directed by Stuart Heisler. Super snappy dialogue and fast-paced, I hope you enjoy it as much as I will.

I've sort of fallen off the One Film A Day Wagon already for this post so I'd like to recommend SHANE and if you love Ladd and Lake together, THE BLUE DAHLIA.

5pm PST - SHANE (1953)

12am PST - THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946)

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I can't believe it's already the last of my Summer Under the Stars Month post! Where did the time go? I had such a grand time with this little series. I hope you were able to catch some of the films I recommended. If not on TCM, then perhaps elsewhere. Thank you so much for checking in, and I hope you found some valuable information and some new favorite films through these posts.

Thank you for being you.

Until next time...

xo