10 Must-See Classic British TV Series (Part 3 of 3)

Our review of ten must-see classic British TV series from the 1960s and 1970s concludes with: All Creatures Great and Small; The First Churchills; The Forsyte Saga; and Rumpole of the Bailey. 

James checks out a new friend.

All Creatures Great and Small – James Herriot’s beloved autobiographical stories of life as a veterinarian in rural Britain were first filmed as the movies All Creatures Great and Small (1977) and It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet (1977). Simon Ward and John Alderton played Herriot, respectively. When a television series was developed in 1978, the role of the inexperienced vet went to Christopher Timothy, with Robert Hardy playing his eccentric employer, Siegfried Farnum. Peter Davison played Siegfried’s brother, Tristan, who struggles to graduate from vet school. Carol Drinkwater played Helen, a local resident who eventually marries James. The first three seasons featured this cast and were based on Herriot’s stories. The episodes ranged from funny (Mrs. Pomfrey and Tricky Woo) to charming (the courtship between James and Helen), with a touch of seriousness (as when Siegfried discusses the impending war with sometime girlfriend Margery). After two “Christmas specials,” the series was revived in 1988 for four more seasons. The wonderful Carol Drinkwater was replaced as Helen and the stories were original (as opposed to those written by Herriot). I stopped watching after the fourth season…but dearly loved the first three seasons.

Susan Hampshire and John Neville as a future "power couple."

The First Churchills – Unless you’re a history a buff, you’re probably unfamiliar with Winston Churchill’s ancestors. If so, then you’re in for a treat—for John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Sarah were a fascinating couple. He was a great military leader and statesman who served five British rulers during the late 17^th century and early 18^th century. The strong-willed Sarah Churchill was a political strategist in her own right and, for several years, was a key unofficial advisor to Queen Anne. This well-done 12-part series begins with the first meeting between John and Sarah and ends shortly before his death. The early episodes are the best, as the later ones get a bit bogged down in John’s military exploits. Still, The First Churchills is a fascinating look into the political and social culture of Great Britain during one of its most tumultuous periods. John Neville and Susan Hampshire are marvelous as the Churchills; she evolves Sarah from a headstrong young woman to a powerful, sometimes bitter politician. The First Churchills was shown in Great Britain in 1969 and was the first-ever series shown on Masterpiece Theatre in 1971.

A Forsyte wedding.

The Forsyte Saga – James Galsworthy’s three novels about the Forsytes, a nouveau riche Victorian family, have been adapted for both film and television. Errol Flynn and Greer Garson starred in 1949’s That Forsyte Woman (derived from the first book, A Man of Property) and a popular 2002 adaptation of the trilogy appeared on Masterpiece Theatre. However, the most renowned version remains the 1967 26-episode series starring Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, Kenneth More, and Susan Hampshire. It included not only the three Forsyte novels, but also Galworthy’s later trilogy A Modern Comedy. When originally broadcast, the series was a huge hit in Britain and was picked up by local PBS stations in the U.S. In fact, its success in America is generally believed to have led to the creation of Masterpiece Theatre.

Leo McKern as Rumpole.

Rumpole of the Bailey – British barrister and author John Mortimer wrote Rumpole of the Bailey as an original play for the BBC anthology series Play for Today in 1975. It was popular enough to warrant discussion of a series, but it wasn’t until 1978 that the Rumpole of the Bailey TV series appeared on Thames Television (and later in the U.S. on Mystery!). Mortimer’s original choice to play the witty, scruffy, late middle-aged barrister was Michael Hordern. Instead, the producers chose Leo McKern—in a stroke of casting genius. McKern perfectly captured the complexities of Rumpole, from his willingness to defend anybody (“I never plead guilty”) to his relationship with his wife (whom Rumpole referred to as “she who must be obeyed”). McKern played Rumpole for seven seasons between 1978 and 1992.

If you missed Parts 1 and 2, click here for capsule reviews of Poldark, Upstairs Downstairs, Lord Peter Wimsey, The Pallisers, The Duchess of Duke Street and I, Claudius.

10 Must-See Classic British TV Series (Part 2 of 3)

Our review of classic British TV series from the 1960s and 1970s continues with: The Pallisers; I, Claudius; and The Duchess of Duke Street. If you missed Part 1 on Poldark, Upstairs Downstairs, and Lord Peter Wimsey, click here.

The arranged marriage between Plantagenet and Glencora.

The Pallisers- Anthony Trollope’s six Palliser novels portrayed the lifestyles and politics of the mid-to-late 19^th century. The fine 26-part, 1974 TV adaptation starred Philip Latham as Plantagenet Palliser and Susan Hamsphire as Lady Glencora. For those viewers familiar only with Hampshire’s later work, in lighthearted series such as Monarch of the Glen, The Pallisers will be a revelation. She provides a rich portrait of a privileged woman who grows from a lovesick teenage girl to a strong-willed, socially savvy woman dedicated to her family. Latham is equally compelling as the erudite Plantagenet, whose passion to improve the nation’s economy earns the disdain of more party-minded politicians (who refer to him as Plantypal). My favorite part of the series is the first-third, which focuses on the courtship between Glencora and Plantagenet. Yet, even when the focal point shifts to other characters, The Pallisers remains an engrossing drama that also works as an inside look at British politics. The strong supporting cast includes future stars such as Derek Jacobi, Jeremy Irons, and Anthony Andrews.

Derek Jacobi as Claudius.

I, Claudius – Speaking of politics, such a career could be a short-lived one in early Rome, as shown in this popular 13-part TV adaptation of Robert Graves’ Claudius novels. Spanning roughly 23 BC through 54 AD, I, Claudius is an “autobiography” of the Roman emperor Claudius and shows his gradual rise to power amid his relatives’ political intrigues, family tragedies, and assassinations. As in Graves’ novels, Claudius’ limp and stammer cause treacherous opponents to underestimate his intelligence and will to survive. Derek Jacobi (as Claudius) and Siân Phillips (as the ruthless Livia) head an outstanding cast featuring John Hurt, Brian Blessed, Patrick Stewart, and George Baker. Although I, Claudius won several awards from the British Academy of Film & Television Arts, it lost the 1978 Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series to Holocaust. 

The Duchess of Duke Street – The life of Rosa Lewis, rumored to have been a mistress to King Edward VII circa the late 1890s, provided the inspiration for this fictionalized dramatic series. The incomparable Gemma Jones stars as Louisa Leyton, a middle-class woman who aspires to be the greatest cook in London. Taking a chef’s assistant position with a noble family, she achieves her goal. Her culinary delights—and looks—catch the eye of the Prince of Wales, which leads to a “special arrangement.” When the prince becomes king, the affair ends, but his generosity enables Louisa to open a hotel that becomes the setting for the bulk of the series.  With plots that focused on both the hotel’s staff and its typically affluent guests, The Duchess of Duke Street owed some of its success to the earlier Upstairs, Downstairs (producer John Hawkesworth worked on both). However, it was more of a star vehicle and, with Gemma Jones in the lead, that made for absorbing television for two seasons.

The Bank Dick (1940)

W.C. Fields isn’t as timeless as one would like.  Overall, vaudeville humor hasn’t aged well, either.  Still, Fields was a devilishly delicious deadpan comic who knew how to keep a gag running. He was greatly aided in this endeavor by his own clever writing.  Who better to convincingly deliver funny lines than the person who wrote them—I’m sure Woody Allen would attest to this.  The Bank Dick (1940) is a product of Fields’ comedic wit (director Edward F. Cline was just along for the ride). Oh, pay no attention to the name listed in the writing credit either, Mahatma Kane Jeeves--it was one of Fields’ many pseudonyms (evidently Gandhi was on his mind).  The story follows the Fields’ blueprint: an easy-going, imbibing man just wants to be left alone but finds himself hampered by domestic disturbances and inconvenient chance meetings.  What follows is a 74-minute study in Fields’ own unique brand of comedy.

Usually the best parts of Fields’ films deal with his character being mistreated by his ungrateful family—which is mostly filled with women: wife, daughters and an occasional cranky mother-in-law.  However, this theme isn’t really the crux of The Bank Dick. Yes, his aptly named character, Egbert Sousè, has a nagging wife (Cora Witherspoon as Agatha), an unpleasant mother-in-law (Jessie Ralph as Mrs. Brunch), and two daughters, one being a terror (Evelyn Del Rio as Elsie Mae) and one being stupid (Una Merkel as Myrtle).  Yet, unlike some of his other films, the family doesn’t figure heavily in the story.  They are used intermittently to show how unappreciated Mr. Sousè is, but otherwise they don’t really bring much to the table.  I personally would have liked to have seen more of Jessie Ralph’s belittling mother-in-law. She had some of the best lines in the entire film.  Here are two of my favorites:

Myrtle: I'll bet that's Og!
Mrs.Bruch: Mmm, he's got her bettin' now. She never gambled 'fore she met him.

Myrtle: What's a six-letter word meaning "embezzlement"?
Mrs.Brunch: Prison.

I definitely think they should have used her acerbic tongue more and less of Una Merkel'’s Myrtle, who is engaged to Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton), one of her father’s unfortunate co-workers and co-conspirators. Still, stupid characters often play the much needed role of straight man (or woman, let’s be PC!), so I suppose she serves her purpose.

There are a few random gags in the film, another trait of a Fields’ production, that I could have done without.  His stumbling into the role of film director after the actual director goes on a bender wasn’t very funny to me.  Perhaps he was trying to make a inside dig at someone (perhaps himself, LOL!), but I just found it completely useless to the story.  Another thing I could have missed was a few of his sojourns into the local watering hole.  Yet, I must admit that the name of the establishment, the Black Pussy Cat Café, is pure Fields gold.  Who else in 1940s Hollywood would have dreamed up such a name and got away with it?

All of the best things about this movie revolve around his work as an unqualified bank dick. What security guard in his right mind would tackle a small child holding a toy gun?  Sousè does, though I doubt he was in his right mind, and the result is laugh-out-loud funny.  When he asks the child’s mother if the gun is loaded, she replies, “No, but I think you are!” Who would think it was a good idea to buy $500 in bonds from a slickster (who says: “I want to show you I'm honest in the worst way”) he met at the Black Pussy and then convince his soon-to-be son-in-law to “borrow” money from the bank to buy them?  Sousè would—and he’d do it with a big grin on his face and rye on his breath.  Who would try to postpone the bank’s books from being examined by the wonderfully named J. Pinkerton Snoopington (Franklin Pangborn) by using food (or, in this case, liquid) poisoning?  Sousè would, and then he’d have another drink! 

What most people remember about this film is the extended road chase scene at the end of the film, where Sousè has to drive the getaway car for a bank robber.  The scene is reminiscent of the old silent chase scenes from the likes of the Keystone Cops. I’m not a big fan of slapstick chase scenes, but Fields gets off some great lines as the car slowly falls apart. A particular favorite barb is: “The resale value of this car is going to be nil after this trip.” I also got a hearty chuckle out of him handing the wheel to the robber when he was told to let the robber have the wheel.  It’s silly humor, but it’s smart silly humor.

While this isn’t my favorite Fields’ film (I prefer It’s a Gift) The Bank Dick has many enjoyable moments in it.  It is also a showcase for Fields’ comedic genius. 

10 Must-See Classic British TV Series (Part 1 of 3)

All this month, the Cafe will pay tribute to classic British televison of the late 1960s and 1970s. We could easily devote six months to this endeavor, because it was such  a rich period for British TV. Some of the series we'll be highlighting were shown on U.S. commercial networks, many appeared on PBS, and a handful could be seen only on local stations in America. Some of our posts will focus on certain genres (e.g., those snappy spy series) and others will highlight specific series. That said, we'll start this month showering some Yankee love on ten classic British series that everyone should see! So, here's the first installment in our three-part series on must-see British shows.

Poldark – Set in late 18^th century Cornwall, Winston Graham’s sweeping historical drama centers on the Poldark and Warleggan families. The opening episode establishes a gripping premise. Captain Ross Poldark (Robin Ellis), supposedly killed during the American Revolution, returns to his home to find his father dead, his estate in ruins, massive debts, and his fiancée about to marry his cousin. While Ross’s story dominates the early part of the series, Poldark evolves into an ensemble saga populated by rich characters portrayed by a first-rate cast (e.g., Ellis, Angharad Rees, Ralph Bates, Jill Townsend, etc.). Graham’s script also comments on the social injustices and political ploys of the period. The breath-taking Cornish cliffs and beaches are an added bonus. Poldark ran for 29 episodes over 1975-77 and covered the first seven Poldark novels (all that had been written to that date). Both seasons are available on DVD from Acorn Media. Different producers mounted a new Poldark in 1996, based on an eighth novel, but it featured a different cast and never found a following.

Upstairs, Downstairs –  As part of the 35^th anniversary of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre in 2006, viewers chose Upstairs, Downstairs as their favorite series (my choice, Poldark, was seventh). The series spanned 27 years in the lives of the Bellamy family and their servants at 165 Eaton Place in the Belgravia district of London. Starting in 1903, the series addressed political unrest in Europe, the suffragette movement, World War I, the stock market crash, and even the sinking of the Titanic (which plays a small, but very significant, part on the plotline). However, the majority of the drama focused on the relationships among and between the Bellamy family and their servants. The superb cast is anchored by:  Gordon Jackson as Hudson (the Scottish butler and senior staff member); Jean Marsh as Rose (the parlor maid and later a lady’s maid); and David Langdon as Richard Bellamy (the head of the family); and Angela Baddeley as Mrs. Bridges (the cook). Upstairs, Downstairs won numerous awards in Great Britain and the U.S., where it earned Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series in 1974, 1975 and 1977. A 1979 spin-off, Thomas and Sarah, followed two characters that left Eaton Place—but the tone was very different and it fizzled quickly. In August 2010, Jean Marsh starred in an updated version of Upstairs, Downstairs, set in 1936. It was popular enough to earn additional seasons, but I think it lacks the sparkle of the original.

Lord Peter Wimsey – Dorothy L. Sayers’ Wimsey mysteries have been adapted for television several times. In my opinion, the best version remains the 1972-75 series with Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter and Glyn Houston as his versatile valet Bunter. Sayers purists may quibble that Carmichael was too old for the part, but he still projects just the right amount of intelligence, likability, and upper-class manners. Set in the 1920s and 1930s, the multi-part mysteries range from superb (The Nine Tailors) to good (Five Red Herrings). The series excels at capturing Great Britain at a transitional period between the two World Wars, from the flapper lifestyle and gentleman clubs in London to the country gentry and rural impoverished villagers.  Carmichael and Houston (who played Bunter in four of the five) make a fine pair of inquisitive amateur sleuths, their relationship a combination of mutual respect, professional pride, and friendship.

Quatermass and the Pit: Nigel Kneale's Original BBC Serial

As regular readers of this blog know, Hammer's 1967 science fiction classic Quatermass and the Pit (aka Five Million Years to Earth) ranks among my favorite films. Its ingenious premise captured my imagination as a youth and has held my interest through repeated viewings over the last four decades. So, it was with excitement--and a little trepidation--that I approached the original 1958 BBC serial that inspired the movie adaptation.

Andre Morell as Professor Quatermass.

The serial opens with the discovery of a human-like skull during construction in the Hobbs Lane area of London. An American paleontologist, Dr. Matthew Roney, find more skeletal remains and proclaims that these "ape men" hail from five million years ago. When further excavation reveals a large cylinder made of an unknown material, Roney contacts his friend, Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group.

Meanwhile, Barbara Judd, Roney's assistant, learns that local residents consider Hobbs Lane to be haunted. She uncovers tales of "dwarfs that disappear into walls" that surface after any physical disturbance in the area. Barbara's findings, revealed only to Quatermass and Roney, become more terrifying when a soldier working inside the cylinder claims to have seen the "dwarfs."

The situation becomes significantly more perplexing when Quatermass discovers a hidden chamber in the cylinder--filled with the remains of large insect-like creatures. Is the cylinder a spaceship? Were the dead creatures from another planet? Are the "ape-men" genetically-altered mutations that evolved into the human race? Are we Martians?

Writer Nigel Kneale integrates a host of a fascinating ideas in his thematrically complex plot. Not only does he expand on his basic premise--that the human race may be a result of alien colonization--but he also offers scientifically-inspired explanations for the supernatural.

If this all sounds familiar to admirers of the 1967 film version, then I will confirm what you've probably guessed: the film was an extremely faithful adapation of the serial. Kneale wrote the film's screenplay and did a marvelous job in condensing his 210-minute serial into a crisp 97-minute movie. Indeed, the serial seems quite slow compared to the film and the serial's longer running time doesn't result in any additional insights.

Quatermass helps a soldier who
"saw" a Martian.

In terms of lead performances, both Andre Morell (serial) and Andrew Keir (film) are marvelous as the passionate, inquisitive Quatermass. Originally, Morell was asked to reprise his performance for the film adaptation, but he turned it down. A fine actor, Morell appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s through the 1970s, including The Bridge on the River Kwai and Ben-Hur. He made possibly the screen's best Dr. John Watson opposite Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes in 1959's The Hound of the Baskervilles. He had another plum role opposite Cushing in the underrated suspense film Cash on Demand.

Unfortunately, although Morell is excellent in the Quatermass and the Pit serial, Anthony Bushell delivers a one-note performance as his adversary, Colonel Breen. Shouting dialogue in a stern voice, Bushnell's Breen comes across as a stereotype instead of an intelligent officer unwilling to accept the compelling evidence before him. Furthermore, Bushnell's portrayal dilutes Kneale's examination of the popular theme of military vs. science (explored, albeit briefly, in 1951's The Thing from Another World).

The 1958 Quatermass and the Pit was the third of four Quatermass television serials written by the prolific Nigel Kneale. After studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kneale turned to writing full time after winning the prestigious Somerset Maugham Award in 1950 for Tomato Cain & Other Stories. After penning a radio play for the BBC, Kneale joined the television staff at the British network. He introduced TV audiences to Professor Bernard Quatermass with The Quatermass Experiment, a 1953 serial consisting of six 30-minute episodes. It was a landmark event in early British television. Film historian and critic Leslie Halliwell noted in his Halliwell's Television Companion that The Quatermass Experiment "became the first TV serial to have the whole country (or such parts as could receive television) agog."

In the four original TV serials: Reginald Tate played Quatermass in The Quatermass Experiment; John Robinson starred in Quatermass II (1955); Morell followed in Quatermass and the Pit; and finally John Mills in 1979's Quatermass (aka The Quatermass Conclusion). Although Morell's performance is widely praised, I'm also fond of Mills' interpretation of an older Quatermass. In 2005, the BBC mounted a live remake of The Quatermass Experiment starring Jason Flemyng as a much younger scientist than his predecessors. On the silver screen, Brian Donlevy was woefully miscast as the lead in adaptations of The Quatermass Experiement and Quatermass II.

As for my final summation of the Quatermass and the Pit serial: Had I never seen the film version, I suspect the 1958 original would have had a stronger impact. It's well-written, generally well-acted, and I'm excited that I finally had an opportunity to see it. However, it lacks the energy of the 1967 film, which grips the viewer tightly and never lets up for 97 enthralling minutes.

My Man Godfrey (1936)

There are few films from the 1930s that I like more than My Man Godfrey (1936).  Screwball comedies are a particular favorite of mine, and this is one of the best ever made.  It is a film filled with memorable characters and lines.  In addition, it has a bit of a serious side, touching on the plight of the Forgotten Man during the Depression.  When you combine all of these ingredients, you come up with a deliciously entertaining movie.

If you went to see this in 1936 you would have seen William Powell and Carole Lombard’s names on the marquee, but while both give fine performances, they are greatly aided by the stellar supporting performances of Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Eugene Pallette, and Mischa Auer.  It is the supporting characters that carry this film along its crazy path. 

Powell plays Godfrey Smith/Park, a privileged Bostonian who chucks it all after a woman does him wrong. He ends up living in New York City Dump 32 until Cornelia (Patrick) and Irene Bullock (Lombard) find him there while looking for a Forgotten Man as part of a scavenger hunt.  He soon ends up being their 5th Avenue butler.

Both sisters are spoiled and narcissistic, but they are different in that Cornelia has a malicious side and Irene is compassionate incarnate.  I suppose this is what makes Patrick’s character the more interesting of the two.  Cornelia is intelligent and jaded, while Irene is flighty and naïve. I often think director Gregory La Cava and screenwriters Eric Hatch and Morrie Ryskind used Cornelia as their focal point in developing their social satire.  Here is a woman who has everything: beauty, class, money, and intelligence. Yet, she seethes with resentment and discontent. A lot of people think Godfrey should have ended up with Cornelia in the end (the whole Taming of the Shrew thing), but what most people forget is Cornelia was the sort of woman Godfrey left back in Boston. For me, Patrick’s is the standout performance.

Eugene Pallette and Alice Brady also do memorable turns as Alexander and Angelica Bullock, the parents of Cornelia and Irene. Pallette, in particular, does a fine job of presenting his character’s astonishment at the complete insanity of his family.  Perhaps it’s his voice, but he conveys both irritation and apathy extremely well.  Brady’s pixie-seeing Angelica is the epitome of oblivious mothering.  Here is a woman who has a protégé (really her paramour, but the Hays Code was around) in would-be musician Carlo (Auer); drinks too much (hence the pixies); and, supports her daughters’ eccentric behavior.  She is no role model, but her daughters are a lot like her—especially Irene, who decides to make Godfrey her protégé. 

Now, I’m not saying that Powell and Lombard don’t give fine  performances, because both are very good.  Powell plays the calm caretaker of the insane asylum that the Bullocks call home well.  He is both bemused and detached in his role as Godfrey.  It is quite comical to watch him thwart off Irene’s advances--especially since Powell and Lombard had been previously married. It is said that she was too animated for him; plus, he was sixteen years older.  So, when Godfrey makes the comment in the film that Irene should find someone her own age and class it was a bit like art imitating life.  Lombard, for her part, plays Irene as a theatrical little girl who doesn’t know how to get what she wants without faux fainting or crying.  The “laugh” is what I find most hysterical about Irene.  Anytime she doesn’t understand what is happening, or when she is unsure of herself, she falls back on that childish laugh. 

Besides fine acting, the writing is superb.  The dialogue is rapid-fire and sharp as an axe.  Each character has their own memorable lines, but I’ve always thought that Angelica Bullock got the best ones—or maybe Alice Brady just delivered hers better than the rest.  My favorite exchange comes between Angelica and Godfrey:

Angelica: My ancestors came over on the boat. Oh, not the Mayflower, but the boat after that. What did your ancestors come over on, Godfrey?
Godfrey: As far as I know, they've always been here.
Angelica: They weren't Indians, I hope.
Godfrey: One can never be sure of one's ancestors.
Angelica: You know, you have rather high cheek bones.

And from that point on there is a running gag about Godfrey being of Indian descent.  Overall, it’s just a pleasure to listen to such clever dialogue (especially if you compare it to some of the dialogue in modern film).  Smart witticisms never age and that’s one of the reasons My Man Godfrey seems timeless.

Finally, what most people forget about My Man Godfrey is that it is a slight social commentary about the difference between the rich and poor during the Depression.  The Forgotten Man, men who served in WWI or lost everything in the Crash, found themselves unemployed and displaced living in places like City Dump 32, while the Bullocks lived the high life on 5th Avenue.  The only time the Bullocks of the world notice the Forgotten Man is when they need him to win a silly game for them.  At one point in the film Godfrey says,  “The only difference between a derelict and a man is a job.” Of course, more could have been done with this theme.  If I have one complaint with the film it would be that Godfrey shouldn’t have been pretending to be down on his luck but actually have been down and out.  Still, it is a nice twist when you learn the reason he can handle the Bullocks so well is that he was once afflicted with their disease as well.

One interesting aside about My Man Godfrey is that it was the first film to receive nominations in all four acting categories: Best Actor (Powell), Best Actress (Lombard), Best Supporting Actor (Mischa Auer) and Best Supporting Actress (Alice Brady). While none of the actors won the coveted statue, they should have taken solace in the fact that La Cava was passed over as Best Director and Hatch and Ryskind didn’t win Best Screenplay either.  However, the strangest thing about the whole Oscar situation is this: My Man Godfrey wasn't even nominated for Best Picture. Somehow the math just doesn’t seem right there.  Oh, well…

ABC's The Movie of the Week

Made-for-TV movies eventually got a bad rap, which explains why they pretty much faded from network television in the 1990s. But I still fondly recall what I call the "Golden Age of the TV Movie": the early 1970s when ABC began broadcasting its Movie of the Week.

Every Tuesday night, ABC introduced a world premiere telefilm in a ninety-minute time slot (about 72 minutes without commercials). The success of the series can be attributed, in part, to the variety of its films: suspense (The Longest Night), horror (The Night Stalker), science fiction (Night Slaves), World War II action (Death Race), comedy (The Daughters of Joshua Cabe), Western (The Hanged Man), serious drama (That Certain Summer), film noir (Goodnight, My Love) and even kung fu (Men of the Dragon). Many of the telefilms were also pilots for TV series--some of which made it as regular series (The Six Million Dollar Man) and some that didn’t (The Monk with George Maharis as a private eye).



Dennis Weaver in Duel.

Several films earned critical plaudits, such as Brian's Song, Duel, That Certain Summer, Tribes, and The Point. Occasionally, one would be released theatrically in either in the U.S. or Europe--often with additional footage--after its TV broadcast. That was the case with Steven Spielberg's suspenseful chase drama Duel and The Sex Symbol with Connie Stevens playing an actress loosely inspired by Marilyn Monroe.



I'm always surprised by how many of the ABC Movie of Week telefilms are fondly remembered by fellow film buffs. For example, people may not remember the title of Trilogy of Terror--but mention the creepy TV movie with Karen Black about the killer doll and a lot of folks will know it.

The original Movie of the Week debuted on Tuesday night in 1969. It was so successful that ABC launched a Movie of the Weekend, which subsequently shifted to mid-week so there were Tuesday and Wednesday Movies of the Week installments. The final Movie of the Week was broadcast in 1976.

The catchy theme to the Movie of the Week opening was written by Burt Bacharach. Its actual title is "Nikki," named after Burt's daughter with Angie Dickinson. Click on the clip below to view the full opening for When Michael Calls, a thriller with Ben Gazzara, Elizabeth Ashley, and Michal Douglas. At the end of the clip is preview for the following week's movie, The Screaming Woman, starring Olivia de Havilland. Unfortunately, the video quality doesn't do justice to the bright, colorful graphics.

In terms of originality, the only network that competed with ABC was CBS, which launched CBS Tuesday Night Movie in 1972. It sent speeding helicopters (Birds of Prey), ancient evil Druids (The Horror at 37,000 Feet), and, most memorably, Gargoyles to battle its TV-movie rival at ABC.

Crosby as Dr. Cook.

Sadly, only a handful of these films are available on DVD (and even then, the prints are usually inferior in quality). I’d love to see TCM get the rights to the Movie of the Week. It’d be great to see Bing Crosby in Dr. Cook’s Garden again and see if the film as good as I remember.

Below is a sampling of the telefilms that played on The Movie of the Week (to include the Tuesday and Wednesay editions and The Movie of the Weekend on Saturday). Note that several movies featured performers from the classic film era:

Seven in Darkness (1969)
Daughter of the Mind (1969) with Gene Tierney & Ray Milland
Gidget Grows Up (1969)
Honeymoon with a Stranger (1969)
The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969) with Walter Brennan & Andy Devine
The Ballad of Andy Crocker (1969)
The Immortal (1969)
Wake Me When the War Is Over (1969)
Along Came a Spider (1970)
Carter's Army (1970)
Crowhaven Farm (1970)
How Awful about Allan (1970) with Anthony Perkins & Julie Harris
Night Slaves (1970)
The Over the Hill Gang Rides Again with Walter Brennan & Fred Astaire
Run, Simon, Run (1970)
The Love War (1970)
Tribes (1970)
Brian's Song (1971)
Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate (1971) with Helen Hayes, Myrna Loy, Sylvia Sidney
Dr. Cook's Garden (1971)
Duel (1971)
In Broad Daylight (1971)
In Search of America (1971)
Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring (1971)
The Birdmen (1971)
The Devil and Miss Sarah (1971)
The Feminist and the Fuzz (1971)
The Point! (1971)
The Reluctant Heroes (1971)
A Great American Tragedy (1972)
Goodnight, My Love (1972)
Moon of the Wolf (1972)
That Certain Summer (1972)
The Astronaut (1972)
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972) with Buddy Ebsen & Sandra Dee
The Longest Night (1972)
Madame Sin (1972) with Bette Davis & Robert Wagner
The People (1972)
The Screaming Woman (1972) with Olivia de Havilland
Women in Chains (1972)
A Cold Night's Death (1973)
A Summer Without Boys (1973)
The Cat Creature
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Female Artillery (1973)
Go Ask Alice (1973)
Isn't It Shocking? (1973)
Satan's School for Girls (1973)
Shirts/Skins (1973)
The Girl Most Likely to... (1973)
The Girls of Huntington House (1973)
The Man Without a Country (1973) with Cliff Robertson
The Night Strangler (1973)
The Third Girl from the Left (1973)
Men of the Dragon (1974)
Get Christie Love! (1974)
Hit Lady (1974)
Houston, We've Got a Problem (1974)
Killdozer (1974)
Locusts (1974)
The Mark of Zorro (1974)
The Morning After (1974)
Thursday's Game (1974)
Winter Kill (1974)

Remembering "The CBS Late Movie"

One of my favorite summer memories is watching The CBS Late Movie. Launched on Valentine’s Day in 1972, The CBS Late Movie was a delightful gift for movie-lovers. For four years, it offered an eclectic mix of movies five nights a week.

The only film fan not thrilled by The CBS Late Movie may have been Judith Crist. The famous critic once wrote a weekly column for TV Guide, where she reviewed movies making their network TV debuts. She initially tried to encompass The CBS Late Movie, but the dramatic increase in workload (five more movies every week) may have proved too much, for she eventually focused solely on network movies playing in prime time.

Seven Brides on The CBS Late Movie.

For the rest of us, The CBS Late Movie was a treasure trove that revived classics (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Showboat), unearthed movies all but forgotten (Darby’s Rangers, Bunny O’Hare, Mister Buddwing, The World, the Flesh and the Devil), and introduced some films destined for cult movie status (7 Faces of Dr. Lao, The Fearless Vampire Killers).

Vincent Price as Dr. Phibes.

My favorite night was Friday, of course. Even during the school year, I could see the Friday edition. But more importantly, it eventually became “horror film night” for The CBS Late Movie. This was where several long-in-demand Hammer movies made their American television debuts, to include: Curse of Frankenstein, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, The Mummy, and Dracula, Prince of Darkness. Other Friday night fright features were The Valley of Gwangi, Scream and Scream Again, The Creeping Unknown, and The Abominable Dr. Phibes.

Sadly, starting in 1976, CBS began mixing TV series with its movies and gradually shifted to showing just TV shows. Most of these series were repeats of network fodder like Kojak, Banacek, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker (shown on Fridays, naturally). For a bit of originality, CBS offered British import series like The New Avengers and Return of the Saint. Still, I missed the movies! In 1985, CBS changed the title to CBS Late Night, officially signaling the end of The CBS Late Movie.

The opening graphics and theme music to The CBS Late Movie have their admirers. The theme was written by Morton Stevens, whose credits include the popular title theme to Hawaii Five-O.  The clip below is one of the best available on YouTube. Note that the film's title, The Medusa Touch, is misspelled!

I’d love to read some comments from other fans of The CBS Late Movie. I haven’t found a good list of all the movies broadcast.

“These Amazing Shadows” on PBS: Preserving the Treasures of Cinema

The Emmy Award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens, will be presenting the film, These Amazing Shadows. The hour-long documentary details the movies that have been selected each year for the National Film Registry. It was directed by Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton and will be premiering on PBS next Thursday, Dec. 29th, at 10:00 pm.

In the 1980s, colorization of black-and-white films was championed publicly by the likes of Ted Turner. The process was condemned by filmmakers and film historians, who believed that colorization diminished the films’ artistic merits. In retaliation, the National Film Preservation Act was passed in 1988, its purpose to identify and register films that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
These Amazing Shadows includes plentiful clips of noteworthy movies that have been listed as part of the Registry. There are interviews with many directors, actors, writers, and others working in films or the study of films, such as director Christopher Nolan, producer Gale Anne Hurd, actress Debbie Reynolds, the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington, and members of the National Film Preservation Board. There are also discussions of the importance of particular movies, as well as personal stories and reminiscences, like director Wayne Wang citing Natalie Wood as a key reason for his adoration of West Side Story (1961).

The movies chosen for the Registry are not picked solely for aesthetic value or popularity. They are listed for a variety of reasons, and as such, there is much diversity. Well known classics such as Casablanca (1942), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and The Godfather (1972) are there, but so is Mel Brooks’ Western comedy Blazing Saddles (1974), James Cameron’s sci-fi actioner The Terminator (1984) and John Singleton’s urban drama Boyz n the Hood (1991). The Registry likewise has documentaries, the 1950s propaganda film, The House in the Middle – which shows you that painting your house and cleaning your yard of clutter will protect you from a nuclear detonation – and even that one advertisement that would play between movies, in which anthropomorphized refreshments would sing and dance and convince viewers to “all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat.”
The documentary additionally highlights the impression of many films, in terms of race, gender, etc. Some of the Registry’s movies may, in retrospect, seem offensive to a particular race or creed, but they are included as they represent America’s history and the cinema’s impact on society and culture.

These Amazing Shadows should appease film buffs with an informative and entertaining presentation. Visit the film’s website to view clips, read details on the documentary, accept a trivia challenge of films in the Registry, and join the “Talkback” section for discussion among fans and enthusiasts. And don’t forget to clear your schedule or set your DVR on Dec. 29th.

PBS provided the Cafe with a preview copy of These Amazing Shadows. Photos courtesy of PBS.

What is Your Favorite Classic Film? Who Are Your Favorite Stars? The 2011 Classic Film Survey Has Answers

Last month, the Cafe surveyed over 125 classic film lovers as part of its first annual Classic Film Survey. The survey's final question proved to be the most difficult for many survey participants: "What is your favorite: film, actress, actor and director?"

Several people stated it was too difficult to pick just one of each category. Others noted: "If you asked me the same question tomorrow, my answers would be different." Still, most of the surveyed film fans listed their favorites and here are the results.

What is your favorite film?

This was the most diverse of the four "favorite" categories, with the results being spread among 61 motion pictures. They ranged from silent films (Sherlock Jr.) to movies from the early 1980s (e.g., Raging Bull). Surprisingly, there were a number of foreign-language films, such as Seven Samurai, Cinema Paradiso, Babette's Feast, and Yojimbo. However, the top vote-getter was no surprise at all, with Casablanca earning the honors. Here are the top six films:

Casablanca (10.8%)
Gone With the Wind (6.5%)
North by Northwest (4.3%)
Philadelphia Story (4.3%)
Citizen Kane (3.2%)
Vertigo (3.2%)

Other films with more than one vote: All About Eve, The Life and Times of Colonel Blimp, It's a Wonderful Life, My Man Godfrey, Notorious, Random Harvest, and The Thin Man.

Who is your favorite actress?

It was a two-person race in this category and, in the end, Bette Davis emerged as the top vote-getter with 14.3% of the total. The only actress to come near that percentage was Katharine Hepburn with 10.9%. What's interesting about Bette's popularity is that only one of her films--All About Eve--garnered any support as favorite film. The implication is that, in some cases, star appeal transcends the films featuring the star.

Thirty-five actresses received at least one vote. There were silent film actresses (Lillian Gish), foreign-language stars (Jeanne Moreau, Claudia Cardinale), and recent screen favorites (Naomi Watts). Here are the top six actresses:

Bette Davis (14.3%)
Katharine Hepburn (10.9%)
Barbara Stanwyck (6.5%)
Audrey Hepburn (6.5%)
Jean Arthur (5.5%)
Myrna Loy (5.5%)

Other actresses with more than one vote: Ingrid Bergman, Deborah Kerr, Vivian Leigh, Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, and Natalie Wood.

Who is your favorite actor?

The resounding answer is Cary Grant. Mr. Grant dominated in the actor category, crushing his competitors with 31% of the total votes. What's impressive about his "victory" is that the question was an open-ended one. Thus, with no choices on a form to select from, 31% of the survey participants typed in Cary Grant as their favorite actor.

James Stewart was a distant No. 2 with 12% of the votes. Still, he was a clear second choice, outdistancing the rest of the pack by at least 8%. Furthermore, Stewart's 12% was almost enough to win any other category.

With Grant and Stewart collecting so many votes, it's somewhat surprising that the remaining votes were spread among 47 actors. Several current performers made the list, to include George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Alan Rickman. A single vote prevented many Hollywood favorites, such as John Wayne and Ronald Colman, from being shut out totally. Here are the top five actors:

Cary Grant (31%)
James Stewart (12%)
Humphrey Bogart (4%)
Errol Flynn (3%)
James Cagney (3%)

Other actors with more than one vote: Leslie Howard, Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, and Anton Walbrook.

Who is your favorite director?

The expected winner--Alfred Hitchcock--was the top choice with 28% of the votes. His total more than doubled that of second-place finisher Billy Wilder. Still, it wasn't the landslide that I expected. Once again, classic film fans proved to possess a wide range of tastes. This category, in particular, reflected a fondness for foreign-language cinema with votes being cast for Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Jacques Tati, Erich Von Stroheim, Rene Clair, Federico Fellini, Jean Cocteau, Pedro Almodovar, and even John Woo. The top six directors were:

Alfred Hitchcock (28.4%)
Billy Wilder (13.7%)
Frank Capra (7.4%)
John Ford (4.2%)
Howard Hawks (4.2%)
George Stevens (4.2%)

Other directors with more than one vote: Ingmar Bergman, Charles Chaplin, George Cukor, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, Otto Preminger, Preston Sturges, Orson Welles, and William Wyler.

A Special Thanks

I want to personally thank everyone who voted in the 2011 Classic Film Survey. It's been a lot of fun to analyze and share the results. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from the Cafe's fans on Twitter. In fact, we're already thinking up questions for the 2012 survey, which we'll launch next November!

Classic Film Fan, Who Are You? Survey says....

Last month, over 125 classic film lovers from across the Internet participated in the Cafe's first annual Classic Film Survey. One of the goals of the survey was to learn more about classic film fans. How did they become fans? How often do they watch classic movies? What's their preferred source of vintage favorites? Here are the results:

How did you become a classic film fan?
The answer to this question yielded no surprises. There was no statistical difference between survey respondents who discovered films on their own (61%) or were influenced by family or friends (57%). Many people selected both responses. In contrast, only 12% became fans as a result of taking a college course. So, you don't need a college degree to love classic films!  (On the other hand, an added bonus to a college education is that it converts some folks into classic movie lovers.)

How many classic films do you watch weekly?
Two-to-five films earned the most responses, accounting for 48% of the total. 27% of the survey's respondents said they viewed 6-10 movies weekly and one person even confessed to watching 26 or more every seven days! Foreign-language films comprised a small portion of the movie-watching experience, with 47% of the survey participants stating that foreign-language films comprised 5% or less of the total classic films seen annually. The decreased availability of foreign-language films--compared to English-language ones--certainly impacted the answers to this question.

What is the main source of films you watch?
No surprise here...55% answered Turner Classic Movies. Still, a healthy 25% of respondents rely on their own video libraries. Video service providers, such as Netflix, earned 16% of the votes. That number is unlikely to grow, given that classic film fans still represent a small portion of the total movie rental audience.

If you enjoy reading about classic films, what is your favorite source?
Three sources were statistically tied: the Internet Movie Database; printed reference books; and classic movie blogs written by individuals not affiliated with a film-oriented company. The popularity of blogs may be skewed because I distributed the survey to members of the Classic Movie Blog Association. On the other hand, the enormous number of active classic movie blogs on the Internet would seem to validate that a significant number of them are being read with regularity.

What is your favorite decade of classic films? What is your favorite genre of classic films?
The 1940s dominated over all other decades with a robust 47% of the total votes. The 1930s came in second with a still impressive 35%. No other decade mustered more than 8%. The conclusion: Classic film fans favor the Golden Days of Hollywood when the major studios dominated in the U.S. As for favorite genre, the votes were dispersed among all the choices, with no single genre separating itself from the pack.

Next week, we'll conclude this series by sharing survey results on favorite films, directors, actresses, and actor. If you missed Part 1 of the 2011 Classic Film Survey results, click here.