In 1989, the Library of Congress added Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to the United States National Film Registry, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Harry and Eve Graham are trying to adopt a baby. The head of the agency senses Harry is keeping a secret and does some investigating. He soon discovers Harry has done an unusual amount of traveling from his home in San Francisco to Los Angeles. Harry gets tracked down in LA where he has a second wife and a baby. Via flashbacks, Harry tells the adoption agent how he ended up in two marriages. Written by Daniel Bubbeo {dbubbeo@cmp.com}
The film is currently in the public domain, and can be found at the Internet Archive.
The film was remade in 1957 as An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in the lead roles. The film is considered one of the most romantic of all time, according to the American Film Institute. An Affair to Remember was almost identical to Love Affair on a scene to scene basis. McCarey used the same screenplay as the original film, which was penned by Delmer Daves and Donald Ogden Stewart.
The climactic meeting at the top of the Empire State Building is a reference to a reunion between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in An Affair to Remember that fails to happen because the Kerr character is struck by a car while en route. At one point, some of the characters discuss Affair, with Sam commenting that it sounds like a "chick movie."
Sleepless in Seattle received two nominations for awards in the 66th Academy Awards (held in 1994), but did not win either of them.
Kaufman and Hart wrote the play as a vehicle for their friend Alexander Woollcott, the model for the lead character Sheridan Whiteside. At the time the play was written Woollcott was famous both as the theater critic who helped re-launch the career of the Marx Brothers and as the star of the national radio showThe Town Crier. Woollcott was well liked by both Kaufman and Hart, but that did not stop him from displaying the obnoxious characteristics displayed by Whiteside in the play. Kaufman and Hart had promised a vehicle for Woollcott but had been unable to find a plot that suited them until one day Woollcott showed up, unannounced, at Hart's Bucks County estate, and proceeded to take over the house. He slept in the master bedroom, terrorized Hart's staff, and generally acted like Sheridan Whiteside. On his way out he wrote in Hart's guest book, "This is to certify that I had one of the most unpleasant times I ever spent." Hart related the story to Kaufman soon afterwards. As they were both laughing about it, Hart remarked that he was lucky that Woollcott hadn't broken his leg and become stuck there. Kaufman looked at Hart and the idea was born.
Woollcott was delighted with the play and was offered the role for its Broadway debut. With his busy schedule of radio broadcasts and lectures he declined and Monty Woolley played the part. Woollcott did play Whiteside in the West Coast version of the play, and was even joined by Harpo Marx, who portrayed his own referenced character, Banjo.
The printed edition of the play starts with the inscription "To Alexander Woollcott, for reasons that are nobody's business."
Now, Voyager is a 1942Americandrama film directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty, who borrowed her title from a line in the Walt Whitman poem "The Untold Want," which reads in its entirety, "The untold want by life and land ne'er granted, / Now voyager sail thou forth to seek and find." Bette Davis' portrayal garnered her an Academy Award nomination, and the film continues to be popular not only due to its star power but also the "emotional crescendos" engendered in the storyline.
For years, Davis and co-star Paul Henreid claimed the scenes in which Jerry puts two cigarettes in his mouth, lights both, then passes one to Charlotte, was developed by them during rehearsals, inspired by a habit Henreid shared with his wife, but drafts of Casey Robinson's script on file at the University of Southern California indicate it was included by the screenwriter in his original script. The scene remained an indelible trademark that Davis later would exploit as 'hers'.
Lady for a Day is a 1933 film which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was written by Robert Riskin, based on the Damon Runyon story Madame la Gimp.The film was directed by Frank Capra. Apple Annie (May Robson) is a street peddler who had sent away her daughter as a young child to be raised in Europe, letting her believe that Annie was a member of New York high society.
When first released in the summer of 1957, the film became popular among audiences and critics alike for its suspenseful nature and sharp black-and-white cinematography. Ford received particular notice for his against-type villainous performance. The following year, 3:10 to Yuma was nominated for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Film.
Since its release, the film has become a staple of cable television and has gained an audience of several generations. A critically successful remake was released in 2007.
In keeping with the film character Gilda being "the ultimate femme fatale", the song sung by her at two scenes facetiously credits the amorous activities of a woman named "Mame" (the name evidently chosen to rhyme with "blame") as the true cause of three well-known cataclysmic events in American history: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Great Blizzard of 1888 in New York City and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
PUT THE BLAME ON MAME
As recorded by Anita Ellis, for the singing voice of Rita Hayworth in the film "Gilda":
When Mrs. O'Leary's cow Kicked the lantern in Chicago town They say that started the fire That burned Chicago down That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame Mame kissed a buyer from out of town That kiss burned Chicago down So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
Remember the blizzard, back in Manhattan In eighteen-eighty-six They say that traffic was tied up And folks were in a fix That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame Mame gave a chump such an ice-cold "No" For seven days they shovelled snow So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
When they had the earthquake in San Francisco Back in nineteen-six They said that Mother Nature Was up to her old tricks That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame One night she started to shim and shake That brought on the Frisco quake So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
They once had a shootin' up in the Klondike When they got Dan McGrew Folks were putting the blame on The lady known as Lou That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame Mame did a dance called the hoochy-coo That's the thing that slew McGrew So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
In keeping with the film character Gilda being "the ultimate femme fatale", the song sung by her at two scenes facetiously credits the amorous activities of a woman named "Mame" (the name evidently chosen to rhyme with "blame") as the true cause of three well-known cataclysmic events in American history: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Great Blizzard of 1888 in New York City and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
PUT THE BLAME ON MAME
As recorded by Anita Ellis, for the singing voice of Rita Hayworth in the film "Gilda":
When Mrs. O'Leary's cow Kicked the lantern in Chicago town They say that started the fire That burned Chicago down That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame Mame kissed a buyer from out of town That kiss burned Chicago down So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
Remember the blizzard, back in Manhattan In eighteen-eighty-six They say that traffic was tied up And folks were in a fix That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame Mame gave a chump such an ice-cold "No" For seven days they shovelled snow So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
When they had the earthquake in San Francisco Back in nineteen-six They said that Mother Nature Was up to her old tricks That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame One night she started to shim and shake That brought on the Frisco quake So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
They once had a shootin' up in the Klondike When they got Dan McGrew Folks were putting the blame on The lady known as Lou That's the story that went around But here's the real low-down Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame Mame did a dance called the hoochy-coo That's the thing that slew McGrew So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame
"Meet me in St. Louis, Louis,
Meet me at the fair,
Don't tell me the lights are shining
any place but there;
We will dance the Hoochee Koochee,
I will be your tootsie wootsie,
If you will meet in St. Louis, Louis,
Meet me at the fair."
The moment I saw him smile,
I knew he was just my style,
My only regret is we've never met,
Though I dream of him all the while.
But he doesn't know I exist,
No matter how I may persist,
So it's clear to see there's no hope for me,
Though I live at 5135 Kensington Avenue
And he lives at 5133.
How can I ignore
The boy next door?
I love him more than I can say.
Doesn't try to please me, doesn't even tease me,
And he never sees me glance his way.
And though I'm heart-sore
The boy next door affection for me won't display,
I just adore him, so I can't ignore him,
The boy next door.
I just adore him, so I can't ignore him,
The boy next door.
~ALL~
Clang ,clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings as we started for Huntington Dell.
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings as we glided for Huntington Lake.
The day was bright, the air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle charmed me off my feet
I tried to sing, but couldn't squeak
In fact I felt so good I couldn't even speak
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Time to all disembark,
Time to fall went my heartstrings as we got off at Huntington Park
As we got off at Huntington Park.
~Judy~
With my high-starched collar, and my high-topped shoes
And my hair piled high upon my head
I went to lose a jolly hour on the Trolley and lost my heart instead.
With his light brown derby and his bright green tie
He was quite the handsomest of men
I started to yen, so I counted to ten the I counted to ten again
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
From the moment I saw him I fell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings
When he smiled I could feel the car shake
He tipped his hat, and took a seat
He said he hoped he hadn't stepped upon my feet
He asked my name, I held my breath
I couldn't speak because he scared me half to death
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to go then I started to know how it feels
When the universe reels
~All~
The day was bright, the air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle charmed you off youe feet
You tried to sing, but couldn't squeaks
In fact, you loved him so you couldn't even speak
~Judy~
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to leave I took hold of his sleeve with my hand
And as if it were planned he stay on with me
And it was grand just to stand with his hand holding mine
To the end of the line
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.
Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.
Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.
The Wilhelm scream is a repeatedly used film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The effect gained new popularity (its use often becoming an in-joke) after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games. The scream is often used when someone is falling to his death from great height.
The Wilhelm scream has become a well-known cinematic sound cliché, and is claimed to have been used in over 140 films, as well as every episode of Primeval, and in some form, every episode of The Middleman.
The sound effect originates from a series of sound effects recorded for the 1951 film Distant Drums. In a scene from the film, soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades and one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator. The scream for that scene was recorded later in a single take along with five other short pained screams, which were slated as "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams." The fifth scream was used for the soldier in the alligator scene—but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film—when three Indians are shot during a raid on a fort. Although takes 4 through 6 are the most recognizable, all of the screams are referred to as "Wilhelm" by those in the sound community.
The Wilhelm scream's revival came from motion picture sound designer Ben Burtt, who re-discovered the original recording (which he found as a studio reel labeled "Man being eaten by alligator") and incorporated it into a scene in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, when Luke Skywalker shoots a Stormtrooper who screams as he falls. Burtt named the scream after Private Wilhelm, a minor character who emitted the same scream in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River.[4] Burtt began incorporating the effect in other films he worked on, including most projects involving George Lucas and/or Steven Spielberg. Other sound designers picked up on the effect, and inclusion of the sound in films became a tradition among the community of sound designers.
Although the identity of the individual who recorded the scream (or more correctly, the entire series of screams) is unknown, Burtt uncovered documentation suggesting the scream might have been recorded by singer-actor Sheb Wooley. Burtt discovered a file at Warner Brothers that contained paperwork from the editor of Distant Drums. Amongst the paperwork was a short list of names of actors who were scheduled to come in to perform various lines of dialogue for miscellaneous roles in the movie. After reviewing the actors' names and listening to their voices, Burtt determined that Sheb Wooley seemed to be the most likely suspect. Wooley played the uncredited role of Private Jessup in Distant Drums, and was one of the few actors assembled for the recording of additional vocal elements for the film. It is conceivable that he was asked to perform additional vocal elements, including the screams for a man being bitten by an alligator.
As the popularity of the screams has grown from a movie industry in-joke into being public knowledge, the screams have started to make appearances outside of film and TV – most notably in popular music. A few examples include the songs "Wilhelm Scream Dream Team" by We Be The Echo and "Yinxianghechengqi" by Tortoise. The band A Wilhelm Scream takes their name from the effect.
My favorite song of the movie. No one sings like Judy...
Norman Maine(James Mason) watches Esther Blodgett(Judy Garland) perform after-hours in a downtown club and is impressed by her talent. He urges her to follow her dream, and convinces her to try to break into movies.
Time said Garland "gives what is just about the greatest one-woman show in modern movie history," while Newsweek said the film is "best classified as a thrilling personal triumph for Judy Garland. As an actress Miss Garland is more than adequate. As a mime and comedienne she is even better. But as a singer she can handle anything from torch songs and blues to ballads. In more ways than one, the picture is hers.
First, I'll tell you who I am not. I am not affiliated with TCM. I am not some superbot created by software developers. I am not being paid by TCM or anyone else to dedicate my time to tweeting. I am a real flesh and blood human being. I am a real maniac for TCM. I really do keep my TV tuned to TCM 24-7. I created the TCManiacs twitter as a result of my sincere passion for watching Turner Classic Movies.
How I got started?
Well, I've been a fan of TCM since its inception. As I lay flat on my back recovering from a disabling health crisis unable to do little more than watch TV and surf the internet, I found refuge watching TCM round the clock. I soon developed an obsessive habit of keeping a browser tab open for the TCM schedule and beating Robert Osbourne's introductions to finding out facts for upcoming movies. My entire day and night became defined by the TCM line-up. At the beginning of 2009 I decided to check out twitter and lucked up on some fellow TCM fans to friend. During the 31 days Oscar I decided to dedicate a twitter just to share my TCM obsession by tweeting about every movie every day of February. I was totally overwhelmed by the number of fellow TCM maniacs that became my following. Its been a WIN WIN in everyway for me. I have had the opportunity to share fun stuff with some incredible fellow classic movie lovers and bloggers. With so many followers I became committed to maintaining the twitter schedule and finding fun stuff for upcoming TCM movies.
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As I mentioned before, I am not employed by anyone nor being paid for my time maintaining tweets and blog. However, you may express your appreciation for my labor of love by dropping a token of your appreciation in the hat. Simply click the Donate button below. Any amount your heart moves you to give no matter how small will be graciously accepted.
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