By David in TN
Sunday, January 7, 2018 at 3:18:00 P.M. EST
On Monday night, January 8, TCM has a True Crime Night, starting with Richard Brooks' In Cold Blood (1967) at 8 p.m. ET.
Brooks pushes an anti-death penalty theme by focusing on the killers played by Robert Blake and Scott Wilson, instead of the victims. Much of the film is spent making you feel sorry for them.
The "raspy-voiced" (per Eddie Muller) Paul Stewart plays a reporter who wails in effect, "Both are murder, the Clutter killings and hanging the two killers. Both murder." Stewart's character hangs his head and weeps as poor Perry Smith takes the drop.
This was Richard Brooks’ apparent message.
The night follows with 10 Rillington Place (1971) about a serial killer in 1940's and 50's London, The Honeymoon Killers (1969), and Dog Day Afternoon (1975).
The final entry deserves special mention, The Phenix City Story (1955) at 4:45 am ET. Set your DVR's. This one stars Richard Kiley, Edward Andrews, John McIntire, and James Edwards, in a key supporting role.
In the Fifties, when a black actor was needed, Edwards was called on.
The Phenix City Story concerns the "Dixie Mafia." McIntire plays Albert Patterson, who was shot by the mob after winning the Democratic nomination for Alabama AG.
Phil Karlson directed. It was the type of film Karlson was known for.
[N.S.: Dog Day Afternoon (1975), the darkly comical story of a homosexual loser (Al Pacino) who decides to rob a bank, in order to pay for his boyfriend’s (Chris Sarandon) sex-change operation, is on the short list of the greatest pictures ever shot on the streets of New York, and was the late Sidney Lumet’s masterpiece. It features an Academy Award nomination-worthy performance by Charles Durning as a New York City Police Department detective.
The movie was up for six Oscars, but the only one it won, for Best Original Screenplay, was illegitimate. The script was based on a long, famous New York magazine story that I read at the time.]
Seems all the movies made about "In Cold Blood" are anti-death penalty. Indeed, what movie ever has been made that is not anti-death penalty.
ReplyDeleteTCM has a lot of good films this month.
ReplyDeleteOn Saturday night, January 13, TCM has a Witness Protection Night, starting with Bullitt (1968) at 8 pm ET. Bullitt is one of Steve McQueen's signature roles. Robert Vaughn co-stars as a federal (?) prosecutor who wants McQueen to guard his mob witness. Vaughn often said Bullitt's plot "didn't make sense."
A funny thing is Robert Vaughn was considering running for the Senate in California but found out playing the "Chalmers" character had finished off his hopes of a political career.
Another Noir follows, The Narrow Margin (1952), with Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor.
The third film is Murder, Inc. (1960), based on the book by Burton Turkus and Sid Feder. This book has been in print since 1951. Peter Falk made his debut, chewing the scenery as Abe Reles, who decided to rat out his Murder Inc colleagues.
Stuart Whitman and Mai Britt played fictional characters. Simon Oakland, noted character actor, is a detective. Henry Morgan, the 50's and 60's New York radio-TV personality, plays Burton Turkus, who was hired by the Brooklyn DA to prosecute the Murder, Inc suspects.
This is the first time Murder, Inc. has been shown on TCM.
TCM's Sunday Film Noir of the Week on January 14 at 10 am ET, is Where Danger Lives (1950). Robert Mitchum plays a doctor who falls for a woman who attempted suicide, a logical lead-in for a film noir.
Also on Sunday at 4 pm ET, TCM shows Knock on Any Door (1949). Humphrey Bogart plays a lawyer who defends a young hood (John Derek) accused of killing a cop. Derek's character is portrayed as a Victim of Society. This film was called in the parlance of the time, a "Sob Story."