Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Mister Tee wrote:The TCM 31 Days of Oscar has, as you'd expect, mostly things many of us have seen long ago. But they've got one film on schedule that's brand-new for me, and I'd guess for most others:

Monday, February 20, 5AM ET -- The Patent Leather Kid, one of the two silents that put Richard Barthelmess among the first Oscar year's best actor nominees.

And now I'm obliged to report that they've, with no explanation, removed the film from the schedule. If you're watching any TCM this month, you know they're doing a alphabetical A-Z schedule, and the slot between A Patch of Blue and Penny Serenade that was filled with The Patent Leather Kid now shows Pennies from Heaven (a movie well worth seeing, but not the historical get that Patent Leather Kid would have been).

Patent does seem to have suddenly emerged from the shadows -- YouTube links claim it can be streamed at some not-too-distant future time -- so maybe this is just a deferral, not a cancellation.

The TCM 31 Days of Oscar has, as you'd expect, mostly things many of us have seen long ago. But they've got one film on schedule that's brand-new for me, and I'd guess for most others:

Monday, February 20, 5AM ET -- The Patent Leather Kid, one of the two silents that put Richard Barthelmess among the first Oscar year's best actor nominees.

The ultimate Oscar completist coup:

Saturday 11/5, 10:30 AM: TCM is showing High Society -- according to their guide, yes, the infamous Bowery Boys movie mistakenly nominated, then un-nominated, for Motion Picture Story in 1956.

Ah, yes, The Fighting Sullivans, the film that inspired Saving Private Ryan, another film that played endlessly on TV when I was a kid.

I'm pretty sure it's a public domain title. I have it on DVD, but it's long been available on YouTube.

Tuesday, August 16, 6:15 AM PST: The Fighting Sullivans (aka The Sullivans) airs on TCM. This is a not-terribly-available nominee in the upcoming 1944 screenplay race we'll be discussing.

Coming up on TCM, a big one for Oscar completists:

Fri. Aug. 5th, 12AM EDT: Thunderbolt (1929), featuring one of the least-seen best actor nominees, George Bancroft

The Original BJ wrote:Some upcoming, more obscure screenplay nominees featured on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar:

2/3 - The Star Witness (1931)
2/7 - Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)
2/10 - Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
2/10 - Pat and Mike (1952)
2/16 - Bachelor Mother (1939)
2/17 - The Blue Dahlia (1946)
2/18 - The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)
2/22 - A Foreign Affair (1948)
2/22 - Hide-Out (1934)
2/23 - Tom, Dick and Harry (1941)
2/23 - Comrade X (1940)
2/28 - One Way Passage (1932)

The Star Witness and Hide-Out are certainly obscure, but the others should be familiar to anyone who watches TCM on a regular basis as they're all pretty much in heavy rotation.

One Way Passage , A Foreign Affair and Pat and Mike are genuine classics and Bachelor Mother is a near-classic. Our Dancing Daughters made a star of Joan Crawford, but Anita Page is the film's standout. Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet is one of Warner Bros. better biographical dramas and The Blue Dahlia is an outstanding film noir. The War Against Mrs. Hadley gives Fay Bainter a rare starring role.

The only two I don't recommend, except for those who need to see everything nominated for an Oscar, are Comrade X, which is a second-rate Ninotchka and Tom, Dick and Harry which was cornball nonsense even then.

Some upcoming, more obscure screenplay nominees featured on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar:

2/3 - The Star Witness (1931)
2/7 - Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)
2/10 - Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
2/10 - Pat and Mike (1952)
2/16 - Bachelor Mother (1939)
2/17 - The Blue Dahlia (1946)
2/18 - The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)
2/22 - A Foreign Affair (1948)
2/22 - Hide-Out (1934)
2/23 - Tom, Dick and Harry (1941)
2/23 - Comrade X (1940)
2/28 - One Way Passage (1932)

ksrymy wrote:I'm a completist myself, but there are films almost not worth it as you mention.

Well, I never said it wasn't worth it. I just said that there are some that are hard to get through.

Conversely, though, to use my own example, even something as plodding as Cavalcade can have some merit. I learned a little about the Boer War and advanced my use of the word "tinny" when I reviewed the film (referring to its sound quality).

flipp525 wrote:

ksrymy wrote:

Mister Tee wrote:Another tip-off for when we resume the screenplay discussions: This Tuesday at 5:45AM ET, TCM is showing 1938's Blockade, one of the nominees I'm missing from the Original Story category.

I wouldn't bother. It's godawful with Henry Fonda giving one of his worst-ever performances.

But kudos to your solidarity.

I think you might be missing the point of being an Oscar completist. A lot of what was nominated in the past is a slog to get through (would anyone willingly pop in 1933's Cavalcade if they weren't trying to mark it off their Best Picture list?), but get through it you must if you want to complete the nomination list.

I'm a completist myself, but there are films almost not worth it as you mention.

ksrymy wrote:

Mister Tee wrote:Another tip-off for when we resume the screenplay discussions: This Tuesday at 5:45AM ET, TCM is showing 1938's Blockade, one of the nominees I'm missing from the Original Story category.

I wouldn't bother. It's godawful with Henry Fonda giving one of his worst-ever performances.

But kudos to your solidarity.

I think you might be missing the point of being an Oscar completist. A lot of what was nominated in the past is a slog to get through (would anyone willingly pop in 1933's Cavalcade if they weren't trying to mark it off their Best Picture list?), but get through it you must if you want to complete the nomination list.

Mister Tee wrote:Another tip-off for when we resume the screenplay discussions: This Tuesday at 5:45AM ET, TCM is showing 1938's Blockade, one of the nominees I'm missing from the Original Story category.

I wouldn't bother. It's godawful with Henry Fonda giving one of his worst-ever performances.

But kudos to your solidarity.

Another tip-off for when we resume the screenplay discussions: This Tuesday at 5:45AM ET, TCM is showing 1938's Blockade, one of the nominees I'm missing from the Original Story category.

Last minute alert: For those planning ahead on the screenplay vote, TCM at 7AM EDT tomorrow is showing Star Witness, one of the more obscure nominees. I can't exactly recommend it (SPOILER ALERT: I think it's pretty unbearable), but it's another tick off your list.

Thanks for the heads-up!