tcm watch...and more

A couple of 5-star worthy TCM news items to bring across the bow of the Shelf, and more from around the Shelf neighborhood:

You may already know that Turner Classic Movies is hosting their first annual TCM Classic Film Festival April of 2010 in Hollywood, CA. They will be presenting more than 50 classic films, and hosted by Robert Osborne- with many talks and special guests such as Leonard Maltin, Peter Bogdanovich, and Douglas Trumbull. News comes today that there will be several specials screenings. From the news release:
"spectacular events will include the world premiere of a newly restored edition of George Cukor’s music-filled 1954 drama A Star is Born; the North American premiere of a restored version of Fritz Lang’s 1927 science-fiction silent masterpiece Metropolis; and a 50th anniversary screening of the influential French classic Breathless, the film that launched Jean-Luc Godard’s career."
Especially note worthy is the first North American screening of the restored version of Lang's Metropolis. Last year a a 16mm negative was discovered in Buenos Aires that included an additional 30 minutes of footage that hasn't been seen since the films 1927 premiere in Berlin. A live orchestra will providing the music for the silent film classic. Hopefully news and details of a DVD release won't be too far behind.
Information on tickets, passes and the Festival, for anyone lucky enough to be out there, can be found at the Festival website.

For those of you who have been keeping up with the Universal library on made to order DVD through TCM archives collection, you may know that a film fans have been eagerly hoping will make it to DVD will debut on the TCM/Universal collection starting Friday Nov. 20th. Remember the Night, starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck is the story of a prosecutor (MacMurray) who finds himself falling in love with a shoplifter (Stanwyck) during a court recess at Christmas time. The rarely seen Christmas film will not only soon be available to fans on DVD, but it also is one of the headliners for TCM's Christmas movies throughout the month of December. Thursdays in December (including Christmas Eve, natch) will feature lineups of beloved holiday classics. Here is a listing of the Christmas film line-up that winds up with a special Sherlock Holmes marathon on Christmas Day (what TCM is unashamedly calling Holmes for the Holidays)
(a complete month schedule can be found on TCM.com)

The following is a complete lineup of TCM’s Thursday primetime and Christmas Day schedule:

Thursday, Dec. 3
8 p.m. – A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart.
9:15 p.m. – Little Women (1949), starring June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Margaret O’Brien.
11:30 p.m. – Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), starring Margaret O’Brien and Angela Lansbury.
1 a.m. – 3 Godfathers (1948), starring John Wayne, Pedro Armindáriz, Harry Carey Jr. and Ward Bond.
3 a.m. – Hell’s Heroes (1930), starring Charles Bickford and Raymond Hatton.
4:30 a.m. – Bush Christmas (1947), starring John Fernside and Chips Rafferty.

Thursday, Dec. 10
8 p.m. – It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), starring Don DeFore, Ann Harding and Gale Storm. 10 p.m. – Fitzwilly (1967), starring Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon and Edith Evans.
Midnight – Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), starring Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and Lewis Stone.
2 a.m. – Susan Slept Here (1954), staring Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Anne Francis.
4 a.m. – Little Women (1933), starring Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas and Frances Dee.

Thursday, Dec. 17
8 p.m. – Christmas in Connecticut (1945), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet.
10 p.m. – Holiday Affair (1950), starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh.
11:30 p.m. – Never Say Goodbye (1946), starring Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker.
1:30 a.m. – Period of Adjustment (1962), starring Tony Franciosa, Jane Fonda and Jim Hutton.
3:30 a.m. – Beyond Tomorrow (1940), starring Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith and Maria Ouspenskaya.

Thursday, Dec. 24 – Robert Osborne’s Christmas Picks
8 p.m. – Remember the Night (1940), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray.
9:45 p.m. – Christmas in July (1940), starring Dick Powell and Ellen Drew.
11 p.m. – Chicken Every Sunday (1948), starring Dan Dailey and Celeste Holme.
1 a.m. – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), starring Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Lucille Bremer and Mary Astor.
3 a.m. – In the Good Old Summertime (1949), starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson.
5 a.m. – The Shop Around the Corner (1940), starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart and Frank Morgan.

Friday, Dec. 25
7 a.m. – Little Women (1933), starring Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas and Frances Dee.
9 a.m. – A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart.
10:15 a.m. – The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), starring Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan and Monty Woolley.
12:15 p.m. – Christmas in Connecticut (1945), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet.
2:15 p.m. – Little Women (1949), starring June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Margaret O’Brien.
4:30 p.m. – Holiday Affair (1950), starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh.
6 p.m. – Susan Slept Here (1954), starring Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Anne Francis.

Friday, Dec. 25 – Holmes for the Holidays
8 p.m. – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Richard Greene and Wendy Barrie.
9:30 p.m. – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and Ida Lupino.
11 p.m. – The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), starring Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely and Genevieve Page.
1:15 a.m. – Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour (1931), starring Arthur Wontner, Ian Fleming and Jane Welsh.
2:30 a.m. – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Andre Morell and Maria Landi.
4 a.m. – A Study in Terror (1965), starring John Neville, Donald Houston, Georgia Brown and Anthony Quayle.

You can stay tuned to the Shelf for a upcoming review of the first wave of the Universal/TCM Archives set: Horror Cult Classics, and of Remember the Night!

From some of our blogging neighbors:

Laura, our friend of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings fame, reports on a recent interview with Warner Home Video's George Feltenstein and the state of the Warner Archives program. Feltenstein offers that Warners will be making improvements to the DVD on demand library and program, perhaps, as Laura Mused, because of the newly created Universal/TCM Archives DVD on demand program. If so, that is a great thing- and may lead to other studios presenting their own form of DVD on Demand (Fox- I keep staring at you!) And if one were to compare- the Universal/TCM effort hands down is leading out of the gate in terms of print quality, extras an everything fans have come to expect from DVDs. Warners has the vast selection and titles- we just want you to up the game a bit. And George, you are a Classic Film Fan's hero- keep bringing your skill and knowledge to bear on the WB Archives and up the quality. Please read Laura's post - it's very informative and makes some dead-on observations - and has a link to the interview.

The inimitable Ivan at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear takes a look at those childhood heroes of mine, Rocky and Bullwinkle, who turn 50 years young today!

Shelf favorite, and constant object of adoration, the Self-Styled Siren as demonstrated why we admire her so much- she has been able to achieve every classic film fan's dream and programmed a film series for Turner Classic Movies. In January of 2010, TCM will present Shadows of Russia: a month long look at the many images of Russia and Communism through the lens of Hollywood. How it all came about is up on her site (and reading her recent take on rewatching The Bicycle Thief is well worth your time as well. )

Finally- several bloggers have noted and posted on the 100th anniversary of wonderful actor Robert Ryan, and deservedly so- in addition to being fantastic in so many noirs, his subtle ability to make any character breathe life hard is evident in so many other roles. Some of the best tributes read came from another Shelf favorite and regular read, The Classic Maiden and the bloggers over at TCM's Movie Morlocks.

That's all for today Shelfers- please stay tuned for more news and reviews and of course, more Thanksgiving 2009 celebration!



Oh my, yes. My life is just one long round of whoopee.

repost: the case for thanksgiving, part 2

Here is part two of that Shelf Classic: The Case for Thanksgiving. Stick around for more new posts this week in our ongoing 2009 Shelf Thanksgiving Celebration!

Shelfers, in the midst of your traveling and cooking or cleaning for the holidays, we hope that you will take the time to bow your head and take a moment of silence for an endangered species: Thanksgivingus animatis specialus. We will not review the material from our previous class, so if you need to- you may catch up later.
As we discussed previously, in the past decade the animated holiday special has all but disappeared from Network prime time television. This would be a real tragedy if not for concurring events and technology, namely cable and satellite television and DVDs. Walk into any Best Buy or Circuit City, etc. and you will see many holiday DVDs; movies and animated shows alike. In recent years, the networks have sniffed the ad revenue in the air again and perhaps have realized that there is indeed something to running those specials. In fact, ABC has taken a bit of a lead in running the classics. ABC secured the rights to air the Peanuts holiday specials, taking them from CBS, the long time champ of the holiday special. Peanuts ruled CBS for 35 years. What kid doesn't remember the CBS eye logo spinning around with the dramatic music surging underneath telling us another holiday special was next?
CBS was smarting when ABC took the rug out from under them. The specials were getting perfunctory attention at CBS- ABC took the initiative and invested advertising and commercials in the series and it looks like it has paid off. At first they claimed that ratings was not a big deal; the network claimed at the time that they "won't miss the ratings. They were pretty modest. It's a matter of tradition."
That was then. Now the ratings have turned around to ABC's favor in regard to their investment. Now they are taking another step in the right direction. This year ABC is also running a longtime fan favorite Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. This is perhaps the first time in many years it has been run in primetime on a major network. ABC is also running two Charlie Brown Christmas specials (there are actually three) and The Grinch as well. CBS still has the rights to several Rankin Bass specials, Rudolph and several Frosty specials and will be airing those (Rudolph runs twice!). For many years the original Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and Frosty were the only specials you saw on network television- and they were rarely aired on the weekend. You had to go to cable to see anything else. That is beginning to change. The original fans of these shows are now adults and have or are starting to have kids of their own. They want to share these (and see them also) with their own children. Something that became tradition, then went away, seems to be making a comeback - at least where Christmas is concerned.
What does this mean for Thanksgiving specials? Well, not much- at least not in the present. The truth is that Thanksgiving specials were never in great abundance. Thanksgiving day has been the official start of Christmas programming for television right after the Macy's parade has gone off the air. I mean if Macy's winds up with Santa Claus as a finale- who are the networks to delay the inevitable. ABC, in a bold move (students, please not the light air of sarcasm in this statement) is airing A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on the night of Thanksgiving. This year that seems to be it. However, in the 70s and 80s in the weeks before Thanksgiving, families were able to sit down in front of a least a couple of animated Thanksgiving specials. Very few of them retained a special place as a must see special- but there have been more than you think. Today, in honor of this most rare of species we will list out the Thanksgiving animated specials that have appeared over the years, many which have been largely forgotten (some deservedly so). A few deserve to be remembered and seen still. Perhaps you will enjoy this trip down memory lane. Take the time to watch the specials when they air, and perhaps the trend that is returning, starting with Christmas, will spill over to Thanksgiving as well.

Not counting the occasional Saturday morning holiday themed special, very few Thanksgiving specials appeared in prime time. Here are a few that only appeared a few times.

The Mouse and the Mayflower (Rankin Bass, 1968)
If you thought the masters of the holiday special missed Thanksgiving, you are wrong. Rankin Bass hit Thanksgiving hard like your Aunt Mabel's Turkey Tofu Loaf. This cell animated adventure is about a Mouse that takes a trip along with the pilgrims aboard the Mayflower and ends up saving the ship and eventually Thanksgiving. Natch. Rankin Bassaficionadoss (including yours truly) eagerly await the DVD release of this classic. You can find it only used on VHS if you can't wait.

The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't (Hanna Barbara, 1972) This was a fairly saccharine-sweet adventure style cartoon. A young settler befriends a young Indian around the time of the first Thanksgiving. Some forest animals of the Snow White variety hang out with them, until they are dangerously cornered by a bear. Who will save the day? I actually don't remember this from childhood, but from having seen it on Cartoon Network about seven years ago.

Bugs Bunny Thanksgiving Diet (Warner Brothers, 1979) Bugs Bunny is the head of a diet clinic helping out other Looney Tunes characters with food related problems. Each problem transitions into a classic cartoon with a food theme. This one is actually funny and the new animation does a better job of leading into older segments. Although not on prime time anymore, you can probably find this on VHS at a rental store or online.

Daffy Duck's Thanks For Giving (Warner Brothers, 1980)
This is really only a Thanksgiving special in name only. Classic Daffy Duck shorts are joined by new animated transitions which have Daffy trying to get "J.L" to produce a new Daffy Duck film adventure: "Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24th 1/2 Century."

This is America, Charlie Brown - The Mayflower Voyagers

(Paramount, 1988) While is not necessarily a "Thanksgiving special" it is an enjoyable and fairly informative look at the story of the meeting of the Pilgrims and Native Americans. Part of the "This is America" series, this special is available as a second feature on the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD.

Garfield's Thanksgiving (Fox, 1988)
A great classic! Garfield's vet tells Jon that Garfield must go on a diet, right at Thanksgiving. Jon is able to convince the lady vet to come over for Thanksgiving. When she comes over, she takes pity on ol' Garfield and tells him he can take a break from the diet for the special diet. Jon almost ruins dinner, but luckily it's his Harley- riding Grandma to the rescue. This one is readily available on the Garfield Holiday Celebrations DVD.

And of course perennialnnel classic:

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Paramont, 1973)
What else can we say, other than perhaps no other special is able to top it. Peppermint Patty invites herself, Franklin, and Marcie over to Chuck's for Thanksgiving. One problem - Charlie Brown and Sally are headed to Grandma's for dinner and aren't cooking. Linus recommends that perhaps they have two dinners: one for the gang early and then the Browns can head to Grandma's. Snoopy handles cooking duties which includes Jelly Beans, toast, popcorn, pretzels and sundaes. Peppermint Patty gets pretty ticked and freaks out. Marcie reminds her that she invited herself over and PP apologizes to Chuck. Then Charlie Brown does what he should have done in the first place: he asks Grandma if his friends can come for dinner. When the gang heads for Grandma's condo, Snoopy and Woodstock then pull out the real Thanksgiving food that he hid for themselves. Woodstock, who apparently has no issues with cannibalism, wins the wishbone. I love this special- it's actually one of my favorite Charlie Brown specials. Also it has a very under-appreciated song: "Little Birdy." Love it. Do yourself a favor - watch it Thanksgiving night.


Well Shelfers- that's the case for Thanksgiving we think it deserves all the respect we can give it. Hopefully animated specials will continue the trend and return in abundance soon. Until then, enjoy them on DVD or cable if you can.

What did you expect, a turkey card?

repost: the case for thanksgiving part 1

Today's repost is Shelf Classic on Thanksgiving in two parts. Look for part two later this weekend, and more new posts to come next week in our ongoing 2009 Shelf Thanksgiving Celebration!

You will, no doubt, remember our award winning coverage of the history of animated specials and the Top Shelf picks for Halloween specials. When I say award winning, I mean that it should have won an award if there was such a thing. But let's stay on track here...
Thanksgiving is no stranger to the animated special. However, it does get short shrift as far as the amount and quality of specials. In fact, we dare say that only the Fourth of July and Labor Day fare worse. Labor Day was a goner the minute Jerry Lewis locked it in, and they realized no one care to see an animated musical about the AFL-CIO. Columbus Day doesn't count, because we all know it's not politically correct. Are there still places that celebrate that archaic holiday? I mean when will people learn that Columbus, OH is frightening place and never deserved a holiday to begin with. Just think of all the other deserving towns or cities that deserve... wait a second... I'm getting some information from the production team... Christopher who? Oh... I see. Well, that's different. Ahem.
Back to our feature.

Like the Thanksgiving animated special, the holiday itself is sort of in a bit of limbo. I know many people who enjoy Thanksgiving as one of their favorite holidays, myself included. Everything about it is pleasant, especially the older you get. I mean, once you get bumped up from the kiddy table to fill a vacancy at the "Main Table" - there's no turning back. At least until Aunt Mabel comes back next year when her rheumatism isn't so bad. Darn that Aunt Mabel.

Since Halloween folded up and left town, Christmas busted into town, without any regard for Thanksgiving, or even without calling ahead first to let us know it was on the way. In the rush to get the house ready- Thanksgiving- expected and invited- was knocking at the door. We answer the door sheepishly, knowing what needs to said. Thanksgiving, grinning from ear to ear has no clue. All we can say is, "Come on in, Thanksgiving. Good to see you. Sorry we can't visit long. You see, Christmas just blew into town and we kind of weren't expecting him this early. I'm sure you understand. Just stay and have some dinner and watch a little T.V. before Christmas gets here. Then we've got to rush, rush, rush. You know how it is. The house has to be just right."
Yeah. See what I mean. Short shrift.

Retail stores are barely putting discount signs on the Halloween candy the day before Halloween, and the Christmas candy and other holiday flash and tinsel was on the next shelf- waiting for Halloween to vacate the place like some New Yorker waiting for the tenant above them to die so they can move in to that rent controlled haven. It's fairly pathetic. The day after Halloween, I snuck down to the nearby unnamed electronics store chain and they were playing Christmas music. Freakin' Christmas music. Shelfers, I know you have been there. I know you have your own sad little experiences. It's not that Christmas isn't great. It is. We are big fans of Christmas here at The Shelf, as you will see coming in the month ahead. But all things must be enjoyed in moderation and in perspective. In fact, I would argue that without first commemorating a day of thanks, we are essentially diluting the true spirit of Christmas and the season in general. Since when did our culture stop needing to feel and recognize gratitude? Since never. Duh.

Popular culture is a wonderful thing, but it sort of has an "evil twin" side to it called over-commercialization. That used to be a very popular term back in the 60s and 70s when everyone worried about the holidays becoming too commercialized. But I've got news for ya': it's been going on for decades. It's fine in some aspects. Surely, certain holiday commercials and products occupy warm spots in our hearts. But when it is done in non-stop excess, we can't enjoy it. In fact we may resent it. And the thing is, Thanksgiving is kind of hard to commercialize, outside of food and maybe cards. It doesn't mean companies haven't tried, but in the end a day based on gratitude is a hard way to sell toys and candy. So the companies pay perfunctory tribute to Thanksgiving while they are rolling out the toys and candy and hawk decorations and advice on how to have the perfect Christmas. The T.V. and stores tell you to hurry, "time's a-wastin' "(wither Snuffy Smith?) and you have to buy this and that to have it just right. If it's not right, then no one will enjoy it! Rubbish. As it is- all this stuff puts family time in tretcherous territory. Now, don't get me wrong. Decorating, baking, etc. is wonderful for the holidays. But when you are worrying about perfection, what time do you have left for the loved ones who don't want perfect- they just want you. Truth hurts, doesn't it? If you only learn one thing today Shelfers, learn this: There can be too much of a good thing. Too much of anything leaves little room for anything else.

Remember Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory? All the kids that were abducted by Oompa Loompas and never seen again, were children in excess. All kids like candy and television, etc., but it has to be moderated by things like heart, learning, and living a good life. The true blessing of childhood is the ability of children to see truth, feel love and express them both. When we adults cram everything down their throats and indulge every single whim- we dilute that. Sometimes to the point of obliterating that. That's what the Oompa Loopmas were singing: "Who's to blame? The Mother and the Father." Didn't catch that the first time you saw it did you? Oompa Loompa, Doompety do.

Perhaps it's the feeling that holiday purchases are being forced down our throats- or perhaps it's because we feel like the things like products and perfection are getting in the way of time with family and friends; but that same thing happens to holidays. Days that were meant, like children, to express love and truth- become diluted by gross commercialization.
Therefore, today at the Shelf we are making the case for Thanksgiving. We throw the gaunlet down- we dare you to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, in full, and hold off on Christmas til next week. Sit down with your kids and enjoy some holiday cheer. Keep the Christmas stuff in the attic for now. Watch some Thanksgiving specials, bake some pumpkin pies, and heck throw in the ol' hand turkey. Enjoy Thanksgiving in it's fullness and aromas, in it's family time and goofy traditions. And be grateful that old Aunt Mabel is still around to tell you those silly stories about her rheumatism. Remember she may not be around next year. While you may be bumped up to the "Main table," we know that you look back at the kiddy table with fondness. Maybe next week once you are in the stores, hearing der Bingle croonin' about Rudolph above the din of the crowd, you will have carried a bit of the grateful spirit along with you. And then you'll thank us. Trust me, it will be worth it.
And next year, when Christmas blows into town right after Halloween skips out, tell 'em you already got company. Thanksgiving is propping it's feet up and staying a while. Tell Christmas you'll be glad to see it in December.

Later, in part II, we look at the rare species known as Thanksgivingus animatis specialus. Be here.

I went down to buy a turkey tree and all they have are things for Christmas.

around the corner

Yes- Halloween has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We've lamented here on The Shelf in the past about our modern day efforts to zoom right from Halloween to Christmas and stopping briefly only to pause on Thanksgiving to eat. To some, Thanksgiving has become merely the day before the shopping holiday. Well, I've had it with all of that. Today I publically declare my love for the Thanksgiving holiday. I love not just the opportunity to gather with family and friends, but also what the holiday is supposed to represent.

Yes, I realize that it's perhaps "un-pc" to like Thanksgiving and that there are many exaggerated aspects of the "first Thanksgiving" story, etc. I don't care. I don't care. It doesn't change what is supposed to be the spirit of the holiday. Our nation has declared a "day of Thanksgiving" many times in our past- for various reasons. A national annual Thanksgiving holiday should be even more important for us today. A time to put aside our differences for a day of goodwill and reflection and gratitude is a valuable thing. We should take advantage of it and enjoy it and really be grateful for the things and freedoms we do have.

So this month we will be celebrating Thanksgiving- with fun and food and some serious reflection. You can expect Thanksgiving specials, posts on family and food, Thankgiving culture and history and other assorted Thanksgiving-y stuff.

First up today- a Thanksgiving cartoon special!
Presenting Tex Avery's Jerky Turkey. Enjoy:



Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving fun.



Psst...Hey Junior, ya wanna buy a hot Turkey?

universal on demand: treasure island, part deux

Our friends at Turner Classic Movies have sent us word recently that this was going to happen, and today we received the official word and press release. As part of their ongoing Vault Collection series- TCM and Universal have entered into a partnership to bring to classic film fans more titles from Universal's library. These films are all digitally remastered, and will produced, akin to the Warner Vault Series, on a on a made-to-order basis. What is being now referred to as MOD (Manufactured on Demand), started with TCM's release of the RKO Lost Titles Collection earlier this year.

From the Official Press Release:
"Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) have entered into an extensive new partnership to offer classic movie fans rare vintage films, all digitally remastered, on DVD on a made-to-order basis. The TCM Vault Collection Presented by Universal marks USHE’s first foray into the manufactured-on-demand (MOD) arena. TCM began offering MOD featuring lost titles from the RKO library.

TCM and USHE are working to remaster a number of great titles never before available on DVD, with several never available on home video at all. The first titles made available include five chilling horror films, three early Cary Grant pictures and the unsung 1940 holiday classic Remember the Night, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray and scripted by the great Preston Sturges. The films will be made available by request on DVD via TCM.com for the first time during the fourth quarter of 2009. TCM host Robert Osborne will provide introductions for selected titles, which will also include supplemental materials compiled by TCM and extensive material from the TCM archives. In addition, TCM will present exclusive premieres of the movies over the next six months.

“Many terrific films have been unavailable on home video for far too long, especially the holiday classic Remember the Night,” Osborne said. “It’s wonderful that today’s movie fans will be able to enjoy these rare movies. TCM and Universal have worked hard to restore them digitally and provide historical context, bonus content and behind-the-scenes information, something DVD collectors are sure to appreciate. I’m proud to be part of this great project with TCM and Universal.”

For Universal, the agreement is a great way to reach avid film fans. “Universal is very proud of its prestigious collection of Hollywood screen gems,” said Craig Kornblau, president, Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “Like us, TCM is deeply dedicated to honoring Hollywood’s golden age. This collaboration presents the perfect opportunity to share Universal’s rich cinematic legacy and celebrate vintage works with classic film fans.”

This is welcome news, and should be to classic film fans, as this process seems to be a way to bring more titles out and available to fans - as we have discussed before. The MOD may have some drawbacks, but we at The Shelf still believe it is a great opportunity to be able to have titles in our collections that wouldn't be released otherwise.

The great difference here with TCM, is that the films will be digitally remastered, and select films will include introductions by erstwhile TCM host and all around great guy Robert Osborne, and many titles may also have extras and supplemental material from the TCM archives and library (shorts? documentaries? perhaps!) This is a great step in the right direction and classic film fans should celebrate. Word behind the scenes is that other studios may be trying to do something along the MOD lines as well- so TCM and Universal have stepped up to the plate to give us the goods, as only TCM can. TCM will also premiere some of these films on Turner Classic Movies channel, which adds them to their ever increasing library. The prices for the individual titles seem to be right around $19.99- following the bar set by WB. We hope that as this MOD system continues to prove reliable and as film fans order the sets, these prices will come down. The good news is, as opposed to WB Archive- Many of the TCM titles will include extras and bonus content- which goes a long way toward making the price more palatable.

The Universal Cult Horror Collection will be available to order Oct. 31 (the TCM website actual shows it as available for order now) and includes the following titles (description from the Press Release):
"This collection will include five rarely seen horror gems from the Universal vault, most appearing on home video for the first time. Special features include over a hundred photos, posters and lobby cards, trivia, articles and more.

Murders in the Zoo (1933) – Censors had a heyday with this horror film about a zoologist and sportsman who uses his zoo animals to kill his wife’s lovers. Lionel Atwill plays the villain, with Kathleen Burke as his wife, a young Randolph Scott as the hero and the ever lovable Charles Ruggles providing comic relief as the zoo’s press agent. Among the men playing Burke’s doomed lovers is John Lodge, who later left acting to enter politics, becoming governor of Vermont.

Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) – Lionel Atwill plays a mad scientist who places people into suspended animation and then revives them. When he is accused of murder following the death of one of his subjects, he flees on a ship, becomes stranded on a tropical island and soon becomes revered as a god by the natives. Una Merkel, Nat Pendleton and Claire Dodd co-star.

The Strange Case of Dr. RX (1942) – A mysterious killer bumps off acquitted murderers who have all been represented by the same lawyer, played by Samuel S. Hinds. Lionel Atwill, Patric Knowles and Anne Gwynne co-star, with Shemp Howard (on hiatus from his work with The Three Stooges) providing comic relief.

The Mad Ghoul (1943) – This creepy tale follows a mad professor, played by George Zucco, who has discovered an ancient Egyptian gas that turns anyone who sniffs it into a heart-eating zombie. David Bruce plays the doctor’s assistant who gets dosed with the gas and goes on a murderous rampage. Evelyn Ankers and Robert Armstrong co-star.

House of Horrors (1946) – The legendary Rondo Hatton, whose acromegaly deformed his face and made him a frequent Hollywood villain, marked one of his last roles with this offbeat film. Martin Kosleck plays a mad artist who, after saving Hatton and making a bust of his face, uses the disfigured hulk to murder art critics. Hatton died of a heart attack the year this film was released."

The Cary Grant Titles will be available January 2010 and include (descriptions from the press release):
"The Eagle and the Hawk (1933) – This vivid World War I drama stars Frederic March as a disillusioned but fearless squadron leader and Cary Grant as his bullied gunner-observer. The gripping interpersonal drama, anti-war sentiments and outstanding aerial dogfights give this film an impact that remains vital today. Carole Lombard and Jack Oakie round out a top-notch cast. The great director Mitchell Leisen, who is billed as associate director, is believed to have directed most of this film.

The Devil and the Deep (1932) – This melodrama is headlined by Tallulah Bankhead, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant and Charles Laughton. The setting is the northern coast of Africa, where submarine commander Laughton is stationed and where his wife, Bankhead, is splitting her time between suitors Cooper and Grant. This marked Laughton’s first American film and one of his most underappreciated performances.

The Last Outpost (1935) – Cary Grant plays a British officer saved from a Kurdish tribe by fellow officer Claude Rains. But when Grant unknowingly falls in love with Rains’ wife, tragedy looms. Gertrude Michael and Kathleen Burke co-star under the dual direction of Charles Barton and Louis Gasnier."

And finally, what I suspect will be welcome news to many classic film fans, including myself, the long awaited DVD release of Remember the Night with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck! It is available starting Nov. 22, 2009, digitally remastered and with lots of bonus features!! (again, from the Press release):

"This heart-warming holiday romance – penned by Preston Sturges – marked the first of four on-screen pairings of Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck and came four years before their iconic work in Double Indemnity. MacMurray plays a prosecutor who finds himself falling in love with a shoplifter (Stanwyck) during a court recess at Christmas time. The atmospheric film co-stars Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson and Sterling Holloway and was directed by Mitchell Leisen.

Remember the Night is rarely seen and received a brief home-video release on VHS. It is being now remastered and brought back to life so it can take its rightful place as a signature holiday classic. Special features on the DVD will include an introduction by Robert Osborne; still galleries, including behind-the-scenes photos; never-before-seen interview segments on the work of director Mitchell Leisen from the TCM Archives; and the original movie trailer, trivia, biographies and more."

Now the best news of all is that as this new MOD series from TCM and Universal rolls out, they have stated "Future Universal collections and titles for rollout on DVD and TCM include vintage films from Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert, Deanna Durbin, director Douglas Sirk and many more."

It looks like an early Halloween treat for Classic Film Fans. And the more that we support efforts like these, the more we will be rewarded with more titles and more access to the films we love! The Treasure Island that started with Warner Archive is getting bigger, and as we suggested- it looks like more studios are finding this to be a great way to use their libraries and reach fans. I believe more studios will soon follow. (FOX! I am looking at you!)

Stay tuned for more Classic film news and of course, more Shelf Halloween Madness 2009!



Now there's nothing as dangerous as a square shooter. If all men were like you there wouldn't be any nice girls left.

weekly halloween cartoon special: double bill

Well Shelfers, one more week til All Hallows Eve, where ghosts and goblins roam the earth in search of full size Milky Way and Butterfinger Candy Bars. And though we have been, and will continue to do so, posting favorite posts from Halloweens past, today we have a new weekly Halloween cartoon feature!

Today's feature is a double bill. First off is a favorite, not created as a Halloween special, but it fits so well- Scaredy Cat with Porky Pig and Sylvester. Here's a bit of tricky trivia as an extra treat: Bob Clampett paired Porky and Sylvester for three shorts in which Sylvester is the mute pet who sees all of the imminent threats that could befall them, while Porky is the clueless owner who thinks Sylvester is just a "fraidy cat". The series includes our short, Jumpin' Jupiter and Claws For Alarm. Our 1948 short is the first short where Sylvester receives his official name.
Enjoy!



Retro Commercial Break!



Next up is another classic, perhaps one of my all time favorites, this time with Donald and his nephews: Trick or Treat!



Well folks- we hope you enjoyed our double feature for Halloween fun! Stay tuned for more Shelf Halloween Madness 2009!



Monsters lead such interesting lives.

repost: nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see...

Moving went well, but as we are still unpacking and living out of boxes, we are still running some of the Shelf Halloween classics of the past few years as a special treat for our Shelf Halloween Madness 2009 celebration. Today's Shelf classic is our look at some of our favorite Halloween animated classics. Keep in mind that since this was originally posted, some more Halloween animated specials have finally been released on DVD! Enjoy!

In the last thirty years Halloween has become a major Holiday. Before the 70s, or so I'm told, Halloween was pretty much a one night celebration for kids. The major event consisted of kids going out trick or treating and maybe a school or some other organization would have a Halloween party or carnival. That was it. Then came along the animated Halloween special. And Halloween exploded until it gradually became the money drain and month-long obsession for overgrown kids that it is today. I jack o'latern you not. After the holiday specials became popular, advertisers started soaking the kids' parents for candy, costumes, holiday themed Happy Meals, food, juice drinks, and accessories. A related trend of the increased popularity of horror movies combined with the more kid oriented television and retail experience and combined to form the perfect storm. Today adult costumes near in retail sales to children costumes. Halloween is the 2nd largest holiday for candy and food retailers. In fact, dollar for dollar, Halloween is the biggest money maker, second only to Christmas. "How is that possible Mr. Loophole?" the kid in the back asks. Well, I'll tell you. See how that works? Ask and you will receive. Sit back my children, and you will hear the tale of the animated holiday special.

In the mid-60s, following the success of "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown"and "Rudolph", network execs wanted to capitalize on this new trend. The animated specials were a ratings boon and were starting to bring in some advertising bucks. The next kid-friendly holiday that seemed viable was Halloween. So in the grand tradition of striking while the iron is hot- the CBS network commissioned a Halloween special. Charles Schulz, Lee Mendelson, and Bill Melendez brought the hammer down with "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in 1966. It was a hit, and the animated holiday special became a mainstay of network programming til the 90s. Others followed, and other holidays got the same treatment. If you were a kid in the 70s and 80s- ya know what I'm talking about. Every holiday, animated goodness descended from the great living room oracle that was the family television. You eagerly waited for the time when you could maybe stay up a little later to watch Rankin-Bass specials, Charlie Brown and the gang, Fat Albert and the Cosby kids, or any other of the numerous holiday jaunts that were available. And it wasn't just the heavy-hitters, everyone from Saturday morning series like the Smurfs and obscure one-shot specials were joining the prime-time party.


Unfortunately the same thing that influenced the networks into treating kids to this kool-aid of the airwaves, was the same thing that spelled their diminished presence in the 90s: capitalizing on trends. In the late 80s, Saturday morning just wasn't what it used to be. Networks noticed that revenues were down. Saturday morning was always a bit of gamble for them anyway. Something they continued to do, hoping that parents would go out and buy whatever toy,cereal, or other product their sugar-addled kid begged them for. However, the dollars weren't being heavily invested. The hot marketing trend was that teens and young adult were the next dollar demographic. Traditionally, this demographic was treated as having no disposable income. The 80s changed that. Older kids and 20-something adults had some money. I didn't. My friends didn't. But the marketing gurus smelled it somewhere. Today, that mind set still affects television and advertising. Hence, the saturated presence of Taco Bell commercials, The O.C., extreme sports, and the WB prime time lineup.

This new "trend" caused the networks to scale back Saturday morning and introduce "teen" oriented programming like Saved By the Bell. Yeah. Saturday morning's death knell was started by Screech. Riiight. Oh it started innocently enough, but the networks so little adverse effects, money-wise, and continued the trend. That spilled over into prime-time. Holiday specials began to go MIA. Kids had to go to Blockbuster to try and find at least a tape, if it existed. By the mid to late 90s, the animated special was pretty much a relic except for the few perfunctory airings of Charlie Brown and Frosty. Then, the kids began to fight back.

Kid-oriented networks like Nickolodeon and Cartoon Network became increasingly popular in the late 90s. All of the sudden there were Rugrats stuff everywhere. Blues Clues became a phenomenon. Scooby Doo revived on Cartoon Network and even a feature film was made. Old and new holiday specials were finding their way to cable television. Soon the cable networks began to discover that those kids in the 70s and 80s were having kids or headed in that direction, and the kids AND the parents eat this stuff up. What's my evidence, you boldly ask?
Look at the surge in animation since the late 90s for one thing. But perhaps the biggest piece of evidence is the DVD market and the internet. The fact that I, a 30-something adult, is sitting here extolling the virtues of Charlie's Brown is prima facie evidence. But you just take a moment and try to google, "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" or look on Amazon or the Barnes and Noble website and see how many animated special DVD's are out there. Check out Ebay to see how much people are paying for old VHS copies of long forgotten specials. Go ahead, check it out. I'll wait right here until you get back.

Back already? I hope you get my point now. You have seen for yourself. Now, the major networks are still somewhat reluctant in putting more effort into showing the specials, but the effort is beginning. Just this year I have seen more advertisements for the airing of the "Great Pumpkin" than I can remember. And last Christmas, the number of animated specials increased than in years previous. And these are specials that have already been made. Did you catch that. It's a rerun! Put the show on, slap some new commercials in, and Whammo! More revenue. One catch for the networks, though. Since they scaled them back, the big nets have lost or sold the airing rights to most, except for the biggies like Charlie Brown, Garfield and a handful of Rankin -Bass specials. Now, the cable networks and DVD have the licenses. Oppsie! Lemmie ask you- was Screech really worth it? And that, kids, is the tale of the animated holiday special. Hopefully, they will continue their comeback. In the meantime, in honor of the season, we decided to mention a few of our favorites.

Now, we couldn't possibly include all Halloween specials in our review list, but today, we at the Shelf, present to you our top animated Halloween special picks, in no particular order. I have asked Wolfie to join me in today's "Top Shelf picks" list. So without further ado - here we go:
Top Shelf picks- Animated Halloween Special Edition.

Looney Tunes Howl-Oween Special
Disney's Halloween Treat
Fat Albert's Halloween Special
Garfield's Halloween Adventure
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!


Looney Tunes Howl-Oween Special (1978)
There are quite a few critics of this special, if indeed this sort of thing generates critics. A splicing of old animated shorts that have something to do with Halloween, monsters, indeed, even fright- are blended with a sort of meta-narrative conducted by Bugs Bunny himself. What is particularly galling about this mis-mash is the newer animation as blatantly worse than the old stuff. Well- it doesn't particularly bother me, like the way a hangnail doesn't bother me unless I pick at it. I love Looney Tunes- so I overlooked it. It was great to see Bugs and the gang getting in the Halloween spirit. And it was a special that returned year after year ... for a while. It only exists on VHS now. A sad little relic of a forgotten time. Now that Looney Tunes are available on a glorious DVD collection it's nice to see the originals in their full glory. This one gets a sentimental vote.


Disney's Halloween Treat (1984)
This special is a cartoon medley that covers a lot of years of Disney animation to bring you some of their more "Halloween-ish" moments. I say "Halloween-ish" because there are several cartoon clips in the collection that offer only suspense or "cartoon fear" as their Halloween qualification. Example: Cruella DeVille chasing the 101 Dalmations - Though Cruella's face should be scary enough to allow it in the group, the scene itself never made me think of Halloween. There's a scene from "Peter Pan" and one from "Lady and the Tramp" as well ,but over all the film stays with the theme. My son and I have found a favorite in the clip where a gorilla (Ajax as he is called) is on the loose and pays a visit to Donald Duck and the nephews while Don is reading some scary stories. Another great moment comes later when Pluto dreams that he is sent to a "hell-like" location where he faces a jury of cats for his crimes against felines. The crowning scene of the whole film that really gets me in the Halloween mood is the section taken from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow where we follow Ichabod Crane from a dinner party ( where we enjoy the singing talents of Bing Crosby putting a warning to music) to the fateful ride across the covered bridge. That clip is also narrated by Bing Crosby who is a well loved favorite here at The Shelf. As a child, I watched a copy of this that my father taped off of T.V. right after "Private Eyes" which was in our movie count down. Every year it helped to put me in the mood and it will do the same for you. Overall this is a must watch.

Trivia Tid-Bit: There are two versions of this. One has a talking pumpkin hosting the film and the other has the magic mirror from "Snow White" as M.C. They both have the same cartoon clips but in different order. (I'm partial to the pumpkin myself.)

Fat Albert's Halloween Special (1977)
Fat Albert's Halloween Special didn't run for too many years, but if you watched the Cosby kids you loved the specials. Fat Albert and the gang dress up for Halloween and go trick or treat around the hood. They end up going to the movies but get kicked out for their nutty hijinks. The decide to hit up some houses for candy goodness, but end up getting stiffed and robbed by an old geezer who eats all their candy. They try to hit a spooky house, owned by an equally spooky lady. The gang freaks out and takes off, but one little sister stays behind, and it's up to the gang to save her. Do they learn about judging others? Is the lady really the meanest lady in town? Check it out and find out. I loved this special when I was a kid and it's great to see it out again on DVD! Bill Cosby does some great voice work as always and his close association with the show is apparent. I believe that you should watch this show. But you don't have to take my word for it. (Cue Levar Burton)

Garfield's Halloween Adventure ( 1985)
Garfield's Halloween Adventure is one of those essential cartoon specials to watch every year, much like "The Great Pumpkin". It is not a spectacular feet of cartoon writing but bears the must-haves of any Halloween special: Costumes, Ghosts, and Trick-or-Treating. Halloween is the perfect set up for Garfield because candy is being passed out like......well......candy. Once Garfield is informed of this sugar orgy he starts off by finding the perfect costume. After donning the Halloween duds, he and Odie go trick-or-treating only to get the bright idea of rowing a boat across a river to a bigger neighborhood. Of course this plan is stymied and dog/cat cartoon hilarity ensues. The pair wind up on an island with a spooky looking house and an even spookier looking old man inside who tells them tales of ghosts and buried pirate treasure before leaving the island in the animals domesticus' boat. Needless to say, our heroes witness the ghosts and dive into the river to get away from them. We discover that the orange fat-cat can't swim so Odie pulls him to shore ( Odie should've left him for all the abuse that Garfield swings towards him). Like all of these specials, there is a happy ending and it accomplishes it's goal: putting you in the Halloween mood. (That's Helloween to you Baravelli.) It's a classic that my kid enjoys, allowing me to engage in some cartoon nostalgia every year. Last but not least, as always Lou Rawls sings a couple of songs and if you are a fan, that's always a plus. Definitely a must-watch.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
This is the mac daddy of all Halloween specials. It’s almost like it wouldn’t be Halloween without the candy, the costumes, or Charlie Brown telling everyone that he got a rock. It starts off pretty sweet for old Chuck, because everyone’s focus is on Linus and his ravings about the Great Pumpkin like Tom Cruise making the rounds about Scientology. For once, Chuck feels like he’s part of the crowd. Of course, that doesn’t last long. Once he hits the Trick or Treat circuit it's all downhill. In fact the whole Halloween Party scene where Lucy, Violet, and Patty submit Charlie Brown to even more humiliation. Is it his fault they didn't have Rogain in the 60s? They way these girls treat him is like watching an animated version of Heathers. Luckily, Christian Slater, uh...ahem, I mean Snoopy, does invade the party for some justice on Lucy, who subsequently tells us that she is not into "dog lips." Whatever gets you through the night, Lucy.
Later that night, the gang returns to find that Linus has gotten bubkus. In fact, Linus fainted when he thought the Great Pumpkin was rising out of the patch. Of course it was Snoop. Linus discovers an important life lesson- don't tick off the little lady. She got cheated out of treats, Linus; she ain't gonna let you forget that anytime soon, sweet baboo or not. He sticks to his guns, and it's up to Lucy to go out in bring him in from the cold. The next morning, Linus is pretty down, but definately not going to a psychiatrist- cause thats against the L.Ron Great Pumpkin way of life. Charlie Brown tells him not to worry about it, because he has "done some stupid things in his life." Not a way to convince the kiddies, Chuck. Linus then goes off the deep end, as if he was sitting on Oprah's couch. Despite everything, Linus stays the course. He's a true believer. Now, come on. You know this is the classic of classics. It is a must-see ever year. My kids and I take in at least three or four viewings. Sometimes Mom even joins us. Family classic all around. Do yourself a favor and pass it on to your kids.


Well that's it, shelfers. Let us know what you think in the comments section. Did we miss one of your favorites? If so, let us know. And stay tuned for more Shelf Halloween Madness 2009!








i've learned there are three things you don't discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.