TCM Schedule for Thursday, December 29, 2022 -- What's On Tonight: Star of the Month Ava Gardner

In the daylight hours, TCM is Wild About Wyler, with a great selection of films directed by William Wyler (and all either Oscar-winning or Oscar-nominated!). From his IMDB mini-bio:

William Wyler was an American filmmaker who, at the time of his death in 1981, was considered by his peers as second only to John Ford as a master craftsman of cinema. The winner of three Best Director Academy Awards, second again only to Ford's four, Wyler's reputation has unfairly suffered as the lack of an obvious "signature" in his diverse body of work denies him the honorific "auteur" that has become a standard measure of greatness in the post-"Cahiers du Cinema" critical community.

His directorial career spanned 45 years, from silent pictures to the cultural revolution of the 1970s. Nominated a record 12 times for an Academy Award as Best Director, he won three and in 1966, was honored with the Irving Thalberg Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' ultimate accolade for a producer. So high was his reputation in his lifetime that he was the fourth recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, after Ford, James Cagney and Welles. Along with Ford and Welles, Wyler ranks with the best and most influential American directors, including Griffith, DeMille, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg.

Then in prime time, it's the last night for Star of the Month Ava Gardner, beginning with three films that star Ava with Gregory Peck. Enjoy!


6:00 AM -- Mrs. Miniver (1942)
2h 14m | War | TV-G
A British family struggles to survive the first days of World War II.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright

Winner of Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Greer Garson, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Teresa Wright, Best Director -- William Wyler (William Wyler was not present at the awards ceremony because he was overseas shooting for the Army Air Force. His wife Margaret Tallichet on his behalf.), Best Writing, Screenplay -- George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West and Arthur Wimperis, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Joseph Ruttenberg, and Best Picture

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Walter Pidgeon, Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Henry Travers, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- May Whitty, Best Sound, Recording -- Douglas Shearer (M-G-M SSD), Best Film Editing -- Harold F. Kress, and Best Effects, Special Effects -- A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic), Warren Newcombe (photographic) and Douglas Shearer (sound)

The closing speech, delivered by the vicar (Henry Wilcoxon) at the end of the film, was actually written by Wilcoxon and directorWilliam Wyler the night before it was filmed. Wyler had grown dissatisfied with the speech the screenwriters had come up with and convinced Wilcoxon to help him improve it. The speech proved to be integral to the film's success and was distributed across America and Europe in order to boost wartime morale amongst soldiers and civilians alike.


8:30 AM -- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
2h 52m | Drama | TV-PG
Upon returning to small-town America, three World War II veterans have difficulty readjusting to civilian life.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews

Winner of an Oscar Honorary Award for Harold Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives.

Winner of Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Fredric March (Fredric March was not present at the awards ceremony. Cathy O'Donnell accepted the award on his behalf.), Best Actor in a Supporting Role -- Harold Russell, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Robert E. Sherwood, Best Film Editing -- Daniel Mandell, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Hugo Friedhofer, and Best Picture

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Sound, Recording -- Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)

William Wyler, who served as a major in the Army Air Force during World War II, incorporated his own wartime experiences into the film. Just as Fred Derry, Wyler flew in B-17s in combat over Germany, although not as a bombardier. Wyler shot footage for documentary films. (His hearing was permanently damaged when an anti-aircraft shell exploded near his plane while on a bombing raid.) Additionally, he modeled the reunion of Al and Milly--in which they first see each other at opposite ends of a long hallway--on his own homecoming to his wife, Margaret Tallichet.


11:30 AM -- Jezebel (1938)
1h 44m | Drama | TV-PG
A tempestuous Southern belle's willfulness threatens to destroy all who care for her.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent

Winner of Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Bette Davis (On 19 July 2001 Steven Spielberg purchased Davis' Oscar statuette at a Christie's auction and returned it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This was the second time in five years Spielberg did so to protect an Oscar from further commercial exploitation.), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Fay Bainter

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography -- Ernest Haller, Best Music, Scoring -- Max Steiner, and Best Picture

Bette Davis came to the realization that William Wyler was a very special director when he insisted she come view the dailies with him, something she had never done with any other director before. They watched a scene where her character was coming down a staircase, a scene that had really irritated Davis, as she couldn't understand why Wyler decided to film it over 30 times. Watching the rushes, however, she saw one of the takes in which he had captured a fleeting devil-may-care expression that summed up her character perfectly. After that, she happily accepted however many takes Wyler wanted.


1:30 PM -- The Little Foxes (1941)
1h 56m | Drama | TV-PG
An ambitious woman takes on her corrupt brothers and honest husband in her drive for wealth.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role -- Bette Davis, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Patricia Collinge, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Teresa Wright, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Lillian Hellman, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White -- Stephen Goosson and Howard Bristol, Best Film Editing -- Daniel Mandell, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture -- Meredith Willson, and Best Picture

Bette Davis and William Wyler fought a great deal during filming. Disagreements ranged from Davis's interpretation of the character (Wyler thought she should be more sympathetic) to the appearance of the house (Davis thought it was far too opulent for a family struggling financially), to her appearance (Wyler thought her white makeup made her look like a Kabuki performer.) Davis eventually walked out of production, but returned when she heard rumors she was going to be replaced by Katharine Hepburn or Miriam Hopkins.


3:30 PM -- Dodsworth (1936)
1h 41m | Romance | TV-PG
A husband whose wife left him looks for new love in Europe.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas

Winner of an Oscar for Best Art Direction -- Richard Day

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Walter Huston, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Maria Ouspenskaya, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Sidney Howard, Best Sound, Recording -- Oscar Lagerstrom (United Artists SSD), and Best Picture

William Wyler and Ruth Chatterton fought bitterly almost daily on the interpretation of Fran. Chatterton felt she should be played entirely as a villainess, whereas Wyler found reasons to sympathize with the character. According to Mary Astor, the tension was increased by Chatterton's own desperation at her advancing age. At 43, she was far from an old woman but well past the age when actresses typically enjoyed continued audience appeal and their choice of roles. Once a big star on stage, and briefly one in films a few years earlier, her success was waning and, according to Wyler, she exhibited very "haughty" behavior on the set. She was self-conscious about her figure and her looks, insisting on daily facials to maintain a youthful glow. Her insecurities manifested themselves as hatred and fear toward Wyler and his multiple-take working method. At one point, she reportedly slapped the director's face and locked herself in her dressing room.


5:15 PM -- Wuthering Heights (1939)
1h 43m | Romance | TV-PG
A married noblewoman fights her lifelong attraction to a charismatic gypsy.
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven

Winner of an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White -- Gregg Toland

Nominee for Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role -- Laurence Olivier, Best Actress in a Supporting Role -- Geraldine Fitzgerald, Best Director -- William Wyler, Best Writing, Screenplay -- Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, Best Art Direction -- James Basevi, Best Music, Original Score -- Alfred Newman, and Best Picture

Sir Laurence Olivier found himself becoming increasingly annoyed with Director William Wyler's exhausting style of filmmaking. After yet another take, he is said to have exclaimed, "For God's sake, I did it sitting down. I did it with a smile. I did it with a smirk. I did it scratching my ear. I did it with my back to the camera. How do you want me to do it?" Wyler's retort was, "I want it better." However, Olivier later said these multiple takes helped him learn to succeed as a movie actor.


7:15 PM -- MGM Parade Show #1 (1955)
25m | Documentary | TV-G
Judy Garland sings "You Made Me Love You" in a clip from "Broadway Melody of 1938".



WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: STAR OF THE MONTH -- AVA GARDNER



8:00 PM -- The Great Sinner (1949)
1h 50m | Drama | TV-PG
A young man succumbs to gambling fever.
Director: Robert Siodmak
Cast: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Melvyn Douglas

Deborah Kerr was initially scheduled to co-star with Gregory Peck. Then Lana Turner was slotted for the role, and then withdrawn from the production due to her extended European honeymoon with Henry J. Topping, Jr. Finally, Ava Gardner was cast in what turned out to be the first of three films to co-star the pair, along with The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) and On the Beach (1959).


10:00 PM -- On the Beach (1959)
2h 14m | Horror/Science-Fiction | TV-PG
After a nuclear war, U.S. sailors stationed in Australia deal with the end of civilization.
Director: Stanley Kramer
Cast: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire

Nominee for Oscars for Best Film Editing -- Frederic Knudtson, and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture -- Ernest Gold

Ava Gardner's first film as a freelance actress after completing her 20-year studio contract at MGM, where she had worked for a weekly salary and did not benefit financially from being loaned to other studios. As a freelance actress, she was free to choose her roles and negotiate her salary.


12:30 AM -- The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
1h 54m | Drama | TV-PG
As he fights a deadly jungle fever, a hunter remembers his lost loves.
Director: Henry King
Cast: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner

Nominee for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- Leon Shamroy, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox

Ava Gardner married Frank Sinatra shortly before production began on the film. He wanted her by his side in New York and to placate him, the schedule was rearranged so that all her scenes could be shot in ten days, to which Sinatra agreed. On the last day of shooting, things didn't go as planned and Gardner was forced to spend an extra day on the set. In her autobiography, Gardner says "I knew Frank would give me holy hell about that, and he did."


2:30 AM -- Ava Gardner, the Gipsy of Hollywood (2017)
Documentary | TV-PG
Explores the life of actress Ava Gardner and her decision to leave America for Spain.
Director: Sergio Mondelo
Cast: Ava Gardner

This documentary first aired on TCM on August 8, 2019, part of "Summer Under the Stars" tribute to Ava Gardner.


3:30 AM -- The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
2h | Western | TV-14
A self-appointed judge cleans up a corrupt western town twice.
Director: John Huston
Cast: Paul Newman, Ava Gardner, Roy Jenson

Nominee for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song -- Maurice Jarre (music), Alan Bergman (lyrics) and Marilyn Bergman for the song "Marmalade, Molasses & Honey"

Although her image appears throughout the movie and her character is a prominent part of the town history, Ava Gardner does not appear in the film until approximately 15 minutes before it ends.