Briefs for March 10, 2014

TCM's daytime lineup for today includes several films starring Ruth Roman. This, even though her birthday isn't until November. It's not uncommon for TCM to spend an evening in prime time honoring somebody whose birthday it isn't, and who usually doesn't get much attention; this is especially true for people who work behind the camera. In looking up today's birthday's, I see TCM could have tried to get enough films to honor My Man Godfrey director Gregory La Cava (1892); actor Barry Fitzgerald (1888), or perhaps Sam Jaffe from The Asphalt Jungle (1891). Although, at least no Barry Fitzgerald means no Going My Way.

The bigger reason I mention Ruth Roman's non-birthday tribute is because there are actually two others coming up. William Powell is getting several movies on Wednesday, even though his birthday is in July. This tribute includes many of his lesser-known movies, with little to no Myrna Loy. Not that I have anything against Myrna Loy, but it's nice to see some movies that don't show up quite so often. Then, on Friday, Gina Lollobrigida, also a July birthday, is getting a daytime of her films.

TCM was running the "Star of the Month" piece Gregory Peck did on Lauren Bacall quite a bit over the past few days, using it as a promo for Dark Passage. The interesting thing is, Lauren Bacall was star ot the month more recently, in September 2012. (Gregory Peck, having died in 2003 as you might remember if you saw the Mary Badham piece which also ran over the weekend to promo Twelve O'Clock High, couldn't possibly have narrated a pice from 2012. To be fair, the 2012 featurette was voiced by Kelsey Grammer, who doesn't have quite the star power that Gregory Peck does. It does make me wonder, though, whehtr TCM is going to keep trotting out the piece John Frankenheimer did on Burt Lancaster, even though the more recognizable Shirley Jones did a more recent Star of the Month piece for Lancaster.

For those who like the shorts, there's a Traveltalks short on Washington state just before Sleepless in Seattle comes on at 8:00 as part of a night as Bob's Picks. (In case you were wondering why tonight's line-up seemed to have little in common, that would explain it.) The TCM schedule says it's coming on at 7:49 PM, although there are over 20 minutes between the end of The Far Country (6:00 PM, 97 min), and Sleepless in Seattle. I don't think I've seen this particular Traveltalks short before, so I can't say much about it.