Alan Arkin day on TCM

Once or twice each year during Summer Under the Stars, TCM puts the spotlight on somebody who's more recent than the usual stable of studio era stars. This year, that honor goes in part to Alan Arkin, whose day comes tomorrow. (I'd also point out that Michael Caine, who got a day earlier this month, is only a couple of years older than Arkin.)

I wonder if they had difficulties getting the rights to enough movies to fill out fill out the entire 24 hours, because the day includes two showings of Arkin's 2014 interview at the TCM Classic Film Festival (8:00 AM and 7:00 PM), as well as a couple of movies that finish a good 20 minutes before the next movie begins. On the other hand, there's also going to be what I think it the TCM premiere of Little Murders, in which Arkin plays one of the police officers.

Arkin's career has been a long one and is continuing. TCM, however, only has one of Arkin's four Oscar-nominated roles, that being The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, which will kick off prime time at 8:00 PM. Arkin would go on to win a Supporting Actor Oscar nearly 40 years later for Little Miss Sunshine, and then be nominated again just a few years back in Argo.

Of the Arkin movies that are airing, the first one I'd recommend is of course Wait Until Dark, which is always worth another airing and will be on at 1:00 PM, and in which Arkin plays the bad guy.