Briefs for May 18-19, 2018

Actor Joseph Campanella died on Wednesday at the age of 93. He was mostly a TV actor, but he made some movies sprinkled throughout, including quite a few 70s and 80s things I've never heard of. I'd guess his most notable movie appearance is as the police detective investigating in Ben, which is a terrible movie, but not because of Campanella. There's also The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, which is certainly worth a watch.

Tonight's prime time lineup on TCM is devoted to Alastair Sim, best remembered for playing Scrooge in the early 1950s version of A Christmas Carol. The night begins with what I think is the TCM premiere of School for Scoundrels at 8:00 PM. There's also Laughter in Paradise at midnight.

A few months back I mentioned a two-reeler whose title I couldn't recall about a girls' school where the administrators were virulently opposed to the new jazz dancing styles. Looking through the past posts, it was called Somewhat Secret. (Shows how memorable the short was.) Tomorrow morning at around 7:36 AM TCM is showing the short Public Jitterbug No. 1, which is obviously a different short, but another one with an anti-dancing theme. Then in the 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM slot, one of the shorts TCM is running is Desi Arnaz and his orchestra, one of the Vitaphone shorts highlighting various bandleaders of the 1940s. Desi had already married Lucy by the time this was made, but this was also well before I Love Lucy.