Richard Widmark Day on Turner Classic Movies

by Andre Soares | | 1 Comment     

 

Summer Under the Stars: Richard Widmark

 

Lauren Bacall, Richard Widmark in The Cobweb

 

Richard WidmarkMonday, August 11, highlights on Turner Classic Movies:

Of the Richard Widmark vehicles that I’ve seen, the best one by far is Samuel Fuller’s crime drama Pickup on South Street, a Cold War tale in which a handful of social outcasts end up saving the day. Widmark is fine as a pickpocket being pursued by Communist spies, but the film’s two best performances are those of Jean Peters — probably the best thing she’s ever done; too bad she married Howard Hughes and cut her career short — and Academy Award-nominee Thelma Ritter as a bag lady.

The Long Ships is a so-so Viking adventure tale directed by Jack Cardiff, the cinematographer of Richard Fleischer’s superior The Vikings.

Run for the Sun is a weak remake of Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel’s thrilling The Most Dangerous Game, with Widmark and the lovely Jane Greer as game being hunted by nut-case Trevor Howard.

And Coma is a silly but moderately entertaining thriller about the highly profitable organ-selling business. Tom Selleck is one of those who — quite literally — go under the knife.

Not recommended: Take the High Ground, which makes stuff like An Officer and a Gentleman and assorted John Wayne military flicks look intelligent and multi-layered.

Schedule (Pacific Time) and synopses from the TCM website:

11 Monday

3:00 AM Long Ships, The (1964)
Viking seamen battle a Moorish prince for possession of a golden bell. Cast: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn. Dir: Jack Cardiff. C-126 mins. Letterbox Format

5:30 AM Law And Jake Wade, The (1958)
An outlaw forces his reformed buddy to lead him to buried loot. Cast: Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark, Patricia Owens. Dir: John Sturges. C-87 mins. Letterbox Format

Richard Widmark in The Cobweb7:00 AM Cobweb, The (1955)
Inmates and staff at a posh asylum clash over love and lunacy. Cast: Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall, Gloria Grahame. Dir: Vincente Minnelli. C-124 mins. Letterbox Format

9:30 AM Prize of Gold, A (1955)
A U.S. officer in postwar Berlin turns to crime to help a beautiful refugee. Cast: Richard Widmark, Mai Zetterling, Nigel Patrick. Dir: Mark Robson. C-98 mins.

11:30 AM Time Limit (1957)
An officer is court-martialed under suspicion of collaborating with the North Koreans. Cast: Richard Widmark, Richard Basehart, June Lockhart. Dir: Karl Malden. BW-97 mins.

1:30 PM Run for the Sun (1956)
A British traitor hunts humans in the jungles of Mexico. Cast: Richard Widmark, Jane Greer, Trevor Howard. Dir: Roy Boulting. BW-99 mins. Letterbox Format

3:15 PM Flight From Ashiya (1964)
A rescue service goes after a sinking cargo ship off the Japanese coast. Cast: Yul Brynner, Richard Widmark, George Chakiris. Dir: Michael Anderson. C-102 mins. Letterbox Format

Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter in Pickup on South Street5:00 PM Pickup on South Street (1953)
A petty thief accidentally steals a communist spy’s purse. Cast: Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter. Dir: Sam Fuller. BW-80 mins.

6:30 PM Take The High Ground ! (1953)
A tough drill sergeant prepares green recruits for service in the Korean War. Cast: Richard Widmark, Karl Malden, Russ Tamblyn. Dir: Richard Brooks. C-101 mins. Letterbox Format

8:30 PM Alvarez Kelly (1966)
A suave Mexican cattleman inadvertantly gets involved in the Civil War. Cast: William Holden, Richard Widmark, Janice Rule. Dir: Edward Dmytryk. C-110 mins. Letterbox Format

10:30 PM Way West, The (1967)
A senator hires a veteran scout to accompany a wagon train from Missouri to Oregon. Cast: Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark. Dir: Andrew V. McLaglen. C-122 mins. Letterbox Format

Coma by Michael Crichton1:00 AM Coma (1978)
A lady doctor investigates a series of strange deaths and disappearing bodies at her hospital. Cast: Genevieve Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley. Dir: Michael Crichton. C-113 mins. Letterbox Format

 

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by Andre Soares | August 8, 2008 | Filed Under Actors, American Cinema / Hollywood, Classics, Television 

Comments

One Response to “Richard Widmark Day on Turner Classic Movies”

  1. Norman L. on August 16th, 2008 9:55 am

    Richard Widmark was a VERY underrated actor. He should have won the Oscar for KISS OF DEATH. Also for PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET.

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