A few recommendations for those who watch Turner Classic Movies:
The beautifully photographed (and tinted) 1921 Cecil B. DeMille sex drama The Affairs of Anatol stars Wallace Reid as the Anatol of the title, married to poor, little Gloria Swanson, while getting acquainted with a number of women including Bebe Daniels, Wanda Hawley, and Agnes Ayres (Rudolph Valentino’s leading lady in The Sheik). The film is based on Arthur Schnitzler’s novel Anatol. Reid, one of the biggest stars of his time, would die two years later – at the age of 31 – while trying to kick a (reportedly) morphine addiction. (Tuesday, June 6, 7a.m. EDT.)
Pietro Germi’s 1961 comedy of social mores and manners, Divorzio all’italiana / Divorce, Italian Style is hardly one of my favorite films but it’s worth including here anyhow. Personally, I find the comedy dreary, but Divorzio all’italiana was a huge international hit, solidifying Marcello Mastroianni’s reputation as a (self-mocking) matinee idol. Stefania Sandrelli is the object of his affection, while Daniela Rocca – the best element in the film – is the object of his murderous thoughts. (Saturday, June 10, 2a.m. EDT.)
Some consider Laurence Olivier’s hammy music hall actor in The Entertainer (1960) to be the best the performance of his illustrious film career. I’m not an Olivier fan – I usually find him too mannered – but this is one of the seminal Angry Young Men British flicks of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Directed by Tony Richardson (Tom Jones), and co-starring several past and future British Names, among them Brenda De Banzie, Roger Livesey, Albert Finney, Alan Bates, and Joan Plowright. (Saturday, June 10, 10p.m. EDT.)
The Wind, a 1928 box office disappointment directed by Victor Sjöström (or Seastrom in Hollywood), is surely one of the best silent films ever made. This is a harsh, downbeat psychological drama that boasts first-rate performances by Lillian Gish – who totally loses it (see photo) – and Lars Hanson. (Tuesday, June 13, 4:30a.m. EDT.)