Everyone is excited with the announcement that Broadway will be able to re-open later this year. Until it does, however, we still have to find some great stories elsewhere. This weekend’s TCM Classic Film Festival 2021 has plenty of options for you.
TCM’s festival begins on Thursday, May 6th and will continue through May 9th. Films will be available for viewing on specific times and dates on TCM and others will be available on demand on HBO Max.
So here are my choices as the films most likely to scratch that theater itch amongst this year’s Classic Film Festival selections.
On TCM:
May 6th:
West Side Story opens the festival at 8:00 PM ET. TCM is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the film. Joining the showing of this 10-time Academy Award winner will be a newly filmed conversation with George Chakiris (“Bernardo”), Rita Moreno (“Anita”) and Russ Tamblyn (“Riff”).
May 7th:
Annie Get Your Gun is showing at 11:45 AM ET in a new 4K restoration. Betty Hutton stars as Annie Oakley and Howard Keel stars as Frank Butler in this film version of the Irving Berlin musical.
Wuthering Heights is showing at 2:00 PM ET. The film stars Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff and Merle Oberon as Cathy. The film opened on April 7, 1939. Twenty days later a play by Randolph Carter opened at the Longacre Theater in New York with Don Terry as Heathcliff and Edith Barrett as Catherine Ernshaw. The play closed after just 12 performances.
Grease 2 is showing at 11:00 PM ET. While the original film Grease grossed nearly 400 million dollars worldwide, this sequel (starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Maxwell Caulfield and Lorna Luft) only grossed 15 million dollars worldwide.
The Producers, the original Mel Brooks film from 1968, is showing at 1:15 AM ET (technically May 8th, but on TCM’s schedule as a May 7th showing – but that’s 10:15 PM PT). Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel stars as Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock.
May 8th:
Nichols and May: Take Two, a documentary about Mike Nichols and Elaine May is being shown at 11:45 AM ET.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? screens at 1:00 PM ET. Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal and Sandy Dennis star in this 1966 adaptation of Edward Albee’s play.
From Broadway to Hollywood, hosted by pianist Richard Glazier, screens at 3:00 AM ET. The show promises interviews, music and commentary.
May 9th:
Her Man, a film from 1930 with Helen Twelvetrees and X, is showing at 8:45 AM ET. The film is loosely based on the play Frankie and Johnnie, written by John M. Kirkland. The play opened in 1925 and ran for 61 performances.
The Goodbye Girl, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason, shows at 9:30 PM ET. The film served as the inspiration for the Marvin Hamlisch, Neil Simon and David Zippel musical from 1993. There will be a new interview with Dreyfuss as part of this program.
Fame screens at 11:45 PM ET. The film, which starred Debbie Allen, Irene Cara, Paul McCrane, Anne Meara, Barry Miller and others was directed by Alan Parker. It served as the inspiration for the 1998 musical (that only used the title song from the film). There will be a new interview with Allen as part of this program.
HBO MAX will also be showing the following films on demand:
Dogfight, the 1991 film by Nancy Savoca, starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor. This film inspired by 2012 musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
MGM Musicals & Outtakes will show outtakes from It’s Always Fair Weather, Singin‘ in the Rain and Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
Once, the 2007 film by John Carney starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. This is the movie that inspired by 2012 Tony Award-winning musical.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. The film was inspired by Ken Kesey’s novel as was the 1963 play by Dale Wasserman which starred Kirk Douglas. The actor had long wanted to make a film, but was unable to do so. His son, Michael Douglas, produced the film being shown which went on to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay.
A Star Is Born from 1954 with Judy Garland and James Mason. Though it has never appeared on Broadway, there has long been talk of adapting this film for the stage. Most recently Bill Condon (who directed the film version of Dreamgirls and the Broadway revival of Side Show) was said to be involved with adapting the Bradley Cooper film for the stage.
Enjoy the movies!
Photo: Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel and Lee Meredith in The Producers (Photo by: Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection/Courtesy TCM Classic Film Festival 2021)