March 31 - Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves

Today’s movie is a fantasy comedy that happens on March 31. Watch it tonight and enjoy.  

HONEY, WE SHRUNK OURSELVES   

On March 31, 1996 Adam  Szalinski wants to go to baseball camp. His father Wayne Szalinski, president of Szalinski labs, gives a terrible presentation to investors at his lab, while his brother Gordon struggles as head of the inventing section. Wayne’s wife Diane and Gordon’s wife Patti are going to a Neil Diamond concert, leaving their husbands to look after Adam and his cousins, Jenny and Mitch. After they leave, Wayne shrinks the tiki-man statute his wife told him to get rid of, but accidentally ends up shrinking himself and Gordon also. When their wives return unexpectedly, they get shrunk also. Due to a partial message left on the answering machine, the kids think their dads have gone to watch the Space Shuttle land at Edwards Air Force base. Jenny plans to have the party her mother and aunt forbade her to have. The adults have a series of adventures getting down to the ground floor where the kids are. Along they way they learn of Adam’s interest in sports. The party is harmless for a while, until a group of boys show up uninvited. After Jenny rejects one of them for stealing a kiss, they start trashing the house. However, by then Gordon and Wayne have rewired the stereo to broadcast and this scares the boys away. After briefly considering leaving their parents miniaturized the kids help return them to normal and Wayne blows up the tiki man to the size of the Washington Monument.   He and Gordon trade jobs at the lab. [00:04 – 1:12:18]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/eaf-landing.html  gives the date of the Space Shuttle landing at Edwards Air Force Base

Producer -  Barry Bernardi

Director - Dean Cundey

Screenplay - Karey Kirkpatrick, Nell Scovell and Joel Hodgson

Released – March 18, 1997

Runtime – 1 hour 15 minutes

Starring –

Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski

Stuart Pankin as Gordon Szalinski

Eve Gordon as Diane Szalinski

Robin Bartlett as Patti Szalinski

Bug Hall as Adam Szalinski

Allison Mack as Jenny Szalinski

Jake Richardson as Mitch Szalinski

Jojo Adams as Ricky King

Mila Kunis as Jill

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 30 - Defiance

Today’s movie is a combat film with a scene that happens on March 30. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

DEFIANCE   

After the invading Nazis kill the parents of the Bielski brother, Tuvia, Zus and Asael, they flee to the forests of Belorussia,  where they gradually find other Jews hiding out from the Germans. They make an arrangement with a stay behind Red Army partisan unit. In return for protection the Jews will provide supplies. Zus doesn’t like his brother’s plan to avoid the Germans to protect the elderly and women who are in the camp and joins the partisans to fight. The do participate in an attack to get medicine to fight a typhus outbreak. Tuvia shoots a fighter who opposes his directive that everyone gets an equal share of food. Problems arise when Tuvia’s cousin Tamara, who had been raped by the Germans, gives birth to a baby. On March 30, 1942 [1:39:35 to 1:43:00] two days before Passover they capture a German supporter and learn of a planned attack on their camp in two days time. They flee and cross a seemingly impenetrable swamp to escape the German assault, while Asael leads a holding force.  On the other side of the swamp German tanks attack them and all hope seems lost until a band of partisans, led by Zus saves them.  While Asael was killed fighting with the Red Army, after the war Tuvia and Zus emigrated to the United States

http://www.rocketcalendar.com/calendar/1942-04 gives that date Passover started in 1942

Director - Edward Zwick

Producers - Edward Zwick and Pieter Jan Brugge

Screenplay - Edward Zwick and Clayton Frohman

Awards – Rhe film was nominated for Best Original Score at the 81^st Academy Awards

Released – December 31, 2008

Runtime – 2 hours 17 minutes

Starring –

Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski

Liev Schreiber as Zus Bielski

Jamie Bell as Asael Bielski

George MacKay as Aron Bielski

Alexa Davalos as Lilka Ticktin

Allan Corduner as Shimon Haretz

Mark Feuerstein as Isaac Malbin

Tomas Arana as Ben Zion Gulkowitz

Jacek Koman as Konstanty "Kościk" Kozłowski

Mia Wasikowska as Chaya Dziencielsky

Jodhi May as Tamara Skidelski

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 29 - Scott of the Antarctic

Today’s movie is an adventure film with a scene that happens on March 29. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC    

In 1904 Robert Scott returns from the Antarctic and plans another expedition. The government refuses to back him, so he makes a public appeal. Scott decides to use ponies and motorized sledges in addition to dogs. They finally raise enough money and sail to New Zaealand. After they sail for Antartica, Scott learns Roald Amundsen is also going on an expedition to the South Pole. The expedition arrives and they set up a base camp. Scott learns Amundsen has set up a base nearby. They have a feast to celebrate mid-winter’s day. The expedition leaves for the Pole. The motorized sledges soon fail. Bad weather proves to be too much for the ponies, who are killed. Scott and three other men travel on skis to the Pole. They arrive at the South Pole only to discover that Amundsen has been there first. The weather is terrible on their return trip. First Evans dies of frostbite and malnutrition. Later, an ill Oates sacrifices himself to avoid being a drag on his companions. On March 29, 1912 [1:41:48 to 1:45:16] Scott and his two remaining companions die frozen in their tent eleven miles short of a supply depot.

       

Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen by David Thomson (Thunder’s Mouth Press, New York, 2002) at page 261 gives his death date

Producer - Michael Balcon

Director - Charles Frend

Screenwriters - Walter Meade, Ivor Montagu and Mary Hayley Bell

Released – November 29, 1948

Runtime – 1 hour 51 minutes

Starring –

John Mills as Captain Robert F. Scott R.N.

Diana Churchill as Kathleen Scott

Harold Warrender as Dr. Edward A. Wilson

Derek Bond as Captain Lawrence E.G. Oates

Reginald Beckwith as Lieutenant Henry R. Bowers

James Robertson Justice as Petty Officer 'Taff' Evans R.N.

Kenneth More as Lieutenant E.G.R. 'Teddy' Evans R.N.

John Gregson as Petty Officer Tom Crean R.N.

Barry Letts as Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Dennis Vance as Charles S. Wright

Christopher Lee as Bernard Day

Bruce Seton as Lieutenant H. Pennell R.N.

Clive Morton as Herbert Ponting

Sam Kydd as Leading Stoker E. McKenzie R.N.

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 28 - Frost\Nixon

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on March 28. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

FROST/NIXON        

Nixon resigns from the presidency and is pardoned by Ford. Hoping for a ‘big’ interview David Frost decides to interview him. Nixon hopes to use the interviews to rehabilitate himself. Frost tries to sell the interviews to the networks but fails. He then syndicates them. He hires two researchers to investigate Nixon, who has people investigate Frost. In the initial interviews, Nixon is in control by keeping the focus on his success and giving long, rambling monologues of answers. For example on the one of March 28, 1977 Nixon rambles on about foreign policy, causing Frost and his associates to argue about the success of the interviews.  [1:12:13 to 1:15:29] When his Australian show is cancelled Frost is depressed. An inebriated Nixon calls him and tries to get inside his head by telling him the last interview will break one of them. This energizes Frost, who takes control in the last interview and gets Nixon to confess that he broke the law during Watergate and participated in a cover up. Frost’s career is revived, while Nixon is isolated for the rest of his life.

An interesting film. Gives some insight into the private Nixon. Also reveals the behind the scenes world of television news.

Date given in film at 1:12:16

Producer - Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner

Director - Ron Howard

Screenplay - Peter Morgan

Awards - The film was nominated for the Best Picture, Best Actor (Langella), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Editing Oscars. 

Runtime - 2 hours 3 minutes

Released - October 15, 2008

Starring -

Frank Langella as Richard Nixon

Michael Sheen as David Frost

Kevin Bacon as Jack Brennan

Oliver Platt as Bob Zelnick

Sam Rockwell as James Reston Jr.

Matthew Macfadyen as John Birt

Rebecca Hall as Caroline Cushing

Patty McCormack as Pat Nixon

Toby Jones as Swifty Lazar

Andy Milder as Frank Gannon

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

March 27 - The Bodyguard

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on March 27. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

THE BODYGUARD      

          Rachel Marron is a singer and actress who is being stalked. After a bomb explodes in her dressing room her manager hires Frank Farmer a former Secret Service agent to be her bodyguard. He’s reluctant because he thinks she’s a diva who doesn’t take the threat seriously.  She thinks he’s paranoid, but after he saves her from a riot at a concert they begin an affair. He breaks it off because he thinks it might impair his detachment as it relates to the job. Angry, Rachel starts to push back against the security measures but after more threatening calls realizes the seriousness of the situation. Frank takes Rachel and her son, Fletcher to his father’s vacation home. Fletcher is almost killed by a bomb. Then Frank learns that the stalker and the killer are not the same person. Rachel’s sister Nicki hired the killer in a moment of jealousy. The gunman kills Nicki and eludes Frank. On March 27, 1995 [1:43:29 to 1:59:13] at the 67^th Academy Awards, where Rachel wins the Best Actress award, the killer tries to assassinate her, but Frank takes the bullet and shoots the killer, who is revealed as a former Secret Service colleague. Frank recovers, but he and Rachel part company for good.

The 67^th Academy Awards [as revealed at 1:46:43] happened on this date

Producers - Kevin Costner, Lawrence Kasdan and Jim Wilson

Director - Mick Jackson

Screenplay - Lawrence Kasdan

Awards – Two songs from the film were each nominated for the Best Song Oscar at the 65^th Academy Awards

Released – November 25, 1992

Runtime – 2 hours 9 minutes

Starring –

Kevin Costner as Frank Farmer

Whitney Houston as Rachel Marron

Gary Kemp as Sy Spector

Bill Cobbs as Bill Devaney

Ralph Waite as Herb Farmer

Tomas Arana as Greg Portman

Michele Lamar Richards as Nicki Marron

Mike Starr as Tony Scipelli

DeVaughn Nixon as Fletcher Marron

Gerry Bamman as Ray Court

Joe Urla as Minella

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 26 - Letters From Iwo Jima

Today’s movie is a combat film with a scene that happens on March 26. Watch this movie tonight and enjoy.

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA                

During WW II Japanese private Saigo and his squad are digging trenches on the beach at Iwo Jima. Gen. Kuribayashi arrives to take command.  He evacuates the civilians and fortifies the mountains, abandoning the beach defense concept. Disease takes its toll on the defenders. Then the US Marines land. In the attack on Mount Surabachi, Siago’s unit is ordered to commit suicide, after they are cut off, but he and another soldier flee to the Japanese lines. Kuribayashi saves him from execution for cowardice. In heavy fighting the Japansese officers are killed and Saigo plans to surrender. He is surprised when a fellow soldier, Shimizu, who Saigo believed was placed in the unit to watch for dissent, revels that he had been demoted from the Kemppeitai, the dreaded secret police when he refused to kill a dog in cold blood. He was then sent to Iwo Jima. He wants to surrender also. Shimizu does surrender, but is shot by the Marines. Saigo meets again with Gen. Kuribayashi who leads a last attack on March 26, 1945. The general is wounded and later kills himself. Saigo is captured. [2:03:08 to 2:06:35]

            An interesting film for American audiences, as the story is told entirely from the point of view of the Japanese. Good combat scenes. A companion film to Flags of Our Fathers, which covers some of the same events from the American side.

Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor by Bill D. Ross (Vanguard Press, New York, 1985) at page 335 gives this as the date of the attack

Producer - Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz and Steven Spielberg

Director - Clint Eastwood

Screenplay - Iris Yamashita

Awards - The film won the Best Sound Editing Oscar. It was also nominated for the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay Oscars. 

Running Time - 2 hours 22 minutes

Released - December 9, 2006

Starring - 

Ken Watanabe as Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi

Kazunari Ninomiya as Private First Class Saigo

Tsuyoshi Ihara as Lt. Colonel Takeichi Nishi

Ryo Kase as Superior Private Shimizu

Shido Nakamura as Navy Lieutenant Ito

Yuki Matsuzaki as Army Private First Class Nozaki

Takashi Yamaguchi as Army Private First Class Kashiwara

Eijiro Ozaki as Army Lieutenant Okubo

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 25 - The First Olympics: Athens 1896

Today’s film is a period comedy-drama with a scene that happens on March 25. Watch this film tonight and enjoy. 

THE FIRST OLYMPICS: ATHENS 1896       

Baron Pierre de Coubertin starts an effort to revive the Olympic games. We follow some of the participants. Edwin Flack is an Australian runner who goes to Oxford to the delight of his mother and the disdain of his father, only to be refused entry on the English team of the Pan Britannic games since he’s not ‘English’. Spiridon Louis is a Greek peasant who is drafted into the army and runs a long distance every night from base to his home to see his girlfriend. Robert Garret is a Princeton student who does not know what career he wants to pursue. James Connelly is a lower class Irish-American who wins a scholarship to Harvard where he meets Arthur Blake. Dr. Sloane, a Princeton professor agrees to help organize an American team and recruits John Graham, a coach at Harvard to help. They have to make their own equipment and find their own practice sites, as no official body will help. Finally they leave for the games, but find that due to confusion over the Gregorian and Julian calendars, their ship will arrive one day before the end of the games. They jump ship in Naples and barely reach Athens just as the games begin on March 25, 1896(o.s.).   [2:07:33 to 2:33:42]  The Americans with their newly devised four point running start and steeplechase hurdles technique dominate the track events. Flack does mange to beat an injured Blake. When their practice equipment turns out to be heavier than the regulation items the Americans win the discus and shot put also. Garret has to deal with fabricated anti-Greek quotes in the press. At the end Spiridon wins the marathon race for Greece.

A fun movie. Doesn’t take itself (or the facts) too seriously. Holds your interest for four hours though.

The Complete Book of the Olympics ed. by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky (Aurum Press, Ltd., London, 2012) at page 11 gives this as the starting date.There is an error in the film. The games began on Monday April 6^th, not Sunday, April 5^th

  

Producer - William Hill                                               Director- Alan Rakoff

Screenplay - Charles Gary Allison and William Bast

Awards - Won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition for a Limited Series. It was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series (Stiers) Emmys.

Runtime- 3 hours 57 minutes                                         Released- May 20, 1984

Starring - Louis Jourdan as Pierre de Coubertin, David Ogden Stiers as William Milligan Sloane, Hunt Block as Robert Garrett, David Caruso as James Brendan Connolly, Alex Hyde-White as Arthur Blake, Hutton Cobb as Thomas Burke, Jason Connery as Thomas Curtis, Ian Morton as Ellery Harding Clark, William Armstrong as William Hoyt, Aaron Swartz as Herbert Jamison, Keith Edwards as Albert Tyler, Terrance Conder as Sumner Paine, Peter Merrill as John Paine, Matt Frewer as Francis Lane, Robert Addie as Grantley Goulding, Benedict Taylor as Edwin Flack, Angela Lansbury as Alice Garrett

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 24 - Romero

Today's movie is a drama with  a scene that happens on march 24. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

ROMERO

Conservative bishop  Óscar Romero is named Archbishop of San Salvador because he is seen as a bookworm who will not upset the existing poltical applecart. However, after the massacre of innocent civilians and the assassination of his best friend  Father Rutilio Grande, he moves into opposition. Then Rafeal Zelada, the minister of Agriculture  is kidnapped by rebels and eventually killed, in spite of efforts by Romero to get him released. After a priest is arrested and tortured, Romero refuses to attend the inauguration of  Gen. Carlos Humberto Romero as President of El Salvadsor. When the army turns a church in a suspected rebel village into a barracks, Romero goes there and leads the parishioners straight into the guns of the soldiers, forcing them to back down and celebrates mass in the church. When rioters seize a soldier as a hostage, Romero goes to try and broker a deal. When the army reneges on the deal, Romero is arrested along with the rebels. He is released, but on March 24, 1980 [1:37:49 to 1:40:45] he is assassinated by the government.           

A good biopic. Romero was a brave man and a real Christian. Well worth watching.

A Brief History of Central America by Hector Perez-Brignoli (University of  California Press, Los Angeles, 1989) at page 191 and the film at 1:41:00 give the date of Romerp’s assassination.

Producer - Fr. Ellwood (Bud) Kieser

Director - John Duigan

Screenplay - John Sacret Young

Runtime – 1 hour 42 minutes

Released - August 25, 1989

Starring –        Raúl Juliá as Archbishop Óscar Romero.

Richard Jordan as Fr. Rutilio Grande, SJ.

Alejandro Bracho as Fr. Alfonzo Osuña, SJ.

Tony Plana as Fr. Manuel Morantes, SJ.

Lucy Reina as Lucia

Ana Alicia as Arista Zelada

Omar Chagall as Rafael Zelada

Harold Gould as Francisco Galedo

Eddie Velez as Lt. Ricardo Columa

Robert Viharo as Col. Ernesto Dorio.

Harold Cannon as Gen. Carlos Humberto Romero.

Al Ruscio as Bishop Estrada.

Claudio Brook as Bishop Flores.

Martin LaSalle as Bishop Arturo Rivera y Damas

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

March 23 - Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster

Today’s movie is a disaster film with a scene that happens on March 23. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

DEAD AHEAD: THE EXXON VALDEZ DISASTER  

On March 23, 1989 [2:36 to 6:.12] the oil tanker Exxon Valdez hits the rocks in Prince William Sound, Alaska and starts leaking oil. Captain Hazelwood was not on the bridge at the time of the collision.  Dan Lawn with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation springs into action to start the cleanup, while Frank Iarossi, President of Exxon gets the bad news. The Coast Guard notices that Captain Hazelwood smells of alcohol. The ship leaks 8 million gallons of oil. Due to various problems the Alyeska Pipeline Company’s response is very slow. Gov. Steve Cowper goes on board the Exxon Valdez and Dan Lawn tells him Alyeska is not handling the cleanup like it is supposed to do so. Frank Iarossi’s plane flies over the spill site and the ship. Exxon’s cleanup proceeds very slowly. The State of Alaska learns that it can’t take over cleanup unless Alyeska fails to do so, at which time it’s too late to do anything, but if the State tries to intervene before Alyeska has failed Alyeska could escape liability. Exxon starts spraying chemical dispersants, over the objections of environmentalists and fishermen.  Dan Lawn authorizes Exxon to do a test of burning off the oil. He also recruits local fishermen to deploy booms to protect bays. Exxon finally gets permission to use dispersants, but a storm comes up and the oil starts washing up  on shore.   Hazelwood gets fired for being drunk. The oil devastates the wildlife in Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez is finally hauled off the rocks and emptied. 

This is a very good docudrama. It tries to give an objective view of the incident. Keeps from becoming too political.  

Out of The Channel: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound by John

Keeble (HarperCollins, New York, 1991) at pages 36-39 and the film at 3:40 give the date of the disaster.

Director - Paul Seed

Producer - John Smithson and David M. Thompson

Screenplay -  Michael Baker

Runtime – 1 hour 26 minutes

Released – December 21, 1992

Starring –        John Heard as Dan Lawn

Bob Gunton as Larry Dietrick

Mark Metcalf as Dennis Kelso

Christopher Lloyd as Frank Iarossi

Remak Ramsay as Craig Rassiner

Paul Guilfoyle as Cmdr. Steve McCall

Rip Torn as Adm. Paul Yost

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 22 - Scandal

The movie for March 22 was a political drama with a scene that happened on that date.

SCANDAL              

In late 1950’s London, playboy Dr. Stephen Ward meets showgirl Christine Keeler.  He takes her under his wing in a platonic relationship and introduces her to all sorts of people and sex parties. Christine becomes friends with a new girl in the show Mandy Rice-Davies and they both move into Ward’s apartment. Ward introduces them to Yevgeni Ivanov, who works at the Soviet Embassy. Christine and Mandy meet Errol Flynn, Jr. An MI5 agent asks Ward to keep an eye on Ivanov, who’s suspected of being a spy. Then Christine literally runs into John Profumo, Minister for War at the cottage Ward rents from Lord Astor. Christine soon begins affairs with both Ivanov and Profumo. When Profumo tries to set her up in a private hideaway, she refuses to move out of Stephen’s flat. A year later Christine leaves one of her boyfriends and he tries to shoot his way into Ward’s flat. Because of this Ward ends his relationship with Christine. A story about the shooting appears in the newspapers. Christine sells her story to the papers and Ivanov is recalled to the USSR. Ward sends Christine off on a holiday. John Profumo makes a statement in Parliament where he denied ever having an affair with Christine Keeler on March 22, 1963[1:16:16 to 1:18:43]. Scotland Yard begins an investigation.  Lord Astor tosses Ward out of the cottage. The police try to pressure Keeler into saying Ward was her pimp, but she denies it.  Profumo admits that he lied to parliament and resigns as Minister for War. Ward is arrested and brought to trial for pandering. Mandy testifies that she gave money to Ward. Christine testifies that Ward gave her money. Ward defends her when his own counsel is badgering her on the stand. Ward kills himself. He is found guilty of pandering.

An interesting film. Hunt gives a very good performance as Ward. Be aware this film is rated R in the USA.  

Our Times: The Age of Elizabeth II by A.N. Wilson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New

York, 2008) at pages 131-133 and the film at 1:26:48 give the date of Profumo’s statement.

Producer - Stephen Woolley                                    Director - Michael Caton-Jones

Screenplay - Michael Thomas                                  Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released - March 3,  1989

Starring – John Hurt as Stephen Ward                         Joanne Whalley as Christine Keeler

                 Bridget Fonda as Mandy Rice-Davies         Ian McKellen as John Profumo

                 Leslie Phillips as Lord Astor                       Britt Ekland as Mariella Novotny

                 Daniel Massey as Mervyn Griffith-Jones    Roland Gift as Johnnie Edgecombe

                 Jean Alexander as Mrs. Keeler                    Alex Norton as Detective Inspector

                 Ronald Fraser as Justice Marshall               Paul Brooke as John, Detective Sgt.

                 Jeroen Krabbé as Yevgeni Ivanov              Keith Allen as Kevin, Reporter

                 Ralph Brown as Paul Mann                        Iain Cuthbertson as Lord Hailsham

                 Johnny Shannon as Peter Rachman

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 21 - Forbidden Territory

Today’s movie is an adventure film with a scene that happens on March 21. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

FORBIDDEN TERRITORY        

David Livingston is been living in Africa for five years, when the village where he’s staying is raided by slavers and many people are killed. Henry Stanley is called away from the civil war in Spain by his newspaper, The New York Herald Tribune to find Livingston. He goes to Zanzibar and on March 21, 1871 sets out for the interior with an expedition. [20:27 to 21:55] They have many difficulties. They are attacked by crocodiles, Stanly gets deathly ill, and an African tribal leader attacks them. His bearers insist on turning back, but some travelers arrive, saying they have seen Livingstone. They push on and reach the village of Ujiji, where Stanly greets Livingstone with the immortal line, “Doctor Livingston, I presume”. To Stanley’s surprise Livingston doesn’t want to return to England. He finally agrees if Stanley will help him investigate whether Lake Tanganyika is the source of the Nile. They determine it’s not and Stanley gets sick again. He tells Livingston his life story of being illegitimate, going to America, fighting for the South at Shiloh and later for the North. Livingston wants to keep looking for the Nile source, but Stanley reminds him of his promise. They head for the coast, but halfway there, Livingston turns back into Africa, sending his journal and letters on with Stanley. When Stanley arrives in England his reception is not what he had imagined. The Royal Geographical Society says the journal and letters are fakes and that he never found Livingston. The girl he had been writing to has abandoned him. In Africa Livingston dies and his relatives identify the writing in the journal and letters as his, vindicating Stanley.

An interesting film. While it works as an adventure story, it’s also the story of Henry Stanley and David Livingston’s psychological development. The two tales are blended together seamlessly.

Into Africa by Martin Dugard (Doubleday, New York, 2003) at page 134 gives the date he left

Producer - Judd Parkin

Director - Simon Langston

Screenplay - John Pielmeier

Awards - Nominated for the Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Movie (Dramatic Underscore) Emmy.

Runtime - 1 hour 36 minutes

Released - December 7, 1997

Starring - Aidan Quinn as Henry Stanley, Nigel Hawthorne as David Livingstone, Edward Fox as Markham, Dylan Baker as Gordon Bennett, Fay Masterson as Alice Pike

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 20 - Wuthering Heights(1998)

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on March 20. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS    

Mr. Lockwood, new tenant at the grange comes to pay his respects to his very surly landlord, Heathcliffe. When he has to stay the night, Mr. Lockwood has a ghostly encounter. We then flashback to 30 years earlier. Mr. Earnshaw adopts the gypsy boy Heathcliffe. His son Hindley hates Heathcliffe, but eventually Heathcliffe and Cathy Earnshaw become close. When Mr. Earnshaw dies Hindley and his wife return to live at Wuthering Heights. He allows Heathcliffe to stay as a servant. One night when Cathy and Heathcliffe spy on the Lintons at Thrushcross Grange, Cathy is injured when the Lintons set the dogs on them. Cathy stays at the Grange while she recuperates.  When she returns home, Cathy has assumed a more genteel air. When the Lintons come to dine, Heathcliffe tries to improve his appearance, but after being taunted by both Hindley and Edgar Linton, there is a fight and he is beaten. Hindley’s wife has a son, but she dies and Hindley sinks into alcoholic depression. Linton asks Cathy to marry him and she accepts, even though she loves Heathcliffe, but cannot marry him because of his low social status. She thinks she can use her new status to help Heathcliffe. He overhears this and runs away. Five years later Heathcliffe returns, having made his fortune. Cathy married Edgar Linton and they live at Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliffe soon courts Edgar’s sister Isabella as a means of getting revenge. The pair eventually elopes. Cathy gives birth to a daughter, also named Cathy and dies. Isabella has a son Linton. Heathcliffe murders Hindley and takes charge of Hindley’s son, Hareton. On March 20, 1800 [1:18:42 to 1:19:27] it is Cathy’s sixteenth birthday. When Isabella dies, Edgar brings her son Linton to stay with him, but Heathcliffe takes the boy. When Cathy goes to visit Linton, Heathcliffe holds her captive and forces her to marry Linton. Edgar Linton dies, followed shortly thereafter by Linton.  We have now returned to the time of Mr. Lockwood’s visit. Heathcliffe later dies, while Cathy and Hareton plan to get married as they became close, living together at Wuthering Heights after Linton’s death.

A good adaptation of one of the classics of English literature. Heathcliffe is a real … well really shouldn’t say. Beautiful innovative cinematography.

Source: Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Harper Collins, 2011. This book at page 257 gives Cathy’s birthday as this date.

Release date : October 18, 1998

Run Time: 1 hour 52 minutes

Director:  David Skynner

Screenplay: Neil McKay, based on the novel by Emily Brontë

Cast: Robert Cavanah (Heathcliff ), Peter Davison (Joseph Lockwood), Orla Brady (Cathy Earnshaw), Tom Georgeson (Joseph), Matthew Macfadyen (Hareton Earnshaw), Sarah Smart (Catherine Linton), Kadie Savage (young Cathy Earnshaw), Ken Kitson (Mr. Earnshaw), Flora Montgomery (Isabella Linton), Ian Shaw (Hindley Earnshaw)

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 19 - Annie Get Your Gun

Today’s movie is a musical comedy-romance with scenes that happen on March 19. Watch this film tonight and enjoy.

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN                                    

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show arrives in Cincinnati, Ohio, led by its star, the egoistic marksman, Frank Butler. Rustic Annie Oakley meets frank and falls instantly in love with him, but is devastated when she realizes she’s not the type of girl Frank likes. Everyone is shocked when Annie beats Frank in a shooting contest and she is persuaded to join the Wild West Show. They continue on tour and Annie tries to improve herself to become Frank’s ideal woman, as Frank begins to fall for her. However, on March 19, 1884, at the behest of Buffalo Bill, Annie performs a new shooting stunt that Frank thinks is designed to supplant him as the star of the show and he joins Pawnee Bill’s show instead. That same day Annie meets Chief Sitting Bull, who is so impressed with Annie that he nicknames her “Little Sure Shot” and symbolically adopts her. [43:15 to 1:07:48] The show tours Europe, where Annie is awarded many jewel-laden medals for her shooting prowess.  The return to the USA broke due to high expenses. Pawnee Bill is also broke and proposes the shows merge, offering as the reason that Frank and Annie can get back together. Upon discovering their mutual poverty Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill call off the deal, but Annie offers to sell her jeweled medals to raise the necessary cash. Frank and Annie seem to reconcile, until they fight about who is the better shot. Annie challenges Frank to a shooting contest, with her jewels as the prize. Annie loses, due to Sitting Bull tampering with her sights, so the show’s merger will occur. However, Frank realizes he does love Annie so they marry and merge the two shows with the couple as the star attraction.

Annie Oakley by Shirl Kaspor (University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1992) p. 26 gives the date Annie met Sitting Bull

Producers - Arthur Freed and Roger Edens

Director - George Sidney

Screenplay - Sidney Sheldon

Awards – The film won the Best Original Score Oscar. It was also nominated for the Best Art Direction, Best Color Cinematography and Best Film Editing Oscars at the 23^rd Academy Awards.

Released – May 17, 1950

Runtime – 1 hour 47 minutes

Starring - Betty Hutton as Annie Oakley, Howard Keel as Frank E. Butler, Benay Venuta as Dolly Tate, Louis Calhern as Buffalo Bill, J. Carrol Naish as Chief Sitting Bull, Edward Arnold as Pawnee Bill, Keenan Wynn as Charlie Davenport, Clinton Sundberg as Foster Wilson

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 18 - Tombstone

Today’s movie is a western with a scene that happens on March 18. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

TOMBSTONE      

The Earp brothers, Virgil, Morgan and Wyatt settle in Tombstone Arizona. There they meet old friend “Doc” Holliday and new acquaintance Josephine Marcus. The brothers run a saloon and soon have a run-in with a gang called The Cowboys that try to rule the town, after Wyatt helps arrest a drunken member of the gang “Curly Bill” Brocius. He is acquitted, but Virgil is made town marshal. This leads to the famed gunfight at the O.K. Corral, where the Earp brothers kill several members of the Cowboys. In return on March 18, 1882 [1:20:31 to 1:29:47] the surviving Cowboys ambush the Earps, killing Morgan and wounding Virgil. Wyatt becomes a US marshal and vows to kill any Cowboy on sight. In a gunfight Wyatt kills “Curly Bill” now the leader of the Cowboys. He is replaced by Johnny Ringo, who challenges Wyatt to a showdown. “Doc” Holliday kills Ringo then Wyatt and his deputies kill all but one of the Cowboys.  “Doc” later dies of tuberculosis, with Wyatt at his bedside.

And Die in the West by Paula M. Merks (William, Morrow & Co., New York, 1989)

at pages 338-340 gives the date of his death

Director - George P. Cosmatos

Producer - James Jacks, Sean Daniel and Bob Misiorowski

Screenplay - Kevin Jarre

Released – December 24, 1993

Runtime – 2 hours 10 minutes

Starring –

Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday

Sam Elliott as Virgil Earp

Bill Paxton as Morgan Earp

Powers Boothe as "Curly Bill" Brocius

Michael Biehn as Johnny Ringo

Charlton Heston as Henry Hooker

Jason Priestley as Billy Breakenridge

Jon Tenney as Sheriff Johnny Behan

Stephen Lang as Ike Clanton

Thomas Haden Church as Billy Clanton

Dana Delany as Josephine Marcus

Robert Mitchum as Narrator 

Harry Carey, Jr. as Marshal Fred White

Billy Bob Thornton as Johnny "Madcap" Tyler

Billy Zane as Mr. Fabian

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 17 - The Fall of the Roman Empire

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on March 17. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius tells his family that he is going to select General Gaius Livius as his successor, rather than his son Commodus or daughter, Lucilla so that all the provinces will have the same rights and privileges as Italy. However, cronies of Commodus kill the Emperor on March 17, 180 [55:05 to 1:10:10]. Commodus is made emperor and oppresses the provinces to benefit Italy. When Livius tries to promote peace with the Germans, supported by Lucilla, Commodus is furious. He banishes Livius and forces Lucilla to marry the King of Armenia. Commodus is later forced to recall Livius to put down a rebellion in the eastern part of the Empire. Livius discovers Lucilla is behind the revolt, but refuses to join her in creating a break-away state as Livius fells this would fatally weaken the Empire. When the Persians attack, the rebels join Livius in defeating them. Commodus is declared a god by the Senate, with Livius and Lucilla to be the first sacrifices to him.  However, after Commodus learns he is not his father’s son, his unhinged mind conceives the idea of a duel with Livius for the throne.  Livius wins and is offered the title of Emperor by the Senate, but he declines and leaves with Lucilla.

Marcus Aurelius: A Life by Frank McLynn(DaCapo Press, Cambridge, Mass., 2009) at page 418 gives the date of his death.

Director - Anthony Mann

Producer - Samuel Bronston

Screenplay - Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina and Philip Yordan

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Original Score Oscar at the 37^th Academy

                 Awards

Released – March 24, 1964

Runtime -  3 hours 8 minutes

Starring –

Sophia Loren as Lucilla

Christopher Plummer as Commodus

Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius

James Mason as Timonides

Stephen Boyd as Livius

Anthony Quayle as Verulus

John Ireland as Ballomar

Omar Sharif as Sohaemus, King of Armenia

Mel Ferrer as Marcus Aurelius Cleander

Eric Porter as Didius Julianus

Finlay Currie as Senator

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

March 16 - Capricorn One

Today’s film is a political thriller with a scene that happens on March 16. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

CAPRICORN ONE                   

Capricorn One, the first American manned mission to Mars is on the launch pad. Three minutes before liftoff the three astronauts on board, Colonel Charles Brubaker, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Willis and Commander John Walker are taken off the spacecraft by a mysterious civilian and flown to an air fore base, where they meet Dr. James Kelloway, the head of NASA. He tells them that the life support system, which was supplied by a corrupt contractor, would have killed them during the mission and the only choice is to fake the mission, since the agency could not stand the embarrassment of a cancellation. The three astronauts very reluctantly agree to participate in the deception after Kelloway threatens their families. The empty spaceccraft is launched towards Mars. On March 16, 19__ [27:26 to 29:21] Elliott Whitter, a NASA technician notices something odd. His instruments tell him that the TV signal from Capricorn One is reaching Houston before the telemetry signal, but he is told to ignore this. The crew fakes the Mars landing for television. On the return voyage the crew talks to their families. This transmission is cut off for fear Brubaker will reveal the lie, but not before he mentions a past vacation to his wife. Elliott Whitter tells Robert Caulfield, a reporter he knows about the signal anomaly, then disappears. Caulfield survives an attempt to sabotage his car. During the re-entry the three astronauts are supposedly killed when their heat shield fails. However. the three astronauts escape from the base, steal a jet, but then have to make a crash landing in the desert. Caulfield investigates Whitter’s disappearance. Government helicopters that are tracking the three men kill Walker. Caulfield meets with Mrs. Brubaker and realizes Brubaker’s vacation reference was about a movie he had watched being filmed while on that trip. Caulfield realizes the mission was faked, that is what Whitter uncovered and what led to Whitter’s disappearance. Willis is also found and killed. The FBI arrests Caulfield on trumped up drug charges, but while out on bail he finds the base where the Mars landing was filmed and finds a necklace that belonged to Brubaker, confirming his hypothesis. Caulfield hires Albain, a crop-duster and they locate and rescue Brubaker in the desert, causing the government helicopters to crash. Brubaker surprises everyone by showing up at his memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery.

A passable mystery suspense film. I think it shows conspiracy theorists how difficult it would actually be to really try and fake a space mission. If you don’t expect an Oscar winner, it s an interesting film.

The date is given in the film at 27:26

Producer - Paul N. Lazarus III     

Director - Peter Hyams      

Screenplay - Peter Hyams

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes                            

Released – June 2, 1978

Cast – Elliott Gould as Robert Caulfield, James Brolin as Colonel Charles Brubaker, Sam Waterston as Lieutenant Colonel Peter Willis, O.J. Simpson as Commander John Walker, Hal Holbrook as Dr. James Kelloway, Brenda Vaccaro as Kay Brubaker

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 15 - Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on March 15. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

VICTIM FOR VICTIMS: THE THERESA SALDANA STORY  

In 1982 Theresa Saldana is an American actress living in Los Angeles. When her mother calls and tells Theresa that she got a call from director Martin Scorsese's assistant about a part, her husband is concerned that this will again require her to go on location, requiring a separation. It turns the call actually came from a stalker, trying to get her address. Theresa takes precautions, but on March 15, 1982 [13:25 to 31:10] when leaving her apartment, she is attacked and stabbed multiple times by Arthur Jackson, a deranged fan. Many people witness the attack but just stand around doing nothing until a deliveryman subdues Jackson. She survives the attack after emergency surgery. Afterwards she and her husband, Fred Feliciano suffer from depression and post traumatic stress disorder even though he works as a counselor himself. Theresa is worried about scarring. Since she can't work, she and her husband start to have financial problems. She meets with another crime victim and is distraught when she dies. Theresa get to meet and thank her rescuer, Jeff Fenn which causes her husband to have doubts about himself and his relationship with Theresa. Theresa testifies at her attacker's preliminary hearing in a wheelchair amid a media frenzy. Theresa is traumatized when her injuries are photographed to be used as evidence.  Theresa is finally able to move out of the hospital and her husband quits his job because he's not effective as a counselor because he spends so much time with Theresa.  Theresa and her husband decide to separate. Theresa learns that Jane Bladow a nurse at the nursing home she is staying at and whom she disliked for enforcing the home's restrictive rules had once been the victim of an assault, but had no one to talk to about it. When Theresa later meets a former school teacher, Miriam Schneider who had also been attacked, Theresa decides to start a network of former victims to help each other psychologically recover by being able to talk and support each other. Arthur Jackson is found guilty. Her support group "Victims for Victims" attracts a lot of attention and many people who were victims of crime join.        

An unusual docudrama. Sort of strange in that Theresa Saldana portrays herself in this movie. However, this film is interesting enough to hold your attention for an hour and a half.

The date is given in the film at 00:05

Producer - Harry R. Sherman 

Director - Karen Arthur   

Screenplay - Arthur Heinemann

Awards- The Film was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Makeup Emmy at the 37^th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 40 minutes  

Released - November 12, 1984

Starring – Theresa Saldana as Herself, Adrian Zmed as Fred Feliciano, Lelia Goldoni as Mrs. Saldana, Lawrence Pressman as Dr. Stein, Mariclare Costello as Jane Bladow, Linda Carlson  as Miriam Schneider, Stanley Kamel as D.A. Mike Knight, Philip English as Arthur Jackson

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 14 - Topsy-Turvy

Today’s movie is a period drama with scenes that happen on March 14. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

TOPSY-TURVY    

An ill Arthur Sullivan is barely able to make it to the Savoy Theatre to conduct the opening night of Princess Ida. Afterwards he goes on holiday to Europe and vows not to write any more comic operas with W.S. Gilbert and concentrate on serous opera. Attendance at Princess Ida does not meet expectations and it eventually closes, to be replaced by a revival of an earlier Gilbert and Sullivan work The Sorecerer, as a new work is not ready. Sullivan thinks what Gilbert is writing is a rehash of previously used ideas and can’t create music for it. After visiting an exhibition about Japan, Gilbert is inspired to write an opera set there, to which Sullivan agrees. They and the cast work to get the show ready to go, including bringing in real Japanese ladies to demonstrate Japanese manners. On March 14, 1885 [1:54:31 to 2:31:18] the The Mikado premieres. In the face of a request by the entire cast, Gilbert re-instates a solo by Richard Temple, but Gilbert later is accosted by a begger. The show is a huge success with the public.  

The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan by W.S. Gilbert (H. Wolf, New York, 1936) at page 175 gives the premiere date

Director - Mike Leigh

Producer - Simon Channing Williams

Screenplay - Mike Leigh

Awards – The film won the Best Costume Design and Best Makeup Oscars. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Original Screenplay at the 72^nd Academy Awards.

Released – September 3, 1999

Runtime -  2 hours 40 minutes

Starring – Jim Broadbent as W. S. Gilbert, Ron Cook as Richard D'Oyly Carte, Allan Corduner as Arthur Sullivan, Eleanor David as Fanny Ronalds, Sullivan's mistress, Dexter Fletcher as Louis, Sullivan's butler, Vincent Franklin as Rutland Barrington, who plays Pooh-Bah,Lesley Manville as Lucy "Kitty" Gilbert, Gilbert's wife, Timothy Spall as Richard Temple, who plays the Mikado, Martin Savage as George Grossmith, who plays Ko-Ko, Dorothy Atkinson as Jessie Bond, who plays Pitti-Sing, Louise Gold as Rosina Brandram, who plays Katisha, Shirley Henderson as Leonora Braham, who plays Yum-Yum, Kevin McKidd as Durward Lely, who plays Nanki-Poo, Wendy Nottingham as Helen Lenoir, Carte's indispensable aide, Cathy Sara as Sybil Grey, who plays Peep-Bo, Andy Serkis as John D'Auban, choreographer, Naoko Mori as Miss "Sixpence Please", Michael Simkins as Frederick Bovill, who plays Pish-Tush, Sukie Smith as Clothilde, Sullivan's maid, Ashley Jensen as Miss Tringham, a member of the chorus, Mark Benton as Mr. Price, a member of the chorus, Steve Speirs as Mr. Kent, a member of the chorus

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 13 - Ordinary People

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on March 13. Watch t tonight and enjoy.

ORDINARY PEOPLE      

Conrad Jarett returns home from a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt. He begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger.  Conrad’s idolized older brother, Buck died in a sailing accident and Conrad now has Survivor’s guilt and PTSD. While Conrad’s father, Calvin tries to connect with him; Conrad’s mother Beth is now cold towards him. She tries to maintain a fantasy of perfection and normality in the family. . Conrad starts dating Jeannine, but cannot get close to anyone. Beth is more interested in appearing “normal” more than helping Conrad recover. Calvin tries to referee, but things blow up when at Christmas, Beth refuses to take a picture with Conrad. They fight with Beth impliedly admitting she liked Buck better than Conrad. On March 13, 1981 [1:30:17 to 1:30:36] the Calvin and Beth leave on a trip to play golf with her brother, who criticizes her attitude towards Conrad. Conrad has a setback when he learns a friend of his from the hospital has killed herself. Dr. Berger helps Conrad break free by absolving himself of his self-imposed guilt over Buck’s death and acceptance of his Mother’s attitude. However, after Calvin finally confronts Beth over her inability to love, she leaves.

Ordinary People by Judith Guest (The Viking Press, New York, 1976) at page 138 gives this as the date

Director - Robert Redford

Producer - Ronald L. Schwary

Screenplay - Alvin Sargent

Awards – The film won the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director Oscars. Timothy Hutton won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Mary Tyler Moore was nominated for Best Actress and Judd Hirsch was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the 53^rd Academy Awards.    

Released – September 19, 1980

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes

Starring –

Donald Sutherland as Calvin Jarrett

Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett

Timothy Hutton as Conrad Jarrett

Judd Hirsch as Dr. Tyrone C. Berger

Elizabeth McGovern as Jeannine Pratt

M. Emmet Walsh as Coach Salan

Dinah Manoff as Karen Aldrich

Fredric Lehne as Joe Lazenby

James Sikking as Ray Hanley

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 12 - Bird

Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that happens on March 12. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

BIRD

Charlie Parker develops into a jazz superstar and innovator, the creator of bebop, but is haunted by addiction to heroin.  He was paired often with Dizzy Gillespie, another jazz great. Charlie Parker had two children with Chan Parker. Charlie considered himself married to Chan even though they never went through any kind of marriage ceremony. Charlie was terribly upset by his young daughters death from cystic fibrois. Charlie was committed several times for detox to try and lick his heron addiction. He dies of a heart attack on March 12, 1955 [2:16:05 to 2:34:20] at the age of only 34.  

Jazz: A History of America’s Music by Geoffrey C. Ward (Alfred A. Knopf, New

York, 2000) p. 385 and in the film at

Director - Clint Eastwood

Producer - Clint Eastwood

Screenplay - Joel Oliansky

Awards – The film won the Oscar for Best Sound at the 61^st Academy Awards

Released - September 30, 1988

Runtime – 2 hours 41 minutes

Starring –

Forest Whitaker as Charlie "Bird" Parker

Diane Venora as Chan Parker

Michael Zelniker as Red Rodney

Samuel E. Wright as Dizzy Gillespie

Keith David as Buster Franklin

Diane Salinger as Pannonica de Koenigswarter, Baroness Nica

Michael McGuire as Brewster

James Handy as Esteves

Damon Whitaker as Young Bird

Morgan Nagler as Kim

Arlen Dean Snyder as Dr Heath

Sam Robards as Moscowitz

Penelope Windust as Bellevue Nurse

Glenn Wright as Alcoholic Patient

George Orrison as Patient with Checkers

Bill Cobbs as Dr Caulfield    

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 11 - Changeling

Today’s movie is a crime drama with a scene that happens on March 11. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

CHANGELING      

Christine Collins, single mother working as a telephone operator comes home to find her nine-year old son, Walter, missing. The next day on March 11, 1928   [13:28 to 13:54] the police come to investigate little Walter’s disappearance. Four months later the police bring a boy to Los Angeles. However, Christine insists he is not her son. When she continues to publicly announce this, in conjunction with Gustav Briegleb, a minister interested in exposing police brutality and corruption, she becomes an embarrassment to the LAPD. Detective J. J. Jones arranges to have her committed until she agrees the boy is her son. Meanwhile, Detective Lester Ybarra is arranging the deportation of a boy back to Canada, when they boy tells him that his uncle, with whom he was staying, Gordon Northcott, kidnapped and killed 20 boys. When Walter is named as a possible victim, Christine is released from the mental hospital. The city council investigates the police, while Nothcott is tried and convicted of murder. Two years later Nothcott torments Christine but offering to, then refusing to tell what happened to Walter. Seven years later a boy who was assumed to be a victim turns up. He says Walter and others tried to escape and he does not know if they succeeded or not. Christine never stopped looking for her son.

The date of Walter’s disappearance is given as March 10, 1928 at 6:40. The police arrive the next day

Director - Clint Eastwood

Producers - Clint Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Robert Lorenz

Screenplay - J. Michael Straczynski

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography Oscars.  Angelina Jolie was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar at the 81^st Academy Awards

Released – October 24, 2008

Runtime – 2 hours 21 minutes

Starring –

Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins

Jeffrey Donovan as J. J. Jones

John Malkovich as Gustav Briegleb

Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott

Amy Ryan as Carol Dexter

Michael Kelly as Lester Ybarra

Geoff Pierson as Sammy Hahn

Colm Feore as Chief James E. Davis

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

March 10 - Tai-pan

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on March 10. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

TAI-PAN          

On March 10, 1839 at the European settlement in Canton, Lin, a commissioner from the Chinese imperial court arrives and summons Dirk Struan, the unofficial leader (tai-pan) of the Europeans to meet him. Struan’s Chinese mistress, May-may advises against his going, but he does anyway. Lin says that all opium in the possession of the Europeans is to be surrendered and burned. [00:32 to 9:58] The Chinese had refused to accept anything but silver in payment for tea and silk, until the Europeans discovered they would accept the illegal drug opium. The opium is surrendered and burned, which leads to a war the British win and use to annex Hong Kong. Dirk’s son Culum arrives from Europe and he says all their family in Scotland has died of cholera. Struan’s business rival Tyler Brock tells Struan he has bought up £1.2 million of Struan’s debt that is immediately due. This causes everyone else to withhold credit, so he can’t buy goods to export. Struan learns Mary Sinclair, an acquaintance, is the lover of the Chinese merchant Jin-qua. He lends Struan a fortune in silver in return for being Struan’s indispensable agent with the Chinese for ten years. Struan gets the silver to Hong Kong and pays off Brock. Culum prevents a disastrous bidding war for the highest point of land on Hong Kong by reserving it for a church. Struan has a ball to celebrate the establishment of Hong Kong. May-may has a European dress and wants to go, but Struan pretends to be upset with her, and the fact that she stoically bears his (apparently unjustified) wrath gives her great ‘face’ among the Chinese. At the ball Culum is attracted to Tess, daughter of Tyler Brock, in a match secretly supported by her mother, who sees it as a peacemaking move.  May-may gets pregnant. Tyler Brock proposes Culum and Tess get married in a year, during which he hopes to exert a controlling influence over Culum. Struan sends Culum off to Macao, specifically telling him he’s putting the ship’s captain under his orders. Culum takes Tess along and orders the captain to marry them. May-may gets malaria, loses the baby and almost dies until Struan moves heaven and earth, spending huge sums to find a cure. When Brock’s son Gorth confronts him about the wedding of his sister, Dirk kills him. Struan and Brock fight without result as a typhoon approaches. Struan and May-may are killed in the storm and Culum takes over.

An interesting political/personal drama. Set in the same alternate universe as Noble House (June 8) and Shogun (April 21). Would have been better as a mini-series, as too much of the detail had to be cut for time reasons.

Date given in film at 00:42

Director - Daryl Duke            Screenplay   - John Briley, James Clavell and Stanley Mann

Runtime - 2 hours 7 minutes         Released - November 7, 1986

Starring - Bryan Brown as Dirk Struan , Joan Chen as May-May , John Stanton  as Tyler Brock , Tim Guinee as Culum Struan , Bill Leadbitter as Gorth Brock , Russell Wong as Gordon Chen, Katy Behean as Mary Sinclair , Kyra Sedgwick as Tess Brock , Janine Turner as Shevaun Tillman , Norman Rodway as Aristotle Quance , John Bennett as Orlov  

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015