Movies for Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Today's movies celebrate a Broadway impresario, a Mexican leader, and World Poetry Day with a children's program.


Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., the renowned Broadway
producer, was born on this date, March 21, in
1867.  The Great Ziegfeld (1936) is a story of
his life.  It won Academy Awards for Best
Picture and Best Actress, for Luise Rainer,
born January 12, 1910.





The Great Ziegfeld







The namesake of Juarez (1939) was Benito
J. Juarez, a great Mexican leader in the
time of Napolean III.  Juarez was born March
21, 1806.


Juarez








Today, March 21, has been designated World
Poetry Day by UNESCO.  Goodnight Moon
& Other Sleepytime Tales (1999) is an HBO
children's program appropriate to the day.  It
won Emmys for Outstanding Children's Program
and Individual Achievement in Animation,
for segments "Brahm's Lullaby" and "Twinkle,
Twinkle Little Star."


Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales

Movies for Monday, March 20, 2017

The movies for today, Monday, March 20, 2017, feature imprisonment, obsession and war.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) is the story
of a gay man and a political activist in a
South American prison cell.  The film stars
William Hurt, born this date in 1950, who won
an Academy Award as Best Actor.




Kiss of the Spider Woman








The Positively True Adventures of the
Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering
Mom (1993) is a television movie about
an obsessed high school mother.  It is
based on the true story of Wanda Holloway,
born in 1954.  It stars Holly Hunter, born
this date in 1958.




The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom




The Iraq War began this date in 2003.  The Hurt
Locker (2008) is an Academy Award winning
film which takes place during the war.  It won
Oscars for Best Motion Picture, Directing to Kathryn
Bigelow, Writing for Original Screenplay, Sound
Mixing, Film Editing and Sound Editing.  Bigelow
was the first woman to win an Oscar for Directing.



The Hurt Locker

Movies for Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Today's movies celebrate seals and African American airmen in World War II; the third takes a comical look at law school.





Today is International Day of the Seals, also
declared by Congress in 1982.  Celebrate the
day with Seal Island (1948) set in Alaska's
Pribilof Islands.  It won an Academy Award
for Short Films, Two-Reel.




Seal Island








The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) is a
television movie about a squadron
of African American air combat
fighters in World War II.  The
Tuskegee Airmen squadron was
activated this date in 1941.



The Tuskegee Airmen








Legally Blonde (2001) is a comedy with a sorority
girl, played by star Reese Witherspoon, born March 22,
1976, at Harvard Law School.




Legally Blonde

Movies for Sunday, March 19, 2017

Today's movies include an Arabian Nights film, a movie about Jesus, and a movie about college basketball.




There are many movies about the Arabian Nights tales,
most derived from the English translation by English
explorer Sir Richard Burton, born March 19, 1821.  I am
selecting The Thief of Bagdad (1940) which won
Oscars for Cinematography, Interior Decoration and
Special Effects.




The Thief of Bagdad






Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) is a retelling
of the Passion story.  The story went from
Broadway musical and record album to
the movies.




Jesus Christ Superstar









March Madness is here and this movie, One on
One (1977) is the story of a high school
phenom dealing with college basketball and
life.



One on One

Movies for Saturday, March 18, 2017

The movies for today, Saturday, March 18, 2017, feature English royal history, the life of Jesus and basketball.  I will list movies about Jesus and basketball again tomorrow, Sunday, March 19, 2017. The weekend movies about Jesus and basketball recognize the continuing Christian Lenten season and the NCAA Men's Basketball championships, also known as March Madness.




The Sword and the Rose (1953) is mainly about
Mary Tudor, born this date in 1496, and the
younger sister of King Henry VIII, who became
Queen Consort of France.




The Sword and the Stone






Parable (1964) is a short but controversial
film about the Jesus story, featuring a circus
harlequin.





Parable








1950s Indiana high school basketball takes
center stage in Hoosiers (1986).  This
inspiring movie is on the National Film
Registry.



Hoosiers

Movies for Friday, March 17, 2017

Today, Friday, March 17, 2017, we commemorate St. Patrick's Day with two movies; we also remember the great ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.




The Quiet Man (1952) is a love story set in
Ireland.  It stars John Wayne.  It won
Oscars for Director, to John Ford, and for
Cinematography, Color.  This movie, listed
today in honor of St. Patrick's Day, is also on
the National Film Registry.


The Quiet Man







Our second selection for St. Patrick's Day
is Finian's Rainbow (1968), a musical
fantasy set in the American South and
touching on Irish themes and racial
injustice.




Finian's Rainbow







The world famous ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, was
born this date, March 17, in 1938.  We celebrate his
birthday with I Am a Dancer (1973), a biographical
documentary.




I Am a Dancer

Movies for Thursday, March 16, 2017

The movies for today, Thursday, March 16, 2017, feature the comedic genius of Jerry Lewis, the My Lai Massacre and high school wrestling.





The Nutty Professor (1963), a comedy worthy of
listing on the National Film Registry, stars Jerry
Lewis, born this date, March 16, in 1926.  He played
Professor Buddy Love.  A remake with the
same title starring Eddie Murphy, born April 3, 1961,
was released in 1996.  It won an Oscar for Makeup.
The Nutty Professor II:  The Klumps was released
in 2000.


The Nutty Professor




The My Lai Massacre occurred during
the Vietnam War on March 16, 1968.
Interviews with My Lai Veterans (1971)
was awarded an Academy Award for
Best Documentary, Short Subjects.




Interviews with My Lai Veterans









Take Down (1978) is a seriocomic look at
high school wrestling.  Today, March 16, 2017,
is the beginning of the men's college wrestling
championships in St. Louis.




Take Down