Movies for the Day, Monday, May 15, 2017

Today's selections include a great movie fantasy, a movie about mothers and daughters, and an acclaimed police television series.


The Wizard of Oz (1939) is great musical
fantasy about a lost girl, her dog Toto, and witches and
wizards and other denizens of Oz.  It is from
the book by L. Frank Baum, born May 15,
1856.  This inspiring film won Oscars for the Song,
Over the Rainbow, and Score.  A special Oscar was
given to star Judy Garland.  It features three American
Film Institute Quotes, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in
Kansas anymore," and "There's no place like home," and
"I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too."  It also
features an AFI Villain, The Wicked Witch of the West, and
an AFI Song, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.
This thrilling movie is on the National Film Registry.

The Wizard of Oz



The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-
the-Moon Marigolds (1972) is a story of a
mother and her daughters.  It is from
a Pulitzer Prize winning play by Paul
Zindel, born this date, May 15, in 1936.
Also, yesterday was Mother's Day.



The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds







Hill Street Blues (1981 to 1987) is an acclaimed
television series about the inner workings of
a metropolitan police precinct.  This is Police
Week (May 14 to May 20, 2017).  This series
won many Emmys, for Directing, Writing, Cinematography,
Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Film Editing,
Lead Actor (Daniel J. Travanti), Lead Actress (Barbara Babcock),
Supporting Actor (Michael Conrad and Bruce Weitz),
Supporting Actress (Betty Thomas and Alfre Woodard) and
Outstanding Drama Series (in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984).
Some special episodes include Hill Street Station, Freedom's
Last Stand, Personal Foul, Of Mouse and Man, Life in the
Minors, Trial by Fury, Phantom of the Hill, Stan the Man,
Doris in Wonderland, Goodbye, Mr. Scripps, and Parting is Such
Sweep Sorrow.

Hill Street Blues

Movies for the Day, Sunday, May 14, 2017

Today's movies are about a mother's love, Star Wars, and Israel.

In Mask (1985), a disfigured teenage boy
struggles for acceptance, with the support
and love of his mother, who herself has
issues.  Today, May 14, 2017, is Mother's
Day.  The movie won an Oscar for Makeup.





Mask






Spaceballs (1987) is a Star
Wars spoof, a good way to end
watching Star Wars movies from
Star Wars Day, May 4, to the
birthday of Star Wars creator,
George Lucas, born May 14,
1944.



Spaceballs








The Long Way Home (1997) tells the story
of the establishment of the State of Israel, from
after World War II to the date of Israel's
independence in 1948, on May 14.  The movie
won an Oscar as Best Feature Documentary.




The Long Way Home

Movies for the Day, Saturday, May 13, 2017

Today's movies celebrate novelist Daphne Du Maurier, Our Lady of Fatima, and International Migratory Bird Day.



Rebecca (1940) is about a young woman who marries
a divorced British nobleman.  A thrilling movie directed
by Alfred Hitchcock, the film is based on a novel
by celebrated author Daphne Du Maurier, born this date,
May 13, in 1907.  The movie won Oscars for Best
Picture and for Cinematography.  It features an
American Film Institute Villain, Mrs. Danvers.



Rebecca






The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima
(1952) is the story of young children
who have a religious vision at Fatima,
Portugal, in 1917.  The first
appearance of the vision was on May 13,
1917.




The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima







Those Calloways (1965) is a Disney
film about a family that saves a bird
sanctuary for Canadian geese in New
England.  Today, May 13, 2017, is
International Migratory Bird Day, usually
the second Saturday in May.



Those Calloways

Movies for the Day, Friday, May 12, 2017

Today's movies celebrate Florence Nightingale, Burt Bacharach, and Katharine Hepburn.




The Lady With a Lamp (1951) tells the story
of iconic nurse Florence Nightingale, born this
date, May 12, in 1820.  Today is also the end
of National Nurses Week.





The Lady With a Lamp







The Sound of Burt Bacharach (1969)
is an episode of The Kraft Music
Hall which won Emmys for Music
Direction and Directing and stars
great singer and songwriter Burt
Bacharach.  Bacharach was born May 12,
1929.



The Sound of Burt Bacharach






The Lion in Winter (1968) is the story of
King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane
and succession to the throne.  The movie
won Oscars for Katherine Hepburn as Best
Actress, for Writing, and for Original
Score.  Hepburn was born this date, May
12, in 1907.



The Lion in Winter

Movies for the Day, Thursday, May 11, 2017

Today's movies celebrate Phil Silvers and take us to Minnesota and the world of physics.



The Phil Silvers Show (September 20, 1955 to
September 11, 1959) is a classic 1950's comedy
series starring Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest
G. Bilko.  Silvers was born this date, May 11, in 1911.
This military comedy won many Emmys, including
awards for Best Series (half hour or less), Best
Comedy Series, and Best Actor, Phil Silvers.  The
episode You'll Never Get Rich was especially
recognized.



The Phil Silvers Show












God's Country (1985) is a documentary
about life in Glencoe, Minnesota, a farming
community, in 1979 and then six years
later in 1985.  Minnesota was admitted to
the Union on this date, May 11, in 1858.






God's Country






Infinity (1996) is a dramatization of
the early life of Richard Feynman, genius
physicist who won the Nobel Prize
in Physics in 1965.  Among other things,
Feynman worked on the Manhattan Project
which developed the atom bomb.  Feynman
was born this date, May 11, in 1918.


Infinity

Movies for the Day, Wednesday, May 10, 2017

A train epic, a great musical, and a classic western- today's movies.



The Iron Horse (1924) is a silent epic
by John Ford about the first
transcontinental railroad.  Today is
the Golden Spike Anniversary.  On May 10,
1869, the last spike was hammered in and
a ceremony was held in Promontory, Utah.
This movie is on the National Film Registry.
Many movie cliches started here.



The Iron Horse





Top Hat (1935) is a musical romance
starring Fred Astaire, born this date, May 10,
in 1899, and Ginger Rogers.  It
boasts an American Film Institute Great
Song, Cheek to Cheek.  The movie is
listed on the National Film Registry.




Top Hat







High Noon (1952) is a classic western.  It
won Oscars for Best Actor, to Gary Cooper,
born this date, May 10, in 1901, and for Song,
High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling),
Score, by Dmitri Tiomken, and Film Editing.  This
thrilling and inspiring movie is on the National
Film Registry.  It features an American Film
Institute Hero, Will Kane.


High Noon

Movies for the Day, Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Today's movies are about abolitionists, rabbits, and a goldfish.




Seven Angry Men (1955) is a historical
drama about fanatical abolitionist John Brown
and his family as they fight to free the slaves
in pre-Civil War America.  Brown was born this
date, May 9, in 1800.




Seven Angry Men








Watership Down (1978) is an
excellent animated version of
the classic novel by Richard Adams
about a group of rabbits.  Adams
was born this date, May 9, in 1920.
A bit grim at times.



Watership Down







The Golden Fish (1959) is the story of
a boy and his pet goldfish.  Sunday, May
7, 2017, began National Pet Week.  Also
known as Histoire d'un poisson rouge, this
film won an Academy Award for Best
Live Action Short Subject.



The Golden Fish