Smoking in the Movies

The American Medical Association Alliance wants any movie with scenes that show people smoking to be given an R rating.

I'll confess to having mixed feelings about this. For many years, I was a smoker. Two years ago, for mostly personal reasons (which I do not wish to discuss here), I gave it up. So I feel that I can sympathize with both sides.

You can make the case that depictions in the movies of certain activities deserve an R rating because those activities are illegal. Most violent acts, for example (and I say "most" because there may be exceptions — and, by the way, boxing movies are in an entirely different category and thus part of an entirely different conversation), are illegal, but not all films that include violence are restricted.

Clearly, smoking is not a healthy activity, but it is a legal one.

Of course, sex is legal, too, but admission to films in which naked bodies can be seen usually is restricted as a means of protecting young people. Whether such restrictions have kept any young people from following up on their normal sexual curiosity is open to debate.

The idea behind ratings is to help parents decide whether a particular film is suitable for their children. But I would argue that the ratings themselves are too vague.

When I was a teenager and I saw that a film was rated R, it never occurred to me that it might be because of the language the characters used (I figured I had heard it all from people my own age, even younger) or because of the substances the characters consumed (I had seen adults, as well as people my own age, consuming legal and illegal substances) or because one or more of the characters got punched, shot or stabbed.

I figured it was because nudity could be seen. When I was a teenager, I never expected to see nudity, even briefly, in a PG movie — and I remember being mildly shocked, in 1975, when I saw brief nudity in a PG movie called "Smile," which was a comedy about the kind of community–sponsored beauty pageants that were popular in those days.

Things don't seem to have changed much. The top–grossing film last year, "The Dark Knight," was given a PG–13 rating. It had plenty of scenes in which violence was implied. Drug use was implied. Sex was implied. The film wasn't graphic, but it was intense.

Likewise, the second highest–grossing film of 2008, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," was rated PG–13. There was plenty of violence in the film, although it wasn't always caused by the humans, but it was more explicit than the violence in "The Dark Knight." Profanity was brief. So was substance consumption. I recall no nudity, only sexual innuendo.

Certainly, there are some stories that can't be told honestly unless smoking is included. Typically, those movies are historical films, dealing with times when less was known about the effects of smoking and tobacco consumption was far more extensive than it is today.

One such story is "Good Night and Good Luck," which deals with an important period in modern American history. The central character, Edward R. Murrow, was a heavy smoker. His story cannot be told honestly unless he is shown smoking. That film was rated PG.

Another historical film, Oliver Stone's "JFK," shows many investigators smoking. The year of President Kennedy's assassination was the year before the surgeon general first reported a link between smoking and cancer. If you look at film footage from 1963, you'll see many people smoking.

"JFK" was rated R — but not because of smoking.

There's no doubt, though, that children emulate what they see, whether it's behavior in the movies or in their real lives. And I applaud those who want to limit their exposure to smoking in the movies.

But I think the entire ratings system should be overhauled. If a film is going to be rated R, adults deserve to know why it received that rating. Was it because of the violence? Was it due to depictions of drug use? Was it profanity? Was it nudity? Was it smoking?

The current ratings system simply doesn't provide enough information.

And, while we're taking steps to discourage exposure to smoking in the movies, it would be a good idea to revisit the idea of banning candy cigarettes as well. It is my understanding that attempts were made to do just that in 1970 and 1991, but they failed.

Recent research indicates that candy cigarettes desensitize children to the hazards of smoking and makes them more likely to smoke real cigarettes when they get older. What's more, it seems to me that consuming candy cigarettes must contribute to the obesity problem in America.

Thus, banning them from the market would benefit long–term public health in a couple of ways.

The 'Voiceless Sinatra'

I saw no photos of him in his later years, but Van Johnson always looked younger than he was, and I assume that was true even when he died Friday at the age of 92. For that, he was known as the "voiceless Sinatra."

When I was growing up, it seemed that Johnson was always on TV or the movie screen. The television programs were new, but he never seemed to age, whether he was a guest on "Here's Lucy!" (Lucille Ball was one of his early benefactors), "Batman," "Love, American Style," "Maude," "McCloud," "Fantasy Island," "Murder, She Wrote" or a miniseries like "Rich Man, Poor Man."

As a child, I saw him at the movie theater on occasion — in the family-oriented film "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows," which was an inferior sequel to the Hayley Mills vehicle, "The Trouble With Angels," although it benefited from Johnson's presence as the priest who runs a boys' school.

And I saw him appear with Ball and Henry Fonda in "Yours, Mine and Ours."

Johnson's seemingly age-defying quality was something that certainly helped his career, along with the fact that a serious injury in a car accident left him with a metal plate in his head and prevented him from being drafted into World War II.

That accident qualified as a "blessing in disguise," because Johnson had little significant competition for youthful leading-man roles at MGM during the war years.

He never won any awards for his acting, but he earned solid reviews for performances in films like "A Guy Named Joe," "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" and "The Human Comedy."

I will always remember his earnest performance as Lt. Maryk in "The Caine Mutiny," but I must admit that Johnson has never been the first — or even the second — person I've thought of when I've thought of that movie.

My first thoughts have always been of Humphrey Bogart as the unstable captain or Fred MacMurray as the glib communications officer who plants the seeds of rebellion or even Jose Ferrer as the lawyer who defends Johnson in the court-martial.

Johnson's character was a steady presence in that film, though, and a crucial element in the moral of the story.

I guess the last time I saw him in a film was more than 20 years ago, when I saw him in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (as one of the characters who is trapped on the movie screen after Jeff Daniels' character leaves the film and enters the real world) — although Johnson remained active in movies and TV for about seven years after making that film — and in dinner theater until he was in his 80s.

As luck would have it, a couple of Johnson's movies are scheduled to be shown on the cable channel Turner Classic Movies this month.

"Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" will be aired by TCM Friday at 10:15 a.m. (Central). TCM also is scheduled to show the musical "In the Good Old Summertime," starring Johnson and Judy Garland, on Christmas Eve at 1:15 p.m. (Central).

They serve as timely reminders of Johnson's versatility.

Ch- ch- ch- changes

I guess it was bound to come to this.

I’ve been writing a blog, Freedom Writing, for nearly one year.

I’ve enjoyed writing it, but it’s become a catch-all kind of blog.

You see, I have many interests, and it’s been hard to confine them to a single blog.

I guess the people who have known me all my life would tell you that I’ve always been interested in current events and politics.

And, in fact, I would estimate that the majority of my posts in the last year have been about current events and politics.

But I’ve also used my blog to write about other things that interest me — sports, movies, TV, music.

Obviously, there is some overlapping between subjects from time to time. In fact, in the last week or so, about half of my posts on this blog have dealt with sports or music, and the rest have dealt with current events.

But I’d like to be more topical.

So, starting today, I’m launching two new blogs.

My sports blog will be called Tomato Cans. (If you don't understand the name, I have a brief explanation posted at the blog.)

My entertainment blog will be called Birth of a Notion. That's a play on the name of one of the original blockbuster silent movies, "Birth of a Nation," which was quite an achievement in its day. It was remarkably innovative when it was released in 1915, although it has become controversial as the years have gone by for its sympathetic and fallacious treatment of the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.

But, when one is talking about the film "Birth of a Nation," one would be well advised to remember the words of film critic Roger Ebert: "'Birth of a Nation' is not a bad film because it argues for evil. Like Riefenstahl’s 'Triumph of the Will,' it is a great film that argues for evil. To understand how it does so is to learn a great deal about film, and even something about evil."

And, above all else, I believe a blog, whether it's about movies or sports or current events, should be a learning experience — for both the person who reads it and the person who creates it.

My Freedom Writing blog will remain active. I will post new articles on current events and politics, and all the entries I’ve posted in the last year will remain in its archive.

I still plan to do some blog writing most days, but my entries may not be in the same blog from one day to the next.

If my post relates to sports, I’ll write in Tomato Cans.

And if my post relates to movies or TV or books or music — or entertainment in general — I’ll write in Birth of a Notion.

Later on, an additional blog or two may be needed. I’ll address that need if it comes up.

Clearly, this will be a work in progress, as I decide which blog to use under which circumstances.

For example, comedian George Carlin died earlier this year.

In the event that something similar happens, I will enter my initial blog post at Freedom Writing.

But if that person is featured in a CD or a movie that is released after his/her death — and if I decide to write about it — my blog post will appear in Birth of a Notion.

Similarly, if someone from the sports world dies, I’ll write about it first in Freedom Writing.

After that, if I mention that person in a sports-related context, it will appear in my Tomato Cans blog.

I encourage my regular readers to support these two new blogs.

'Tis the Season...

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The Kennedy assassination is the topic
of the film "Four Days in November"
to be shown on September 18.

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In this political season, Turner Classic Movies will be showing movies with political themes on Wednesday nights in September — including some of my all-time favorites.

Tomorrow night, you can see:

• "The Last Hurrah," 7 p.m. (Central) with Spencer Tracy.


• "The Candidate," 9:15 p.m. (Central) with Robert Redford.


• "The Best Man," 11:15 p.m. (Central) with Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson.


• "Nashville," 1 a.m. (Central), directed by Robert Altman.


• "The Dark Horse," 3:45 a.m. (Central) with Bette Davis.

Keep an eye on the schedule for future presentations, but I can tell you that, in the remaining Wednesdays in September, TCM will be showing films like "Advise and Consent" (with Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Walter Pidgeon and an ensemble cast) and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (with Jimmy Stewart) next week; "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" (with Raymond Massey) the week after that; and "All the King's Men" (with Broderick Crawford) the week after that.

And warm up your TiVo or your VCR.

Two weeks from tomorrow night, a really solid documentary about the John F. Kennedy assassination, "Four Days in November," will be shown at 2:30 a.m. (Central) in the early hours of Thursday, Sept. 18. It packs a lot of material into two hours.

The Master of Suspense

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t enjoy an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

And I give my parents credit for that. They both relished suspense-filled films, and they loved to read murder mysteries like Sherlock Holmes or the Agatha Christie detective stories. (My father is still alive, and he still likes those things.)

Hitchcock was a particular favorite. Whether it was his movies or his TV show ”Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” my mother seldom missed an opportunity to watch anything that had Hitchcock’s name on it — even if she had seen it a dozen times before.

No one loved a good scare like my mother.

She’s been gone for 13 years, but I still have vivid memories of going to see certain movies with her at the theater many years ago — ”Alien,” ”The Shining,” and ”Jurassic Park,” just to name a few — and, during the most suspenseful moments, feeling her hand latch on to my upper arm in a deathlike grip.

She was the kind of viewer who appreciates the subtlety of Hitchcock’s art.

He knew how to push all the right buttons. And he knew that the mind doesn’t need much encouragement to conjure up more elaborate things than real life can ever produce.

”Suspense is like a woman,” he said. ”The more left to the imagination, the more the excitement.”

Why am I talking about Hitchcock? Because today is his birthday. He was born on Aug. 13, 1899.

And, although he made some of the greatest films of all time, he never won an Academy Award for writing or directing. None of his films were ever named Best Picture.

But, in my book, he’s one of the greatest directors of all time.

And I offer my Top 10 Hitchcock films.

These are my don’t-miss Hitchcock movies. Whenever you have the opportunity to see any of these films, don’t let it slip away — especially if the movie is being shown as part of a film festival on an old-fashioned wide screen.

Hitchcock died in 1980, but his brilliance lives on in his films.

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1. North by Northwest — The chase scene across the faces on Mount Rushmore is a classic (and so is the one where Cary Grant is chased by the cropduster).


2. Psycho — It's become a cliché in some ways. Try to imagine how frightening it was when it came out, especially for people who prefer showers instead of baths.


3. Vertigo — One of Hitchcock's masterpieces and one of Jimmy Stewart's finest performances.


4. The Birds — A man vs. nature story with the most unlikely villains you've ever seen.


5. Rear Window — Speaking of villains, has Raymond Burr ever been more menacing? And has Grace Kelly ever been more beautiful?


6. To Catch a Thief — Well, actually, Grace Kelly was just as beautiful in this film, which was made the following year. And it's tough to beat the French Riviera as a backdrop.


7. Shadow of a Doubt — Hitchcock often said it was his personal favorite.


8. Rope — Often overlooked, all the action takes place in the confined environment of an apartment. And the thrill killing is seen only briefly (and not in its entirety) at the beginning. A psychological thriller, and Hitchcock's first Technicolor movie.


9. Dial M for Murder — The plot may seem predictable today, but Ray Milland and Grace Kelly will keep you mesmerized. And watch how Hitchcock experimented with 3-D filmmaking in this one.


10. Strangers on a Train — This is one of my favorites, with its twin themes of blackmail and murder.

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The Mysterious Death of Marilyn Monroe

It's one of the enduring mysteries of our time.

How did Marilyn Monroe die?

Forty-six years ago today, her dead body was found in her Brentwood, Calif., home.

Brentwood has made the news before — not just because it's been home to countless celebrities over the years.

O.J. Simpson's wife and her friend were murdered there in 1994. Also, during the 1990s, Monica Lewinsky was often referred to as being from Brentwood — but, although her father lives in the area today, she was raised elsewhere.

Monroe's death, at the age of 36, was suspicious, and it has remained a starting point for conspiracy theories for nearly half a century. The coroner, Dr. Thomas Noguchi, ruled her death a "probable suicide," but there wasn't enough evidence to rule conclusively that it was either a suicide or a homicide.

The rumors have continued to swirl. They have included rumors of her relationships with rich and powerful men (i.e., John and Robert Kennedy) and the possibility that she was murdered because she was a security risk (based on allegations of discussions she had about atomic testing issues with President Kennedy).

A former Secret Service agent told CBS that it was "common knowledge" among his cohorts that John Kennedy and Monroe had an affair, but the rumors involving Robert Kennedy were never verified.

There have also been tales (never confirmed) that she was murdered by organized crime figures.

And Monroe's housekeeper/housemate Eunice Murray (who was 60 years old when Monroe died) told the BBC that Monroe was still alive when the doctor arrived at the house after being summoned in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 5, 1962.

Murray died in 1993 without ever elaborating on that claim.

Like President Kennedy's assassination, the death of Marilyn Monroe will probably remain shrouded in mystery. So many years have now passed and so many of the people who would have made the most plausible witnesses are gone now.

It is highly unlikely that we'll ever know the truth. Monroe's death is now the fodder of conspiracy theorists.

What we're left with are her films, and most of them only hint at the potential that was lost. But you can see one of the best examples of her work later this month, when Turner Classic Movies shows "Some Like It Hot" on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. (Central).

It's no exaggeration to say it's one of the finest films ever made. It was directed by Billy Wilder and it also stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. If you've never seen it, trust me, you'll be entertained — right up to Joe E. Brown's memorable final line, "Well, nobody's perfect!"

(Believe me, it will make sense to you after you've seen the film. And the American Film Institute thought highly enough of the line to rank it #48 on "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movie Quotes" list.)

But if you want to explore Monroe's psyche, you may have to rent the DVD of HBO's "Norma Jean & Marilyn." It's an imaginative examination of the conflicting emotions that certainly tormented Monroe, starring Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino.

It got mixed reviews when HBO first aired it in 1996.

I thought it was a remarkable film, and, although it sheds no new light on the circumstances surrounding Monroe's death, I recommend it.

TCM's 'Summer Under the Stars'

It has become an annual event for Turner Classic Movies, a monthlong celebration of Hollywood stars in August.

TCM calls it the "Summer Under the Stars." Each day is dedicated to a different star, and TCM will show nothing but that star's movies on that day.

The event kicked off on Friday with Michael Caine's films. Yesterday, the featured star was Charlie Chaplin. Today, the star is Gregory Peck.

Other stars who are scheduled for daylong tributes this month are Claude Rains, Katharine Hepburn, Anne Bancroft, Spencer Tracy.

And there are so many more.

Frankly, you can't go wrong with TCM, especially when it has a monthlong celebration in progress — like this month's "Summer Under the Stars" or TCM's tribute to the Academy Awards every spring, the "31 Days of Oscar."

Great movies are scheduled all month, and the best advice I can give you is to check your local TV listings — or Turner Classic Movies' web site.

But a quick check of the schedule revealed a few titles I urge everyone to check out.

For example:

• "The Boys From Brazil" — 12:45 a.m. (Central), tonight.


• "The Graduate" — 9 p.m. (Central), Wednesday, Aug. 6.


• "The Apartment" — 7 p.m. (Central), Saturday, Aug. 9.


• "Vertigo" — 10:15 p.m. (Central), Tuesday, Aug. 12.


• "The Maltese Falcon" — 9:30 p.m. (Central), Wednesday, Aug. 13.


• "On the Beach" — 9 p.m. (Central), Thursday, Aug. 21.


• "12 Angry Men" — 5:15 p.m. (Central), Sunday, Aug. 24.


• "Psycho" — 9 p.m. (Central), Tuesday, Aug. 26.


• "Some Like It Hot" — 7 p.m. (Central), Wednesday, Aug. 27.


• "Ben-Hur" — 3 p.m. (Central), Thursday, Aug. 28.


• "The African Queen" — 9 p.m. (Central), Saturday, Aug. 30.

As I say, you can't go wrong with Turner Classic Movies.

And there are lots of movies scheduled this month that you've probably never heard of. But they're all worth seeing.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

No one will ever forget Judy Garland -- least of all anyone who votes on the American Film Institute's (AFI) movie lists.

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts, AFI has honored Garland's work many times -- usually for the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz," which was named #6 on the Top 100 Movies of All Time (although it dropped four spots in a revised 2007 edition of the list) and #26 on the Top 100 Most Inspiring Movies.

But AFI recognized Garland for her body of work, ranking her #8 on the Top 100 Female Stars list. Anyone who's ever heard her sing "Over the Rainbow" knows it's an honor she richly deserved.

(By the way, AFI ranked that song #1 among movie songs. And, on a separate list, Garland's line, "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" was recognized as the #4 movie quote of all time.)

Garland was born 86 years ago today. Less than two weeks after her 47th birthday, she was found dead of an accidental overdose of pills she had been taking for a long time. Thus, her death was ruled accidental and not a suicide.

Her death was as tragic as Marilyn Monroe's had been earlier in the decade. I will always remember how sad my grandmother was upon learning the news.

Actually, it was my grandmother who introduced me to Judy Garland -- figuratively speaking, of course.

When I was about 5 or 6, I watched "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time -- with my grandmother. The flying monkeys frightened me! And my family owned a small black-and-white TV set in those days so I didn't get to see things like a truly yellow yellow brick road for several years. (That was quite a revelation, I can assure you!)

But I learned to appreciate Garland's singing through my grandmother.

Garland's "Wizard of Oz" co-star, Ray Bolger, probably summed things up best at her funeral when he said, "She just plain wore out."

Indeed she did.

But I, for one, never get tired of seeing her or hearing her sing.

Harvey Korman Passes Away

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"A world without Harvey Korman -- it's a more serious world."

Mel Brooks

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There were moments in Harvey Korman's career that will live forever through the magic of video tape and DVD.

Korman died at the age of 81 on Thursday, succumbing to complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago.

My memories of his career are mostly from his years on The Carol Burnett Show, a classic from that nearly extinct genre, the variety show.

Burnett's show was on Saturday nights. Today, when a show is relegated to Saturday night, it's a sure sign that show is disposable.

In the 1970s, Saturday nights were like pure gold for CBS, which gave viewing audiences an entire evening's worth of classic entertainment every week, starting with "All in the Family," followed by "M*A*S*H," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show," and, finally, the hour-long "Carol Burnett Show."

"We were an ensemble," Korman said, "and Carol had the most incredible attitude. I've never worked with a star of that magnitude who was willing to give so much away."

Korman made people laugh every week for a decade on that show before leaving it to seek success as the headliner on his own variety show.

That wasn't his niche, however. He was more suited for being part of a comedy team, whether it was in his Mel Brooks movie roles or his classic sketches with Burnett or Tim Conway.

"It takes a certain type of person to be a television star," he said. "I didn't have whatever that is. I come across as kind of snobbish and maybe a little too bright. ... Give me something bizarre to play or put me in a dress and I'm fine."

It's a funny thing. When you see something on TV or in the movies that is destined to be regarded as a "classic," you know it, even when it's new and you're seeing it for the first time.

Korman's performances were like that.

I was a teenager when I watched Korman in Brooks classics like "Blazing Saddles." I was even younger when I watched him during his early years with Burnett.

Even 35 years ago, I knew they were classics.

And I will always remember his comic genius -- as well as sharing it with the people who meant the most to me.

Sydney Pollack Dies

A friend of mine says he and his wife watched "Recount" during the Memorial Day weekend. Sydney Pollack, who died at the age of 73 during the holiday weekend, was a producer of the film.

Pollack had originally been slated to direct the film (a dramatization of the infamous Bush-Gore 2000 election recount in Florida) until the cancer that took his life forced him to give up that role.

"I saw his name on the credits at the end," my friend said in an e-mail, "then heard about his death a few hours later.

"I liked him better as a producer than director."

Pollack wore many hats in his career. He was a rare talent in Hollywood filmmaking -- a producer, director and actor.

Producer Pollack gave us such brilliant films as "The Fabulous Baker Boys," "Tootsie," "Out of Africa," "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and "Absence of Malice."

He also directed some of those films, as well as "Jeremiah Johnson," "The Way We Were" and "Three Days of the Condor."

As an actor, he was seldom the star, rarely the featured attraction. But he made valuable acting contributions to such films as "Tootsie," "The Player," "Changing Lanes," "Husbands and Wives" and "Eyes Wide Shut."

And he found time to make appearances on popular TV shows, such as the original "Twilight Zone," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Frasier" and "Mad About You."

The world of entertainment was a richer place because of Pollack's contributions.

It is a poorer place today because Pollack is no longer part of it.

A Rhetorical Question

In earlier posts, I compared Barack Obama's campaign to Peter Sellers in "Being There," in which a cult forms around Sellers' character, a simple-minded gardener.

In today's Salon, Camille Paglia offers some metaphors of a similar nature.

Paglia observes, "[S]omehow we are locked at the hip to Hillary Clinton, who won't stop her manic tarantella until her party whirls into ruins, like the run-amuck carousel in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Strangers on a Train.'"

But that's not enough. The Obama-Clinton epic demands more than one take.

"It's what Hillary's campaigning has come to," Paglia writes after paying tribute (deservedly so) to a cartoon drawn by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tony Auth that portrays Clinton as an Energizer bunny gone wild and spinning out of control on the carpet in Obama's Oval Office, "a monotonous exercise in showboating solipsism, like Shirley MacLaine as the geriatric mother in 'Postcards from the Edge,' hijacking her daughter's party and kicking up her heels to sing 'I'm Still Here!'"

I'd just like to ask my fellow film fanatics out there. Does the Democratic presidential campaign remind you of any movies, classic or otherwise? Are there any heroes -- or villains -- who spring to mind?

Remembering Ol' Blue Eyes

This Wednesday will be the 10th anniversary of Frank Sinatra's death.

Turner Classic Movies is honoring Sinatra by showing his films on Sunday and Wednesday evenings in May.

I seldom use my blog to give a plug for TV programming, but this is a special occasion. Sinatra was a rare talent, combining singing ability with acting skills.

Many of Sinatra's better films are still to be aired in TCM's salute. Tonight, for example, "Guys and Dolls" will be aired at 11 p.m. Central time. It's not one of Sinatra's best performances, but it is one of his better movies.

On Wednesday, the actual anniversary of Sinatra's death, TCM will show Sinatra, Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby in "High Society" at 11:15 p.m. Central time.

Next Sunday, it's worth your time to catch Sinatra in "Pal Joey" at 8 p.m. Central time.

On Wednesday the 21st, the original "Ocean's Eleven" will be on at 7 p.m. Central time.

On Sunday the 25th, one of the best Sinatra films, "On the Town," will be on at 7 p.m. Central time.

And the salute to Sinatra wraps up on Wednesday the 28th with a bang -- "The Man With the Golden Arm" at 7 p.m. Central, the original "Manchurian Candidate" at 9:15 p.m. Central, "Not as a Stranger" at 11:30 p.m. Central and "Suddenly" at 2 a.m. Central.

Enjoy.