Let's continue the 31 Days of Oscar:
The Pirate (1948) by Vincente Minnelli. This MGM musical was a flop upon initial release, but the studio shouldn't be blamed at all. The script by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich was another variation of Lord Byron's "Don Juan", where the poem's romantic aspects didn't get lost in this mix-up of exotic characters, endless love, and the search for Don Juan. It could be a distraction for highbrow viewers, but the box-office receipts provided contradictory results. Moviegoers rather not think too much, as they wanted to forget the memories of the recent war. Moreover, they preferred Judy Garland to play another girl-next-door character. (“The Wizard of Oz" star was a young Latin woman longing for her Don Juan.) Gene Kelly was the unlikely Don Juan, and he may seem awkward in this kind of premise. Nonetheless, this one deserved a viewing. It had something to do with Lennie Hayton's dreamy score, which earned an Academy Award nomination. ("The Pirate" will be shown on February 20 at 6 PM ET.)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) by Nicholas Ray. Some viewers would be unsettled at this tale of emotionally-confused teenagers in suburban Los Angeles, as a fatalistic mood seemed to prevail on the set. It was an adaptation of Robert Lindner's novel, and Ray may have no idea that he was about to make an iconic movie. James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo, who portrayed the lead teenage characters, died violently at a young age. This would be an unfortunate coincidence, but the angst would rub on succeeding generations of filmmakers. (Think of André Téchiné's "Wild Reeds".) American society became more complicated (and divided) several decades later, and some couldn't help but be reminded of this melodrama. James Dean became a poster boy, but Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo earned Oscar nods. ("Rebel Without a Cause" will be shown on February 21 at 2:45 AM ET.)
A Room with a View (1986) by James Ivory. Modernist authors would be proud of the triumvirate of producer Ismael Merchant, director James Ivory, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, as it was a daunting task to make modern viewers appreciate Victorian literature, as well as Edwardian novels. "A Room with a View" was E.M. Forster's biting critique on a repressed British society, and how Florence opened the mind and heart of a young Englishwoman. Jhabvala did her best in being faithful to Forster's novel, but Ivory's amusing touch on the story might have given Ang Lee and Emma Thompson some ideas (when they adapted Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility"). This period romance film received eight Oscar nominations including a Best Supporting Actress nod for Maggie Smith. Viewers don't need to be reminded of it, as the story was engaging enough. ("A Room with a View" will be shown on February 22 at 10:15 PM ET.)
Summer of '42 (1971) by Robert Mulligan. Screenwriter Herman Raucher recalled his teenage self when he had a one-sided affair with an older woman. This coming of age could have been a dime a dozen, but the novelization turned into a bestseller. Michel Legrand's bittersweet score turned the big-screen version into a box-office hit. The audience, as well as readers, may be reaching middle age. It would be a sentimental journey, recalling a particular episode of their lives that they wished to be different, if not a happy ending. Everyone would relate to Raucher. (The actual events were quite different from the book and film, but the author could be forgiven for letting his emotions got the better of him.) This was a rare Kleenex moment, where Legrand won an Academy Award. Model Jennifer O'Neill, who played Raucher's first love, won the hearts of male moviegoers. ("Summer of '42" will be shown on February 25 at 8 PM ET.)
That Hamilton Woman (1941) by Alexander Korda. Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh were the power couple of British Cinema during their heyday, but the story of Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples, and his wife, Lady Emma Hamilton, may not be the right material for both of them. Lady Hamilton, for one, was a former courtesan who came from a working-class background. Leigh may have tried her darn best to be believable in the role, but viewers might have preferred Scarlett O'Hara. Olivier, on the other hand, excelled in West End. (Olivier won an Academy Award for his version of "Hamlet".) Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were too young to portray Sir Hamilton and Lady Hamilton respectively, but Korda's adaptation was a close equivalent to the Bard's historical play. Rudolph Maté's black-and-white photography, which highlighted the rise and fall of the couple, received an Oscar nomination. ("That Hamilton Woman" will be shown on February 26 at 11:45 AM ET.)
