Tag Archives: essentials jr.

Jun 02

Welcome to Sherwood!

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Today was an intensely busy day at work, but during one of the few bits of down time (more accurately, waiting for someone to call me back time), I was talking to my co-worker Mary Reeves and I brought up the fact that TCM is starting its annual summer series of family-friendly classic movies, “Essentials Jr.,” this Sunday, with one of my all-time movies ever, the glorious 1938 version of “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Alan Hale (Sr.) and a host of wonderful character actors. Notice in this clip how much Alan Hale looks like his son, Alan Hale Jr., the Skipper from “Gilligan’s Island”:

Also notice that, even in a video embed on your computer screen, the color is brilliant. This movie has to be one of the best uses of the old three-strip Technicolor process ever.

I still hate the name “Essentials Jr.,” but I am delighted about this year’s host, “Saturday Night Live” cast member Bill Hader. I wonder if he’ll break out his Vincent Price impression at some point….

This year’s schedule of movies is excellent, with such classics as “Horse Feathers,” “King Kong” and “Gunga Din.” There are, as usual, a couple of movies that (as much as I , personally, love them) seem odd in this context of introducing kids to classic film. For example, I’m not sure kids will get that much out of “His Girl Friday,” which seems more like a movie for grownups. But I’m not a parent, so maybe I’m way off base on that one.

Anyway, whether you have kids or not, whether you plan to watch any of the other movies or not, tune in this Sunday at 7 (Central) for “Robin Hood.” They do not make movies like that anymore.

Jun 22

I recommend pleasant

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Last summer (I think — it could have been two summers ago) Turner Classic Movies ran a Sunday-night series intended to showcase classic movies that could be enjoyed by the whole family. It was called “Funday Night at the Movies,” and it was hosted by Tom Kenny (the voice of Spongebob) with a group of kids in a sort of classic kiddie-TV-show mode.

This year, they have the same kind of family-film showcase, again on Sunday night, but with a very different presentation: “Essentials Jr.,” hosted by Chris O’Donnell and Abigail Breslin (apparently chosen to promote the “Kit Kittridge” movie, in which they both appear). They introduce the movie in much the same way that Robert Osborne and Rose McGowan introduce “The Essentials” on Saturday night. (If I had time, I’d figure out which couple has the greater age difference — Osborne & McGowan or O’Donnell & Breslin.) I haven’t seen any of the intros yet, but I have to say I hate the title — as if any child is going to have even heard of “The Essentials,” much less say “Gee! I wish there were a version of ‘The Essentials’ just for me!”

Well, regardless of the packaging, next Sunday night I will definitely have to tune in to TCM, and I suspect my West Coast brother will do likewise (or at least fire up his TiVo). The next “Essentials Jr.” movie is “Harvey,” with Jimmy Stewart.

Well, I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it.

My brother once played the lead role of Elwood Dowd in a stage production in Texas.

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