Anyone who knows me, knows that one of my favorite things to do is complain about things--anything, something, everything. I can find the flaw and nitpick at it until I can no longer speak. I think I'm one of those people who like to hear the sound of my own voice, or in this case, read my own words. (On a side note, I'm on a posting kick as of late, mainly so I can get into the swing of writing again. This may be a good time to take me off your f-list!).

So, the other day, TCM released their rough schedule for December. I love when they do this, although by the time it's finalized, a lot of things have changed and in some cases, even the time slot (like Good Neighbor Sam, which the NP guide said started at 11:45, but actually started at 11:30. I missed the first fifteen minutes. Thanks a LOT.) Anyway, I was thrilled to see this:

The Good News: Joseph Cotten is Star of the Month!

The Bad News: I've seen each and every movie (except for one) that they've shown. There are no premieres. Nothing new. Just the same old Joseph Cotten movies they've been showing for the last three years:

Citizen Kane
The Magnificent Ambersons
Journey Into Fear
Touch of Evil (I guess for that one minute cameo at the beginning and end of the film, right?)
Since You Went Away
Duel in the Sun
Portrait of Jennie
The Money Trap
Shadow of a Doubt (I can pretty much watch this one over and over)
Gaslight
The Third Man
The Man With a Cloak
The Killer is Loose
Jack of Diamonds
The Farmer's Daughter
Walk Softly, Stranger
The Angel Wore Red
The Halliday Brand (the only one I haven't seen)
The Great Sioux Massacre
White Commanche (featuring twin versions of William Shatner!)
From the Earth to the Moon (dull, dull, dull--I'm not a fan of Jules Verne adaptions at all)
Soylent Green (for that five minute cameo at the beginning)
The Oscar
Heaven's Gate

Actually, I take that back. The Killer is Loose, The Halliday Brand, The Great Sioux Massacre and Heaven's Gate are all fairly new for the channel. But I've seen them. Okay, I've only seen bits and pieces of Heaven's Gate and I'm positive that Cotten is only in the beginning, but he may be at the end. Who knows, I didn't have the patience to sit through it.

I guess I shouldn't be complaining, but there are SO many more movies of his out there that haven't been seen in ages. "I'll Be Seeing You" is available on dvd. It's a really sweet little story starring Cotten and Ginger Rogers. He's a shellshocked WWII vet, and she's on holiday leave from prison for accidentally killing a man. They meet and fall in love, only for him to find out her secret. That would have been great to show, especially since it's a CHRISTMAS movie and would have been perfect to show during the December since Christmas falls in December. Duh.

Sometimes TCM does the one-time lease thing from Fox and WB. For Henry Fonda's SotM turn, they got Spencer's Mountain (WB) and for Sophia Loren they got Boy on a Dolphin (Fox). They couldn't have done that for Joseph Cotten's month? One measly lease to show something different and new? The Steel Trap (1952) would have been great to get from Fox, since it reunites Cotten with Teresa Wright as husband and wife, instead of murderous uncle and adoring niece (plus, I've never seen it). Even Niagara (1953) with Marilyn Monroe would have been good. As much as I dislike her films, I like her in this. Niagara is also the film where I noticed what a fine actor Joseph Cotten was. It wasn't until Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte that I really started obsessing over him, because who can resist any movie where he plays a drunken doctor whose Southern accent disappears and reappears throughout? Not me. I love that film. It's still my absolute favorite of all time.

However, the two biggest disappointments are the lack of Beyond the Forest (1949) (which I think I read is currently in rights hell at the moment--something about the music, I think) and September Affair (1950). The former is notorious for Bette Davis' classic line, "What a dump!" as well as self-induced abortion via throwing herself down a hill. But it's the latter that I've longed to see for years.

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