TCM Remembers 2017
TCM Remembers may be viewed via TCM's Twitter account or on the TCM website.
TCM always does a lovely, thorough job on these tributes, and this year is no exception. I was glad to see many favorites I've paid tribute to here included, including Lorna Gray (aka Adrian Booth), Lola Albright, Richard Anderson, Barbara Hale, and Robert Hardy, to name just a few.
The last spot in the tribute is typically a place of honor for someone of special significance. I hadn't given any thought to who it might be and when that moment came, I found it quite emotional. I'm sure many of you will as well.
Past TCM tribute posts: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
posted by Laura @ 11:07 PM
10 Comments:
Two thirds of the way through, I was thinking: they'll remember everyone this year! (in addition to those you've already named, I was glad to see them honor June Foray, I love her work, the Witch and New York Princess voices in particular.) Like you, I thought that was a great way to end it. However, during the last third I started wondering 'where's Mike Connors?' Omitted. When it was all over, I also wished they had included Roger Smith. And Kathleen Crowley.
Hi Maricatrin! I am wondering if maybe they decided Connors was so strongly identified as a TV star they left him out? That happened to Martin Milner when he passed on -- though just like Milner, Connors also had a movie career! And Barbara Hale is one of those included who had a major TV career along with her films... Curious!
(P.S. Be watching for snail mail later this week!)
Best wishes,
Laura
They do miss a few people. But not many--they do so much better than anyone else who does it. In L.A., I still subscribe to the L.A. Times, with some unending frustration over their poor coverage of cinema-related obituaries. Occasionally, I write a short email to complain and did it this year for Skip Homeier and someone wrote back, we can't cover everyone and we will decide what's important. Hey, it's important to me!-and those who love Westerns know Homeier is iconic in the genre's best period (and was always good in other movies too). So, of course there he was in the TCM tribute in a shot from "The Gunfighter"--which I watched again this year as a personal tribute.
We won't even talk about how bad the Academy Awards are with this--so cavalier in their choices I wonder why they even do it at all.
In any event, got it recorded on TV last night and watched it and as always seems like it was a lot of people, including a few I'm not sure I knew about. TCM does really care about this and the people making it up do know cinema history and I think they want to be as comprehensive as possible (so, sure I'm sorry when they leave out Kathleen Crowley too but forgiving because I feel they are doing their best).
I always find it very affecting (even a few times when the aesthetics of it were a little misconceived). And especially this year, that end was truly touching and I'm sure anyone who appreciates TCM will find it so.
Hi Blake! I completely agree, TCM really does try hard to get it right. (In fact, in a way you could say that being surprised they've left someone out is a compliment, because they are so comprehensive!) Although I stopped watching the Oscars years ago my kids used to call me in to watch the memorial reel. The year they confused Jennifer Jones and Jean Simmons was bad enough, but I stopped watching entirely after they omitted Harry Carey Jr.
I'm glad you've taken the time to write the Times! Sometimes their omissions are baffling considering they of all newspaper publications should be thoroughly covering the industry.
When I watched the new video again, the ending got me all over again.
Best wishes,
Laura
I think I cried more than I have watching this one than any other TCM Remembers. I only made it to Dina Merrill (whom I loved) before crying. I am surprised they omitted Kathleen Crowley, Michael Connors, and Roger Smith, but then they were best known for television. I am glad they included Barbara Hale, who was best known as Della Street, but was a bona fide movie star before Perry Mason! Anyway, I think they did a good job with this one. I loved the song (but then I am a Cardigans fan)!
These break my heart, but are also such a nice tribute. As usual, I didn't make it through without tears.
Thanks so much, Terry and Deb, for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Hard to watch it without teary eyes!!
Best wishes,
Laura
I haven't watched this year's TCM Remembers yet but am pleased to hear that they have honoured the great June Foray.
Talking about newspaper obituaries, now that Tom Vallance of The Independent (UK) no longer contributes his thorough and authoritative obits (I wonder what happened to him), the only other online daily newspapers still having reasonably good obituary columns are The New York Times, the above-mentioned Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian (UK). As for The Telegraph (UK) (you have to pay to read this one, which in my opinion is a waste of money considering that [a] they are not comprehensive with their coverage of anyone other than British, and [b] many of their obits are published up to three months after the event)…
If anyone reading this knows of any other online paper that has a useful and reliable obituary column, I would appreciate them letting me know.
Hi Laura! Thanks, I'll be watching for it. (I would have responded sooner, but the reply I wrote last night vanished after I hit publish. Wonder why that happens? Anyway, this one is being cut and pasted from Word ;-)
Yes, I find it hard to figure out TCM’s criteria sometimes. I wouldn’t begrudge them these occasional oversights or omissions, if it weren’t for their choosing to include pop icons like Prince (last year), while passing on folks who actually did appear in old movies.
Anyway, I agree with everyone who says that TCM still does these tributes miles better than anyone else. I said as much when I posted on their video yesterday morning… while politely pointing out a few omissions :-)
Oh yes, the Academy is unwatchable these days for many reasons, their utter disregard for the Golden era being one of many.
All the best,
M.
I have not seen an Academy Awards telecast in its entirety since Dorothy McGuire was snubbed, but even before that, you could see this philistinism coming.
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