I hope you enjoy what we have for you this month. In this first issue we've got a heads-up on some films coming up on TCM, some great news about the restoration of the film TURNABOUT and a few key dates in October to pay tribute to, so let's get to it!

Issue 001 September/October 2007

ON THE TUBE

Set your VCRs, program your TIVo or DVD Recorder for Thursday, September 27th at 6:49am EST (that's East Coast time) for the short film MENU (1933) written by Thorne Smith!

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) schedule states this MGM short will be shown immediately after The Plow That Broke The Plains.

For those who've never seen it, I covered this in my mini-biography of Thorne Smith where I described it as an "amusing film featuring Una Merkel as a housewife creating mayhem in the kitchen while Franklin Pangborn played the husband suffering through her cooking."

TCM is also showing the 1940 film TURNABOUT starring Carole Landis and John Hubbard.

Based on Thorne Smith's novel, this classic tale of a man and his wife switching bodies is the theme for a couple films TCM is showing Friday, September 28.

Beginning at 8:00pm EST is the 1976 film FREAKY FRIDAY starring Jodie Foster and John Astin.

That will be followed at 10:00pm EST by VICE VERSA, a 1948 film starring Kay Walsh and directed by Peter Ustinov.

Finally, at 12:00am Midnight EST is the very special treat of TURNABOUT.

This film has never been officially released on video or DVD, so be sure to tape it!!!

TURNABOUT FILM RESTORATION

Okay, so some of you may already know this but I recently learned that back in 2005, the UCLA Film and Television Archive was given a grant from the Film Foundation for $238,600 to preserve several films, one of which was TURNABOUT.

This is great news because it means the film is saved from deterioration but there may be a chance that United Artists may eventually get around to releasing a DVD of the movie now that they have a restored print to work from.

DATES TO CELEBRATE

October 9, 1953 TOPPER TV show debuts on CBS-TV.

October 22, 1904 Constance Bennett (Marion Kerby) is born.

So, that wraps up the very first issue of the Thorne Smith Newsletter.

I know this one was short and sweet but I wanted to make sure it got out to everyone before TCM showed MENU and TURNABOUT this month.

Cheers!

Michael

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Thorne Smith Newsletter copyright 2007 by Michael D. Walker