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11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Fanny (1932 FRA): If you enjoyed last month's Marius, here's the second part of Marcel Pagnol's trilogy of French country life. In this chapter, Marius (Raimu) has gone to sea and left a pregnant Fanny (Orane Demazis) in his wake. Concerned about her child's future, Fanny must decide whether to trust in Marius's willingness to be a father and await his return, marry rich and reliable merchant Panisse (Fernand Charpin), or raise a bastard. And yes, gourmands, this IS the film that inspired restaurateur Alice Waters to open the world famous Chez Panisse restaurant (and Cafe Fanny!) in Berkeley.

Monday 05/11/09

5:30 AM MGM HD
Land of Doom (1986 USA): It's a crummy post-Apocalyptic, Mad Max ripoff, but hey - Land of Doom hardly ever shows up on regular TV, and here it is getting the full-blown HD treatment. Directed by Peter Maris, also responsible for Psycho Puppet and Zombie Hunters, Land of Doom may be complete schlock, but it's gonna look great in HD!

6:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
Castle in the Air (1952 GB): A good cast elevates this otherwise rather ho-hum British supernatural comedy. David Tomlinson stars as a Scottish Earl who finds himself laird of a haunted castle and decides to turn a profit by transforming it into a tourist attraction. Also along for the fun: Margaret Rutherford as a suitably dotty tenant who believes the Earl is actually the rightful King of Scotland, Barbara Kelly as a stereotypical ugly American looking to rediscover her Scots heritage, and Brian Oulton as a government bureaucrat hoping to turn the building into a rest home for retired miners. Directed by Henry Cass (Last Holiday, Blood of the Vampire), Castle in the Air is as inconsequential as they come, but good fun nonetheless.

11:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Just My Luck (1957 GB): Fans of toothy British comic Norman Wisdom, set your DVD recorders. All others, steer a wide berth. In this outing, our Norman plays a jeweler's apprentice who falls for a lady window dresser (Jill Dixon), and puts some money on the horses in hopes of winning her heart with an expensive bauble. At first, his bets succeed beyond his wildest dreams - but it all comes down to the result of the sixth race. Will Norman's dream come true - or will he lose his winnings and his woman, too? Co-starring TCM star of the day Margaret Rutherford as well as Leslie Phillips and Joan Sims, Just My Luck is recommended only for those who consider Wisdom irresistible. It's followed at 12:30 PM by an even more obscure British comedy, 1955's An Alligator Named Daisy, in which Large Marge portrays the delightfully named Prudence Croquet opposite sex symbol Diana Dors, portly James Robertson Justice, bespectacled Richard Wattis, and fey Ernest Thesiger.

4:30 PM Showtime
Nursery University (2008 USA): Those stories about the manic New York City parents feverishly working to get their pampered offspring accepted at the city's most prestigious pre-schools? Turns out they're all true, as this terrific documentary makes all too clear. Focusing on the efforts of five families desperate to be given the keys to the kinder kingdom, Nursery University is unintentional comedy gold, as we also get footage of "admissions committees" trying to determine which lucky little toddlers will be ushered through their pearly gates. Also airs at 7:30 PM.

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