TCM Guest Programmer: Cher.

Cher, began her career as a backup singer and later became famous with her husband at the time Sonny, with their song "I Got You Babe" in 1965.



She later established herself as a solo recording artist, and became a television star in 1971 with The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, a variety show for which she won a Golden Globe. Her performance in the film, Silkwood earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1984. In the following years, Cher starred in a many films: Mask, The Witches of Eastwick, and Moonstruck, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1988. The films listed below are some of Cher's favorite classic movies. How great that she is sharing them with us..

Follow The Fleet(1936). A musical/comedy, which stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, and Astrid Allwyn, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Lucille Ball and Betty Grable also have small supporting roles. The film was directed by Mark Sandrich, based on the 1922 play, Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne. Please click here to read Follow the Fleet movie review.

 

Hobson's Choice(1954). Directed by David Lean. Based on the play of the same name by Harold Brighouse. It stars Charles Laughton, who plays the role of a Victorian boot maker Henry Hobson, Brenda De Banzie as his eldest daughter Maggie and John Mills as his employee. Prunella Scales, performs in one of her first roles, as daughter Vicky Hobson.

 

The Big Street(1942). Drama. Cast: Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, based on the short story "Little Pinks" by Damon Runyon, who also produced the movie. Directed by Irving Reis.

The film is about busboy named Augustus Pinkerton II , aka as "Little Pinks," and his friendship with self centered singer Gloria Lyons, who is crippled in a fall after her night club owner boyfriend, Case Ables, pushes her down a flight of stairs. Penniless, Gloria is forced to rely on Pinks, who invites her to stay with him in his apartment.

When Pinks' friend Violette Shumberg marries Nicely Nicely Johnson and move to Florida, Gloria orders Pinks to take her there to recuperate.

There she finds a old boyfriend, Decatur, who loses interest in her when he learns that she is an invalid. She takes her anger out on Pinks, who leaves her to find work as a busboy, returns only when Violette tells him Gloria is very ill.

Gloria tells him that she wants to spend one last night in a beautiful gown bedecked with jewels. Pinks breaks into Mimi Venus's home, where he overhears her being blackmailed by one of Case's men, who wants her jewelry. Pinks disguises himself and gets the jewelry back from the thief, then tells Case he will turn him over to the police unless he hosts a party with Gloria as the guest of honor. Gloria, now knows all that Pinks has done for her.

A tragic story with a side order of comedy. I thought Lucille Ball, played the part as a troubled woman, who believes she's something she is more than she is not, perfectly.

Lady Of Burlesque(1943). A mystery starring Barbara Stanwyck and Michael O'Shea, based on the novel The G-String Murders written by famous strip tease artist Gypsy Rose Lee. The plot is about the murder of two strippers, backstage of a New York burlesque theatre and finding the killer.