Comedy legend Gene Wilder is coming to Turner Classic Movies (TCM) this month to serve as Guest Programmer for June. The two-time Oscar® nominee, whose credits include The Producers (1967), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Blazing Saddles (1874) and Young Frankenstein (1974), will join TCM host Robert Osborne to present four of his favorite films on Tuesday, June 17, beginning at 8 p.m. (ET).
Wilder's evening as TCM's Guest Programmer includes the sentimental drama Random Harvest (1942), which he refers to as "the most romantic film I've ever seen." He also presents The Merry Widow (1934), which he praises for Ernst Lubitsch's comic touches that are "just magic." A fan of Agatha Christie, Wilder tells Osborne he "can never get tired" of the film version of her play Witness for the Prosecution (1957). And he says he never appreciated Bette Davis films until her saw her in the "knockout" drama Dark Victory (1939).
TCM Guest Programmer: Gene Wilder – Tuesday, June 17, beginning at 8 p.m. (ET)
8 p.m. – Random Harvest (1942) – A woman's happiness is threatened when she discovers her husband has been suffering from amnesia. Starring Greer Garson, Ronald Colman and Susan Peters. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy.
10:15 p.m. – The Merry Widow (1934) – A prince from a small kingdom courts a wealthy widow to keep her money in the country. Starring Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MaDonald and Una Merkel. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.
12:15 a.m. – Witness for the Prosecution (1957) – A British lawyer gets caught up in a couple's tangled marital affairs when he defends the husband of a murderer. Starring Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich. Directed by Billy Wilder.
2:30 a.m. – Dark Victory (1939) – A flighty heiress discovers inner strength when she develops a brain tumor. Starring Bette Davis, George Brent and Humphrey Bogart. Directed by Edmund Goulding.
