TURNER CLASSICS COUNTS DOWN TO OSCAR IN 31 DAYS

Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne will count down to the 74th Annual Academy Awards on TCM introducing 31 days of Oscar winning films dating back to 1927 with best picture Two Arabian Nights all the way up to the best film of 1999 American Beauty.

Robert talks about what it means to be Oscar worthy.

“To be Oscar worthy you have to have all those elements but to really be considered for an Oscar you have to have focus and that’s one thing that so many films don’t get. We have a lot of wonderful movies out there that opened and don’t really get the focus that they need to be an Academy Award contender and that’s too bad. But at least with film it survives and we still have it so many films show up later and are rediscovered that weren’t when they first came out so they do get some focus later.”

31 Days of Oscar is also a way to be introduced to never before seen classic Academy Award winners or revisit familiar favorites.

“I think the most meaningful to me is of the Oscars is the actual winners. One reason why I’m so proud of this Turner Classic Movies 31 Days of Oscars is because we have a chance to see these films again. You have a chance to see in 31 days on TCM all these great films of the sound era. Everything from Gone With The Wind to Casablanca to some of the more obscure films. So not only are you seeing films that are terrible entertaining with some great performances and great actors but you’re getting to resee this wonderful history of film that makes you very proud to be a filmgoer and it has to make people in the industry very proud of the industry they work in.”

You can get up early or stay up late for 31 Days of Oscar running through March 3 covering Academy Award winners in every category on Turner Classic Movies.