WHAT'S HAPPENING

TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES HONORS DIABILITY PRIDE MONTH WITH SPECIAL THEME: DISABILITY RECLAIMED

Movies are often thought of as an escape from reality. At the same time, many of the screen's greatest stories are about the most real aspects of human life.

Sundays in July, TCM is offering a program devoted to this very important and surprisingly cinematic issue. Starting off this series is not only one of the best movies about disabilities, but one of the most beloved movies of the 1940s and beyond. Samuel Goldwyn's Best Picture winner, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) was one of the first to show the harrowing effects of World War II on soldiers and their families. It tells the story of three veterans returning to their hometown of Boone City who are all in different states of physical and mental distress after the war. Dana Andrews plays Fred, an Army Air Forces captain who now cannot seem to find any better work than the drug store

soda jerk job he had before he left for the war. He is also having troubles with his entitled wife (Virginia Mayo). Army sergeant Al Stephenson (Frederic March in his second Oscar winning performance) has tried to return to his normal life as a banker but is now turning to alcohol at the distress of his devoted wife (the great Myrna Loy in perhaps her most well remembered performance).

NERVOUS OUT OF THE SERVICE: Novice actor Harold Russell (right), in the role that won him two Academy Awards as veteran Homer, some weeks into his return home. His girlfriend Wilma (Cathy O'Donnell) insists nothing has changed.

Then there is 2nd class petty officer Homer Parrish (played by real life war veteran Harold Russell) who is returning home without his hands. Though Homer's childhood sweetheart Wilma (Cathy O'Donnell) still loves him, he doesn't know if he can adjust to this new way of life. Harold Russell actually lost his hands during the war while handling an explosive which accidentally detonated in his hands. Director William Wyler hired Russell because he wanted a true veteran who could play this very important role

honestly and even stopped producer Samuel Goldwyn from arranging for Russell to have any acting lessons prior to making the film. This was a rare case of a person with an actual disability playing a character with a disability. Russell deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as well as an honorary award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans."

In addition to more well-known and beloved classics, this month's program will also include several lesser-known films which also shine a light on this very important issue of people living with disabilities. Also featured in this month's special programming are Inside Moves (1980). Bright Road (1953), Deliverance (1919), City Lights (1931) and Coming Home (1978).

Great movies have the power to bring awareness to the most important human issues like no other medium and all the films of this series and so many more perfectly demonstrate it.

Learn more about these films and Disability Reclaimed at www.tcm.com