A Flickchart Guide to TCM in November
TCM Spotlight: To Tell the Truth
This month TCM shines a light on non-fiction film, featuring over fifty documentaries from throughout film history and on all kinds of subjects. The series is hosted by Alec Baldwin, and will be accompanied by a couple of episodes of the ongoing series To Tell the Truth, narrated by Baldwin. Documentary is often a neglected genre among classic film fans, and TCM has really dug deep and found some from every era to show not only what documentary can teach us about the world, but also how the documentary form has changed and evolved over the years.
Social Change
These films from the ‘30s and ‘40s focus on social and class issues, especially about land ownership and usage. The director of the first couple, Pare Lorentz, was one of the pioneers of the socially-conscious documentary.
To Tell the Truth: Working for Change (Ep 1) – Playing 11/2 at 8:00pm and 11/3 at 1:15am
The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/2 at 9:45pm
The River (1938; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/2 at 10:30pm
Night Mail (1936; ranked #13414 by 16 users) – Playing 11/2 at 11:15pm
Native Land (1942; ranked #18930 by 8 users) – Playing 11/2 at 11:45pm
The Secret Land (1948; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/3 at 3:45am
Election Docs / Covering Controversy
On election day, a pair of docs about elections themselves, including one of the first “fly on the wall” approaches to documentary (Primary, about John F. Kennedy’s primary run), along with a quartet of films about controversial (also political) subjects.
Primary (1960; ranked #11239 by 34 users) – Playing 11/7 at 8:00pm
A Perfect Candidate (1996; ranked #39686 by 1 users) – Playing 11/7 at 9:00pm
The Times of Harvey Milk (1984; ranked #1964 by 277 users) – Playing 11/7 at 11:00pm
Roger & Me (1989; ranked #1769 by 2548 users) – Playing 11/8 at 12:45am
Hearts and Minds (1974; ranked #3517 by 135 users) – Playing 11/8 at 2:30am
Four Days in November (1964; ranked #21612 by 19 users) – Playing 11/8 at 4:30am
World War II Docs
These docs occupy a special place in film history, as they’re made by filmmakers better known for fiction films – Frank Capra, John Huston, John Ford, etc, who put their filmmaking talents to patriotic use during WWII to make informational and propaganda films for the war effort. TCM did a whole series last year on these filmmakers based on Mark Harris’s book Five Came Back, so if this interests you, check out the book.
To Tell the Truth: The Strategy of Truth (Ep 2) – Playing 11/9 at 8:00pm and 11/10 at 1:30am
Prelude to War (1943; ranked #10905 by 27 users) – Playing 11/9 at 9:15pm
The Autobiography of a Jeep (1943; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/9 at 10:15pm
The Negro Soldier (1944; ranked #20925 by 2 users) – Playing 11/9 at 10:30pm
December 7th (1943; ranked #19300 by 2 users) – Playing 11/9 at 11:30pm
The Battle of Midway (1942; ranked #8143 by 54 users) – Playing 11/10 at 1:00am
San Pietro (1944; ranked #11967 by 33 users) – Playing 11/10 at 5:15am
The Holocaust / Silent Classics
A German and a French filmmaker reflect on the Holocaust, and then we have a bunch of silent documentaries, mostly nature-related and often somewhat fudged (Nanook’s walrus hunt is staged, but I mean, it’s still a walrus hunt), but the films here tell great stories about interesting people.
The Sorrow and the Pity (1969; ranked #5480 by 82 users) – Playing 11/14 at 8:00pm
Night and Fog (1955; ranked #618 by 447 users) – Playing 11/15 at 12:30am
Nanook of the North (1922; ranked #1810 by 628 users) – Playing 11/15 at 1:15am
Grass (1925; ranked #7531 by 49 users) – Playing 11/15 at 2:45am
Chang (1927; ranked #6304 by 43 users) – Playing 11/15 at 4:15am
Manhatta (1921; ranked #9145 by 49 users) – Playing 11/15 at 5:30am
Lumiere’s First Picture Shows (1895-1897) – Playing 11/15 at 5:45am
Sports / Music
Surfing, basketball, festivals, and concerts – capturing not just those things of course, but also the spirit of an age.
The Endless Summer (1966; ranked #4267 by 180 users) – Playing 11/16 at 8:00pm
Hoop Dreams (1994; ranked #516 by 1882 users) – Playing 11/16 at 9:45pm
Woodstock (1970; ranked #1161 by 965 users) – Playing 11/17 at 12:45am
Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970; ranked #12226 by 25 users) – Playing 11/17 at 4:00am
Changing Times / Political Upheaval
A later generation takes on social and political change, with miner strikes and war zones.
Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976; ranked #2190 by 225 users) – Playing 11/21 at 8:00pm
God’s Country (1986; ranked #29360 by 16 users) – Playing 11/21 at 10:00pm
The Battle of Chile: Part 1 (1975; ranked #29342 by 1 users) – Playing 11/21 at 11:45pm
The Battle of Chile: Part 2 (1976; ranked #28859 by 2 users) – Playing 11/22 at 1:30am
Spanish Earth (1937; ranked #17328 by 6 users) – Playing 11/22 at 3:15am
Come Back, Africa (1959; ranked # by users) – Playing 11/22 at 4:15am
Science and Nature / Americana
A trip to the moon and to the ocean, plus some America-focused docs.
For All Mankind (1989; ranked #2910 by 178 users) – Playing 11/23 at 8:00pm
The Sea Around Us (1952; ranked #20681 by 3 users) – Playing 11/23 at 9:30pm
Salesman (1968; ranked #3313 by 135 users) – Playing 11/23 at 10:45pm
Routine Pleasures (1985; ranked #28974 by 11 users) – Playing 11/24 at 12:30am
Portraits of a Community / Quirky Characters
Lots of documentaries are about whole countries, social classes, or sweeping historical events. These are about individuals, small communities, and their eccentricities.
Always for Pleasure (1978; ranked #27034 by 7 users) – Playing 11/28 at 8:00pm
Bombay Beach (2011; ranked #46501 by 15 users) – Playing 11/28 at 9:15pm
Grey Gardens (1976; ranked #1332 by 465 users) – Playing 11/28 at 11:00pm
Crumb (1994; ranked #1332 by 465 users) – Playing 11/29 at 1:00am
Burden of Dreams (1982; ranked #1919 by 211 users) – Playing 11/29 at 3:15am
Personal Journeys / Mood Pieces
More individual stories, plus a few nearly uncategorizable films that TCM rightly terms “mood pieces.”
Best Boy (1979; ranked #23370 by 10 users) – Playing 11/30 at 8:00pm
Sherman’s March (1986; ranked #4969 by 133 users) – Playing 11/30 at 10:00pm
Koyaanisqatsi (1982; ranked #715 by 1167 users) – Playing 12/1 at 12:45am
Sans Soleil (1983; ranked #1658 by 266 users) – Playing 12/1 at 2:30am
Antonio Gaudi (1984; ranked #12155 by 36 users) – Playing 12/1 at 4:30am
Star of the Month: Natalie Wood
One of the very few actors to rack up iconic roles as both a child and an adult, Natalie Wood managed to slip from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood without any awkwardness whatsoever. Her early roles were mostly in family-friendly comedies or dramas (notably Miracle on 34th Street, which is not playing this month – but likely will be in December), but she moved with ease into teen roles like Rebel Without a Cause, winning her first Oscar nomination for her role as James Dean’s troubled girlfriend. She didn’t stop playing challenging roles after that, but her career was somewhat overshadowed by her marriage and divorce to Robert Wagner. Still, two more Oscar nominations and a string of box office hits remain her legacy, despite her too-young death in a boating accident in 1981.
TOP FIVE
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4765 users) – This is a small role for Wood, but a vitally important one – Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) has been looking for his niece Debbie for a decade after she was kidnapped by Indian raiders. When he finds her…it may not be the happy reunion you expect. Playing 11/11 at 10:00pm
Rebel Without a Cause (1955; ranked #259 by 5860 users) – Producers originally planned this role for Jayne Mansfield (!), then thankfully decided to cast actual teens in the teen roles, giving Wood her big shot at “adult” roles. She took it and ran with it, and never looked back. Playing 11/11 at 8:00pm
The Candidate (1972; ranked #2331 by 329 users) – Wood retired in 1970, but returned for a cameo role as herself in this political satire starring Robert Redford as a sure-to-lose senate candidate who becomes unexpectedly popular.Playing 11/26 at 2:15am
Brainstorm (1983; ranked #3654 by 387 users) – This sci-fi mind bender would turn out to be Wood’s final film, as she drowned in a boating accident during a break in filming. The film almost wasn’t completed, but they finally finished it by using Wood’s younger sister as her stand-in. Playing 11/26 at 12:15am
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969; ranked #4665 by 195 users) – A movie about sexual openness, affairs, and swinging, but surprisingly honest and thoughtful. Fits perfectly into the late ‘60s counterculture, but also interrogates it in smart ways. Playing 11/25 at 10:15pm
THE REST
Meteor (1979; ranked #5668 by 315 users) – Playing 11/26 at 4:15am
Tomorrow is Forever (1946; ranked #8715 by 39 users) – Playing 11/4 at 8:00pm
The Star (1952; ranked #11986 by 27 users) – Playing 11/5 at 4:00am
Kings Go Forth (1958; ranked #12294 by 25 users) – Playing 11/12 at 2:15am
Inside Daisy Clover (1965; ranked #14019 by 39 users) – Playing 11/25 at 8:00pm
Penelope (1966; ranked #17922 by 9 users) – Playing 11/26 at 6:15am
No Sad Songs for Me (1950; ranked #20152 by 2 users) – Playing 11/4 at 5:45am
A Cry in the Night (1956; ranked #21839 by 4 users) – Playing 11/12 at 6:00am
Bombers B-52 (1957; ranked #21969 by 12 users) – Playing 11/12 at 12:15am
The Burning Hills (1956; ranked #23626 by 5 users) – Playing 11/12 at 7:30am
The Silver Chalice (1954; ranked #23877 by 29 users) – Playing 11/5 at 1:30am
The Girl He Left Behind (1956; ranked #25435 by 4 users) – Playing 11/12 at 4:15am
Chicken Every Sunday (1949; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/4 at 10:00pm
The Green Promise (1949; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/4 at 12:00M
Marathons and Tributes
Norman Lloyd
Lloyd is a classic treasure, having started his career with Hitchcock in 1942 and continued all the way up the present, when he is over 100 and still going strong. He’s a fixture at TCM Fest, and TCM is airing their live interview with him from this year’s fest plus a selection of his films.
Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2016) – Playing 11/8 at 8:00pm and 11:15pm
Saboteur (1942; ranked #891 by 1130 users) – Playing 11/8 at 9:15pm
Limelight (1952; ranked #1284 by 408 users) – Playing 11/9 at 12:30am
The Southerner (1945; ranked #8053 by 40 users) – Playing 11/9 at 3:00am
The Black Book (1949; ranked #11289 by 26 users) – Playing 11/9 at 4:45am
The Marx Brothers
Something of a reverse chronological take on the Marxes (I think the first one playing only has Groucho); doing it this way means that each one is pretty much better than the last, so keep going.
Double Dynamite (1951; ranked #14324 by 19 users) – Playing 11/23 at 7:00am
The Big Store (1941; ranked #4781 by 161 users) – Playing 11/23 at 10:00am
At the Circus (1939; ranked #2674 by 429 users) – Playing 11/23 at 11:30am
Go West (1940; ranked #4219 by 223 users) – Playing 11/23 at 1:00pm
A Day at the Races (1937; ranked #1072 by 661 users) – Playing 11/23 at 2:30pm
Room Service (1938; ranked #4057 by 213 users) – Playing 11/23 at 4:30pm
A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #213 by 2407 users) – Playing 11/23 at 6:00pm
Fred and Ginger
Seven of Fred & Ginger’s films are on tap, and I might add it’s the seven best ones. So just watch ‘em all. You can thank me later.
Roberta (1935; ranked #5307 by 137 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:30am
Follow the Fleet (1936; ranked #4074 by 122 users) – Playing 11/25 at 8:30am
The Gay Divorcee (1934; ranked #2355 by 205 users) – Playing 11/25 at 10:30am
Swing Time (1936; ranked #817 by 531 users) – Playing 11/25 at 12:30pm
Carefree (1938; ranked #4313 by 85 users) – Playing 11/25 at 2:30pm
Shall We Dance (1937; ranked #2265 by 209 users) – Playing 11/25 at 4:00pm
Top Hat (1935; ranked #368 by 1055 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:00pm
Alfred Hitchcock
An interesting combination of second-tier Hitchcocks (plus a couple of first tier ones at the end) – and even second-tier Hitchcock is much better than most filmmakers, so pretty much all of these are exceedingly worth your time. Definitely don’t miss Strangers on a Train, though, if you haven’t seen it.
Young and Innocent (1937; ranked #3671 by 252 users) – Playing 11/29 at 6:00am
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934; ranked #1452 by 764 users) – Playing 11/29 at 7:15am
Suspicion (1941; ranked #565 by 1078 users) – Playing 11/29 at 8:45am
Stage Fright (1950; ranked #2725 by 357 users) – Playing 11/29 at 10:30am
I Confess (1953; ranked #1624 by 545 users) – Playing 11/29 at 12:30pm
The Wrong Man (1956; ranked #1203 by 714 users) – Playing 11/29 at 2:15pm
Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #80 by 5070 users) – Playing 11/29 at 4:15pm
Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #181 by 4859 users) – Playing 11/29 at 6:00pm
If You’re Into…
…Film Noir
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #105 by 4108 users) – Playing 11/27 at 2:00pm
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #504 by 655 users) – Playing 11/15 at 10:15am
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1272 by 437 users) – Playing 11/28 at 6:00pm
Brute Force (1947; ranked #1771 by 199 users) – Playing 11/2 at 3:45am
D.O.A. (1950; ranked #2209 by 259 users) – Playing 11/6 at 4:15pm
Crossfire (1947; ranked #3007 by 164 users) – Playing 11/28 at 4:30pm
The Narrow Margin (1952; ranked #3224 by 133 users) – Playing 11/13 at 9:00pm
The Big Clock (1948; ranked #3420 by 158 users) – Playing 11/29 at 11:30pm
He Ran All the Way (1951; ranked #13529 by 15 users) – Playing 11/12 at 1:15pm
The Cobweb (1955; ranked #19545 by 9 users) – Playing 11/28 at 12:30pm
…Pre-Codes
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #500 by 1165 users) – Playing 11/10 at 6:45pm
Trouble in Paradise (1932; ranked #573 by 411 users) – Playing 11/17 at 11:15pm
The Most Dangerous Game (1932; ranked #1426 by 578 users) – Playing 11/11 at 8:45am
Design for Living (1933; ranked #2396 by 138 users) – Playing 11/12 at 11:45pm
Flight Commander (1930; ranked #8328 by 56 users) – Playing 11/15 at 6:30am
Blonde Crazy (1931; ranked #9566 by 36 users) – Playing 11/17 at 9:45pm
Bird of Paradise (1932; ranked #11651 by 17 users) – Playing 11/11 at 7:15am
Gambling Lady (1934; ranked #11927 by 19 users) – Playing 11/18 at 7:00am
The Crowd Roars (1932; ranked #12950 by 17 users) – Playing 11/15 at 6:45pm
Laughing Sinners (1931; ranked #13713 by 10 users) – Playing 11/14 at 4:30pm
Bed of Roses (1933; ranked #14231 by 11 users) – Playing 11/11 at 11:15am
Chance at Heaven (1933; ranked #14713 by 6 users) – Playing 11/18 at 8:15am
If I Were Free (1933; ranked #15673 by 7 users) – Playing 11/14 at 11:15am
Rockabye (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/11 at 10:00am
Where Sinners Meet (1934; ranked # by users) – Playing 11/14 at 1:45pm
The Sins of the Children (1930; ranked # by users) – Playing 11/14 at 3:00pm
…Musicals
One boost this month is the seven Astaire-Rogers films playing on the 25th, but there’s a lot of good stuff in general.
Top Hat (1935; ranked #368 by 1055 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:00pm
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964; ranked #491 by 549 users) – Playing 11/13 at 6:00am
Swing Time (1936; ranked #817 by 531 users) – Playing 11/25 at 12:30pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #830 by 12019 users) – Playing 11/18 at 10:15pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #988 by 826 users) – Playing 11/4 at 6:00am
Guys and Dolls (1955; ranked #1127 by 1297 users) – Playing 11/13 at 11:30am
High Society (1956; ranked #2239 by 269 users) – Playing 11/5 at 10:30am
Shall We Dance (1937; ranked #2265 by 209 users) – Playing 11/25 at 4:00pm
The Gay Divorcee (1934; ranked #2355 by 205 users) – Playing 11/25 at 10:30am
Gigi (1958; ranked #2788 by 653 users) – Playing 11/27 at 5:45pm
The Harvey Girls (1946; ranked #3375 by 186 users) – Playing 11/27 at 10:00am
Head (1968; ranked #3621 by 252 users) – Playing 11/20 at 4:00am
Follow the Fleet (1936; ranked #4074 by 122 users) – Playing 11/25 at 8:30am
Carefree (1938; ranked #4313 by 85 users) – Playing 11/25 at 2:30pm
Gypsy (1962; ranked #4963 by 152 users) – Playing 11/19 at 3:00am
Roberta (1935; ranked #5307 by 137 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:30am
In the Good Old Summertime (1949; ranked #5548 by 90 users) – Playing 11/13 at 4:15pm
Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940; ranked #8472 by 49 users) – Playing 11/21 at 6:15pm
Broadway Melody of 1936 (1936; ranked #9114 by 63 users) – Playing 11/21 at 10:00am
Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937; ranked #10209 by 27 users) – Playing 11/21 at 1:45pm
Rose Marie (1936; ranked #13763 by 21 users) – Playing 11/27 at 6:00am
Born to Dance (1936; ranked #15224 by 25 users) – Playing 11/21 at 6:00am
Tea for Two (1950; ranked #16661 by 22 users) – Playing 11/20 at 10:15am
Lady be Good (1941; ranked #18612 by 4 users) – Playing 11/21 at 8:00am
Ship Ahoy (1942; ranked #19393 by 5 users) – Playing 11/21 at 12:00N
It Happened in Brooklyn (1947; ranked #19824 by 4 users) – Playing 11/28 at 7:15am
Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962; ranked #23788 by 11 users) – Playing 11/20 at 8:00am
…Silent Cinema
A few classic silent documentaries, the usual Silent Sunday nights, with a boost of silent comedy shorts on the 27th.
The Kid (1921; ranked #174 by 1309 users) – Playing 11/9 at 6:15am
The Battleship Potemkin (1925; ranked #470 by 1781 users) – Playing 11/14 at 12:15am
Nanook of the North (1922; ranked #1810 by 628 users) – Playing 11/15 at 1:15am
A Woman of Affairs (1928; ranked #6055 by 68 users) – Playing 11/9 at 10:30am
Chang (1927; ranked #6304 by 43 users) – Playing 11/15 at 4:15am
Grass (1925; ranked #7531 by 49 users) – Playing 11/15 at 2:45am
Oliver Twist (1922; ranked #8621 by 51 users) – Playing 11/9 at 7:15am
Exit Smiling (1926; ranked #9103 by 29 users) – Playing 11/14 at 6:00am
Manhatta (1921; ranked #9145 by 49 users) – Playing 11/15 at 5:30am
The Temptress (1926; ranked #9481 by 34 users) – Playing 11/6 at 12:00M
The Better ‘Ole (1926; ranked #10498 by 27 users) – Playing 11/20 at 12:00M
Number, Please? (1920; ranked #10798 by 37 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:00M
Lumiere’s First Picture Shows (1895-1897) – Playing 11/15 at 5:45am
Love My Dog (1927; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:00M
Fatty’s Faithful Fido (1915; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:00M
Fatty’s Plucky Pup (1915; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:00M
Dog Daze (1925; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:00M
…Foreign Cinema
The 400 Blows (1959; ranked #63 by 2824 users) – Playing 11/9 at 8:45am
Umberto D. (1952; ranked #461 by 440 users) – Playing 11/28 at 2:00am
Night and Fog (1955; ranked #618 by 447 users) – Playing 11/15 at 12:30am
The Cranes are Flying (1957; ranked #1507 by 164 users) – Playing 11/14 at 1:30am
World on a Wire (1973; ranked #3568 by 92 users) – Playing 11/7 at 2:00am
The Ascent (1977; ranked #4628 by 71 users) – Playing 11/21 at 3:30am
The Sorrow and the Pity (1969; ranked #5480 by 82 users) – Playing 11/14 at 8:00pm
Wings (1966; ranked #10753 by 31 users) – Playing 11/21 at 2:00am
…If You Have Kids
The Kid (1921; ranked #174 by 1309 users) – Playing 11/9 at 6:15am
A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #213 by 2407 users) – Playing 11/23 at 6:00pm
Top Hat (1935; ranked #368 by 1055 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:00pm
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #737 by 1288 users) – Playing 11/24 at 8:00am
Swing Time (1936; ranked #817 by 531 users) – Playing 11/25 at 12:30pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #988 by 826 users) – Playing 11/4 at 6:00am
A Day at the Races (1936; ranked #1072 by 661 users) – Playing 11/6 at 6:00am
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948; ranked #2264 by 328 users) – Playing 11/16 at 2:15am and 11/24 at 6:00am
Shall We Dance (1937; ranked #2265 by 209 users) – Playing 11/25 at 4:00pm
The Gay Divorcee (1934; ranked #2355 by 205 users) – Playing 11/25 at 10:30am
The Harvey Girls (1946; ranked #3375 by 186 users) – Playing 11/27 at 10:00am
National Velvet (1945; ranked #3928 by 274 users) – Playing 11/26 at 3:45pm
Follow the Fleet (1936; ranked #4074 by 122 users) – Playing 11/25 at 8:30am
Carefree (1938; ranked #4313 by 85 users) – Playing 11/25 at 2:30pm
Sounder (1972; ranked #4814 by 166 users) – Playing 11/26 at 12:00N
Life with Father (1947; ranked #5083 by 116 users) – Playing 11/25 at 4:15am
Roberta (1935; ranked #5307 by 137 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:30am
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936; ranked #5367 by 161 users) – Playing 11/13 at 8:00pm
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964; ranked #6362 by 491 users) – Playing 11/26 at 6:00pm
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves (1937; ranked #8965 by 101 users) – Playing 11/13 at 8:30pm
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960; ranked #10313 by 77 users) – Playing 11/24 at 6:00pm
Courage of Lassie (1946; ranked #12230 by 35 users) – Playing 11/26 at 2:00pm
Judge Hardy’s Children (1938; ranked #18580 by 2 users) – Playing 11/16 at 7:00am
Challenge to Lassie (1949; ranked #21287 by 3 users) – Playing 11/28 at 3:45am
Movies to See Before You Die
We have a feature here called “Movies to See Before You Die,” which are movies in the Flickchart Global Top 1000. These are those movies, if you’re trying to make a dent towards that particular milestone.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966; ranked #21 by 34657 users) – Playing 11/5 at 2:00pm
Dr. Strangelove (1964; ranked #26 by 35393 users) – Playing 11/4 at 2:30pm
Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #28 by 34928 users) – Playing 11/4 at 8:15am
Jaws (1975; ranked #61 by 74367 users) – Playing 11/19 at 3:30pm
The 400 Blows (1959; ranked #63 by 2824 users) – Playing 11/9 at 8:45am
Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #80 by 5070 users) – Playing 11/29 at 4:15pm
Badlands (1973; ranked #100 by 2747 users) – Playing 11/5 at 10:15pm
His Girl Friday (1940; ranked #103 by 2576 users) – Playing 11/15 at 8:30am
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4765 users) – Playing 11/11 at 10:00pm
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #105 by 4108 users) – Playing 11/27 at 2:00pm
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #132 by 5593 users) – Playing 11/7 at 11:30am and 11/15 at 10:00pm
Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #143 by 2442 users) – Playing 11/15 at 2:00pm
The Graduate (1967; ranked #145 by 34293 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:45am
The Kid (1921; ranked #174 by 1309 users) – Playing 11/9 at 6:15am
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #176 by 1154 users) – Playing 11/11 at 3:00pm
Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #181 by 4859 users) – Playing 11/29 at 6:00pm
Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #185 by 2461 users) – Playing 11/12 at 9:15am
Brief Encounter (1945; ranked #210 by 906 users) – Playing 11/12 at 10:00pm
A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #213 by 2407 users) – Playing 11/23 at 6:00pm
Rain Man (1988; ranked #214 by 63581 users) – Playing 11/26 at 10:15pm
Rebel Without a Cause (1955; ranked #259 by 5860 users) – Playing 11/11 at 8:00pm
The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #309 by 949 users) – Playing 11/30 at 6:00pm
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #314 by 841 users) – Playing 11/17 at 8:00pm
Top Hat (1935; ranked #368 by 1055 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:00pm
Ninotchka (1939; ranked #449 by 833 users) – Playing 11/27 at 8:00am
The Innocents (1961; ranked #450 by 570 users) – Playing 11/10 at 10:00pm
Umberto D. (1952; ranked #461 by 440 users) – Playing 11/28 at 2:00am
The Battleship Potemkin (1925; ranked #470 by 1781 users) – Playing 11/14 at 12:15am
East of Eden (1955; ranked #480 by 898 users) – Playing 11/9 at 4:00pm
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964; ranked #491 by 549 users) – Playing 11/13 at 6:00am
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #500 by 1165 users) – Playing 11/10 at 6:45pm
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #504 by 655 users) – Playing 11/15 at 10:15am
A Face in the Crowd (1957; ranked #508 by 378 users) – Playing 11/4 at 12:15pm
Hoop Dreams (1994; ranked #516 by 1882 users) – Playing 11/16 at 9:45pm
Giant (1956; ranked #528 by 1354 users) – Playing 11/17 at 2:45pm
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936; ranked #536 by 985 users) – Playing 11/6 at 2:15pm
Suspicion (1941; ranked #565 by 1078 users) – Playing 11/29 at 8:45am
Trouble in Paradise (1932; ranked #573 by 411 users) – Playing 11/17 at 11:15pm
Foreign Correspondent (1940; ranked #586 by 751 users) – Playing 11/11 at 12:45pm
You Can’t Take It With You (1938; ranked #639 by 657 users) – Playing 11/25 at 12:15am
Koyaanisqatsi (1982; ranked #715 by 1167 users) – Playing 12/1 at 12:45am
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #737 by 1288 users) – Playing 11/24 at 8:00am
Swing Time (1936; ranked #817 by 531 users) – Playing 11/25 at 12:30pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #830 by 12019 users) – Playing 11/18 at 10:15pm
Saboteur (1942; ranked #891 by 1130 users) – Playing 11/8 at 9:15pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #988 by 826 users) – Playing 11/4 at 6:00am
Day by Day
Wednesday, November 2
Top Ranked: Brute Force (1947; ranked #1771 by 199 users) – As suggested by the title, one of the most brutal film noirs ever made, set in a prison with a power-hungry guard. Playing 11/2 at 3:45am
Wild Card: The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936; unranked by 0 users) / The River (1938; unranked by 0 users) – Documentarian Pare Lorentz started out as a film critic (you can read some of his work in the anthology American Movie Critics) but even in his criticism, he pulls toward a documentary, even propagandistic impulse. He ended up taking his own advice and becoming a director of the kind of socially conscious documentary films he wanted to see being made. Playing 11/2 at 9:45pm and 10:30pm
Thursday, November 3
Top Ranked: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934; ranked #1452 by 762 users) – Hitchcock’s first take on this espionage/kidnapping story; he’d remake it twenty years later in color. I prefer the newer version, but Peter Lorre’s presence here makes it worth watching. Playing 11/3 at 2:45pm
Wild Card: I Married a Witch (1942; ranked #3869 by 134 users) – Veronica Lake is a witch burned at the stake by Puritan Fredric March, but she puts a curse on his family; fast-forward a few hundred years, and Lake’s witch comes back to life to tease March’s descendent (also March). Very cute supernatural comedy. Playing 11/4 at 1:00am
Friday, November 4
Top Ranked: Dr. Strangelove (1964; ranked #26 by 35393 users) – Playing 11/4 at 2:30pm
Wild Card: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #988 by 826 users) – George M. Cohan’s life story is a flag-waving patriotic romp, of course, but it’s also a compelling backstage musical/drama, with James Cagney perfectly cast as the firecracker Broadway legend (he won an Oscar for his perfection). Playing 11/4 at 6:00am
Saturday, November 5
Top Ranked: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966; ranked #21 by 34657 users) – Playing 11/5 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: Badlands (1973; ranked #100 by 2747 users) – Playing 11/5 at 10:15pm
Sunday, November 6
Top Ranked: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936; ranked #536 by 985 users) – Playing 11/6 at 2:15pm
Wild Card: When You’re in Love (1937; ranked #18014 by 1 users) – This Cary Grant film is so obscure that I had to add it to the Flickchart database after watching it at TCM Fest this year – but it’s a fun diversion, for sure, with Grant marrying stranded opera singer Grace Moore to help her get back into the USA when she has visa troubles. A marriage of convenience of course becomes something more, with some very sweet and funny scenes. Playing 11/6 at 8:00pm
Monday, November 7
Top Ranked: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #132 by 5593 users) – What better movie to watch on election day than Frank Capra’s ode to grassroots politics and the idealism of the little guy? Playing 11/7 at 11:30am
Wild Card: Primary (1960; ranked #11239 by 34 users) – If you’re not electioned out (or if you just want a DIFFERENT election, which is totally understandable), then check out this documentary following the primary campaign of John F. Kennedy. Playing 11/7 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, November 8
Top Ranked: Saboteur (1942; ranked #891 by 1130 users) – Playing 11/8 at 9:15pm
Wild Card: The Southerner (1945; ranked #8053 by 40 users) – Not too much to choose from this day, so why not check out one of the few American movies Jean Renoir made? Playing 11/9 at 3:00am
Wednesday, November 9
Top Ranked: The 400 Blows (1959; ranked #63 by 2824 users) – Playing 11/9 at 8:45am
Wild Card: Prelude to War (1943; ranked #10905 by 27 users) – The whole “Why We Fight” series directed by Frank Capra for the Army is worth watching, but this is obviously the place to start, as he sets up the WWII conflict. The piece was meant for young incoming soldiers who didn’t know the European history that laid the groundwork for WWII, but that history is fascinating and still not as well known as it ought to be today. Playing 11/9 at 9:15pm
Thursday, November 10
Top Ranked: The Innocents (1961; ranked #450 by 570 users) – Playing 11/10 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: Daughters Courageous (1939; ranked #16731 by 4 users) – It’s really too bad TCM isn’t playing Four Daughters, the first and best one in this loose series starring Priscilla Lane (Arsenic and Old Lace) and two of her real-life sisters, but Daughters Courageous is almost a remake of Four Daughters so it’s a fair one to watch instead. Playing 11/10 at 9:45am
Friday, November 11
Top Ranked: The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4765 users) – Playing 11/11 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: The Palm Beach Story (1942; ranked #1128 by 324 users) – This farce falls far behind Sullivan’s Travels, The Lady Eve, Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and even Hail the Conquering Hero in most rankings of Preston Sturges’ work, but I love it just the same, with Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea delightfully playing a couple pretending to be brother and sister to get money for one of his projects. It’s ridiculous, but wonderfully so. Playing 11/11 at 4:45pm
Saturday, November 12
Top Ranked: Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #185 by 2461 users) – Playing 11/12 at 9:15am
Wild Card: He Ran All the Way (1951; ranked #13529 by 15 users) – Criminally underseen film, John Garfield’s last before his opposition to the House Un-American Activities hearings blacklisted him in Hollywood. He plays a criminal who almost gets caught doing a job and hides out with a family, basically holding them hostage until he can figure out a plan to get away. It’s really intense, and Garfield is tremendous. Playing 11/12 at 1:15pm
Sunday, November 13
Top Ranked: The Battleship Potemkin (1925; ranked #470 by 1781 users) – Playing 11/14 at 12:15am
Wild Card: The Cranes are Flying (1957; ranked #1507 by 164 users) – We always hear about Soviet montage (see Potemkin, above) and later about Tarkovsky, but in between was this wonderful Soviet film about a woman whose lover goes off to war. Naturalistic sequences intersperse with poetic and melodramatic ones, creating a wondrous whole that’s unlike much anything else out there. Playing 11/14 at 1:30am
Monday, November 14
Top Ranked: Night and Fog (1955; ranked #618 by 447 users) – One of the highest-ranked shorts on Flickchart, Alain Resnais’ solemn take on the Holocaust. Playing 11/15 at 12:30am
Wild Card: Nanook of the North (1922; ranked #1810 by 628 users) – Pioneering documentarian Robert Flaherty captured the vestiges of Inuit life, from caring for family to building an igloo to hunting seals. Very effective and surprisingly affective. Playing 11/15 at 1:15am
Tuesday, November 15
Top Ranked: His Girl Friday (1940; ranked #103 by 2576 users) – Playing 11/15 at 8:30am
Wild Card: To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #504 by 655 users) – Playing 11/15 at 10:15am
Wednesday, November 16
Top Ranked: Hoop Dreams (1994; ranked #516 by 1882 users) – Playing 11/16 at 9:45pm
Wild Card: Woodstock (1970; ranked #1161 by 965 users) – Playing 11/17 at 12:45am
Thursday, November 17
Top Ranked: The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #314 by 841 users) – Playing 11/17 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Blonde Crazy (1931; ranked #9566 by 36 users) – I haven’t seen this, but a Pre-Code with James Cagney and Joan Blondell is always going to be high on my to-see list; I’ve heard good things about this, too, so I’m not just going off the cast list alone. Playing 11/17 at 9:45pm
Friday, November 18
Top Ranked: West Side Story (1961; ranked #830 by 12019 users) – Playing 11/18 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: Gypsy (1962; ranked #4963 by 152 users) – Ostensibly a bio-pic of showgirl Gypsy Rose Lee (well known for her striptease routines), this really becomes a showcase for the most aggressive stage mother you’ve ever seen, Mama Rose. The role originated on Broadway with the great Ethel Merman, but Rosalind Russell does a decent job here, with showstopping numbers like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” Playing 11/19 at 3:00am
Saturday, November 19
Top Ranked: Jaws (1975; ranked #61 by 74367 users) – Playing 11/19 at 3:30pm
Wild Card: Zabriskie Point (1970; ranked #3599 by 214 users) – One of Michelangelo Antonioni’s few English-language film, a portrayal of late 1960s America through the eyes of one of Europe’s most aloof filmmakers (and I don’t mean that in a bad way). Playing 11/20 at 2:00am
Sunday, November 20
Top Ranked: The Cincinnati Kid (1965; ranked #1958 by 415 users) – Playing 11/20 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Nice Girl? (1941; unranked by 0 users) – I often have to add Pre-Codes and silents to the Flickchart database, but apparently I have to add “Deanna Durbin” films to that list, because I had to add this one and another one just this week – Durbin was a very popular young singing star in her own time, but she is sadly almost unknown today. She’s delightful, and I urge you to check out some of her stuff – this has a bonus of costarring Walter Brennan, Robert Benchley AND Helen Broderick, if you like great character actors. Playing 11/20 at 8:00pm
Monday, November 21
Top Ranked: Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976; ranked #2190 by 225 users) – Playing 11/21 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940; ranked #8472 by 49 users) – The third film in the Broadway Melody series has very little in the way of plot, but what it does have is Fred Astaire paired with one of the best female tap dancers EVER, Eleanor Powell. Their Begin the Beguine is epic and well worth watching in or out of context. Playing 11/21 at 6:15pm
Tuesday, November 22
Top Ranked: 3 Godfathers (1948; ranked #3264 by 167 users) – A lesser-known John Ford film, with a trio of cowboys (John Wayne is one), stepping in to take care of an abandoned baby. A plot that would be much recycled in later films, this one is fresh and very enjoyable. Playing 11/23 at 1:00am
Wild Card: Spencer’s Mountain (1963; ranked #9990 by 48 users) – A family drama with Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara, frankly the main draw here is the magnificent photography, shot in and around the Grand Teton mountains. It’s surprising the Tetons didn’t appear in more classic Westerns, as they’re so iconic. Playing 11/23 at 5:00am
Wednesday, November 23
Top Ranked: A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #213 by 2407 users) – Playing 11/23 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Chronicle of a Summer (1961; ranked #10326 by 39 users) – Maybe not quite a pure documentary, as the filmmakers had real-life folks discuss topics, then made fictionalized vignettes based on the discussions, then had the folks discuss the vignettes. I haven’t seen this, but it sounds like an utterly fascinating experiment. Playing 11/24 at 2:00am
Thursday, November 24
Top Ranked: You Can’t Take It With You (1938; ranked #639 by 657 users) – Playing 11/25 at 12:15am
Wild Card: The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941; ranked #2621 by 139 users) – When a prominent critic comes to visit a local family, he slips on the ice and ends up having to stay over the holidays with them, meddling in all their lives as he goes. Monty Woolley is delightfully acerbic in the title role, and the family (including Bette Davis) plays off him well. Pretty unassuming but enjoyable comedy.Playing 11/24 at 12:00N
Friday, November 25
Top Ranked: Top Hat (1935; ranked #368 by 1055 users) – Playing 11/25 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969; ranked #4665 by 195 users) – Playing 11/25 at 10:15pm
Saturday, November 26
Top Ranked: The Graduate (1967; ranked #145 by 34293 users) – Playing 11/27 at 12:45am
Wild Card: National Velvet (1945; ranked #3928 by 274 users) – I’m frankly surprised this is ranked so low on Flickchart; am I really the only one who grew up watching all the dog and pony movies made during the classic era? This one still plays quite well, thanks to an earnest Elizabeth Taylor as the lead girl who wants nothing more than a horse in the Grant National Steeplechase, a cynical Mickey Rooney as the trainer she hires, and especially Donald Crisp and Anne Revere (who won an Oscar) as her very wise parents. Playing 11/26 at 3:45pm
Sunday, November 27
Top Ranked: The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #105 by 4108 users) – Playing 11/27 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: The Harvey Girls (1946; ranked #3375 by 186 users) – One of my favorite underrated Judy Garland vehicles, thanks to combining my two favorite genres – musicals and westerns. Playing 11/27 at 10:00am
Monday, November 28
Top Ranked: Crumb (1994; ranked #1210 by 844 users) – An acclaimed documentary/biography of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb, from director Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World). Playing 11/29 at 1:00am
Wild Card: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1272 by 437 users) – Playing 11/28 at 6:00pm
Tuesday, November 29
Top Ranked: Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #80 by 5070 users) – Playing 11/29 at 4:15pm
Wild Card: The Major and the Minor (1942; ranked #2818 by 162 users) – In Billy Wilder’s directorial debut, he has Ginger Rogers as a twenty-something showgirl who pretends to be twelve to get a half-price train ticket; she’s mistaken for an actual 12-year-old by Army Major Ray Milland, and hilarity ensues. Everyone plays this ridiculous premise fairly straight, which works surprisingly well. Playing 11/29 at 9:45pm
Wednesday, November 30
Top Ranked: The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #309 by 949 users) – A great little quiet romance set near Christmas; a perfect lead-in to the holiday season. Playing 11/30 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Koyaanisqatsi (1982; ranked #715 by 1167 users) – A mood poem of a documentary, showing planet Earth both before and after the advent of man and technology (prompting its subtitle Life Out of Balance). The photography, much of it time-lapse, is beautiful, but the real star that brings it all together is Phillip Glass’s amazing score. Playing 12/1 at 12:45am