A Flickchart Guide to TCM in October
Spotlight: Trailblazing Women
Last year, TCM did an outstanding series on women directors, blazing a trail from the silent era to the modern day. This month, they’re returning to the theme of trailblazing women by focusing on actresses who have made an impact both on-screen and off. This is a great idea, because especially in the classic era, there simply weren’t a lot of women directors, but there were a lot of actresses who were making their mark and standing up to a very male-centric industry in every way they could. Since each evening is themed, I’ve separated them out so highlight TCM’s programming thoughtfulness. To learn more about each section and the women highlighted in it, see TCM’s microsite.
The Business of Film and TV
All of these women, from Mary Pickford to Mary Tyler Moore, were not only great on-screen presences, but great businesswomen off-screen as well, creating and running studios for film and television.
Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies (2008; ranked # by users) – Playing 10/4 at 6:00pm and 10/5 at 4:00am
Mary Pickford: Little Annie Rooney (1925; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/4 at 8:00pm
Dorothy Davenport Reid: Mothers of Men (1917; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/4 at 10:00pm
Lucille Ball: Yours Mine and Ours (1968; ranked #4600 by 353 users) – Playing 10/4 at 11:15pm
Mary Tyler Moore: Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967; ranked #5609 by 179 users) – Playing 10/5 at 1:15am
Controlling Their Own Destiny
No one told the women in this section what to do – whether it was standing up to Jack Warner (Olivia de Havilland) or marrying a prince at the height of her popularity (Grace Kelly), these women fought to control their own fates, and won.
Olivia de Havilland: Devotion (1946; ranked #13977 by 13 users) – Playing 10/6 at 8:00pm
Marilyn Monroe: The Prince and the Showgirl (1957; ranked #5961 by 123 users) – Playing 10/6 at 10:00pm
Mae West: She Done Him Wrong (1933; ranked #5811 by 218 users) – Playing 10/6 at 12:15am
Katharine Hepburn: The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #96 by 2866 users) – Playing 10/7 at 1:30am
Grace Kelly: The Swan (1956; ranked #11561 by 35 users) – Playing 10/7 at 3:30am
Wartime Contributions
These actresses didn’t just perform in war-related films – everyone did that. They worked off-screen as well, starting the Hollywood Canteen (Bette Davis), inventing radar-related technology (Hedy Lamarr), and performing espionage against Germany (Marlene Dietrich).
Bette Davis: Hollywood Canteen (1944; ranked #15104 by 6 users) – Playing 10/11 at 8:00pm
Marlene Dietrich: A Foreign Affair (1948; ranked #5002 by 106 users) – Playing 10/11 at 10:15pm
Hedy Lamarr: The Conspirators (1944; ranked #22668 by 2 users) – Playing 10/12 at 12:30am
Josephine Baker: Princesse Tam Tam (1935; ranked #19729 by 6 users) – Playing 10/12 at 2:30am
Martha Raye: Navy Blues (1941; ranked #19527 by 1 users) – Playing 10/12 at 4:00am
Fighting the Blacklist
It’s easy to name male directors and writers affected by the Blacklist in the 1950s – the Hollywood Ten were all men. But women were affected, too, by their refusal to comply with Senator McCarthy’s witchhunt, including Lee Grant, who will be co-hosting the evening.
Gale Sondergaard: The Letter (1940; ranked #2941 by 196 users) – Playing 10/13 at 8:00pm
Lee Grant: Shampoo (1975; ranked #2176 by 564 users) – Playing 10/13 at 10:00pm
Marsha Hunt: Raw Deal (1948; ranked #5458 by 70 users) – Playing 10/13 at 12:00N
Dorothy Comingore: Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #27 by 34813 users) – Playing 10/14 at 1:30am
Rosaura Revueltas: Salt of the Earth (1954; ranked #7829 by 58 users) – Playing 10/14 at 3:45am
Breaking Barriers
Minorities had a tough time in classic era Hollywood, usually reduced to servant roles (e.g. Hattie McDaniel), specialty musical performances (e.g. Lena Horne), or the “exotic” (e.g. Anna May Wong). These actress managed to take the stereotypical roles they were often given and bust them to smithereens, paving the way for the future. Rita Moreno is co-hosting.
Hattie McDaniel: In This Our Life (1942; ranked #7968 by 37 users) – Playing 10/18 at 8:00pm
Rita Moreno: West Side Story (1961; ranked #826 by 11967 users) – Playing 10/18 at 9:45pm
Anna May Wong: Piccadilly (1929; ranked #9647 by 43 users) – Playing 10/19 at 12:30am
Dorothy Dandridge: Bright Road (1953; ranked #20081 by 4 users) – Playing 10/19 at 2:30am
Lena Horne: Stormy Weather (1943; ranked #5256 by 112 users) – Playing 10/19 at 4:30am
Politics and Government Service
Actresses featured in this section transitioned out of acting and into a life of public service, in the British Parliament (Glenda Jackson), as a US ambassador (Shirley Temple Black), and even First Lady of the United States (Nancy Reagan).
Shirley Temple: Bright Eyes (1934; ranked #8639 by 79 users) – Playing 10/20 at 8:00pm
Jane Alexander: The Great White Hope (1970; ranked #7283 by 119 users) – Playing 10/20 at 9:30pm
Glenda Jackson: Women in Love (1969; ranked #4107 by 170 users) – Playing 10/20 at 11:30pm
Nancy Reagan: Hellcats of the Navy (1957; ranked #16983 by 19 users) – Playing 10/21 at 2:00am
Gina Lollobrigida: Hotel Paradiso (1966; ranked #14483 by 19 users) – Playing 10/21 at 3:30am
Philanthropy
Lots of Hollywood stars are prolific philanthropists – here are some of the most notable, from Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor to Doris Day and Debbie Reynolds.
Audrey Hepburn: Wait Until Dark (1967; ranked #426 by 1197 users) – Playing 10/25 at 8:00pm
Elizabeth Taylor: Giant (1956; ranked #532 by 1349 users) – Playing 10/25 at 10:00pm
Doris Day: Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1965; ranked #10354 by 75 users) – Playing 10/26 at 1:30am
Debbie Reynolds: The Tender Trap (1955; ranked #8679 by 63 users) – Playing 10/26 at 3:30am
Activism
As we move into more modern films, activist actresses take center stage – of course Jane Fonda is very well known for her activist work (she’s also co-hosting this segment), but she’s not the only one – in fact, activist actresses go as far back as the Golden Era’s Myrna Loy.
Jane Fonda: The China Syndrome (1979; ranked #1165 by 1146 users) – Playing 10/27 at 8:00pm
Barbra Streisand: The Way We Were (1973; ranked #2785 by 518 users) – Playing 10/27 at 10:15pm
Myrna Loy: The Thin Man (1934; ranked #146 by 1629 users) – Playing 10/28 at 12:30am
Susan Sarandon: Joe (1970; ranked #8095 by 52 users) – Playing 10/28 at 2:15am
Cicely Tyson: Sounder (1972; ranked #4904 by 163 users) – Playing 10/28 at 4:15am
Star of the Month: Christopher Lee
If you want to have a bunch of horror in October, what better way than choosing a star of the month who specialized in horror? Christopher Lee certainly fills the bill, though TCM is playing a number of his films that aren’t horror, a lot more qualify in spades. If you want to watch a bunch of Dracula and other Hammer horror films, a bunch of Fu Manchu films, and bunch of other random schlock, YOU ARE IN LUCK.
TOP FIVE
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001; ranked #57 by 85563 users) – By FAR Flickchart’s favorite Lee role is Saruman the White – it’s out of TCM’s usual time period, but for a movie as good as this one is, I hope they don’t take too much flack. Playing 10/3 at 10:00pm
Horror of Dracula (1958; ranked #848 by 723 users) – For years, Lee’s bread and butter role was Dracula in the series produced by Hammer studios. This is the first of that series, and he earns his fangs right away. Most of the others in the series are playing as well. Playing 10/24 at 8:00pm
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957; ranked #1848 by 352 users) – The best-known of Hammer’s Frankenstein series, which steers pretty clear of the iconic Boris Karloff model in both story and design – partially because Universal actually had Karloff’s Monster’s design trademarked. Playing 10/24 at 4:45pm
Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966; ranked #2565 by 274 users) – The third in the Hammer/Lee Dracula series (TCM seems not to be playing the second, 1960s Brides of Dracula, but stay tuned the rest of the night for several more sequels. Playing 10/24 at 9:30pm
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959; ranked #2766 by 361 users) – Dracula and Sherlock Holmes are two of the most oft-portrayed characters on screen, but Lee doesn’t get credit for playing Holmes here (Peter Cushing does); he plays the Sir Henry Baskerville, who’s plagued by that danged hound. Playing 10/31 at 11:30pm
THE REST
The Mummy (1959; ranked #3141 by 418 users) – Playing 10/31 at 9:45pm
The Devil’s Bride (1968; ranked #3212 by 163 users) – Playing 10/31 at 8:00pm
The Three Musketeers (1973; ranked #3269 by 420 users) – Playing 10/4 at 1:15am
The Four Musketeers (1974; ranked #3502 by 250 users) – Playing 10/4 at 3:15am
Horror Express (1972; ranked #4319 by 166 users) – Playing 10/17 at 9:30pm
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970; ranked #4445 by 194 users) – Playing 10/25 at 1:00am
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969; ranked #4541 by 221 users) – Playing 10/24 at 11:15pm
The House That Dripped Blood (1970; ranked #5454 by 128 users) – Playing 10/17 at 11:15pm
Horror Hotel (1960; ranked #5475 by 103 users) – Playing 10/17 at 8:00pm
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972; ranked #5934 by 199 users) – Playing 10/25 at 4:30am
The Creeping Flesh (1972; ranked #6136 by 141 users) – Playing 10/18 at 1:15am
The Scars of Dracula (1970; ranked #6490 by 118 users) – Playing 10/25 at 2:45am
Scream of Fear (1961; ranked #7847 by 42 users) – Playing 11/1 at 1:15am
Scream and Scream Again (1970; ranked #9775 by 97 users) – Playing 10/11 at 3:15am
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1961; ranked #10551 by 53 users) – Playing 11/1 at 2:45am
Rasputin, the Mad Monk (1966; ranked #10593 by 44 users) – Playing 10/24 at 6:15pm
To the Devil, a Daughter (1976; ranked #11055 by 87 users) – Playing 11/1 at 4:30am
The Oblong Box (1969; ranked #13987 by 50 users) – Playing 10/18 at 3:00am
The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966; ranked #20283 by 23 users) – Playing 10/10 at 10:00pm
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967; ranked #24217 by users) – Playing 10/10 at 11:45pm
The Face of Fu Manchu (1965; ranked #24820 by 10 users) – Playing 10/10 at 8:00pm
Nothing but the Night (1972; ranked #27166 by 11 users) – Playing 10/11 at 1:30am
Jinnah (1998; ranked #38141 by 5 users) – Playing 10/3 at 8:00pm
Halloween Themes
Monster of the Month: Frankenstein
I hope you like Frankenstein’s Monster movies, because TCM is playing a whole lot of them. Universal, Hammer, Mel Brooks…it’s all here. I put them in order of Flickchart ranking, but there are two or three playing every Sunday night throughout the month.
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #181 by 35198 users) – Playing 10/30 at 8:00pm
Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #184 by 2433 users) – Playing 10/2 at 9:30pm
Frankenstein (1931; ranked #247 by 5376 users) – Playing 10/2 at 8:00pm
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948; ranked #1171 by 1328 users) – Playing 10/30 at 10:00pm
Son of Frankenstein (1939; ranked #1653 by 445 users) – Playing 10/2 at 11:00pm
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957; ranked #1848 by 352 users) – Playing 10/16 at 8:00pm
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943; ranked #2296 by 491 users) – Playing 10/9 at 9:15pm
House of Frankenstein (1944; ranked #3210 by 361 users) – Playing 10/9 at 10:45pm
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958; ranked #3715 by 181 users) – Playing 10/16 at 9:45pm
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942; ranked #4227 by 226 users) – Playing 10/9 at 8:00pm
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967; ranked #4877 by 127 users) – Playing 10/23 at 8:00pm
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed! (1970; ranked #5558 by 122 users) – Playing 10/23 at 10:00pm
1920s Horror – 7 October
There may be some other silent horror scattered throughout the month, but this set is all in a chunk, so I left them together (see the “Random Scares” section below for any others). Lots of German Expressionism plus some American freak shows on display here.
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #244 by 5590 users) – Playing 10/7 at 8:00pm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #298 by 2105 users) – Playing 10/7 at 9:45pm
The Phantom of the Opera (1925; ranked #875 by 1079 users) – Playing 10/8 at 1:00am
Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922; ranked #1056 by 394 users) – Playing 10/8 at 2:45am
The Unknown (1927; ranked #1689 by 211 users) – Playing 10/8 at 6:30am
The Unholy Three (1925; ranked #5379 by 61 users) – Playing 10/7 at 11:15pm
The Penalty (1920; ranked #5686 by 51 users) – Playing 10/8 at 4:45am
Horror Comedies – 14 October
Similarly, horror comedies are also playing throughout the month, particularly during the last couple of days of the month, but this is an evening all about them.
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #181 by 35197 users) – Playing 10/15 at 1:00am
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1966; ranked #1292 by 975 users) – Playing 10/14 at 9:30pm
Little Shop of Horrors (1960; ranked #3947 by 977 users) – Playing 10/14 at 11:30pm
The Cat and the Canary (1939; ranked #8765 by 29 users) – Playing 10/14 at 8:00pm
Evil Scientists and Doctors – 21 October
Eyes Without a Face (1960; ranked #345 by 643 users) – Playing 10/21 at 10:00pm
The Body Snatcher (1945; ranked #1968 by 375 users) – Playing 10/21 at 11:45pm
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941; ranked #4030 by 262 users) – Playing 10/21 at 8:00pm
The Corpse Vanishes (1942; ranked #13973 by 99 users) – Playing 10/22 at 4:00am
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962; ranked #6089 by 575 users) – Playing 10/22 at 5:15am
Macabre (1958; ranked #17163 by 20 users) – Playing 10/22 at 2:45am
Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954; ranked #18593 by 11 users) – Playing 10/22 at 1:15am
Universal Horror – 28 October
All the classic beginnings of the Universal series are right here.
Dracula (1931; ranked #438 by 3600 users) – Playing 10/28 at 8:00pm
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #506 by 1143 users) – Playing 10/28 at 11:00pm
The Wolf Man (1941; ranked #652 by 1828 users) – Playing 10/29 at 12:15am
The Mummy (1932; ranked #1347 by 1358 users) – Playing 10/28 at 9:30am
The Black Cat (1934; ranked #1863 by 323 users) – Playing 10/29 at 1:30am
Random Scares
This is literally just all the other horror films playing throughout the month, put in ranked order. There are films scattered throughout unthemed, most of the Silent Sunday Night and TCM Import films are horror, plus the last three days of the month are largely devoted to horror. It’s a nice mix of films – something for everyone here. Note: I did NOT repeat all the horror films playing for Christopher Lee’s Star of the Month programming.
Jaws (1975; ranked #61 by 73926 users) – Playing 10/22 at 8:00pm
Diabolique (1955; ranked #183 by 980 users) – Playing 10/31 at 2:00am
The Innocents (1961; ranked #461 by 558 users) – Playing 10/15 at 8:00pm
The Haunting (1963; ranked #617 by 1137 users) – Playing 10/31 at 6:00pm
Cat People (1942; ranked #742 by 718 users) – Playing 10/31 at 7:15am
Hausu (1977; ranked #785 by 747 users) – Playing 10/10 at 2:00am
The Haunting (1963; ranked #911 by 617 users) – Playing 10/10 at 3:30am
I Walked With a Zombie (1943; ranked #988 by 625 users) – Playing 10/31 at 8:30am
Island of Lost Souls (1932; ranked #1113 by 295 users) – Playing 10/29 at 4:30am
Carnival of Souls (1962; ranked #1157 by 727 users) – Playing 10/29 at 9:30pm
The Thing from Another World (1951; ranked #1167 by 801 users) – Playing 10/29 at 4:45pm
Dead of Night (1945; ranked #1273 by 410 users) – Playing 10/31 at 2:30pm
House on Haunted Hill (1959; ranked #1279 by 1225 users) – Playing 10/31 at 4:30pm
House of Wax (1953; ranked #1375 by 769 users) – Playing 10/31 at 11:15am
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931; ranked #1473 by 405 users) – Playing 10/18 at 6:15pm
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971; ranked #1531 by 458 users) – Playing 10/30 at 6:00pm
Black Sabbath (1963; ranked #1607 by 375 users) – Playing 10/31 at 12:45pm
Village of the Damned (1960; ranked #1922 by 562 users) – Playing 10/29 at 1:45pm
Blood and Black Lace (1964; ranked #1977 by 192 users) – Playing 10/29 at 8:00pm
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939; ranked #2034 by 319 users) – Playing 10/30 at 1:30pm
The Uninvited (1944; ranked #2044 by 222 users) – Playing 10/29 at 2:45am
Topper (1937; ranked #2062 by 266 users) – Playing 10/30 at 6:00am
The Blob (1958; ranked #2302 by 1469 users) – Playing 10/29 at 1:45pm
Mad Love (1935; ranked #2570 by 183 users) – Playing 10/8 at 7:30am
Isle of the Dead (1945; ranked #2817 by 241 users) – Playing 10/8 at 9:00am
Jaws 2 (1978; ranked #3328 by 6443 users) – Playing 10/22 at 10:15pm
The Seventh Victim (1943; ranked #3492 by 129 users) – Playing 10/22 at 9:15am
The Tingler (1959; ranked #3633 by 264 users) – Playing 10/30 at 12:00N
The Curse of the Cat People (1944; ranked #3886 by 227 users) – Playing 10/3 at 4:45am
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920; ranked #4183 by 215 users) – Playing 10/10 at 12:15am
The Leopard Man (1943; ranked #4351 by 142 users) – Playing 10/29 at 7:30am
The Devil-Doll (1936; ranked #4451 by 186 users) – Playing 10/29 at 6:00am
Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956; ranked #4867 by 192 users) – Playing 10/29 at 6:30pm
Bedlam (1946; ranked #5884 by 82 users) – Playing 10/29 at 9:00am
Mark of the Vampire (1935; ranked #6824 by 138 users) – Playing 10/31 at 6:00am
Dementia 13 (1963; ranked #7418 by 248 users) – Playing 10/31 at 9:45am
Dead Ringer (1964; ranked #8609 by 46 users) – Playing 10/30 at 3:45pm
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968; ranked #9123 by 59 users) – Playing 10/17 at 2:00am
The Monster (1925; ranked #9359 by 36 users) – Playing 10/30 at 12:00M
Jaws 3 (1983; ranked #11776 by 1515 users) – Playing 10/23 at 12:15am
The X from Outer Space (1967; ranked #12430 by 61 users) – Playing 10/17 at 3:30am
Marathons and Tributes
Buster Keaton – 4 October
This is unusual as a pretty late Keaton marathon – the only silent is The Cameraman, and the others are all early sound films. He didn’t fare too well in sound as slapstick gave way to other forms of humor (plus MGM didn’t give him very much creative freedom), but these films are interesting as curiosities.
The Cameraman (1928; ranked #727 by 405 users) – Playing 10/4 at 7:30am
Spite Marriage (1929; ranked #8040 by 69 users) – Playing 10/4 at 9:00am
Free and Easy (1930; ranked #13784 by 15 users) – Playing 10/4 at 10:30am
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1931; ranked #14338 by 11 users) – Playing 10/4 at 12:15pm
Carole Lombard – 6 October
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941; ranked #3300 by 540 users) – Playing 10/6 at 1:00pm
Nothing Sacred (1937; ranked #3368 by 122 users) – Playing 10/6 at 6:30am
Made for Each Other (1939; ranked #7314 by 72 users) – Playing 10/6 at 7:45am
In Name Only (1939; ranked #8906 by 25 users) – Playing 10/6 at 11:15am
Vigil in the Night (1940; ranked #14549 by 8 users) – Playing 10/6 at 9:30am
Alfred Hitchcock – 6 October
Note especially Bon Voyage, a propaganda short Hitchcock made for the war effort.
North by Northwest (1959; ranked #24 by 25789 users) – Playing 10/6 at 5:30pm
Foreign Correspondent (1940; ranked #597 by 744 users) – Playing 10/6 at 2:45pm
Bon Voyage (1944; ranked #18182 by 31 users) – Playing 10/6 at 5:00pm
If You’re Into…
…Pre-Codes
Quite a few of these this month, thanks to a bunch of early ‘30s horror (Universal and otherwise), which pretty much all count as Pre-Codes, plus a brief tribute to Pre-Code actress Helen Twelvetrees on the 24th.
Dracula (1931; ranked #438 by 3600 users) – Playing 10/28 at 8:00pm
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #506 by 1143 users) – Playing 10/28 at 11:00pm
Island of Lost Souls (1932; ranked #1113 by 295 users) – Playing 10/29 at 4:30am
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932; ranked #1233 by 289 users) – Playing 10/20 at 6:15am
The Mummy (1932; ranked #1347 by 1358 users) – Playing 10/28 at 9:30am
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931; ranked #1473 by 405 users) – Playing 10/18 at 6:15pm
The Black Cat (1934; ranked #1863 by 323 users) – Playing 10/29 at 1:30am
Design for Living (1933; ranked #2405 by 136 users) – Playing 10/27 at 11:00am
She Done Him Wrong (1933; ranked #5811 by 218 users) – Playing 10/6 at 12:15am
Three on a Match (1932; ranked #7414 by 51 users) – Playing 10/27 at 9:45am
Free and Easy (1930; ranked #13784 by 15 users) – Playing 10/4 at 10:30am
Bed of Roses (1933; ranked #14179 by 11 users) – Playing 10/11 at 2:30pm
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1931; ranked #14338 by 11 users) – Playing 10/4 at 12:15pm
Is My Face Red? (1932; ranked #15470 by 4 users) – Playing 10/24 at 6:00am
The Last Mile (1932; ranked #15594 by 4 users) – Playing 10/6 at 5:15am
The Passionate Plumber (1932; ranked #18807 by 12 users) – Playing 10/21 at 6:45am
Redemption (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/3 at 6:00am
The Cuban Love Song (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/3 at 7:15am
The Prodigal (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/3 at 8:45am
The World Changes (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/20 at 8:00am
Panama Flo (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/24 at 7:15am
Unashamed (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/24 at 8:30am
A Woman of Experience (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/24 at 10:00am
My Woman (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/24 at 11:30am
Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/28 at 7:00am
Emergency Call (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/28 at 8:15am
Headline Shooter (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/28 at 9:30am
…Film Noir
The Third Man (1949; ranked #35 by 8399 users) – Playing 10/16 at 2:00pm
The Lady from Shanghai (1948; ranked #493 by 803 users) – Playing 10/17 at 11:30am
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #561 by 896 users) – Playing 10/19 at 8:00am
Detour (1945; ranked #1242 by 484 users) – Playing 10/19 at 3:15pm
Leave Her to Heaven (1945; ranked #1522 by 263 users) – Playing 10/2 at 4:00pm and 10/19 at 6:00pm
The Letter (1940; ranked #2941 by 196 users) – Playing 10/13 at 8:00pm
Born to Kill (1947; ranked #3229 by 145 users) – Playing 10/19 at 5:45pm
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946; ranked #4164 by 116 users) – Playing 10/19 at 1:15pm
Lady in the Lake (1947; ranked #5331 by 123 users) – Playing 10/19 at 11:30am
Raw Deal (1948; ranked #5458 by 70 users) – Playing 10/13 at 12:00N
The Phenix City Story (1955; ranked #8129 by 49 users) – Playing 10/5 at 8:00am
…Musicals
An American in Paris (1951; ranked #753 by 1229 users) – Playing 10/16 at 10:00am
West Side Story (1961; ranked #826 by 11967 users) – Playing 10/18 at 9:45pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1493 by 444 users) – Playing 10/16 at 6:15pm
Cabin in the Sky (1943; ranked #4369 by 128 users) – Playing 10/15 at 12:00N
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4413 by 326 users) – Playing 10/1 at 12:00N
Stormy Weather (1943; ranked #5256 by 112 users) – Playing 10/19 at 4:30am
Presenting Lily Mars (1943; ranked #10088 by 17 users) – Playing 10/11 at 7:45am
Rose Marie (1936; ranked #13754 by 21 users) – Playing 10/11 at 9:30am
Hollywood Canteen (1944; ranked #15104 by 6 users) – Playing 10/11 at 8:00pm
Neptune’s Daughter (1949; ranked #16263 by 7 users) – Playing 10/23 at 12:15pm
…Westerns
Hang ‘Em High (1968; ranked #1105 by 1314 users) – Playing 10/1 at 6:00pm
Hombre (1967; ranked #1619 by 332 users) – Playing 10/12 at 10:30pm
How the West Was Won (1962; ranked #1953 by 763 users) – Playing 10/15 at 5:00pm
3 Godfathers (1949; ranked #3262 by 167 users) – Playing 10/27 at 7:45am
Dodge City (1939; ranked #5192 by 110 users) – Playing 10/1 at 2:00pm
Virginia City (1940; ranked #8687 by 42 users) – Playing 10/18 at 8:00am
…Silent Cinema
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #244 by 5590 users) – Playing 10/7 at 8:00pm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #298 by 2105 users) – Playing 10/7 at 9:45pm
The Phantom Carriage (1921; ranked #721 by 305 users) – Playing 10/23 at 12:00M
The Cameraman (1928; ranked #727 by 405 users) – Playing 10/4 at 7:30am
The Phantom of the Opera (1925; ranked #875 by 1079 users) – Playing 10/8 at 1:00am
Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922; ranked #1056 by 394 users) – Playing 10/8 at 2:45am
The Unknown (1927; ranked #1689 by 211 users) – Playing 10/8 at 6:30am
The Wizard of Oz (1925; ranked #1975 by 1811 users) – Playing 10/3 at 1:00am
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920; ranked #4183 by 215 users) – Playing 10/10 at 12:15am
Kurutta Ippeiji (1926; ranked #4249 by 82 users) – Playing 10/16 at 12:00M
The Unholy Three (1925; ranked #5379 by 61 users) – Playing 10/7 at 11:15pm
The Penalty (1920; ranked #5686 by 51 users) – Playing 10/8 at 4:45am
The Monster (1925; ranked #9359 by 36 users) – Playing 10/30 at 12:00M
Piccadilly (1929; ranked #9647 by 43 users) – Playing 10/19 at 12:30am
Little Annie Rooney (1925; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/4 at 8:00pm
Mothers of Men (1917; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/4 at 10:00pm
Speedway (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/14 at 6:00am
…Foreign Films
Diabolique (1955; ranked #183 by 980 users) – Playing 10/31 at 2:00am
Eyes Without a Face (1960; ranked #345 by 643 users) – Playing 10/21 at 10:00pm
Hausu (1977; ranked #785 by 747 users) – Playing 10/10 at 2:00am
Lady Snowblood (1973; ranked #1833 by 227 users) – Playing 10/23 at 2:00am
Blood and Black Lace (1964; ranked #1977 by 192 users) – Playing 10/29 at 8:00pm
Juliet of the Spirits (1965; ranked #2301 by 217 users) – Playing 10/3 at 2:15am
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974; ranked #8955 by 61 users) – Playing 10/23 at 3:45am
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968; ranked #9123 by 59 users) – Playing 10/17 at 2:00am
The X from Outer Space (1967; ranked #12430 by 61 users) – Playing 10/17 at 3:30am
Epidemic (1987; ranked #13709 by 75 users) – Playing 10/24 at 2:00am
…If You Have Kids
On the Town (1949; ranked #1493 by 444 users) – Playing 10/16 at 6:15pm
Father of the Bride (1950; ranked #2356 by 671 users) – Playing 10/23 at 6:00pm
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4413 by 326 users) – Playing 10/1 at 12:00N
Yours Mine and Ours (1968; ranked #4600 by 353 users) – Playing 10/4 at 11:15pm
Sounder (1972; ranked #4904 by 163 users) – Playing 10/28 at 4:15am
Born Free (1966; ranked #5683 by 183 users) – Playing 10/2 at 3:45am
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965; ranked #7345 by 275 users) – Playing 10/16 at 12:00N
Bright Eyes (1934; ranked #8639 by 79 users) – Playing 10/2 at 8:30am and 10/20 at 8:00pm
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1965; ranked #10354 by 75 users) – Playing 10/26 at 1:30am
Neptune’s Daughter (1949; ranked #16263 by 7 users) – Playing 10/23 at 12:15pm
Challenge to Lassie (1949; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 10/22 at 4:00pm
Movies to See Before You Die
We have a series here at Flickchart called Movies to See Before You Die, and it’s basically any movie in the Flickchart Top 1000. Here are all the films playing on TCM this month that fit that description.
North by Northwest (1959; ranked #24 by 25789 users) – Playing 10/6 at 5:30pm and 10/22 at 5:30pm
Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #27 by 34813 users) – Playing 10/14 at 1:30am
The Third Man (1949; ranked #35 by 8399 users) – Playing 10/16 at 2:00pm
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001; ranked #57 by 85563 users) – Playing 10/3 at 10:00pm
Paths of Glory (1958; ranked #62 by 5405 users) – Playing 10/8 at 2:30pm
The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #96 by 2866 users) – Playing 10/7 at 1:30am
The Great Dictator (1940; ranked #127 by 3319 users) – Playing 10/16 at 6:00am
Bringing Up Baby (1938; ranked #128 by 3598 users) – Playing 10/9 at 6:00pm
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #133 by 5573 users) – Playing 10/6 at 1:15am
The Thin Man (1934; ranked #146 by 1629 users) – Playing 10/28 at 12:30am
All the President’s Men (1976; ranked #167 by 7688 users) – Playing 10/26 at 10:15pm
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #181 by 35197 users) – Playing 10/15 at 1:00am
Diabolique (1955; ranked #183 by 980 users) – Playing 10/31 at 2:00am
Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #184 by 2433 users) – Playing 10/2 at 9:30pm
Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #199 by 19457 users) – Playing 10/27 at 12:45pm
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #244 by 5590 users) – Playing 10/7 at 8:00pm
Frankenstein (1931; ranked #247 by 5376 users) – Playing 10/2 at 8:00pm
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #280 by 5637 users) – Playing 10/5 at 5:30pm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #298 by 2105 users) – Playing 10/7 at 9:45pm
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #314 by 836 users) – Playing 10/23 at 4:00pm
Eyes Without a Face (1960; ranked #345 by 643 users) – Playing 10/21 at 10:00pm
Sabrina (1954; ranked #395 by 2409 users) – Playing 10/27 at 3:00pm
Wait Until Dark (1967; ranked #426 by 1197 users) – Playing 10/25 at 8:00pm
Dracula (1931; ranked #438 by 3600 users) – Playing 10/28 at 8:00pm
Z (1969; ranked #439 by 576 users) – Playing 10/13 at 3:15pm
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958; ranked #460 by 1562 users) – Playing 10/5 at 6:00am
The Innocents (1961; ranked #461 by 558 users) – Playing 10/15 at 8:00pm
The Lady from Shanghai (1948; ranked #493 by 803 users) – Playing 10/17 at 11:30am
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #506 by 1143 users) – Playing 10/28 at 11:00pm
A Face in the Crowd (1957; ranked #529 by 370 users) – Playing 10/5 at 8:00pm
Giant (1956; ranked #532 by 1349 users) – Playing 10/25 at 10:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #561 by 896 users) – Playing 10/19 at 8:00am
Foreign Correspondent (1940; ranked #597 by 744 users) – Playing 10/6 at 2:45pm
The Wolf Man (1941; ranked #652 by 1828 users) – Playing 10/29 at 12:15am
Gaslight (1944; ranked #671 by 670 users) – Playing 10/31 at 4:00am
Time Bandits (1981; ranked #713 by 5592 users) – Playing 10/26 at 11:00am
The Phantom Carriage (1921; ranked #721 by 305 users) – Playing 10/23 at 12:00M
The Cameraman (1928; ranked #727 by 405 users) – Playing 10/4 at 7:30am
Fail-Safe (1964; ranked #732 by 445 users) – Playing 10/19 at 8:00pm
Cat People (1942; ranked #742 by 718 users) – Playing 10/31 at 7:15am
An American in Paris (1951; ranked #753 by 1229 users) – Playing 10/16 at 10:00am
Hausu (1977; ranked #785 by 747 users) – Playing 10/10 at 2:00am
Horror of Dracula (1958; ranked #848 by 723 users) – Playing 10/24 at 8:00pm
The Phantom of the Opera (1925; ranked #875 by 1079 users) – Playing 10/8 at 1:00am
The Haunting (1963; ranked #911 by 617 users) – Playing 10/10 at 3:30am and 10/31 at 6:00pm
Day by Day
Saturday, October 1
Top Ranked: Hang ‘Em High (1968; ranked #1105 by 1314 users) – Playing 10/1 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Roar (1981; ranked #13218 by 33 users) – I haven’t seen this myself, but it was the talk of TCM Fest this year as one of the midnight screenings – Tippi Hedren basically made this at her ranch full of big cats and other wild animals, and everybody on it almost got killed by the animals. But it’s supposed to be a “save the animals” type thing. Sounds like it’s pretty crazy sauce. Playing 10/2 at 2:00am
Sunday, October 2
Top Ranked: Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #184 by 2433 users) – Bride gets the Flickchart top ranked trophy, but the first three Frankenstein films are playing; if you haven’t seen them, start with Frankenstein, playing just before this. Playing 10/2 at 9:30pm
Wild Card: Bus Stop (1956; ranked #3087 by 306 users) – Chosen by Marilyn Monroe as the project that would break her out of the “dumb blonde sexpot” films Fox had been putting her in, and in fact, her performance did impress critics and audiences alike. The film isn’t well remembered now, but it’s worth checking out if you’re a MM fan. Playing 10/2 at 2:00pm
Monday, October 3
Top Ranked: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001; ranked #57 by 85563 users) – Playing 10/3 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: Fat City (1972; ranked #3708 by 167 users) – A late John Huston film, set in the world of two-bit boxing. Playing 10/3 at 12:15pm
Tuesday, October 4
Top Ranked: The Cameraman (1928; ranked #727 by 405 users) – Playing 10/4 at 7:30am
Wild Card: Mothers of Men (1917; unranked by 0 users) – I didn’t feel super-inspired by the other choices today, so I went for a true wild card – I don’t know anything about this film, other than it’s been selected for the Trailblazing Women programming and I hadn’t heard of it before, and that’s enough for me to be interested. Playing 10/4 at 10:00pm
Wednesday, October 5
Top Ranked: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #280 by 5637 users) – The film that put Marlon Brando on the map, and as soon as you see it, you’ll know why. Playing 10/5 at 5:30pm
Wild Card: The Phenix City Story (1955; ranked #8129 by 49 users) – Noir meets racial tension as a detective tries to uncover corruption in an Alabama town. Playing 10/5 at 8:00am
Thursday, October 6
Top Ranked: North by Northwest (1959; ranked #24 by 25789 users) – Playing 10/6 at 5:30pm
Wild Card: She Done Him Wrong (1933; ranked #5811 by 218 users) – If all you’ve heard is the iconic “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me”, do yourself a favor and see the whole thing. Mae West owns it, but it’s more complex than just her quipping her way through innuendo land. Playing 10/6 at 12:15am
Friday, October 7
Top Ranked: Nosferatu (1922; ranked #244 by 5590 users) – Playing 10/7 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922; ranked #1056 by 394 users) – Danish director Benjamin Christiansen is mostly known for this film, but what a film – a pseudo-documentary style film purporting to lay out the history of witchcraft and then tying it to mental disorders, but with plenty of time for outlandish flights of fancy in between the “factual” portions. A ton of fun. Playing 10/8 at 2:45am
Saturday, October 8
Top Ranked: Paths of Glory (1958; ranked #62 by 5405 users) – Playing 10/8 at 2:30pm
Wild Card: Mad Love (1935; ranked #2570 by 183 users) – If you want to see the fullest flowering of German Expressionism on American soil, then check this one out – director Karl Freund only directed this one film, but he was cinematographer on Metropolis and many other German classics. Oh, and the story is cool, too, with a pianist losing his hands in an accident and getting them replaced with a murderer’s hands. Playing 10/8 at 7:30am
Sunday, October 9
Top Ranked: Bringing Up Baby (1938; ranked #128 by 3598 users) – Playing 10/9 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Hausu (1977; ranked #785 by 747 users) – I realize I’m just mostly picking batshit insane films for wild cards, but hey, it’s October. What to you expect me to do? This Japanese horror movie is like the director just threw everything he’d seen in other films into one big pot and stirred it up. It’s NUTS, but it’s awesome. Playing 10/10 at 2:00am
Monday, October 10
Top Ranked: Scream and Scream Again (1970; ranked #9775 by 97 users) – This is Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, AND Vincent Price all in the same movie. SOLD. Playing 10/11 at 3:15am
Wild Card: Bitter Victory (1957; ranked #11739 by 22 users) – Coming off the Halloween trail for a minute, I actually haven’t seen this, but I’ve always been intrigued because this was the film that inspired Jean-Luc Godard to famously pen “Henceforth there is cinema, and cinema is Nicholas Ray.” The film hasn’t apparently aged as well as Godard’s initial praise would indicate, but I’m still interested to see what he saw in it. Playing 10/10 at 2:45pm
Tuesday, October 11
Top Ranked: The Lavender Hill Mob (1952; ranked #1312 by 288 users) – All the Ealing Studios comedies are worthwhile, with Alec Guinness leading most of them, and this is no different – add in a lovely heist plot and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her debut for Audrey Hepburn, and you’re all set. Playing 10/11 at 1:00pm
Wild Card: Princesse Tam Tam (1935; ranked #19729 by 6 users) – Josephine Baker was a legendary club entertainer in the 1920s, achieving huge success in Paris before returning to the US and becoming the first black actress to play film leads – this was one of the those films, but it only found success in Europe. She was an early advocate for equal rights, refusing to play to segregated audiences. Playing 10/12 at 2:30am
Wednesday, October 12
Top Ranked: Hombre (1967; ranked #1619 by 332 users) – Playing 10/12 at 10:30pm
Wild Card: The Sea Wolf (1941; ranked #5499 by 64 users) – Playing 10/12 at 2:30pm
Thursday, October 13
Top Ranked: Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #27 by 34813 users) – Playing 10/14 at 1:30am
Wild Card: Raw Deal (1948; ranked #5458 by 70 users) – Before Anthony Mann turned to westerns in the ’50s, he made a number of noir films, and this is likely the best – not only a great on-the-lam film, but perhaps the best encapsulation of noir’s version of the angel/whore dichotomy. You know, for whatever that’s worth. Playing 10/13 at 12:00N
Friday, October 14
Top Ranked: Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #181 by 35197 users) – Playing 10/15 at 1:00am
Wild Card: The Fearless Vampire Killers (1966; ranked #1292 by 975 users) – One of Roman Polanski’s first American films – I haven’t seen it, but I’m pretty fascinated that something like this was how he chose to make his way into Hollywood filmmaking. Playing 10/14 at 9:30pm
Saturday, October 15
Top Ranked: The Innocents (1961; ranked #461 by 558 users) – An adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, this is perhaps the epitome of gothic horror, with Deborah Kerr as a governess whose charges are acting…odd. Playing 10/15 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Superfly (1972; ranked #4501 by 297 users) – Take a break from the chills with some funky blaxploitation. Playing 10/16 at 3:30am
Sunday, October 16
Top Ranked: The Third Man (1949; ranked #35 by 8399 users) – Playing 10/16 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: On the Town (1949; ranked #1493 by 444 users) – Of the three films Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra made together, this sailors-on-leave outing is the most sustained, bouyed by a sextet of eager performers (including a simply wonderful Ann Miller), a zany story, and on-location filming. Playing 10/16 at 6:15pm
Monday, October 17
Top Ranked: The Lady from Shanghai (1948; ranked #493 by 803 users) – Orson Welles seems almost to be getting back at his ex-wife Rita Hayworth here, but all that angst plays into the noir story bigtime. Playing 10/17 at 11:30am
Wild Card: Only Angels Have Wings (1939; ranked #1042 by 374 users) – Playing 10/17 at 6:00am
Tuesday, October 18
Top Ranked: West Side Story (1961; ranked #826 by 11967 users) – Playing 10/18 at 9:45pm
Wild Card: The Stranger’s Return (1933; ranked #15247 by 4 users) – I saw this film at TCM Fest a couple of years ago, and it ended up being my favorite of the fest – Lionel Barrymore is fantastic as always as the patriarch of a large farm. The “stranger” is his granddaughter, played by Miriam Hopkins, who returns from the city and a bad marriage to get her life straightened out. Highlights are when Hopkins has to play waitress to a dozen hungry farmhands and she gives them what for when they get too demanding, and when Barrymore pretends to go nuts to keep his greedy daughters in law from snagging his farm. Playing 10/18 at 6:30am
Wednesday, October 19
Top Ranked: Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #561 by 896 users) – Playing 10/19 at 8:00am
Wild Card: Born to Kill (1947; ranked #3229 by 145 users) – Noir favorite Claire Trevor finds her neighbor and her lover murdered but decides to just lam out of town rather than let the police know, since, you know, she’s got places to go and people to see. She ends up unknowingly meeting the actual murderer on the way out of town and becoming attracted to him. This is a twisted noir with an unusual homme fatale inversion. Playing 10/19 at 5:45pm
Thursday, October 20
Top Ranked: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932; ranked #1233 by 289 users) – Playing 10/20 at 6:15am
Wild Card: The Good Earth (1937; ranked #7888 by 83 users) – An Academy-Award winning performance from Luise Rainer (her second in a row) in an adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s acclaimed novel. Playing 10/20 at 9:45am
Friday, October 21
Top Ranked: Eyes Without a Face (1960; ranked #345 by 643 users) – Playing 10/21 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: The Body Snatcher (1945; ranked #1968 by 375 users) – Most people are at least aware of producer Val Lewton’s Cat People, and many also know I Walked with a Zombie. His other films are less well-known, but no less worthwhile, especially this one, which stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi as grave robbers working for a doctor who needs cadavers to study. Playing 10/21 at 11:45pm
Saturday, October 22
Top Ranked: Jaws (1975; ranked #61 by 73926 users) – Playing 10/22 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Lady Snowblood (1973; ranked #1833 by 227 users) – Playing 10/23 at 2:00am
Sunday, October 23
Top Ranked: The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #314 by 836 users) – Shy herpetologist and ale heir Henry Fonda doesn’t stand a chance against con artist Barbara Stanwyck and her dad, but does she stand a chance against falling in love with him? I’m sorry, that was terrible. But this movie isn’t. I promise. Playing 10/23 at 4:00pm
Wild Card: Stage Fright (1950; ranked #2686 by 354 users) – The same year that Kurosawa was revolutionizing the idea of conflicting cinematic narratives in Rashomon, Hitchcock was toying with unreliable narrators as well in Stage Fright – it doesn’t come off quite as well (Hitch himself felt he had made a mistake), but it’s still pretty fascinating. Playing 10/23 at 8:00am
Monday, October 24
Top Ranked: Horror of Dracula (1958; ranked #848 by 723 users) – Most of Lee’s Dracula films are playing. Just watch them all. Playing 10/24 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, October 25
Top Ranked: Wait Until Dark (1967; ranked #426 by 1197 users) – Audrey Hepburn is a blind woman who gets unwittingly caught in the middle of a smuggling operation – the climactic sequence when she uses darkness to her advantage is edge of your seat thrilling. Playing 10/25 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: The F.B.I. Story (1959; ranked #9299 by 65 users) – Playing 10/25 at 6:15am
Wednesday, October 26
Top Ranked: All the President’s Men (1976; ranked #167 by 7688 users) – Watergate, Nixon, Woodward & Bernstein, Deep Throat – you know. It’s great. Watch it if if you haven’t. Playing 10/26 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: Time After Time (1979; ranked #1142 by 940 users) – A friend once said that while this film might not be “good” he was “relentlessly happy to have it in his life.” To me, that’s still the best explanation of why I don’t like rating systems, and I STILL haven’t seen the film that started it! Playing 10/26 at 9:00am
Thursday, October 27
Top Ranked: The Thin Man (1934; ranked #146 by 1629 users) – Playing 10/28 at 12:30am
Wild Card: Design for Living (1933; ranked #2405 by 136 users) – Gary Cooper, Fredric March, and Miriam Hopkins in a living arrangement that could only happen in a Pre-Code film – and could only be this charming in a Lubitsch film. Playing 10/27 at 11:00am
Friday, October 28
Top Ranked: Dracula (1931; ranked #438 by 3600 users) – Playing 10/28 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: The Uninvited (1944; ranked #2044 by 222 users) – A brother and sister travel to his ancestral home in the English countryside, repurchase it, and discover there’s a ghost plaguing it. This is a quiet horror, mostly playing on atmosphere and some surprisingly good ghost effects, but if you like gothic chills, this is a keeper. Playing 10/29 at 2:45am
Saturday, October 29
Top Ranked: Carnival of Souls (1962; ranked #1157 by 727 users) – This film might just define the term “cult classic.” A low-budget, independent production at a time when such things were still rare, with a truly bizarre and disorienting plot and visual style. Definitely one you won’t forget soon. Playing 10/29 at 9:30pm
Wild Card: Village of the Damned (1960; ranked #1922 by 562 users) – After a strange event, several kids in the village are born at the same time and as they grow up, seem to be psychically connected. And also, they have super-creepy eyes. The main kid is the same child actor from The Innocents, solidifying his choke-hold on the early-1960s-creepy-kid market. Playing 10/29 at 1:45pm
Sunday, October 30
Top Ranked: Diabolique (1955; ranked #183 by 980 users) – A man’s wife and his lover have about had it with the arrangement, so they decide to work together to kill him. Fair enough. But the deed has further-reaching consequences than either of them expect. This is a film Hitchcock would’ve made if he’d been French. Playing 10/31 at 2:00am
Wild Card: Topper (1937; ranked #2062 by 266 users) – You’re used to Cary Grant playing suave, debonair charmers – how about a party boy turned ghost? He and Constance Bennett are a hard-partying couple who wrap their car around a tree and decide to spend the afterlife getting his boss Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) to enjoy life a little more. Scary it ain’t, but it’s a LOT of fun and very underseen. Playing 10/30 at 6:00am
Monday, October 31
Top Ranked: The Haunting (1963; ranked #617 by 1137 users) – If you’ve seen the 1999 The Haunting, this is the same story, but…way better. Playing 10/31 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: I Walked With a Zombie (1943; ranked #988 by 625 users) – For my money, Val Lewton’s crowning achievement as producer was this post-colonial take on Jane Eyre. English mores come up against tropical climes, with voodoo and zombies hovering ever in the background (and often in the foreground). Playing 10/31 at 8:30am