A Flickchart Guide to TCM in September
TCM Spotlight: Slapstick Comedy
Slip on a banana peel, get a pie to the face, take a pratfall or two – all par for the course for slapstick comedians, who raised the art of physical comedy to an art form all its own. TCM Spotlights often feels like a crash course in film history, and in this case they’re upping the ante with an ACTUAL course in Slapstick Comedy to go along with the month of programming. Like last summer’s Summer of Noir course, this one is totally free and taught by Richard Edwards of Ball State University through the Canvas online course platform. There’s still time to sign up for the course, which started this week.
In any case, if you like to laugh, follow along every Tuesday and Wednesday night this month for slapstick from the silent era up through the 1980s and beyond (yeah, there are a couple of films scheduled that are going to get the “keep TCM classic” folks riled up).
TOP FIVE
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #179 by 35118 users) – TCM is actually going to be playing Young Frankenstein, the most inspired parody/spoof film ever in my humble opinion, three times this month, so you have no excuse to miss it. Playing 9/9 at 12M, 9/27 at 9:30pm, and 9/29 at 9:15pm
A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #213 by 2387 users) – Though many prefer the Marx Brothers more manic earlier outings like Duck Soup, just as many put A Night at the Opera just as high or higher – the Marx Brothers were brilliant because not only were they great at slapstick, but at verbal and situational comedy as well. Playing 9/13 at 11:00pm
Steamboat Bill Jr (1928; ranked #482 by 640 users) – In one of several Buster Keaton films that can arguably lay claim on being the best, he plays the city boy son of a riverboat captain, who is totally inept at everything to do with the boat. The final hurricane sequence is justifiably iconic. Playing 9/7 at 12:00M
The Circus (1928; ranked #544 by 501 users) – TCM is including this one rather than one of Chaplin’s better known films, likely because it focuses more on physical gags than on his trademark pathos (though that is still there as well). For some reason this tends to get overlooked when people talk about Chaplin, and that’s a crying shame. Playing 9/7 at 10:00pm
A Shot in the Dark (1964; ranked #674 by 1352 users) – The second but best of the Pink Panther series has the bumbling Inspector Clouseau investigating a murder and jumping to all the wrong conclusions – especially that Ursula Andress couldn’t POSSIBLY be anything other than a sweet young thing for his enjoyment. Look out for the nudist colony sequence. Playing 9/22 at 2:00am
THE REST
Anchorman (2004; ranked #535 by 69270 users) – Playing 9/28 at 11:30pm
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963; ranked #788 by 2528 users) – Playing 9/21 at 8:00pm
Bananas (1971; ranked #861 by 1996 users) – Playing 9/27 at 8:00pm
Mon Oncle (1958; ranked #889 by 418 users) – Playing 9/20 at 8:00pm
The Naked Gun (1988; ranked #971 by 25973 users) – Playing 9/28 at 8:00pm
Top Secret! (1984; ranked #1094 by 4460 users) – Playing 9/28 at 9:45pm
The Palm Beach Story (1942; ranked #1101 by 318 users) – Playing 9/15 at 4:30am
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948; ranked #1171 by 1326 users) – Playing 9/14 at 9:30pm
The Party (1968; ranked #1476 by 917 users) – Playing 9/22 at 4:00am
Strange Brew (1983; ranked #1535 by 1996 users) – Playing 9/29 at 1:15am
Foul Play (1978; ranked #1846 by 720 users) – Playing 9/27 at 11:30pm
The Bank Dick (1940; ranked #1855 by 340 users) – Playing 9/14 at 8:00pm
The Great Race (1965; ranked #2170 by 312 users) – Playing 9/21 at 11:15pm
A Dog’s Life (1918; ranked #2266 by 215 users) – Playing 9/7 at 9:15pm
One Week (1920; ranked #2622 by 141 users) – Playing 9/7 at 11:30pm
The Frisco Kid (1979; ranked #2787 by 469 users) – Playing 9/28 at 5:30am
The Three Musketeers (1973; ranked #3249 by 420 users) – Playing 9/28 at 1:30am
Speedy (1928; ranked #3402 by 121 users) – Playing 9/8 at 3:30am
Sons of the Desert (1933; ranked #3798 by 187 users) – Playing 9/13 at 9:00pm
The Music Box (1932; ranked #4255 by 108 users) – Playing 9/13 at 10:15pm
Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914; ranked #6004 by 118 users) – Playing 9/6 at 9:30pm
Coney Island (1917; ranked #6192 by 59 users) – Playing 9/7 at 2:30am
The Inspector General (1949; ranked #6558 by 90 users) – Playing 9/15 at 12:45pm
The Gumball Rally (1976; ranked #7018 by 170 users) – Playing 9/28 at 3:30am
The Long, Long Trailer (1954; ranked #7048 by 102 users) – Playing 9/20 at 10:00pm
Movie Crazy (1932; ranked #8115 by 37 users) – Playing 9/14 at 3:30am
Mickey (1918; ranked #9423 by 26 users) – Playing 9/6 at 11:30pm
Seven Years Bad Luck (1921; ranked #9852 by 36 users) – Playing 9/7 at 1:15am
Number, Please? (1920; ranked #10653 by 37 users) – Playing 9/8 at 3:00am
Charley My Boy! (1926; ranked #11052 by 22 users) – Playing 9/8 at 5:15am
Carry on Teacher (1962; ranked #12891 by 35 users) – Playing 9/21 at 4:45am
Le grand amour (1969; ranked #13670 by 11 users) – Playing 9/22 at 5:45am
Scared Stiff (1953; ranked #14963 by 37 users) – Playing 9/20 at 12:00M
A Southern Yankee (1948; ranked #15511 by 11 users) – Playing 9/14 at 11:00pm
Hips, Hips, Hooray (1934; ranked #16686 by 4 users) – Playing 9/14 at 12:45am
Elmer the Great (1933; ranked #17862 by 2 users) – Playing 9/14 at 2:00am
The Good Humor Man (1950; ranked #19291 by 5 users) – Playing 9/21 at 3:15am
Harold Lloyd’s World of Comedy (1962; ranked #23201 by 2 users) – Playing 9/8 at 1:15am
Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959; ranked #23394 by 24 users) – Playing 9/21 at 1:45am
Sidewalk Stories (1989; ranked #32610 by 5 users) – Playing 9/29 at 3:00am
Golden Age of Comedy (1957; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/6 at 8:00pm
Mabel’s Wilful Way (1915; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/6 at 11:15pm
Yankee Doodle in Berlin (1919; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 3:00am
The Champeen (1923; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 4:15am
Our Gang (1922; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 4:15am
Star of the Month: Gene Hackman
The Star of the Month this time also keeps to the latter end of the classic era, with Gene Hackman doing much of his best work in the 1970s. A few of these films are extremely well known, and several I hadn’t even heard of. I guess that’s true with every star of the month, but I’m less familiar with Hackman. Looking through his filmography, it’s clear that Hackman has always carved his own path, appearing in big and small films, but usually as idiosyncratic and highly memorable characters.
TOP FIVE
The Conversation (1974; ranked #97 by 5143 users) – Everyone’s favorite Francis Ford Coppola movie is The Godfather, but for me, it’s this one. Hackman’s surveillance expert records a conversation between a man and a woman, but soon comes to believe they are in danger. One of the finest ’70s paranoid thrillers. Playing 9/9 at 8:00pm
The French Connection (1971; ranked #174 by 7269 users) – Hackman’s turn as Popeye Doyle, a cop tired of all the drug running and corruption, cracks down on both, and gets in one of the best cinematic car chases of all time. Playing 9/16 at 10:00pm
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #179 by 35118 users) – Hackman plays a small but important part in Young Frankenstein, that of the blind man who takes the monsterr in Playing 9/9 at 12M, 9/27 at 9:30pm, and 9/29 at 9:15pm
Bonnie and Clyde (1967; ranked #202 by 9257 users) – Whether lead or supporting, Hackman never failed to give it his all, as here where he plays Clyde Barrow’s brother, an early entry into the gang, though his screechy wife is enough to drive anyone to a life of crime. Playing 9/2 at 8:00pm
A Bridge Too Far (1977; ranked #1010 by 1478 users) – This WWII film has a huge ensemble cast of seemingly every male actor in Hollywood at the time, but I’m sure Hackman stands out as he always does, in the story of an American initiative gone wrong. Playing 10/1 at 1:45pm
THE REST
Reds (1981; ranked #1209 by 929 users) – Playing 9/30 at 8:00pm
Night Moves (1975; ranked #1261 by 418 users) – Playing 9/16 at 12:00M
Scarecrow (1973; ranked #1825 by 283 users) – Playing 9/9 at 10:00pm
Another Woman (1988; ranked #3021 by 353 users) – Playing 9/23 at 8:00pm
Bite the Bullet (1975; ranked #5262 by 116 users) – Playing 9/23 at 11:15pm
Bat 21 (1988; ranked #5379 by 263 users) – Playing 10/1 at 4:45am
Under Fire (1983; ranked #5492 by 135 users) – Playing 9/30 at 11:30pm
Marooned (1969; ranked #7139 by 181 users) – Playing 9/3 at 4:00pm
Downhill Racer (1969; ranked #8109 by 109 users) – Playing 9/2 at 10:00pm
I Never Sang for My Father (1970; ranked #10003 by 35 users) – Playing 9/23 at 9:30pm
Lilith (1964; ranked #12001 by 24 users) – Playing 9/3 at 2:00am
Eureka (1983; ranked #12074 by 51 users) – Playing 9/24 at 3:30am
The Split (1968; ranked #23282 by 7 users) – Playing 9/17 at 2:00am
The Gypsy Moths (1969; ranked #23290 by 20 users) – Playing 9/2 at 12:00M
First to Fight (1967; ranked #26003 by 2 users) – Playing 10/1 at 6:30am
A Covenant with Death (1967; ranked #26124 by 1 users) – Playing 9/16 at 8:00pm
Zandy’s Bride (1974; ranked #26582 by 9 users) – Playing 9/24 at 1:45am
Tributes and Marathons
Preston Sturges
Look out especially for The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, a film generally considered not quite successful, but besides being Sturges’ penultimate film, it’s also one of Harold Lloyd’s last roles, and the film is difficult to find.
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #316 by 827 users) – Playing 9/1 at 8:00pm
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #177 by 1141 users) – Playing 9/1 at 9:45pm
The Palm Beach Story (1942; ranked #1101 by 318 users) – Playing 9/1 at 11:30pm
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944; ranked #2487 by 134 users) – Playing 9/2 at 1:15am
The Great McGinty (1940; ranked #4725 by 95 users) – Playing 9/2 at 3:15am
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947; ranked #16146 by 25 users) – Playing 9/2 at 4:45am
Gary Cooper
Today We Live (1933; ranked #13648 by 12 users) – Playing 9/15 at 6:30am
Friendly Persuasion (1956; ranked #4454 by 135 users) – Playing 9/15 at 10:30am
A Farewell to Arms (1932; ranked #3615 by 231 users) – Playing 9/15 at 1:00pm
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943; ranked #3778 by 267 users) – Playing 9/15 at 2:30pm
Sergeant York (1941; ranked #1380 by 465 users) – Playing 9/15 at 5:30pm
Lauren Bacall
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #529 by 646 users) – Playing 9/16 at 7:45am
The Cobweb (1955; ranked #20759 by 8 users) – Playing 9/16 at 9:30am
Blood Alley (1955; ranked #12905 by 40 users) – Playing 9/16 at 11:45am
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #106 by 4081 users) – Playing 9/16 at 2:00pm
Designing Woman (1957; ranked #8193 by 57 users) – Playing 9/16 at 6:00pm
Grace Kelly
Mogambo (1953; ranked #6816 by 110 users) – Playing 9/23 at 6:00am
Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #181 by 4825 users) – Playing 9/23 at 8:00am
High Society (1956; ranked #2242 by 365 users) – Playing 9/23 at 12:00N
The Swan (1956; ranked #11544 by 35 users) – Playing 9/23 at 2:00pm
Gene Wilder
As they often do when a major classic star dies, TCM has quickly put together a memorial tribute marathon for the great Gene Wilder. Ironically, most of the films in this set are already playing this month, thanks to the Slapstick spotlight and Star of the Month Gene Hackman, but sometime seeing them all together is just the cathartic experience we need.
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #179 by 35118 users) – Playing 9/9 at 12M, 9/27 at 9:30pm, and 9/29 at 9:15pm
Start the Revolution Without Me (1970; ranked #8134 by 99 users) – Playing 9/30 at 12:30am
The Frisco Kid (1979; ranked #2787 by 469 users) – Playing 9/30 at 2:15am
Bonnie and Clyde (1967; ranked #202 by 9257 users) – Playing 9/30 at 4:30am
If You’re Into…
…Pre-Code Hollywood
Dracula (1931; ranked #440 by 3581 users) – Playing 9/4 at 12:30pm
A Farewell to Arms (1932; ranked #3615 by 231 users) – Playing 9/15 at 1:00pm
Sons of the Desert (1933; ranked #3798 by 187 users) – Playing 9/13 at 9:00pm
The Music Box (1932; ranked #4255 by 108 users) – Playing 9/13 at 10:15pm
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931; ranked #4612 by 91 users) – Playing 9/13 at 10:15am
Of Human Bondage (1934; ranked #5346 by 94 users) – Playing 9/30 at 9:45am
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933; ranked #5454 by 91 users) – Playing 9/3 at 6:15am
Movie Crazy (1932; ranked #8115 by 37 users) – Playing 9/14 at 3:30am
Double Harness (1933; ranked #11975 by 15 users) – Playing 9/30 at 7:00am
Today We Live (1933; ranked #13648 by 12 users) – Playing 9/15 at 6:30am
The Secret Six (1931; ranked #14782 by 5 users) – Playing 9/22 at 10:15pm
Girl Missing (1933; ranked #15923 by 4 users) – Playing 9/21 at 6:15am
Hi, Nellie! (1934; ranked #16174 by 3 users) – Playing 9/21 at 7:30am
Elmer the Great (1933; ranked #17862 by 2 users) – Playing 9/14 at 2:00am
…Film Noir
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #106 by 4081 users) – Playing 9/16 at 2:00pm
The Killing (1956; ranked #151 by 2353 users) – Playing 9/17 at 3:45am
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #154 by 1395 users) – Playing 9/4 at 4:00pm
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #529 by 646 users) – Playing 9/16 at 7:45am
Murder My Sweet (1944; ranked #1083 by 361 users) – Playing 9/18 at 6:15pm
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1276 by 433 users) – Playing 9/10 at 10:00pm
The Racket (1951; ranked #8310 by 44 users) – Playing 9/30 at 6:30pm
Betrayed (1954; ranked #12938 by 34 users) – Playing 9/20 at 2:00pm
I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955; ranked #17670 by 16 users) – Playing 9/28 at 7:30am
The Cobweb (1955; ranked #20759 by 8 users) – Playing 9/16 at 9:30am
…Screwball Comedy
Adding in a few new categories this time, because why not. With the Sturges marathon on the 1st, this seemed like a natural.
It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #74 by 3510 users) – Playing 9/13 at 2:00pm
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #177 by 1141 users) – Playing 9/1 at 9:45pm
My Man Godfrey (1936; ranked #225 by 1041 users) – Playing 9/6 at 1:45am
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #316 by 827 users) – Playing 9/1 at 8:00pm
Ball of Fire (1942; ranked #803 by 311 users) – Playing 9/4 at 6:00pm
The Palm Beach Story (1942; ranked #1101 by 318 users) – Playing 9/1 at 11:30pm
Twentieth Century (1934; ranked #3192 by 138 users) – Playing 9/17 at 11:45pm
I Married a Witch (1942; ranked #3969 by 130 users) – Playing 9/15 at 8:00pm
…Westerns
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4728 users) – Playing 9/6 at 3:30am
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #118 by 8115 users) – Playing 9/3 at 6:00pm
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #241 by 1835 users) – Playing 9/3 at 12:00N
Shane (1953; ranked #658 by 1553 users) – Playing 9/24 at 8:00pm
Jeremiah Johnson (1972; ranked #844 by 845 users) – Playing 9/3 at 2:00pm
The Cowboys (1972; ranked #2148 by 323 users) – Playing 9/13 at 3:45am
…Musicals
TCM always plays a lot of musicals, but I like a lot of musicals, so why not highlight them?
Cabaret (1972; ranked #692 by 2366 users) – Playing 9/3 at 8:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #824 by 11933 users) – Playing 9/11 at 2:00pm
Oliver! (1968; ranked #1771 by 2158 users) – Playing 9/10 at 12:00N
Jailhouse Rock (1957; ranked #3247 by 536 users) – Playing 9/25 at 6:15pm
The Pirate (1948; ranked #3421 by 221 users) – Playing 9/18 at 12:15pm
Carefree (1938; ranked #4305 by 84 users) – Playing 9/11 at 6:30pm
Stormy Weather (1943; ranked #5256 by 112 users) – Playing 9/25 at 8:00pm
Royal Wedding (1951; ranked #6442 by 104 users) – Playing 9/11 at 4:45pm
Bells Are Ringing (1960; ranked #7924 by 77 users) – Playing 9/9 at 5:45pm
Yolanda and the Thief (1945; ranked #9508 by 50 users) – Playing 9/9 at 12:15am
Good News (1947; ranked #9580 by 31 users) – Playing 9/7 at 4:00pm
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936; ranked #10177 by 43 users) – Playing 9/27 at 7:45am
Invitation to the Dance (1956; ranked #13163 by 32 users) – Playing 9/9 at 4:00pm
Lady be Good (1941; ranked #18649 by 4 users) – Playing 9/9 at 10:15am
It Happened in Brooklyn (1947; ranked #19712 by 4 users) – Playing 9/7 at 6:00pm
On an Island with You (1948; ranked #20661 by 9 users) – Playing 9/7 at 2:00pm
…Silent Cinema
A LOT of silents this month thanks to the slapstick comedy spotlight – in many ways, slapstick hit its zenith in the silent era and not much in the sound era can totally live up to it. So enjoy!
The General (1926; ranked #55 by 2147 users) – Playing 9/17 at 8:00pm
Steamboat Bill Jr (1928; ranked #482 by 640 users) – Playing 9/7 at 12:00M
The Circus (1928; ranked #544 by 501 users) – Playing 9/7 at 10:00pm
Intolerance (1916; ranked #730 by 601 users) – Playing 9/5 at 8:00pm
The Navigator (1924; ranked #1350 by 333 users) – Playing 9/12 at 12:4am
A Dog’s Life (1918; ranked #2266 by 215 users) – Playing 9/7 at 9:15pm
One Week (1920; ranked #2622 by 141 users) – Playing 9/7 at 11:30pm
Speedy (1928; ranked #3402 by 121 users) – Playing 9/8 at 3:30am
Show People (1928; ranked #4058 by 88 users) – Playing 9/4 at 8:00pm
Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914; ranked #6004 by 118 users) – Playing 9/6 at 9:30pm
Coney Island (1917; ranked #6192 by 59 users) – Playing 9/7 at 2:30am
Mickey (1918; ranked #9423 by 26 users) – Playing 9/6 at 11:30pm
Seven Years Bad Luck (1921; ranked #9852 by 36 users) – Playing 9/7 at 1:15am
The Loves of Pharaoh (1922; ranked #10301 by 27 users) – Playing 9/25 at 12:00M
Number, Please? (1920; ranked #10653 by 37 users) – Playing 9/8 at 3:00am
Charley My Boy! (1926; ranked #11052 by 22 users) – Playing 9/8 at 5:15am
Harold Lloyd’s World of Comedy (1962; ranked #23201 by 2 users) – Playing 9/8 at 1:15am
Mabel’s Wilful Way (1915; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/6 at 11:15pm
Yankee Doodle in Berlin (1919; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 3:00am
The Champeen (1923; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 4:15am
Our Gang (1922; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 4:15am
…Foreign Cinema
Harakiri (1962; ranked #121 by 449 users) – Playing 9/12 at 2:00am
Samurai Rebellion (1967; ranked #2180 by 174 users) – Playing 9/12 at 4:15am
Il Sorpasso (1961; ranked #5328 by 41 users) – Playing 9/5 at 2:00am
La Promesse (1996; ranked #6476 by 73 users) – Playing 9/26 at 2:00am
The 47 Ronin (1941; ranked #6896 by 52 users) – Playing 9/19 at 2:15am
…If You Have Kids
I maintain that silent comedy is one of the best things to show kids to get them into classics, and here’s the perfect month to put that to the test, with great films from all the great silent comedians.
The General (1926; ranked #55 by 2147 users) – Playing 9/17 at 8:00pm
Steamboat Bill Jr (1928; ranked #482 by 640 users) – Playing 9/7 at 12:00M
The Circus (1928; ranked #544 by 501 users) – Playing 9/7 at 10:00pm
The Navigator (1924; ranked #1350 by 333 users) – Playing 9/12 at 12:4am
Little Women (1949; ranked #4583 by 142 users) – Playing 9/7 at 11:45am
Jungle Book (1942; ranked #7164 by 195 users) – Playing 9/17 at 6:00pm
Angels in the Outfield (1951; ranked #7172 by 114 users) – Playing 9/5 at 7:45am
The Littlest Rebel (1935; ranked #9567 by 56 users) – Playing 9/25 at 9:30pm
Hills of Home (1948; ranked #12401 by 29 users) – Playing 9/17 at 4:00pm
Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry (1937; ranked #13660 by 15 users) – Playing 9/26 at 9:00am
The Story of Seabiscuit (1949; ranked #15638 by 18 users) – Playing 9/26 at 6:00am
Three Daring Daughters (1948; ranked #15708 by 10 users) – Playing 9/22 at 10:15am
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946; ranked #17999 by 6 users) – Playing 9/25 at 6:00am
Flipper (1963; ranked #18056 by 85 users) – Playing 9/17 at 12:00N
Son of Lassie (1945; ranked #20051 by 8 users) – Playing 9/7 at 7:45am
International Velvet (1979; ranked #30421 by 24 users) – Playing 9/17 at 1:45pm
Our Gang (1922; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/7 at 4:15am
TREASURES FROM THE DISNEY VAULTS
Tugboat Mickey (1940; ranked #14554 by 46 users) – Playing 9/8 at 8:00pm
Boat Builders (1938; ranked #10244 by 1047 users) – Playing 9/8 at 8:00pm
Treasure Island (1950; ranked #3731 by 435 users) – Playing 9/8 at 8:30pm
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956; ranked #9177 by 95 users) – Playing 9/8 at 10:15pm
Disneyland Around the Seasons (1966; ranked # by users) – Playing 9/8 at 11:45pm
Those Calloways (1964; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/9 at 1:00am
Wonderful World of Color: A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood (1965; ranked # by users) – Playing 9/9 at 3:30am
Movies to See Before You Die
We run a feature on the Flickchart blog called Movies to See Before You Die, focusing on films in the Flickchart Global Top 1000. All these films fit that criteria, so you can use this as a handy checklist as you work your way through Flickchart’s most highly recommended films.
Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 41583 users) – Playing 9/11 at 8:00pm
The General (1926; ranked #55 by 2147 users) – Playing 9/17 at 8:00pm
Jaws (1975; ranked #62 by 73650 users) – Playing 9/12 at 9:15pm
It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #74 by 3510 users) – Playing 9/13 at 2:00pm
Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #96 by 34742 users) – Playing 9/5 at 11:30pm
The Conversation (1974; ranked #97 by 5143 users) – Playing 9/9 at 8:00pm
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4728 users) – Playing 9/6 at 3:30am
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #106 by 4081 users) – Playing 9/16 at 2:00pm
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #118 by 8115 users) – Playing 9/3 at 6:00pm
Harakiri (1962; ranked #121 by 449 users) – Playing 9/12 at 2:00am
The Killing (1956; ranked #151 by 2353 users) – Playing 9/17 at 3:45am
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #154 by 1395 users) – Playing 9/4 at 4:00pm
The French Connection (1971; ranked #174 by 7269 users) – Playing 9/16 at 10:00pm
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #177 by 1141 users) – Playing 9/1 at 9:45pm
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #179 by 35118 users) – Playing 9/9 at 12M, 9/27 at 9:30pm, and 9/29 at 9:15pm
The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #193 by 4967 users) – Playing 9/22 at 8:00pm
Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #198 by 19419 users) – Playing 9/17 at 9:30pm
Bonnie and Clyde (1967; ranked #202 by 9257 users) – Playing 9/2 at 8:00pm
My Man Godfrey (1936; ranked #225 by 1041 users) – Playing 9/6 at 1:45am
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #241 by 1835 users) – Playing 9/3 at 12:00N
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #316 by 827 users) – Playing 9/1 at 8:00pm
The Dirty Dozen (1967; ranked #325 by 3841 users) – Playing 9/11 at 10:00pm
Dracula (1931; ranked #440 by 3581 users) – Playing 9/4 at 12:30pm
Steamboat Bill Jr (1928; ranked #482 by 640 users) – Playing 9/7 at 12:00M
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #529 by 646 users) – Playing 9/16 at 7:45am
Giant (1956; ranked #530 by 1348 users) – Playing 9/12 at 9:00am
A Face in the Crowd (1957; ranked #543 by 369 users) – Playing 9/24 at 4:00pm
The Circus (1928; ranked #544 by 501 users) – Playing 9/7 at 10:00pm
The Player (1992; ranked #642 by 3880 users) – Playing 9/11 at 12:15am
Shane (1953; ranked #658 by 1553 users) – Playing 9/24 at 8:00pm
Cabaret (1972; ranked #692 by 2366 users) – Playing 9/3 at 8:00pm
Intolerance (1916; ranked #730 by 601 users) – Playing 9/5 at 8:00pm
Fail-Safe (1964; ranked #734 by 445 users) – Playing 9/24 at 2:00pm
Stranger Than Paradise (1984; ranked #758 by 892 users) – Playing 9/5 at 4:00am
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963; ranked #788 by 2528 users) – Playing 9/21 at 8:00pm
Ball of Fire (1942; ranked #803 by 311 users) – Playing 9/4 at 6:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #824 by 11933 users) – Playing 9/11 at 2:00pm
Jeremiah Johnson (1972; ranked #844 by 845 users) – Playing 9/3 at 2:00pm
Bananas (1971; ranked #861 by 1996 users) – Playing 9/27 at 8:00pm
Mon Oncle (1958; ranked #889 by 418 users) – Playing 9/20 at 8:00pm
Day by Day
Thursday, September 1
TOP RANKED: Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #177 by 1141 users) – Playing 9/1 at 9:45pm
WILD CARD: The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947; ranked #16146 by 25 users) – This is Preston Sturges’ penultimate film, and a late one for Harold Lloyd as well. It’s difficult to see, so if you’re a Sturges or Lloyd completist, this is your best chance. Playing 9/2 at 4:45am
Friday, September 2
TOP RANKED: Bonnie and Clyde (1967; ranked #202 by 9257 users) – Playing 9/2 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: The Falcon marathon (11 films starting at 6:15am) – Several other good Gene Hackman films tonight, but I’m intrigued by the marathon of Falcon films, a long-running detective series from the 1930s and 1940s.
Saturday, September 3
TOP RANKED: A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #118 by 8115 users) – Playing 9/3 at 6:00pm
WILD CARD: Zardoz (1974; ranked #6342 by 487 users) – Some people love Zardoz, many seem to hate it. What better pick for a wild card? Playing 9/5 at 2:00am
Sunday, September 4
TOP RANKED: Out of the Past (1947; ranked #154 by 1395 users) – Playing 9/4 at 4:00pm
WILD CARD: Maytime (1937; ranked #12161 by 63 users) – I hesitate to recommend this just because 1930s operettas are decidedly not everyone’s cup of tea, and this one does get melodramatic, but adolescent me watched this movie so many times that seeing its title can’t help but fill me with lovely nostalgia. Playing 9/4 at 6:00am
Monday, September 5
TOP RANKED: Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #96 by 34742 users) – Playing 9/5 at 11:30pm
WILD CARD: Intolerance (1916; ranked #730 by 601 users) – Playing 9/5 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, September 6
TOP RANKED: Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939; ranked #2575 by 181 users) – Playing 9/6 at 6:00am
WILD CARD: Seven Years Bad Luck (1921; ranked #9852 by 36 users) – Among silent comedians, the name Max Linder is all but forgotten, and yet he pioneered many of the comedy stylings that others would take to longer-lasting fame – like that Groucho Marx bit with the mirror? Linder did it first here. Playing 9/7 at 1:15am
Wednesday, September 7
TOP RANKED: Steamboat Bill Jr (1928; ranked #482 by 640 users) – Playing 9/7 at 12:00M
WILD CARD: Speedy (1928; ranked #3402 by 121 users) – Instead of going for the obvious ones like Safety Last or Girl Shy, TCM is playing some lesser known Harold Lloyd films, and I’m always on board with that! Playing 9/8 at 3:30am
Thursday, September 8
TOP RANKED: Treasure Island (1950; ranked #3731 by 435 users) – Playing 9/8 at 8:30pm
WILD CARD: Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956; ranked #9177 by 95 users) – Playing 9/8 at 10:15pm
Friday, September 9
TOP RANKED: The Conversation (1974; ranked #97 by 5143 users) – Playing 9/9 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Young Man with a Horn (1950; ranked #10505 by 37 users) – Not quite a biopic, but based on the life of jazz trumpeter Bix Beiederbeck, with the intriguing pairing of Kirk Douglas and Lauren Bacall. Playing 9/10 at 4:00am
Saturday, September 10
TOP RANKED: The Player (1992; ranked #642 by 3880 users) – Playing 9/11 at 12:15am
WILD CARD: The Lavender Hill Mob (1952; ranked #1302 by 287 users) – Playing 9/10 at 2:45pm
Sunday, September 11
TOP RANKED: Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 41583 users) – Playing 9/11 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Carefree (1938; ranked #4305 by 84 users) – Not generally regarded among Fred and Ginger’s best pairings, but I think it’s one of the straight-up funniest, with Ginger as a goofy lass taken in by Freudian psychology. Playing 9/11 at 6:30pm
Monday, September 12
TOP RANKED: Jaws (1975; ranked #62 by 73650 users) – Playing 9/12 at 9:15pm
WILD CARD: Giant (1956; ranked #530 by 1348 users) – Playing 9/12 at 9:00am
Tuesday, September 13
TOP RANKED: It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #74 by 3510 users) – Playing 9/13 at 2:00pm
WILD CARD: The Smiling Lieutenant (1931; ranked #4612 by 91 users) – Playing 9/13 at 10:15am
Wednesday, September 14
TOP RANKED: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948; ranked #1171 by 1326 users) – Playing 9/14 at 9:30pm
WILD CARD: The Palm Beach Story (1942; ranked #1101 by 318 users) – Playing 9/15 at 4:30am
Thursday, September 15
TOP RANKED: Sergeant York (1941; ranked #1380 by 465 users) – Playing 9/15 at 5:30pm
WILD CARD: I Married a Witch (1942; ranked #3969 by 130 users) – Playing 9/15 at 8:00pm
Friday, September 16
TOP RANKED: The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #106 by 4081 users) – Playing 9/16 at 2:00pm
WILD CARD: Night Moves (1975; ranked #1261 by 418 users) – Playing 9/16 at 12:00M
Saturday, September 17
TOP RANKED: The General (1926; ranked #55 by 2147 users) – Playing 9/17 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Twentieth Century (1934; ranked #3192 by 138 users) – Playing 9/17 at 11:45pm
Sunday, September 18
TOP RANKED: Murder My Sweet (1944; ranked #1083 by 361 users) – Playing 9/18 at 6:15pm
WILD CARD: The Pirate (1948; ranked #3421 by 221 users) – Playing 9/18 at 12:15pm
Monday, September 19
TOP RANKED: Bus Stop (1956; ranked #3089 by 305 users) – Playing 9/19 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Hitler’s Children (1943; ranked #16465 by 6 users) – This played during Tim Holt’s Summer Under the Stars tribute last month, and I hadn’t heard of it, but Classic Film Twitter was chatting it up bigtime, so I’m definitely intrigued to give it a look. Playing 9/20 at 1:00am
Tuesday, September 20
TOP RANKED: Mon Oncle (1958; ranked #889 by 418 users) – Playing 9/20 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: The Long, Long Trailer (1954; ranked #7048 by 102 users) – Playing 9/20 at 10:00pm
Wednesday, September 21
TOP RANKED: A Shot in the Dark (1964; ranked #674 by 1352 users) – Playing 9/22 at 2:00am
WILD CARD: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963; ranked #788 by 2528 users) – Playing 9/21 at 8:00pm
Thursday, September 22
TOP RANKED: The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #193 by 4967 users) – Playing 9/22 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Five Graves to Cairo (1943; ranked #3179 by 164 users) – This early Billy Wilder spy thriller is difficult to see without buying it on DVD, so if you’re interested, checking it out on TCM is a good idea. Playing 9/22 at 1:30pm
Friday, September 23
TOP RANKED: Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #181 by 4825 users) – Playing 9/23 at 8:00am
WILD CARD: Bite the Bullet (1975; ranked #5262 by 116 users) – Playing 9/23 at 11:15pm
Saturday, September 24
TOP RANKED: A Face in the Crowd (1957; ranked #543 by 369 users) – Playing 9/24 at 4:00pm
WILD CARD: Caged (1950; ranked #7147 by 44 users) – Considered to be one of the best women-in-prison dramas, and thankfully not exploitative at all. Eleanor Parker is great. Playing 9/24 at 6:30am
Sunday, September 25
TOP RANKED: Jailhouse Rock (1957; ranked #3247 by 536 users) – Playing 9/25 at 6:15pm
WILD CARD: Stormy Weather (1943; ranked #5256 by 112 users) – Just stick around for the big closing dance number. It’s worth it, I promise. Playing 9/25 at 8:00pm
Monday, September 26
TOP RANKED: The Sea Hawk (1940; ranked #2327 by 198 users) – Playing 9/27 at 2:00am
WILD CARD: Torch Song (1953; ranked #20445 by 11 users) – Playing 9/26 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, September 27
TOP RANKED: Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #179 by 35118 users) – Playing 9/9 at 12M, 9/27 at 9:30pm, and 9/29 at 9:15pm
WILD CARD: The Stratton Story (1949; ranked #5359 by 102 users) – Playing 9/27 at 2:15pm
Wednesday, September 28
TOP RANKED: Anchorman (2004; ranked #535 by 69270 users) – Can’t WAIT to see the flack TCM gets for playing this, even as part of the Slapstick Spotlight. It sticks out like a sore thumb even to me, and I’m pretty ecumenical in my movie tastes. Playing 9/28 at 11:30pm
WILD CARD: I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955; ranked #17670 by 16 users) – Playing 9/28 at 7:30am
Thursday, September 29
TOP RANKED: Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #179 by 35118 users) – Playing 9/9 at 12M, 9/27 at 9:30pm, and 9/29 at 9:15pm
WILD CARD: Start the Revolution Without Me (1970; ranked #8134 by 99 users) – Playing 9/30 at 12:30am
Friday, September 30
TOP RANKED: A Bridge Too Far (1977; ranked #1010 by 1478 users) – Playing 10/1 at 1:45pm
WILD CARD: The Prisoner of Zenda (1937; ranked #4794 by 74 users) – Playing 9/30 at 11:15am
September looks bonkers good on TCM
So many films, so little time, am I right? :)
I always look forward to the new monthly line-up of the “Flickchart”. I am finding the “Pre-Code” and “Noir” movies very interesting and enjoyable to watch. This is a “Genre” of movies, I would love to see more of on TCM. I have watched movies for over 40 years and at times TCM can repeat a lot of movies and this can be very disappointing, since I have already watched them, so many times over the years. I am very happy to watch movies from the late 1920’s and 1930’s. There must be 1000’s of these movies, that I have never seen and so far TCM is the only channel that I can watch these movies. Please keep up the good job, it is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Rebecca! I appreciate the comment. I also love Pre-Code and Noir (which is why I pull them out into their own lists!), and try to highlight them when I can. Definitely a pair of “genres” that appeals a lot to folks these days.