A Flickchart Guide to December on TCM

TCM Spotlight: The Golden Years

Though perhaps a bit less ambitious than some of TCM’s other recent Spotlights, this collection of films about aging is still well-chosen and welcome. They approach the twilight years from all perspectives – parents neglected by their children, elderly individuals left behind by the system, terminal patients trying to make a difference in their final years, comedies about old ladies who kill people, eccentrics in documentaries, etc. I’ve gone ahead and left these in the order they will air, since there are some thoughtful choices on how to theme these films together.

Make Way for Tomorrow (1937; ranked #807 by 245 users) – Playing 12/6 at 8:00pm
The Trip to Bountiful (1985; ranked #7140 by 123 users) – Playing 12/6 at 9:45pm
I Never Sang for My Father (1970; ranked #9705 by 37 users) – Playing 12/6 at 11:45pm
Tokyo Story (1953; ranked #96 by 998 users) – Playing 12/7 at 1:30am
Judge Hardy and Son (1939; ranked #17120 by 4 users) – Playing 12/7 at 4:00am

Umberto D (1952; ranked #459 by 442 users) – Playing 12/13 at 8:00pm
Wild Strawberries (1957; ranked #82 by 1508 users) – Playing 12/13 at 9:45pm
Ikiru (1952; ranked #12 by 1578 users) – Playing 12/13 at 11:30pm
The Ballad of Narayama (1958; ranked #6233 by 53 users) – Playing 12/14 at 2:00am

Ride the High Country (1962; ranked #1574 by 265 users) – Playing 12/20 at 8:00pm
The Old Man and the Sea (1958; ranked #5404 by 123 users) – Playing 12/20 at 9:45pm
Death of a Salesman (1985; ranked #4501 by 371 users) – Playing 12/20 at 11:30pm
The Sunshine Boys (1975; ranked #3547 by 248 users) – Playing 12/21 at 2:00am
Going in Style (1979; ranked #5701 by 145 users) – Playing 12/21 at 4:00am

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; ranked #214 by 4138 users) – Playing 12/27 at 8:00pm
Grey Gardens (1975; ranked #1342 by 466 users) – Playing 12/27 at 10:15pm
The Whales of August (1987; ranked #12598 by 71 users) – Playing 12/27 at 12:00M
Travels with My Aunt (1972; ranked #21522 by 16 users) – Playing 12/28 at 2:00am
Bunny O’Hare (1971; ranked #25922 by 8 users) – Playing 12/28 at 4:00am

Star of the Month: Myrna Loy

December’s Star of the Month has been an exotic vamp, a Pre-Code nymphomaniac, a witty sophisticate, a perfect wife, and much more. Myrna Loy started off as an extra in silent films, played villainesses and vamps throughout the Pre-Code era, and then became a box office star with the inspired pairing of her with debonair William Powell, with whom she would make fourteen films. Despite her popularity and acclaim, Loy never won an Oscar, even for her emotionally-grounding performance in the many-Oscared The Best Years of Our Lives. TCM really has gone all out for Loy, playing 61 films plus a documentary about her career. Most Star of the Month tributes take up prime-time and overnight – this one takes full days, morning to overnight, and includes many obscurities, especially Pre-Codes. So if you’re a Loy fan, keep it on TCM every Friday in December.

TOP FIVE
The Thin Man (1934; ranked #138 by 1647 users) – We can thank director W.S. Van Dyke for casting Loy opposite William Powell as the socialite wife Nora who can play along drink for drink and punch for punch with detective Nick Charles, a shift in Loy’s image that resulted in her becoming one of the top stars of the 1930s. They would go on to five more Thin Man movies and eight non-Thin Man movies, one of the most successful movie pairings of all time. Playing 12/23 at 8:00pm

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; ranked #197 by 1761 users) – In her later career, Loy became known for her “perfect wife” roles, and this is Exhibit A, with Loy as the loyal wife of returning army serviceman Fredric March. In an excellent sprawling cast, Loy maintains the emotional center of the film. Playing 12/16 at 10:00pm

After the Thin Man (1936; ranked #1255 by 399 users) – The first sequel to The Thin Man is very nearly as good as the original, adding in a trip home to Nora’s well-heeled family’s estate and a supporting role for a very young James Stewart. Playing 12/23 at 9:45pm

Libeled Lady (1936; ranked #1834 by 174 users) – A non-Thin Man outing for Powell & Loy, with Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow along of the ride, playing a mixed-up foursome of lovers, real and pretend. Though Powell and Loy of course end up together on-screen, Powell and Harlow were the off-screen couple, in a relationship that lasted until her untimely death in 1937. Playing 12/23 at 12:15pm

Another Thin Man (1939; ranked #2109 by 319 users) – As Flickchart rankings indicate, the Thin Man series was one of ever-diminishing returns, but the third one is still a lot of fun, with the Charleses welcoming a baby boy into the family and solving yet another mystery. Playing 12/23 at 11:45pm

THE REST
Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948; ranked #2197 by 331 users) – Playing 12/30 at 6:00p
The Thin Man Goes Home (1944; ranked #2727 by 239 users) – Playing 12/24 at 3:30am
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947; ranked #3303 by 224 users) – Playing 12/30 at 4:00pm
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941; ranked #4181 by users) – Playing 12/24 at 1:45am
The Great Ziegfeld (1936; ranked #4790 by 246 users) – Playing 12/23 at 9:15am
Manhattan Melodrama (1934; ranked #5731 by 87 users) – Playing 12/23 at 7:30am
I Love You Again (1940; ranked #5840 by 53 users) – Playing 12/23 at 4:00pm
Love Crazy (1941; ranked #6590 by 58 users) – Playing 12/23 at 6:00pm
Double Wedding (1937; ranked #6776 by 48 users) – Playing 12/23 at 2:15pm
The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932; ranked #6849 by 108 users) – Playing 12/9 at 2:00pm
Song of the Thin Man (1947; ranked #6987 by 116 users) – Playing 12/24 at 5:15am
Penthouse (1933; ranked #7519 by 41 users) – Playing 12/10 at 2:45am
Midnight Lace (1960; ranked #8662 by 46 users) – Playing 12/30 at 8:00pm
Wife vs. Secretary (1936; ranked #8762 by 51 users) – Playing 12/16 at 12:30pm
Too Hot to Handle (1938; ranked #8788 by 48 users) – Playing 12/17 at 4:15am
Test Pilot (1938; ranked #8808 by 47 users) – Playing 12/16 at 7:00am
Evelyn Prentice (1934; ranked #9801 by 28 users) – Playing 12/23 at 6:00am
Noah’s Ark (1928; ranked #10241 by 23 users) – Playing 12/2 at 3:00pm
Men in White (1934; ranked #10664 by 23 users) – Playing 12/16 at 6:30pm
Arrowsmith (1931; ranked #10822 by 40 users) – Playing 12/2 at 9:30pm
The Squall (1929; ranked #11287 by 25 users) – Playing 12/3 at 2:15am
When a Man Loves (1927; ranked #11451 by 25 users) – Playing 12/2 at 9:15am
The Great Divide (1929; ranked #12437 by 25 users) – Playing 12/2 at 1:30pm
The Truth About Youth (1930; ranked #12806 by 21 users) – Playing 12/3 at 1:00am
Thirteen Women (1932; ranked #12952 by 14 users) – Playing 12/10 at 12:30am
When Ladies Meet (1933; ranked #13533 by 5 users) – Playing 12/30 at 11:00am
Consolation Marriage (1931; ranked #13691 by 7 users) – Playing 12/2 at 11:30pm
The Rains Came (1939; ranked #13750 by 24 users) – Playing 12/30 at 12:30pm
The Naughty Flirt (1931; ranked #13898 by 7 users) – Playing 12/9 at 10:00am
Night Flight (1933; ranked #13966 by 9 users) – Playing 12/9 at 11:00pm
Emma (1932; ranked #14505 by 11 users) – Playing 12/9 at 12:30pm
Third Finger, Left Hand (1940; ranked #14845 by 8 users) – Playing 12/17 at 1:00am
Lonelyhearts (1958; ranked #15072 by 22 users) – Playing 12/30 at 11:45pm
Whipsaw (1935; ranked #15120 by 12 users) – Playing 12/16 at 3:30pm
Broadway Bill (1934; ranked #15410 by 5 users) – Playing 12/16 at 8:00pm
So Goes My Love (1946; ranked #17650 by 4 users) – Playing 12/30 at 2:30pm
The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933; ranked #15712 by 7 users) – Playing 12/9 at 9:15pm
The Wet Parade (1932; ranked #16931 by 3 users) – Playing 12/9 at 8:00pm
The Barbarian (1933; ranked #17975 by 1 users) – Playing 12/10 at 4:30am
Parnell (1937; ranked #18127 by 1 users) – Playing 12/16 at 10:30am
Man-Proof (1938; ranked #18861 by 2 users) – Playing 12/16 at 9:00am
The Ambassador’s Daughter (1956; ranked #20047 by 5 users) – Playing 12/30 at 10:00pm
The Desert Song (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 11:15am
Show of Shows (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 4:45pm
The Devil to Pay! (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 8:00pm
The Animal Kingdom (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 11:00am
New Morals for Old (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 3:15pm
Rebound (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 4:30pm
Scarlet River (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/10 at 1:45am
Petticoat Fever (1936; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/16 at 2:00pm
Stamboul Quest (1934; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/16 at 5:00pm
Lucky Night (1939; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/17 at 2:45am

Christmas Classics

Of course there are a number of Christmas movies being played in December, but TCM has spread them around – a chunk of them are on Christmas Eve, but there are also a bunch on the 11th and 22nd, and a few scattered on other days. TCM is also fairly inclusive, putting movies you wouldn’t ordinarily think of as Christmas movies but are sure enough set in whole or in part at Christmas, like 3 Godfathers and Alias Boston Blackie. Some of these movies repeat often, so keep an eye on that as you plan your DVRing.

The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #309 by 959 users) – Playing 12/15 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 4:00pm
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #728 by 1295 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 6:00pm
Meet John Doe (1941; ranked #1319 by 328 users) – Playing 12/24 at 8:00am
A Christmas Carol (1951; ranked #2033 by 911 users) – Playing 12/22 at 11:30pm
Christmas in Connecticut (1945; ranked #2998 by 181 users) – Playing 12/11 at 2:00pm, 12/15 at 10:00pm, and 12/24 at 8:00pm
3 Godfathers (1949; ranked #3310 by 169 users) – Playing 12/11 at 10:15am
A Christmas Carol (1938; ranked #3887 by 499 users) – Playing 12/18 at 9:00am
Scrooge (1970; ranked #4132 by 294 users) – Playing 12/18 at 8:00pm and12/24 at 10:15am
Bachelor Mother (1939; ranked #5472 by 83 users) – Playing 12/13 at 1:15am
Babes in Toyland (1934; ranked #4342 by 230 users) – Playing 12/23 at 1:15am
Little Women (1949; ranked #4627 by 147 users) – Playing 12/23 at 2:45am
Remember the Night (1940; ranked #5420 by 66 users) – Playing 12/22 at 9:45pm
In the Good Old Summertime (1949; ranked #5539 by 91 users) – Playing 12/12 at 10:00pm
It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947; ranked #6127 by 67 users) – Playing 12/24 at 12:15pm
Holiday Affair (1949; ranked #7501 by 61 users) – Playing 12/11 at 12:15pm, 12/22 at 8:00pm, and 12/24 at 2:15pm
Bundle of Joy (1956; ranked #11840 by 34 users) – Playing 12/13 at 2:45am
Scrooge (1935; ranked #12625 by 48 users) – Playing 12/11 at 8:45am
Wintertime (1943; ranked #19107 by 3 users) – Playing 12/11 at 4:00pm
Tenth Avenue Angel (1948; ranked #19291 by 7 users) – Playing 12/24 at 6:45am
Alias Boston Blackie (1942; ranked #19297 by 1 users) – Playing 12/11 at 6:00am
Bush Christmas (1947; ranked #20524 by 3 users) – Playing 12/11 at 7:15am

Marathons and Tributes

90th Anniversary of Vitaphone

I only listed the feature-length films, but this is basically an all-day tribute to Vitaphone, the first successful sound process. We think of the sound era starting suddenly with The Jazz Singer, but Warner Bros. had been making Vitaphone shorts for a couple of years prior to that, largely musical and comedy shorts featuring vaudeville variety acts (and of course, silent films would hang on for a couple more years after The Jazz Singer’s release). The features playing are all basically silent, but with some synchronized sound – whole musical numbers in the case of The Jazz Singer, but just score and sound effects for the others. The shorts are the bread and butter though – a snapshot into the popular entertainment of the time, some of whom crossed into radio or sound film, while others have been all but forgotten. A program of Vitaphone shorts played at TCM Fest this spring, and it was one of the best programs I’ve ever seen there – my companions and I joked that we could sit there and watch this stuff all day long. Well, now we can, and so can you. And you should, seriously.

Lots of shorts
The Better ‘Ole (1926; ranked #10566 by 27 users) – Playing 12/5 at 8:15am
The Jazz Singer (1927; ranked #4322 by 594 users) – Playing 12/5 at 6:00pm
Why Be Good? (1929; ranked #13375 by 11 users) – Playing 12/5 at 11:00pm
Don Juan (1926; ranked #9806 by 32 users) – Playing 12/6 at 6:00am

75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944; ranked #9354 by 46 users) – Playing 12/7 at 11:30am
From Here to Eternity (1953; ranked #482 by 1774 users) – Playing 12/7 at 2:00pm
They Were Expendable (1945; ranked #2837 by 286 users) – Playing 12/7 at 4:00pm
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970; ranked #1764 by 1049 users) – Playing 12/7 at 8:00pm
Air Force (1943; ranked #6571 by 54 users) – Playing 12/7 at 10:45pm
1941 (1979; ranked #3682 by 1698 users) – Playing 12/8 at 4:45am

Irene Dunne

The Great Lover (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 6:00am
Cimarron (1931; ranked #8165 by 227 users) – Playing 12/20 at 7:15am
The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 9:30am
No Other Woman (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 11:00am
Love Affair (1939; ranked #6060 by 77 users) – Playing 12/20 at 2:00pm
Show Boat (1936; ranked #4348 by 122 users) – Playing 12/20 at 6:00pm

Treasures from the Disney Vault

This month TCM features Disney animal movies, from squirrels to dogs to raccoons – I grew up watching most of these, yes, even the squirrel one, so this lineup is pretty exciting to me.

Perri (1957; ranked #22958 by 6 users) – Playing 12/21 at 8:00pm
Old Yeller (1957; ranked #2440 by 2151 users) – Playing 12/21 at 9:30am
The Littlest Outlaw (1955; ranked #20436 by 7 users) – Playing 12/21 at 11:15pm
The Ugly Dachshund (1966; ranked #13600 by 89 users) – Playing 12/22 at 1:15am
A Tale of Two Critters (1977; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/22 at 3:00am

If You’re Into…

…Pre-Code Hollywood

TCM always plays a lot of Pre-Codes, but having Myrna Loy for Star of the Month boosts them significantly – most of these are quite obscure even by Pre-Code standards, but since when has that ever stopped a Pre-Code fan? Enjoy!

Design for Living (1933; ranked #2275 by 140 users) – Playing 12/30 at 2:45am
The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932; ranked #6849 by 108 users) – Playing 12/9 at 2:00pm
Penthouse (1933; ranked 7519 by 41 users) – Playing 12/10 at 2:45am
Cimarron (1931; ranked #8165 by 227 users) – Playing 12/20 at 7:15am
Arrowsmith (1931; ranked #10822 by 40 users) – Playing 12/2 at 9:30pm
The Truth About Youth (1930; ranked #12806 by 21 users) – Playing 12/3 at 1:00am
Thirteen Women (1932; ranked #12952 by 14 users) – Playing 12/10 at 12:30am
The Mad Genius (1931; ranked #13130 by 11 users) – Playing 12/8 at 6:45am
When Ladies Meet (1933; ranked #13533 by 5 users) – Playing 12/30 at 11:00am
Consolation Marriage (1931; ranked #13691 by 7 users) – Playing 12/2 at 11:30pm
The Naughty Flirt (1931; ranked #13898 by 7 users) – Playing 12/9 at 10:00am
Night Flight (1933; ranked #13966 by 9 users) – Playing 12/9 at 11:00pm
The Match King (1932; ranked #14008 by 12 users) – Playing 12/15 at 6:00am
Emma (1932; ranked #14505 by 11 users) – Playing 12/9 at 12:30pm
Wedding Rehearsal (1932; ranked #14745 by 6 users) – Playing 12/28 at 9:30pm
The Widow from Chicago (1930; ranked #14864 by 11 users) – Playing 12/9 at 8:45am
Old English (1930; ranked #15446 by 13 users) – Playing 12/15 at 6:30pm
The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933; ranked #15712 by 7 users) – Playing 12/9 at 9:15pm
Pleasure Cruise (1933; ranked #16920 by 1 users) – Playing 12/28 at 8:00pm
The Barbarian (1933; ranked #17975 by 1 users) – Playing 12/10 at 4:30am
Massacre (1934; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 7:45am SUBMITTED
The Devil to Pay! (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 8:00pm
The Animal Kingdom (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 11:00am
New Morals for Old (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 3:15pm
Rebound (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 4:30pm
Scarlet River (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/10 at 1:45am
Petticoat Fever (1936; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/16 at 2:00pm
Stamboul Quest (1934; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/16 at 5:00pm
Lucky Night (1939; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/17 at 2:45am
Playing Around (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/9 at 7:30am
The Wet Parade (1932; ranked #16931 by 3 users) – Playing 12/9 at 8:00pm
Play Girl (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/15 at 5:30pm
The Great Lover (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 6:00am
The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 9:30am
No Other Woman (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 11:00am

…Film Noir

A lot of heavy hitters on the noir front this month – I haven’t seen all of them, but with the bottom one being the terrific kid noir The Window, looks like a full DVR month for sure.

Double Indemnity (1944; ranked #34 by 6260 users) – Playing 12/21 at 2:00pm
The Maltese Falcon (1941; ranked #99 by 14341 users) – Playing 12/27 at 6:15pm
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #106 by 4121 users) – Playing 12/21 at 4:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #542 by 907 users) – Playing 12/21 at 6:00pm
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946; ranked #1095 by 559 users) – Playing 12/21 at 12:00N
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #146 by 1419 users) – Playing 12/21 at 6:00am
The Stranger (1946; ranked #1114 by 496 users) – Playing 12/15 at 4:00am
Dark Passage (1947; ranked #1387 by 439 users) – Playing 12/19 at 10:45am
The Letter (1940; ranked #2950 by 201 users) – Playing 12/19 at 12:45pm
Born to Kill (1947; ranked #3167 by 147 users) – Playing 12/21 at 7:45am
Angel Face (1953; ranked #3735 by 141 users) – Playing 12/19 at 6:00am
On Dangerous Ground (1952; ranked #3888 by 117 users) – Playing 12/28 at 7:45am
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946; ranked #4044 by 121 users) – Playing 12/13 at 2:45pm
Act of Violence (1948; ranked #5873 by 64 users) – Playing 12/13 at 1:15pm
The Prowler (1951; ranked #6736 by 49 users) – Playing 12/13 at 4:45pm
Lured (1947; ranked #7188 by 68 users) – Playing 12/3 at 11:15pm
Possessed (1947; ranked #7839 by 52 users) – Playing 12/13 at 9:30am
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947; ranked #8230 by 62 users) – Playing 12/14 at 12:00M
Sudden Fear (1952; ranked #8618 by 38 users) – Playing 12/14 at 8:00pm
The Window (1949; ranked #9708 by 29 users) – Playing 12/22 at 4:45pm

…Musicals

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #728 by 1295 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 6:00pm
Swing Time (1936; ranked #822 by 536 users) – Playing 12/18 at 2:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #830 by 12062 users) – Playing 12/30 at 5:00am
Oliver! (1968; ranked #1814 by 2187 users) – Playing 12/18 at 10:00pm
Going My Way (1944; ranked #3042 by 318 users) – Playing 12/17 at 8:00pm and 12/25 at 6:00pm
Footlight Parade (1933; ranked #3248 by 139 users) – Playing 12/19 at10:00pm
That’s Entertainment! (1974; ranked #3973 by 253 users) – Playing 12/31 at 8:00pm
Scrooge (1970; ranked #4132 by 293 users) – Playing 12/18 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 10:15am
Show Boat (1936; ranked #4348 by 122 users) – Playing 12/20 at 6:00pm
The Great Ziegfeld (1936; ranked #4790 by 246 users) – Playing 12/23 at 9:15am
The Love Parade (1929; ranked #4942 by 94 users) – Playing 12/30 at 4:30am
Viva Las Vegas (1964; ranked #5157 by 284 users) – Playing 12/10 at 12:00N
In the Good Old Summertime (1949; ranked #5539 by 91 users) – Playing 12/12 at 10:00pm, 12/18 at 12:00N and 12/24 at 12:00M
That’s Entertainment ! II (1976; ranked #6032 by 161 users) – Playing 12/31 at 10:30pm
Girl Crazy (1943; ranked #6380 by 92 users) – Playing 12/12 at 11:30am
Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940; ranked #8545 by 49 users) – Playing 12/8 at 1:30pm
That’s Entertainment III (1994; ranked #11673 by 92 users) – Playing 1/1 at 12:45am
Give a Girl a Break (1953; ranked #13610 by 22 users) – Playing 12/8 at 12:00N
The Dolly Sisters (1945; ranked #13718 by 33 users) – Playing 12/24 at 10:00pm
Two Girls and a Sailor (1944; ranked #16018 by 6 users) – Playing 12/29 at 10:15pm
That’s Dancing! (1985; ranked #22142 by 46 users) – Playing 1/1 at 3:00am
The Desert Song (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 11:15am
Show of Shows (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/2 at 4:45pm

…Westerns

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949; ranked #1312 by 528 users) – Playing 12/3 at 12:00N
Ride the High Country (1962; ranked #1574 by 265 users) – Playing 12/20 at 8:00pm
3:10 to Yuma (1957; ranked #1720 by 535 users) – Playing 12/13 at 11:30am
Ride Lonesome (1959; ranked #4469 by 87 users) – Playing 12/3 at 9:00am

…Silent Cinema

I’ve gone ahead and included the Vitaphone features here – even though they’ve got some synchronized sound, they remain largely silent and I thought it was pointless to break out “transitional silents.”

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928; ranked #98 by 1222 users) – Playing 12/12 at 12:45am
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #298 by 2139 users) – Playing 12/20 at 2:30am
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925; ranked #2611 by 304 users) – Playing 12/19 at 12:45am
The Jazz Singer (1927; ranked #4322 by 594 users) – Playing 12/5 at 6:00pm
The King of Kings (1927; ranked #6894 by 65 users) – Playing 12/5 at 12:45pm
Don Juan (1926; ranked #9806 by 32 users) – Playing 12/6 at 6:00am
The Better ‘Ole (1926; ranked #10566 by 27 users) – Playing 12/5 at 8:15am
When a Man Loves (1927; ranked #11451 by 25 users) – Playing 12/2 at 9:15am
Why Be Good? (1929; ranked #13375 by 11 users) – Playing 12/5 at 11:00pm

…Foreign Cinema

A lot of very highly-ranked foreign films in the mix this month, from Kurosawa to Bergman to Fellini. That last one, Bon Voyage, is actually a short Alfred Hitchcock did during the war, but it’s in French (it’s about the French Resistance), so I figured I’d throw it in here.

Ikiru (1952; ranked #12 by 1578 users) – Playing 12/13 at 11:30pm
Wild Strawberries (1957; ranked #82 by 1508 users) – Playing 12/13 at 9:45pm
8 1/2 (1963; ranked #85 by 2538 users) – Playing 12/19 at 12:00M
Tokyo Story (1953; ranked #96 by 998 users) – Playing 12/7 at 1:30am
Ugetsu (1953; ranked #296 by 510 users) – Playing 12/12 at 4:15am
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #298 by 2139 users) – Playing 12/20 at 2:30am
Umberto D (1952; ranked #459 by 442 users) – Playing 12/13 at 8:00pm
Onibaba (1964; ranked #782 by 364 users) – Playing 12/12 at 2:15am
Paisan (1946; ranked #2372 by 140 users) – Playing 12/19 at 3:00am
Dodes’ka-den (1971; ranked #4095 by 148 users) – Playing 12/5 at 3:30am
The Ballad of Narayama (1958; ranked #6233 by 53 users) – Playing 12/14 at 2:00am
Bon Voyage (1944; ranked #19059 by 35 users) – Playing 12/20 at 5:30am

…If You Have Kids

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #281 by 3538 users) – Playing 12/18 at 4:00pm
King Kong (1933; ranked #610 by 12359 users) – Playing 12/10 at 8:00pm
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #728 by 1295 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 6:00pm
The Time Machine (1960; ranked #1243 by 1186 users) – Playing 12/30 at 9:15am
Clash of the Titans (1981; ranked #1575 by 4087 users) – Playing 12/10 at 10:0pm
Old Yeller (1957; ranked #2440 by 2151 users) – Playing 12/21 at 9:30am
Oliver! (1968; ranked #1814 by 2187 users) – Playing 12/18 at 10:00pm
Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948; ranked #2197 by 331 users) – Playing 12/30 at 6:00p
Going My Way (1944; ranked #3042 by 318 users) – Playing 12/17 at 8:00pm and 12/25 at 6:00am
Little Women (1933; ranked #3196 by 221 users) – Playing 12/4 at 11:00am
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947; ranked #3303 by 224 users) – Playing 12/30 at 4:00pm
Boys Town (1938; ranked #3953 by 210 users) – Playing 12/25 at 8:30am
Scrooge (1970; ranked #4132 by 293 users) – Playing 12/18 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 10:15am
Babes in Toyland (1934; ranked #4342 by 230 users) – Playing 12/23 at 1:15am
Little Women (1949; ranked #4627 by 147 users) – Playing 12/23 at 2:45am
Girl Crazy (1943; ranked #6380 by 92 users) – Playing 12/12 at 11:30am
Lassie Come Home (1943; ranked #6668 by 129 users) – Playing 12/10 at 4:00pm
The Ugly Dachshund (1966; ranked #13600 by 89 users) – Playing 12/22 at 1:15am
Give a Girl a Break (1953; ranked #13610 by 22 users) – Playing 12/8 at 12:00N
Judge Hardy and Son (1939; ranked #17120 by 4 users) – Playing 12/7 at 4:00am
The Littlest Outlaw (1955; ranked #20436 by 7 users) – Playing 12/21 at 11:15pm
Perri (1957; ranked #22958 by 6 users) – Playing 12/21 at 8:00pm
The Singing Nun (1966; ranked #24411 by 24 users) – Playing 12/6 at 8:00am
A Tale of Two Critters (1977; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/22 at 3:00am

Movies to See Before You Die

We have a series here at the Flickchart blog called Movies to See Before You Die, and it’s any film within the global Top 1000. Here are all the films playing this month that fit that designation.

Ikiru (1952; ranked #12 by 1578 users) – Playing 12/13 at 11:30pm
Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 41908 users) – Playing 12/27 at 4:30pm
North by Northwest (1959; ranked #25 by 25913 users) – Playing 12/28 at 5:30pm
Citizen Kane (1941; ranked #29 by 35011 users) – Playing 12/28 at 3:15pm
Double Indemnity (1944; ranked #34 by 6260 users) – Playing 12/21 at 2:00pm
It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #72 by 3554 users) – Playing 12/25 at 11:45pm
Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #80 by 5090 users) – Playing 12/22 at 6:00pm
Wild Strawberries (1957; ranked #82 by 1508 users) – Playing 12/13 at 9:45pm
8 1/2 (1963; ranked #85 by 2538 users) – Playing 12/19 at 12:00M
Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #93 by 10179 users) – Playing 12/29 at 8:00pm
The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #95 by 2894 users) – Playing 12/18 at 6:00pm
Tokyo Story (1953; ranked #96 by 998 users) – Playing 12/7 at 1:30am
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928; ranked #98 by 1222 users) – Playing 12/12 at 12:45am
The Maltese Falcon (1941; ranked #99 by 14341 users) – Playing 12/27 at 6:15pm
The Big Sleep (1946; ranked #106 by 4121 users) – Playing 12/21 at 4:00pm
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #133 by 5611 users) – Playing 12/26 at 7:30am
The Thin Man (1934; ranked #138 by 1647 users) – Playing 12/23 at 8:00pm
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #146 by 1419 users) – Playing 12/21 at 6:00am
Lawrence of Arabia (1962; ranked #150 by 20018 users) – Playing 12/31 at 12:00N
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #175 by 1162 users) – Playing 12/25 at 10:00pm
Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #183 by 4873 users) – Playing 12/14 at 10:00pm and 12/21 at 9:30am
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; ranked #197 by 1761 users) – Playing 12/16 at 10:00pm
Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #199 by 19540 users) – Playing 12/31 at 4:00pm
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; ranked #214 by 4138 users) – Playing 12/27 at 8:00pm
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #281 by 3538 users) – Playing 12/18 at 4:00pm
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #282 by 5671 users) – Playing 12/9 at 2:30am
Ugetsu (1953; ranked #296 by 510 users) – Playing 12/12 at 4:15am
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #298 by 2139 users) – Playing 12/20 at 2:30am
The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #309 by 959 users) – Playing 12/15 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 4:00pm
The Lost Weekend (1945; ranked #367 by 1341 users) – Playing 12/4 at 4:15pm
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942; ranked #453 by 750 users) – Playing 12/28 at 6:00am
Umberto D (1952; ranked #459 by 442 users) – Playing 12/13 at 8:00pm
Bullitt (1968; ranked #469 by 3375 users) – Playing 12/29 at 3:45pm
From Here to Eternity (1953; ranked #482 by 1774 users) – Playing 12/7 at 2:00pm
Cape Fear (1962; ranked #515 by 1186 users) – Playing 12/4 at 2:15pm and 12/19 at 6:00pm
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936; ranked #535 by 990 users) – Playing 12/25 at 8:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #542 by 907 users) – Playing 12/21 at 6:00pm
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955; ranked #586 by 564 users) – Playing 12/29 at 12:00N
King Kong (1933; ranked #610 by 12359 users) – Playing 12/10 at 8:00pm
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #728 by 1295 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm and 12/24 at 6:00pm
Onibaba (1964; ranked #782 by 364 users) – Playing 12/12 at 2:15am
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937; ranked #807 by 245 users) – Playing 12/6 at 8:00pm
Swing Time (1936; ranked #822 by 536 users) – Playing 12/18 at 2:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #830 by 12062 users) – Playing 12/30 at 5:00am

Day by Day

Thursday, December 1

Top Ranked: Meet John Doe (1952; ranked #1319 by 327 users) – Playing 12/1 at 12:00M

Wild Card: The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941; ranked #2621 by 141 users) – Monty Woolley as an irascible critic who ends up staying the holidays with a family after he injures himself on their stairs – with a witty Bette Davis as one of the family, this is a fun, good-natured time. Playing 12/1 at 8:00pm

Friday, December 2

Top Ranked: Noah’s Ark (1928; ranked #10241 by 23 users) – Yes, I swear, this is the highest ranked film playing today! It’s all Myrna Loy silents and early talkies today, and I guess the Noah story gets the most play on that front? I don’t know. Playing 12/2 at 3:00pm

Wild Card: The Desert Song (1929; unranked by 0 users) – This story has been done several times, with the 1953 musical version the one I know the best. I think this is a musical too, in the early talkie days when musicals were the new hotness. I’m curious to check out more musicals form this era. Playing 12/2 at 11:15am SUBMITTED

Saturday, December 3

Top Ranked: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949; ranked #1312 by 528 users) – A somewhat elegiac western, with John Wayne as a cavalry commander on one last mission before his retirement. Gorgeous colors showing off John Ford’s beloved Monument Valley. Playing 12/3 at 12:00N

Wild Card: Lured (1947; ranked #7188 by 68 users) – Douglas Sirk is best known for his lush melodramas of the 1950s; before that, he made this lurid noir about a London serial killer staring…Lucille Ball. Gotta check that out, right? Playing 12/3 at 11:15pm

Sunday, December 4

Top Ranked: The Lost Weekend (1945; ranked #367 by 1341 users) – Playing 12/4 at 4:15pm

Wild Card: Little Women (1933; ranked #3196 by 221 users) – Though the excellent 1994 version may have surpassed it now, for decades, this was easily the best adaptation of Little Women, with Katharine Hepburn playing the exuberant Jo, and it’s the one closest to my heart. Playing 12/4 at 11:00am

Monday, December 5

Top Ranked: The Jazz Singer (1927; ranked #4322 by 594 users) – Playing 12/5 at 6:00pm

Wild Card: 20th Anniversary of Vitaphone (1925-1929) – Trust me, just watch some of these. You’ll be glad you did. ALL DAY

Tuesday, December 6

Top Ranked: Tokyo Story (1953; ranked #96 by 998 users) – Playing 12/7 at 1:30am

Wild Card: The Swan (1956; ranked #11563 by 35 users) – This was Grace Kelly’s final film before retiring to be the Princess of Monaco, and in it she plays…a princess. Fitting. Playing 12/6 at 11:45am

Wednesday, December 7

Top Ranked: From Here to Eternity (1953; ranked #482 by 1774 users) – Playing 12/7 at 2:00pm

Wild Card: They Were Expendable (1945; ranked #2837 by 286 users) – An underrated WWII film, with John Wayne as a commander in the South Pacific pushing for the adoption of U-boats. The film is more meandering than you’d expect, with a lot of “day in the life” hanging out scenes, and that aspect really worked for me. Playing 12/7 at 4:00pm

Thursday, December 8

Top Ranked: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #282 by 5671 users) – Playing 12/9 at 2:30am

Wild Card: Limelight (1952; ranked #1232 by 411 users) – This should’ve been Chaplin’s last film. He made two more after this, but this story of an aging vaudeville comedian who befriends a suicidal young ballerina is utterly sublime and it would’ve been a perfect swan song. Playing 12/8 at 5:00pm

Friday, December 9

Top Ranked: The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932; ranked #6849 by 108 users) – The most well-known of Myrna Loy’s “exotic vamp” Pre-Code roles, as the sadistic daughter of the titular villain, played in yellow-face by Boris Karloff (hey, I’m just warning you, casual racism be here). Playing 12/9 at 2:00pm

Wild Card: Night Flight (1933; ranked #13966 by 9 users) – An ensemble film centered on an airplane service trying to figure out how to make better time by flying at night (very dangerous at the time) – a GREAT cast, including two Barrymores, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Myrna Loy, and Helen Hayes, carries off a fairly shallow story. Playing 12/9 at 11:00pm

Saturday, December 10

Top Ranked: King Kong (1933; ranked #610 by 12359 users) – Playing 12/10 at 8:00pm

Wild Card: Blithe Spirit (1945; ranked #4442 by 109 users) – A witty supernatural comedy by Noel Coward, featuring a young Rex Harrison who playfully attends a seance with his wife – trouble hits when his first wife starts haunting them. Playing 12/10 at 8:30am

Sunday, December 11

Top Ranked: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928; ranked #98 by 1222 users) – Playing 12/12 at 12:45am

Wild Card: 3 Godfathers (1949; ranked #3310 by 169 users) – In a plot device that would be used many more times in many more movies, three grizzled cowboys come across a baby and take care of it – this is actually a Christmas movie, so if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, here you go. Playing 12/11 at 10:15am

Monday, December 12

Top Ranked: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #728 by 1295 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm

Wild Card: Bachelor Mother (1939; ranked #5472 by 83 users) – Shopgirl Ginger Rogers sees an abandoned baby about to roll off some orphanage steps and picks him up, when lo and behold, the orphanage opens the door and assumes she’s the mother. One thing leads to another and soon she and the boss’s son are playing house with an infant. Very sweet and endearing holiday comedy that deserves way more play than it gets. Playing 12/13 at 1:15am

Tuesday, December 13

Top Ranked: Ikiru (1952; ranked #12 by 1578 users) – Playing 12/13 at 11:30pm

Wild Card: The Prowler (1951; ranked #6736 by 49 users) – A noir diving at the heart of deadbeat cops – far from upstanding agents of the law, the cop character here is weary and cynical, ready to do whatever it takes to improve his lot in life even a little. Playing 12/13 at 4:45pm

Wednesday, December 14

Top Ranked: Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #183 by 4873 users) – Playing 12/14 at 10:00pm

Wild Card: The Stranger (1946; ranked #1114 by 496 users) – Orson Welles reportedly hated this film, one he made for the studios while trying to get his more personal projects off the ground. Regardless, it’s a very solid post-war noir, with Welles as a former Nazi trying to hide out and Edward G. Robinson as the Nazi-hunting special agent who sniffs him out. Playing 12/15 at 4:00am

Thursday, December 15

Top Ranked: Desk Set (1957; ranked #2880 by 219 users) – One of the later pairings of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, about the incoming influx of computers and how to deal with them. Joan Blondell is along for the ride as well, which can onlly be a good thing. Playing 12/16 at 1:45am

Wild Card: Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938; ranked #7853 by 53 users) – If you’re only going to see one Andy Hardy movie (and let’s face it, they’re hardly must-sees), make it this one. Not only is the story decent, about Andy torn between his long-time girlfriend and the new girl, but it has a memorable role for Judy Garland (singing “Dear Mr. Gable” to a photo of Clark Gable) and a very early role for a very young Lana Turner. Playing 12/15 at 12:00M

Friday, December 16

Top Ranked: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; ranked #197 by 1761 users) – Playing 12/16 at 10:00pm

Wild Card: Wife vs. Secretary (1936; ranked #8762 by 51 users) – A lot of decently-well known Loy films are playing today (in addition to the well-known Best Years of Our Lives), so any of them would do, but why not go for a love triangle between Loy, Gable, and Jean Harlow? Playing 12/16 at 12:30pm

Saturday, December 17

Top Ranked: Born Yesterday (1950; ranked #1683 by 269 users) – Judy Holliday won an Oscar for her role here, in a year that also featured All About Eve, no less. In the film, her junkyard tycoon lover brings her to Washington D.C. but hires a newspaperman to tutor her and make her more presentable in society. As she learns more, she learns that her man is “just not couth.” Playing 12/17 at 4:00pm

Wild Card: The Song of Bernadette (1943; ranked #4290 by 163 users) – Speaking of Oscars, Jennifer Jones won one for this, her very first movie. Her career didn’t quite reach such a peak again, but really, once you’ve played a saint, where is there to go? Playing 12/17 at 8:00pm

Sunday, December 18

Top Ranked: The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #95 by 2894 users) – Playing 12/18 at 6:00pm

Wild Card: Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925; ranked #2611 by 304 users) – Some people say that this silent version of Ben-Hur is even better than the famous Charlton Heston version. I may be one of those people. But really, it’s close. This is a great film and a great silent. Playing 12/19 at 12:45am

Monday, December 19

Top Ranked: 8 1/2 (1963; ranked #85 by 2538 users) – Playing 12/19 at 12:00M

Wild Card: The Roaring Twenties (1939; ranked #1395 by 292 users) – After WWI, a trio of guys head back to work – one hits it big delivering bootleg liquor, and soon their rackets flourish…until they don’t. High strung James Cagney is excellent here, all bundled nerves and fast-talking, and it’s always a treat to see a young Humphrey Bogart. Playing 12/19 at 8:00pm

Tuesday, December 20

Top Ranked: Ride the High Country (1962; ranked #1574 by 265 users) – Playing 12/20 at 8:00pm

Wild Card: Cimarron (1931; ranked #8165 by 227 users) – This Best Picture winner gets reviled a lot, but I love it – it’s a western, set in the land rush for Oklahoma, with a sprawling, multi-generational story. It’s good times, and if you’ve been frightened off by negative reactions, just… give it a try. Playing 12/20 at 7:15am

Wednesday, December 21

Top Ranked: Double Indemnity (1944; ranked #34 by 6260 users) – Playing 12/21 at 2:00pm

Wild Card: The Ugly Dachshund (1966; ranked #13600 by 89 users) – A lot of the Disney movies playing tonight give me warm fuzzy nostalgia, but this one does the most. Disney perennial Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette raise dachshunds…and then they get a Great Dane. Growing up with dachshunds, the Great Dane get s a little confused. Lots of slapstick silliness. Playing 12/22 at 1:15am

Thursday, December 22

Top Ranked: Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #80 by 5090 users) – Playing 12/22 at 6:00pm

Wild Card: Remember the Night (1940; ranked #5420 by 66 users) – An unsung holiday classic, with Barbara Stanwyck as a repeat offender shoplifter whose prosecutor (Fred MacMurray) takes pity on her because it’s almost Christmas – he bails her out and takes her home for Christmas, which leads to romantic complications because of course it does. Playing 12/22 at 9:45pm

Friday, December 23

Top Ranked: The Thin Man (1934; ranked #138 by 1647 users) – Playing 12/23 at 8:00pm

Wild Card: Libeled Lady (1936; ranked #1834 by 174 users) – Playing 12/23 at 12:15pm

Saturday, December 24

Top Ranked: The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #309 by 960 users) – The original version of You’ve Got Mail, with more Polish names and actual letters instead of email. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan play gently sparring coworkers who each have romantic penpals, but have no idea they’re writing to each other. Very understated and wonderful film from Ernst Lubitsch. Playing 12/24 at 4:00pm

Wild Card: Christmas in Connecticut (1945; ranked #2998 by 181 users) – I pretty much always promote this one, as it’s one of my favorite Christmas movies. Barbara Stanwyck is a columnist writing about her idyllic Connecticut farm, her wonderful husband, and her lovely baby – except she’s single and lives in a New York walkup. When a soldier on leave writes, dying to spend the holidays with her family, she has to find a farm, a husband and a baby (and a cook!) to put on the perfect Christmas for this guy. Delightful and hilarious. It’s playing three times this month; this is the third time, so check the schedule for the others, too. Playing 12/24 at 8:00pm

Sunday, December 25

Top Ranked: It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #72 by 3554 users) – Playing 12/25 at 11:45pm

Wild Card: Hail the Conquering Hero (1944; ranked #2407 by 141 users) – In Preston Sturges zany satire, Woodrow Truesmith gets discharged from the army for hay fever, but he conjures up a war hero’s reputation for himself and his whole town buys into it. Playing 12/26 at 5:45am

Monday, December 26

Top Ranked: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #133 by 5611 users) – Playing 12/26 at 7:30am

Wild Card: The Great McGinty (1940; ranked #4537 by 98 users) – I actually don’t know much about this one, about a crooked politician, but when in doubt, always bet on the Preston Sturges film to be worth a blind watch. Playing 12/26 at 9:45am

Tuesday, December 27

Top Ranked: Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 41908 users) – Playing 12/27 at 4:30pm

Wild Card: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; ranked #214 by 4138 users) – Playing 12/27 at 8:00pm

Wednesday, December 28

Top Ranked: North by Northwest (1959; ranked #25 by 25913 users) – Playing 12/28 at 5:30pm

Wild Card: Topper (1937; ranked #2013 by 272 users) – Cosmo Topper needs to learn how to live a little, something his coworker George Kerby (Cary Grant) and his wife Marion (Constance Bennett) know TOO much about – so much that they take a header while driving home from a party and come back as ghosts to shake up Topper’s life. Very fun. Playing 12/29 at 12:30am

Thursday, December 29

Top Ranked: Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #93 by 10179 users) – Playing 12/29 at 8:00pm

Wild Card: West Side Story (1961; ranked #830 by 12062 users) – This is hardly an obscure wild card, but really, 830 is way too low for this masterpiece. Come on, folks. Let’s bring it up a little. Playing 12/30 at 5:00am

Friday, December 30

Top Ranked: The Time Machine (1960; ranked #1243 by 1186 users) – Playing 12/30 at 9:15am

Wild Card: Design for Living (1933; ranked #2275 by 140 users) – A sophisticated Pre-Code as only Ernst Lubitsch could manage, with an artistic trio (Miriam Hopkins, Fredric March, Gary Cooper) living together in a platonic friendship – even though both men love Miriam. Playing 12/30 at 2:45am

Saturday, December 31

Top Ranked: Lawrence of Arabia (1962; ranked #150 by 20018 users) – Playing 12/31 at 12:00N

Wild Card: Robin & Marian (1976; ranked #3447 by 398 users) – An aging Robin Hood (Sean Connery) returns to Sherwood many years after the events we all know and love, only to find that Marian has joined a convent, the Sheriff of Nottingham is still up to his old tricks, and he’s got to save the day again – but he’s old now and his legends have overtaken the reality. Really unusual and well-done Robin Hood film. Playing 12/31 at 6:30am