A Flickchart Guide to TCM in April
TCM Spotlight: Post-War Melodrama
These days “melodrama” is often thought of as a bad word, a description that highlights a film’s unredeemably overwrought, even campy emotional content, especially where it’s unintentional. But though melodrama is a heightened form, in the right hands it can be legitimately affecting, plumbing the depths of human relationships, emotions, and flaws. The right hands were all on deck in the years following WWII, as directors like Douglas Sirk, Elia Kazan, David Lean, and John Stahl guided some of the greatest romantic melodramas ever put on screen. Every Friday night in April, TCM will look at some of the best, in categories like “Cautionary Tales,” “Joan Crawford Melodramas,” “Douglas Sirk Melodramas,” “Young Lovers,” “Complicated Romances” and more. Don’t dismiss these films because of their genre – many are among the greatest movies ever made.
Top Five
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; ranked #191 by 1816 users) – Both made and set directly after WWII, this remains one of the best films about soldiers returning to civilian life and the struggles they face. Playing 4/7 at 10:15pm
Brief Encounter (1945; ranked #220 by 960 users) – David Lean directs this quiet forbidden romance, with a neglected housewife coming to cherish the time spent with a man she meets frequently on the train. Playing 4/21 at 10:15pm
East of Eden (1955; ranked #473 by 933 users) – One of only three films James Dean made before he died, and with Elia Kazan directing from a John Steinbeck book (itself inspired by the Biblical story of Cain and Abel), it has one of the best pedigrees. Playing 4/28 at 5:45pm
From Here to Eternity (1953; ranked #501 by 1834 users) – Though this is set at Pearl Harbor in the weeks leading up to the Japanese attack in 1941, it’s barely about the war at all (until the very end), focusing rather on the high-running passions of the men and women stationed in the remote location. Playing 4/8 at 3:45am
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #536 by 938 users) – Melodrama meets film noir, as Joan Crawford’s title character pulls herself up from waitress to restauranteur by sheer force of will but is unable to keep control of her wayward daughter. This may be #5 in this programming category according to Flickchart, but between you and me, it should be #1. Playing 4/14 at 1:45pm
The Rest
A Place in the Sun (1951; ranked #715 by 484 users) – Playing 4/28 at 3:30pm
An Affair to Remember (1957; ranked #993 by 1110 users) – Playing 4/21 at 8:00pm
All That Heaven Allows (1955; ranked #1202 by 378 users) – Playing 4/15 at 12:45am
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1309 by 450 users) – Playing 4/7 at 3:45pm
Now, Voyager (1942; ranked #1538 by 304 users) – Playing 4/29 at 4:15am
Imitation of Life (1959; ranked #1715 by 270 users) – Playing 4/14 at 8:00pm
Splendor in the Grass (1961; ranked #1801 by 374 users) – Playing 4/28 at 1:15pm
Bigger Than Life (1956; ranked #1917 by 217 users) – Playing 4/28 at 8:00pm
Some Came Running (1958; ranked #3189 by 177 users) – Playing 4/7 at 1:15pm
Magnificent Obsession (1954; ranked #3657 by 124 users) – Playing 4/14 at 10:30pm
Picnic (1955; ranked #3662 by 249 users) – Playing 4/14 at 5:45pm
Johnny Belinda (1948; ranked #6119 by 79 users) – Playing 4/28 at 7:15am
Kings Row (1942; ranked #6945 by 75 users) – Playing 4/7 at 9:00am
Come Back, Little Sheba (1952; ranked #7291 by 57 users) – Playing 4/28 at 10:00pm
The Tarnished Angels (1957; ranked #7646 by 44 users) – Playing 4/15 at 2:30am
Humoresque (1946; ranked #8367 by 39 users) – Playing 4/21 at 12:00M
A Summer Place (1959; ranked #9734 by 42 users) – Playing 4/28 at 10:45am
The Sandpiper (1965; ranked #11690 by 60 users) – Playing 4/29 at 2:00am
Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965; ranked #12259 by 34 users) – Playing 4/14 at 3:45pm
East Side, West Side (1949; ranked #13619 by 12 users) – Playing 4/7 at 11:15am
Harriet Craig (1950; ranked #17154 by 5 users) – Playing 4/14 at 12:00N
The End of the Affair (1955; ranked #17529 by 16 users) – Playing 4/8 at 1:30am
Love Letters (1945; ranked #17874 by 3 users) – Playing 4/7 at 8:00pm
Autumn Leaves (1956; ranked #18207 by 9 users) – Playing 4/22 at 2:15am
About Mrs. Leslie (1954; ranked #21044 by 6 users) – Playing 4/28 at 12:00M
Never Fear (1949; ranked #21556 by 2 users) – Playing 4/28 at 9:15am
The Goddess (1958; ranked #22327 by 10 users) – Playing 4/7 at 6:00pm
Star of the Month: Character Actors
Though we rightfully celebrate the great stars of the classic era, sometimes the best moments in classic film come not from Cary Grant or Bette Davis, but from the character actors – those “I know that guy!” faces that pop up over and over in film after film, and may only be on screen for a few minutes but make a lasting impression. TCM is honoring those guys and gals this month, with a 32-film series on Tuesdays and Thursday featuring some of the greatest and most memorable character actors of the classic era. Edward Everett Horton, Thelma Ritter, Eugene Pallette, Marjorie Main, Victor Moore, Walter Brennan, Eve Arden, S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall – even if you don’t know their names, I guarantee that if you watch classic film at all, you know their faces.
Top Five
Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 32543 users) – Thelma Ritter is a national treasure, perhaps the ultimate character actress ever. In Rear Window, she plays James Stewart’s wise-cracking nurse who steals every scene she’s in. You can see her do the same thing in All About Eve, and show her range in a much more poignant performance in Pickup on South Street. Playing 4/21 at 2:00am
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #311 by 890 users) – If you’ve seen any Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, you’re probably familiar with Eric Blore, but as great as he is in those films, it is hard to beat The Lady Eve, where he plays the con man deep undercover in the American aristocracy who provides the avenue for the Lady Eve to come into existence in the first place. Playing 4/11 at 8:00pm
Holiday (1938; ranked #664 by 380 users) – Another fixture in Astaire-Rogers movies, Edward Everett Horton was the king of the triple take, with absolutely no competition in the “surprised face” category. Holiday is a great little film, less well known that most of the other Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn collaborations, but definitely worthwhile. I’m please to see its global ranking so high. Playing 4/4 at 10:00pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1544 by 475 users) – This movie has a number of memorable character actors – Alice Pearce as the unfortunate roommate with the chronic cold, Tom Dugan as the one-step-behind policemen, and frankly, half of the main ensemble are basically character actors. But Florence Bates is the one TCM is highlighting, and her turn as the imperious Mme Dilyovska is pretty great. Playing 4/20 at 8:00pm
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933; ranked #1737 by 261 users) – Warner Bros character actors in the early 1930s are hard to beat, and they pop up in seemingly every WB film of that era. Guy Kibbee is no exception, and he usually plays a rich benefactor supporting showgirls with no small amount of mostly benevolent lechery. He was also capable of more sympathy than you might expect. Playing 4/4 at 8:00pm
The Rest
Woman of the Year (1942; ranked #2025 by 320 users) – Playing 4/12 at 1:45am
David Copperfield (1935; ranked #4145 by 195 users) – Playing 4/6 at 11:15pm
Babes in Arms (1939; ranked #5647 by 120 users) – Playing 4/13 at 8:00pm
The Long Long Trailer (1954; ranked #7176 by 111 users) – Playing 4/20 at 12:00M
Bells Are Ringing (1960; ranked #8092 by 80 users) – Playing 4/28 at 2:15am
The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941; ranked #8689 by 41 users) – Playing 4/11 at 10:00pm
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960; ranked #9605 by 85 users) – Playing 4/27 at 12:00M
The Window (1949; ranked #9994 by 29 users) – Playing 4/21 at 4:15am
George Washington Slept Here (1942; ranked #10769 by 27 users) – Playing 4/11 at 12:00M
Topper Takes a Trip (1939; ranked #11100 by 29 users) – Playing 4/13 at 10:00pm
The Male Animal (1942; ranked #11368 by 44 users) – Playing 4/12 at 4:00am
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953; ranked #12177 by 26 users) – Playing 4/20 at 10:00pm
The Fighting Sullivans (1944; ranked #13193 by 20 users) – Playing 4/25 at 8:00pm
One Man’s Journey (1933; ranked #14129 by 10 users) – Playing 4/6 at 8:00pm
Fifth Avenue Girl (1939; ranked #14233 by 10 users) – Playing 4/4 at 12:00M
Sister Kenny (1946; ranked #15363 by 6 users) – Playing 4/14 at 1:30am
Tea for Two (1950; ranked #17016 by 24 users) – Playing 4/26 at 1:45am
The Bride Walks Out (1936; ranked #18398 by 10 users) – Playing 4/7 at 1:45am
The Opposite Sex (1956; ranked #19636 by 16 users) – Playing 4/27 at 8:00pm
Journey for Margaret (1942; ranked #19990 by 4 users) – Playing 4/13 at 11:45pm
Turnabout (1940; ranked #20479 by 2 users) – Playing 4/5 at 1:45am
Our Miss Brooks (1956; ranked #21232 by 3 users) – Playing 4/27 at 10:15pm
The Green Promise (1949; ranked #21968 by 1 users) – Playing 4/25 at 12M
A Kiss in the Dark (1949; ranked #22714 by 3 users) – Playing 4/25 at 10:15pm
Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962; ranked #25148 by 12 users) – Playing 4/26 at 3:45am
Sing and Like It (1934; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 4/6 at 9:45pm
Easter
Sword-and-sandal epics, stories of Christ, and films that happen to be partially set at Easter – TCM has you covered no matter what kind of Easter you prefer.
Spartacus (1960; ranked #525 by 11041 users) – Playing 4/17 at 11:30am
Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #733 by 15736 users) – Playing 4/16 at 2:00pm
Easter Parade (1948; ranked #1819 by 482 users) – Playing 4/16 at 6:00pm
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925; ranked #2719 by 310 users) – Playing 4/17 at 1:30am
Quo Vadis (1951; ranked #3848 by 289 users) – Playing 4/17 at 6:30am
King of Kings (1961; ranked #6794 by 190 users) – Playing 4/16 at 10:30pm
The Robe (1953; ranked #7333 by 213 users) – Playing 4/16 at 8:00pm
Godspell (1973; ranked #8850 by 146 users) – Playing 4/16 at 8:00am
If You’re Into…
…Film Noir
I neglected to mention this last month when they started it, but TCM’s new Noir Alley programming is a great addition to their regular programming. It’s every Sunday morning at 10:00am Eastern, and generally consists of a double helping of noir introduced by the Czar of Noir himself, Eddie Muller. A number of these films are from that programming, but there are also a few scattered throughout the rest of the month. There’s also an official Twitter account and hashtag, so make sure to follow @NoirAlley for all your noir needs.
The Night of the Hunter (1955; ranked #40 by 3575 users) – Playing 4/18 at 8:00am
Sweet Smell of Success (1957; ranked #125 by 1074 users) – Playing 4/22 at 10:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #536 by 938 users) – Playing 4/14 at 1:45pm
Scarlet Street (1945; ranked #1249 by 383 users) – Playing 4/9 at 10:00am
The Naked City (1948; ranked #1494 by 395 users) – Playing 4/26 at 11:15am
Brute Force (1947; ranked #1774 by 210 users) – Playing 4/23 at 10:00am
The Set-Up (1949; ranked #1840 by 192 users) – Playing 4/16 at 10:00am
Call Northside 777 (1948; ranked #2647 by 261 users) – Playing 4/2 at 12:00pm
Possessed (1947; ranked #7687 by 55 users) – Playing 4/21 at 3:45pm
The Blue Gardenia (1953; ranked #9765 by 57 users) – Playing 4/2 at 10:00am
The Window (1949; ranked #9994 by 29 users) – Playing 4/21 at 4:15am
…Pre-Code Hollywood
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #485 by 1234 users) – Playing 4/19 at 8:00pm
King Kong (1933; ranked #630 by 12601 users) – Playing 4/26 at 1:15pm
The Maltese Falcon (1931; ranked #1141 by 880 users) – Playing 4/27 at 9:30am
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933; ranked #1737 by 261 users) – Playing 4/4 at 8:00pm
The Black Cat (1934; ranked #1850 by 347 users) – Playing 4/8 at 7:30am
Dinner at Eight (1933; ranked #2575 by 321 users) – Playing 4/20 at 5:45pm
Anna Christie (1930; ranked #6628 by 67 users) – Playing 4/20 at 12:00N
The Big House (1930; ranked #8736 by 55 users) – Playing 4/20 at 4:00pm
Kongo (1932; ranked #12305 by 16 users) – Playing 4/6 at 9:30am
Gabriel Over the White House (1933; ranked #12401 by 16 users) – Playing 4/6 at 7:45am
Midnight Mary (1933; ranked #12415 by 12 users) – Playing 4/27 at 3:15pm
One Man’s Journey (1933; ranked #14129 by 10 users) – Playing 4/6 at 8:00pm
The Phantom of Crestwood (1933; ranked #15303 by 9 users) – Playing 4/27 at 4:45pm
Flesh (1932; ranked #15738 by 6 users) – Playing 4/27 at 12:15pm
The House on 56th Street (1933; ranked #16517 by 5 users) – Playing 4/27 at 2:00pm
Blondie of the Follies (1932; ranked #19631 by 1 users) – Playing 4/20 at 6:45am
Prestige (1932; ranked #19984 by 2 users) – Playing 4/5 at 6:00am
Night Court (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 4/6 at 11:15am
Sing and Like It (1934; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 4/6 at 9:45pm
Our Betters (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 4/10 at 6:00am
Transgression (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 4/27 at 11:00am
…Musicals
A Hard Day’s Night (1964; ranked #390 by 3928 users) – Playing 4/23 at 4:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #857 by 12369 users) – Playing 4/12 at 3:15pm
42nd Street (1933; ranked #1329 by 712 users) – Playing 4/26 at 9:30am
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954; ranked #1503 by 1401 users) – Playing 4/13 at 4:00pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1544 by 475 users) – Playing 4/20 at 8:00pm
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933; ranked #1737 by 261 users) – Playing 4/4 at 8:00pm
Easter Parade (1948; ranked #1819 by 482 users) – Playing 4/16 at 6:00pm
1776 (1972; ranked #2109 by 535 users) – Playing 4/17 at 8:00pm
Funny Girl (1968; ranked #2120 by 633 users) – Playing 4/24 at 8:00pm
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4526 by 342 users) – Playing 4/13 at 6:00am
Kiss Me Kate (1953; ranked #4648 by 193 users) – Playing 4/13 at 12:00N
Calamity Jane (1953; ranked #5439 by 179 users) – Playing 4/3 at 4:00pm
Babes in Arms (1939; ranked #5647 by 120 users) – Playing 4/13 at 8:00pm
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949; ranked #5816 by 105 users) – Playing 4/30 at 4:30pm
The Merry Widow (1934; ranked #6075 by 58 users) – Playing 4/2 at 8:15am
Show Boat (1951; ranked #6126 by 186 users) – Playing 4/13 at 8:00am
Lili (1953; ranked #6990 by 59 users) – Playing 4/6 at 4:15am
A Star is Born (1976; ranked #7228 by 205 users) – Playing 4/25 at 3:45am
Godspell (1973; ranked #8850 by 146 users) – Playing 4/16 at 8:00am
Rose Marie (1954; ranked #12028 by 28 users) – Playing 4/13 at 2:00pm
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953; ranked #12177 by 26 users) – Playing 4/20 at 10:00pm
Kismet (1955; ranked #13302 by 30 users) – Playing 4/1955; ranked # by users) – Playing 4/13 at 6:00pm
Hollywood Canteen (1944; ranked #14656 by 8 users) – Playing 4/15 at 6:15am
Tea for Two (1950; ranked #17016 by 24 users) – Playing 4/26 at 1:45am
The Opposite Sex (1956; ranked #19636 by 16 users) – Playing 4/27 at 8:00pm
Too Many Girls (1940; ranked #19877 by 8 users) – Playing 4/10 at 11:00am
April in Paris (1952; ranked #19974 by 8 users) – Playing 4/23 at 2:00pm
That Midnight Kiss (1949; ranked #20972 by 6 users) – Playing 4/23 at 8:00am
Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962; ranked #25148 by 12 users) – Playing 4/26 at 3:45am
…Horror
Psycho (1960; ranked #42 by 59480 users) – Playing 4/9 at 4:15am
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #184 by 36043 users) – Playing 4/1 at 6:00pm
King Kong (1933; ranked #630 by 12601 users) – Playing 4/26 at 1:15pm
The Innocents (1961; ranked #436 by 607 users) – Playing 4/2 at 2:15pm
The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #485 by 1234 users) – Playing 4/19 at 8:00pm
The Wolf Man (1941; ranked #684 by 1915 users) – Playing 4/1 at 12:00N
Dead of Night (1945; ranked #1331 by 427 users) – Playing 4/11 at 4:30am
The Body Snatcher (1945; ranked #1947 by 391 users) – Playing 4/19 at 10:30am
Blood and Black Lace (1964; ranked #1963 by 212 users) – Playing 4/2 at 2:45am
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941; ranked #3868 by 276 users) – Playing 4/19 at 12:00N
Frankenstein 1970 (1958; ranked #9491 by 88 users) – Playing 4/19 at 6:30pm
The Monster (1925; ranked #9569 by 38 users) – Playing 4/19 at 6:00am
Night of the Lepus (1972; ranked #10314 by 196 users) – Playing 4/15 at 11:30pm
…Silent Cinema
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925; ranked #2719 by 310 users) – Playing 4/17 at 1:30am
Speedy (1928; ranked #3267 by 125 users) – Playing 4/26 at 6:00am
Dr. Jack (1922; ranked #5164 by 99 users) – Playing 4/22 at 12:00M
Grandma’s Boy (1922; ranked #5339 by 87 users) – Playing 4/22 at 12:00M
The Knockout (1914; ranked #6722 by 65 users) – Playing 4/10 at 12:30am
Sparrows (1926; ranked #8231 by 51 users) – Playing 4/30 at 12:00M
The Monster (1925; ranked #9569 by 38 users) – Playing 4/19 at 6:00am
Torrent (1926; ranked #9891 by 30 users) – Playing 4/27 at 6:15am
Leap Year (1924; ranked #10663 by 29 users) – Playing 4/10 at 12:30am
The Circle (1925; ranked #11407 by 20 users) – Playing 4/3 at 12:30am
The Younger Generation (1929; ranked #13010 by 14 users) – Playing 4/27 at 8:00am
…Foreign Cinema
The 400 Blows (1959; ranked #64 by 2906 users) – Playing 4/3 at 2:00am
Late Spring (1949; ranked #469 by 327 users) – Playing 4/10 at 2:15am
Day for Night (1973; ranked #596 by 615 users) – Playing 4/3 at 4:000am
Rome, Open City (1946; ranked #629 by 427 users) – Playing 5/1 at 4:15am
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974; ranked #827 by 400 users) – Playing 4/24 at 2:15am
Sound of the Mountain (1954; ranked #9898 by 25 users) – Playing 4/10 at 4:15am
Love is Colder Than Death (1969; ranked #10895 by 44 users) – Playing 4/24 at 4:15am
…If You Have Kids
Harvey (1950; ranked #271 by 2739 users) – Playing 4/15 at 8:00pm
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954; ranked #1503 by 1401 users) – Playing 4/13 at 4:00pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1544 by 475 users) – Playing 4/20 at 8:00pm
Easter Parade (1948; ranked #1819 by 482 users) – Playing 4/16 at 6:00pm
Speedy (1928; ranked #3267 by 125 users) – Playing 4/26 at 6:00am
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4526 by 342 users) – Playing 4/13 at 6:00am
Kiss Me Kate (1953; ranked #4648 by 193 users) – Playing 4/13 at 12:00N
Dr. Jack (1922; ranked #5164 by 99 users) – Playing 4/22 at 12:00M
Grandma’s Boy (1922; ranked #5339 by 87 users) – Playing 4/22 at 12:00M
Calamity Jane (1953; ranked #5439 by 179 users) – Playing 4/3 at 4:00pm
Babes in Arms (1939; ranked #5647 by 120 users) – Playing 4/13 at 8:00pm
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949; ranked #5816 by 105 users) – Playing 4/30 at 4:30pm
Show Boat (1951; ranked #6126 by 186 users) – Playing 4/13 at 8:00am
Lili (1953; ranked #6990 by 59 users) – Playing 4/6 at 4:15am
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960; ranked #9605 by 85 users) – Playing 4/27 at 12:00M
Movies to See Before You Die
We have a series here a the Flickchart Blog called Movies to See Before You Die, and it’s dedicated to films in the Global Top 1000. These films all fit that description.
Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 32543 users) – Playing 4/21 at 2:00am
M (1931; ranked #31 by 4028 users) – Playing 4/18 at 6:00am
The Night of the Hunter (1955; ranked #40 by 3575 users) – Playing 4/18 at 8:00am
Vertigo (1958; ranked #47 by 28997 users) – Playing 4/1 at 1:45pm
The 400 Blows (1959; ranked #64 by 2906 users) – Playing 4/3 at 2:00am
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; ranked #65 by 4881 users) – Playing 4/6 at 5:45pm
Network (1976; ranked #93 by 6899 users) – Playing 4/4 at 12:30am
Shadow of a Doubt (1943; ranked #103 by 2764 users) – Playing 4/2 at 6:00pm
All About Eve (1950; ranked #121 by 4674 users) – Playing 4/26 at 3:15pm
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969; ranked #123 by 23896 users) – Playing 4/29 at 10:00pm
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #184 by 36043 users) – Playing 4/1 at 6:00pm
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; ranked #191 by 1816 users) – Playing 4/7 at 10:15pm
Sweet Smell of Success (1957; ranked #125 by 1074 users) – Playing 4/22 at 10:00pm
Bonnie and Clyde (1967; ranked #211 by 9473 users) – Playing 4/3 at 9:15pm
Brief Encounter (1945; ranked #220 by 960 users) – Playing 4/21 at 10:15pm
Witness for the Prosecution (1957; ranked #227 by 1482 users) – Playing 4/23 at 5:45pm
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966; ranked #239 by 1678 users) – Playing 4/27 at 3:45pm
To Be or Not to Be (1942; ranked #254 by 756 users) – Playing 4/2 at 12:45am
Harvey (1950; ranked #271 by 2739 users) – Playing 4/15 at 8:00pm
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986; ranked #280 by 3142 users) – Playing 4/9 at 2:00pm
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #288 by 5777 users) – Playing 4/3 at 10:15am
In the Heat of the Night (1967; ranked #310 by 3233 users) – Playing 4/27 at 1:45am
The Manchurian Candidate (1962; ranked #313 by 6909 users) – Playing 4/2 at 8:00pm
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961; ranked #372 by 8872 users) – Playing 4/26 at 5:45pm
A Hard Day’s Night (1964; ranked #390 by 3928 users) – Playing 4/23 at 4:00pm
The Innocents (1961; ranked #436 by 607 users) – Playing 4/2 at 2:15pm
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958; ranked #456 by 1611 users) – Playing 4/15 at 4:15am
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962; ranked #467 by 1614 users) – Playing 4/18 at 3:30pm
Late Spring (1949; ranked #469 by 327 users) – Playing 4/10 at 2:15am
East of Eden (1955; ranked #473 by 933 users) – Playing 4/28 at 5:45pm
From Here to Eternity (1953; ranked #501 by 1834 users) – Playing 4/8 at 3:45am
Spartacus (1960; ranked #525 by 11041 users) – Playing 4/17 at 11:30am
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #536 by 938 users) – Playing 4/14 at 1:45pm
Day for Night (1973; ranked #596 by 615 users) – Playing 4/3 at 4:000am
Rome, Open City (1946; ranked #629 by 427 users) – Playing 5/1 at 4:15am
King Kong (1933; ranked #630 by 12601 users) – Playing 4/26 at 1:15pm
Gaslight (1944; ranked #638 by 718 users) – Playing 4/18 at 1:30pm
Sleeper (1973; ranked #643 by 2762 users) – Playing 4/1 at 8:00pm
Holiday (1938; ranked #664 by 380 users) – Playing 4/4 at 10:00pm
The Wolf Man (1941; ranked #684 by 1915 users) – Playing 4/1 at 12:00N
A Place in the Sun (1951; ranked #715 by 484 users) – Playing 4/28 at 3:30pm
Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #733 by 15736 users) – Playing 4/16 at 2:00pm
Winchester ’73 (1950; ranked #793 by 502 users) – Playing 4/8 at 4:00pm
It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963; ranked #804 by 2618 users) – Playing 4/1 at 9:45pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #857 by 12369 users) – Playing 4/12 at 3:15pm
Mister Roberts (1955; ranked #884 by 674 users) – Playing 4/29 at 2:00pm
The Trial (1962; ranked #902 by 395 users) – Playing 4/18 at 11:15am
An Affair to Remember (1957; ranked #993 by 1110 users) – Playing 4/21 at 8:00pm
Day by Day
Monday, April 3
Top Ranked: Network (1976; ranked #93 by 6899 users) – Playing 4/4 at 12:30am
Wild Card: Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967; ranked #6252 by 134 users) – Elizabeth Taylor, one year after her Oscar for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, playing off against Marlon Brando? Sparks gotta fly! Playing 4/3 at 8:15am
Tuesday, April 4
Top Ranked: Holiday (1938; ranked #664 by 380 users) – Part of the Character Actor of the Month programming. Playing 4/4 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: The Good Earth (1937; ranked #7675 by 90 users) – Luise Rainer made Oscar history when she won a Best Actress statuette for this adaptation of the Pearl S. Buck novel – the first actress to win back to back Oscars. Playing 4/4 at 5:30pm
Wednesday, April 5
Top Ranked: Moulin Rouge (1952; ranked #5081 by 262 users) – Not the flamboyant Baz Luhrmann musical, but a more straight-up biopic of Toulouse-Lautrec. Playing 4/6 at 2:00am
Wild Card: Lili (1953; ranked #6990 by 59 users) – A charming and undersung film of childhood love and innocence. A great one to share with your kids – only watch out for “Hi Lili Hi Lili Hi Lo” to become the soundtrack of your life. Playing 4/6 at 4:15am
Thursday, April 6
Top Ranked: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; ranked #65 by 4881 users) – Playing 4/6 at 5:45pm
Wild Card: Gabriel Over the White House (1933; ranked #12401 by 16 users) – A Pre-Code with an unscrupulous politician getting into the White House and then experiencing a massive change of heart. I haven’t seen it, but seems like it might be kind of timely, if perhaps optimistic. Playing 4/6 at 7:45am
Friday, April 7
Top Ranked: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; ranked #191 by 1816 users) – Part of the Post-War Melodrama spotlight programming. Playing 4/7 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: Some Came Running (1958; ranked #3189 by 177 users) – A complex film from Vincente Minnelli, with Frank Sinatra a returning veteran struggling with finding his place back at home. A star-making turn for Shirley MacLaine, as well. Playing 4/7 at 1:15pm
Saturday, April 8
Top Ranked: Psycho (1960; ranked #42 by 59480 users) – Playing 4/9 at 4:15am
Wild Card: Winchester ’73 (1950; ranked #793 by 502 users) – Barely a wild card, but I take any chance I can to push any of the Anthony Mann-James Stewart western cycle, and this is one of the best of them. Playing 4/8 at 4:00pm
Sunday, April 9
Top Ranked: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986; ranked #280 by 3142 users) – Playing 4/9 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: Rare Animation (shorts 1941-2000) – There’s not a whole lot of info I could find on these shorts, many of which I haven’t heard of, but I’m instantly interested whenever TCM plays unusual stuff like this. The shorts range from 1941 to 2000. See titles here. Playing 4/9 at 8:00pm
Monday, April 10
Top Ranked: Dead of Night (1945; ranked #1331 by 427 users) – An anthology horror film that ranges from the slight and comedic to the genuinely creepy, but what really ties it together is the frame story that itself becomes a nightmare. This film is surprisingly hard to find, so check it out while you can. Playing 4/11 at 4:30am
Wild Card: The Story of Three Loves (1953; ranked #13904 by 22 users) – Another anthology film, but this time of romances with three very loosely linked stories. The talent on screen here is prodigious, from Kirk Douglas to Leslie Caron, and the three stories are actually all pretty solid. Playing 4/11 at 2:15am
Tuesday, April 11
Top Ranked: The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #311 by 890 users) – Playing 4/11 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Woman of the Year (1942; ranked #2025 by 320 users) – The first film pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, who had no idea what they were starting when they showed up on set that first day. This is coming to the Criterion Collection later this year, if you need more of an endorsement. Playing 4/12 at 1:45am
Wednesday, April 12
Top Ranked: West Side Story (1961; ranked #857 by 12369 users) – I’m always shocked that this film is ranked as low as it is. I mean, it’s still Top 1000, but it’s like Top 10 for me! I guess a lot of Flickcharters have an aversion to amazing dancing. *shrug* Playing 4/12 at 3:15pm
Wild Card: Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965; ranked #12923 by 70 users) – This is not, unfortunately, the Dr Goldfoot movie directed by Mario Bava, but hey, a beach party-type movie with an evil scientist still sounds like a whacked out good time. Playing 4/13 at 2:00am
Thursday, April 13
Top Ranked: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954; ranked #1503 by 1401 users) – Playing 4/13 at 4:00pm
Wild Card: Show Boat (1951; ranked #6126 by 186 users) – For some reason this movie gets something of a bad rap even amongst classic musical fans, but I think it’s pretty great – wonderful Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein music, enthusiastic performances all around, and an interesting slice of post-Civil War Americana without totally sugarcoating all the problems that go along with that (though I admit they’re romanticized to some degree). Playing 4/13 at 8:00am
Friday, April 14
Top Ranked: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958; ranked #456 by 1611 users) – Playing 4/15 at 4:15am
Wild Card: Old Acquaintance (1943; ranked #9728 by 31 users) – Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins going at it as frenemy novelists? Yes please. Playing 4/14 at 6:00am
Saturday, April 15
Top Ranked: Harvey (1950; ranked #271 by 2739 users) – If any adult can sell having a giant invisible rabbit friend, it’s James Stewart, and he does so with flying colors. Playing 4/15 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Hollywood Canteen (1944; ranked #14656 by 8 users) – One of a handful of films highlighting Hollywood’s war effort, this time focusing on the Bette Davis-run Hollywood Canteen, where stars welcomed servicemen throughout the war. These films doubled as “look how awesomely we’re supporting the war” and “look how many amazingly glamorous yet approachable stars we have” propaganda for the studios, but they’re kind of fascinating. Plus, I mean, Bette Davis sings and where else are you going to see that? Playing 4/15 at 6:15am
Sunday, April 16
Top Ranked: Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #733 by 15736 users) – Playing 4/16 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925; ranked #2719 by 310 users) – They’re not playing back to back so you can’t quite do a Ben-Hur double-feature without the use of a DVR, but these two are quite fun to compare. I’m not alone in suggesting that perhaps the silent one might be the more compelling of the two, though I also enjoy the later epic. Playing 4/17 at 1:30am
Monday, April 17
Top Ranked: Spartacus (1960; ranked #525 by 11041 users) – Playing 4/17 at 11:30am
Wild Card: 1776 (1972; ranked #2109 by 535 users) – With the current runaway popularity of Hamilton on stage, perhaps it’s time to revisit this musical take on the creation of the Declaration of Independence? Playing 4/17 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, April 18
Top Ranked: M (1931; ranked #31 by 4028 users) – Playing 4/18 at 6:00am
Wild Card: The Trial (1962; ranked #902 by 395 users) – Franz Kafka’s absurd legal bureaucracy becomes positively nightmarish in Orson Welles’ hands, with high-contrast cinematography and off-angles making it clear how impossible Josef K is going to find dealing with the unspecified charges that have been brought against him. Playing 4/18 at 11:15am
Wednesday, April 19
Top Ranked: The Invisible Man (1933; ranked #485 by 1234 users) – Universal monsters remain a very popular subgenre at Flickchart, as evidenced by this generally lesser-known one still falling squarely in the Top 500 – just because it’s lesser-known doesn’t mean it’s lesser, though, so it’s ranking is totally justifiable. Playing 4/19 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: They Won’t Forget (1937; ranked #12033 by 22 users) – Lana Turner wasn’t really discovered at a soda fountain as the persistent story says, but she did make her film debut in his crime drama, and gained her “Sweater Girl” nickname almost immediately. Playing 4/29 at 1:30am
Thursday, April 20
Top Ranked: Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 32543 users) – This is my personal #1 of all time. It’s #11 globally. If that’s not enough 1s to convince you to watch it, I don’t know what is. Playing 4/21 at 2:00am
Wild Card: The Big House (1930; ranked #8736 by 55 users) – This is one of the harder-to-find Best Picture nominees from the early days of the Oscars, so even though I know little about it, I wanted to point it out for anyone trying to complete a list of Oscar nominees and having trouble finding this one. Playing 4/20 at 4:00pm
Friday, April 21
Top Ranked: Brief Encounter (1945; ranked #220 by 960 users) – Part of the Post-War Melodrama programming. Playing 4/21 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: Possessed (1947; ranked #7687 by 55 users) – Playing 4/21 at 3:45pm
Saturday, April 22
Top Ranked: Family Plot (1976; ranked #2662 by 775 users) – Alfred Hitchcock’s final film is something of a mild one for him, but still a fun suspenser. Playing 4/22 at 5:45pm
Wild Card: The F.B.I. Story (1959; ranked #9755 by 69 users) – Career FBI agent played by James Stewart recounts the many battles the FBi has fought from gangsters to the KKK to Cold War spies. I haven’t seen this, but Stewart’s character has the same last name as me, so obviously I need to get on it. Playing 4/22 at 12:15pm
Sunday, April 23
Top Ranked: Sweet Smell of Success (1957; ranked #125 by 1074 users) – A powerful columnist takes advantage of an unscrupulous press agent to ruin other peoples’ lives, basically. One of the most cynical takes on journalism in Hollywood history. Playing 4/22 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: Grandma’s Boy (1922; ranked #5339 by 87 users) – Not the 2006 film, obviously, but the Harold Lloyd silent, with our bespectacled hero having to overcome his cowardice to catch a murderous tramp. Playing 4/22 at 12:00M
Monday, April 24
Top Ranked: The Trouble with Harry (1955; ranked #1152 by 1507 users) – One of my favorite underrated Hitchcock films, with perhaps his most overt dark humor surrounding a corpse that everyone in town thinks they killed. Shirley MacLaine makes a strong screen debut. Playing 4/25 at 9:00am
Wild Card: Around the World in 80 Days (1956; ranked #3074 by 1271 users) – One of the more generally dismissed Best Picture winners, but has its own globe-trotting charms, along with enough cameos to choke a horse. Playing 4/25 at 11:00am
Tuesday, April 25
Top Ranked: Ocean’s Eleven (1960; ranked #2935 by 1019 users) – This is one of the rare times a remake is actually better than the original, but the 1960 Ocean’s Eleven is still worth watching if you’re a fan of Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack – it’s basically a chance to hang out with them for a couple of hours. Playing 4/25 at 1:15pm
Wild Card: Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964; ranked #8741 by 131 users) – While you’re hanging out with the Rat Pack anyway, why not stick around and make it a Rat Pack double feature? Playing 4/25 at 3:30pm
Wednesday, April 26
Top Ranked: All About Eve (1950; ranked #121 by 4674 users) – Playing 4/26 at 3:15pm
Wild Card: The Naked City (1948; ranked #1494 by 395 users) – The realism of documentary and heightened nature of film noir don’t necessarily seem like they’d play well together, but that’s close to what you get in The Naked City, a noir detective story that borrows documentary styling to increase verisimilitude. Playing 4/26 at 11:15am
Thursday, April 27
Top Ranked: The Maltese Falcon (1931; ranked #1141 by 880 users) – Note this is NOT the famous 1941 adaptation featuring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, but the earlier lesser-known 1931 version with Ricardo Cortez. Playing 4/27 at 9:30am
Wild Card: Midnight Mary (1933; ranked #12415 by 12 users) – Mary’s on trial for murder, but flashbacks show us how she got there and, this being a Pre-Code, it’s not necessarily a pretty journey. Pre-Code Loretta Young is definitely the best Loretta Young, and Una Merkel is always more than welcome in supporting roles. Playing 4/27 at 3:15pm
Friday, April 28
Top Ranked: East of Eden (1955; ranked #473 by 933 users) – Part of the Post-War Melodrama programming. Playing 4/28 at 5:45pm
Wild Card: Never Fear (1949; ranked #21556 by 2 users) – Ida Lupino was one of only two female directors, really, in classic era Hollywood, and her first credited film as director is a melodrama about a promising young dancer devastated to learn she has polio. Playing 4/28 at 9:15am
Saturday, April 29
Top Ranked: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969; ranked #123 by 23896 users) – Playing 4/29 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: Four Daughters (1938; ranked #9171 by 40 users) – A sweet and surprisingly melancholy film that’s very unknown and very much better than you’d expect. Playing 4/29 at 6:30am
Sunday, April 30
Top Ranked: Rome, Open City (1946; ranked #629 by 427 users) – Playing 5/1 at 4:15am
Wild Card: Sparrows (1926; ranked #8231 by 51 users) – America’s Sweetheart Mary Pickford at the height of her powers. Playing 4/30 at 12:00M
Love this movie – seen it #####s of times. Jimmy Stewart one of the very best….
My #1 of all time! :)