A Flickchart Guide to TCM in December
Spotlight: Great American Songbook
Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, George M. Cohan – these names are familiar if you’re a fan of Golden Era movie musicals, but the songs these men (and a few women) wrote appeared not only on the silver screen, but dominated the American airwaves for three decades, becoming the basis for what we today call “the Great American Songbook.” These films feature their music, sometimes for the first time, sometimes adapting an existing Broadway show, sometimes put together as a jukebox-style musical, and in some cases as the soundtracks of (usually very inaccurate) biopics of the composers themselves. If you like music and musicals, this is a wonderful sampling of some of the standards that would become the soundtrack of multiple generations.
Swing Time (1936; ranked #773 by 607 users) – Playing 12/21 at 8:00pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #920 by 922 users) – Playing 12/21 at 11:45pm
42nd Street (1933; ranked #1295 by 743 users) – Playing 12/21 at 10:00pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1431 by 514 users) – Playing 12/29 at 12:15am
The Band Wagon (1953; ranked #1513 by 402 users) – Playing 12/29 at 2:00am
High Society (1956; ranked #2278 by 411 users) – Playing 12/14 at 12:00M
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4447 by 363 users) – Playing 12/28 at 10:15pm
For Me and My Gal (1942; ranked #5359 by 85 users) – Playing 12/8 at 12:15am
Girl Crazy (1943; ranked #6062 by 100 users) – Playing 12/14 at 8:00pm
Dames (1934; ranked #6853 by 62 users) – Playing 12/8 at 4:30am
Broadway Melody of 1936 (1936; ranked #8671 by 69 users) – Playing 12/29 at 4:30am
Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938; ranked #10385 by 56 users) – Playing 12/14 at 10:00pm
Three Little Words (1950; ranked #12571 by 15 users) – Playing 12/15 at 2:00am
The Dolly Sisters (1945; ranked #14598 by 34 users) – Playing 12/28 at 8:00pm
Words and Music (1948; ranked #15788 by 29 users) – Playing 12/7 at 8:00pm
Deep in My Heart (1954; ranked #22757 by 4 users) – Playing 12/22 at 2:00am
Star of the Month: Lana Turner
In one of the most famous (but probably apocryphal) Hollywood origin stories, Lana Turner was discovered sipping soda at a Hollywood soda shop and immediately turned into a star. Her voluptuous beauty even from a young age didn’t hurt, though she started, as many did at the time, in a series of supporting roles and programmers before becoming a noir and melodrama queen in the mid-1940s through the 1960s. Her off-screen life was just as tumultuous as her on-screen characters, marked especially by incidents involving her gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato and her teenage daughter.
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946; ranked #1015 by 634 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1238 by 484 users) – Playing 12/20 at 1:15am
Imitation of Life (1959; ranked #1647 by 303 users) – Playing 12/19 at 11:00am
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941; ranked #3866 by 291 users) – Playing 12/13 at 2:30am
The Three Musketeers (1948; ranked #4972 by 141 users) – Playing 12/12 at 10:15pm
Peyton Place (1957; ranked #6037 by 162 users) – Playing 12/19 at 8:00pm
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938; ranked #7732 by 58 users) – Playing 12/5 at 10:00pm
The Sea Chase (1955; ranked #9772 by 44 users) – Playing 12/27 at 7:30am
Ziegfeld Girl (1941; ranked #10226 by 41 users) – Playing 12/6 at 2:45am
Johnny Eager (1942; ranked #10257 by 35 users) – Playing 12/13 at 12:30am
They Won’t Forget (1937; ranked #12001 by 25 users) – Playing 12/5 at 8:00pm
Betrayed (1954; ranked #13471 by 36 users) – Playing 12/20 at 6:00pm
Madame X (1966; ranked #13609 by 44 users) – Playing 12/26 at 8:00pm
Green Dolphin Street (1947; ranked #15159 by 7 users) – Playing 12/13 at 4:30am
Somewhere I’ll Find You (1942; ranked #15642 by 6 users) – Playing 12/13 at 8:30am
By Love Possessed (1961; ranked #15661 by 13 users) – Playing 12/27 at 2:15am
Cass Timberlane (1947; ranked #17206 by 5 users) – Playing 12/20 at 11:45am
Dancing Co-Ed (1939; ranked #17334 by 4 users) – Playing 12/5 at 11:45pm
These Glamour Girls (1939; ranked #17622 by 3 users) – Playing 12/6 at 1:15am
Bachelor in Paradise (1961; ranked #17121 by 29 users) – Playing 12/27 at 12:15am
Honky Tonk (1941; ranked #17984 by 13 users) – Playing 12/6 at 5:15am
Homecoming (1948; ranked #18287 by 5 users) – Playing 12/20 at 2:00pm
Two Girls on Broadway (1940; ranked #20409 by 2 users) – Playing 12/13 at 10:30am
We Who Are Young (1940; ranked #21190 by 1 users) – Playing 12/13 at 7:00am
Weekend at the Waldorf (1945; ranked #21338 by 2 users) – Playing 12/20 at 9:30am
Portrait in Black (1960; ranked #21387 by 8 users) – Playing 12/26 at 10:00pm
Mr. Imperium (1951; ranked #22241 by 3 users) – Playing 12/27 at 6:00am
A Life of Her Own (1950; ranked #22762 by 6 users) – Playing 12/20 at 5:30am
Diane (1956; ranked #20303 by 3 users) – Playing 12/27 at 1:45pm
The Merry Widow (1952; ranked #23545 by 2 users) – Playing 12/20 at 4:00pm
Latin Lovers (1953; ranked #24468 by 2 users) – Playing 12/20 at 3:30am
The Prodigal (1955; ranked #27518 by 3 users) – Playing 12/27 at 9:45am
Love Has Many Faces (1965; ranked #27599 by 3 users) – Playing 12/27 at 11:45am
The Big Cube (1969; ranked #31722 by 4 users) – Playing 12/27 at 4:15am
Bittersweet Love (1976; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/27 at 3:45pm
Marriage is a Private Affair (1944; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 12/20 at 7:30am
Holiday Classics
Of course, this being December, TCM is bringing out the holiday cheer, with double features of holiday classics throughout the month, then a full day of festive favorites on Christmas Eve. Many of these films are playing multiple times this month, so check the dates for your most convenient viewings.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #283 by 1049 users) – Playing 12/3 at 12:00N,12/15 at 8:00pm and 12/25 at 6:00pm
Meet John Doe (1941; ranked #1336 by 362 users) – Playing 12/16 at 1:45pm
The Bishop’s Wife (1947; ranked #1818 by 475 users) – Playing 12/17 at 2:15pm and 12/24 at 8:00pm
A Christmas Carol (1951; ranked #2144 by 996 users) – Playing 12/8 at 8:00pm
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945; ranked #2664 by 315 users) – Playing 12/24 at 10:00pm
Christmas in Connecticut (1945; ranked #3122 by 208 users) – Playing 12/17 at 12:15pm, 12/22 at 8:00pm, and 12/24 at 4:00pm
A Christmas Carol (1938; ranked #4076 by 566 users) – Playing 12/16 at 12:15pm and 12/25 at 2:00pm
Babes in Toyland (1934; ranked #4298 by 258 users) – Playing 12/25 at 9:00am
Remember the Night (1940; ranked #5274 by 75 users) – Playing 12/22 at 10:00pm
A Pocketful of Miracles (1961; ranked #8836 by 76 users) – Playing 12/25 at 3:30am
Lady on a Train (1945; ranked #10292 by 28 users) – Playing 12/9 at 1:15am
Scrooge (1935; ranked #12065 by 54 users) – Playing 12/8 at 9:45pm and 12/25 at 10:30am
If You Have Kids
This is a very kid-friendly month, especially once you consider that basically all the holiday ones listed above (which I didn’t include again here) are also pretty good for kids. The recurring Disney Vault evening is on 12/21, with vintage Disney shorts, live-action features, and episodes from The Wonderful World of Disney, and many other family-friendly films or great intros to the classics for older kids are on the schedule this month.
Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 43572 users) – Playing 12/8 at 11:45am and 12/16 at 4:00pm
Singin’ in the Rain (1952; ranked #199 by 18720 users) – Playing 12/16 at 8:00pm
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; ranked #214 by 4283 users) – Playing 12/1 at 10:15am
A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #216 by 2549 users) – Playing 12/2 at 6:00am
Harvey (1950; ranked #267 by 2826 users) – Playing 12/10 at 6:00pm
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #291 by 3706 users) – Playing 12/29 at 10:30am
My Fair Lady (1964; ranked #565 by 6946 users) – Playing 12/18 at 10:45pm
Horse Feathers (1932; ranked #683 by 784 users) – Playing 12/12 at 2:30am
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #708 by 1404 users) – Playing 12/10 at 1:45pm and 12/22 at 12:00N
A Day at the Races (1937; ranked #1081 by 740 users) – Playing 12/12 at 4:00am
The Time Machine (1960; ranked #1294 by 1290 users) – Playing 12/31 at 1:15pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1431 by 514 users) – Playing 12/29 at 12:15am
The Mark of Zorro (1940; ranked #2525 by 265 users) – Playing 12/3 at 6:15pm
Little Women (1933; ranked #3157 by 244 users) – Playing 12/24 at 6:00am
Pete’s Dragon (1977; ranked #4439 by 3333 users) – Playing 12/21 at 2:15am
Little Women (1949; ranked #4477 by 164 users) – Playing 12/23 at 4:15am
Brave Little Tailor (1938; ranked #4528 by 383 users) – Playing 12/20 at 8:00pm
Doctor Dolittle (1967; ranked #5406 by 864 users) – Playing 12/18 at 8:00pm
The Phantom Tollbooth (1970; ranked #4314 by 316 users) – Playing 12/30 at 9:15am
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4447 by 363 users) – Playing 12/28 at 10:15pm
The Yearling (1946; ranked #5445 by 168 users) – Playing 12/3 at 4:00pm
For Me and My Gal (1942; ranked #5359 by 85 users) – Playing 12/8 at 12:15am
Girl Crazy (1943; ranked #6062 by 100 users) – Playing 12/14 at 8:00pm
Lassie Come Home (1943; ranked #6776 by 140 users) – Playing 12/10 at 4:00pm
Babes on Broadway (1941; ranked #6912 by 87 users) – Playing 12/15 at 11:00am
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938; ranked #7732 by 58 users) – Playing 12/5 at 10:00pm and 12/25 at 12:00N
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952; ranked #9701 by 60 users) – Playing 12/20 at 8:15pm
Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938; ranked #10385 by 56 users) – Playing 12/14 at 10:0pm
Gay Purr-ee (1962; ranked #10611 by 100 users) – Playing 12/15 at 6:15pm
On Moonlight Bay (1951; ranked #10782 by 44 users) – Playing 12/16 at 4:00am
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953; ranked #11844 by 29 users) – Playing 12/24 at 12:15am
The Sign of Zorro (1958; ranked #12693 by 35 users) – Playing 12/20 at 9:45pm
Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941; ranked #13232 by 15 users) – Playing 12/15 at 1:15pm
Toby Tyler (1960; ranked #15325 by 32 users) – Playing 12/20 at 11:30pm
Words and Music (1948; ranked #15788 by 29 users) – Playing 12/7 at 8:00pm
Lovely to Look At (1952; ranked #16611 by users) – Playing 12/16 at 6:00pm
Movies to See Before You Die
We have a feature here at the Flickchart blog called “Movies to See Before You Die,” highlighting films in the Global Top 1000. All these films are eligible for that honor, and it’s a great way to catch up on a bunch of stuff if you’re trying to complete the Top 1000 yourself.
Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 33197 users) – Playing 12/25 at 8:00pm
Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 43572 users) – Playing 12/8 at 11:45am and 12/16 at 4:00pm
North by Northwest (1959; ranked #29 by 26707 users) – Playing 12/25 at 10:00pm
M (1931; ranked #30 by 4167 users) – Playing 12/5 at 6:00am
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927; ranked #41 by 1271 users) – Playing 12/17 at 12:00M
Vertigo (1958; ranked #48 by 29509 users) – Playing 12/26 at 4:45am
Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #84 by 5399 users) – Playing 12/26 at 9:00am
Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #97 by 10578 users) – Playing 12/4 at 10:15am
Shadow of a Doubt (1943; ranked #105 by 2872 users) – Playing 12/26 at 7:00am
The Thin Man (1934; ranked #133 by 1773 users) – Playing 12/31 at 8:00pm
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #139 by 1524 users) – Playing 12/18 at 2:00pm
Dial M for Murder (1954; ranked #181 by 5118 users) – Playing 12/26 at 12:30am
Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #190 by 2680 users) – Playing 12/2 at 8:00pm
Singin’ in the Rain (1952; ranked #199 by 18720 users) – Playing 12/16 at 8:00pm
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; ranked #214 by 4283 users) – Playing 12/1 at 10:15am
A Night at the Opera (1935; ranked #216 by 2549 users) – Playing 12/2 at 6:00am
Harvey (1950; ranked #267 by 2826 users) – Playing 12/10 at 6:00pm
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977; ranked #277 by 38511 users) – Playing 12/10 at 8:00pm
Being There (1979; ranked #280 by 3508 users) – Playing 12/11 at 8:00pm
The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #283 by 1049 users) – Playing 12/3 at 12:00N, 12/15 at 8:00pm, and 12/25 at 6:0pm
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #291 by 3706 users) – Playing 12/29 at 10:30am
The Manchurian Candidate (1962; ranked #317 by 7044 users) – Playing 12/30 at 8:00pm
Jules and Jim (1962; ranked #319 by 1214 users) – Playing 12/29 at 8:00pm
Night of the Living Dead (1968; ranked #324 by 13228 users) – Playing 12/30 at 3:15am
A Man Escaped (1956; ranked #328 by 449 users) – Playing 12/4 at 2:15pm
The Dirty Dozen (1967; ranked #345 by 4062 users) – Playing 12/6 at 3:15pm
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949; ranked #346 by 743 users) – Playing 12/2 at 4:00pm
Apollo 13 (1995; ranked #356 by 67188 users) – Playing 12/29 at 10:00pm
The Birds (1963; ranked #386 by 25308 users) – Playing 12/26 at 2:30am
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943; ranked #414 by 853 users) – Playing 12/9 at 4:15pm
The Producers (1968; ranked #420 by 3660 users) – Playing 12/27 at 8:00pm
Amarcord (1973; ranked #465 by 1024 users) – Playing 12/4 at 3:00am
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956; ranked #477 by 3056 users) – Playing 12/26 at 5:45pm
The Quiet Man (1952; ranked #482 by 1646 users) – Playing 12/23 at 8:00pm
The Right Stuff (1983; ranked #491 by 4586 users) – Playing 12/6 at 9:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #500 by 983 users) – Playing 12/29 at 6:00pm
Marty (1955; ranked #534 by 825 users) – Playing 12/6 at 6:00pm
My Fair Lady (1964; ranked #565 by 6946 users) – Playing 12/18 at 10:45pm
Withnail & I (1987; ranked #584 by 1278 users) – Playing 12/12 at 12:15am
Holiday (1938; ranked #621 by 413 users) – Playing 12/31 at 11:15am
Horse Feathers (1932; ranked #683 by 784 users) – Playing 12/12 at 2:30am
Doctor Zhivago (1965; ranked #691 by 3880 users) – Playing 12/14 at 10:00am
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #708 by 1404 users) – Playing 12/10 at 1:45pm, 12/22 at 12:00N, and 12/24 at 6:00pm
Cat People (1942; ranked #739 by 847 users) – Playing 12/27 at 6:45pm
Kelly’s Heroes (1970; ranked #742 by 1560 users) – Playing 12/30 at 5:00am
Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #747 by 15964 users) – Playing 12/14 at 6:00am and 12/23 at 10:15am
Swing Time (1936; ranked #773 by 607 users) – Playing 12/21 at 8:00pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #920 by 922 users) – Playing 12/21 at 11:45pm
Island of Lost Souls (1932; ranked #951 by 361 users) – Playing 12/17 at 3:45am
Day by Day
Note: Because of the holiday programming, this month has more repeats than usual. If something had already been featured as a Top Ranked, I didn’t include it again, but chose the next highest-ranked to keep some extra diversity. Do check the holiday movie section above for the multiple dates most of those movies are showing. Also note that I’ve included dates that are already in the past as of this guide’s publication, because they should still be available on Watch TCM for a while at least.
Friday, December 1
Top Ranked: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944; ranked #214 by 4283 users) – In this film that may be the very definition of madcap farce, two old maid sisters are the sweetest things ever – even after you find out they poison lonely old men and bury them in the cellar. Things escalate once their nephew Cary Grant finds out. Playing 12/1 at 10:15am
Don’t Miss: None but the Lonely Heart (1944; ranked #9725 by 57 users) – A polar opposite role for Cary Grant released the same year as Arsenic and Old Lace; he personally considered this his finest performance. Playing 12/1 at 12:30pm
Wild Card: Mr. Lucky (1943; ranked #5674 by 92 users) – Pretty obscure but enjoyable Grant vehicle, especially memorable for the use of rhyming cockney slang as a recurring gag. Playing 12/1 at 8:15am
Saturday, December 2
Top Ranked: Bride of Frankenstein (1935; ranked #190 by 2680 users) – Playing 12/2 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949; ranked #346 by 743 users) – Alec Guinness’s career is full of a wide variety of characters, but he proved his range very early on by playing several different family members in this dark comedy from the legendary Ealing Studios. Playing 12/2 at 4:00pm
Wild Card: Christopher Strong (1933; ranked #13285 by 19 users) – An early film for Katharine Hepburn, playing a somewhat androgynous aviatrix under the direction of Hollywood’s only female director at the time, Dorothy Arzner. Playing 12/3 at 12:30am
Sunday, December 3
Top Ranked: The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #283 by 1049 users) – One of Ernst Lubitsch’s most charming films (and that’s saying something), with James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan as coworkers who don’t get along but are unwittingly falling in love as secret penpals. Unassuming Christmas setting. Playing 12/3 at 12:00N
Don’t Miss: Amarcord (1973; ranked #465 by 1024 users) – Playing 12/4 at 3:00am
Wild Card: Carmen Jones (1954; ranked #5326 by 205 users) – Oscar Hammerstein’s take on the opera Carmen, using Bizet’s music as the basis for his operetta set among African American servicemen and their girlfriends. A great chance to see some of the 1950s’ best black entertainers in something other than a “speciality performance.” Playing 12/3 at 10:00pm
Monday, December 4
Prison movies and boxing movies today – here are a few strong picks, but there are plenty more if those genres interest you.
Top Ranked: Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #97 by 10578 users) – Playing 12/4 at 10:15am
Don’t Miss: A Man Escaped (1956; ranked #328 by 449 users) – Playing 12/4 at 2:15pm
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932; ranked #1091 by 333 users) – Playing 12/4 at 8:15am
Wild Card: Caged (1950; ranked #7182 by 57 users) – This women’s prison film deserves much more attention than it gets; always interesting and never exploitative. Playing 12/4 at 12:30pm
Tuesday, December 5
Top Ranked: M (1931; ranked #30 by 4167 users) – Playing 12/5 at 6:00am
Don’t Miss: Fury (1936; ranked #1326 by 248 users) – There are also plenty of other Langs playing today, but this is the one I’m most interested in checking out, with Spencer Tracy in an early role running afoul of a lynch mob. Playing 12/5 at 10:15am
Wild Card: Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938; ranked #7732 by 58 users) – The best of the long-running Andy Hardy series, with supporting roles for Judy Garland and a very young Lana Turner. Playing 12/5 at 10:00pm
Wednesday, December 6
Top Ranked: The Dirty Dozen (1967; ranked #345 by 4062 users) – Playing 12/6 at 3:15pm
Don’t Miss: Marty (1955; ranked #534 by 825 users) – Playing 12/6 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: Chariots of Fire (1981; ranked #1599 by 3015 users) – Maligned as a Best Picture winner, but a very strong film about the 1924 Olympics and two very different men training to compete in them, with a lot of thoughtfulness about British society and religion as well as sports. Playing 12/7 at 12:30am
Thursday, December 7
Top Ranked: The Mummy (1932; ranked #1337 by 1523 users) – Playing 12/7 at 6:30pm
Don’t Miss: For Me and My Gal (1942; ranked #5359 by 85 users) – The first film where Judy Garland played a grown-up and the first film where Gene Kelly played anything (his film debut). Those two things alone are with the entry fee. Playing 12/8 at 12:15am
Wild Card: Words and Music (1948; ranked #15788 by 29 users) – A biopic of songwriters Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, which is probably mostly inaccurate but gets a boost for Mickey Rooney’s dark portrayal of Hart and some stunning musical numbers, notably Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen killing Slaughter on Tenth Ave. Playing 12/7 at 8:00pm
Friday, December 8
Top Ranked: Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 43572 users) – Playing 12/8 at 11:45am
Don’t Miss: A Christmas Carol (1951; ranked #2144 by 996 users) – Considered by many to be the most definitive classic version of Dickens oft-filmed Christmas story. Playing 12/8 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Lady on a Train (1945; ranked #10292 by 28 users) – A murder mystery that happens to be set at Christmas, starring one of the most unjustly forgotten classic era singing stars, Deanna Durbin, in a rare non-musical role. It’s a lot of “huh?” in description, but is actually very good! Playing 12/9 at 1:15am
Saturday, December 9
Top Ranked: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943; ranked #414 by 853 users) – Probably William A. Wellman’s best known film, about a couple of cowboys who come across a lynch mob and have to decide what to do. It’s a western in setting, but examines much deeper themes of ethics and responsibility than most films of any genre. Playing 12/9 at 4:15pm
Don’t Miss: Jezebel (1938; ranked #2369 by 269 users) – When David O. Selznick didn’t give the part of Scarlett O’Hara to Bette Davis, she got Jack Warner to green light her own take on a southern belle – and beat Gone with the Wind into theatres to boot. Playing 12/9 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: 3 Godfathers (1949; ranked #3291 by 192 users) – John Wayne leads the titular trio of cowboys who find a young baby and have to figure out how to take care of it. Underappreciated and very worthwhile. Playing 12/9 at 12:00N
Sunday, December 10
Top Ranked: Harvey (1950; ranked #267 by 2826 users) – Playing 12/10 at 6:00pm
Don’t Miss: Lassie Come Home (1943; ranked #6776 by 140 users) – Playing 12/10 at 4:00pm
Wild Card: The Breaking Point (1950; ranked #11647 by 24 users) – Billed as the more faithful adaptation of Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not than Hawks’s film, but regardless of source, the film is a crackling noir that hits all the right beats. Playing 12/10 at 10:00am
Monday, December 11
Top Ranked: Being There (1979; ranked #280 by 3508 users) – Playing 12/11 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Scarlet Street (1945; ranked #1123 by 413 users) – The better of the two noirs Fritz Lang made with Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea, with Robinson heartbreaking as a middle-aged man who thinks he’s found love and validation, but I mean, this is noir. Playing 12/11 at 7:45am
Wild Card: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935; ranked #6280 by 123 users) – Lyrical adaptation of Shakespeare’s fantasy, with the added bonus of a very very young Olivia de Havilland (and a child Mickey Rooney as Puck). Playing 12/11 at 2:15pm
Tuesday, December 12
Top Ranked: The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946; ranked #1015 by 634 users) – Playing 12/12 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941; ranked #3866 by 291 users) – This version of Jekyll and Hyde isn’t nearly as well-regarded as the 1932 Fredric March version, but Spencer Tracy took a totally different tack in the role – rather than use tons of makeup to effect the change from Jekyll to Hyde, he does it all with his face and acting. And it works. Playing 12/13 at 2:30am
Wild Card: The Three Musketeers (1948; ranked #4972 by 141 users) – With Gene Kelly in the lead, you’d be forgiven for guessing this was some kind of musical version of the Dumas story, but it isn’t – it plays it as a fairly straight adventure story, and is actually pretty solid. A little on the Technicolor fluff side, perhaps, but the book is basically fluff itself, so… Playing 12/12 at 10:15pm
Wednesday, December 13
Top Ranked: Somewhere I’ll Find You (1942; ranked #15642 by 6 users) – Not a lot today besides relatively obscure Lana Turner films, but hey, can’t look too askance at a Clark Gable vehicle. Playing 12/13 at 8:30am
So this evening is marked TBA on TCM’s website. Not sure what super secret special stuff they have planned for us?
Thursday, December 14
Top Ranked: Doctor Zhivago (1965; ranked #691 by 3880 users) – Playing 12/14 at 10:00am
Don’t Miss: Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #747 by 15964 users) – Playing 12/14 at 6:00am
Wild Card: Girl Crazy (1943; ranked #6062 by 100 users) – Pretty easily the strongest of the 10 films Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland made together, thanks in no small part to the full complement of outstanding Gershwin songs. Playing 12/14 at 8:00pm
Friday, December 15
Top Ranked: A Star is Born (1954; ranked #1079 by 639 users) – Playing 12/15 at 3:15pm
Don’t Miss: The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941; ranked #2472 by 157 users) – Very enjoyable farce with irascible Monty Woolley crashing the holidays at a family’s house after he injures himself on their step. Bette Davis almost fades into the ensemble here, which is quite an accomplishment on everyone else’s part. Playing 12/16 at 2:00am
Wild Card: Gay Purr-ee (1962; ranked #10611 by 100 users) – One of Judy Garland’s last films, an animated feature with her and Robert Goulet (of Broadway’s Camelot) lending voices to Parisian cats. The animation isn’t up to what other studios were doing at the time, but any Judy film is still a Judy film. Playing 12/15 at 6:15pm
Saturday, December 16
Top Ranked: Singin’ in the Rain (1952; ranked #199 by 18720 users) – Playing 12/16 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: 42nd Street (1933; ranked #1295 by 743 users) – Playing 12/16 at 8:15am
Wild Card: Island of Lost Souls (1932; ranked #951 by 361 users) – Lots of joyful musicals playing today – if you need some counter-programming, look no further than this Pre-Code about Charles Laughton creating horrible human-animal hybrids on his private island. Playing 12/17 at 3:45am
Sunday, December 17
Top Ranked: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927; ranked #41 by 1271 users) – Playing 12/17 at 12:00M
Don’t Miss: Now, Voyager (1942; ranked #1432 by 323 users) – Basically the very definition of a 1940s’ “woman’s picture” showing off Bette Davis’ melodramatic chops at their very best. None of those things is meant to be insulting, by the way, as this is a very good film and among the best in its genre. Playing 12/17 at 5:45pm
Wild Card: Carefree (1938; ranked #4277 by 94 users) – This is never ever mentioned among Fred and Ginger’s best films, but it is so dang enjoyable that it deserves better. Playing off the Freudian craze, Ginger has a huge amount of fun trying to get her psychological hangups fixed. Playing 12/17 at 4:15pm
Monday, December 18
Top Ranked: Out of the Past (1947; ranked #139 by 1524 users) – Playing 12/18 at 2:00pm
Don’t Miss: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957; ranked #2677 by 309 users) – One of the best versions of the famous Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday story, with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas playing the two legends. Playing 12/18 at 3:45pm
Wild Card: Blithe Spirit (1945; ranked #3952 by 131 users) – Obscure early Rex Harrison film based on a Noel Coward play, about a man and his wife being haunted by the ghost of his first wife. Witty and playful, as one would expect from Coward. Playing 12/19 at 1:45am
Tuesday, December 19
Top Ranked: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1238 by 484 users) – This to my mind is Lana Turner’s best film, though Flickchart doesn’t quite agree with me. Watch it and see what you think. Playing 12/20 at 1:15am
Don’t Miss: Imitation of Life (1959; ranked #1647 by 303 users) – Almost the definition of melodrama (not a bad word!), with family relationships and race relations writ large. Playing 12/19 at 11:00am
Wednesday, December 20
Top Ranked: Pete’s Dragon (1977; ranked #4439 by 3333 users) – This evening is the Disney Vault programming, and all of it is worth watching as usual. This classic live-action/animation hybrid is the centerpiece. Playing 12/21 at 2:15am
Don’t Miss: The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952; ranked #9701 by 60 users) – Disney went big for classic adventure stories with their early live-action features, and this fits right in. Looking forward to watching this myself. Playing 12/20 at 8:15pm
Wild Card: The Merry Widow (1952; ranked #23545 by 2 users) – The two earlier versions of this story are much better known, one by Erich von Stroheim and one by Ernst Lubitsch, but I’m curious to see how this much more obscure version with Lana Turner stacks up. Playing 12/20 at 4:00pm
Thursday, December 21
Top Ranked: Swing Time (1936; ranked #773 by 607 users) – Playing 12/21 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #920 by 922 users) – James Cagney is mostly known for his gangster roles, but at heart he was a hoofer and enjoyed doing musicals whenever he could – this one, with him as uber-patriotric WWI-era entertaining George M. Cohan, is one of his best films of any genre. Playing 12/21 at 11:45pm
Wild Card: Deep in My Heart (1954; ranked #22757 by 4 users) – An obscure biopic about an obscure operetta composer, Sigmund Romberg – I somehow came across this film as a teen and sought out Romberg musicals for a while, and he’s very interesting. Far more European and classical in style than most American Songbook composers, but with some gorgeous songs. Playing 12/22 at 2:00am
Friday, December 22
Top Ranked: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #708 by 1404 users) – Playing 12/22 at 12:00M
Don’t Miss: Jailhouse Rock (1957; ranked #3276 by 584 users) – If you’re only going to see one Elvis film, it should probably be this one. Playing 12/22 at 3:30pm
Wild Card: Remember the Night (1940; ranked #5274 by 75 users) – Barbara Stanwyck plays a shoplifter jailed just before Christmas, and Fred MacMurray is the prosecuting attorney who pities her and bails her out so she won’t have to be in jail on Christmas. A very sweet and unusual Christmas drama. Playing 12/22 at 10:00pm
Saturday, December 23
Top Ranked: The Quiet Man (1952; ranked #482 by 1646 users) – Playing 12/23 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #747 by 15967 users) – TCM is spending much of the day on Biblical epics, of which Ben-Hur is the obvious must-watch, but if you’re into that kind of thing, keep it tuned. Playing 12/23 at 10:15am
Wild Card: Xanadu (1980; ranked #6587 by 788 users) – From Biblical epics to…this, which many consider among the worst films ever made. But that’s why it’s a wild card, right? You know what you’re getting into if you’re watching TV at 2am on Christmas Eve. Playing 12/24 at 2:15am
Sunday, December 24
It’s Christmas classics much of the day today – hunker down and enjoy!
Top Ranked: The Bishop’s Wife (1947; ranked #1818 by 475 users) – Playing 12/24 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Christmas in Connecticut (1945; ranked #3122 by 208 users) – Playing 12/24 at 4:00pm
Wild Card: Little Women (1933; ranked #3157 by 244 users) – Playing 12/24 at 6:00am
Monday, December 25
After a day and a night of holiday movies, TCM switches to Hitchcock for primetime on Christmas Day, which I’m sure will be welcome for many! It’s hard to pick out just a couple of Hitchcocks, so my advice? Just leave the TV on all night.
Top Ranked: Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 33197 users) – Playing 12/25 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: North by Northwest (1959; ranked #29 by 26707 users) – Playing 12/25 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: Babes in Toyland (1934; ranked #4298 by 258 users) – I admit I know this mostly through the 1961 Disney version, which is campy as all get-out. This Laurel and Hardy version is likely better. Playing 12/25 at 9:00am
Tuesday, December 26
All Hitchcock overnight and in the morning. You can’t go wrong with any of these.
Top Ranked: Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #84 by 5399 users) – Playing 12/26 at 9:00am
Don’t Miss: Shadow of a Doubt (1943; ranked #105 by 2872 users) – Playing 12/26 at 7:00am
Wild Card: The Trouble with Harry (1955; ranked #1156 by 1569 users) – Playing 12/26 at 11:00am
Wednesday, December 27
Top Ranked: The Producers (1968; ranked #420 by 3660 users) – Playing 12/27 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Cat People (1942; ranked #739 by 847 users) – Playing 12/27 at 6:45pm
Wild Card: The Leopard Man (1943; ranked #4391 by 152 users) – Cat People or Leopard Men, these are producer Val Lewton at his best. Playing 12/27 at 5:30pm
Thursday, December 28
Top Ranked: On the Town (1949; ranked #1431 by 514 users) – Very strong sailors on leave musical with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra leading the pack, as they spend one day in New York City (unusually shot on location) trying to see all the sights and find love. Playing 12/29 at 12:15am
Don’t Miss: The Band Wagon (1953; ranked #1513 by 402 users) – A wonderful film that’s surprisingly unsung (pun intended), with Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse showing why they were two of Hollywood’s greatest dancers of all time. Playing 12/29 at 2:00am
Wild Card: Spencer’s Mountain (1963; ranked #9181 by 58 users) – Not really a great movie perhaps, but Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara are always worth watching, even when the real star here is the location filming in the Grand Tetons. Playing 12/28 at 8:30am
Friday, December 29
Top Ranked: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #291 by 3706 users) – Playing 12/29 at 10:30am
Don’t Miss: Jules and Jim (1962; ranked #319 by 1214 users) – Playing 12/29 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967; ranked #5435 by 210 users) – The 1920s through the lens of the 1960s, complete with flappers, long ropes of pearls, silent cinema tropes, and girls being Shanghai’d. Fun and whimsical. Playing 12/30 at 12:30am
Saturday, December 30
Top Ranked: The Manchurian Candidate (1962; ranked #317 by 7044 users) – Playing 12/30 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Phantom Tollbooth (1970; ranked #4314 by 316 users) – A mix of live-action and animation based on the famous children’s book, one of the later films (and few features) from famed animation director Chuck Jones. Playing 12/30 at 9:15am
Wild Card: The Window (1949; ranked #9283 by 40 users) – Noir that focuses on children is rare, and this holds its own in the genre as a whole, as a young boy (Bobby Driscoll) known for telling tall tales sees a murder out his window and can’t get anyone to believe him. Playing 12/30 at 11:00am
Sunday, December 31
Top Ranked: The Thin Man (1934; ranked #133 by 1773 users) – There’s no better way to ring in the new year than with our favorite martini-sipping detectives Nick and Nora Charles – TCM is running the whole series of six films over night, so grab a cocktail or four and settle in. Playing 12/31 at 8:00pm
[marathon]
Don’t Miss: The Time Machine (1960; ranked #1294 by 1290 users) – I love this version of Wells’ famous time-travel story, from the elaborately Victorian time machine to the sobering trip through 20th century history to the outlandish far future with its shaggy morlocks. Great fun, and a good one for the kids getting into sci-fi. Playing 12/31 at 1:15pm
Wild Card: Holiday (1938; ranked #621 by 413 users) – It actually surprises me that this has such a high global ranking – not that it doesn’t deserve it but because it seems so under-the-radar compared with other Hepburn-Grant pairings. I’m glad it seems to be appreciated, though, because it’s very solid and should have a higher viewership. Playing 12/31 at 11:15am