A Flickchart Guide to TCM in January
Well, my goal was to start this year fresh with a TCM post that was actually on time, but we can see how that went. Still, there’s a lot of great stuff throughout the rest of the month, and as always a lot of the first week’s films can still be caught on the Watch TCM app or your cable’s On Demand service.
TCM Spotlight: Survival Movies
Plane crashes, shipwrecks, Antarctic expeditions, being lost in the jungle or abandoned in the desert – whatever the wilds can throw at you, these movies will tell you what it takes to survive. There seems to be no particular theme to each evening of these films, so I’ve just put them in order of Flickchart global rankings and you can prioritize appropriately. See TCM’s full notes on these movies here.
Walkabout (1971; ranked #580 by 814 users) – Playing 1/27 at 3:30am
Deliverance (1972; ranked #630 by 10425 users) – Playing 1/5 at 10:00pm
Into the Wild (2007; ranked #953 by 11101 users) – Playing 1/13 at 1:30am
The Poseidon Adventure (1972; ranked #1420 by 3308 users) – Playing 1/19 at 10:45pm
The Most Dangerous Game (1932; ranked #1504 by 641 users) – Playing 1/5 at 12:00M
The Flight of the Phoenix (1965; ranked #1980 by users) – Playing 1/19 at 8:00pm
Lord of the Flies (1963; ranked #2886 by 1202 users) – Playing 1/26 at 8:00pm
The Naked Prey (1965; ranked #3411 by 132 users) – Playing 1/5 at 8:00pm
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954; ranked #8179 by 96 users) – Playing 1/12 at 11:45pm
Panic in Year Zero (1962; ranked #8740 by 77 users) – Playing 1/26 at 11:45pm
Five Came Back (1939; ranked #9478 by 26 users) – Playing 1/20 at 1:00am
Man in the Wilderness (1971; ranked #12034 by 42 users) – Playing 1/12 at 8:00pm
No Blade of Grass (1970; ranked #15234 by 31 users) – Playing 1/27 at 1:30am
Abandon Ship (1957; ranked #15623 by 10 users) – Playing 1/20 a 4:30am
Inferno (1953; ranked #17555 by 8 users) – Playing 1/12 at 10:00pm
My Side of the Mountain (1969; ranked #18670 by 33 users) – Playing 1/26 at 9:45pm
The Wild North (1952; ranked #20613 by 5 users) – Playing 1/6 at 3:15am
Back From Eternity (1956; ranked #22666 by 4 users) – Playing 1/20 at 2:30am
Run for the Sun (1956; ranked #24161 by 4 users) – Playing 1/6 at 1:15am
The Secret Land (1948; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 1/14 at 4:15am
Star of the Month: Charles Boyer
Not a particularly well-known name now, perhaps, but in the 1930s and ’40s Charles Boyer was a swoon-worthy leading man on two continents, bringing his continental charm, resonant voice, and bedroom eyes to a wide variety of films both French and American. Of course, in America, he also had a deep accent to add to his seductive persona. As he aged into the 1950s and ’60s, he wisely and successfully transitioned into character parts. TCM has a selection of films planned that cover his entire career. They’re presented largely chronologically on the channel, but I’ve put them in order of global ranking.
Gaslight (1944; ranked #591 by 774 users) – Playing 1/11 at 8:00pm
The Earrings of Madame de… (1953; ranked #895 by 346 users) – Playing 1/18 at 10:00pm
Love Affair (1939; ranked #5662 by 91 users) – Playing 1/4 at 8:00pm
All This and Heaven Too (1940; ranked #5973 by 73 users) – Playing 1/4 at 9:45pm
Algiers (1938; ranked #8718 by 51 users) – Playing 1/5 at 4:45am
Cluny Brown (1946; ranked #8729 by 30 users) – Playing 1/18 at 8:00pm
Hold Back the Dawn (1941; ranked #10544 by 23 users) – Playing 1/11 at 10:15pm
Fanny (1961; ranked #11766 by 41 users) – Playing 1/25 at 8:00pm
The Constant Nymph (1943; ranked #12698 by 15 users) – Playing 1/12 at 4:30pm
Conquest (1937; ranked #14280 by 16 users) – Playing 1/5 at 2:45am
Liliom (1934; ranked #15425 by 12 users) – Playing 1/5 at 12:30am
Tales of Manhattan (1942; ranked #17437 by 12 users) – Playing 1/12 at 2:15am
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962; ranked #19075 by 15 users) – Playing 1/25 at 10:30pm
The Cobweb (1955; ranked #19739 by 10 users) – Playing 1/19 at 3:30am
Confidential Agent (1945; ranked #20825 by 5 users) – Playing 1/19 at 5:45am
Back Street (1941; ranked #21457 by 4 users) – Playing 1/12 at 12:30am
The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969; ranked #22110 by 7 users) – Playing 1/26 at 3:30am
Love is a Ball (1963; ranked #26444 by 7 users) – Playing 1/26 at 1:15am
If You Have Kids
A variety of slapstick comedy, classic monster movies, musicals, and adventure films that are sure to please the budding cinephile in your home, as well as a few bonafide kid classics.
Bringing Up Baby (1938; ranked #137 by 3822 users) – Playing 1/11 at 6:00pm and 1/27 at 10:00am
King Kong (1933; ranked #646 by 12988 users) – Playing 1/30 at 8:00pm
Godzilla (1954; ranked #867 by 3031 users) – Playing 1/3 at 11:00am
Fiddler on the Roof (1971; ranked #925 by 3071 users) – Playing 1/23 at 8:00pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1437 by 522 users) – Playing 1/30 at 11:45pm
Them! (1954; ranked #1751 by 784 users) – Playing 1/3 at 7:45am
Oliver! (1968; ranked #1866 by 2357 users) – Playing 1/23 at 12:00N
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948; ranked #2168 by 366 users) – Playing 1/29 at 6:00am
Holiday Inn (1942; ranked #2381 by 451 users) – Playing 1/1 at 8:30am
Camelot (1967; ranked #2861 by 475 users) – Playing 1/23 at 6:00am
The Black Stallion (1979; ranked #3285 by 968 users) – Playing 1/22 at 8:00pm
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937; ranked #4411 by 87 users) – Playing 1/6 at 6:00am
Angels in the Outfield (1951; ranked #6807 by 138 users) – Playing 1/17 at 1:30pm
Lassie Come Home (1943; ranked #6849 by 141 users) – Playing 1/11 at 2:30pm
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950; ranked #7623 by 341 users) – Playing 1/1 at 6:30pm
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964; ranked #8091 by 132 users) – Playing 1/20 at 5:45pm
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952; ranked #9412 by 46 users) – Playing 1/13 at 12N
Presenting Lily Mars (1943; ranked #10514 by 21 users) – Playing 1/6 at 10:00am
Finian’s Rainbow (1968; ranked #13692 by 82 users) – Playing 1/23 at 9:15am
Flipper (1963; ranked #16121 by 111 users) – Playing 1/11 at 12:45pm
It’s a Date (1940; ranked #17248 by 4 users) – Playing 1/13 at 6:00am
Son of Lassie (1945; ranked #21065 by 10 users) – Playing 1/11 at 4:15pm
Movies to See Before You Die
We have a feature here at the Flickchart blog called “Movies to See Before You Die,” which highlights films ranked in the global Top 1000. These films playing on TCM this month all fit that description, so it’s a great way to cross some high rankers off your list.
North by Northwest (1959; ranked #28 by 26760 users) – Playing 1/31 at 1:45am
It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #69 by 3820 users) – Playing 1/29 at 10:00pm
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968; ranked #87 by 61590 users) – Playing 1/6 at 8:00pm
Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #97 by 10605 users) – Playing 1/26 at 5:00pm
His Girl Friday (1940; ranked #106 by 2819 users) – Playing 1/1 at 1:00pm
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #129 by 8635 users) – Playing 1/3 at 9:30pm
Bringing Up Baby (1938; ranked #137 by 3822 users) – Playing 1/11 at 6:00pm and 1/27 at 10:00am
Dog Day Afternoon (1975; ranked #164 by 13830 users) – Playing 1/9 at 2:30am
Charade (1963; ranked #170 by 2859 users) – Playing 1/1 at 8:00pm
In a Lonely Place (1950; ranked #172 by 768 users) – Playing 1/7 at 8:00pm
The Wild Bunch (1969; ranked #177 by 4181 users) – Playing 1/27 at 11:45pm
To Be or Not to Be (1942; ranked #225 by 811 users) – Playing 1/24 at 4:30pm
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966; ranked #227 by 1769 users) – Playing 1/23 at 3:00am
Wings of Desire (1987; ranked #256 by 1669 users) – Playing 1/22 at 10:15pm
The Shop Around the Corner (1940; ranked #279 by 1062 users) – Playing 1/24 at 6:15pm
White Heat (1949; ranked #282 by 996 users) – Playing 1/27 at 8:00pm
The Producers (1968; ranked #417 by 3681 users) – Playing 1/30 at 10:00pm
La Jetee (1962; ranked #419 by 981 users) – Playing 1/4 at 5:30am
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942; ranked #433 by 828 users) – Playing 1/17 at 12:45am
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958; ranked #441 by 1676 users) – Playing 1/26 at 12:45pm
Ninotchka (1939; ranked #462 by 904 users) – Playing 1/16 at 2:00pm and 1/24 at 9:15am
Bullitt (1968; ranked #485 by 3542 users) – Playing 1/13 at 8:00pm
Eraserhead (1977; ranked #498 by 4798 users) – Playing 1/4 at 1:45am
Forbidden Planet (1956; ranked #500 by 2619 users) – Playing 1/3 at 6:15pm
Trouble in Paradise (1932; ranked #517 by 473 users) – Playing 1/24 at 11:00pm
Day for Night (1973; ranked #524 by 662 users) – Playing 1/23 at 12:45am
The Lion in Winter (1968; ranked #542 by 1245 users) – Playing 1/9 at 5:30pm
Walkabout (1971; ranked #580 by 814 users) – Playing 1/27 at 3:30am
Gaslight (1944; ranked #591 by 774 users) – Playing 1/11 at 8:00pm
In Cold Blood (1967; ranked #609 by 1046 users) – Playing 1/8 at 8:00pm
Deliverance (1972; ranked #630 by 10425 users) – Playing 1/5 at 10:00pm
Pather Panchali (1955; ranked #644 by 331 users) – Playing 1/3 at 11:30pm
King Kong (1933; ranked #646 by 12988 users) – Playing 1/30 at 8:00pm
The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #661 by 1746 users) – Playing 1/28 at 6:00pm
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962; ranked #740 by 428 users) – Playing 2/1 at 2:30am
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937; ranked #764 by 274 users) – Playing 1/20 at 7:45am
Adam’s Rib (1949; ranked #797 by 981 users) – Playing 1/8 at 6:00am
Midnight Express (1978; ranked #864 by 2554 users) – Playing 1/18 at 2:15am
Godzilla (1954; ranked #867 by 3031 users) – Playing 1/3 at 11:00am
The Earrings of Madame de… (1953; ranked #895 by 346 users) – Playing 1/18 at 10:00pm
Fiddler on the Roof (1971; ranked #925 by 3071 users) – Playing 1/23 at 8:00pm
Into the Wild (2007; ranked #953 by 11101 users) – Playing 1/13 at 1:30am
Day by Day
Monday, January 1
Top Ranked: His Girl Friday (1940; ranked #106 by 2819 users) – Howard Hawks brought the screwball comedy to a whole new level…of speed. With rat-a-tat overlapping line delivery, the fast-paced newspaper world and combative relationship of the two leads (Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell) combine for breathtaking (and breakneck) great time at the movies. Playing 1/1 at 1:00pm
Don’t Miss: Charade (1963; ranked #170 by 2859 users) – Playing 1/1 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Ruggles of Red Gap (1935; ranked #3231 by 97 users) – The loss of a bet sends British butler Charles Laughton to small-town America. That very slight premise alone is more than enough to have me on board. Playing 1/1 at 6:45am
Tuesday, January 2
Top Ranked: The Bank Dick (1940; ranked #1789 by 382 users) – An evening of W.C. Fields films with this as the highlight, likely his best role. Fields was a one-of-a-kind entertainer, and this film captures his particular mode of comedy better than most others. Playing 1/2 at 10:45pm
Don’t Miss: David Copperfield (1935; ranked #3995 by 207 users) – When you think “W.C. Fields,” you may not think “Dickens” in the same sentence, but when you see Fields’ take on Mr. Micawber (somehow both true to character AND Fields’ persona), you won’t think of them apart again. Playing 1/3 at 2:45am
Wild Card: Young Bess (1953; ranked #19764 by 10 users) – Charles Laughton won an Oscar playing Henry VIII in 1933, and reprised the role 20 years later in this much lesser-know film about a young Elizabeth Tudor. Quite fictionalized, but a very enjoyable film with a great cast. Deserves far more of a viewership than it has. Playing 1/2 at 1:30pm
Wednesday, January 3
Top Ranked: A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #129 by 8635 users) – Playing 1/3 at 9:30pm
Don’t Miss: Pather Panchali (1955; ranked #644 by 331 users) – The first in Satyajit Ray’s humanist trilogy about a young boy growing up in India. Simple and heartfelt. Playing 1/3 at 11:30pm
Wild Card: Them! (1954; ranked #1751 by 784 users) – Radioactive giant ants in the American desert make for one of the great classics of nuclear paranoia creature features. This is part of a whole morning of classic sci-fi, so if that’s your jam, keep it tuned. Playing 1/3 at 7:45am
Thursday, January 4
Top Ranked: Love Affair (1939; ranked #5662 by 91 users) – One of Charles Boyer’s biggest hits, playing alongside Irene Dunne as a pair who fail in love on a cruise ship and plan to meet a year later. If that sounds familiar, this is the original (and frankly better) version of An Affair to Remember). Playing 1/4 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Algiers (1938; ranked #8718 by 51 users) – Though never said in the film, the line “come with me to the Casbah” (in Boyer’s distinctive tones) became a popular catchphrase of the time – and the film itself acts as something of a forerunner to the much more famous Casablanca. Playing 1/5 at 4:45am
Wild Card: Liliom (1934; ranked #15425 by 12 users) – In between Hollywood features, Boyer went back to France regularly, and this collaboration with Fritz Lang was one result, about a carnival barker in a love triangle. Playing 1/5 at 12:30am
Friday, January 5
Top Ranked: Deliverance (1972; ranked #630 by 10425 users) – Playing 1/5 at 10:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Most Dangerous Game (1932; ranked #1504 by 641 users) – Hunting people for sport on a private island is a distinctly Pre-Code thing to do, isn’t it? Playing 1/5 at 12:00M
Wild Card: Red-Headed Woman (1932; ranked #8184 by 55 users) – Jean Harlow was a sparkling comedienne even during the Code era, but her sultry physique and pouty demeanor was perfectly suited to Pre-Codes, and this is one of the best, with her shamelessly gold-digging her way to the top. Playing 1/5 at 8:15am
Saturday, January 6
Top Ranked: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968; ranked #87 by 61590 users) – Playing 1/6 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Prisoner of Zenda (1937; ranked #4411 by 87 users) – An adventure story set in the fictional European country of Ruritania, with visitor Ronald Colman finding he bears a striking resemblance to the domain’s king and must impersonate him when the monarch is kidnapped. Playing 1/6 at 6:00am
Wild Card: Madame Curie (1943; ranked #6193 by 113 users) – Greer Garson was a very dependable leading lady in the 1940s, receiving an unprecedented string of Academy Award nominations, including one for this biopic of scientist Marie Curie. Playing 1/6 at 12:00N
Sunday, January 7
Top Ranked: In a Lonely Place (1950; ranked #172 by 768 users) – Bogart’s best performance, Grahame’s best performance, Nicholas Ray’s best film, and one of the best noirs about Hollywood ever made. What are you waiting for? Playing 1/7 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1192 by 487 users) – In a Lonely Place might be Graham’s best performance, but she won an Oscar for this one, as one of several Hollywood folks adversely affected through their relationships (working and otherwise) with ne’er-do-well producer Kirk Douglas. Playing 1/7 at 10:00pm
Wild Card: The Sheik (1921; ranked #5084 by 113 users) – One of Rudolph Valentino’s most enduring films, though it creaks a bit today thanks to the basically inherent misogyny in the plot. Followed by its sequel The Son of the Sheik (1926; ranked #7801 by 57 users), which is actually even better. Playing 1/7 at 12:00N
Monday, January 8
Top Ranked: Dog Day Afternoon (1975; ranked #164 by 13830 users) – Playing 1/9 at 2:30am
Don’t Miss: Adam’s Rib (1949; ranked #797 by 981 users) – Playing 1/8 at 6:00am
Wild Card: The Phenix City Story (1955; ranked #7983 by 58 users) – One side of film noir explored crime and police work with an almost documentarian thoroughness, and this exploration of southern mob corruption is considered one of the best taking this approach. Playing 1/9 at 4:45am
Tuesday, January 9
Top Ranked: The Lion in Winter (1968; ranked #542 by 1245 users) – Katharine Hepburn won her third Oscar as Eleanor of Aquitaine in this film, one of the coolest ladies in history, during a contentious holiday reunion of the feuding Plantagenet family. Playing 1/9 at 5:30pm
Don’t Miss: Wuthering Heights (1939; ranked #1517 by 526 users) – In 1939 (widely considered one of the greatest years for film ever), the New York Film Critics Circle apparently couldn’t decide whether to give their top award to Gone with the Wind or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, so they gave it to Wuthering Heights. Seems legit. I don’t know if that move was justified, but this is a very solid and appropriately moody adaptation of Emily Bronte’s only novel. Playing 1/9 at 3:30pm
Wild Card: Adventures of Don Juan (1948; ranked #6884 by 65 users) – Errol Flynn was toward the end of his prime by 1948, but that wasn’t about to stop him from playing the world’s most famous lothario in this Technicolor swashbuckler. Playing 1/9 at 11:15am
Wednesday, January 10
Top Ranked: Gandhi (1982; ranked #1049 by 11237 users) – Playing 1/10 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Westworld (1973; ranked #1250 by 2103 users) – Novelist Michael Crichton jumped in the director chair for this film about a robot malfunction causing havoc at amusement park. Playing 1/10 at 4:30pm
Wild Card: The Brothers Karamazov (1958; ranked #16418 by users) – I’m not sure there’s ever been a definitive film version of Dostoevsky’s masterpiece, but this one actually comes up on top when searching IMDb, so maybe this is the one to beat! Yul Brynner, Hollywood’s go-to for any ethnicity that’s not quite white, plays the oldest brother. Playing 1/10 at 2:00pm
Thursday, January 11
Top Ranked: Bringing Up Baby (1938; ranked #137 by 3822 users) – Playing 1/11 at 6:00pm
Don’t Miss: Hold Back the Dawn (1941; ranked #10544 by 23 users) – This one is a don’t miss because it’s quite difficult to see, never having been released on DVD in Region 1, so catching one of TCM’s infrequent showings is your best bet to see this one, which features an Oscar-winning performance from Olivia de Havilland and Billy Wilder’s final script he didn’t direct. But also if you haven’t seen Gaslight (1944; ranked #591 by 774 users), playing just before Hold Back the Dawn, don’t miss that one either. Playing 1/11 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: The Constant Nymph (1943; ranked #12698 by 15 users) – Composer Charles Boyer has always thought of his friend’s daughter Joan Fontaine as a little girl, but she has more romantic ideas in mind as she comes of age. What could be (and let’s face it, kind of is in some ways) a pretty creepy premise works decently well thanks to Fontaine’s nuanced performance. Playing 1/12 at 4:30pm
Friday, January 12
Top Ranked: Into the Wild (2007; ranked #953 by 11101 users) – Quite a new one for TCM to be playing, but it fits in well with their “survival” spotlight. Playing 1/13 at 1:30am
Don’t Miss: The Good Earth (1937; ranked #7430 by 97 users) – A farmer and his wife in China struggle with famine and other hardships; based on the classic novel by Pearl S. Buck. Luise Rainer won the second of her two consecutive Oscars for this. Playing 1/12 at 5:15pm
Wild Card: The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954; ranked #8179 by 96 users) – Between Luis Bunuel’s early surrealist French films and his later surrealist European films, he spent quite a while making low-budget films in Mexico. This one was an opportunity to work on a larger budget and in color. There are surprisingly no “definitive” adaptations of Defoe’s novel, but I’m very interested in checking this one out. Playing 1/12 at 11:45pm
Saturday, January 13
Top Ranked: Bullitt (1968; ranked #485 by 3542 users) – This is mostly well-known for its iconic climactic car chase, but it’s a solid detective thriller throughout with a great vibe. And yeah, the car chase is pretty cool. Playing 1/13 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Narrow Margin (1952; ranked #3092 by 159 users) – One of my favorite undersung noirs, set almost completely on a train as a police officer has to protect a witness against mob assassins. The confined nature of trains make them great for the claustrophobia of noir, and the twists and turns here are all perfect. Playing 1/13 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: The Mack (1973; ranked #6810 by 122 users) and Superfly (1972; ranked #4526 by 338 users) – A pair of blaxploitation classics for TCM’s cult movie night. Playing 1/14 at 2:00am and 4:00am.
Sunday, January 14
Top Ranked: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947; ranked #1243 by 465 users) – A widow acquires a house in a remote village, but it turns out to be haunted. But when the ghost is a charming Rex Harrison who provides the companionship Mrs. Muir (Gene Tierney) needs, maybe it’s okay? Playing 1/14 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Where Danger Lives (1950; ranked #8725 by 51 users) – Robert Mitchum has a reputation as a laconic bad boy on screen, but he could play goofy when he wanted to, and this noir where he’s dragged along with a femme fatale after the murder of her husband is surprisingly goofy, while also being very effective. It’s a weird but winning combination. Playing 1/14 at 10:00am
Wild Card: Johnny Belinda (1948; ranked #5442 by 88 users) – Jane Wyman received her only Oscar for this role as the mute title character – and gave maybe the shortest Oscar speech ever: “I accept this very gratefully, for keeping my mouth shut once. I think I’ll do it again.” Playing 1/14 at 8:00am
Monday, January 15
Most of today is devoted to cinema featuring African-Americans, which is exceedingly rare in the classic era, and the variety is very good, so if the history of African-Americans in Hollywood interests you, check out the rest of today’s schedule as well.
Top Ranked: Shaft (1971; ranked #2218 by 1490 users) – Probably the best-known blaxploitation film, and for good reason. It’s a solid gritty detective film, and the theme song (which won an Oscar) is quite the earworm. Playing 1/16 at 2:00am
Don’t Miss: Cabin in the Sky (1943; ranked #4264 by 141 users) – It was rare for black performers, no matter how talented, to get a part in a Hollywood film other than “domestic servant” or in the best-case scenario, “speciality performance”. There were a few all-black films, though, and while this one depends far too much on unfortunate stereotypes, it’s still one of the best chances to see folks like Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson playing substantial roles. Playing 1/15 at 10:45am
Wild Card: Hallelujah (1929; ranked #9513 by 55 users) – An early talkie, and a rare foray for the time into all-black casts – as usual focused on juke joints and heavy-handed morality, but again, a rare chance in the classic era for African Americans to get in the limelight. Playing 1/15 at 6:00am
Tuesday, January 16
Top Ranked: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942; ranked #433 by 828 users) – Orson Welles wasn’t given the same kind of creative freedom with his second film that he enjoyed with Citizen Kane, and the career-long tradition of having his films recut began. Still, Ambersons is a solid film and a must-see for any Welles aficionado. Playing 1/17 at 12:45am
Don’t Miss: Ninotchka (1939; ranked #462 by 904 users) – First watch Ernst Lubitsch’s classic of a straight-laced Soviet woman (Greta Garbo) loosening up in Paris, then follow it up with Silk Stockings (1957; ranked #7046 by 61 users), a musical remake of the same story featuring Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire. Playing 1/16 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: That Uncertain Feeling (1941; ranked #10655 by 40 users) – While Ernst Lubitsch is a favorite director among most classic film fans, this is one that flies under the radar for him, with Merle Oberon and Melvyn Douglas tapping into the psychoanalysis craze of the early 1940s. Playing 1/16 at 9:15am
Wednesday, January 17
Top Ranked: Midnight Express (1978; ranked #864 by 2554 users) – Turkish prisons have a reputation, and this ‘70s classic plays into that, with a young American arrested for drug possession while in Istanbul and having to survive. Playing 1/18 at 2:15am
Don’t Miss: Chimes at Midnight (1965; ranked #1472 by 280 users) – Orson Welles did a number of Shakespeare adaptations, but none was closer to his heart than this portrait of Falstaff, drawn from multiple Shakespeare plays. It’s intimate and epic, and Wellesian through and through. Playing 1/17 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945; ranked #15804 by 12 users) – Trumpeter Jack Benny dreams he’s the angel chosen to blow The Last Trumpet – but there’s trouble brewing among the angels. I haven’t seen this, but it sounds kind of ridiculous and I’m up for that. Playing 1/18 at 4:30am
Thursday, January 18
Top Ranked: The Earrings of Madame de… (1953; ranked #895 by 346 users) – Perhaps Max Ophuls’ masterpiece, following the eponymous earrings around European high society in a manner befitting his signature circular panning shots, of which this film has many. Playing 1/18 at 10:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Stranger’s Return (1933; ranked #16698 by 5 users) – I keep plugging this every time it plays, and yet it still only has 5 rankers. Come on, folks! Lionel Barrymore as an eccentric patriarch of a small-town farm, Miriam Hopkins as the “stranger” returning from big city life, and they can’t figure out who’s stealing the show from the other. It’s so much fun. Playing 1/18 at 6:00am
Wild Card: Confidential Agent (1945; ranked #20825 by 5 users) – Lauren Bacall turned out not to have quite as much chemistry with Charles Boyer as she did with Humphrey Bogart, but she’s always worth watching, especially in espionage thriller type things. Playing 1/19 at 5:45am
Friday, January 19
Top Ranked: The Poseidon Adventure (1972; ranked #1420 by 3308 users) – Playing 1/19 at 10:45pm
Don’t Miss: The Flight of the Phoenix (1965; ranked #1980 by users) – Spoiler alert: The plane crashes. In the middle of the Sahara desert. But that’s only the beginning, as one of the survivors, an airplane designer, thinks he can rebuild a working plane from the wreckage. Playing 1/19 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Gambling Lady (1934; ranked #12155 by 21 users) – A barely Pre-Code Barbara Stanwyck film with her taking over her father’s failing gambling operation – of course she makes it a success, but can she resist the charms of a high society suitor? Stanwyck is always worth watching. Playing 1/19 at 4:00pm
Saturday, January 20
Top Ranked: Make Way for Tomorrow (1937; ranked #764 by 274 users) – A moving if somewhat maddening depiction of an older couple having to rely on the help of their less than sympathetic children. Playing 1/20 at 7:45am
Don’t Miss: The Band Wagon (1953; ranked #1449 by 407 users) – Fred Astaire plays an aging dancer making a return to Broadway, but between a director with grandiose dramatic ambition and a prima donna ballerina for a costar, it’s not going well. What they need to remember is the value of entertainment, and that’s what this movie as in spades. Simply one of the best MGM musicals, and that is saying a LOT. Playing 1/20 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964; ranked #8091 by 132 users) – There are a number of decent musicals playing this evening, but I wanted to throw a bone to Debbie Reynolds’ pure sunny-faced enthusiasm in this film, as the backwoods wife who ends up becoming a nouveau riche society woman, and ends up on the Titanic of all places. Based on a true story. Playing 1/20 at 5:45pm
Sunday, January 21
Top Ranked: The China Syndrome (1979; ranked #1259 by 1241 users) – The ‘70s may have been the pinnacle of political thrillers, this one about a conspiracy to cover up safety hazards at a nuclear power plant. Playing 1/21 at 10:15am
Don’t Miss: Act of Violence (1948; ranked #5186 by 83 users) – Many noir films deal with the aftermath of men returning home from WWII, but this one is particularly direct: a former POW (Robert Ryan) stalks his commanding officer (Van Heflin) to get revenge for Heflin having betrayed a planned escape attempt. Playing 1/21 at 10:00am
Wild Card: The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935; ranked #6246 by 55 users) – Gary Cooper in his adventuring prime, as a British soldier in India. Playing 1/21 at 12:00N
Monday, January 22
Top Ranked: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966; ranked #227 by 1769 users) – Playing 1/23 at 3:00am
Don’t Miss: Wings of Desire (1987; ranked #256 by 1669 users) – A pair of international classics tonight; this one is likely Wim Wenders’ masterpiece, following a pair of angels who seek to experience life on earth. Follow it up a few hours later with Francois Truffaut’s Day for Night (1973; ranked #524 by 662 users), one of the films about filmmaking ever made. Playing 1/22 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: Safe in Hell (1931; ranked #13343 by 19 users) – A Pre-Code if there ever was one, with Dorothy Mackaill as a woman fleeing after killing the man who raped and forced her into prostitution. Her “safe haven” in the Caribbean is also full of lecherous men, though, so…. Playing 1/22 at 6:00am
Tuesday, January 23
Top Ranked: Fiddler on the Roof (1971; ranked #925 by 3071 users) – Playing 1/23 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Equinox Flower (1958; ranked #4930 by 68 users) – A double Ozu feature tonight; this is the more obscure of the two, with Early Summer (1951; ranked #2126 by 125 users) is a little better known, but if you like master Ozu then everything’s worth watching. Playing 1/24 at 3:00am
Wild Card: The Student Prince (1954; ranked #17082 by 12 users) – MGM made a minor star out of operatic singer Mario Lanza, but in this case, they ended up just using his voice while Edmund Purdom played the eponymous prince – the story of a prince torn between love and duty isn’t very original (in fact, it’s based on a silent film directed by Ernst Lubitsch), but many of the songs are surprisingly memorable in Lanza’s fine tenor. Playing 1/23 at 11:15pm
Wednesday, January 24
Top Ranked: To Be or Not to Be (1942; ranked #225 by 811 users) – Comedies about Nazi Germany are tough to pull off, but Ernst Lubitsch does it here better than almost anybody, blending broad humor and effective pathos in this story of an Eastern European theatrical troupe pulled into the resistance. Note: There’s a whole Lubitsch marathon playing today, so really, just keep it tuned to TCM most of the day. Playing 1/24 at 4:30pm
Don’t Miss: Footlight Parade (1933; ranked #2956 by 170 users) – One of the best of Warner Bros cycle of Pre-Code musicals, using Busby Berkeley’s choreographic prowess to its best and featuring a hoofing James Cagney. Playing 1/25 at 4:15am
Wild Card: The Wildcat (1921; ranked #8567 by 50 users) – There are lots of Lubitsch films playing today worth highlighting here, but I picked one I haven’t seen because his silent work in Germany is highly underseen. Playing 1/24 at 11:15am
Thursday, January 25
Top Ranked: Fanny (1961; ranked #11766 by 41 users) – We’re into the lesser-known Charles Boyer films today, and there’s not a lot else of note playing, so I’ve just filled in three that seem to fit the categories the best. Playing 1/25 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962; ranked #19075 by 15 users) – Playing 1/25 at 10:30pm
Wild Card: The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969; ranked #22110 by 7 users) – Playing 1/26 at 3:30am
Friday, January 26
Top Ranked: Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #97 by 10605 users) – Playing 1/26 at 5:00pm
Don’t Miss: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958; ranked #441 by 1676 users) – Playing 1/26 at 12:45pm
Wild Card: My Side of the Mountain (1969; ranked #18670 by 33 users) – I grew up watching this movie, based on the well-known children’s book about a boy who decides to go live in the wilderness after reading Thoreau’s Walden. It’s a solid adaptation and deserves more rankers than this! Watch it with your older kids – the falcon that the boy befriends is a sure-fire favorite. Playing 1/26 at 9:45pm
Saturday, January 27
Top Ranked: Bringing Up Baby (1938; ranked #137 by 3822 users) – Playing 1/27 at 10:00am
Don’t Miss: White Heat (1949; ranked #282 by 996 users) – Playing 1/27 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: D.O.A. (1950; ranked #2068 by 297 users) – A lot of great noirs have very high-concept premises, and this is one of the best: A man is poisoned and has to find his own killer before he dies. Playing 1/27 at 10:15pm
Sunday, January 28
Top Ranked: The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #661 by 1746 users) – Playing 1/28 at 6:00pm
Don’t Miss: Blackboard Jungle (1955; ranked #3111 by 242 users) – One of the original “great teacher” movies, with Glenn Ford taking on a problem class led by a very young Sidney Poitier. A solid film in any estimation, but the bit of trivia is this is the first time rock n roll music was used in a movie, with “Rock Around the Clock” played prominently. Playing 1/28 at 2:00pm
Wild Card: Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951; ranked #15860 by 21 users) – An unusual noir focusing on an ex-con going straight, but having to go on the lam with his girl when someone near her ends up dead. Focuses more on the romance and the future (and a rural setting) than most noir, putting an interesting spin on the standard tropes. Playing 1/28 at 10:00am
Monday, January 29
Top Ranked: It Happened One Night (1934; ranked #69 by 3820 users) – Playing 1/29 at 10:00pm
Don’t Miss: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948; ranked #2168 by 366 users) – A family classic focusing on Cary Grant (along with his wife Myrna Loy and family) trying to get a house built, with all the comedic events that can play into that. Playing 1/29 at 6:00am
Wild Card: It’s a Wonderful World (1939; ranked #3612 by 200 users) – Everyone’s seen It’s a Wonderful Life, but not nearly as many people are familiar with this earlier screwball comedy costarring Jimmy Stewart and Claudette Colbert, but TCM is good at rectifying oversights like that. Playing 1/30 at 4:00am
Tuesday, January 30
Top Ranked: North by Northwest (1959; ranked #28 by 26760 users) – Playing 1/31 at 1:45am
Don’t Miss: King Kong (1933; ranked #646 by 12988 users) – Playing 1/30 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: They Were Expendable (1945; ranked #2862 by 317 users) – It always kind of surprises me that this John Ford-John Wayne WWII film is relatively low on the global chart, and fairly obscure in terms of number of rankers, too. It’s a really worthwhile and solid look at the South Pacific theatre, focusing on the adoption and use of the PT boat. Playing 1/30 at 8:00am
Wednesday, January 31
Top Ranked: Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962; ranked #740 by 428 users) – A stunning film from director Agnes Varda, one of the few films that feels both authentically French New Wave and also has a distinctly female perspective. For a Varda double feature, keep it tuned for Le Bonheur (1965; ranked #4161 by 110 users). Playing 2/1 at 2:30am
Don’t Miss: Klute (1971; ranked #1672 by 593 users) – A breakthrough role for Jane Fonda (she won an Oscar) as a call girl who’s the only lead in a murder being investigated by detective Donald Sutherland. A solid New Hollywood take on the director thriller. Playing 2/1 at 12:15am
Wild Card: Angel Face (1953; ranked #3298 by 170 users) – Jean Simmons doesn’t seem like a femme fatale type, but she played one of the fatalest in this Otto Preminger-directed noir. Playing 1/31 at 6:30am