A Flickchart Guide to TCM in July
I hope you guys like Westerns, because TCM is playing 101 of them in July. That’s right, the TCM Spotlight programming is 101 Great Westerns. But never fear if the old West isn’t your bag, they’ve also got Star of the Month Olivia de Havilland, a special theme on American in the ’70s, and even a couple of nights devoted to the pioneers of African-American cinema. It’s a wide-ranging set of themes for sure.
I also want to point out right off the bat a very rare screening – late July 22/early July 23 they’re showing 1941’s Hold Back the Dawn, for which de Havilland was nominated for an Oscar (losing to her sister Joan Fontaine for Suspicion), and which is Billy Wilder’s last script he didn’t direct. It’s supposed to be an excellent film, but it’s not on DVD and is rarely screened (the last time TCM showed it was three years ago, though they are scheduled to repeat it in August). So if you’re after hard to find films that have no business being obscure, here you go.
Spotlight: 101 Great Westerns
I haven’t actually listed all 101 westerns TCM has programmed; they literally have every Tuesday and Wednesday full of westerns, and many of them are obscure programmers that really are just for western aficionados. For more details on EVERYTHING, visit TCM’s microsite devoted to the series. I’ve pulled out the Top Ten highest ranked ones, then done a slightly fuller listing below based on the themed scheduling. It’s a little sloppy because not everything on a given day fits in the theme, but I tried.
Top Ten
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966; ranked #21 by 34314 users) – Westerns aren’t always a big hit with Flickchart users (this is the only one playing this month in the Global Top 100), but with its combination of Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone, Ennio Morricone, an epic Civil War setting, and a complex set of goals among the three main characters, this one leaves a lasting impression. All three Man with No Name films are playing – see below. Playing 7/19 at 12:00M and 7/30 at 8:00pm
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4700 users) – Considered by many to be John Ford’s masterpiece, The Searchers gives John Wayne one of his most complex roles – Ethan Edwards is a Civil War vet coming home, but he’s an outsider in his own family. When most of his family is killed in an Indian massacre, he single-minded seeks the one that got kidnapped, hatred and prejudice ever growing in his heart. Playing 7/5 at 9:45pm
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #116 by 8068 users) – The first of the Man with No Name trilogy is also the simplest, with Clint Eastwood’s nameless character stumbling into a town in the midst of a feud between powerful families and playing them against each other to bring resolution. Playing 7/19 at 8:00pm
For a Few Dollars More (1965; ranked #136 by 8080 users) – In the follow-up to A Fistful of Dollars, a pair of rival bounty hunters (one of them Clint Eastwood’s nameless hero) team up to stop a notorious criminal, but one of them has an ulterior motive. A great movie all around, but the bank robbing section is particularly fun. Playing 7/19 at 9:45pm
Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #140 by 2401 users) – Sheriff John Wayne and his buddies have to hold off a gang from rescuing their leader from jail; in the meantime, he’s got to sober up Dean Martin, teach Ricky Nelson to be a man, and keep Walter Brennan from getting too cantenkerous. The joy of this film is just hanging out with these guys and enjoying their interactions. Playing 7/20 at 10:30pm
The Wild Bunch (1969; ranked #167 by 3930 users) – One strain of revisionist westerns examined the end of the western era, as cowboys and outlaws faded away to be replaced by law, order, and civilization. This is one of the best examples of that, as the titular bunch of aging bank robbers go into retirement with the law always on their tales, unable to adjust to the modernizing world. Known for its extra-bloody violence. Playing 7/6 at 11:30pm
The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #193 by 4931 users) – The second film in this top ten based on a Kurosawa film (A Fistful of Dollars is a loose remake of Yojimbo), taking The Seven Samurai‘s plot of a group of ronin protecting a town from bandits and turning them into cowboys instead. Despite such a celebrated predecessor, The Magnificent Seven holds up quite well, too. Playing 7/13 at 10:00pm
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #240 by 1811 users) – The other major contender for title of “John Ford’s Western Masterpiece” is this first collaboration with John Wayne. Wayne plays the Ringo Kid, an outlaw coming into the varied milieu of a stagecoach already carrying a prostitute being run out of town, a pregnant woman going to meet her husband, an alcoholic doctor, a whiskey salesman, a smarmy Southern gentleman, and an embezzling banker. The interactions between this cross-section of old West society are the meat of the movie, and Ford handles them with perfection. Playing 7/5 at 8:00pm
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971; ranked #288 by 1091 users) – The most overtly revisionist western in this Top Ten, this Altman film has a mumbling and mild-mannered Warren Beatty as town-builder McCabe, who is rumored to be a great gunfighter, but seems to show little signs of such skill, and Julie Christie as the madam he brings in to run the town’s brothel. Very low-key and unusual western, but with solid emotional payoff. Playing 7/27 at 12:00M
Red River (1948; ranked #367 by 994 users) – When Howard Hawks got hold of John Wayne, he made him the Captain Bligh to Montgomery Clift’s Mr. Christian in this cattle drive reinterpretation of Mutiny on the Bounty. Making things even more interesting, Clift’s character is Wayne’s adopted son, so this battle of the wills becomes also a test of family relationships. Trivia: This was the “last picture show” in 1971’s The Last Picture Show. Playing 7/20 at 8:00pm
The Early Years – July 5
One of the earliest narrative films was a western, so it’s a genre as old as cinema and as American as can be. Silent and early sound westerns like this solidified the tropes that would become the genre’s trademarks.
The Great Train Robbery (1903; ranked #3646 by 738 users) – Playing 7/5 at 6:15am
The Squaw Man (1914; ranked #8882 by 43 users) – Playing 7/5 at 6:30am
The Vanishing American (1925; ranked #8076 by 47 users) – Playing 7/5 at 8:00am
Cimarron (1931; ranked #8459 by 216 users) – Playing 7/5 at 10:00am
The Squaw Man (1931; ranked #16982 by 6 users) – Playing 7/5 at 12:15pm
Annie Oakley (1935; ranked #8924 by 49 users) – Playing 7/5 at 2:15pm
The Plainsman (1936; ranked #9532 by 42 users) – Playing 7/5 at 6:00pm
John Ford/John Wayne – July 5
Can’t have western-themed programming without Ford and Wayne! Both have other films scattered throughout the series, but these five are a great place to start with their joint filmography.
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #240 by 1811 users) – Playing 7/5 at 8:00pm
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4700 users) – Playing 7/5 at 9:45pm
Fort Apache (1948; ranked #1706 by 397 users) – Playing 7/5 at 12:00M
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949; ranked #1303 by 514 users) – Playing 7/6 at 2:15am
3 Godfathers (1948; ranked #3208 by 164 users) – Playing 7/6 at 4:15am
Sam Peckinpah – July 6
Straddling the traditional western and revisionist western eras, Peckinpah is noted for his beautifully choreographed but brutal violence, especially in films like The Wild Bunch. His more traditional westerns like Ride the High Country are excellent as well.
Ride the High Country (1962; ranked #1651 by 256 users) – Playing 7/6 at 8:00pm
The Deadly Companions (1961; ranked #14758 by 29 users) – Playing 7/6 at 9:45pm
The Wild Bunch (1969; ranked #167 by 3930 users) – Playing 7/6 at 11:30pm
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970; ranked #1828 by 313 users) – Playing 7/7 at 2:00am
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973; ranked #1267 by 625 users) – Playing 7/7 at 4:15am
Epic Westerns – July 12
The broad vistas and bigger-than-life characters in westerns lend themselves to an epic feel, so these films are just taking the next logical step.
The Big Sky (1952; ranked #8464 by 73 users) – Playing 7/12 at 6:00am
How the West Was Won (1963; ranked #1975 by 750 users) – Playing 7/12 at 8:30am
Cheyenne Autumn (1964; ranked #8668 by 88 users) – Playing 7/12 at 11:15am
The Alamo (1960; ranked #2699 by 628 users) – Playing 7/12 at 2:00pm
Cimarron (1960; ranked #8011 by 81 users) – Playing 7/12 at 5:30pm
These two don’t really fit the Epic Western theme, but are part of the Anthony Mann-James Stewart cycle of westerns, and thus are amazing.
The Naked Spur (1953; ranked #1877 by 299 users) – Playing 7/12 at 8:00pm
The Man from Laramie (1955; ranked #1873 by 258 users) – Playing 7/12 at 10:00pm
Singing Cowboys – July 13
Honestly, I didn’t pull any of the singing cowboy movies out to list individually – I’m not particularly familiar with them to know which ones to highlight and none of them are well-known individually. But if you are interested in the singing cowboy phenomenon (they were immensely popular in the ’30s and ’40s, from Gene Autry to Roy Rogers), check out TCM’s featured schedule. The ones listed below are not-singing-cowboy westerns playing that day.
The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #193 by 4931 users) – Playing 7/13 at 10:00pm
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955; ranked #608 by 547 users) – Playing 7/14 at 12:15am
The Lusty Men (1952; ranked #6914 by 34 users) – Playing 7/14 at 5:00am
Spaghetti Westerns – July 19
Italians making westerns? Yes, and dang good ones, too. The full Dollars trilogy is playing, as well as several other ones plus some Eastwood holdovers.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #116 by 8068 users) – Playing 7/19 at 8:00pm
For a Few Dollars More (1965; ranked #136 by 8080 users) – Playing 7/19 at 9:45pm
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1986; ranked #21 by 34314 users) – Playing 7/19 at 12:00M and 7/30 at 8:00pm
Hang ‘Em High (1968; ranked #1105 by 1305 users) – Playing 7/20 at 3:00am
Glenn Ford and John Wayne – July 20
Several Ford films are playing; I only highlighted one. But the Wayne night is split between a trio of films with Howard Hawks and a pair with Andrew McLaglen, all of them enjoyable.
3:10 to Yuma (1957; ranked #1752 by 524 users) – Playing 7/20 at 4:45pm
Red River (1948; ranked #367 by 994 users) – Playing 7/20 at 8:00pm
Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #140 by 2401 users) – Playing 7/20 at 10:30pm
Rio Lobo (1970; ranked #2765 by 277 users) – Playing 7/21 at 1:00am
Chisum (1970; ranked #3190 by 274 users) – Playing 7/21 at 3:00am
McLintock! (1963; ranked #2042 by 479 users) – Playing 7/21 at 5:00am
Western Comedies – July 26
Westerns crossed over with just about every other genre (even musicals), and western comedies certainly didn’t start with Blazing Saddles.
Go West (1925; ranked #3046 by 181 users) – Playing 7/26 at 6:00am
Way Out West (1937; ranked #3853 by 148 users) – Playing 7/26 at 7:15am
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969; ranked #3213 by 232 users) – Playing 7/26 at 2:15pm
Great Barroom Brawls – July 26
I love me a good barroom brawl, so I think it’s pretty cool TCM split these out like this. My favorite barroom brawl in a western is actually Dodge City, which is playing this month in the Olivia de Havilland programming rather than the western programming.
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972; ranked #2799 by 261 users) – Playing 7/26 at 4:00pm
Shane (1953; ranked #661 by 1536 users) – Playing 7/26 at 8:00pm
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943; ranked #409 by 789 users) – Playing 7/26 at 10:15pm
True Stories and Revisionist Westerns – July 27
Legends and tall tales abound from the Old West era, and here are some movies based on reality, though most take plenty of poetic license.
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4305 by 322 users) – Playing 7/27 at 10:00am
They Died With Their Boots On (1941; ranked #3355 by 214 users) – Playing 7/27 at 4:00pm
A few other revisionist westerns are scattered throughout, but these are definitely some of the most revisionist, taking those tropes and assumptions and turning them upside down.
Little Big Man (1970; ranked #949 by 1254 users) – Playing 7/27 at 9:30pm
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971; ranked #288 by 1091 users) – Playing 7/27 at 12:00M
Heaven’s Gate (1980; ranked #2617 by 378 users) – Playing 7/28 at 2:15am
Star of the Month: Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland celebrated her 100th birthday on July 1, still alive to see the milestone and planning to hit 110. There was little doubt she’d be TCM’s Star of the Month to mark this occasion, and so she is. Best known for her role as demure-but-resilient Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and a series of swashbucklers with Errol Flynn, de Havilland is also a two-time Oscar winner and also notable for suing Warner Bros over their restrictive contract and winning – the first actress to successfully challenge the studios over contracts, though Bette Davis, Joan Leslie, and others had tried and failed before her.
That off-screen defiance may seem at odds with her on-screen persona, but that’s part of why she did it – Warner wasn’t giving her the challenging roles she knew she could do, and sure enough, she was right. Though Warner blackballed her after the suit, she had no trouble finding work at other studios and quickly racked up critical acclaim and award for roles like To Each His Own, The Snake Pit, and The Heiress.
The other thing de Havilland is known for off-screen is her long-time rivalry and feud with her younger sister, Joan Fontaine. Both sisters arrived in Hollywood at about the same time, fought over similar (sometimes the same) roles, and competed for Oscars. When Joan won an Oscar for 1941’s Suspicion over Olivia in Hold Back the Dawn, Olivia was particularly hurt when Joan refused her outstretched hand of congratulations. Decades later, they still weren’t talking. Joan died in 2013.
TOP FIVE
[Note: TCM played most of de Havilland’s highest ranked films on the 1st, and I missed the deadline. But Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Captain Blood play often and are fairly easy to find in general – and I hope you do, because they’re all excellent!
The Heiress (1949; ranked #1971 by 186 users) – Olivia won her second Oscar for this role, an unattractive heiress who falls for a poor young man (Montgomery Clift) against the wishes of domineering father (John Gielgud), who thinks he’s only after her money. Playing 7/15 at 10:00pm
They Died with Their Boots On (1941; ranked #3355 by 214 users) – The final Errol Flynn-Olivia de Havilland film has Flynn playing General Custer headed, eventually, to Little Big Horn. We know how this story ends, but the film is exciting and sensitive, one of the pairs’ best together. Playing 7/8 at 9:45pm
The Snake Pit (1948; ranked #3592 by 159 users) – A decidedly non-glamorous role for de Havilland has her in an insane asylum, apparently suffering from schizophrenia. Something of a “message picture” highlighting the poor state of mental health care, it’s remarkably effective, due in no small part to de Havilland’s performance. Playing 7/15 at 8:00pm
Dodge City (1939; ranked #5110 by 107 users) – One of the lesser-known entries in the Flynn-de Havilland cycle, but one of my personal favorites – a really fun western with a smirk and a barroom brawl that won’t be beat. Playing 7/9 at 2:15am
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935; ranked #6456 by 107 users) – Olivia made a film or two before this, but recreating the role of Hermia that she’d played on stage in 1935 was a major breakthrough, and the start of her long-term contract with Warner. This film uses established film stars in unusual roles, like Mickey Rooney as Puck and James Cagney as Bottom, but it’s hard to imagine a better-cast Hermia than de Havilland. Playing 7/16 at 9:30am
THE REST
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936; ranked #7159 by 124 users) – Playing 7/9 at 4:15am
The Strawberry Blonde (1941; ranked #7729 by 49 users) – Playing 7/23 at 4:00am
In This Our Life (1942; ranked #8184 by 35 users) – Playing 7/8 at 8:00pm
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943; ranked #8448 by 59 users) – Playing 7/23 at 7:30am
The Swarm (1978; ranked #8771 by 311 users) – Playing 7/29 at 10:00pm
Santa Fe Trail (1940; ranked #9264 by 55 users) – Playing 7/9 at 12:15am
To Each His Own (1946; ranked #9640 by 26 users) – Playing 7/16 at 12:15am
It’s Love I’m After (1937; ranked #11302 by 21 users) – Playing 7/9 at 6:15am
The Male Animal (1942; ranked #11372 by 41 users) – Playing 7/30 at 4:00am
Hold Back the Dawn (1941; ranked #12080 by 10 users) – Playing 7/23 at 1:45am
Four’s a Crowd (1938; ranked #13647 by 14 users) – Playing 7/23 at 9:45am
Devotion (1946; ranked #13867 by 13 users) – Playing 7/16 at 2:30am
Libel (1959; ranked #15590 by 7 users) – Playing 7/30 at 2:15am
My Cousin Rachel (1952; ranked #15862 by 15 users) – Playing 7/22 at 8:00pm
Princess O’Rourke (1943; ranked #16315 by 13 users) – Playing 7/30 at 7:45am
My Love Came Back (1940; ranked #18938 by 2 users) – Playing 7/23 at 6:00am
Government Girl (1943; ranked #18983 by 2 users) – Playing 7/30 at 6:00am
Light in the Piazza (1962; ranked #19179 by 14 users) – Playing 7/30 at 12:15am
The Ambassador’s Daughter (1956; ranked #19611 by 5 users) – Playing 7/22 at 11:45pm
Hard to Get (1938; ranked #19627 by 1 users) – Playing 7/16 at 6:15am
The Proud Rebel (1958; ranked #21950 by 12 users) – Playing 7/22 at 9:45pm
The 5th Musketeer (1979; ranked #22886 by 23 users) – Playing 7/29 at 8:00pm
Wings of the Navy (1939; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/16 at 4:30am
Gold Is Where You Find It (1938; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/16 at 7:45am
Special Theme: America in the 1970s
In this series, TCM takes a look at the films that have come to define not just filmmaking in the ’70s, but the decade itself. New Hollywood privileged directors more than ever before, but also privileged adult filmmaking about series and often political subjects, and you see that a lot in the films programmed here.
TOP FIVE
Network (1976; ranked #89 by 6631 users) – Playing 7/8 at 12:30am
The Conversation (1974; ranked #98 by 5117 users) – Playing 7/8 at 2:45am
Dog Day Afternoon (1975; ranked #155 by 13170 users) – Playing 7/21 at 10:00am
All the President’s Men (1976; ranked #168 by 7625 users) – Playing 7/7 at 8:00pm
The French Connection (1971; ranked #173 by 7222 users) – Playing 7/22 at 4:15am
THE REST
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974; ranked #390 by 1283 users) – Playing 7/21 at 8:00pm
The Last Detail (1973; ranked #431 by 802 users) – Playing 7/28 at 10:00pm
Breaking Away (1979; ranked #708 by 1136 users) – Playing 7/15 at 4:45am
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974; ranked #1005 by 1050 users) – Playing 7/14 at 8:00pm
Saturday Night Fever (1977; ranked #1919 by 6486 users) – Playing 7/22 at 12:15am
Klute (1971; ranked #1658 by 514 users) – Playing 7/8 at 4:45am
Scarecrow (1973; ranked #1859 by 279 users) – Playing 7/28 at 8:00pm
Shaft (1971; ranked #2101 by 1372 users) – Playing 7/22 at 2:30am
The Candidate (1972; ranked #2318 by 308 users) – Playing 7/7 at 10:30pm
The Stepford Wives (1975; ranked #2527 by 949 users) – Playing 7/14 at 10:00pm
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977; ranked #3644 by 222 users) – Playing 7/15 at 12:15am
The Drowning Pool (1975; ranked #4754 by 172 users) – Playing 7/29 at 2:00am
Wise Blood (1979; ranked #4833 by 126 users) – Playing 7/28 at 12:00M
The Paper Chase (1973; ranked #5184 by 212 users) – Playing 7/15 at 2:45am
Let’s Do It Again (1975; ranked #18303 by 37 users) – Playing 7/29 at 4:00am
Marathons and Tributes
Fourth of July
For a series of only six films, this set of films gives an excellent cross-section of patriotism. From senators filibustering to preserve the rights of the little guy to Puerto Ricans singing the praises of America to small-town America to WWI and WWII jingoism, it’s all here – plus a musical actually about the founding of America. Fire up the grill and settle in.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #132 by 5529 users) – Playing 7/4 at 3:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #821 by 11862 users) – Playing 7/4 at 5:15pm
The Music Man (1962; ranked #1227 by 1531 users) – Playing 7/4 at 8:00pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #1018 by 799 users) – Playing 7/4 at 10:45pm
1776 (1972; ranked #2089 by 507 users) – Playing 7/5 at 1:00am
Thousands Cheer (1943; ranked #11563 by 11 users) – Playing 7/5 at 4:00am
Pioneers of African American Cinema – July 24 and 31
Many of these films are not even in the Flickchart database, and some are so obscure that all the info needed to submit them isn’t readily available. Suffice it to say that if you’re interested in the origins of a uniquely African-American cinema, this two-day series looks pretty amazing. There are films from Oscar Micheaux, considered the first great African-American filmmaker, several obscure shorts, and more. Since I’m unfamiliar with most of these myself, here’s TCM’s intro to the series. Note: the Commandment Keeper Church short is a short documentary directed by Zora Neale Hurston, so it may be of interest if you’re a fan of her writing.
Birthright (1939; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/24 at 8:00pm
Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/24 at 9:30pm
We Work Again (1937; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/24 at 11:10pm
Veiled Aristocrats (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/24 at 11:30pm
Within Our Gates (1920; ranked #6989 by 69 users) – Playing 7/24 at 12:30am
Touki Bouki (1973; ranked #10492 by 38 users) – Playing 7/25 at 2:00am
Blood of Jesus (1941; ranked #20085 by 2 users) – Playing 7/31 at 8:00pm
Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. (1946; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 9:15pm
Heaven-bound Traveler (1932; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 10:30pm
Verdict Not Guilty (1933; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 10:45pm
Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort California, May 1940 (1940; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 11:00pm
Mercy, the Mummy Mumbled (1918; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 11:30pm
Two Knights of Vaudeville (1915; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 11:45pm
Scar of Shame (1927; ranked # by users) – Playing 7/31 at 12:00M
Regeneration (1923; ranked # by users) – Playing 8/1 at 1:45am
If You’re Into…
…Pre-Codes
Queen Christina (1933; ranked #3403 by 134 users) – Playing 7/21 at 5:15pm
Cimarron (1931; ranked #8459 by 216 users) – Playing 7/5 at 10:00am
The Unholy Three (1930; ranked #10852 by 18 users) – Playing 7/22 at 12:15pm
Sally (1929; ranked #12157 by 21 users) – Playing 7/28 at 7:45am
Just a Gigolo (1931; ranked #12904 by 12 users) – Playing 7/22 at 1:30pm
Love in the Rough (1930; ranked #13201 by 12 users) – Playing 7/25 at 5:00pm
The Tenderfoot (1932; ranked #14029 by 6 users) – Playing 7/28 at 3:45pm
Downstairs (1932; ranked #14378 by 6 users) – Playing 7/9 at 10:00pm
Sadie McKee (1934; ranked #14588 by 7 users) – Playing 7/25 at 6:15am
Sit Tight (1931; ranked #14624 by 7 users) – Playing 7/28 at 2:30pm
Going Wild (1930; ranked #15023 by 11 users) – Playing 7/28 at 12:00N
Eleven Men and a Girl (1930; ranked #15669 by 13 users) – Playing 7/28 at 6:30am
Broadminded (1931; ranked #15751 by 5 users) – Playing 7/28 at 10:45am
The Squaw Man (1931; ranked #16982 by 6 users) – Playing 7/5 at 12:15pm
Men Call It Love (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/9 at 11:30pm
Peg O’ My Heart (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/25 at 3:30pm
They Learned About Women (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/22 at 10:30am
Hell Below (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/22 at 2:45pm
The Nuisance (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/22 at 4:30pm
The Floradora Girl (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/25 at 11:00am
Never the Twain Shall Meet (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/25 at 2:00am
Lady with a Past (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/25 at 6:30pm
Top Speed (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/28 at 10:45am
Local Boy Makes Good (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/28 at 1:15pm
You Said a Mouthful (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/28 at 5:00pm
6 Day Bike Rider (1934; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/28 at 6:15pm
…Film Noir
Night of the Hunter (1955; ranked #41 by 3392 users) – Playing 7/19 at 1:30am
Touch of Evil (1958; ranked #53 by 3387 users) – Playing 7/18 at 10:00pm
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #149 by 1382 users) – Playing 7/19 at 4:30am
The Asphalt Jungle (1950; ranked #467 by 1048 users) – Playing 7/8 at 5:30pm
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955; ranked #608 by 545 users) – Playing 7/2 at 2:30pm and 7/14 at 12:15am
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1327 by 430 users) – Playing 7/31 at 4:00pm
…Musicals
West Side Story (1961; ranked #821 by 11862 users) – Playing 7/4 at 5:15pm
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #1018 by 799 users) – Playing 7/4 at 10:45pm
The Music Man (1962; ranked #1227 by 1531 users) – Playing 7/4 at 8:00pm
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954; ranked #1456 by 1324 users) – Playing 7/2 at 10:30pm
Victor/Victoria (1982; ranked #1573 by 977 users) – Playing 7/11 at 11:45pm
Saturday Night Fever (1977; ranked #1919 by 6486 users) – Playing 7/22 at 12:15am
1776 (1972; ranked #2089 by 507 users) – Playing 7/5 at 1:00am
High Society (1956; ranked #2253 by 358 users) – Playing 7/31 at 2:00pm
Brigadoon (1954; ranked #3514 by 300 users) – Playing 7/17 at 10:00am
That’s Entertainment! (1974; ranked #3968 by 245 users) – Playing 7/2 at 8:00pm
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4305 by 322 users) – Playing 7/27 at 10:00am
Stormy Weather (1943; ranked #5275 by 111 users) – Playing 7/31 at 12:15pm
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943; ranked #8448 by 59 users) – Playing 7/23 at 7:30am
Thousands Cheer (1943; ranked #11563 by 11 users) – Playing 7/5 at 4:00am
Where the Boys Are (1960; ranked #11848 by 46 users) – Playing 7/14 at 10:15am
Harum Scarum (1965; ranked #14538 by 49 users) – Playing 7/15 at 12:00N
Lovely to Look At (1952; ranked #14748 by 5 users) – Playing 7/18 at 3:15pm
The Desert Song (1953; ranked #21588 by 3 users) – Playing 7/15 at 6:00pm
…Silent Cinema
City Lights (1931; ranked #15 by 2875 users) – Playing 7/8 at 1:30pm
Modern Times (1936; ranked #81 by 4887 users) – Playing 7/8 at 12:00N
Broken Blossoms (1919; ranked #2033 by 364 users) – Playing 7/8 at 10:15am
Go West (1925; ranked #3046 by 181 users) – Playing 7/26 at 6:00am
The Great Train Robbery (1903; ranked #3646 by 738 users) – Playing 7/5 at 6:15am
Orphans of the Storm (1921; ranked #3992 by 126 users) – Playing 7/11 at 12:45am
Within Our Gates (1920; ranked #6989 by 69 users) – Playing 7/24 at 12:30am
Souls for Sale (1923; ranked #7474 by 44 users) – Playing 7/18 at 12:15am
The Vanishing American (1925; ranked #8076 by 47 users) – Playing 7/5 at 8:00am
The Squaw Man (1914; ranked #8882 by 43 users) – Playing 7/5 at 6:30am
The Smart Set (1928; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 7/22 at 6:00am
…Foreign Cinema
The Vanishing (1988; ranked #912 by 729 users) – Playing 7/11 at 3:45am
Ballad of a Soldier (1960; ranked #3475 by 99 users) – Playing 7/18 at 4:00am
Before the Rain (1994; ranked #8466 by 66 users) – Playing 7/18 at 2:00am
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968; ranked #9018 by 45 users) – Playing 7/25 at 3:45am
Touki Bouki (1973; ranked #10492 by 38 users) – Playing 7/25 at 2:00am
Trances (1981; ranked #32293 by 3 users) – Playing 8/1 at 2:00am
…If You Have Kids
City Lights (1931; ranked #15 by 2875 users) – Playing 7/8 at 1:30pm
Modern Times (1936; ranked #81 by 4887 users) – Playing 7/8 at 12:00N
The Music Man (1962; ranked #1227 by 1531 users) – Playing 7/4 at 8:00pm
The Time Machine (1960; ranked #1249 by 1147 users) – Playing 7/16 at 4:00pm
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954; ranked #1456 by 1324 users) – Playing 7/2 at 10:30pm
Brigadoon (1954; ranked #3514 by 300 users) – Playing 7/17 at 10:00am
Tom Thumb (1958; ranked #12084 by 78 users) – Playing 7/16 at 2:00pm
Movies to See Before You Die
City Lights (1931; ranked #15 by 2875 users) – Playing 7/8 at 1:30pm
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1986; ranked #21 by 34314 users) – Playing 7/19 at 12:00M AND 7/30 at 8:00pm
Dr. Strangelove (1964; ranked #27 by 35011 users) – Playing 7/23 at 1:45pm
Night of the Hunter (1955; ranked #41 by 3392 users) – Playing 7/19 at 1:30am
A Clockwork Orange (1971; ranked #48 by 59704 users) – Playing 7/4 at 2:00am
Touch of Evil (1958; ranked #53 by 3387 users) – Playing 7/18 at 10:00pm
Paths of Glory (1957; ranked #60 by 5347 users) – Playing 7/4 at 4:30am
Modern Times (1936; ranked #81 by 4887 users) – Playing 7/8 at 12:00N
Network (1976; ranked #89 by 6631 users) – Playing 7/8 at 12:30am
The Conversation (1974; ranked #98 by 5117 users) – Playing 7/8 at 2:45am
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4700 users) – Playing 7/5 at 9:45pm
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; ranked #116 by 8068 users) – Playing 7/19 at 8:00pm
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #132 by 5529 users) – Playing 7/4 at 3:00pm
For a Few Dollars More (1965; ranked #136 by 8080 users) – Playing 7/19 at 9:45pm
Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #140 by 2401 users) – Playing 7/20 at 10:30pm
Out of the Past (1947; ranked #149 by 1382 users) – Playing 7/19 at 4:30am
Dog Day Afternoon (1975; ranked #155 by 13170 users) – Playing 7/21 at 10:00am
The Wild Bunch (1969; ranked #167 by 3930 users) – Playing 7/6 at 11:30pm
All the President’s Men (1976; ranked #168 by 7625 users) – Playing 7/7 at 8:00pm
The French Connection (1971; ranked #173 by 7222 users) – Playing 7/22 at 4:15am
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #177 by 1134 users) – Playing 7/8 at 8:30am
The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #193 by 4931 users) – Playing 7/13 at 10:00pm
Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #199 by 19342 users) – Playing 7/10 at 12:00N
Brief Encounter (1945; ranked #213 by 874 users) – Playing 7/11 at 10:00pm
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #240 by 1811 users) – Playing 7/5 at 8:00pm
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971; ranked #288 by 1091 users) – Playing 7/27 at 12:00M
The Lady Eve (1941; ranked #318 by 810 users) – Playing 7/8 at 6:45am
Red River (1948; ranked #367 by 994 users) – Playing 7/20 at 8:00pm
A Hard Day’s Night (1964; ranked #380 by 3733 users) – Playing 7/31 at 6:15pm
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974; ranked #390 by 1283 users) – Playing 7/21 at 8:00pm
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943; ranked #409 by 789 users) – Playing 7/26 at 10:15pm
The Last Detail (1973; ranked #431 by 802 users) – Playing 7/28 at 10:00pm
Bullitt (1968; ranked #464 by 3315 users) – Playing 7/2 at 4:00pm
The Asphalt Jungle (1950; ranked #467 by 1048 users) – Playing 7/8 at 5:30pm
Lifeboat (1944; ranked #586 by 1041 users) – Playing 7/18 at 11:45pm
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955; ranked #608 by 545 users) – Playing 7/2 at 2:30pm AND 7/14 at 12:15am
Marty (1955; ranked #593 by 720 users) – Playing 7/10 at 2:15pm
Gaslight (1944; ranked #698 by 651 users) – Playing 7/30 at 12:00N
The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #704 by 1570 users) – Playing 7/16 at 8:00pm
Breaking Away (1979; ranked #708 by 1136 users) – Playing 7/15 at 4:45am
Fail-Safe (1964; ranked #739 by 445 users) – Playing 7/16 at 12:00M
West Side Story (1961; ranked #821 by 11862 users) – Playing 7/4 at 5:15pm
The Vanishing (1988; ranked #912 by 729 users) – Playing 7/11 at 3:45am
Little Big Man (1970; ranked #949 by 1254 users) – Playing 7/27 at 9:30pm
Day by Day Listings
Monday, July 4
TOP RANKED: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; ranked #132 by 5529 users) – One of Frank Capra’s most iconic films has James Stewart as a wet-behind-the-ears senator – his fellow senators think his inexperience will make him easy to control; instead he confronts their corruption head on, filibustering for the little guy. Playing 7/4 at 3:00pm
WILD CARD: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942; ranked #1018 by 799 users) – James Cagney is best known for his gangster characters, but at heart he was a hoofer, and playing WWI-era Broadway superstar George M. Cohan was a dream role, and even won him an Oscar. Playing 7/4 at 10:45pm
Tuesday, July 5
TOP RANKED: The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4700 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Westerns programming. Playing 7/5 at 9:45pm
WILD CARD: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949; ranked #1303 by 514 users) – The middle entry in John Ford’s unnofficial Cavalry trilogy has John Wayne as a captain on his final mission before a retirement he doesn’t want. A lot of action and emotion in this one. Playing 7/6 at 2:15am
Wednesday, July 6
TOP RANKED: The Wild Bunch (1969; ranked #167 by 3930 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Westerns programming. Playing 7/6 at 11:30pm
WILD CARD: Ride Lonesome (1959; ranked #4424 by 84 users) – Once you get past Ford, Hawks, Sturges, and Mann, you’ll find the name Budd Boetticher coming up a lot among diretors of westerns. He doesn’t get a whole marathon during the Westner series, but they are playing this, his best-known film. Playing 7/6 at 6:30pm
Thursday, July 7
TOP RANKED: Network (1976; ranked #89 by 6631 users) – Playing as part of the 1970s programming. Playing 7/8 at 12:30am
WILD CARD: The Women (1939; ranked #2047 by 226 users) – I will always recommend this whenever I have the opportunity. The gimmick is all women, no men on screen, but it’s a lot more than the gimmick – it’s one of the wittiest scripts ever filmed, with a fantastic cast having a great time, and a surprisingly varied and nuanced approach to love and marriage. Playing 7/7 at 3:45pm
Friday, July 8
TOP RANKED: City Lights (1931; ranked #15 by 2875 users) – By 1931 the rest of Hollywood had solidly embraced the talkie, but not Chaplin – instead he makes one of the most lyrical and hysterical silent comedies ever, balancing humorous situational comedy with a lovely and emotionally resonant romance. Playing 7/8 at 1:30pm
WILD CARD: Dodge City (1939; ranked #5110 by 107 users) – Playing as part of Olivia de Havilland’s Star of the Month programming. Playing 7/9 at 2:15am
Saturday, July 9
TOP RANKED: The Long Hot Summer (1958; ranked #3055 by 177 users) – A drifter/con-man enters the life of a Southern plantation owner and his family – Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward married in real life, proving their chemistry. Plus Orson Welles is the disapproving patriarch; can’t do much better than that. Playing 7/9 at 3:45pm
WILD CARD: Downstairs (1932; ranked #14378 by 6 users) – I know nothing about this except a quick glance at IMDb, but there are a lot of obscure Pre-Codes playing today and I had to pick one. This one has John Gilbert in a story about a chauffeur trying to seduce his boss’s wife. Could be fun. Playing 7/9 at 10:00pm
Sunday, July 10
TOP RANKED: Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #199 by 19342 users) – Billy Wilder’s cross-dressing comedy was named Funniest Film of All Time by the American Film Institute, and it has a fair claim on that title. But it’s also surprisingly affecting, thanks to one of Marilyn Monroe’s most nuanced performances. Playing 7/10 at 12:00N
WILD CARD: Dead of Night (1945; ranked #1243 by 404 users) – Horror seems to lend itself to anthology films, and this one is more creepy than scary (like a good Twilight Zone episode), with a series of individual stories held together by a frame story that itself becomes a nightmare toward the end. Playing 7/10 at 9:45pm
Monday, July 11
TOP RANKED: Brief Encounter (1945; ranked #213 by 874 users) – In this beloved forbidden romance, a woman in an unfilfilling marriage sparks with a man during their brief interactions at the train station – quiet and unassuming, with a nuanced and heartbreaking look at infidelity. Playing 7/11 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: Victor/Victoria (1982; ranked #1573 by 977 users) – In this gender-bending comedy, Julie Andrews finds herself unable to get enough work to pay the rent in 1920s Paris until she tries pretending to be a drag queen. Playing 7/11 at 11:45pm
Tuesday, July 12
TOP RANKED: How the West Was Won (1963; ranked #1975 by 750 users) – It took three directors and almost ever actor in Hollywood to tell the epic story of the West, and some would say it’s more unwieldy than epic, but as an exercise in national myth-making, it’s quite a bit of fun. Playing 7/12 at 8:30am
WILD CARD: The Naked Spur (1953; ranked #1877 by 299 users) – This whole evening is devoted to Anthony Mann movies, and they’re pretty much all good. I usually recommend The Man from Laramie (which is playing at 10pm), so let me throw a rec for this bounty hunter tale starring James Stewart, with solid support from Janet Leigh and Robert Ryan. Playing 7/12 at 8:00pm
Wednesday, July 13
TOP RANKED: The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #193 by 4931 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. Playing 7/13 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: The Lusty Men (1952; ranked #6914 by 34 users) – Note that “lusty” means “strong, healthy, vigorous”, but with a movie about a bunch of rodeo competitors, it probably kinda means the other thing, too. Nicholas Ray is always an interesting director, so I’m interested in checking this one out myself. Playing 7/14 at 5:00am
Thursday, July 14
TOP RANKED: Breaking Away (1979; ranked #708 by 1136 users) – A classic coming of age film about a working class Indiana college student who wants nothing more than to be a champion cyclist. Playing 7/15 at 4:45am
WILD CARD: Beach Blanket Bingo (1965; ranked #7217 by 272 users) – There’s a whole series of Beach Party movies which were extremely popular in the ’60s thanks to teenage idols Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon – they’re all pretty mindless fun, but Beach Blanket Bingo, the fourth in the series, is generally considered the best. Playing 7/14 at 4:00pm
Friday, July 15
TOP RANKED: The Heiress (1949; ranked #1971 by 186 users) – Playing as part of Olivia de Havilland’s Star of the Month tribute. Playing 7/15 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: The Snake Pit (1948; ranked #3592 by 159 users) – Playing as part of Olivia de Havilland’s Star of the Month tribute. Playing 7/15 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 16
TOP RANKED: The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #704 by 1570 users) – Long before Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were grumpy old men, they were the odd couple – Felix and Oscar, reluctant roommates who have decidedly different ideas about…everything. Playing 7/16 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Fail-Safe (1964; ranked #739 by 445 users) – If a movie about an American nuclear warhead accidentally being deployed against Russia basically setting WWIII in motion sounds like Dr. Strangelove, you’re close to right – this is an adaptation of a book so similar to the book Kubrick’s film is based on that plagiarism lawsuits were involved. This film plays it utterly straight, though, no satire – but it’s quite effective as it is. Playing 7/16 at 12:00M
Sunday, July 17
TOP RANKED: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975; ranked #1026 by 543 users) – In one of Australia’s most iconic films, a group of schoolgirls go to the famous landmark of Hanging Rock, and some go off to the rock and disappear. What seems like a set up for a mystery is instead a sociological study of what happens to the school and remaining classmates in the aftermath of the disappearances, which also plays into British attempts to tame the Australian wilderness. Lots to chew on. Playing 7/17 at 6:00pm
WILD CARD: The Palm Beach Story (1942; ranked #1191 by 309 users) – Not as well known as some of Preston Sturges’ other films, like Sullivan’s Travels or The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, but hardly second-tier, with Claudette Colbert leaving her husband Joel McCrea for his own good (she thinks she’s a financial drag to his struggling architect), but everyone’s chasing everyone in this zany screwball comedy. A ton of fun. Playing 7/17 at 2:15pm
Monday, July 18
TOP RANKED: Night of the Hunter (1955; ranked #41 by 3392 users) – Part film noir, part morality tale, part Southern gothic, and part myth, this film is one of a kind in the best way possible. The one directorial effort from actor Charles Laughton, because really, once you’ve made a film like this, what else are you going to do? Playing 7/19 at 1:30am
WILD CARD: Blackboard Jungle (1955; ranked #3100 by 211 users) – Glenn Ford takes on a class full of rowdy inner city kids in one of the seminal “inspiring teacher” movies, notable also for being the first time rock music was used in a film (the distinction went to “Rock Around the Clock.”) Playing 7/18 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, July 19
TOP RANKED: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1986; ranked #21 by 34314 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. The whole Dollars trilogy is playing, this one last, so catch them all if you haven’t seen them. Playing 7/19 at 12:00M
WILD CARD: Hang ‘Em High (1968; ranked #1105 by 1305 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. Playing 7/20 at 3:00am
Wednesday, July 20
TOP RANKED: Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #140 by 2401 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. Playing 7/20 at 10:30pm
WILD CARD: 3:10 to Yuma (1957; ranked #1752 by 524 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. Playing 7/20 at 4:45pm
Thursday, July 21
TOP RANKED: Dog Day Afternoon (1975; ranked #155 by 13170 users) – Playing as part of the ’70s movies programming. Playing 7/21 at 10:00am
WILD CARD: The Prisoner of Zenda (1937; ranked #4741 by 73 users) – The Prisoner of Zenda was a very popular adventure novel back in the day, with several different film adaptations of it. This is probably the best one, with Ronald Colman as the hero, an Englishman on holiday in fictional Ruritania who must impersonate Ruritania’s monarch (they’re cousins and nearly exact doubles) when the real monarch is kidnapped. The 1952 version is actually playing on the 16th, but this one is better. Playing 7/21 at 3:30pm
Friday, July 22
TOP RANKED: The Strawberry Blonde (1941; ranked #7729 by 49 users) – This turn of the century piece of Americana starring Olivia de Havilland and James Cagney is one of her more popular films with classic film buffs. Playing 7/23 at 4:00am
WILD CARD: Hold Back the Dawn (1941; ranked #12080 by 10 users) – THIS IS THE BIGGEST DEAL THIS WHOLE MONTH, GUYS. I mentioned in the opening, but this is a very rare film, and an important one for both de Havilland and writer Billy Wilder, so don’t miss it! The story is of a French-Romanian man trying to emigrate to the US, but stuck in Mexico unless he can find someone to marry. This actually somewhat parallels Wilder’s own experience being stuck in Mexico while trying to escape Germany in the mid-1930s. It’s supposed to be very good, and earned de Havilland an Oscar nod. Set your DVRs. Playing 7/23 at 1:45am
Saturday, July 23
TOP RANKED: Dr. Strangelove (1964; ranked #27 by 35011 users) – We had Fail-Safe as a wild card a few days earlier, and if you play your DVR right, you can double-feature the serious and satirical takes on nuclear missiles gone awry. Playing 7/23 at 1:45pm
WILD CARD: Hobson’s Choice (1954; ranked #3102 by 119 users) – A lesser-known David Lean film, but that’s still a pretty good pedigree; Charles Laughton (another solid point in the film’s favor) plays the tyrannical father of three daughters, holding sway over who they can marry until one of them rebels. Playing 7/23 at 8:00pm
Sunday, July 24
TOP RANKED: The Goodbye Girl (1977; ranked #1471 by 618 users) – When a woman finds her boyfriend has left unexpectedly and sublet their apartment to an actor (Richard Dreyfuss), she and her daughter decide to stay anyway, presumably setting up some sort of de facto family situation. Playing 7/24 at 6:00pm
WILD CARD: Within Our Gates (1920; ranked #6989 by 69 users) – One of the earliest films with an all-black cast and a black director, Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates tells of a Southern black woman helping with a school for young black children in the deep South. Playing as part of the Pioneers of African-American Cinema programming. Playing 7/24 at 12:30am
Monday, July 25
TOP RANKED: The Caine Mutiny (1954; ranked #1174 by 482 users) – In The Caine Mutiny, MacMurray first incites a mutiny against potentially mentally-ill Humphrey Bogart and then denies any part of it. It’s a complicated role in a complicated movie, and one of his finest. Playing 7/25 at 12:00M
WILD CARD: The Floradora Girl (1930; unranked by 0 users) – An early talkie about the ever-popular world of showgirls and rich suitors, but Marion Davies is an underappreciated comedienne, and this sounds like a lot of fun for fans of Pre-Codes. Playing 7/25 at 11:00am
Tuesday, July 26
TOP RANKED: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943; ranked #409 by 789 users) – In this western more concerned with questions of ethics than action, a pair of drifters get embroiled in a lynch mob out for a cattle rustler. But is mob justice justified? Playing 7/26 at 10:15pm
WILD CARD: Go West (1925; ranked #3046 by 181 users) – Buster Keaton takes on the west as a hopeless city slicker, unable to figure out how to do anything right around the ranch. But he does manage to make close friends with a cow, which leads to some pretty great setpieces when he sets out to save her from the stockyards. Playing 7/26 at 6:00am
Wednesday, July 27
TOP RANKED: McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971; ranked #288 by 1091 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. Playing 7/27 at 12:00M
WILD CARD: They Died With Their Boots On (1941; ranked #3355 by 214 users) – Playing as part of the 101 Great Westerns programming. Playing 7/27 at 4:00pm (Also playing earlier as part of the de Havilland Star of the Month programming, on 7/8.)
Thursday, July 28
TOP RANKED: The Last Detail (1973; ranked #431 by 802 users) – Playing as part of the ’70s movie programming. Playing 7/28 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: Scarecrow (1973; ranked #1859 by 279 users) – Playing as part of the ’70s movie progrmaming. Playing 7/28 at 8:00pm
Friday, July 29
TOP RANKED: The Swarm (1978; ranked #8771 by 311 users) – Creature features are a staple of b-movie horror films, and this time it’s killer bees. And Olivia de Havilland is in it somewhere. I mean, what else are you asking for? Playing 7/29 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: The 5th Musketeer (1979; ranked #22886 by 23 users) – This is Olivia de Havilland obscurity day, apparently. I usually enjoy stuff based on Dumas’ stories (this is based on the third of his d’Artagnan novels, so it’s not actually apocryphal as I initially thought it might be), so this would be my choice to check out today. Playing 7/29 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 30
TOP RANKED: Gaslight (1944; ranked #698 by 651 users) – Technically the top one playing today is a repeat performance of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but since we’ve already had that listed here once, I’ll mention the runner-up Gaslight, which is a pretty great little gothic thriller. Ingrid Bergman’s first Oscar is for this film, in which she stars as a woman being slowly driven mad by her husband (Charles Boyer), who hopes to use her insanity to steal her fortune. Playing 7/30 at 12:00N [technically TGTBATU]
WILD CARD: Princess O’Rourke (1943; ranked #16315 by 13 users) – Undoubtedly one of the slight romances that frustrated the ambitious de Havilland, this still sounds pretty adorable if cliched, with her as a princess who pretends to be a poor maid when visiting America to see how the other half lives. Playing 7/30 at 7:45am
Sunday, July 31
TOP RANKED: A Hard Day’s Night (1965; ranked #380 by 3733 users) – In 1965 there simply wasn’t anything bigger than The Beatles, and this manic Richard Lester film captures their essence better than anything else, a sort of pseudo-documentary about them getting to a concert (and there’s plenty of concert footage as well as proto-music video type stuff) but filled with absurdist details. Delightful and essential for Beatles fans. Playing 7/31 at 6:15pm
WILD CARD: Stormy Weather (1943; ranked #5275 by 111 users) – One of the best showcases of the prodigious African-American talent in Hollywood in the 1940s that rarely got to do anything beyond specialty performances in movies about white people. Notable especially for the massive title production number, which features Lena Horne making the song her own and the Nicholas Brothers doing some of the most amazing dancing ever put on film. This is playing in the morning, but note also the African-American Pioneer programming this evening. Playing 7/31 at 12:15pm
