A Flickchart Guide to TCM in September
TCM Spotlight: Motion Picture Home
This month TCM honors the Motion Picture & Television Fund and the Motion Picture Home that it supports, where hundreds of residents connected with the movie and television industry have lived out their final days since the Home’s dedication in 1942. Each of these films will be introduced by a current resident of the Home, from 105-year-old character actress Connie Sawyer to film researcher Lillian Michelson. This is an unusual and interesting program filled with presenters that you won’t see anywhere else. See more info at TCM.
In the Heat of the Night (1967; ranked #311 by 3308 users) – Playing 9/20 at 8:00pm
My Fair Lady (1964; ranked #563 by 6872 users) – Playing 9/14 at 12:15am
Doctor Zhivago (1965; ranked #685 by 3853 users) – Playing 9/28 at 1:30am
Victor Victoria (1982; ranked #1615 by 1035 users) – Playing 9/14 at 3:30am
Klute (1971; ranked #1633 by 575 users) – Playing 9/21 at 4:00am
The Way We Were (1973; ranked #2807 by 555 users) – Playing 9/6 at 3:30am
A Star is Born (1937; ranked #3231 by 169 users) – Playing 9/21 at 2:00am
Heidi (1937; ranked #5293 by 239 users) – Playing 9/27 at 8:00pm
McQ (1974; ranked #8767 by 161 users) – Playing 9/27 at 11:30pm
Cinderella Liberty (1973; ranked #9826 by 53 users) – Playing 9/13 at 10:00pm
Roustabout (1964; ranked #10197 by 123 users) – Playing 9/20 at 10:00pm
The Stone Killer (1973; ranked #14404 by 42 users) – Playing 9/20 at 12:00M
Little Annie Rooney (1925; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/6 at 8:00pm
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015) – Playing 9/13 at 8:00pm
TCM Feature: Counter Culture Classics
Three nights of counter-culture classics not to be missed, one night focused on political/sexual liberation, one on music/concert films, and one on the drug aspects of the counter-culture movement. I have not listed them all below, just the ones that were the most notable – check the full schedule for more.
Butterflies are Free (1972; ranked #9530 by 70 users) – Playing 9/14 at 9:45pm
Alice’s Restaurant (1969; ranked #7342 by 210 users) – Playing 9/14 at 11:30pm
Zabriskie Point (1970; ranked #3911 by 237 users) – Playing 9/15 at 1:30am
Monterey Pop (1968; ranked #4891 by 114 users) – Playing 9/21 at 8:00pm
Don’t Look Back (1967; ranked #1985 by 302 users) – Playing 9/21 at 9:30pm
Gimme Shelter (1970; ranked #1331 by 643 users) – Playing 9/21 at 11:45pm
Woodstock (1970; ranked #1243 by 1025 users) – Playing 9/22 at 1:30am
Jimi Hendrix (1973; ranked #17797 by 19 users) – Playing 9/22 at 5:30am
The Panic in Needle Park (1971; ranked #2629 by 314 users) – Playing 9/28 at 12:00M
More (1969; ranked #27123 by 11 users) – Playing 9/29 at 3:45am
Star of the Month: Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones made a splash in Hollywood with her very first role, winning an Oscar for her debut as a French peasant girl who claims to have seen visions of Mary in The Song of Bernadette. That film was produced by David O. Selznick, who was something of a Svengali figure to Jones – she even married him in 1949, having divorced her first husband, actor Robert Walker, in 1945. Jones could play either fiery and passionate (Duel in the Sun, Ruby Gentry), shy and demure (Since You Went Away, Portrait of Jennie), and sometimes a combination of the two. This versatility stood her well during her career, but she’s far from a household name today. If you’re not very familiar with her, here’s a chance to rectify that, as TCM is playing an excellent cross-section of her work. These are arranged in Flickchart ranking order. For more about Jones’ life and career, check out TCM’s Star of the Month page.
The Song of Bernadette (1943; ranked #4064 by 171 users) – Playing 9/5 at 8:00pm
Portrait of Jennie (1948; ranked #4118 by 78 users) – Playing 9/12 at 8:00pm
Beat the Devil (1953; ranked #4479 by 260 users) – Playing 9/13 at 3:45am
Duel in the Sun (1947; ranked #4624 by 154 users) – Playing 9/6 at 3:00am
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963; ranked #7285 by 78 users) – Playing 9/20 at 4:00am
Since You Went Away (1944; ranked #7754 by 51 users) – Playing 9/6 at 5:30am
Cluny Brown (1946; ranked #8899 by 28 users) – Playing 9/6 at 1:00am
Madame Bovary (1949; ranked #8960 by 28 users) – Playing 9/12 at 11:45pm
Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1955; ranked #9906 by 108 users) – Playing 9/19 at 10:00pm
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956; ranked #11136 by 35 users) – Playing 9/19 at 12:00M
Indiscretion of an American Wife (1954; ranked #11877 by 38 users) – Playing 9/20 at 2:45am
The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954; ranked #13696 by 30 users) – Playing 9/27 at 3:30am
A Farewell to Arms (1957; ranked #14231 by 45 users) – Playing 9/26 at 10:00pm
Love Letters (1945; ranked #17730 by 4 users) – Playing 9/5 at 11:00pm
We Were Strangers (1949; ranked #19014 by 9 users) – Playing 9/12 at 9:45pm
Tender is the Night (1962; ranked #23266 by 2 users) – Playing 9/27 at 12:45am
The Barretts of Wimple Street (1957; ranked #24319 by users) – Playing 9/26 at 8:00pm
Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955; ranked #25397 by 5 users) – Playing 9/19 at 8:00pm
Ruby Gentry (1952; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 9/13 at 2:00am
Movies to Watch With Your Kids
I’ve eschewed most of the genre categories this month, hoping to make these posts a little less time-consuming to put together, but I did want to keep this one simply because I think TCM is such a great opportunity for those of us with kids to begin introducing them gently to classics. Some of these films are explicitly meant for families, like the Disney Vault films; others are not, but I think are excellent gateway films for kids of various ages (use your discretion with your kids of course).
Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 43280 users) – Playing 9/14 at 6:15pm
The General (1926; ranked #54 by 2339 users) – Playing 9/25 at 11:45am
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #289 by 3676 users) – Playing 9/15 at 1:30pm
My Fair Lady (1964; ranked #563 by 6872 users) – Playing 9/14 at 12:15am
The Band Wagon (1953; ranked #1550 by 393 users) – Playing 9/16 at 8:00pm
Swiss Family Robinson (1960; ranked #2152 by 1729 users) – Playing 9/11 at 8:00pm
Camelot (1967; ranked #2899 by 465 users) – Playing 9/15 at 10:15am
National Velvet (1944; ranked #3877 by 303 users) – Playing 9/3 at 4:00pm
Heidi (1937; ranked #5293 by 239 users) – Playing 9/27 at 8:00pm
Freaky Friday (1976; ranked #5700 by 818 users) – Playing 9/12 at 2:30am
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964; ranked #6286 by 534 users) – Playing 9/1 at 6:15pm
The Three Musketeers (1921; ranked #6930 by 74 users) – Playing 9/11 at 12:15am
Angels in the Outfield (1951; ranked #6965 by 132 users) – Playing 9/22 at 9:30am
Candleshoe (1977; ranked #8462 by 163 users) – Playing 9/12 at 4:15am
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952; ranked #9607 by 42 users) – Playing 9/19 at 6:15pm
Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968; ranked #9739 by 126 users) – Playing 9/12 at 12:30am
How to… series of short comedy films (1936-1939) – Playing 9/5 at 6:00am
Movies to See Before You Die
Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 32920 users) – Playing 9/9 at 12:00pm
Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 43280 users) – Playing 9/14 at 6:15pm
Taxi Driver (1976; ranked #38 by 50443 users) – Playing 9/9 at 1:30am
The General (1926; ranked #54 by 2339 users) – Playing 9/25 at 11:45am
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; ranked #64 by 4979 users) – Playing 9/23 at 8:00pm
Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #83 by 5343 users) – Playing 9/25 at 4:30pm
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968; ranked #85 by 60729 users) – Playing 9/2 at 8:00pm
Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #96 by 10503 users) – Playing 9/16 at 5:45pm
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972; ranked #114 by 1725 users) – Playing 9/7 at 1:00am
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969; ranked #124 by 24126 users) – Playing 9/3 at 8:00pm
Rope (1948; ranked #128 by 5323 users) – Playing 9/3 at 6:15pm
Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #166 by 1244 users) – Playing 9/19 at 2:45am
In a Lonely Place (1950; ranked #200 by 731 users) – Playing 9/17 at 10:00am
Witness for the Prosecution (1957; ranked #226 by 1525 users) – Playing 9/28 at 6:00pm
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #288 by 5870 users) – Playing 9/7 at 5:45pm
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #289 by 3676 users) – Playing 9/15 at 1:30pm
Fitzcarraldo (1982; ranked #302 by 1075 users) – Playing 9/7 at 8:00pm
In the Heat of the Night (1967; ranked #311 by 3308 users) – Playing 9/20 at 8:00pm
The Producers (1967; ranked #417 by 3610 users) – Playing 9/22 at 12:00M
A Face in the Crowd (1957; ranked #435 by 415 users) – Playing 9/7 at 3:30pm
Ninotchka (1939; ranked #461 by 886 users) – Playing 9/18 at 6:00pm
Inherit the Wind (1960; ranked #480 by 1220 users) – Playing 9/28 at 1:45pm
Bullitt (1968; ranked #487 by 2490 users) – Playing 9/9 at 8:00pm
Forbidden Planet (1956; ranked #491 by 2575 users) – Playing 9/26 at 2:45pm
Eraserhead (1977; ranked #500 by 4698 users) – Playing 10/1 at 2:00am
Giant (1956; ranked #551 by 1429 users) – Playing 9/4 at 4:30pm and 9/17 at 8pm
My Fair Lady (1964; ranked #563 by 6872 users) – Playing 9/14 at 12:15am
Shane (1953; ranked #644 by 1698 users) – Playing 9/16 at 1:15pm
Doctor Zhivago (1965; ranked #685 by 3853 users) – Playing 9/14 at 2:45pm and 9/28 at 1:30am
A Shot in the Dark (1964; ranked #697 by 1429 users) – Playing 9/26 at 4:45am
Day by Day
Tuesday, September 5
Top Ranked: How to Marry a Millionaire (1953; ranked #2302 by 422 users) – Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable play a trio of gold diggers with hearts of gold, of course – Monroe is the big draw today, but the three play fairly equal parts in this enjoyably slight comedy. Playing 9/5 at 1:30pm
Don’t Miss: How to… (1936-1939) – These are comedy shorts starring Robert Benchley showing us how to do something in very dry and hilarious ways. The only one I’ve seen is “How to Sleep”, but it is one of the funniest live-action shorts I’ve ever seen, so I’m very eager to watch the rest! Playing 9/5 at 6:00am
Wild Card: Duel in the Sun (1947; ranked #4624 by 154 users) – A highly divisive film playing on the cusp of camp – Jennifer Jones is a fiery “half-breed” in a lurid Technicolor western directed by King Vidor. Playing 9/6 at 3:00am
Wednesday, September 6
Top Ranked: The Way We Were (1973; ranked #2807 by 555 users) – Playing 9/6 at 3:30am
Don’t Miss: early films from women directors – I didn’t list these out, but there are a number of short and feature films from women directors, all of which are worth watching – comedies from Mabel Normand, early shorts from Lois Weber and Alice Guy-Blache, and a feature by Ida Lupino. Playing 9/6 from 10:30am-7:30pm
Wild Card: Little Annie Rooney (1925; unranked by 0 users) – Mary Pickford was America’s Sweetheart in the 1920s, and it’s roles like this, innocent and optimistic, that solidified her persona. Playing 9/6 at 8:00pm
Thursday, September 7
Top Ranked: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972; ranked #114 by 1725 users) – This is playing along-side several other Herzog films this evening, a filmmaker TCM doesn’t feature very often, so make sure you catch these while you can. Playing 9/7 at 1:00am (and other Herzog)
Don’t Miss: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #288 by 5870 users) – Tennessee Williams’ play about a faded Southern Belle depending on the kindness of her sister and her animalistic brother in law was tailor made for Vivien Leigh, like a dark sequel to Gone with the Wind, and a perfect introduction to the screen for Marlon Brando. Playing 9/7 at 5:45pm
Wild Card: A Face in the Crowd (1957; ranked #435 by 415 users) – An underrated entry in the biting media satire genre, with Andy Griffith (playing about the darkest version of his folksy persona possible), as a small-town personality who becomes a big media star fully susceptible to corruption. Playing 9/7 at 3:30pm
Friday, September 8
Top Ranked: Taxi Driver (1976; ranked #38 by 50443 users) – The top-ranked of a set of taxi-themed films playing tonight, and with good reason – the taxi driving is secondary, perhaps, but the film is electrifying. Playing 9/9 at 1:30am
Don’t Miss: Night on Earth (1991; ranked #1282 by 907 users) – Jim Jarmusch brings his unique approach to the taxi trope, in a rare post-1980 film on TCM. Playing 9/9 at 3:45pm
Wild Card: Taxi! (1932; ranked #15083 by 18 users) – Bringing it back to the classic era, this Pre-Code taxi film stars a typically cocky James Cagney. Playing 9/8 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 9
Top Ranked: Rear Window (1954; ranked #11 by 32920 users) – This is ranked #11 on Flickchart. It’s arguably Hitchcock’s best film. If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for? Playing 9/9 at 12:00pm
Don’t Miss: Bullitt (1968; ranked #487 by 2490 users) – Come for Steve McQueen, stay for one of the best car chases in movie history, all up and down the hills of San Francisco. Playing 9/9 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: A pair of not-for-kids animated films tonight, which is a bit of a departure for TCM, and these are both pretty weird, too, from what I understand.
Belladonna of Sadness (1973; ranked #8242 by 33 users) – Playing 9/10 at 2:00am
Fantastic Planet (1973; ranked #1800 by 415 users) – Playing 9/10 at 3:30am
Sunday, September 10
Top Ranked: Auntie Mame (1958; ranked #2579 by 288 users) – Rosalind Russell had a long and varied career, but this role as an aunt who lives life to the fullest remains one of her most iconic. Playing 9/10 at 3:00pm
Don’t Miss: Satyajit Ray is best known for the Apu trilogy, but he made many other films, and TCM has a double feature of them as part of their TCM Imports programming.
Charulata (1965; ranked #5238 by 64 users) – Playing 9/11 at 2:30am
The Coward (1965; ranked #18075 by 15 users) – Playing 9/11 at 4:45am
Wild Card: It Should Happen to You (1953; ranked #7572 by 66 users) – Judy Holliday is a wannabe actress who makes a last ditch effort to get noticed by renting a billboard on a whim, and becomes famous for…being famous. An enjoyable romantic comedy with some added thematic depth on the subject of fame. Playing 9/10 at 1:15pm
Monday, September 11
Don’t Miss: Today’s major event is TCM’s recurring Disney Vault programming, this time with four ‘60s-‘70s classic live action films. These usually have Disney cartoons programmed in between, so it’s a great night to gather the family and just leave it on TCM as long as you can stay awake.
Swiss Family Robinson (1960; ranked #2152 by 1729 users) – Playing 9/11 at 8:00pm
Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968; ranked #9739 by 126 users) – Playing 9/12 at 12:30am
Freaky Friday (1976; ranked #5700 by 818 users) – Playing 9/12 at 2:30am
Candleshoe (1977; ranked #8462 by 163 users) – Playing 9/12 at 4:15am
Tuesday, September 12
Top Ranked: Portrait of Jennie (1948; ranked #4118 by 78 users) – One of Jennifer Jones’ better known films, with Joseph Cotten as an artist who paints a portrait of a girl he sees, but there’s a mystical element at play here. A classic romantic fantasy. Playing 9/12 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: Beat the Devil (1953; ranked #4479 by 260 users) – Jennifer Jones made her share of divisive films, and this is another one – basically an excuse for John Huston and Humphrey Bogart to hang out in the tropics, the film is kind of a mess, but in some ways a glorious one. Playing 9/13 at 3:45am
Wednesday, September 13
Top Ranked: My Fair Lady (1964; ranked #563 by 6872 users) – Playing 9/14 at 12:15am
Don’t Miss: Victor/Victoria (1982; ranked #1615 by 1035 users) – When you can’t get work as a female vocalist, what do you do? If you answered “pretend you’re a man performing as a drag queen”, then you’re simpatico with this movie, with Julie Andrews as the titular character(s). Playing 9/14 at 3:30am
Wild Card: Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015) – This documentary is playing as part of the Motion Picture Home spotlight, introduced by Lillian Michelson, film researcher and wife of art director Harold Michelson, who worked on films by Hitchcock, Spielberg and others. Playing 9/13 at 8:00pm
Thursday, September 14
Top Ranked: Casablanca (1942; ranked #15 by 43280 users) – Playing 9/14 at 6:15pm
Don’t Miss: A whole evening of counter-culture classics centered on politics and sexual liberation – here are three of the most notable.
Butterflies are Free (1972; ranked #9530 by 70 users) – Playing 9/14 at 9:45pm
Alice’s Restaurant (1969; ranked #7342 by 210 users) – Playing 9/14 at 11:30pm
Zabriskie Point (1970; ranked #3911 by 237 users) – Playing 9/15 at 1:30am
Wild Card: If you missed Greer Garson day in August, here’s a chance to catch up with three of her best films, especially the WWII homefront classic Mrs. Miniver.
Mrs. Miniver (1942; ranked #1518 by 437 users) – Playing 9/14 at 6:00am
Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939; ranked #2358 by 210 users) – Playing 9/14 at 8:15am
Random Harvest (1942; ranked #4499 by 96 users) – Playing 9/14 at 10:15am
Friday, September 15
Top Ranked: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; ranked #289 by 3676 users) – Simply one of the finest adventure films ever made. Share this one with your kids. Playing 9/15 at 1:30pm
Don’t Miss: Nothing Sacred (1937; ranked #3321 by 135 users) – A reporter looking for a big break gives dying Carole Lombard a special trip as part of a human interest story – but it turns out she’s not REALLY dying. An early three-color Technicolor film, and a highly-regarded screwball comedy Playing 9/16 at 4:45am (and other Lombard films)
Wild Card: Camelot (1967; ranked #2899 by 465 users) – King Arthur musical with Lerner & Loewe songs. This is one of the late Hollywood bloat musicals, but it’s one of the best ones. Playing 9/15 at 10:15am
Saturday, September 16
Top Ranked: Cool Hand Luke (1967; ranked #96 by 10503 users) – Paul Newman ain’t about to let a chain gang get in the way of his cool. Playing 9/16 at 5:45pm
Don’t Miss: Shane (1953; ranked #644 by 1698 users) – Shane don’t want to be a hero, but to a frontier family and their son in particular, he ends up taking that role. Playing 9/16 at 1:15pm
Wild Card: A pair of musicals, one much better known than the other (and I love The Band Wagon so had to include it), but The Desert Song has some of the most beautiful music in any musical ever, based on the classical themes of Alexander Borodin, so it’s worth dredging out of obscurity.
The Desert Song (1953; ranked #23331 by 3 users) – Playing 9/16 at 6:00am
The Band Wagon (1953; ranked #1550 by 393 users) – Playing 9/16 at 8:00pm
Sunday, September 17
Top Ranked: In a Lonely Place (1950; ranked #200 by 731 users) – For my money, this is Humphrey Bogart’s best role, a washed up screenwriter trying to get back on track who may or may not have killed a girl. A film noir, a romance, and a melodrama all rolled into one. Playing 9/17 at 10:00am
Don’t Miss: Giant (1956; ranked #551 by 1431 users) – Sprawling multigenerational epic following a family in Texas through cattle ranching, oil drilling, race relations (this plays not great for now, but was relatively progressive for the time), and quite possibly James Dean’s finest of his three roles. Playing 9/17 at 8:00pm
Wild Card: 55 Days at Peking (1963; ranked #9236 by 77 users) – An unusually large-scale film for director Nicholas Ray, who usually played on the fringes of noir and other genre films, focusing on the Boxer Rebellion. Playing 9/17 at 4:00pm
Monday, September 18
Top Ranked: Sullivan’s Travels (1942; ranked #166 by 1244 users) – Preston Sturges’ brilliant (if self-serving) tale of a comedy director who wants to make a Serious Picture about the State of the World but finds that comedy is just as important. Note that Sturges’ much more obscure film The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947; ranked #16759 by 28 users) is playing right after this; it’s hard to find, so catch it for sure if you’re a Sturges’ completist. Playing 9/19 at 2:45am
Don’t Miss: There’s a whole Greta Garbo marathon this morning. I’m listing the most “don’t miss” ones below, but there are several others playing as well.
Grand Hotel (1932; ranked #1380 by 524 users) – Playing 9/18 at 8:00am
Anna Christie (1930; ranked #6893 by 72 users) – Playing 9/18 at 2:45pm
Queen Christina (1933; ranked #3584 by 149 users) – Playing 9/18 at 4:15pm
Ninotchka (1939; ranked #461 by 886 users) – Playing 9/18 at 6:00pm
Wild Card: The King of Kings (1927; ranked #7125 by 72 users) – Cecil B. DeMille liked biblical epics long before The Ten Commandments (well, not before the silent Ten Commandments…I digress), and this is his epic take on the life of Jesus. Playing 9/18 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, September 19
Top Ranked: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963; ranked #7285 by 78 users) – A lesser known Jennifer Jones romantic drama still manages to be the top-ranked one tonight, interestingly enough – I would’ve pegged both of the two below to be higher ranked, but what do I know about Flickchart? Playing 9/20 at 4:00am
Don’t Miss: The Prisoner of Zenda (1952; ranked #9607 by 42 users) – Many will point to the 1937 version of this classic adventure story (so popular in its day that imitators were called “Ruritanian novels” after the fictional country in which it takes place) as the best one, but the 1952 Technicolor one has plenty to recommend it as well, with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr stepping into the main roles. Playing 9/19 at 6:15pm
Wild Card: A Stolen Life (1946; ranked #11130 by 21 users) – A Bette Davis noir about a woman who takes over her twin sister’s identity to get close to the man her twin stole from her years earlier. Sounds wholesome! Playing 9/19 at 9:00am
Wednesday, September 20
Top Ranked: In the Heat of the Night (1967; ranked #311 by 3308 users) – Murder investigations and race relations go hand in hand as northern detective Sidney Poitier is assigned to aid bigoted Southern cop Rod Steiger on a race-related case. It’s an explosive combination that encapsulates what was going on in 1967. Playing 9/20 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: Klute (1971; ranked #1633 by 575 users) – Donald Sutherland is a detective investigating a case, and his only lead is call-girl Jane Fonda, in a role for which she won an Oscar. Playing 9/21 at 4:00am
Wild Card: All This, and Heaven Too (1940; ranked #5994 by 67 users) – More Bette Davis melodrama, with her playing the somewhat unlikely role of a French governess who tragically gets involved with the father of her charges. Playing 9/20 at 9:30am
Thursday, September 21
Top Ranked: Woodstock (1970; ranked #1243 by 1025 users) – Tonight is the “Music/Concert Counter Culture Classics” night, and while Woodstock is the highest ranked, the others (Monterey Pop, Gimme Shelter, Don’t Look Back, etc.) are all excellent as well. Playing 9/22 at 1:30am
Don’t Miss: A pair of adventure classics based on Rudyard Kipling poems this morning, one with Errol Flynn and one with Cary Grant as British soldiers fighting in British India.
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936; ranked #1633 by 575 users) – Playing 9/21 at 10:00am
Gunga Din (1939; ranked #1665 by 493 users) – Playing 9/21 at 12:15pm
Wild Card: The River (1951; ranked #2621 by 177 users) – Another story from India, this time based on a Rumer Godden story and directed by Jean Renoir – definitely lesser known, but surely worth seeking out. Playing 9/21 at 4:30pm
Friday, September 22
Top Ranked: The Producers (1967; ranked #417 by 3610 users) – Mel Brooks takes on Broadway with a satire of a producer who wants a failing show for business reasons – “Springtime for Hitler” sounds like a sure flop! Not so fast. Hilarious, top-notch Brooks. Playing 9/22 at 12:00M
Don’t Miss: Two of the three Topper films (one with Constance Bennett, one with Joan Blondell), about ghosts who try to help a straight-laced businessman learn to live a little. Cute and funny.
Topper (1937; ranked #1964 by 300 users) – Playing 9/22 at 3:00pm
Topper Returns (1941; ranked #7512 by 85 users) – Playing 9/22 at 4:45pm
Wild Card: Continuing the supernatural comedy theme, a couple more – one based on a Noel Coward play, the other with Veronica Lake as a witch who haunts multiple generations of a Puritan family (but yes, it’s very funny).
Blithe Spirit (1945; ranked #4117 by 127 users) – Playing 9/22 at 1:15pm
I Married a Witch (1942; ranked #3585 by 157 users) – Playing 9/22 at 6:30pm
Saturday, September 23
Top Ranked: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; ranked #64 by 4979 users) – To my mind, John Huston’s most successful film, with three grizzled prospectors (Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt) searching for gold and finding the depths of human nature. Playing 9/23 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Omega Man (1971; ranked #2070 by 1201 users) – When a plague wipes out (or mutates) most of humanity, the last man on earth (Charlton Heston) tries to survive. Playing 9/23 at 3:45pm
Wild Card: The Nanny (1966; ranked #7307 by 57 users) – Late Bette Davis film, in which she plays nanny to a disturbed (or disturbing) little boy who may be a murderer – of SHE may be the murderer. I haven’t seen it, so I have no idea, but I’m very intrigued now. Playing 9/23 at 2:00pm
Sunday, September 24
Top Ranked: Call Northside 777 (1948; ranked #2503 by 277 users) – James Stewart detective noir about a newspaper reporter who receives a phone call from the mother of a man convicted eleven years ago for murder – her pleading convinces him to reinvestigate the now very cold case. Playing 9/24 at 8:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Life of Oharu (1952; ranked #2775 by 114 users) – Kenji Mizoguchi specialized in films about suffering women, and this looks to fit the bill, as an aging prostitute looks back on her trouble-filled life. Though Mizoguchi films aren’t exactly uppers, they’re exquisitely crafted and beautifully emotive. Playing 9/25 at 2:00am
Wild Card: No Time for Sergeants (1958; ranked #5203 by 108 users) – Andy Griffith brings his country bumpkin charm to a military comedy, as he’s drafted and quickly starts driving everyone in his unit nuts. Playing 9/24 at 3:00pm
Monday, September 25
Top Ranked: The General (1926; ranked #54 by 2339 users) – Usually considered Buster Keaton’s finest achievement, as he chases down his beloved locomotive The General during the Civil War. Lots of amazing stunts interspersed with a thrilling war drama and romance. Playing 9/25 at 11:45am
Don’t Miss: I couldn’t pick which of these not to miss, they’re all so great! So if you haven’t seen any of these three, DVR them and get to work.
Strangers on a Train (1951; ranked #83 by 5343 users) – Playing 9/25 at 4:30pm
The Ladykillers (1955; ranked #1174 by 786 users) – Playing 9/26 at 1:15am
A Shot in the Dark (1964; ranked #697 by 1429 users) – Playing 9/26 at 4:45am
Wild Card: The Narrow Margin (1952; ranked #3275 by 152 users) – This train-bound noir deserves to be considered among the top echelons of noir and I’m not sure why it isn’t, other than exposure. So I’m going to plug it every dang time it’s on TCM until everyone watches it. Playing 9/25 at 10:00am
Tuesday, September 26
Top Ranked: Forbidden Planet (1956; ranked #491 by 2575 users) – It’s basically The Tempest in space, with an isolated father and daughter, a friendly robot, and some visitors crashing their intergalactic domain. Playing 9/26 at 2:45pm
Wild Card: Tender is the Night (1962; ranked #23266 by 2 users) – I actually wasn’t aware they’d made a movie of this F. Scott Fitzgerald book, but I guess it was one of David O. Selznick’s final productions, a starring vehicle for his wife Jennifer Jones. The book is a drop-dead favorite of mine, so I’d be curious to see the movie. Playing 9/27 at 12:45am
Wednesday, September 27
Top Ranked: Doctor Zhivago (1965; ranked #685 by 3853 users) – David Lean’s great romantic epic follows Zhivago and Lara’s thwarted love throughout Russian history. Playing 9/28 at 1:30am
Wild Card: Larceny, Inc (1942; ranked #9214 by 29 users) – A slight but enjoyable crime comedy with Edward G. Robinson buying a luggage store next door to the bank to stage a heist, but finding the luggage business surprisingly lucrative. Playing 9/27 at 9:30am
Thursday, September 28
Top Ranked: Witness for the Prosecution (1957; ranked #226 by 1525 users) – Billy Wilder managed to make a stone-cold classic in just about every genre, and does it again here in courtroom drama. Charles Laughton is delightful as the old barrister whose health is failing but can’t resist a juicy case when it falls in his lap, Tyrone Power is the man who needs defending on murder charges, and Marlene Dietrich is his wife (and Elsa Lanchester is Laughton’s nurse; their interactions can’t be under-valued). The plot folds over on itself several times, but Wilder and Laughton keep us on board. Playing 9/28 at 6:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Panic in Needle Park (1971; ranked #2629 by 314 users) – A debut on TCM for this Jerry Schatzberg film about heroin addicts in the early 1970s. It’s not a fun film, from what I can tell, but an excellent addition to tonight’s “Burn Out – Drugs” selection of Counter Culture classics. Playing 9/28 at 12:00M
Wild Card: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956; ranked #7175 by 98 users) – Dana Andrews is a novelist who frames himself for murder as part of a plan to get capital punishment abolished. It’s a harrowing film at times, but there’s a twist that makes it all surprisingly delicious. Playing 9/28 at 10:15am
Friday, September 29
Top Ranked: A Star is Born (1954; ranked #1126 by 625 users) – If you ask me, this is the definitive version of this oft-repeated story, if only for Judy belting her heart out in “The Man That Got Away” – but don’t take my word for it, TCM is playing the 1937 and 1976 versions right alongside the 1954 one, so you can see them all and make up you own mind! Playing 9/29 at 10:00pm
Don’t Miss: The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946; ranked #4277 by 137 users) – Once Barbara Stanwyck started playing noir roles, she got some of the most conniving ones around, and this may be the epitome, as she centers a love triangle filled with deception, political intrigue, and murderous intentions. Playing 9/29 at 9:30am
Wild Card: Too Late for Tears (1949; ranked #9069 by 36 users) – This is a noir I haven’t gotten around to yet, but I’ve heard a ton about it from noir-loving friends – it was recently revived and restored by TCM after languishing in neglect and poor prints for a long while, so I’m very much looking forward to checking it out before too long. Playing 9/29 at 3:00pm
Saturday, September 30
Top Ranked: Eraserhead (1977; ranked #500 by 4698 users) – Delving into much more recent cinema than usual, TCM is playing this plus a bunch of Lynch shorts over night, so if you’re missing your dose of surrealism, here you go. Playing 10/1 at 2:00am
Don’t Miss: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952; ranked #1232 by 464 users) – Vincente Minnelli brings his polished touch to a great Hollywood noir, as a producer (Kirk Douglas) tries to get a new film off the ground with his old writing/acting/directing team, but as they each tell their stories in flashback of working with him, a portrait of a ruthless man emerges. Playing 9/30 at 10:15pm
Wild Card: The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933; ranked #5315 by 126 users) – The other two versions of House of Wax are much better known, but this is the best ones, thanks to moody two-color Technicolor, Pre-Code sensibilities, and the wise-cracking Glenda Farrell. Playing 9/30 at 10:30am
