#classic movie stars

Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault in Casablanca (1942).

Veterans Day is Thursday, Nov. 11 and TCM has a great 24 hours of movies on the schedule.
The daytime lineup features films made by old Hollywood actors and directors who served in the military. The most bang for your buck is in the action film The Dirty Dozen (1967) at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT, which features a whopping eight World War II veterans, including Lee Marvin (Marines), Charles Bronson (Army Air Corps), and Ernest Borgnine (a veteran of both the U.S. Navy and McHale’s Navy).
The primetime lineup is equally good starting with director William Wyler’s masterpiece The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, which is still the best film ever made about the effects of combat on those who served and on their loved ones. The late night lineup includes Gary Cooper’s Oscar-winning performance in Sergeant York (1941) at 1 am ET/10 pm PT.

Here’s the best of the rest for the week of Nov. 8:

1. The Band Wagon (1953) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Monday, Nov. 8: The early ‘50s were the golden age of old Hollywood musicals with literally dozens of all-time classics made within the space of four or five years. There’s lots and lots of great dance numbers to choose from, but the cream of the crop (at least in our book) is Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in “The Girl Hunt Ballet” in this wonderful backstage musical.

2. Bulldog Drummond marathon on Wednesday, Nov. 10: There’s nothing quite like a good classic-movie detective series to relax with on a cold autumn day. TCM is airing several Bulldog Drummond films on Wednesday starting at 8 am ET/5 am PT with The Return of Bulldog Drummond (1934) starring Sir Ralph Richardson as detective.

3. Flamingo Road (1949) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Wednesday, Nov. 10: This Southern-fried noir about a woman (Joan Crawford) who fights corruption in a small Florida town is one of our favorite guilty pleasures. Joanie’s battle with star-of-the-month Sydney Greenstreet (he Boss Hoggs it up as a small-town sheriff) is EPIC.

4. The French Connection (1971) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Saturday, Nov. 13: TCM is celebrating the 50th anniversary of this fantastic police procedural with a special airing on Saturday night. The French Connection is both an excellent flick for a night on the couch and one of the best auteur-driven films of the '70s.

BTW, It’s not old Hollywood, but Tuesday night’s lineup of Australian New Wave movies is beyond excellent. The lineup starts with Walkabout (1971) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

TCM’s star-of-the-month for November is Sydney Greenstreet. TCM will be showing the rotund character actor’s films each Wednesday in November starting with The Maltese Falcon (1941) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Nov. 3.

Greenstreet, who was a well-respected theater actor, made his film debut at age 61 as Kasper “The Fat Man” Gutman in director John Huston’s 1941 version of Dashiell Hammett’s detective novel. Greenstreet’s menacing giggle and air of casual cruelty makes him the perfect choice to play Gutman, but, behind the scenes, he was reportedly terrified, tearfully imploring costar Mary Astor to hold his hand.

Greenstreet later said, “Pictures are much harder to do than theater. . .you can get wonderful cooperation out of the lens [camera] if you are true, but God help you if you are not.”

Halloween is on Sunday, which means this week will feature lots and lots of scary movies on TCM. The evening lineup on Wednesday Oct. 27 features three of Universal Pictures best horror films, while Vincent Price cult classic The Abominable Dr. Phibes kicks off a three-day Halloween marathon at 8 pm ET Friday, Oct. 29.
We’ve got five spooky picks for you, but you can click here to browse through the entire week’s schedule: https://www.tcm.com/schedule-monthly…

1. Dracula (1931) at 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT Wednesday, Oct. 27: If you’re ride or die for Universal Pictures famed monster movies, TCM has three of the best starting with Bela Lugosi in his iconic performance as a suave vampire.
Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925) airs at 3:30 am ET/12:30 am PT and Boris Karloff in the original Frankenstein (1931) airs at 5 am ET/2 am PT (Frankenstein is also on at 8 pm ET Saturday).

2. Night of the Living Dead (1968) at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT Friday, Oct. 29: George A. Romero’s low-budget classic about a group of people who are surrounded by zombies in a remote farmhouse has been endlessly imitated, but it’s still completely terrifying, especially the famous final scene.

3. Young Frankenstein (1974) at 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT Saturday, Oct. 30: Director Mel Brooks comedy is both a hilarious spoof and loving homage to old Hollywood monster movies.

4. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT Sunday, Oct. 31: It wouldn’t be Halloween without a little Vincent Price on the movie menu. He is really, really good in a double role in this second of eight Edgar Allan Poe adaptations he made with director Roger Corman.

5. Psycho (1960) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Sunday Oct. 31: Grab your leftover Halloween candy and settle down on the couch for a staycation at the Bates Motel. Just stay away from Room No. 1 and the proprietor’s mother.

The Comic Art of Laurel and Hardy

Here’s five to watch on TCM for the week of Oct. 18, 2021:

1. The King and I (1956) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Wednesday, Oct. 20: A night of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals starts out with this film about an English governess (Deborah Kerr) who travels to Siam (modern Thailand) to be a teacher to the king’s many children. R&H’s glorious score (“Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance,” “Hello, Young Lovers”) is more than reason enough to watch, but there’s also sumptuous production values and an Oscar-winning performance from Yul Brynner.

2. Hammer Horror Festival on Thursday daytime: The lineup of horror films from this legendary British studio starts out with Bette Davis fright-fest The Nanny at 6 am ET/3 am PT, but, as you would expect, there’s also a great lineup of monster movies starring Hammer regulars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Click here for the full lineup: https://www.tcm.com/schedule?icid=mainnav15-daily-schedule&fbclid=IwAR3i3sZ-uwEb9h1d5vxaSFyWCVnWgaCplhf52_MoD7X-3w1lvPU2vJ-ITIg

3. Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1950) at midnight ET/9 pm PT Thursday night/Friday morning: 16 years before they teamed up for the “L.A. at Last” episode of I Love Lucy, star-of-the-month Lucille Ball and William Holden made this delightful comedy about a naive secretary who starts working for a bookmaking operation. Miss Grant Takes Richmond was one of the few films that allowed Lucille to do slapstick (she was coached by Buster Keaton for the film).

4. Jason and the Argonauts (1963) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Friday, Oct. 22: There’s no better way to spend a Friday night at the movies than with this fantasy film featuring stop-motion animation from the legendary Ray Harryhausen. Jason and the Argonauts is part of a night of films about the new Academy Museum in Los Angeles, so viewers will probably get a glimpse at some of Harryhausen’s models.

5. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Sunday, Oct. 24: Director Robert Aldrich and stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis teamed up for this horror flick that deconstructs the nature of stardom and the second-place status of older women in Hollywood. It’s also one heck of a thrill ride with scares aplenty.

TCM is honoring Jane Powell with an afternoon lineup of her films on Saturday, Oct. 16. The actor and singer, who passed away Sept. 16 at age 92, was one of the top MGM musicals stars of the ‘40s and '50s and she was a great friend of the network and classic movie fans.
Your best bet is Powell’s career-defining performance in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT. Powell is at her feisty best as pioneer woman Milly, but she’s also subtle and sweet when the part requires it and “Wonderful, Wonderful Day” is a great showcase for her voice.
The rest of the lineup is made up of three MGM musicals. Luxury Liner (1948) at noon ET, Small Town Girl (1953) at 2 pm ET, and Royal Wedding (1951) at 4 pm ET. In the last film, Powell steals the show from costar Fred Astaire during a sassy Vaudeville-type number.

Here’s the best of the rest for the week of Oct. 11, 2021:

1. Nine to Five (1980) at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT Monday, Oct. 11: Legends Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin team up for this '80s workplace comedy. This film is still a fiercely funny takedown of sexism in the workplace – it’s also a rare female buddy movie – and there’s not a woman alive who can’t relate to it on some level.

2. Breathless (1961)) at 12:15 am ET/9:15 pm PT Tuesday night/Wednesday morning: TCM’s spotlight on New Wave movements continues with director Jean-Luc Godard’s film about a gangster (Jean Paul Belmondo) and chic young woman (Jean Seberg) on the lam. It is THE essential film of the Nouvelle Vague.

3. Border Incident (1949) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Wednesday, Oct. 13: This uncompromising, surprisingly contemporary film noir about the immigration crisis at the U.S./Mexico border is more relevant in 2021 than it was in the 1949. Simply, put it’s one of the best old Hollywood noirs, and it lingers in your mind long after you’ve watched it.
Border Incident is part of a night of films honoring Hispanic Heritage month. Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban stars in Border Incident and another great noir airing Wednesday night: Mystery Street (1948) at 1:45 am ET/10:45 pm PT.

4. House of Wax (1953) at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT Thursday, Oct. 14: It just wouldn’t be October without a little Vincent Price on our list. The horror icon plays the very dedicated owner of the world’s creepiest museum in this classic fright-fest (too bad TCM viewers can’t see it in its original 3-D format).

We’ve got a jam-packed week of TCM picks. There’s oodles of good classic movies airing this week, but old Hollywood fans will want to fasten their seatbelts (and set their DVRs) for the Wednesday, Oct. 6 lineup of 20th Century Fox films.
The night starts out with Bette Davis and company in the all-time classic All About Eve (1950) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, followed by director John Ford’s lyrical, Oscar-winning film about a Welsh coal-mining family, How Green Was My Valley (1941) at 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT. There’s also Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in our favorite Fox musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) at 12:45 am ET, and the great Fox star Tyrone Power gives his best screen performance in noir Nightmare Alley (1947) at 2:30 am ET.

Here’s the best of the rest for the week of Oct. 4, 2021:

1. La Strada (1954) at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT Tuesday, Oct. 5: This month’s spotlight is on cinematic new waves around the world (if you want to know more about what that means read director Martin Scorsese’s October column: https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/021463?source=nav). This week’s lineup features the granddaddy of new wave movements, Italian neorealism. Famed director Federico Fellini’s film about a circus troupe is a good place to start if you’re unfamiliar with Italian film; you can also watch Rome, Open City (1946) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT which is the archetypal neorealist film from director Roberto Rossellini and actor Anna Magnani.

2. The Affairs of Annabel (1938) at 9:30 am ET/6:30 am PT Friday, Oct. 8: This B movie about a spoiled movie star and her pushy agent (Jack Oakie) was an early comic showcase for October star of the month, Lucille Ball. It’s followed by a sequel, Annabel Takes a Tour (1938) at 11 am ET.

3. Brighton Rock (1947) at midnight ET/9 pm PT Saturday night/Sunday morning: Richard Attenborough stars in this week’s Noir Alley pick as a small-time gangster whose vicious crimes and casual amorality represents a generation adrift after the end of World War II. Simply, one of the best British films ever made, and Attenborough is brilliant.
Brighton Rock will have an encore presentation at 10 am ET Sunday.

4. The Bad Seed (1956) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Sunday, Oct. 10: Classic horror fans can get their Sunday night fix with this fun psychological thriller about a supernatural spoiled brat (Patty McCormick).

Lucille Ball

Here’s our TCM picks for the week of Sept. 20, 2021:

1. Patton (1970) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Tuesday, Sept. 21: One of the great pairings of actor and role was the irascible actor George C. Scott as the irascible World War II general George S. Patton in this Academy Award-winning biopic. FYI, for all the young ‘uns out there: Scott famously turned down the Oscar he deservedly won for this performance.

2. Autumn Leaves (1956) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Wednesday, Sept. 22: This drama about an older woman (Joan Crawford, in one of her best performances) who falls in love with a younger man (Cliff Robertson, giving an exceptional performance) is both a compelling thriller and a sensitive drama about mental illness. Autumn Leaves is part of a night of autumn-titled films celebrating the first day of fall.
This is a great week for Joan fans. There’s a double feature of domestic dramas on Saturday night starring Crawford: Daisy Kenyon (1947) at 8 pm ET and Harriet Craig (1950) at 10 pm ET. BTW, was anybody ever in more movies with a character’s name as the title?

3. A Fistful of Dollars (1964) at noon ET/9 am PT Saturday, Sept. 25: If you’re ready to settle down for a Saturday afternoon at the movies, TCM is airing director Sergio Leone’s famed Spaghetti Western trilogy. We’re already humming Ennio Morricone’s famous score (whaa-WHAA-whaa) for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (that’s airing at 4:30 pm ET following A Few Dollars More at 2:15 pm ET).

4. The Proud Valley (1940) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Sunday, Sept. 26: In our opinion, star of the month Paul Robeson’s best screen role is in this wonderful British film about an African-American sailor who becomes part of a hardscrabble Welsh mining community. The Proud Valley provides an incisive look at the plight of the working-class miners, but there’s also lots of wonderful singing by Mr. Robeson and others to lift your spirits.
It looks like The Proud Valley will be unavailable in Canada.

Finally, some of you have asked when the science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet (1956) is going to air next on TCM. It’s on at 6:15 pm ET/3:15 pm PT Tuesday during a day of Shakespeare-inspired films (it’s based on The Tempest).

An uncomfortable Greta Garbo with MGM mascot, Leo the Lion.

We’re so sorry to hear about the passing of Jane Powell, who died Thursday, Sept. 16 at age 92.
Powell was born Suzanne Burce on April 1, 1929, in Portland, Ore. Her parents put the precocious youngster on radio by age 5 and a stint as the Oregon Victory Girl during WWII landed her a contract with MGM in 1943.
She was a popular teen star in films like A Date with Judy (opposite Elizabeth Taylor) and Holiday in Mexico (opposite Roddy McDowall), but she really came into her own with two ‘50s musicals: Royal Wedding (1951) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954).
In later years, Powell appeared on stage and on TV and she married fellow child star Dickie Moore in 1988 after he interviewed her for a book he wrote about young actors.
Powell is at her best here in this YouTube clip performing “Wonderful, Wonderful Day” in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ-HCsmCoVI
Powell is all Brooklyn accent, sassy attitude, and killer tap-dance movies in the Royal Wedding number with Fred Astaire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GbXh8z7oFU
You can watch Royal Wedding tonight. It’s available on gobs of streaming services, including Amazon Prime, Paramount+, and Kanopy. Here’s our 2018 review: http://www.oldhollywoodfilms.com/…/royal-wedding-1950.html

Lauren Bacall (Sept. 16, 1924-Aug. 12, 2014).

Here’s 5 to watch on TCM for the week of Sept. 13, 2021:

1. Vivacious Lady (1938) at 4:15 pm ET/1:15 pm PT Tuesday, Sept. 14: Tuesday’s daytime lineup is filled with film’s from the great leading ladies of ‘30s, such as Irene Dunne (Theodora Goes Wild at 9:45 am ET), Katharine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby at 11:30 am ET), and Greta Garbo (Ninotchka at 6 pm ET). Click the link for the full September schedule: https://www.tcm.com/schedule-monthly…. We’ll be watching Ginger Rogers as a nightclub singer who entrances a sheepish botany professor (James Stewart) in this cute rom-com. Beulah Bondi (once again playing Jimmy’s mom) is a delight.

2. Intruder in the Dust (1949) at midnight ET/9 pm ET Wednesday night/Thursday morning: The wonderful Puerto Rican actor Juano Hernandez plays a black man who becomes the target of a lynch mob in this excellent adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel. Intruder in the Dust is part of a night of films celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

3. Key Largo (1948) at 12:15 pm ET/9:15 am PT Thursday, Sept. 16: All four of Lauren Bacall’s films with her husband/costar Humphrey Bogart are airing on Thursday afternoon as part of a birthday tribute to the late actress. Things start out with their final film together, Key Largo, before moving on to Dark Passage (1947) at 2:15 pm ET. Their two best films, the classic noirs The Big Sleep (1946) and To Have and Have Not (1944), are airing at 4:15 pm ET and 6:15 pm PT.

4. I Love Melvin (1953) at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT Thursday, Sept. 16: Donald O'Connor once again shows off his superhuman dancing skills in the roller-skating number in this pleasant musical comedy. In our opinion, O'Connor is even more impressive than Gene Kelly’s famous skate/dance in It’s Always Fair Weather (1955). BTW that film is airing at 8 pm ET.

5. Human Desire (1954) at midnight ET/9 pm PT Saturday night/Sunday morning: The great Gloria Grahame’s desperate housewife in this Fritz Lang-directed noir is both the ultimate femme fatale and something much more rich and strange. Actor Dana Delany, who recently wrote an appreciation of Grahame in Noir City magazine, will introduce this film with Noir Alley host Eddie Muller.
Human Desire will have an encore presentation at 10 am ET Sunday.

Paulette Goddard in Modern Times (1936).

Here’s 5 to watch on TCM for the week of Sept. 6, 2021:

1. The Rink (1916) at 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT Thursday, Sept. 9: TCM’s spotlight for September features movies with roller-skating scenes (surprisingly, there are a lot of them). No one loved skates more than comedian Charlie Chaplin, who used them both in this sublime short film and in Modern Times (1936), which is airing at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

2. The Seventh Victim (1943) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Friday, Sept. 10: Old Hollywood horror doesn’t get much more chilling than this “cult” classic from producer Val Lewton about the disappearance of a woman (Jean Brooks) that may be connected to a group of satanists.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Saturday, Sept. 11: This beloved drama about Civil Rights and the joys and trials of childhood is the pick of retired NYC firefighter Thomas Prin, Jr., who was a first responder on 9/11.

4. Drive a Crooked Road (1954) at 1 am ET/10 pm PT Saturday night/Sunday morning: Mickey Rooney doesn’t usually come to mind when old Hollywood fans think of film noir, but he’s great in this taut little B thriller about a mechanic who is conned (by a dame, of course) into driving the getaway car for a bank heist.
Drive a Crooked Road will have an encore presentation at 10 am ET/7 am PT Sunday.

5. Show Boat (1936) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Sunday, Sept. 12: This version of the oft-filmed Kern-Hammerstein musical has its problematic moments, but it also features star of the month Paul Robeson’s soaring rendition of “Ol’ Man River.” It is not only a marvelous vocal performance by Robeson, but also a cri de couer for the racism experienced by African-Americans.

A striking portrait of Paul Robeson as the title character in The Emperor Jones (1933).

Mitzi Gaynor

Happy September, everybody!
Today, TCM introduced a new set, a new logo, and a new tagline – “Where Then Meets Now” – but they will still be showing classic movies uncut and commercial free 24 hours a day. Fan favorites like Noir Alley and Silent Sunday Nights are back; plus actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson is the star of the month (Sunday Nights) and there’s a spotlight on movies featuring roller skates (every Thursday night starting on Sept. 9). We’re also looking forward to a night of classic Mexican cinema on Sept. 20, Joan Crawford in Autumn Leaves (1956) on Sept. 22 and Deborah Kerr’s 100th birthday tribute on Sept. 30. Click here for the full schedule: https://www.tcm.com/schedule-monthly?icid=mainnav16-month-schedule
Anyways here’s 5 to watch this week:

1. The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Wednesday, Sept. 1: This showbiz musical is the final screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It’s a delight to see them in glorious Technicolor, and the “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” number is a fitting finale for their legendary partnership.

2 & 3. Hugo (2011) at 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT Thursday, Sept 2 and Sunset Blvd. (1950) at midnight ET/9 pm PT: A night of movies about silent movies brings director Martin Scorsese’s fascinating film about the early days of cinema (specifically pioneering filmmaker Georges Melies). If you’re ride or die for old Hollywood, stay tuned for the greatest movie about movies of them all.

4. To Be or Not to Be (1942) at 2:15 pm ET/11:15 am PT Sunday, Sept. 5: Director Ernst Lubitsch’s satire about a bumbling Polish acting troupe who somehow manage to outwit the Nazis makes for fine Screwball September viewing. It is both very funny (particularly Sig Ruman as a dim-witted German officer) and a deeply moving indictment of the Holocaust.

5. Body and Soul (1925) at 8 pm ET Sunday, Sept. 5: Star-of-the-month Paul Robeson plays a dual role of good and bad brothers in this silent drama from famed director Oscar Micheaux.