#tcm party

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.

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.

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

It’s almost October (can you believe it?), which means it’s the season for scary movies on TCM. Things start out on Friday, Oct. 1 with a daytime lineup of pre-code horror. We’ll be DVRing director Fritz Lang’s influential German film, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) airing at 10:30 am ET/7:30 am PT, but there’s also a lot of old Hollywood favorites, including The Most Dangerous Game (1932) at 8 am ET/5 am PT and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) at 3:45 pm ET/12:45 pm PT.
Sunday nights in October will also feature horror films. Director Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller The Birds (1963) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT will be part of a night of creature features.

Here’s the best of the rest for the week of Sept. 27, 2021:

1. Citizen Kane (1941) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Monday, Sept. 27: Writer/director/star Orson Welles’ masterpiece about a newspaper mogul is part of a night of programming featuring the new Academy Museum in Los Angeles. There’s something more than a hope that viewers will get a gander at the world’s most famous sled before the evening is over.

2. National Silent Movie Day on Wednesday, Sept. 29: Honestly, you couldn’t go wrong DVRing everything during this daylong celebration of the artistry of silent films (if you’re interested here’s a link to the complete September schedule https://www.tcm.com/schedule-monthly…) but we’ll point you to the sublime tragic beauty of Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) at 2 pm ET/11 am PT and the sublime comic beauty of Buster Keaton in Sherlock, Jr. (1924) at 1:15 am ET/10:15 pm PT. The documentaries airing include Be Natural (2018) at 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT a tribute to pioneering female filmmaker Alice Guy-Blache.

3. An Affair to Remember (1957) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Thursday, Sept. 30: This all-time great romantic weepie starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr is a great way to wrap up September. An Affair to Remember is part of a daylong lineup celebrating the centenary of Scottish actor Deborah Kerr, who was born Sept. 30, 1921, in Glasgow.

4. Fleischer Animation 100th Anniversary-Part 2 at 10:45 pm ET/7:45 pm PT Saturday, Oct. 2: This compilation of cartoons from the famed Fleischer Studios includes Saturday matinee favorites like Betty Boop and Popeye. Here’s a link with more info: https://www.animationmagazine.net/…/tcm-celebrates…/

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).

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.

Ingrid Bergman (Aug. 29, 1915-Aug. 29, 1982) in a publicity photo for Casablanca (1942).

Here’s 5 to watch during this week’s Summer Under the Stars lineup on TCM.

1. Anatomy of a Murder (1959) at 11:45 pm ET/8:45 pm PT Monday, Aug. 23: There’s lots of wonderful films airing during Eve Arden’s SUTS day, but her wistful performance as James Stewart’s secretary in this courtroom drama is one of our favorites.

2. The Love Parade (1930) at 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT Tuesday, Aug. 24: French actor Maurice Chevalier’s SUTS day brings lots of excellent pre-code fare, including this frothy Lubitsch-directed confection about the amours of a vivacious queen (Jeanette MacDonald), whose roving eye soon alights on Chevalier’s charming soldier.

3. Stage Fright (1950) at 4 pm ET/1 pm PT Wednesday, Aug. 25: This under-rated Hitchcock thriller about a murder in London’s theatrical community is airing during Jane Wyman’s SUTS lineup. Hitchcock’s daughter, Pat, who passed away recently, has a droll supporting part as Wyman’s good-natured chum, Chubby Bannister.

4. ‘Til We Meet Again (1940) at midnight ET/9 pm PT Friday, Aug. 27: If you caught the iconic romance One Way Passage (1932) during Kay Francis’ SUTS day, you might want to check out the remake, which stars SUTS honoree Merle Oberon and George Brent. It isn’t quite as good as the original, but it’s still makes for a great night of movie escapism; plus, Frank McHugh reprises his role from the original as a small-time con man.

5. Finally, we’ll always have Casablanca (1942), which is airing at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT Sunday, Aug. 29 during Ingrid Bergman’s SUTS lineup.

A young Robert Redford

Here’s 5 to watch this week during TCM’s Summer Under the Stars lineup.

1. The Big Heat (1953) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Tuesday, Aug. 17: Gloria Grahame’s SUTS day is filled with noir riches. Basically, you can tune in any time during the afternoon or evening for a classic crime film (full schedule here: https://summer.tcm.com/ ), but if you have to pick just one, make it director Fritz Lang’s police procedural in which Grahame plays a disfigured mob moll seeking vengeance.

2. The Candidate (1972) at 1:15 pm ET/10:15 am ET Wednesday, Aug. 18: Robert Redford has starred in/directed several first-rate political films, but this cinema verite classic about a charismatic but vacuous Senate candidate is one of the best films airing during August. It anticipates our own image-driven age, and the final scene is a damning portrait of a man without a moral center (or any morals at all, really).

3. Late Autumn (1960) at 1:30 pm ET/10:30 am ET Thursday, Aug. 19: This beautifully filmed Japanese drama stars SUTS honoree Setsuko Hara as a widow who is trying to find a husband for her daughter (Yoko Tsukasa). Late Autumn is very specific to Japanese culture, but it also has universal themes of love, friendship, and family, and Hara is an actor who can break your heart with just one glance.

4. A Woman Rebels (1936) at 9 am ET/6 am PT Saturday, Aug. 21: Katharine Hepburn’s SUTS day is filled with all-time favorites like Bringing Up Baby (12:15 pm ET) and Desk Set (8 pm ET). However, if you’re looking for something a little different, tune in to this costume drama about the triumphs and travails of an independent Victorian woman. Kate is at her fiery, feminist best; plus, it’s the screen debut of Friday’s SUTS honoree, Van Heflin.

5. The Mark of Zorro (1940) at 10:15 pm ET/7:15 pm PT Sunday, Aug. 22: There’s no better way to wrap up your weekend than with a little classic-movie escapism courtesy of swashbuckling star Tyrone Power. A breathtaking Linda Darnell plays Power’s love interest, and Basil Rathbone is in peak villain mode.

Here’s 5 to watch this week during TCM’s Summer Under the Stars lineup

1. One Way Passage (1932) at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Monday, Aug. 9: Old Hollywood’s premier romantic weepie stars William Powell and SUTS honoree Kay Francis as star-crossed lovers who have a doomed shipboard romance.

2. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) at 5:45 pm ET/2:45 pm PT Tuesday, Aug. 10: If you’re idea of an afternoon’s entertainment is watching a dysfunctional, alcoholic couple (Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor) verbally destroy each other during a Scotch-fueled battle of the wills then tune in to this Oscar-winning drama that is part of George Segal’s SUTS day. He plays a young man who becomes entangled in Burton and Taylor’s life when he and his wife (Sandy Dennis) are invited over for drinks.

3. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) at 8 pm ET/5 pm ET Thursday, Aug. 12: This ancient epic about a young Jewish prince (SUTS honoree Ramon Novarro) is the last word in silent-movie spectacle.

4. Twelve O'Clock High (1949) at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT Saturday, Aug. 14: There’s lots of great stuff during Gregory Peck’s SUTS day, such as this underrated WWII drama about an Army Air Corps officer who struggles with what we would call today PTSD. Twelve O'Clock High is an effective rebuttal to many of the he-man heroics in other war films, and Peck gives an exceptional performance.

5. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am PT Sunday, Aug. 15: There’s lots of great musicals airing during Judy Garland’s SUTS day, but this nostalgic film is a treasured favorite in our house.

Here’s the full Summer Under the Stars schedule: https://summer.tcm.com/