Monday, June 30, 2014

TCM in July: Highlights

It's July, my favorite time of the year!

I'm back from a great road trip up Highway 395 and will be sharing photos in the near future. First, though, it's time to take a look at the July schedule on Turner Classic Movies!

Maureen O'Hara is the July Star of the Month starting on Tuesday evening, July 1st. I'll be sharing more about the O'Hara films airing this month on the 1st. (Update: Please visit my post TCM Star of the Month: Maureen O'Hara.)

Here are just some of the interesting films airing on TCM this month:

...Leslie Caron's 83rd birthday on July 1st will be celebrated with an eight-film tribute including AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951). A great start to the month!

...July 2nd is Chester Morris Day! Several Morris films I've never seen will air, including SECRET COMMAND (1944) with Pat O'Brien and Carole Landis and THE MARINES FLY HIGH (1940) with Richard Dix and Lucille Ball. Can't wait!

...On July 3rd I'll be recording JOURNEY TO ITALY (1955) with George Sanders and Ingrid Bergman, which I first heard about thanks to the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival. It was directed by Roberto Rossellini.

...The patriotic lineup on Independence Day includes the interesting Technicolor short SONS OF LIBERTY (1939), starring Claude Rains and Gale Sondergaard. This 21-minute film was directed by Michael Curtiz.

...I've never seen James Stewart in CARBINE WILLIAMS (1952) which airs on July 5th. Jean Hagen and Wendell Corey costar. I'll be recording that one!

...TCM couldn't have come up with a better schedule for my July 6th birthday than a day filled with musicals, including my very favorite movie, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954), airing that afternoon. TOP HAT (1935) with Fred and Ginger, DANGEROUS WHEN WET (1953) with Esther Williams, VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964) with Elvis and Ann-Margret and THE MUSIC MAN (1962) are among the day's treats.

...Aldo Ray's been growing on me, thanks especially to THREE STRIPES IN THE SUN (1955) and NIGHTFALL (1957). I'm looking forward to checking out THE MARRYING KIND (1952), also starring Judy Holliday, on July 7th.

...A morning of "B" crime movies on July 8th includes the 62-minute LADY GANGSTER (1942) with Faye Emerson, who I've enjoyed in a number of films including DANGER SIGNAL (1945) and GUILTY BYSTANDER (1950). My DVR is set!

...Anne Shirley, James Craig, and Charles Coburn star in the "B" film UNEXPECTED UNCLE (1941) on July 10th.

...Richard Dix has turned up in several films I've watched recently. He stars in ACE OF ACES (1933) with Elizabeth Allan and Ralph Bellamy on July 11th. This is a good time to mention I strongly recommend checking out Cliff's biographical post on Dix at Immortal Ephemera.

...LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE (1951) is an interesting melodrama starring Richard Todd, Ruth Roman, and Zachary Scott. It airs on the 12th.

...Olivia de Havilland celebrates her 98th birthday on July 1st. Later in the month, on July 13th, her charming film PRINCESS O'ROURKE (1943) airs in prime time.

...Kay Francis will be celebrated in prime time on Monday, July 14th, with a terrific seven-film lineup. I can't recommend Lubitsch's TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932) strongly enough. A wonderful film on the other end of the quality spectrum is the delicious ALLOTMENT WIVES (1945) with Kay as a criminal mastermind. And there's even more Kay the following day on the 15th!

...FINISHING SCHOOL (1934) is a terrific pre-Code starring Frances Dee, Ginger Rogers, and Bruce Cabot. It's lots of fun and only 74 minutes long. It's shown July 16th.

...The rarely seen DARK DELUSION (1947) airs in the early morning hours on July 17th. It's the last "Dr. Gillespie" film, starring Lionel Barrymore, James Craig, and Lucille Bremer.

...I enjoy Susan Cabot in Westerns such as THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK (1952) and GUNSMOKE (1953). Her last feature film, THE WASP WOMAN (1959), airs on July 19th.

...The outstanding WWII film THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO (1944) airs on Sunday morning, July 20th. It has an amazing cast. Highly recommended.

...I'm intrigued by THE FLORENTINE DAGGER (1935), about a descendant of the Borgias, starring Margaret Lindsay. It airs on July 21st.

...A day of Westerns on July 22nd includes two favorites, STATION WEST (1948) with Dick Powell and BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948) with Robert Mitchum. They're both excellent and very much recommended.

...July 23rd pays tribute to Dick Powell, Eleanor Powell, and Jane Powell with two films apiece. It's a great day including a Powell film which is a personal favorite, A DATE WITH JUDY (1948), costarring Elizabeth Taylor.

...I always enjoy Florence Rice, who stars with Frank Morgan and John Beal in BEG, BORROW OR STEAL (1937) on July 24th.

...Joan Blondell stars in the pre-Code CENTRAL PARK (1932) on July 28th.

...I'm looking forward to DANGEROUS NUMBER (1937) with Ann Sothern and Robert Young on July 29th.

...The month ends on July 31st with the Lubitsch classic TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942), starring Carole Lombard and Jack Benny.

For much more on TCM in July, please consult the complete schedule.

A side note: I haven't been posting the Fox Movie Channel schedule in recent months due to the highly repetitive nature of the FMC schedule. That said, I wanted to be sure to mention that ALASKA PASSAGE (1959) will air on Fox Movie Channel on July 12th. I receive steady email inquiries about this film's availability; hopefully it will come out from the Fox Cinema Archives at some point, although hopefully not in pan and scan.

9 Comments:

Blogger Caftan Woman said...

I'm a "Blood on the Moon" gal from way back. How did I miss that on the schedule? What would I do without you?

Can't wait until Wednesday the 2nd. Chester Morris all day long!

6:51 AM  
Blogger DKoren said...

I was up in Bishop this last weekend myself. So we both had 395 trips :-D Looking forward to your pictures.

7:51 AM  
Blogger Jerry E said...

Glad you had a great trip, Lone Pine Laura (that handle could stick!). It's good to have you back. There's been a little hole in the corner of my life this past week LOL!

Best wishes,
Jerry

9:15 AM  
Blogger KC said...

Thanks for the tip on the Kay Francis tribute. Can't wait for that one!

9:45 AM  
Blogger redcon1 said...

If only TCM would have Five Came Back on their Chester Morris day schedule! I've been wanting to see that for a long time.

11:31 AM  
Blogger Blake Lucas said...

JOURNEY TO ITALY (or as it once known with the more poetic translation VOYAGE TO ITALY) is arguably the key film of modern cinema and one of the most important works of all cinema. It's certainly one of the most beautiful, memorable and eternal of all movies--the kind those who know it live with over time and only come to take more deeply to heart.

That said, and while I of course encourage recording it as you plan, a note of caution: As with many other Italian films (and certainly true for Rossellini) there are versions in different languages. The preferred one for this film is definitely English and that is the way it has commonly been seen here. Ingrid Bergman was was multilingual and could dub herself in other languages, but George Sanders could not and I'm sure we'll all agree his distinctive voice is an important part of his persona. In an Italian version, he is dubbed by another actor, and inexplicably, this Italian version is the only one TCM showed when they showed it before.

There's no reason for that, and no reason for anyone to watch this in Italian instead of in the preferred English-language version, which is readily available (now on Criterion). So I would advise recording it and then check it out (it's likely TCM has corrected their mistake)--if it isn't in English, you will be better off to wait. I would provide to you if needed, Laura, but would also suggest that Rossellini/Bergman collection on Criterion (three films) is well worth the buy on the 50% sale (I got it first chance last year), because these are amazing films and in the fullness of time that's how they are now widely seen.

6:05 PM  
Blogger Laura said...

Caftan Woman, delighted to hear from another BLOOD ON THE MOON fan! I've been busy emptying out the things that accumulated in my DVR during my vacation to make room for Chester tomorrow. :)

Deb, what fun you were in Bishop, I wish I'd known and maybe we could have had dinner! Next time I go I should let you know! (We ate at Holy Smoke BBQ on Main Street.) Hope you and your family are all well!

Thanks, Jerry! LOL re that handle. The warm welcome back is so nice of you and deeply appreciated.

KC, delighted to share the Kay Francis news! I think there's one with William Powell I don't have! And I owe you an email!

Redcon1, seeing FIVE CAME BACK at the L.A. County Museum of Art is a special memory for me. It was a real "wow." I have a VHS recording I should get out soon. I'm hoping that it will come out from the Warner Archive -- seems like I might have heard the elements they have to work with are problematic but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Blake, thank you for that most valuable information on JOURNEY TO ITALY, it was all brand-new to me. I will check out the TCM recording and if it's in Italian probably record it as a backup but plan to either buy it or borrow it! (Thank you for the offer to help!) I completely agree, I can't imagine watching a George Sanders movie without George Sanders' voice! (P.S. I chuckled as I thought to myself that he may not have been multilingual, but instead he could sing! LOL. Such a talented man.) Thanks so much for all this info. It's interesting that although I like these actors this movie had been completely off my radar screen.

Best wishes,
Laura

6:17 PM  
Blogger Cliff Aliperti said...

Laura, thanks for slipping in a link to my Richard Dix biography, really appreciate it! I'm very high on Ace of Aces and hope to have more on it before TCM plays it.

A really wonderful month of programming from TCM--Summer Under the Stars is always my favorite, but I don't think so this year. July offers several '30s films I've never seen before, so I'm very excited to get recording!

Thanks again, Cliff

2:14 PM  
Blogger Laura said...

Cliff, thanks to *you* for the wonderfully informative piece on Richard Dix, I learned a lot.

I agree, there are a lot of really interesting movies on TCM in July -- really looking forward to all the new-to-me Chester Morris films this week!

Best wishes,
Laura

7:41 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Newer›  ‹Older