TCM in July

It's summertime! July is one of my favorite months of the year, and it's also shaping up as a great month at Turner Classic Movies.

The July Star of the Month is Gregory Peck. His films will begin airing on Monday, July 5th. I'll be focusing on the Peck films being shown on TCM this month in a later post.

In the meantime, here's a look at just a few of the interesting titles airing on TCM in July...

...July 1st is a birthday tribute to Leslie Caron and Olivia deHavilland, including Caron's LILI (1952) and THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955) (more here) and deHavilland's Oscar-winning turns in TO EACH HIS OWN (1946) and THE HEIRESS (1949).

...Friday, July 2nd, the Douglas Fairbanks Jr. film SUCCESS AT ANY PRICE (1934) will be shown. For a very interesting essay on this film by "MorlockJeff," visit the TCM Blog.

...Those interested in the too-short career of tragic Susan Peters will want to record TISH (1942) on July 3rd. It also stars a trio of fine comedic character actresses, Marjorie Main, ZaSu Pitts, and Aline MacMahon.

...MY SISTER EILEEN (1955), which remakes Rosalind Russell's 1942 comedy, is a good movie in and of itself, with fabulous dancing by Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall. Betty Garrett, Jack Lemmon, and Janet Leigh star. It airs on July 6th.

...July 7th I'm looking forward to recording BANK HOLIDAY (1938) starring Margaret Lockwood and John Hodge, directed by Carol Reed. This film about Britons going on summer vacation sounds like perfect July viewing.

...July 8th is a terrific lineup of film noir titles: BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (1956) with Dana Andrews and Joan Fontaine; Ann Sheridan in the title role of the very dark NORA PRENTISS (1947); Laraine Day and Robert Mitchum in THE LOCKET (1946); the great "B" film set on a train, THE NARROW MARGIN (1952), with Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor; and the murder mystery about a radio crime show producer, THE UNSUSPECTED (1947), with Claude Rains, Constance Bennett, and Audrey Totter. And that's only part of the lineup!

...KILLER McCOY (1947), starring Mickey Rooney, Ann Blyth, and Brian Donlevy, sounds quite interesting. The IMDb rating is a solid 6.8. It's on July 12th.

...Howard Keel and Jane Greer costarring in a film directed by Joseph H. Lewis, who made GUN CRAZY (1950)? It's DESPERATE SEARCH (1953) and it airs July 14th.

...Anthony Mann's THE BLACK BOOK (1949), aka REIGN OF TERROR, starring Robert Cummings and Arlene Dahl, is also on July 14th.

...MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945), an hour-long B movie which I enjoyed in May, is yet another of the interesting titles on July 14th.

...If you haven't seen the terrific airline disaster movie ZERO HOUR! (1957), July 17th is your chance.

...July 20th is a great day for Loretta Young fans. In the morning hours the pre-Code THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH (1930) will be shown, costarring Myrna Loy. That evening SUEZ (1938), about the building of the Suez Canal, will air. This is the only one of Tyrone Power and Loretta Young's five films I haven't seen yet. SUEZ also stars Power's first wife, Annabella.

...Also on the 20th, Jacques Tourneur's CANYON PASSAGE (1946) is an interesting Western in beautiful Technicolor. It stars Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Brian Donlevy, Patricia Roc, and Hoagy Carmichael.

...The 20th might be the best day on TCM's July calendar, as the wonderful film MY REPUTATION (1946), starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, and Eve Arden, will be shown as well.

...On July 21st look for the pre-Code BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK (1932) with Robert Montgomery and Sir C. Aubrey Smith. It's the original version of FREE AND EASY (1941), which I recently reviewed.

...July 23rd is a four-film tribute to Shirley Temple: POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (1936) with Alice Faye, HEIDI (1937), THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1939), and HONEYMOON (1947). Growing up, I found HEIDI and THE LITTLE PRINCESS disappointing because of their deviations from the original books, but taken on their own terms they are enjoyable. The films provide good roles for one of my favorite child actresses, Marcia Mae Jones, who plays Klara in HEIDI and Lavinia in THE LITTLE PRINCESS.

...July 25th Joan Crawford, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone star in THE BRIDE WORE RED (1937).

...I'm looking forward to ABOVE SUSPICION (1943) on July 26th, starring Fred MacMurray and Joan Crawford. The plot, about honeymooners asked to spy on Nazis, sounds quite intriguing.

...The Busby Berkeley directed STAGE STRUCK (1936), with Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, and Warren William, is also on my list to check out on July 26th.

...ONE WAY PASSAGE (1930), with Kay Francis and William Powell, is supposed to be excellent. It's on July 29th. The remake, 'TIL WE MEET AGAIN (1940), starring Merle Oberon and George Brent, is also on in July, on the 9th.

...STRANGE BARGAIN (1949), starring Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott, and Harry Morgan, has a fascinating history: nearly four decades later a sequel to the movie was filmed for the series MURDER, SHE WROTE. All three actors appeared in the TV episode. STRANGE BARGAIN will air July 30th.

...I love character actor Sam Levene, who played Lt. Abrams in a couple of the THIN MAN movies. He was also fun in THE MAD MISS MANTON (1938) with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. Levene costars with real-life married couple Bill Williams and Barbara Hale in A LIKELY STORY (1947) on July 30th.

Be sure to check out the full schedule at the TCM website.