Quick Preview of TCM in March

Turner Classic Movies posted its March schedule this evening, and there's some terrific viewing ahead.

March marks the centennial of actress Jean Harlow's birth, and she's TCM's Star of the Month. Her films will be shown on Tuesday evenings beginning on March 8th.

It looks like all the Harlow classics will be shown, including RED DUST (1932), DINNER AT EIGHT (1933), CHINA SEAS (1935), LIBELED LADY (1936), WIFE VS. SECRETARY (1936), and many more.

(Could this mean the long-promised Harlow DVD set will be released next year?)

As for the rest of the schedule, there's a wonderful assortment of classics and obscure films. One of the titles that particularly caught my eye is BIOGRAPHY OF A BACHELOR GIRL (1935), starring Robert Montgomery and Ann Harding. I'm always especially happy to discover a new-to-me Montgomery film.

Another gem showing in March is CAUGHT (1949), which is only available on Region 2 DVD -- or, more recently, via online streaming at Netflix. It stars James Mason, Robert Ryan, and Barbara Bel Geddes.

The British film A CANTERBURY TALE (1944) is also on the schedule. I bought the Criterion edition on sale earlier this year but haven't seen it yet.

There are tributes to directors Gregory LaCava and David Lean, and day-long tributes to John Garfield, Warner Baxter, Claire Trevor, and George Brent. Only on TCM! I'm unfamiliar with many of the nine Brent films so I'm looking forward to recording them and checking them out.

St. Patrick's Day has an especially nice lineup, including Anna Neagle and Ray Milland in the charming IRENE (1940), June Haver and Gordon MacRae in THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY (1950), Dennis Morgan and Arlene Dahl in MY WILD IRISH ROSE (1947), Morgan and Priscilla Lane in THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH (1940), and Fred Astaire in FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968).

I'll post a more thorough assessment of the March schedule, as well as some viewing recommendations, sometime around March 1st.

In the meantime, January should be a fabulous month on TCM, and in February there's the annual 31 Days of Oscar Festival.