Quick Preview of TCM in April

Turner Classic Movies has posted the April schedule today, and Ivan was kind enough to pass on the good word.

I'm very happy that Ray Milland is going to be Star of the Month! The Oscar-winning Milland has never been Star of the Month, doubtless because a signficant part of his career was spent at Paramount. Over two dozen Milland films will be shown in April.

I'm most excited about the Paramount film THE CRYSTAL BALL (1943) costarring Paulette Goddard.

There will also be an opportunity for fans to see the relatively rarely shown SO EVIL MY LOVE (1948), which I saw on the big screen at last year's Noir City Film Festival.

Fritz Lang's MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944), which aired earlier today, will be reshown in April.

I have to admit I wish TCM had been able to obtain more of Milland's Paramount rareties of the '30s and '40s -- for instance, I'd love to see ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949) -- or the excellent Western he starred in and directed, A MAN ALONE (1955).

That said, April will be a great month for the many fans of Ray Milland.

April will feature tributes to Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Shirley Temple, Ann Miller, and Melvyn Douglas, among others. A nice programming touch was scheduling several "royalty" films, including ROYAL WEDDING (1951), THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955), and THE SWAN (1956), on April 29th, the date Prince William of Wales marries Catherine "Kate" Middleton.

As always, I'll be taking a closer look at April on TCM as April 1st nears. In the meantime, 31 Days of Oscar is coming in February, and the March Star of the Month will be Jean Harlow.