TCM in November: Highlights

It hardly seems possible that today is Halloween! It's time to take a look ahead at the November schedule for Turner Classic Movies.

November looks like another great month of selections, with a nice mix of obscure and familiar titles; there are particularly good lineups on the day before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day -- a perfect time to introduce younger family members and friends to the "classics"!

The Star of the Month will be a "Battle of the Blondes," with nine evenings devoted to the films of 18 blonde actresses, starting on Wednesday, November 1st. The featured actresses are Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Veronica Lake, Lana Turner, Jean Harlow, Judy Holliday, Mae West, Carole Lombard, Betty Grable, Janet Leigh, Brigitte Bardot, Doris Day, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Marlene Dietrich, Ursula Andress, Julie Christie, and Diana Dors. I won't be doing a separate Star of the Month post this month, but a couple of the titles, which are TCM premieres, are mentioned below.

...Tomorrow, November 1st, I'll be recording a film noir title I've never seen: DETOUR (1945), starring Tom Neal and Ann Savage. DETOUR kicks off an entire day of film noir goodness, including Joel McCrea in COLORADO TERRITORY (1949), a Western remake of Bogart's HIGH SIERRA (1949). COLORADO TERRITORY and HIGH SIERRA were both directed by Raoul Walsh.

...BRUTE FORCE (1947) is of interest to me because it features a trio of interesting actresses: Yvonne DeCarlo, Ann Blyth, and Ella Raines. (Happily there is quite a bit of DeCarlo on TCM and elsewhere this month!) It will be shown November 2nd.

...I've come to appreciate actor-director Don Taylor over the past year or two; on November 3rd he stars with Sally Forrest and Raymond Burr in RIDE THE HIGH IRON (1956).

...More episodes of SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE will be shown November 3rd, featuring the work of directors including Leo McCarey, Frank Borzage, and John Brahm.

...I'll be recording TARGET ZERO (1955) on November 8th. It's a Korean war film which stars two actors I especially like, Richard Conte and Peggie Castle.

...There's more Yvonne DeCarlo on November 8th, when she is seen with Rory Calhoun in "Hot Cargo," an episode of SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE. As described in a recent post, Calhoun wrote DeCarlo's 1955 Western SHOTGUN and also gave her away that year at her wedding. Later that day, DeCarlo costars with Victor Mature in Jacques Tourneur's TIMBUKTU (1959).

...Also on November 8th, ODONGO (1956) looks interesting, starring Rhonda Fleming and Macdonald Carey. It comes out on DVD-R November 1st in the Columbia Classics line.

...Additional episodes of SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE on November 8th were directed by Andrew L. Stone, Stuart Heisler, and George Sherman, among others.

...Norma Shearer fans alert: she stars in LET US BE GAY (1930) on November 9th.

...On November 10th, TCM is showing all three films in the FOUR DAUGHTERS series, as well as DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939), which features the identical cast. These are wonderful films which I strongly recommend.

...November 11th there's a Dana Andrews-Richard Conte film I've never seen, A WALK IN THE SUN (1945). It's part of a lineup of Veterans Day films which also includes Dennis Morgan in GOD IS MY CO-PILOT (1945) and John Payne and Randolph Scott in TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI (1942). The war movies close out with a trio of James Garner films set during WWII: DARBY'S RANGERS (1958), UP PERISCOPE (1959), and THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY (1964).

...The next day, November 12th, there's another James Garner film, TOWARD THE UNKNOWN (1956), also starring William Holden, Lloyd Nolan, Charles McGraw, and Karen Steele. A remastered print of this film was released earlier this year by Warner Archive.

...There seem to be a number of Richard Carlson fans out there besides myself! He can be seen in THE LAST COMMAND (1955), a film about the Alamo, on November 13th. It also stars Sterling Hayden.

...And William Lundigan's many fans can see him starring with John Garfield and Brenda Marshall in EAST OF THE RIVER (1940) on November 15th.

...On November 16th, Carole Lombard's night in the "Battle of the Blondes" will include a brand-new print of NOTHING SACRED (1937), which is usually shown in a seriously bad print. Kino will be releasing the new print to DVD on December 20th.

...There's more for Yvonne DeCarlo fans on November 17th, when BAND OF ANGELS (1957) is shown. It also stars Clark Gable and Sidney Poitier, and it was directed by Raoul Walsh.

...I've got to see this one: Joan Crawford and James Stewart in THE ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 (1939). November 18th!

...TCM screens PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE (1952) on Sunday, November 20th. It stars Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, and Van Johnson. Also airing that day is the 20-minute short MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE (1950).

...I'm curious about SHADOW IN THE SKY (1951), a film about a shell-shocked veteran airing on November 21st. It stars Ralph Meeker, Nancy Davis (Reagan), and James Whitmore.

...I'm going to be sure to record REBEL IN TOWN (1956) on November 22nd. It stars John Payne and Ruth Roman.

...November 23rd is the day before Thanksgiving, and it's a perfect day to introduce those children who are starting the holiday early to classic adventure films, including TREASURE ISLAND (1934), THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), THE JUNGLE BOOK (1942), TARZAN, THE APE MAN (1932), and KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1950).

...Betty Grable's "Battle of the Blondes" tribute on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23rd, will include two films new to Turner Classic Movies: SWEET ROSIE O'GRADY (1943), costarring Robert Young, and one of my favorite Grable films, DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940). The latter film costars Don Ameche and features some knockout dancing by the Nicholas Brothers.

...On Thanksgiving Day, TCM has a fantastic lineup of family films including MGM's Technicolor version of LITTLE WOMEN (1949); MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944); Margaret O'Brien in THE SECRET GARDEN (1949); and THE MUSIC MAN (1962). At 6:00 p.m. Eastern, 3:00 Pacific, TCM comes through with MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947), a perfect film for Thanksgiving Day. Later that evening the lineup includes the comedy THE LADY EVE (1941), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda; two Marx Brothers films; and SHALL WE DANCE (1937), starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

...Another really interesting film airing on November 26th: EASY LIVING (1949). This isn't the classic Jean Arthur-Ray Milland screwball comedy; it's a Jacques Tourneur film starring Victor Mature, Lucille Ball, and Lizabeth Scott.

...November 28th's lineup includes WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER (1950), starring Joseph Cotten.

...There's a day-long tribute to Busby Berkeley on November 29th. I'm especially looking forward to the relatively obscure THE GO-GETTER (1937), starring Geoge Brent and Anita Louise. The lineup also includes Loretta Young in the pre-Code SHE HAD TO SAY YES (1933), a mind-bending film which must be seen to be believed.

A note for classic film fans who receive the Encore Westerns channel: a rarely shown Yvonne DeCarlo Universal Western, FRONTIER GAL (1945), comes to Encore Westerns starting on November 2nd and 3rd. It costars Rod Cameron. Set your DVR!

There are many more excellent titles airing on TCM in November, including a four-night TCM Spotlight series, "All Aboard!" which focuses on films set on ships.

Please review the complete schedule for lots more titles available on Turner Classic Movies in November!