TCM in December: Highlights
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It's a great month on TCM for many other reasons, including a new documentary on Christmas movies premiering December 6th, the TCM debut on Christmas Eve of Jeanne Crain in the classic MARGIE (1946), and the incomparable William Powell as Star of the Month on Thursday evenings.
I plan to post more information on both the Star of the Month and TCM's great lineup of Christmas movies in the near future. Here are just a few of the other interesting titles coming to TCM in December:
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...Saturday morning, December 3rd, TCM will be showing John Farrow's FIVE CAME BACK (1939), a "B" movie which represents a triumph of filmmaking over budget. I saw this creepy film, about survivors of a jungle plane crash, as part of an RKO Festival at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art when I was a teenager. I've never forgotten the experience. It has a great cast including Lucille Ball, Chester Morris, Wendy Barrie, Sir C. Aubrey Smith, Allen Jenkins, John Carradine, Joseph Calleia, Kent Taylor, Patric Knowles, and Elisabeth Risdon. Those were the days, when a 75-minute programmer could feature a cast of that caliber! Dalton Trumbo was one of the contributors to the screenplay.
...On December 4th THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS (1955) has its TCM premiere. I saw this Bob Hope film many times while I was growing up, but haven't watched it in years. James Cagney has a cameo as George M. Cohan, and the film plays back to back with Cagney's Cohan film YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942).
...The film noir ANGEL FACE (1952), starring Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Herbert Marshall, and Mona Freeman, will play on the 5th. This is a good-looking film I've yet to catch up with.
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...TCM marks Pearl Harbor Day with a primetime lineup of World War II films, including FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953) and THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (1945).
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...TCM will celebrate the centennial of Broderick Crawford's birth on December 9th, showing three Crawford films, including his Oscar-winning performance in ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949).
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...I'm an Audrey Totter fan, so I'll be recording A BULLET FOR JOEY (1955) on December 12th. It costars Edwards G. Robinson and George Raft.
...There's an outstanding birthday tribute to Van Heflin on December 13th, the only mystery being the exclusion of his Oscar-winning performance in JOHNNY EAGER (1941). No matter, as it's a great day which includes the enjoyable "B" mystery GRAND CENTRAL MURDER (1942), the biopic TENNESSEE JOHNSON (1942) with Ruth Hussey, the highly entertaining costume soaper GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (1947) with Lana Turner and Donna Reed, and EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (1949), with an all-star cast including Barbara Stanwyck, James Mason, Ava Gardner, and Cyd Charisse. I paid tribute to Heflin on the centennial of his birth on December 13, 2010.
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...On the 16th there are some great-looking pre-Codes, including YOU CAN'T BUY EVERYTHING (1934) with Jean Parker, HELL DIVERS (1932) with Clark Gable, THE WET PARADE (1932) with Myrna Loy, and LOVE IN THE ROUGH (1930) with Robert Montgomery.
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...The Howard Hawks comedy BALL OF FIRE (1941), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper, airs on December 21st. This is one of four titles left on my personal list of "unseen classics" which I hope to catch in 2011. The titles I've seen so far this year are listed in my review of THE LADY EVE (1941), which also starred Stanwyck.
...Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951), which I recently enjoyed for the first time, will air on December 22nd. It stars Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, and Robert Walker. Highly recommended. It's part of a Ruth Roman tribute which also includes YOUNG MAN WITH IDEAS (1952) costarring Glenn Ford and LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE (1951) with Richard Todd.
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...MARGIE (1946) isn't a Christmas film, but it has a nostalgic glow -- including a memorable ice skating scene -- which makes it perfect Christmastime viewing. This story of an awkward teenager (Jeanne Crain) blossoming in the 1920s is classic Americana. It's been hard to find for years, so what a thrill to see it premiering on TCM as one of "Robert Osborne's Picks" on Christmas Eve, alongside some classic Christmas titles. If I could only record one movie in December, it would be MARGIE.
...On December 28th TCM will honor several actors who passed away this year, including Jane Russell (THE PALEFACE), Elizabeth Taylor (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF), and Anne Francis (BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK).
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...There's a fun theme on New Year's Eve, which features movies with time deadlines. Titles include D.O.A. (1950), PANIC IN THE STREETS (1950), and ICE STATION ZEBRA (1968).
I'll be back soon with more on TCM in December, and you can also consult the complete schedule, which will hopefully show up here on December 1st. (It must be said that TCM has not always made it easy to find advance schedules this year!)
Happy December viewing, and welcome back, Robert Osborne!
Update: TCM Star of the Month: William Powell.
Update: TCM in December: Christmas Movies.