TCM Star of the Month: Joan Crawford

The January Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies is Joan Crawford.

Over five dozen Crawford films will be shown on Thursday evenings, continuing into Fridays, beginning tonight, January 2nd.

The series kicks off with a 24-hour marathon of 16 early Crawford films, titled "The MGM Years: The Ingenue." The evening includes some of her earliest work in silents. Titles that evening include OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS (1928) and MONTANA MOON (1930) with Johnny Mack Brown, OUR MODERN MAIDENS (1929) with her first husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and a particular favorite of mine, OUR BLUSHING BRIDES (1930) with Robert Montgomery.

The series continues on January 9th with 14 films focused on "The MGM Years: A Star is Born." The night kicks off with GRAND HOTEL (1932). Films being shown that Thursday night and the following day which have previously been reviewed here include DANCING LADY (1933), FORSAKING ALL OTHERS (1934), NO MORE LADIES (1935), and LOVE ON THE RUN (1936).

January 10th wraps up with one of my favorite Crawford films, THE LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY (1937), costarring Robert Montgomery and William Powell.

Part Three of the Crawford series is "The MGM Years: Queen of the Lot" on January 16th. The dozen titles include THE WOMEN (1939), WHEN LADIES MEET (1941), THEY ALL KISSED THE BRIDE (1942), THE SHINING HOUR (1938), SUSAN AND GOD (1940), and ABOVE SUSPICION (1943). Please click on any of these links for more detailed information about each film.

On January 23rd the focus changes to "Rebirth at Warner Bros." with 13 films including her career game-changer, MILDRED PIERCE (1945).

Other films shown on the 23rd and 24th include GOODBYE, MY FANCY (1951), THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950), and IT'S A GREAT FEELING (1949), in which she has a cameo.

I very much enjoyed THE DAMNED DON'T CRY when I had the chance to see it at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art a couple of years ago. She costars with Steve Cochran and David Brian, with some location filming done in Palm Springs, including at Frank Sinatra's home, Twin Palms. There's more information on that in my post on the film.

The series concludes on January 30th with seven films which fall under the heading "Career Sunset: Soap Opera and Horror." I'm particularly interested in seeing THE BEST OF EVERYTHING (1959).

For more information on TCM in January, please visit TCM in January: Highlights or the complete TCM schedule.