TCM in June: Highlights

It's hard to believe May has already passed, and it's time to take a look at the June schedule on Turner Classic Movies!

Rock Hudson is the June Star of the Month. Over 21 Hudson films will be screened on Thursday evenings beginning June 5th. I'll be taking a closer look at the Hudson series next week. (Update: Please visit TCM Star of the Month: Rock Hudson.)

A wonderful month is ahead, with the Friday Night Spotlight focusing on pirates, a seven-film tribute to Lawrence Tierney, and an evening of "Hammer noir" just a few of the great things on tap for June.

Here's a look at the next month!

...The Essentials Jr. summer series aimed at kids kicks off Sunday evening, June 1st, with BRINGING UP BABY (1938), starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Check the special microsite for the rest of the excellent Essentials Jr. lineup.

...TCM gets June off to a nice start by paying tribute to actresses named June on June 2nd. The eight-film "June" lineup includes LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING (1949) with June Haver (plus Gordon MacRae, seen at the right), BREWSTER'S MILLIONS (1945) with June Havoc, SON OF LASSIE (1945) with June Lockhart, and TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (1946) which has a guest performance by June Allyson.

...BEACHHEAD (1954) is about a small group of people trying to survive WWII on a South Pacific island. Tony Curtis, Frank Lovejoy, and Mary Murphy star, on June 3rd.

...It's Rosalind Russell's birthday on June 4th, and the 7-film lineup includes a favorite little detective movie, FAST AND LOOSE (1939) with Robert Montgomery.

...A series of "brides" films on June 6th includes the unusual pairing of Robert Montgomery and Bette Davis in the romantic comedy JUNE BRIDE (1948).

...The Friday Night Spotlight on "Pirate Pictures" kicks off on June 6th with a silent version of THE SEA HAWK (1924), followed by Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara in THE BLACK SWAN (1942), O'Hara and Paul Henreid in THE SPANISH MAIN (1945), and Henreid and Patricia Medina in PIRATES OF TRIPOLI (1955).

...TCM will be featuring Bill Elliott Westerns on Saturdays this month, starting with THE LONGHORN (1951) on June 7th.

...On Sunday, June 8th, TCM will show SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (1963), which I recently had the pleasure of seeing with an appreciative audience at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

...Robert Osborne's Picks on June 10th include the pair of films in which Fritz Lang directed Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea: THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (1944) followed by SCARLET STREET (1945). Osborne also honors Judy Garland's birthday with THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946).

...A series of baby-themed films on June 11th includes a film I've been wanting to see, A CHILD IS BORN (1940) with Jeffrey Lynn and Geraldine Fitzgerald. The Chester Morris version of THREE GODFATHERS (1936) is also part of the lineup.

...I saw THE HITCH-HIKER (1953) on the closing night of this year's Noir City Film Festival. TCM is showing this movie starring Frank Lovejoy, Edmond O'Brien, and William Talman on June 12th. It's part of a tribute to Ida Lupino, who directed; the lineup includes several films in which she starred, with great films like THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1941), THE HARD WAY (1943), and ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951) on the schedule.

...Lighthearted pirate movies are featured on Friday the 13th, including Gene Kelly and Judy Garland in THE PIRATE (1948) and Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo in THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE (1944).

...On June 16th TCM features an evening of "Hammer noir." These movies were collaborations between Hammer Films and Lippert Productions, filmed in the UK with American stars heading British casts. All four Hammer films shown on the 16th are TCM premieres: Dane Clark in BLACKOUT (1954), Paulette Goddard in THE UNHOLY FOUR (1954), Lizabeth Scott in THE STOLEN FACE (1952), and George Brent in the enjoyable MAN BAIT (1952), costarring Marguerite Chapman and Diana Dors.

...Will DARK VICTORY (1939) with Bette Davis and George Brent make you cry? Yes. Should you watch it? Yes. June 17th.

...Yvonne DeCarlo and Clark Gable star in Raoul Walsh's BAND OF ANGELS (1957) on June 18th.

...The pirate movies shown on June 20th include a TCM premiere, AGAINST ALL FLAGS (1952) with Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara. The entire night, in fact, is a tribute to Flynn, with the other films being CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935), THE SEA HAWK (1940), and THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE (1953).

...DOLL FACE (1945), starring Vivian Blaine, Dennis O'Keefe, Perry Como, and Carmen Miranda, is a TCM premiere on June 23rd.

...TCM pays tribute to Lawrence Tierney with a seven-film marathon on June 25th, leading off with Tierney in the title role in the compelling DILLINGER (1945). I'm very interested in STEP BY STEP (1946) which reunited Tierney with his DILLINGER costar, Anne Jeffreys. Also in the lineup: BORN TO KILL (1947), costarring Claire Trevor and Audrey Long. (Tierney trivia: For anyone who might not be aware, Tierney was the older brother of actor Scott Brady.)

...June 26th has a number of interesting films including Peter Lorre, Raymond Massey, Faye Emerson, and Andrea King in HOTEL BERLIN (1945). That's immediately followed by THE VERDICT (1946) which stars Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Joan Lorring, who all starred the same year in THREE STRANGERS (1946). It was just announced that Lorring has passed on at the age of 88.

...The final night of pirate movies on June 27th includes Charles Laughton and Randolph Scott in CAPTAIN KIDD (1945) and John Payne and Donna Reed in RAIDERS OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1953).

...British musical star Jessie Matthews stars in FIRST A GIRL (1935) on Saturday morning, June 28th.

...Later on the 28th, a series of Jack Benny films includes the classic he made with Carole Lombard, TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1941), directed by Ernst Lubitsch.

..Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward star in the excellent Henry Hathaway Western RAWHIDE (1951) on June 30th.

Please visit the complete June schedule for more information. Happy movie viewing!