TCM in July: Highlights

Welcome to summertime!

I love July, and this month's schedule on Turner Classic Movies makes the month even better! There's plenty of relaxing summertime viewing ahead.

Steve McQueen will be the July Star of the Month. Thursday evenings in July will feature 16 McQueen films, beginning on July 5th. There will not be a separate Star of the Month post for July.

There's a great TCM Spotlight series for July, 50 States in 50 Movies, every Monday and Tuesday evening. Complete details are posted on the TCM site. The armchair travel begins in "Scenic New England" with A SUMMER PLACE (1959) on Monday, July 2nd.

This month's Noir Alley titles: Robert Taylor and Cyd Charisse (seen at right) in Nicholas Ray's terrific "color noir" PARTY GIRL (1958) on July 7th and 8th; Charles McGraw in ROADBLOCK (1951) on July 14th/15th; Bogart and Bacall in DARK PASSAGE (1947) on the 21st and 22nd; and a personal favorite, SCENE OF THE CRIME (1949) starring Van Johnson and a great cast including Tom Drake, John McIntire, Gloria DeHaven, and Arlene Dahl. SCENE OF THE CRIME airs on July 28th and 29th.

One additional thing to highlight, there's an exciting evening of Republic Pictures restorations on July 6th. Full details below.

Below are a few of this month's additional TCM highlights. Click any hyperlinked title to read the corresponding film review and learn more about the casts.

...A day of Joan Blondell films on July 2nd includes the delightful BROADWAY GONDOLIER (1935), starring Dick Powell, who married Blondell in 1936. The great musical moments include "The Rose in Her Hair" and "Lulu's Back in Town"; Powell sings the latter with the Mills Brothers, a marvelous musical moment! I'd love this one to turn up on DVD from the Warner Archive.

...It's Christmas in July on July 3rd when TCM features CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan.

...Independence Day films on TCM include a late-night screening of HOLIDAY INN (1942), featuring Fred Astaire's famous firecracker dance.

...Steve McQueen's Star of the Month movies kick off on July 5th with a lineup which includes THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). The films also include THE BLOB (1958); I've written here in the past that a scene from that film, viewed at a neighbor's house, gave me nightmares throughout my childhood! My husband finally figured out what the movie was about 15 years ago. I'll be skipping that one...!

...July 6th is my favorite day on this month's TCM calendar, as TCM will present a great slate of Republic Pictures restorations. The evening kicks off with Mona Freeman in THAT BRENNAN GIRL (1946). That's followed by Marsha Hunt and William Lundigan (at right with Robert Shayne and Gail Patrick) in THE INSIDE STORY (1947), which I was fortunate to see at the UCLA Festival of Preservation in 2013; the memorable film noir CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS (1953); and TRIGGER, JR. (1950), a Roy Rogers Western I just recently reviewed on Blu-ray. Those interested in these films will want to be sure to read a wonderful article by Farran Smith Nehme, the Self-Styled Siren, published by the Village Voice. Her article was written in conjunction with this year's great Republic series at New York's Museum of Modern Art. MOMA showed a number of Republic films earlier this year, and another great group will be shown in August. (It's tempting to get on a plane to see Ray Milland in one of my favorite Westerns, A MAN ALONE, on a big screen...!)

...This month's Saturday morning lineup features early '40s Westerns starring Tim Holt. July 7th it's DUDE COWBOY (1941), costarring Marjorie Reynolds. Besides Holt movies showing every Saturday morning, also be on the lookout for WAGON TRAIN (1940), costarring Martha O'Driscoll, on the evening of Monday, July 30th.

...As a child I saw Sally Ann Howes on the stage in THE SOUND OF MUSIC and THE KING AND I in the early '70s. TCM pays tribute to Howes with a prime time double bill of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968) and THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON (1957) on July 8th.

...A Sterling Hayden daytime tribute on July 11th features a Western I like a great deal, ARROW IN THE DUST (1954); one of my favorite film noir titles, CRIME WAVE (1954), and the highly entertaining airplane disaster film ZERO HOUR! (1957). The entire lineup is great!

...There are more Steve McQueen films on July 12th, including BABY, THE RAIN MUST FALL (1957) and THE HONEYMOON MACHINE (1961). I was fortunate to see BABY, THE RAIN MUST FALL at UCLA in July 2017 with costar Don Murray in attendance; I was happily surprised to find I liked it much more than I'd anticipated. THE HONEYMOON MACHINE is a silly yet delightfully amusing romantic comedy which was released a few years ago by the

...July 13th there's a lineup featuring films about female physicians, including June Allyson in the very good THE GIRL IN WHITE (1952) and DOCTOR MONICA (1934); the latter is a delightful pre-Code which seems overdue to be released on DVD by the Warner Archive!

...A July 16th birthday tribute to Barbara Stanwyck includes the very enjoyable melodrama EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (1949). The cast includes James Mason, Ava Gardner, Van Heflin, Cyd Charisse, and Nancy Davis (Reagan).

...July 17th features a pair of good films about judges: CASS TIMBERLANE (1947) with Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, and Zachary Scott, followed by Alexander Knox and Ann Sothern in THE JUDGE STEPS OUT (1949).

...July 18th includes a favorite lesser-known MGM musical, LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952). This remake of ROBERTA (1935) stars Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, and Marge and Gower Champion. The fashion show finale is terrific, and there are a couple of unforgettable dances by the Champions.

...A three-evening celebration of the centennial of Leonard Bernstein's birth begins on July 20th with showings of WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and ON THE WATERFRONT (1954). Subsequent evenings will feature NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS and episodes of OMNIBUS.

...I really like 5TH AVENUE GIRL (1939), starring Ginger Rogers and Tim Holt, supported by Walter Connolly and Verree Teasdale. It's on early on the 22nd.

...There's another good Barbara Stanwyck film showing on July 24th, THE PURCHASE PRICE (1932). Stanwyck plays the mail order bride of a farmer (George Brent).

...A lineup of movies about radio shows is featured on July 26th, including all three WHISTLING IN... films with Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford, plus GENIUS AT WORK (1947) with Wally Brown and Anne Jeffreys and BEHIND THE HEADLINES (1937) with Lee Tracy.

...I'm intrigued by a Robert Taylor film I've never seen, STAND UP AND FIGHT (1939), on July 27th. Florence Rice and Wallace Beery costar.

...July 28th features another Tim Holt-Marjorie Reynolds film, CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941).

...EASY LIVING (1949) is a lesser-known but excellent film set in the world of pro football, directed by Jacques Tourneur. Check out the cast: Victor Mature, Lucille Ball, Lizabeth Scott, Lloyd Nolan, Jack Paar, Paul Stewart, Sonny Tufts, Jeff Donnell, Richard Erdman, and Jim Backus. It's on July 29th.

...A day of Val Lewton films on July 30th includes YOUTH RUNS WILD (1944) with Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, and Jean Brooks. Read more about this film by Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog.

...The month ends on July 31st with a number of notable pre-Codes, including Loretta Young in SHE HAD TO SAY YES (1933), Richard Dix in HELL'S HIGHWAY (1932), Dorothy Mackaill in SAFE IN HELL (1931), William Powell and Kay Francis in JEWEL ROBBERY (1932), and Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, and Bette Davis in THREE ON A MATCH (1932). After all the pre-Code melodrama, unwind with the top-drawer MGM musical SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954)!

For more on TCM in July 2018, please visit the complete online schedule along with my Quick Preview of TCM in July.

Happy summer, and happy movie viewing!!