Quick Preview of TCM in February

Thanks to blogger Movie Collector Ohio and his magic, I've been able to take a look at the majority of the upcoming February schedule for Turner Classic Movies.

TCM's "updated" website continues to be very difficult to work with, but after having to skip my January schedule preview due to the site changes, I'm happy to be able to share a long-range look at February.  

The biggest news for regular TCM viewers might be that February will not feature a 31 Days of Oscar schedule.  The Academy Awards have been pushed back to April 25, 2021, so I'm anticipating that April will feature the Oscar schedule, but that's strictly logical guesswork on my part.

The February Star of the Month will be John Garfield. This is Garfield's third time to be so honored; he was previously Star of the Month in November 1994 and February 2003.

The February Noir Alley entries are THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950), NATIVE SON (1951), and ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW (1959). Noir Alley will take a brief break over Valentine's weekend, when TCM will feature a "Romantic Getaway Weekend."

In keeping with the Valentine's theme, the TCM Spotlight is named "Kiss Connection."  The month's special theme focuses on African-American filmmakers.

Also of particular note are showings of ONLY YESTERDAY (1933) with Margaret Sullavan; MOONRISE (1948), starring Dane Clark and Gail Russell; and the return of Ernst Lubitsch's silent comedy SO THIS IS PARIS (1926) to the schedule as part of the Silent Sunday Nights series.  SO THIS IS PARIS was listed on the schedule a few months ago but didn't make it to the final schedule, so perhaps February will be the charm.  (January 31st Update: Alas, SO THIS IS PARIS is did not appear on the final February schedule.)

I'm also really delighted about a day of "Western noir" featuring STATION WEST (1948), BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948), ROUGHSHOD (1949), and COLORADO TERRITORY (1949), among other titles.

Other themes featured in February are "Suitors of Secretaries," divorce, journalists, royal romances, and bootleggers.

The centennial of Lana Turner's birth will be celebrated with a 24-hour marathon on February 8th.  Additional filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in February are Clark Gable, Sidney Poitier, Zero Mostel, Robert Ryan, Richard Brooks, Adolphe Menjou, and Marjorie Main.

In the meantime, January will feature Miriam Hopkins as the Star of the Month. My post on TCM's January highlights will appear here in a few days.

Update: For more on TCM in February 2021, please visit my posts TCM in February: Highlights and TCM Star of the Month: John Garfield.

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