TCM in February (and March!): 31 Days of Oscar Higlights

It's time for a look at the February -- and March! -- schedule on Turner Classic Movies.

As I wrote in my preview of the upcoming schedule, TCM is doing things a little bit differently this year with regard to the annual 31 Days of Oscar series; instead of starting on the first of the month, it will begin on February 9th and run through March 10th.

The 10th is the day the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony will be held in Hollywood.

The February schedule will be "normal" through the 8th. Beginning on the 9th, every film shown for the following month will have received at least one Oscar nomination.

TCM has made a printable .pdf of the 31 Days of Oscar schedule available here.

This year the films are grouped by award category, such as Best Supporting Actress, Costume Design, Editing, and so on.

There are so many good movies airing this month that a viewer really can't go wrong the vast majority of the time. Below are just a few highlights from among many good -- or great! -- movies. Please click any hyperlinked title for a full-length review.

...February kicks off with a seven-film birthday tribute to Clark Gable on the 1st. I've seen all of the films and enjoyed them to varying degrees. I'll particularly mention HOLD YOUR MAN (1933), an excellent pre-Code opposite Jean Harlow, and ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY (1949), an interesting drama with Gable heading a top-notch cast.

...February 2nd features several films on race car drivers, including a young James Stewart in SPEED (1936).

...The weekend of the 2nd through 4th will feature a Black History Weekend Marathon. Among the titles are THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY (1950) on the 3rd and John Ford's SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1060) on the 4th.

...Several Alfred Hitchcock films are being shown the evening of February 5th, including a rare TCM showing of NOTORIOUS (1946), starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It's been over six years since it last appeared on the network. It's one of my Top 5 Hitchcock favorites, and I highly recommend it.

...February 6th there's a celebration of Ruby Keeler and Ruby Dee. Films include the classic Busby Berkeley musical FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933) with Keeler and the excellent Civil War era suspense film THE TALL TARGET (1951) with Dee. Both are outstanding.

...An evening of Academy restorations on February 7th includes William Wyler's classic drama THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946).

...31 Days of Oscar gets underway on the 9th with Costume Design nominees, including ALL THAT JAZZ (1979). I didn't love the film as much as some, but Roy Scheider is excellent, and it's an interesting movie.

...Billie Burke is brilliant in MERRILY WE LIVE (1938), receiving a relatively rare Supporting Actress nomination for a comedic role. She's seen here with costars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne. The movie airs on the 10th.

...The classic screwball comedy MY MAN GODFREY (1936), with William Powell and Carole Lombard heading a top cast, will be shown on February 11th.

...A group of Art Direction nominees on February 12th includes top-tier classics such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940), THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937), and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938).

...Among the outstanding Screenplay nominees on February 14th is Hitchcock's REBECCA (1940), which won Best Picture that year. Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine head a superb cast.

...The classic fantasy HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941) is among the Original Story nominees showing on the 15th. Robert Montgomery and Claude Rains star.

...No matter how many times one sees it, THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943) is always hilarious. Charles Coburn was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a meddling Cupid for Joel McCrea and Jean Arthur. It's on the 17th.

...THE RED SHOES (1948) blew me away when I revisited it at least year's TCM Classic Film Festival, to the extent I took the next movie block off to emotionally recover! It's part of a day of Oscar-nominated scores on February 20th.

...I'm curious about the documentary THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST (1975), which will have its TCM premiere on February 21st.

...One of the most deserved Cinematography nominees of all time was Winton Hoch for John Ford's SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949). The lightning storm which Hoch shot under duress is pictured here. John Wayne leads a cast of Ford regulars. It airs February 22nd.

...Special Effects nominees on February 26th include GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (1947), which has an impressive earthquake sequence. Lana Turner leads a top cast in this engrossing saga.

...I really enjoyed Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011), which will have its first-ever showing on TCM on February 29th.

...Best Director nominees celebrated on March 1st include Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949). Mankiewicz also wrote the great script.

...It's been a long time since I've seen ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959), for which James Stewart was nominated for Best Actor. It's on March 2nd.

...Best Picture nominees on March 4th include one of my most favorite movies, the MGM musical SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954). And I also have to give a mention to MGM's MRS. MINIVER (1940), which I revisited last summer for the first time in years. I came away thoroughly impressed. Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon star.

...A week of Best Picture nominees continues after the 4th, including Bette Davis starring in the great ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) on the 6th. Like A LETTER TO THREE WIVES, it was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

...The final day of 31 Days of Oscar, March 10th, includes one of the most famous Best Picture winners of all time, GONE WITH THE WIND (1939).

I'll have a brief preview of the rest of the March schedule here in the near future, and then look for the remainder of TCM's March highlights here sometime around March 10th. (Update: Here is the March preview!)

For more on TCM over the next few weeks, please visit TCM's online schedule along with my Quick Preview of TCM in February (and March!): 31 Days of Oscar.

Enjoy all the great movies airing on TCM over the next few weeks!

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