TCM in December: Highlights

It's hard to believe it's December! Here's a look ahead at the good things coming to Turner Classic Movies this month.

The December Star of the Month is Mickey Rooney. Roughly 60 Rooney films will be shown in day-long marathons, including 16 Andy Hardy movies on December 26th. Please note there will not be a separate Star of the Month post for December.

As always, there are lots of Christmas movies on the December schedule. Christmas movies will be shown on weekends over the course of the month, with a multi-day marathon running from the 20th through Christmas Day.

Complete information on this month's TCM Christmas movies may be found in my annual post on the holiday lineup. I also cover New Year's Eve programming.

December's Noir Alley titles are NAKED ALIBI (1954) on December 1st, ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949) December 7th and 8th, BLACK GRAVEL (1961) on the 14th and 15th, and THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946) on December 28th and 29th. Noir Alley will take the weekend off during the Christmas movie marathon.

I especially recommend the excellent ACT OF VIOLENCE, which I recently revisited via a new Blu-ray release.  

The TCM Spotlight will focus on "How to Throw a Party." Another fun event this month is Sunday nights with Carol Burnett, who will host movies which inspired comedy skits on her show. The series starts the evening of December 1st with GONE WITH THE WIND (1939).

Here are a few additional highlights from the December schedule. Please click any hyperlinked title to read my extended review.

...The first evening of "party" films on December 2nd includes OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS (1928) with Joan Crawford and Cecil B. DeMille's wildly entertaining MADAM SATAN (1930).

...Tuesday, December 3rd, includes a showing of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC (1958). It's been great to have several R&H musicals shown on TCM in recent months.

...You simply can't ever see IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) too many times. Every time I go back to it I'm struck anew by how good it is, especially lead actors Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. It will be shown the evening of December 4th.

...Star of the Month Mickey Rooney's films will be shown during the daytime hours as well as in primetime. The December 5th lineup includes Rooney playing a supporting role in one of my favorite '30s romances, HIDE-OUT (1934), starring Robert Montgomery and Maureen O'Sullivan.

...A day of Ava Gardner films on December 6th includes a favorite melodrama with an all-star cast, EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (1949). Gardner costars with Barbara Stanwyck, James Mason, Van Heflin, and Cyd Charisse.

...The Carol Burnett lineup on December 8th includes another fave melodrama, BORN TO BE BAD (1950), with Joan Fontaine, Joan Leslie, Robert Ryan, and Zachary Scott.

...The "party" movies on December 9th include one of my all-time favorite films, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954). The dance at the barn-raising party is probably my favorite movie scene ever.

...TCM will pay tribute to the late actress Maggie Smith on December 10th. Five films will be shown, including A ROOM WITH A VIEW (1986).

...The best performances of Mickey Rooney's career were probably in NATIONAL VELVET (1944) and THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943), which are airing the evening of December 12th.

...The interesting "B" film NIGHT WAITRESS (1936), starring Margot Grahame, airs on December 13th.

...December 16th includes ROPE (1948) among the "party" films. I revisited that Hitchcock film a few weeks ago; it's a wild one!

...A birthday tribute to director George Stevens on December 18th includes the very good Carole Lombard film VIGIL IN THE NIGHT (1940), costarring Anne Shirley. I really enjoyed seeing it at the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival.

...Prime time on December 19th will feature Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland films, including GIRL CRAZY (1943).

...There's a "ghostly" theme on Christmas Night, with a lineup of films including TOPPER (1937), CABIN IN THE SKY (1943), and BLITHE SPIRIT (1945).

...I really love the programming for December 26th,when Mickey Rooney's turn as Star of the Month will feature all 16 Andy Hardy films, shown in chronogical order.

...TCM will spend the evening of December 27th paying tribute to several filmmakers who have passed away this year and didn't receive a prior tribute, including Janis Paige and Darryl Hickman. ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS (1948) with Paige and FIGHTING FATHER DUNNE (1948) with Hickman are among the films to be shown that night.

...A pair of favorite MGM films, NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (1949) and LATIN LOVERS (1953), are showing on TCM December 29th. Pure Technicolor entertainment!

For more on TCM in December 2024, please check out my posts Quick Preview of TCM in December and TCM in December: Christmas Movies, as well as TCM's online schedule.

Enjoy TCM in December, and Merry Christmas to all!

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