TCM in July: Highlights

Happy July and Happy Summer!

It's now time for a detailed look at July schedule on Turner Classic Movies.

This post is being published a bit later than usual due to a heavy workload ahead of the holiday weekend. There are lots of fun things ahead this summer on TCM!

July will feature a "theme month" for the Star of the Month programming, featuring "Singers as Stars." Films with a wide variety of singers, with backgrounds in jazz, rock, country, big bands, and more will be featured on Monday evenings.

The TCM Spotlight on Tuesdays features American independent filmmakers.

The July Noir Alley films will be ANGEL FACE (1953) on July 4th and 5th, BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941) July 11th-12, DARK PASSAGE (1947) on the 18th and 19th, and THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1956) on July 25th and 26th.

Eddie Muller's Summer of Darkness, featuring some of the greatest film noir titles of all time, continues on Friday evenings this month. Every title is a classic -- by all means, tune in!

Also of note: John Carpenter has curated and is cohosting evenings of horror films on July 16th and 23rd, and Alicia Malone hosts "Summer Romance" again this month on Sundays.

Here's a look at just some of the interesting programming ahead in July.

...Late on July 3rd is the TCM premiere of AGAINST ALL ODDS (1984), the Jeff Bridges-Rachel Ward remake of OUT OF THE PAST (1947). Jane Greer, star of the original film, is in the supporting cast, along with Paul Valentine, who played Joe in the original.

...The Musical Matinee franchise features 1776 (1972) on Independence Day. Other musicals airing on the 4th are (of course!) YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) and THE MUSIC MAN (1962).

...The Sunday lineup on July 5th includes the very good marital melodrama CASS TIMBERLANE (1947), starring Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, and Zachary Scott.

...July 6th, the first evening of the "Singers as Stars" series, includes a film I've never seen, NEW ORLEANS (1947), featuring Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong.

...The first Spotlight series evening on American Independent filmmakers on July 7th includes THE HITCH-HIKER (1953), directed by Ida Lupino.

...July 9th features movies set in hot weather, including HEAT LIGHTNING (1934), starring Aline MacMahon, Preston Foster, Glenda Farrell, and Ann Dvorak, among others. A very worthwhile film.

...Myrna Loy, Robert Montgomery, and Ann Harding star in WHEN LADIES MEET (1933) on July 11th. Can't beat that cast!

...There's more Robert Montgomery on July 12th, when he's teamed with Bette Davis in the entertaining JUNE BRIDE (1948).

...July 13th presents a day of films with screenplays by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, including one of my favorite MGM musicals, the colorful GOOD NEWS (1947).

...TCM honors Jill Clayburgh on July 15th, premiering three of her films including the entertaining STARTING OVER (1979), costarring Burt Reynolds and Candice Bergen.

...Ginger Rogers receives a birthday salute on July 16th. The eight films shown include HAVING WONDERFUL TIME (1938), a perfect summertime film, and one of my favorites from her collaboration with Fred Astaire, CAREFREE (1938).

...There's more Ginger on July 17th as party of a lineup about babies and children, with her classic BACHELOR MOTHER (1939).

...Dave Karger's Musical Matinee features Margaret O'Brien in MGM's THE UNFINISHED DANCE (1947) on July 18th. It's an interesting movie with a good supporting cast, including Cyd Charisse, Karin Booth, Danny Thomas, and Elinor Donahue.

...I've never seen the Julie Andrews-Walter Matthau version of LITTLE MISS MARKER (1980), so my DVR will be running when the film makes its TCM premiere on July 19th. Also showing that night: the 1934 Shirley Temple version of the story.

...July 20th features films directed by the great Clarence Brown, including the classic MGM Americana THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943).

...A day of films with the word "lucky" in the title on July 21st includes Ginger Rogers and Ronald Colman in LUCKY PARTNERS (1940). Ginger fans have many chances to enjoy her in July!

...The Val Lewton classic THE LEOPARD MAN (1943) will air on July 23rd. It stars Dennis O'Keefe and Jean Brooks. There's more Lewton that evening, including CAT PEOPLE (1942). Both THE LEOPARD MAN and CAT PEOPLE were directed by Jacques Tourneur.

...It's always a good time to watch THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938)! It airs on July 25th.

...Deborah Kerr and Trevor Howard star in I SEE A DARK STRANGER (1946), also known as THE ADVENTURESS, on July 26th.

...One of my favorite days on the schedule is a dozen "B" films written by Robert E. Kent. Lots of fun stuff to explore, some of the films under an hour long. I called one of the films, BULLET SCARS (1942), a "peach of a 'B' movie," and called I WAS FRAMED (1942) "pleasant." The day also includes an all-time favorite "B," TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE (1945), starring Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford. Tune in June 27th!

...I had the pleasure of revisiting Val Lewton's I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) at this year's Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. It stars Frances Dee and Tom Conway, directed by Jacques Tourneur. Conway appears in multiple films on TCM this month, including CAT PEOPLE and TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE is on July 29th.

...There's a strong day of Edward G. Robinson films on July 30th, including THE STRANGER (1946) with Orson Welles and Loretta Young.

...The month concludes on July 31st with a day of pre-Code crime films including the delightful PENTHOUSE (1933), starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy.

For more on TCM in July 2026, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in July along with TCM's online schedule.

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