TCM in November: Highlights

Happy November!

We're a bit late with this month's look at TCM highlights, but that doesn't mean the schedule isn't exciting! Quite the contrary, in fact, with November featuring some special premieres, a Disney movie, and Rock Hudson as the November Star of the Month.

TCM is honoring the centennial of Hudson's November 17, 1925 birth with 20 of Hudson's movies, which will be shown each Tuesday evening this month.

The Hudson lineup will include the TCM premiere of ONE DESIRE (1955), costarring Anne Baxter and Julie Adams. Please note there will not be a separate Star of the Month post for November.

The November Noir Alley lineup featured THE GREAT JEWEL ROBBER (1940) earlier this weekend. There was only one showing this weekend instead of the usual two, in order to accommodate a 24-hour memorial tribute to Robert Redford.

The other Noir Alley films this month are BLIND SPOT (1947) on November 8th and 9th, HIGH AND LOW (1963) on November 15th-16th, THE STRIP (1951) on November 22nd and 23rd, and POSTMARK FOR DANGER (1955) on the 29th and 30th.

BLIND SPOT, starring Chester Morris and Constance Dowling, is a TCM premiere.

November's TCM Spotlight is focused on political thrillers. Titles including THE 39 STEPS (1935), MAN HUNT (1941), and THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) will be shown on Wednesday evenings.

This month's schedule also includes the TCM premieres of JOHANNA ENLISTS (1918) with Mary Pickford on November 23rd, BEAU GESTE (1926) with Ronald Colman on November 6th, and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) on November 7th.

The showing of RAIDERS is part of a special evening of programming called Objects of Desire. Other titles that evening include THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) and THE MALTESE FALCON (1941).

There's a fairly rare Disney movie showing on Thanksgiving, THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR (1961). Later that night, programming will be cohosted by Carol Burnett. Burnett will also present movies on Friday, November 28th.

Below are a few additional highlights from this month's schedule. Please click any hyperlinked title to read my full-length review.

...Monday evening, November 3rd, will feature a tribute to the great composer Jerry Goldsmith. Movies shown will include Sean Connery in THE WIND AND THE LION (1975). It's a wonderful film; my favorite thing about it is Brian Keith playing Teddy Roosevelt, seen here.

...A day of films about Native Americans on November 5th includes Anthony Mann's powerful DEVIL'S DOORWAY (1950), starring Robert Taylor.

...I love the November 7th lineup of films about socialites, which includes Barbara Stanwyck in THE MAD MISS MANTON (1938) and Jean Harlow in THE GIRL FROM MISSOURI (1934).

...I love Jimmy Stewart in NAVY BLUE AND GOLD (1937), costarring Florence Rice. It's on Saturday, November 8th.

...A birthday tribute to Claude Rains on November 10th includes favorites such as FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), and CASABLANCA (1942). Movies don't come any better!

...The Rock Hudson movies on November 11th include BATTLE HYMN (1957), costarring Dan Duryea and Martha Hyer.

...A November 12th day of films featuring international intrigue includes Jacques Tourneur's BERLIN EXPRESS (1948) with Merle Oberon and Robert Ryan.

...One of my favorite favorite Alfred Hitchcock films, THE LADY VANISHES (1938), will be shown as part of a day of murder mysteries on November 13th. Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave star.

...There's another terrific lineup on November 14th when TCM celebrates the career of Brian Aherne.  One of my favorite films on the schedule is SMART WOMAN (1948) starring Constance Bennett.

...A special film not shown on TCM especially often is Powell and Pressburger's A CANTERBURY TALE (1944). As I wrote several years ago, "It's about everything and nothing...moments in life, and the continuity over centuries." It will be shown on Sunday, November 16th.

...The November 18th lineup of Rock Hudson movies focuses on his work with director Douglas Sirk, including the very special ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955) with Jane Wyman.

...Humphrey Bogart stars in ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT (1942), a tale of Runyonesque gangsters taking on the Nazis. It will be shown November 20th.

...TCM will have a fabulous birthday tribute to Eleanor Powell on November 21st, with a lineup of seven films including LADY BE GOOD (1941). Powell has a remarkable dance number with a cute dog!

...The delightful pirate film THE SPANISH MAIN (1945), starring Maureen O'Hara and Paul Henreid, airs on November 22nd. When I reviewed it earlier this year I described myself as "completely charmed by it." The great Frank Borzage directed.

...QUEEN BEE (1955) is a fantastic Joan Crawford melodrama which will be shown on November 23rd. Barry Sullivan costars.

... Rock Hudson night on November 25th includes a lineup of his films with Doris Day plus MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT? (1964) with Paula Prentiss.

...A day of films directed by George Cukor on November 26th includes my favorite version of LITTLE WOMEN (1933), perfect for Thanksgiving week viewing.

...Carol Burnett's Thanksgiving Night picks include a lineup of Kathryn Grayson-Howard Keel MGM musicals! I'll be reviewing LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952) in the near future. Also showing are SHOW BOAT (1951) and KISS ME KATE (1953).

...There is much more good stuff from Carol Burnett on Black Friday, November 28th, including GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933).

...I love THE TIME, THE PLACE AND THE GIRL (1946) starring Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Martha Vickers, and Janis Paige. It features a lovely tune, "Oh, But I Do." It will be shown on November 29th.

...MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948) with Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas is the perfect Sunday movie. It will be shown to wrap up Thanksgiving weekend on November 30th.

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

Best wishes to all my readers for a happy November and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...will not appear this weekend.

The column will return next weekend on Saturday, November 8th.

For those of you watching for TCM's November Highlights, that post will most likely be up on Sunday, November 2nd.

For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my October 25th column.

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Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Dancer Vera-Ellen did a cute series of Halloween publicity photos which I'm sharing here to celebrate the holiday.

Have a happy day!

Previous Halloween posts, in reverse chronological order: Paulette Goddard (2024), Ella Raines, Joyce Holden, Barbara Bates, Jane Adams, Patricia Alphin, Nan Grey, and Anne Gwynne (with Universal's black cat prop, 2023), Anne Gwynne, Peggy Moran, Anne Nagel, Nan Grey, Peggy Ryan, and Gloria Jean (with Universal's jack o'lantern prop, 2022), Ellen Drew (2021), Martha Vickers, Gale Robbins, Penny Edwards, and Barbara Bates (2020), Ann Rutherford (2019), Janis Paige (2018), Ella Raines (2017), Veronica Lake (2016), Barbara Bates (2015), Marsha Hunt (2014), Linda Darnell (2013), and the BEWITCHED cast (2012).

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Western RoundUp: Bullets Don't Argue (1964) at the Lone Pine Film Festival

This month's Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub is a review of the "spaghetti Western" BULLETS DON'T ARGUE (1964).

BULLETS DON'T ARGUE was screened at the Lone Pine Film Festival earlier this month with star Rod Cameron's son Tony in attendance.

Something fascinating about this movie is it was filmed by the same company which produced Clint Eastwood's star-making A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964). The movies were shot contemporaneously, and, in fact, it was originally expected that the Cameron film would be a bigger hit!

I saw BULLETS DON'T ARGUE "cold," having no idea what to expect, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, reminded me a little of a Randolph Scott Ranown Western.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub for the full review, and thanks very much for reading!

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024; November 2024; December 2024; January 2025; February 2025; March 2025; April 2025; May 2025; June 2025; July 2025; August 2025; September 2025.

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Tonight's Movie: The Strange Woman (1946) - A Film Masters Blu-ray Review

THE STRANGE WOMAN (1946), a very interesting period melodrama originally released by United Artists, has just been released on Blu-ray by Film Masters.

THE STRANGE WOMAN is in the public domain, and there are some poor copies floating around; indeed, although I'm a fan of star Hedy Lamarr, I've held off watching it for years in hopes of a better print.

That day has arrived thanks to Film Masters; this Archive Collection Limited Edition Blu-ray, described as being restored from archival film elements, looks as good as this movie is likely to look.

THE STRANGE WOMAN's screenplay was written by Herb Meadow, along with uncredited contributions from director Edgar G. Ulmer and producer Hunt Stromberg.

It was based on the book by Ben Ames Williams, who also wrote LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN; the film version of LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN was released the previous year. My film review of LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN may be found here.

Both of Williams' stories are about disturbed women who engage in murder, or encourage same, to have their way and control others. That said, despite some similarities in plotting -- both women favor drowning to deal with inconvenient relatives -- they are very different characters.

Ellen, played by Gene Tierney in LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN, had an obsessive love for her late father, while in THE STRANGE WOMAN the father (Dennis Hoey) of Jenny (Lamarr) alternates neglecting and beating her.

Jenny cleverly uses her wiles to land a "safe harbor" as the wife of a wealthy merchant, Isaiah Poster (Gene Lockhart). In early 18th century Maine, when the story was set, marriage was of course one of the few options open to a woman.

Jenny is a fascinatingly contradictory persona from the start. She is initially a good wife to Isaiah and becomes a valued member of the local community.

At the same time, she is attracted to Isaiah's son Ephraim (Louis Hayward) and later to John Evered (George Sanders), the fiance of Jenny's kind friend Meg (Hillary Brooke).

By the last third or so of the film, Jenny has given in to her darker side and led both men astray...

The believable duality of Jenny's character, superbly portrayed by Lamarr, is part of what makes the film so interesting. We see good and bad motivations warring inside her. Brought up dirt poor by her alcoholic father and craving financial security, she seems genuinely motivated to help others in need.

An offer to donate to the church during a service seems to come from the same desire to help and be "good"; she seems profoundly impacted by the minister (Moroni Olsen), but at the same time it's clear that the generous donation also results in elevating her social position. She thus comes off as simultaneously calculated and sincere.

Along with her inner conflicts, there are numerous times where Jenny has one motivation which is generously interpreted in a completely different way by others.

One of the most notable examples is when Jenny breaks down crying after being told her husband will recover from a serious illness. The housekeeper (Kathleen Lockhart) thinks Jenny's response to the news is relief and being worn out caring for her husband, but the viewer knows that at that point in her life Jenny is mostly feeling frustration her older husband isn't yet ready to depart this earth.

By the latter part of the film, the darker part of Jenny's character has taken control, and the initial sympathy the audience has felt for her due to her childhood abuse, despite her clear manipulations, fades away. Jenny becomes every bit as evil as Ellen in LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN, desperate to have both financial and romantic control, heedless of the cost.

I found this to be one of Lamarr's most interesting and complex performances, a real favorite alongside her role in Jacques Tourneur's EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (1944) a couple years earlier. Seeing her in this for the first time felt like a real discovery.

Lamarr is particularly adept at displaying the non-verbal subtexts regarding Jenny's goals and motivations. Watching this film brought home anew just what an underrated actress Lamarr was, and it goes without saying that she is also stunningly beautiful. What's more, she served as an executive producer on the movie.

The deep cast also includes Alan Napier, Ray Teal, June Storey, Billy Gray, Ian Keith, and Rhys Williams. Lamarr and Hayward are portrayed as children by Jo Ann Marlowe (Kay in MILDRED PIERCE) and Christopher Severn (Toby in MRS. MINIVER).

Ulmer does an excellent job directing this 100-minute film, which incidentally IMDb says also had some work by the uncredited Douglas Sirk.

Ulmer was a very interesting director who guided moody, spooky films such as BLUEBEARD (1944) and DETOUR (1945). Ulmer's previous film was a movie I very much admired, HER SISTER'S SECRET (1946). (As a side note, Christopher Severn's brother Winston appeared as a child in that film, and several years ago I had the great pleasure of meeting both actors.)

THE STRANGE WOMAN was filmed in black and white by Lucien Andriot and scored by Carmen Dragon.

The Blu-ray contains a commentary track by Bernard M. Prokop, who also wrote the booklet essay included in the case. This Limited Edition release also has a nice-looking cardboard slipcase.

Recommended.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Film Masters for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. It may be purchased via Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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TCM Announces 2026 Festival Dates and Theme

Turner Classic Movies has announced plans for the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival.

The 17th festival will take place in Hollywood from April 30th to May 3, 2026.

The festival theme will be "The World Comes to Hollywood."

TCM has shared that "Films showcased will honor gifted and vital artists...who arrived from other lands to Hollywood."

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will again be the festival's headquarters.

Passes will go on sale in December.

After an increase for festival pass prices last year, the first pricing change in a few years, this year's prices will hold steady.

Please visit the festival website for pass prices and other details.

Prospective attendees may also wish to monitor the TCM Twitter ("X") account for updates. 

As always, I'll be posting the latest festival updates here over the next few months as news develops.

I hope to see many of you in Hollywood in 2026!

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...I'm leading off this week's column with an obituary: June Lockhart has passed away at the age of 100. One of the last remaining actresses of the classic film era, she is beloved to many of us for her appearances in films such as A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938), ALL THIS, AND HEAVEN TOO (1940), SERGEANT YORK (1941), MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), and T-MEN (1947). Of course, she was also known for not one but two iconic TV series, and she was also a great supporter of NASA. For more on her career, please visit my tribute. A grand lady whose work gave us all so much.

...It was a pleasure to meet Heath Holland of Cereal at Midnight at the recent Lone Pine Film Festival. Heath has put together a video on the festival which I think does a great job capturing both the festival's "tone" and the many things there are to do in Lone Pine. I recommend it, and thank him also for the very nice mention.

...Speaking of the Lone Pine Film Festival, my review of one of the films I saw at the festival, BULLETS DON'T ARGUE (1964), will be up later this month at the Classic Movie Hub site. It's a spaghetti Western starring Rod Cameron which was filmed simultaneously with Clint Eastwood's A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964). I liked it a lot. It can currently be streamed on Amazon Prime and is also on DVD.

...Tynan of Four Star Films reviews KING CREOLE (1958), one of Elvis Presley's best films. 

...Earlier this year I shared the news that biographer Scott Eyman's next book would be on Joan Crawford. I'm sharing a reminder that it will be published next month, on November 18th. A great Christmas gift idea!

...Over at Speakeasy Kristina reviews NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL (1955). A film noir with Richard Conte I haven't seen yet!

...In an unfortunate new trend from Paramount Pictures, the studio is not releasing MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING (2025) as a standalone Blu-ray. You can only get the Blu-ray if you buy the 4K/Blu-ray combo set. (Information confirmed via HiDefDiscNews.) As someone who doesn't need to "overbuy" discs I don't need, I find this frustrating.

...Fall cookbook season rolls on: A KITCHEN IN ITALY by Mimi Thorisson will be published next month. I've really enjoyed her past books, which combine recipes, lovely photos, and enjoyable family anecdotes.

...The restoration of the silent version of BEAU GESTE (1926), starring Ronald Colman, will be out on Blu-ray in late November.

...Jessica takes a look at the 3D musical THOSE REDHEADS FROM SEATTLE (1953) at her site Comet Over Hollywood. It's been a long time since I last saw it and she made me curious to take a fresh look.

...Ruth at Silver Screenings takes a close look at Hitchcock's MR. AND MRS. SMITH (1940), a film which continues to grow on me over time.

...Bud and RR have just published a new review of the terrific LAW AND ORDER (1932) restoration at Jeff Arnold's West. You can see it via Kino Lorber Studio Classics. For additional info, my own review of that disc was published in August.

...Warner Bros. is for sale.

...Go Dodgers!!

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my October 18th column.

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Quick Preview of TCM in December

Here's a brief preview of what's coming to Turner Classic Movies this holiday season!

The December Star of the Month will be Merle Oberon. Approximately 17 of Oberon's films will be shown on four Tuesday evenings in December.

This year Oberon, who passed on in 1979, was the subject of a well-received biography. I wrote about an evening with her biographer, Mayukh Sen, and a screening of her film DARK WATERS (1944) in August.

The one Tuesday without Oberon's films, December 23rd, will be part of what's become an annual tradition, TCM's Christmas movie marathon. The marathon runs this year from Friday evening, December 19th, through Christmas Day.

Additional Christmas films will run at other times during the month, including on weekends.

Last year there was a "ghostly" theme on Christmas night, and that repeats this year with a theme focused on angels and the afterlife, including titles such as A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1947) and ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD (1951).

The Christmas night screenings are part of the month's TCM Spotlight theme, which will also include films such as HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941), HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943), and THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947).

There will be a Marx Bros. marathon during daytime hours on New Year's Eve. The list of titles for prime time on New Year's Eve is incomplete at this writing.

December's Noir Alley titles will be CRY OF THE CITY (1948), CASH ON DEMAND (1961), and ODD MAN OUT (1947).

CRY OF THE CITY is one of my favorite film noir titles, and I highly recommend it.

Daytime themes in December include sports biographies, bank robberies, shipwrecks, documentaries, animals, Jane Austen, and films released 70 years ago.

TCM will celebrate Dick Van Dyke's centennial on December 13th with films including CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968). There will also be a December 26th lineup of memorial tributes for actors who have passed on this year.

Other filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in December include Frank Sinatra, Julie Harris, Agnes Moorehead, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., William Holden, and Joan Crawford.

The schedule still has numerous blank spots so be sure to check back here around December 1st for a much more detailed look at the schedule!

In the meantime, enjoy Rock Hudson as the November Star of the Month.

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Tonight's Movie: The Hard Way (1943) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The classic Warner Bros. show business melodrama THE HARD WAY (1943) is now available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

The Warner Archive previously released the movie on DVD back in 2009, the first year the company was in business.

THE HARD WAY is a film which has certainly stood the test of time for me since I first saw it in 2008.

It's a tough film which is also more than a little depressing, with not one but two characters choosing to end their lives; I'd add this was rather shocking given the Production Code. As I wrote in 2008, the movie has "a bleak, noirish overtone and a body count to go with it."

At the same time, the story is so well told by its superb cast that I find myself returning to it every few years for yet another look.

The film concerns Helen Chernen (Ida Lupino), who has raised her little sister Katherine, aka Katie (Joan Leslie), in a grimy industrial town.

Helen's husband (Roman Bohnen) saying they can't afford to give Katie a new dress for her high school graduation is the last straw for Helen, who's determined to get Katie -- and herself -- out of what she sees as a dead-end life.

Helen spots an opportunity to exit town with a vaudeville team when one of the partners, Albert (Jack Carson), falls for young Katie.

They're immediately on their way, with Helen plotting every step of Katie's growing career, while Albert's cynical partner Paul (Dennis Morgan) comments from the sidelines.

The acting is uniformly excellent, whether it's the lead quartet of actors or the supporting cast; many actors with brief screen time nevertheless sketch memorable characters. Two of my favorites are Faye Emerson as an ice cream parlor waitress and Julie Bishop as a chorus member, both of whom date Paul.

I broke down the plot and characters in significant detail in my 2008 review and invite readers to click over to that piece for more analysis and then return here for some additional thoughts.

I'll add to my previous review of the film that with each viewing I'm more impressed with the performance of Joan Leslie and photography of James Wong Howe.

In the early scenes Leslie, photographed by Howe wearing little makeup, conveys a kid so young that it's almost shocking Helen engineers her into marriage. Katie is infatuated with Albert and it was common then for girls to marry right out of high school, but the audience realizes that Helen may have prematurely sacrificed her sister's innocence for their financial gain.

Katie could well have made a go of the marriage, as her husband (movingly portrayed by Jack Carson) adores her, but again Helen gets in the way. To an extent Katie is complicit, but she is young and under the sway of her older sister.

Good, bad, or somewhere in the middle, as she is at various points in this movie, Ida Lupino is always fascinating to watch, and this film is no exception.

THE HARD WAY was directed by Vincent Sherman. It was written by Daniel Fuchs and Peter Viertel from a story by Jerry Wald. The movie runs 109 well-paced minutes.

The Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master of a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks and sounds very good, with a nice black and white picture and no distracting skips or jumps. Sound quality is excellent.

There are a number of extras, the most significant of which is a 1944 Lux Radio Theater production of the story with a fascinating cast: Miriam Hopkins, Franchot Tone, Chester Morris, and Anne Baxter.

The disc also contains the trailer; the eight-minute cartoons THE ARISTOCAT (1943) and SLAP HAPPY DAFFY (1943); and a pair of shorts, GUN TO GUN (1943) with Robert Shayne and Lupita Tovar, directed by D. Ross Lederman, and OVER THE WALL (1944) with Dane Clark and Tom Tully, directed by Jean Negulesco.

This is a worthy disc presentation of a very good movie. Fans of Warner Bros. dramas and the cast, not to mention old-time radio, will definitely want to add it to their library.

Related posts: My 2008 review; a photo gallery I created after seeing the movie at UCLA in 2018; and a 2018 post with photos of the Warner Bros. backlot, which includes a couple key locations for the movie.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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