Tonight's Movie: Jennifer (1953) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The Allied Artists film JENNIFER (1953), starring Ida Lupino, was recently released on Blu-ray as part of the Kino Lorber Dark Side of Cinema XXIV collection.

This film, a first-time watch for me, is a compact 73 minutes written by Virginia Meyers and directed by Joel Newton. (Or was it? Kimberly Lindbergs raises questions at Cinebeats, in an article originally written for TCM in 2011.)

Lupino plays Agnes Langley, the new caretaker at a Montecito, California estate which is simultaneously sun-drenched and creepy.

Agnes learns the mansion's last resident, Jennifer, disappeared unexpectedly, and becomes obsessed with discovering what happened. As time passes, Agnes grows more concerned about bits of information she uncovers and conjures up stories about Jennifer ranging from blackmail to murder...but the truth may be more mundane. Or not.

Agnes is romantically pursued, somewhat aggressively, by Jim Hollis (Howard Duff, Lupino's real-life husband). Is he simply interested in Agnes, or does he have other motivations?

JENNIFER succeeds in creating a suspenseful atmosphere, thanks in large part to Lupino's acting and the sunny-yet-shadowy black and white cinematography of the great James Wong Howe.

The script and Lupino leave us wondering right up until "The End" whether Agnes simply has a creative imagination or mental health issues...or is something else going on entirely?

The movie's ambiguous final seconds, which will not be disclosed here, left me dissatisfied. Just when the viewer thinks answers are in hand...well, maybe not?

Along those lines, Jim's pushiness, repeatedly turning up at the estate or elsewhere, was never entirely resolved in my mind. Perhaps the short running time created a need for a fast-moving romance, but if so that ended up inadvertently raising questions about his character. Or perhaps his behavior is a deliberate red herring?

In the end I appreciated the movie's atmospheric ride but not so much the destination, as I didn't care for the uncertain ending.

It's interesting to note that Lupino made JENNIFER back to back with another "creepy house" movie, BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952). In that period piece she's trapped in her home by a crazy, aggressive handyman (Robert Ryan). She plays a much stronger character in BEWARE, MY LOVELY, but it's interesting she chose projects with thematic similarities so close in time.

The small supporting cast of JENNIFER includes Ned Glass, Robert Nichols, Russ Conway, and Lorna Shipp.

The film's score was composed by Ernest Gold, and there's a notable nightclub performance of the Matt Dennis-Earl Brent song "Angel Eyes," performed by Dennis. The song became a standard recorded by Cole, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, and others.

Kino Lorber's sharp-looking Blu-ray print is from an HD master by Paramount Pictures from a 4K scan. Sound quality is excellent.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by Kat Ellinger and Martyn Conterio, plus a gallery of three trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

The other films in this set are UNION STATION (1950) and THE CROOKED CIRCLE (1957), which I'll be reviewing at a future date.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: City That Never Sleeps (1953) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS (1953), a durably enjoyable '50s film noir, was just released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

It's part of the Dark Side of Cinema XXV collection along with THE FLAME (1947) and the previously reviewed HELL'S HALF ACRE (1954).

I've been fortunate to see CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS twice theatrically, first at UCLA in 2014 and again in 2019 at the Egyptian Theatre. I very much enjoyed returning to it after half a dozen years thanks to Kino Lorber's attractive Blu-ray.

CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS is a bit reminiscent of THE NAKED CITY (1948), following the work of big city cops; in the case of THE NAKED CITY the story took place in New York, while CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS unfolds in Chicago.

Beyond police officers, CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS features a large cast of characters whose lives intersect in different ways one fateful night. The crime and gritty settings contrast with just a bit of an "otherworldy" atmosphere, of which no more will be said.

Gig Young plays Johnny Kelly, who's dissatisfied with every aspect of his life. He became a police officer to please his police detective father (Otto Hulett) but isn't really enjoying it.

His personal life is also a shambles, as he's considering leaving his sweet, pretty wife Kathy (Paula Raymond) for a shrew (Mala Powers) who's a nightclub stripper. Granted, Kathy has a harridan of a mother, but otherwise she certainly seems like the finer of the two options.

The movie follows Johnny through a single night, during which he's considering taking a bribe from Penrod Biddel (Edward Arnold) to help finance blowing town with his lover. A substitute partner (Chill Wills) gently probes Johnny's actions and helps reawaken his conscience.

Another key character on the night in question is Hayes Stewart (William Talman), who plans to blackmail Penrod and run off with his trophy wife, Lydia (Marie Windsor). Johnny's wayward kid brother (Ron Hagerthy) is mixed up in things, too.

It's an engrossing 90 minutes thanks to a top cast and a solid script by Steve Fisher, who also wrote the set's HELL'S HALF ACRE.

The first time I saw the movie I particularly singled out Talman's villain for comment; Talman absolutely aced playing noir villains in the early '50s. Over time my favorite character has become Windsor's duplicitous wife. She's initially all sweetness and light with hubby Arnold, but we soon learn she's carrying on behind his back with Talman. It's a great part for Windsor from first scene to last.

This was the third film I'd seen Arnold in in the past week, having also watched him in DIAMOND JIM (1935) and TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949) last weekend at the TCM Classic Film Festival. He was certainly one of the movies' great "utility players," equally able to conjure audience sympathy or disgust.

Young's cop isn't especially sympathetic, given that he's about to tip over to the "dark side"; also, the father who supposedly pressured him into police work is never seen as anything other than kind and helpful, so it's hard to feel that Young's cop should be so aggrieved. He selfishly doesn't seem to appreciate his family. That said, it's enjoyable following Young's character arc thanks to his experiences and the influence of his temporary partner, Sgt. Joe (Wills).

The movie was directed by John H. Auer and filmed in black and white by John L. Russell Jr., including location work in Chicago. The supporting cast includes Wally Cassell, James Andelin, Tom (Thomas) Poston, and Bunny Kacher. It took me a second to recognize Poston as "Pop" Kelly's partner.

Kino Lorber's print is from a Paramount Pictures HD master from a 4K scan. It looks and sounds very nice.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by the always-worthwhile Imogen Sara Smith, plus a gallery of three trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

For more on this film, please visit a post written by my late friend Paddy, aka "Caftan Woman," who incisively notes the power of Mala Powers' performance. Truly, every performance in this film is pitch perfect, and it has stood up to repeat viewings over the last dozen years or so.

Recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

Tweet

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...The Warner Archive Collection has some terrific Blu-ray titles coming in June, including THE CITADEL (1938), THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE (1945), A DATE WITH JUDY (1948), HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951), and EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954). I just saw THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE at the TCM Classic Film Festival and am very glad it's coming to Blu-ray. A DATE WITH JUDY is one of MGM's most colorful musicals and is a perfect choice for Blu-ray.

...The Warner Archive is also releasing four-film Blu-ray collections featuring previous Blu-ray releases with stars such as Clark Gable and Gary Cooper.

...Thanks to reader Ashley for the heads up on an interesting summer release from Kino Lorber Studio Classic: EXCLUSIVE (1937) will be out on Blu-ray on July 15th. Fred MacMurray, Frances Farmer, Lloyd Nolan, and Charlie Ruggles star.

...Kino Lorber's announcement of SHANE (1953), also coming July 15th, is good news for multiple reasons; the listing includes the information that Alan K. Rode, who is doing the commentary track, is writing a book on SHANE for the University of New Mexico Press's Reel West series. Rode's book on BLOOD ON THE MOON, which I wrote about for Classic Movie Hub, was excellent.

...Movie Zyng has Disney DVDs and Blu-rays on sale until May 12th, including a number of "deep cut" titles.

...Here's an interesting upcoming book: PROJECTING AMERICA: THE EPIC WESTERN AND NATIONAL MYTHMAKING IN 1920S HOLLYWOOD by Patrick Adamson. It will be published October 15th by the University of Oklahoma Press.

...Glenn Erickson's latest Blu-ray reviews include Kino Lorber's SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949) and CRACK IN THE WORLD (1965).

...Leonard Maltin has written a column on interesting prints shown at local screenings, including last weekend's VistaVision showings at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

...This summer Powerhouse Indicator in the UK will release a Region A Blu-ray of SARABAND FOR DEAD LOVERS (1948) starring Stewart Granger, directed by Basil Dearden. This will be a U.S.-only release.

...Notable Passings: Former child actress Cora Sue Collins, whom I was privileged to see in person on several occasions in recent years, passed on last weekend, days after her 98th birthday. She was one of the last links to filmmaking in the '30s and famously played Garbo as a child in QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933). She's seen here (in green) photographed by me at Cinecon at the Egyptian Theatre in 2018...Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins died at 94. SUGARFOOT ran on TV from 1957-61...Priscilla Pointer has passed on at 100. The mother of actress Amy Irving, Pointer was perhaps best known as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth on TV's DALLAS...Actress Lar Park-Lincoln of TV's KNOTS LANDING has died at 63.

...Please note that Around the Blogosphere This Week will not appear next weekend on Saturday, May 10th, while I'm attending the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my April 19th column.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Hi-Jack Highway (1955) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The French film HI-JACK HIGHWAY (1955), also known as GAS-OIL, was recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Based on what little I knew about the movie in advance, I was expecting something of a "hard-boiled" crime film; while it wasn't quite that, I enjoyed it very much.

Jean Gabin plays Jean, a trucker from a small town in France. He lives a low-key but pleasant life; he's surrounded by loyal friends and has a lovely (and much younger) girlfriend, a teacher named Alice (Jeanne Moreau).

Early one morning Jean, who has spent the night with Alice, goes to work but shockingly runs over a body in the road. Was the man already dead? Jean doesn't know, but (unlike Tom Neal's character in the recently viewed DETOUR!) he promptly reports his unhappy road incident to the police.

After some investigation Jean's impounded truck is returned to him by the police and he gets back to work, but he's hounded everywhere he goes by a group of men in a car.

We learn the men were part of a recent bank robbery, along with the mean Jean ran over, and they believe that Jean now has the stolen loot. (Little do they know who actually has it...!) When his apartment is trashed and it's unsafe for Alice to move in as planned, Jean gathers his trucker comrades to put an end to the harassment.

I found HI-JACK HIGHWAY somewhat slow-moving yet engrossing. The first hour is really more a "slice of life" depiction of a working-class trucker's life and relationships, rather than a crime film, and it has a realistic, unglamorous tone. I think the movie would have been interesting even if it focused entirely on these aspects, without the crime elements.

Gradually the crime story moves front and center, as the bad guys stalk Jean throughout the final third of the movie.

The rough-hewn Jean and lovely young Alice seem an unlikely couple, but Gabin and Moreau completely sell us on their comfortable, loving relationship. (I did wonder how the characters first met.)  There was an age difference between the actors of nearly two dozen years in real life, but it doesn't seem quite that marked on film.

The couple's unmarried status is also notable from the standpoint that it's unlikely a relationship could be depicted in quite the same way in a 1955 American film.

Jean, Alice, and their friends are likeable and trustworthy people, in contrast to the criminals Jean encounters, and it's pleasant spending time in their company.

The climax, as Jean and his comrades use their trucks to foil the robbers, is quite fun to watch.

All in all, this is a pleasant 92 minutes which I would gladly watch again.

The movie was scripted by Michel Audiard, based on a novel by Georges Bayle (DU RAISIN DANS LE GAS-OIL). It was directed by Gilles Grangier and filmed in black and white by Pierre Montazel.

Kino Lorber's sharp-looking Blu-ray print is from a 4K restoration.

Extras consist of a commentary track by Simon Abrams; the trailer; and a gallery of nine additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

I'll close with the comment that HI-JACK HIGHWAY would make a very nice "trucker noir" double bill with THIEVES' HIGHWAY (1949), which also has a gritty, realistic tone. I like them both.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Lili (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

One of many pleasures of the just-concluded TCM Classic Film Festival was revisiting the MGM musical LILI (1953) for the first time in a great many years.

The movie was shown on in Theater 4, the festival's treasure house for viewing rarities and rediscoveries, typically in 35mm; LILI was one of 11 films I saw in 35mm at the festival.

In a happy coincidence, the Warner Archive Collection, which previously put out LILI on DVD in 2012, released LILI on Blu-ray this week, just a couple days after the festival ended.

LILI was a great favorite of my late father's, as he was a big fan of Leslie Caron, and as I've shared here previously our family also had the chance to meet director-choreographer Charles Walters on multiple occasions. The first couple photographs used in this review are stills from my father's collection.

One could describe LILI as a delicate bauble, a short 81-minute gem with a tender, unusual plot, but it works as well as it does thanks to the cast, sensitively directed by Walters.

Caron plays the title role, a young orphan who arrives in a small Parisian town hoping to work in a bakery owned by her deceased father's friend. When Lili discovers the friend has also died and his family has moved away, she's left with no resources and nowhere to go. She's briefly hopeful of a job in another store, but the lecherous proprietor makes clear there is a unthinkable price to pay for a roof over her head.

Lili chances to meet several members of a carnival, including a magician (Jean-Pierre Aumont) and puppeteers (Mel Ferrer and Kurt Kasznar), who take pity on her. Lili's attempt to work as a carnival waitress fails, but her sincere interactions with the puppets lead to success, drawing charmed audiences to the puppeteers' act.

Lili is infatuated with Marc (Aumont), not initially recognizing he's not a good person -- or that he has a wife (Zsa Zsa Gabor)! Meanwhile puppeteer Paul (Ferrer), a bitter former dancer, falls for Lili but is only able to express his feelings through his puppets.

I enjoyed rewatching the film immediately via the new Blu-ray, in part trying to analyze it in greater depth. The movie is touching and sentimental yet manages to avoid being mawkish or manipulative.

Indeed, the film's themes are quite gritty at times, with a young orphan who doesn't know where her next meal is coming from dealing at various points with attempted assault and contemplating suicide. A moment where Paul, in a moment of supreme frustration, slaps Lili may particularly cause modern audiences to wince.

It all somehow comes together for what might be the movie's main overarching theme: Life can simultaneously be painful and ugly yet also very beautiful.

How is it that a movie encompasses all this while having a barely there yet engrossing and unique story? Helen Deutsch's screenplay, based on a story by Paul Gallico, was nominated for an Oscar; I'd suggest the film is also partly stitched together by its memorable Oscar-winning score by Bronislau Kaper. Deutsch collaborated with Kaper to provide the lyrics for the song "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo."

It's hard to imagine someone besides Caron succeeding in this tricky role, part childlike waif and part an emerging woman in love. (I see some similarity to Sonja Henie's child-woman roles a decade previously, such as SUN VALLEY SERENADE.) In particular, Caron completely sells her interactions with the puppets.

I likewise find Ferrer sympathetic in a role which could easily be played as a petulant jerk; the viewer comes to understand him, just as Lili does in the film's final ballet. In that sequence she imagines dancing with her beloved puppets, now human-sized, only to find each one turns into Paul, and she realizes that all of the things she loves in the puppets are actually different facets of their puppeteer.

The movie was beautifully shot in Technicolor by Robert Planck, another Oscar nominee for this film. In addition to the Oscar-winning score and Oscar-nominated screenplay and cinematography, LILI also received Oscar nominations for Best Actress, Director, and Set-Art Direction.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor negatives. I enjoyed seeing the film in 35mm last weekend, but parts of it seemed a bit faded; that's not the case with the Blu-ray. The movie's pastel color scheme looks beautiful, with the initial balloon-filled fade-in to the carnival looking especially vibrant.

Disc extras consist of the trailer and a trio of cartoons: THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSUM (1954), PUPPY TALE (1954), and PECOS PEST (1955).

Recommended.

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.

Tweet

TCM Star of the Month: Mae West

The May Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies is Mae West!

Nine West films will be shown this month, spread across three Sunday evenings. 

There are fewer films than is typical for most Star of the Month honorees, but that's a reflection of the fact that West made relatively few films.  All of West's feature films through 1943 will be shown, with the exception of GOIN' TO TOWN (1935).

It's especially exciting that, as noted below, three of the films are TCM premieres.

Here's the West lineup; please click any hyperlinked title to read my past full-length review.

May 4th

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT (1932)

SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933)

I'M NO ANGEL (1933)

May 11th

BELLE OF THE NINETIES (1934)

KLONDIKE ANNIE (1936) (TCM premiere)

GO WEST YOUNG MAN (1936) (TCM premiere)

May 18th

EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY (1938) (TCM premiere)

MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (1940)

THE HEAT'S ON (1943)

As a side note, the last full weekend of the month will feature TCM's annual Memorial Day Weekend war movie marathon.

In conjunction with this month's Mae West screenings, I'd like to again recommend James L. Neibaur's book THE MAE WEST FILMS, which I reviewed last year. It makes an excellent companion to watching Mae West's movies.

For more information on TCM in May 2025, please visit TCM in May: Highlights, Quick Preview of TCM in June, and TCM's online schedule.

Tweet

The 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review

After months of anticipation, it's hard to believe the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival has now come to a close. I had an absolutely wonderful time!

The 16th edition of the festival opened on Thursday, April 24th, and ended Sunday evening, April 27th.

Festival attendees spent roughly 75 hours choosing from among seemingly countless wonderful viewing options. As I've often remarked in the past, I could choose at least two completely separate "paths" through the festival and still be very happy.

Movies were again screened at five main venues, plus the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel pool and a single screening at Disney's El Capitan Theatre. This year's Disney showing was CINDERELLA (1950).

I loosely followed the tentative schedule I outlined here ahead of the festival, in some cases going with my alternate choices as I found they worked better timewise once I was there "on the ground." In between watching movies, it's all about managing locations, line lengths, and start times!

I saw 16 movies this year, which is one more than I've seen in the last few years. I managed to see a whopping 11 films in 35mm, with the other five films I saw shown using the DCP format.

I saw nine of my 16 films in the smallest and probably most beloved venue, House 4 of the Chinese Multiplex, where some of the rarest and most interesting films are shown.

Four of the films seen at the festival were new to me, and of the dozen repeat watches, I saw five on a big screen for the first time.

As usual I plan to share daily recaps with photos and thoughts on what I saw, and hopefully I'll also have time to write some full-length reviews. Time is at a premium, as I'll be heading to Palm Springs for the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival next week, but I'm excited to share a great many wonderful TCM Classic Film Festival movie experiences!

Previously reviewed films seen at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival, listed in the order viewed at the fest: BLITHE SPIRIT (1945), THE DIVORCEE (1930), THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940), THE PREVIEW MURDER MYSTERY (1936), THE FRESHMAN (1925), TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942), and TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949).

As usual, I will gather all 2025 festival coverage links in this paragraph, so that this year's festival reports may be easily found in one place: Tonight's Movie: Lili (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review. [More links coming soon!]

Previous 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival coverage: TCM Classic Film Festival Tickets on Sale December 10th; New Titles Announced for 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival; Around the Blogosphere This Week (Robert Osborne Award);Latest Titles Announced for 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival; New Titles Announced for TCM Classic Film Festival; Latest TCM Classic Film Festival Announcements; The 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule.

Roundups containing all links to coverage of past TCM festivals: The 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, The 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review, and The 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review.

Tweet

TCM in May: Highlights

I'm back from a wonderful time at the TCM Classic Film Festival! I'll have much more on that here in the near future, but first it's time to take a look at the terrific May schedule on Turner Classic Movies.

Mae West is the May Star of the Month. Nine West movies will be shown on the first three Sundays of the month, with the lineup including three TCM premieres.

I'll have more details on the Mae West schedule posted here in a couple of days. (Update: Please visit TCM Star of the Month: Mae West.)

This month's Noir Alley titles are RIFFRAFF (1947) on May 3rd and 4th, THE KILLERS (1946) on May 10th-11th, TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954) on the 17th and 18th, CORNERED (1945) May 24th-25th, and THE BIG STEAL (1949) the weekend of May 21st and June 1st. All four of the films which I've previously reviewed are very worthwhile.

I'm excited about this month's TCM Spotlight, "The Defining Frontier," which will focus on the history of Westerns every Tuesday and Thursday. 46 titles will be shown, and I've highlighted a number of the films in this series below.

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

...The Westerns series kicks off on Thursday evening, May 1st, with several silent films. While John Ford's THE IRON HORSE (1924) is historically significant but a bit dull, I enthusiastically recommend Ronald Colman and Gary Cooper in THE WINNING OF BARARA WORTH (1926). BARBARA WORTH is a visual masterpiece which features a touching love story and an exciting flood sequence.

...The "Two for One" series returns on Saturday evening, May 2nd, with Lin-Manuel Miranda discussing THE BAND WAGON (1953) and ALL THAT JAZZ (1979).

...I'm always glad to have the opportunity to recommend LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (1962), a lovely film starring Olivia de Havilland which airs on Sunday, May 4th.

...Cinco de Mayo features an eight-film run of Mexican Spitfire films starring Lupe Velez, followed by an evening of four Rodgers and Hammerstein films, including SOUTH PACIFIC (1958).

...I have fond memories of seeing actor-director Norman Lloyd at many Los Angeles area classic film screenings before his 2021 passing at the age of 106 (and a half!). TCM pays tribute to Lloyd on May 6th with a seven-film lineup plus his LIVE FROM THE TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL (2016) interview. Movie titles include THE BEGINNING OR THE END (1947) and SCENE OF THE CRIME (1949), a pair of MGM films I enjoy very much.

...On the evening of May 6th the Westerns series continues with John Wayne in THE BIG TRAIL (1930), STAGECOACH (1939), and RED RIVER (1948). Although I haven't yet written a full-length review of RED RIVER, I shared some enthusiastic thoughts after seeing it at the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival.

...The Westerns on May 7th include one of my all-time favorite films, Budd Boetticher's RIDE LONESOME (1959), starring Randolph Scott, plus FORTY GUNS (1957) and other worthwhile titles.

...Alexis Smith is honored with several films showing on May 9th. It's a good lineup, and I especially recommend ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY (1949) with Clark Gable. It's an absorbing film with a tremendous cast.

...The Two for One series on May 10th features Jamie Lee Curtis cohosting THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962), starring her mother, Janet Leigh, and SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957), starring her father, Tony Curtis.

...Mother's Day, on May 11th, will featured themed viewing including BACHELOR MOTHER (1939), I REMEMBER MAMA (1948) and MILDRED PIERCE (1945).

...A birthday tribute to Katharine Hepburn on May 12th includes one of my all-time favorite films, LITTLE WOMEN (1933), in which Hepburn memorably portrayed Jo. That evening there will be a five-film memorial tribute to the late Gene Hackman which includes THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971).

...The Westerns on Tuesday, May 13th, include Jacques Tourneur's WICHITA (1955), featuring Joel McCrea as Wyatt Earp, and John Ford's SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1960).

...On May 15th the lineup includes HIGH NOON (1952), a film I've struggled to like -- click the title link for my extensive thoughts on the subject -- along with one of my very favorite Westerns, John Ford's MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946).

...An evening of film noir on May 16th includes a favorite Alan Ladd-Veronica Lake film, THIS GUN FOR HIRE (1942).

...On May 18th Silent Sunday Nights will feature the TCM premieres of a pair of films directed by Yasujiro Ozu: A STRAIGHTFORWARD BOY (1929) and I GRADUATED, BUT... (1929).

...I love a good "airplane movie," and the schedule is packed with them on Monday, May 19th. Titles include FIVE CAME BACK (1939) and SKYJACKED (1972).

...When I was at the TCM Festival I attended a screening of THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE (1945) directed by John Cromwell, with his son, James Cromwell, present. TCM will honor Cromwell on May 20th showing several of his films including the wonderful IN NAME ONLY (1939) with Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, and Ka Francis.

...A wonderful TCM birthday tribute takes place May 21st, celebrating one of my all-time favorite actors, Robert Montgomery. The seven titles shown will include John Ford's THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (1945), which many consider to be one of the greatest films on World War II. Montgomery not only starred in the film with John Wayne, but he directed some of the movie when Ford fell ill.

...Another film I saw at the TCM Festival was LILI (1953), starring Leslie Caron and directed by Charles Walters. I hadn't seen it in a great many years and had forgotten how enjoyable it is. It's on May 22nd as part of a day of Caron films.

...There's a day of absolutely terrific crime films on May 23rd, including MYSTERY STREET (1950) and CRIME WAVE (1954).

...TCM's annual Memorial Day Weekend war movie marathon begins on Friday evening, May 23rd, continuing through Monday evening, May 26th.  There are a wide variety of titles on the schedule, including the MGM musical HIT THE DECK (1955), showing in the weekend Musical Matinee time slot.

...The May 27th Westerns will include THE SEARCHERS (1956), WINCHESTER '73 (1950), I SHOT JESSE JAMES (1949), and BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948). A terrific lineup! 

...Howard Hawks is honored on May 30th with TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944) and half a dozen other films. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT was the first pairing of Bogart and Bacall; it's one of the films which made me fall in love with classic movies.

...The month closes on May 31st with Clint Eastwood in THE GAUNTLET (1977), a movie I quite enjoyed last year. It struck me as an updating of THE NARROW MARGIN (1952).

For more on TCM in May 2025, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in May and TCM Star of the Month: Mae West, along with TCM's online schedule.

Happy viewing!

Tweet