TCM in March: Highlights

March is an exciting month on Turner Classic Movies!

The annual 31 Days of Oscar festival comes to an end on Friday, March 3rd, and the regular March schedule begins in earnest on Saturday, March 4th.

March is particularly exciting as the new Noir Alley Sunday morning franchise begins on March 5th. For anyone who missed the news, my post on Noir Alley, hosted by the Film Noir Foundation's Eddie Muller, may be found here. The schedule for the entire year has been posted by TCM here, and here's a terrific video trailer.

Treasures From the Disney Vault, hosted by Leonard Maltin, returns to TCM on March 16th, and there's a fun "March Malice" theme the week of March 20th-25th, with 64 movies showcasing everything from psycho killers to aliens to animals gone bad.

The March Star of the Month is Richard Burton. There will not be a separate Star of the Month post for March.

...The Noir Alley series kicks off on March 4th with Humphrey Bogart in THE MALTESE FALCON (1941). Noir Alley films will air at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time, 10:00 Eastern. As I recently discussed with friends on Twitter, it seems very "noir" to program this series during what are typical churchgoing hours for some of us! Thanks to DVRs, it's not really an issue, though, other than not being able to participate in live Tweets.

...I'm fond of MGM's RICH MAN, POOR GIRL (1938), showing on March 6th. It stars Robert Young and Ruth Hussey in the title roles, with Lew Ayres and Lana Turner in support.

...A marvelous day of Barbara Stanwyck films on March 7th includes favorites like EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (1949) and MY REPUTATION (1946).

...TCM features the work of MGM "B" director S. Sylvan Simon on March 9th, with titles including George Murphy, Joan Blondell, and Lana Turner in TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY (1940) and Margaret O'Brien and Wallace Beery in BAD BASCOMB (1946).

...You can't go wrong with the pre-Code BUREAU OF MISSING PERSONS (1933) on March 10th. The huge cast includes Bette Davis, Pat O'Brien, Lewis Stone, Glenda Farrell, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly, and Alan Dinehart, plus Jean Muir in a wordless role.

...On March 12th the Noir Alley title is one I've never seen: DETOUR (1945), starring Ann Savage and Tom Neal.

...A day of film noir on March 15th includes one of my all-time favorites, TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949). It never gets old! Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, and Kristine Miller are a terrific ensemble.

...March 16th sees the return of the quarterly Disney evening, Treasures From the Disney Vault, hosted by Leonard Maltin. This month there are numerous TCM premieres including Fred MacMurray in FOLLOW ME, BOYS!( (1966) along with a few animal-themed films, THE HOUND THAT THOUGHT HE WAS A RACCOON (1960), THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY (1963), CHARLIE, THE LONESOME COUGAR (1967), and NAPOLEON AND SAMANTHA (1972). (Personal memory: I fondly recall going to NAPOLEON AND SAMANTHA with my Grandpa, who took me to many live-action Disney films of that era.) Also on the schedule are several cartoons and the nature film JUNGLE CAT (1959)! It's a great Disney lineup, as always.

...St. Patrick's Day features an impressive lineup of a dozen Irish-themed films, including IRENE (1940), THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH (1940), FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968), ODD MAN OUT (1947), THE QUIET MAN (1952), and LITTLE NELLIE KELLY (1940). Priscilla Lane and Dennis Morgan are seen at the left in THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH, a personal favorite of mine.

...The third Noir Alley film for March is ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948), starring Robert Ryan, Van Heflin, Janet Leigh, and Mary Astor, directed by Fred Zinnemann. The air date is March 19th.

...Later on the 19th check out the delightful Ernst Lubitsch film CLUNY BROWN (1946), starring Jennifer Jones and Charles Boyer. Then stick around for the second half of a Lubitsch double feature, as Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper star in BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE (1938).

...The 19th just keeps getting better, following the Lubitsch films with a trio of movies directed by Yasujiro Ozu: TOKYO CHORUS (1931), I WAS BORN, BUT... (1932), and GOOD MORNING (1957).

...It's been over a decade since I last watched ALL ABOUT EVE (1950). If I have time I plan to attend a Fathom Events/TCM screening this Sunday, March 5th. For anyone who can't catch it in a theater, it plays on TCM March 21st.

...Last June I enjoyed revisiting KEY LARGO (1948) for the first time in many years. It's on March 23rd. Bogart, Bacall, and Robinson star.

...The final Noir Alley movie for March is the terrific TENSION (1949), starring Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Barry Sullivan, and Cyd Charisse. It airs on March 26th.

...March 27th features a very well-deserved prime time tribute to Kathryn Grayson, featuring a terrific lineup of MGM musicals: KISS ME KATE (1953), ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945), SHOW BOAT (1951), THAT MIDNIGHT KISS (1949), and TWO SISTERS FROM BOSTON (1946). Seen at left: Grayson with Ava Gardner in SHOW BOAT.

...THE ARNELO AFFAIR (1947) is an engrossing MGM crime drama starring John Hodiak, Frances Gifford, George Murphy, and Eve Arden. It's on March 29th.

...March ends in spectacular style with a five-film prime time tribute to the great Dan Duryea on March 31st, featuring the TCM premiere of the rarely seen ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST (1948). ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST costars Fredric March, Ann Blyth, and Edmond O'Brien. Also showing that evening: WINCHESTER '73 (1950), in which Duryea has one of the all-time great movie entrances; THE UNDERWORLD STORY (1950) with Gale Storm, which will be shown at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival; SCARLET STREET (1945) with Joan Bennett and Edward G. Robinson; and THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES starring Gary Cooper.

For more information on TCM in March 2017, please visit the online schedule.

Additionally, check out TCM's March promo reel.