Quick Preview of TCM in December

Here's a brief look ahead at what's coming to Turner Classic Movies this holiday season!

The December Star of the Month will be Mickey Rooney. Around 60 of Rooney's films will be shown in day-long marathons in December, including 16 Andy Hardy movies the day after Christmas.

This year's Christmas movie marathon is a bit shorter than last year's, which began December 17th; it will begin the evening of December 20th and run through Christmas Day.

Additional Christmas films will run on weekend afternoons.

There's a "ghostly" theme on Christmas Night, with films including TOPPER (1937), CABIN IN THE SKY (1943), and BLITHE SPIRIT (1945). TOPPER is seen here with Roland Young, Cary Grant, and Constance Bennett.

The daytime hours on New Year's Eve will be spent with Nick and Nora Charles in the THIN MAN movie series, followed by an evening of films which feature New Year's Eve as part of the story. REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947), a big favorite of mine, is among the films in the New Year's Eve lineup.

December's Noir Alley titles will include NAKED ALIBI (1954), ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949), and THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946). One title is yet to be announced. (Update: The fourth film of the month is 1961's BLACK GRAVEL.)  Noir Alley will take the weekend off during the Christmas movie marathon.

The TCM Spotlight on Mondays will have a fun "Party" theme. Some of the films shown will include OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS (1928), MADAM SATAN (1930), and PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND (1963).

Daytime themes in December include the South Seas, marriage, pirates, Africa, wilderness adventure films, and "1930s Women in Trouble."

Of note: While TCM typically features World War II films on Pearl Harbor Day, this year December 7th falls on a Sunday and TCM will stick to regular weekend programming, including Christmas films.

A memorial tribute to Maggie Smith will take place on December 10th. Additional memorial tributes to several filmmakers who have died this year will take place on December 27th.

Other filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in December will include Laurence Olivier, Ava Gardner, Gregory Peck, George Stevens, and Frank Sinatra.

There are still quite a few blank spots in the schedule, so stay tuned for the most complete schedule info, which will be published here at the end of November.

In the meantime, Ruth Roman will be up next as the November Star of the Month!

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