TCM in October: Highlights

Happy October! It's time for a close-up look at this month's schedule on Turner Classic Movies.

Angela Lansbury is the October Star of the Month.

Lansbury was previously the Star of the Month in January 2012. This month TCM is honoring the centennial of Lansbury's birth. The actress was born October 16, 1925.

Lansbury's films will be shown on Thursday evenings, excepting October 30th. There will be a separate post on this month's Angela Lansbury films posted here in the next day or so.

October's Noir Alley schedule will consist of THE BIG STREET (1942) followed by three TCM premieres: NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL (1955), BLACK TUESDAY (1954), and SOUTHSIDE 1-1000 (1950).

Mario Cantone will host "Creepy Cinema" again this October, introducing spooky films of all types on Friday evenings. Continuing the spooky theme, Alfred Hitchcock movies will be featured on Sunday nights.

October 30th and 31st will be given over to a two-day Halloween horror marathon.

Here are a few additional highlights from the October schedule. Please click on any hyperlinked title to read my extended review.

...The month begins on October 1st with a marvelous lineup of films released in 1950, followed by a prime time tribute honoring Julie Andrews on her 90th birthday. The evening will include the second-ever TCM showing of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965), which made its TCM debut last August.

...An October 3rd day of films featuring femme fatales includes MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) starring Dick Powell and Claire Trevor.

...Dave Karger's Musical Matinee on October 4th features Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their first film together, FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933). A few years ago I attended a memorable rooftop screening of the film.

...One of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, REAR WINDOW (1954), will be showon on Sunday evening, October 5th. James Stewart and Grace Kelly star, ably supported by Thelma Ritter.

...Actor Chill Wills is honored on the evening of October 6th, with the films including one of my favorite lesser-known Westerns, GUN GLORY (1957), starring Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming. The lineup also includes three Francis the Talking Mule films, FRANCIS (1950), FRANCIS GOES TO THE RACES (1951), and FRANCIS GOES TO WEST POINT (1952); the latter two films are TCM premieres.

...For beautiful, very colorful musical entertainment check out THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967) on October 7th. Gene Kelly, George Chakiris, Catherine Deneuve, and Deneuve's real-life sister Francois Dorleac star.

...There's a seven-film Randolph Scott lineup on October 8th. Titles include SHOOT-OUT AT MEDICINE BEND (1957) costarring James Garner.

...Deborah Kerr and Trevor Howard star in I SEE A DARK STRANGER (1946), part of a day of films with the word "dark" in the title on October 9th.

...The Val Lewton classic CAT PEOPLE (1942) makes perfect October viewing; it will be shown on the 11th. Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph, and Tom Conway star, directed by Jacques Tourneur.

...There's more great Hitchcock on Sunday evening, October 12th, with one of my all-time favorites: NOTORIOUS (1946) starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains.

...Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan star in DESPERATE JOURNEY (1942), part of a day of films focused on World War II's European front. It airs October 15th.

...Marco Cantone's Creepy Cinema on October 17th features Gene Tierney as the chilling killer of LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945), followed by Tierney and Ginger Rogers costarring in BLACK WIDOW (1954). The latter is a 20th Century-Fox film rarely shown on TCM.

...The sequel to CAT PEOPLE, THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944), will be shown October 19th. Kent Smith, Simone Simon, and Jane Randolph again star, directed by Jacques Tourneur.

...WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960) is a colorful, funny collegiate summer break film with a great cast headed by Dolores Hart, George Hamilton, Paula Prentiss, and Jim Hutton. It's on October 22nd.

...There are some good military comedies on October 23rd, including Ida Lupino and Sydney Greenstreet in the amusing PILLOW TO POST (1945).

...Another Hitchcock favorite, SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), shows on Sunday evening, October 26th. This summer I was able to visit locations for the film in Santa Rosa, California, which will make my next viewing even more enjoyable.

...There's a fantastic lineup of pre-Code films on Tuesday evening, October 28th. It includes some of the best "jaw-droppers" of the era, including EMPLOYEES' ENTRANCE (1933) and NIGHT NURSE (1931).

...A day of Van Heflin films on October 29th includes the enjoyable MGM musical SEVEN SWEETHEARTS (1942) with Kathryn Grayson.

...Many of the films showing in the Halloween marathon on the 30th and 31st are a little too "much" for me, but happily there are more good Val Lewton movies including THE LEOPARD MAN (1943) and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) on the 30th.

For more on TCM in October 2025, please check out my Quick Preview of TCM in October and TCM's online schedule.

Have a fun October, and happy Halloween!

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