
Happy July!
My look at the July highlights on Turner Classic Movies has been delayed due to my recent travels, but there's still lots of great viewing ahead this month!
There's not a regular
July Star of the Month; instead there's a theme, celebrating "Ladies of the '80s" including Kathleen Turner, Debra Winger, Michelle Pfeiffer, Goldie Hawn, Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange, and more.
The Star of the Month series begins on Tuesday, July 8th.
The July TCM Spotlight focuses on
mythology, beginning on Wednesday,
July 9th; and Alicia Malone continues to host a
Summer Romance series every Sunday.
The July Noir Alley films will be
THIS SIDE OF THE LAW (1950) on
July 5th and
6th, THE GANGSTER (1947) on the
12th and
13th, INTRUDER IN THE DUST (1949) on
July 19th and
20th, and the great heist film
RIFIFI (1955) on
July 26th-27th.
Here's a look at just a few of the fun things being shown on TCM in July. Please click any hyperlinked title to read my extended review.
...Late on
Independence Day TCM is showing John Ford's DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (1939). This is a favorite film which aired often on TV when I was young but which is rarely shown on TCM since it was released by 20th Century-Fox, and Fox films cost more for TCM to license. It has an engaging story and a great cast, seen in gorgeous Technicolor. Do tune in!
...Dave Karger's Musical Matinee on
July 5th will be the delightful GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) starring Marilyn Monroe and
Jane Russell.
...The "summer romance" movie hosted by Alicia Malone on Sunday,
July 6th, is the classic screwball comedy MY MAN GODFREY (1936) with William Powell,
Carole Lombard, and a fantastic supporting cast.
...A day of "divorced couple" movies on
July 7th includes
WE WERE DANCING (1942) with Melvyn Douglas and Norma Shearer. Like MY MAN GODFREY, the top supporting cast is headed by the great
Gail Patrick.
...Director Clarence Brown is honored with a seven-film lineup on
July 8th, including
COME LIVE WITH ME (1941) starring James Stewart and
Hedy Lamarr.
...A
July 9th day of films on troubled teens includes Jimmy Lydon in
HOT ROD (1950). It's a minor film, but I enjoyed it.
...I'm very fond of
AS THE EARTH TURNS (1934), airing on
July 10th. Jean Muir leads an excellent cast in a film based on the Pulitzer Prize nominated
book by Gladys Hasty Carroll.
...Actress Debra Winger is the guest on the Two For One series on
July 12th. One of the films she chose is the fascinating PEOPLE WILL TALK (1951) starring Cary Grant and
Jeanne Crain.
...One of my favorite days on the July schedule is
July 14th, packed with eight
Robert Montgomery pre-Codes. I've seen all but one of the films and highly recommend diving into the entire day's viewing. The movies kick off with the lovely
LOVERS COURAGEOUS (1932), costarring Montgomery's frequent costar and longtime friend Madge Evans. Years ago I wrote in a Montgomery tribute that LOVERS COURAGEOUS is "a romance which conveys Montgomery's unique strengths as a leading man, vulnerable and connecting with Evans so intimately that the viewer feels that one is peeking in on something private, rather than simply watching a movie."
...A Barbara Stanwyck birthday tribute on
July 16th continues several terrific movies, with my favorite being
MY REPUTATION (1946), costarring George Brent.
...It's
Doris Day Day on TCM
July 18th! The eight Day films showing including a number of favorites, such as
ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951), BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON (1953), and CALAMITY JANE (1953).
...
THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (1944) receives one of its relatively infrequent TCM airings on
July 22nd, as part of a lineup featuring character actor Henry Travers. Dennis Moran and
Eleanor Parker star in this terrific World War II romance, supported by Dane Clark and Faye Emerson.
...
Deanna Durbin stars in
THREE SMART GIRLS (1937) on
July 24th. It's part of a lineup of films featuring "studio saviors," also including Shirley Temple and Rin Tin Tin. Anything Deanna made is entertaining!
...The mystery lineup on
July 25th is terrific, including lesser-known titles like
SHADOW OF A WOMAN (1946), starring Andrea King, and
THE ARNELO AFFAIR (1947) with Frances Gifford.
...There's more Robert Montgomery on
July 26th, when Robert Townsend shows the classic comedic fantasy
HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941) as part of the Two for One series.
...Don't miss Ray Milland and Jean Arthur in
EASY LIVING (1937), another ultra-classic screwball comedy being shown by Alicia Malone as part of the "Summer Romance" series. It will be shown
July 27th. I've seen this countless times, and it only gets funnier with repeat viewings.
...A day of Irving Berlin musicals on July 29th includes CAREFREE (1938). CAREFREE is one of my favorite Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, and it was a delight to see it on a big screen this year at the TCM Classic Film Festival.
...The month wraps up with a "young love" theme on
July 31st, including
Joyce Reynolds as
JANIE (1944) and Elizabeth Taylor in CYNTHIA (1947). Like DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK, mentioned at the outset of this month's listings, CYNTHIA was on TV frequently when I was young. It may not be a "great" film but I've always enjoyed it.
For more on TCM in July 2025, please visit my
Quick Preview of TCM in July along with TCM's
online schedule.
Happy Summer!