It's August, which means it's time for the annual Summer Under the Stars month on Turner Classic Movies!
As always, TCM's August festival started today, on the 1st, and runs through the 31st. During this month the regular franchises, including Noir Alley, Silent Sunday Nights, and TCM Imports, will have the month off before returning in September.
TCM has also provided a printable .pdf
schedule. I did note at least one change from that schedule; MAYBE IT'S LOVE (1930) on Joan Bennett's day has been switched to ELEVEN MEN AND A GIRL (1930) from the same year.
This year TCM's hosts each
selected a star to honor: Eddie Muller chose
Joan Bennett, Alicia Malone picked Barbara Stanwyck, Dave Karger chose
Dana Andrews, and Jacqueline Stewart chose Hattie McDaniel. All great choices, and I especially appreciate the selection of Bennett, one of my all-time favorites.
A TCM article by Kim Luperi discusses the five actors making their debuts as a Star of the Month. I'm especially excited about Marie Windsor and Bonita Granville.
Below are just a few of this month's highlights. Please click on any film title hyperlink to read my extended review.
...Humphrey Bogart is the star of the day on August 2nd. One of his lesser-known films being shown is ACROSS THE PACIFIC (1942), costarring Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet. It's not a perfect film, but quite entertaining.
...TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR (1944), starring
June Allyson, is an absolute charmer. It's part of Allyson's day on
August 3rd. Van Johnson,
Gloria DeHaven, and Tom Drake costar.
...Where possible I'm calling attention to some lesser-known films this month, and TORPEDO RUN (1958), starring Glenn Ford, is one such film. It's a submarine movie, one of my favorite WWII subgenres, and something that makes it especially fun for me is British actor Robert Hardy (Siegfried on TV's original ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL) has a supporting role. It's on August 4th.
...I just saw Fritz Lang's MAN HUNT (1941) for the first time at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival and enjoyed it very much. Joan Bennett, who is celebrated on August 5th, costars with Walter Pidgeon and George Sanders.
...The delightful Diane Keaton is being honored for the first time during Summer Under the Stars. Her day on
August 6th includes my favorite
BABY BOOM (1987), but I also want to call attention to the lesser-known
MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY (1993) which is quite fun.
...Basil Rathbone's day on August 7th contains Sherlock Holmes and swashbucklers, but I especially love it unexpectedly also features the Esther Williams film BATHING BEAUTY (1944), in which Rathbone costars.
...
Gene Tierney is another of my all-time favorites being honored this month, on
August 9th. Many of her best-known films will be shown that day, but I'm recommending a lesser-known favorite,
NEVER LET ME GO (1953) with Clark Gable; it's both romantic and exciting And while I'm at it, I'll also put in a plug for
DRAGONWYCK (1946); she's excellent in it opposite Vincent Price. (A postscript for those looking for
LAURA on Tierney's day -- it's not being shown on the 9th but instead appears on Dana Andrews' day on August 24th.)
...George Hamilton appears in Summer Under the Stars for the first time on August 10th, and I'm sure regular readers of this blog won't be surprised that I strongly recommend the lovely film LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (1962).
...I've seen all but one of the Barbara Stanwyck movies being shown on August 11th. My favorite is MY REPUTATION (1946), costarring George Brent.
...
Susan Hayward will be honored on
August 13th. The lineup includes
THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1947) in which she's terrific as Robert Young's mistress.
...There are a number of top classics on Natalie Wood's day on August 15th, but it's also worth checking out a lesser film, BOMBERS B-52 (1957). The enjoyable supporting cast includes Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Karl Malden, and Marsha Hunt.
...I've seen every single one of the Cary Grant movies showing on August 16th! I particularly recommend checking out one of his lesser-known films, CRISIS (1950), which is quite interesting. He plays an arrogant doctor matching wits against a sick dictator (Jose Ferrer). I just rewatched this a couple years ago and really enjoyed it.
...So many greats this month!
Rosalind Russell has a day on
August 17th. One of her lesser-known films is
THE VELVET TOUCH (1948), a murder tale set in the world of Broadway theater, costarring Leo Genn, Sydney Greenstreet, and Claire Trevor.
...Hattie McDaniel is being celebrated on August 19th. On her day I recommend the fun family comedy JANIE (1944), starring Joyce Reynolds.
...One of the very best days on the schedule is
August 21st, featuring Marie Windsor. I've seen a majority of the films and they're all worth seeing. Instead of recommending her famous noir titles I'll suggest watching
DOUBLE DEAL (1950) with Richard Denning, which I called "a model 'B' movie...nothing out of the ordinary yet a very entertaining film."
...I've seen all but a couple of the John Wayne movies being shown on August 22nd. For those intrigued by my recent review of the Joan Crawford film REUNION IN FRANCE (1942), in which Wayne plays a supporting role, this is a chance to see it. I also recommend JET PILOT (1957) with Janet Leigh, which actually began filming way back in 1949! I have felt since seeing it that JET PILOT was ahead of its time; it plays like a '60s suspense rom com and is quite delightful.
...Katharine Hepburn's day is
August 23rd.
STAGE DOOR (1937), with
Ginger Rogers and a remarkable cast, is always worth seeing!
...August 24th is Dana Andrews Day! Lots of classics on that day, but check out the aviation disaster film THE CROWDED SKY (1960).
...I'm very excited about
Bonita Granville Day on
August 25th, and the title I most want to see in August is her MGM film DOWN IN SAN DIEGO (1941). The supporting cast includes an actress I especially like, Dorothy Morris (THE HUMAN COMEDY).
...I've seen all the James Stewart movies showing on August 26th. I've seen Alfred Hitchcock's ROPE (1948) twice in the past year or so and have been a bit surprised how much it's grown on me. It's quite fascinating.
...On Bette Davis Day on August 27th there are plenty of classics, but also check out BUREAU OF MISSING PERSONS (1933), a very fun Warner Bros. "B" pre-Code movie. Pat O'Brien costars, with a supporting cast including favorites Glenda Farrell and Ruth Donnelly.
...Rita Hayworth will be honored on
August 29th, and I'll recommend one of the first Hayworth films I ever saw, COVER GIRL (1944), starring Gene Kelly. Rita looks stunning in Technicolor!
...As the month begins to wind down, Joel McCrea will be honored on August 30th. I'd like to mentiuon two favorites: My favorite Hitchcock movie, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940), costarring Laraine Day and George Sanders, and Jacques Tourneur's STARS IN MY CROWN (1950) opposite Ellen Drew and Dean Stockwell.
...A great month ends with Ava Gardner on the
31st. I'm calling attention to
LONE STAR (1952) with Clark Gable, not because it's a great film -- it's a so-so Western -- but because I have many fond memories of it being on local television often when I was growing up. I loved Clark and Ava even if the movie wasn't top of the line. In my review a few years ago I wrote "It's kind of a humdrum movie but I still love watching Gable and Gardner." Some things never change!
Looking ahead to September, Ricardo Montalban will be the Star of the Month and TCM will introduce a new "Films on Film" documentary series. Details were published in The Hollywood Reporter.
Happy Summer Under the Stars month on Turner Classic Movies!
