A Flickchart Guide to TCM in June

Spotlight: Stage to Screen

A double-time Spotlight this month features film adaptations of plays on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week. Every Wednesday night is devoted to dramas or comedies, while every Thursday has a marathon of musicals. It’s a great month to be a fan of musicals, that’s for sure. This Spotlight is hosted by Annette O’Toole and Michael McKean.

TOP FIVE

The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #95 by 2822 users) – Sparkling comedy with socialite Katharine Hepburn about to remarry, but pulled in different directions by a smitten reporter (James Stewart) and her charming ex-husband (Cary Grant). Playing 6/16 at 7:45am

Harvey (1950; ranked #269 by 2610 users) – A story about a grown man and his invisible rabbit friend sounds pretty ridiculous, but in the capable hands of James Stewart (who also originated the lead on Broadway), it’s a whimsical and heartwarming tale of compassion, connection, and the power of imagination. Playing 6/15 at 12:00M

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #277 by 5575 users) – This was the film that brought Marlon Brando into movie stardom, and he’s electrifying as the uncontrollable force of nature that is Stanley Kowalski. Vivien Leigh matches him beat for beat as the past-her-prime Blanche DuBois. Playing 6/8 at 8:00pm

You Can’t Take It With You (1938; ranked #667 by 632 users) – Frank Capra got his second Best Picture win and third Best Director win with this movie, though it hasn’t aged quite as well as some of his other films, depending on a lot of quirk to bolster its story of an eccentric family that refuses to pay taxes. Playing 6/16 at 3:30am

A Man for All Seasons (1966; ranked #677 by 1145 users) – Best Picture in 1966 may suffer a little from stage-style talkiness, but it hardly matters, as all the actors sell their roles and then some in the saga of Sir Thomas More’s refusal to countenance Henry VIII’s divorce. Playing 6/22 at 10:00pm

THE REST

Cabaret (1972; ranked #690 by 2346 users) – Playing 6/30 at 8:00pm
The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #700 by 1561 users) – Playing 6/15 at 8:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #826 by 11841 users) – Playing 6/23 at 8:00pm
Guys and Dolls (1955; ranked #1142 by 1267 users) – Playing 6/10 at 3:00am
The Music Man (1962; ranked #1219 by 1528 users) – Playing 6/23 at 10:45pm
Hamlet (1948; ranked #1257 by 772 users) – Playing 6/29 at 10:00pm
The King and I (1956; ranked #1643 by 1470 users) – Playing 6/9 at 8:00pm
Oliver! (1968; ranked #1743 by 2127 users) – Playing 6/17 at 6:15am
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973; ranked #1922 by 1482 users) – Playing 7/1 at 12:30am
Funny Girl (1968; ranked #2284 by 588 users) – Playing 6/16 at 10:30pm
Hair (1979; ranked #2914 by 1163 users) – Playing 6/30 at 10:15pm
Camelot (1967; ranked #2938 by 425 users) – Playing 6/17 at 3:00am
Macbeth (1948; ranked #3299 by 151 users) – Playing 6/29 at 8:00pm
Annie (1982; ranked #3338 by 5243 users) – Playing 7/1 at 2:30am
Bye Bye Birdie (1963; ranked #3510 by 446 users) – Playing 6/24 at 1:30am
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966; ranked #3515 by 305 users) – Playing 6/17 at 1:15am
Picnic (1956; ranked #3772 by 234 users) – Playing 6/9 at 4:30am
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4304 by 322 users) – Playing 6/10 at 1:00am
Kiss Me Kate (1953; ranked #4352 by 178 users) – Playing 6/10 at 5:45am
The Importance of Being Earnest (1952; ranked #4427 by 126 users) – Playing 6/15 at 10:00pm
Carousel (1956; ranked #4467 by 242 users) – Playing 6/9 at 10:30pm
Gypsy (1962; ranked #5218 by 145 users) – Playing 6/16 at 8:00pm
Equus (1977; ranked #5310 by 175 users) – Playing 6/9 at 2:00am
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950; ranked #5637 by 89 users) – Playing 6/9 at 6:30am
Romeo and Juliet (1936; ranked #5772 by 131 users) – Playing 6/30 at 3:15am
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982; ranked #6197 by 162 users) – Playing 7/1 at 4:45am
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935; ranked #6573 by 107 users) – Playing 6/30 at 12:45am
Pal Joey (1957; ranked #6700 by 96 users) – Playing 6/10 at 12:00N
The Front Page (1931; ranked #7492 by 76 users) – Playing 6/16 at 5:45am
Marat/Sade (1967; ranked #7723 by 42 users) – Playing 6/23 at 12:15am
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940; ranked #7792 by 32 users) – Playing 6/22 at 8:00pm
Bells Are Ringing (1960; ranked #8229 by 75 users) – Playing 6/24 at 3:30am
Mame (1974; ranked #9203 by 124 users) – Playing 7/1 at 7:15am
Private Lives (1931; ranked #9840 by 16 users) – Playing 6/16 at 2:00am
The Green Pastures (1936; ranked #11406 by 16 users) – Playing 6/9 at 8:30am
Miss Julie (1951; ranked #11670 by 18 users) – Playing 6/8 at 10:15pm
King Lear (1971; ranked #12619 by 26 users) – Playing 6/30 at 5:30am
Finian’s Rainbow (1968; ranked #13181 by 61 users) – Playing 6/24 at 5:45am
Kismet (1955; ranked #13361 by 24 users) – Playing 6/10 at 10:00am
Saint Joan (1957; ranked #16062 by 19 users) – Playing 6/23 at 2:30am
The Student Prince (1954; ranked #16092 by 10 users) – Playing 6/10 at 8:00am
A Doll’s House (1973; ranked #23838 by 19 users) – Playing 6/8 at 12:00M

Star of the Month: Marie Dressler

Marie Dressler is not a well-known name today, but back in 1933, she was one of the top box office stars in Hollywood – quite a feat for a then-62-year-old character actress. She started her career on the stage, moving into film for 1914’s Tillie’s Punctured Romance with another up and coming comedian – Charlie Chaplin. It was the first feature-length comedy ever made. They didn’t work together again, but Marie kept working steadily on both stage and screen, finally hitting it big in a string of MGM films starting with Garbo’s Anna Christie in 1930. Her expressive face and comedic timing, as well as her ability to gain the sympathy of an audience instantly, stood her well until her untimely death from cancer in 1934.

TOP FIVE

Dinner at Eight (1933; ranked #2540 by 309 users) – An ensemble film the depends on John Barrymore’s plotline for its drama, but in large part on Marie Dressler for its comedy, as a society matron who provides some of the best one-liners in cinema, balancing out Jean Harlow’s smart/dumb blonde act. Playing 6/27 at 8:00pm

Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914; ranked #5871 by 116 users) – The first feature-length comedy ever, based on a character Dressler created on Broadway. It enjoys a healthy viewership today because of a young Charlie Chaplin, but it wouldn’t exist without Dressler. Playing 6/7 at 12:45am

Anna Christie (1930; ranked #6332 by 64 users) – Well-known as the film where “Garbo talks!”, solidifying the silent star her place in sound film, this is also where Marie Dressler came into her own as a character actress. Playing 6/13 at 8:00pm

The Patsy (1928; ranked #8958 by 35 users) – This late silent stars Marion Davies, another vastly underrated early screen comedienne, but also marks Dressler’s comeback after a slump in her career. Playing 6/6 at 11:15pm

The Divine Lady (1929; ranked #10312 by 141 users) – A “transitional silent” with no spoken dialogue but that did include synchronized music and sound effects, this one features also-unjustly-forgotten leading lady Corinne Griffith. Really, this series is like an education in late silent/early sound Hollywood. Playing 6/6 at 9:30pm

THE REST

Let Us Be Gay (1930; ranked #12085 by 16 users) – Playing 6/13 at 9:45pm
The Girl Said No (1930; ranked #12279 by 13 users) – Playing 6/13 at 11:15pm
Tugboat Annie (1933; ranked #12586 by 24 users) – Playing 6/27 at 10:00pm
The Crowd Roars (1932; ranked #12828 by 16 users) – Playing 6/22 at 9:45am
Jimmy the Gent (1934; ranked #13377 by 15 users) – Playing 6/22 at 2:00pm
One Romantic Night (1930; ranked #13522 by 12 users) – Playing 6/21 at 12:15am
Chasing Rainbows (1930; ranked #14012 by 13 users) – Playing 6/6 at 8:00pm
Emma (1932; ranked #14108 by 12 users) – Playing 6/27 at 11:45pm
Min and Bill (1930; ranked #14263 by 26 users) – Playing 6/20 at 8:00pm
The Millionaire (1931; ranked #14521 by 7 users) – Playing 6/22 at 8:15am
Hard to Handle (1933; ranked #14948 by 5 users) – Playing 6/22 at 11:15am
Reducing (1931; ranked #15605 by 6 users) – Playing 6/20 at 9:15pm
Sinner’s Holiday (1930; ranked #16007 by 16 users) – Playing 6/22 at 7:00am
Politics (1931; ranked #17300 by 6 users) – Playing 6/20 at 10:45pm
The Vagabond Lover (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/14 at 1:00am
Prosperity (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/28 at 1:15am

Special Theme: Billy Wilder

Every Friday in June will be devoted to the films of Billy Wilder, one of the most popular and influential writer/directors in Hollywood history. They aren’t playing quite all of his films (the later ones, as usual, get short shrift), but they are including a few of the best ones he wrote before he became a director, which is a good call.

TOP FIVE

The Apartment (1960; ranked #30 by 5715 users) – Wilder made a lot of five-star movies in his career, but Flickchart says this one is the best – for right now, anyway. A romantic drama-comedy with equal parts cynicism, satire, and warmth, it really does capture all the best things Wilder brought to the table as a writer-director. Playing 6/25 at 2:45am

Sunset Boulevard (1950; ranked #79 by 10827 users) – Wilder’s look at the dark side of Hollywood didn’t win him many friends there, but it certainly has maintained a top-notch reputation among film fans. A gothic film noir featuring a faded silent star Norma Desmond (played by faded silent star Gloria Swanson) trying to make a delusional comeback, the film has a cynical romanticism that few others have managed to capture. Playing 6/10 at 8:00pm

Ace in the Hole (1951; ranked #126 by 955 users) – If Sunset Boulevard didn’t win Wilder friends in Hollywood, Ace in the Hole proved too much for everyone else at the time – it was his first flop. Now, however, its dark tale of greed, corruption, and just how far unscrupulous journalists will go for that big story has resonated strongly with several generations of movie fans. Playing 6/10 at 10:00pm

Stalag 17 (1953; ranked #166 by 1790 users) – After the box office failure of Ace in the Hole Wilder turned to adapting hit plays for a while, including this one about POWs who fear there’s a mole in their midst – the main story plays well with Wilder’s strengths, but a comic subplot feels out of place today. Playing 6/10 at 12:00M

Witness for the Prosecution (1958; ranked #225 by 1411 users) – This film is a roaring good time, a very funny but also quite suspenseful courtroom drama that stars Charles Laughton as a barrister about to retire who takes this one last case because it interests him. When Laughton is on, there’s no one more watchable in all of film history, and he is definitely on here. Marlene Dietrich’s presence doesn’t hurt, either. Playing 6/24 at 8:00pm

THE REST

Sabrina (1954; ranked #387 by 2387 users) – Playing 6/17 at 8:00pm –
Ninotchka (1939; ranked #458 by 817 users) – Playing 6/25 at 5:00am
Ball of Fire (1942; ranked #800 by 304 users) – Playing 6/18 at 2:30am
The Fortune Cookie (1966; ranked #1666 by 404 users) – Playing 6/25 at 12:30am
Love in the Afternoon (1957; ranked #2548 by 291 users) – Playing 6/17 at 10:00pm
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957; ranked #3690 by 241 users) – Playing 6/11 at 2:15am
A Foreign Affair (1948; ranked #5132 by 103 users) – Playing 6/18 at 12:30am

If You’re Into…

…Pre-Codes

There are a TON of Pre-Codes this month, thanks in large part to the Star of the Month Marie Dressler, who made most of her most memorable films between 1930 and 1933. Not all of these are particularly raunchy or suggestive, as we tend to think of Pre-Codes being, but you never know what’s going to slip out!

Dinner at Eight (1933; ranked #2540 by 309 users) – Playing 6/27 at 8:00pm
Flying Down to Rio (1933; ranked #6259 by 88 users) – Playing 6/23 at 12:45pm
Anna Christie (1930; ranked #6332 by 64 users) – Playing 6/13 at 8:00pm
The Front Page (1931; ranked #7492 by 76 users) – Playing 6/16 at 5:45am
Private Lives (1931; ranked #9840 by 16 users) – Playing 6/16 at 2:00am
The Divine Lady (1929; ranked #10312 by 141 users) – Playing 6/6 at 9:30pm
Let Us Be Gay (1930; ranked #12085 by 16 users) – Playing 6/13 at 9:45pm
The Girl Said No (1930; ranked #12279 by 13 users) – Playing 6/13 at 11:15pm
Tugboat Annie (1933; ranked #12586 by 24 users) – Playing 6/27 at 10:00pm
One Romantic Night (1930; ranked #13522 by 12 users) – Playing 6/21 at 12:15am
Chasing Rainbows (1930; ranked #14012 by 13 users) – Playing 6/6 at 8:00pm
Emma (1932; ranked #14108 by 12 users) – Playing 6/27 at 11:45pm
Rafter Romance (1933; ranked #14232 by 8 users) – Playing 6/7 at 6:15am
Min and Bill (1930; ranked #14263 by 26 users) – Playing 6/20 at 8:00pm
The Crash (1932; ranked #14663 by 7 users) – Playing 6/13 at 6:00am
Reducing (1931; ranked #15605 by 6 users) – Playing 6/20 at 9:15pm
Politics (1931; ranked #17300 by 6 users) – Playing 6/20 at 10:45pm
One Night at Susie’s (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/7 at 10:00am
The Expert (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/7 at 11:15am
The Lady of Scandal (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/13 at 7:00am
Sin Takes a Holiday (1930; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/13 at 8:30am
The Vagabond Lover (1929; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/14 at 1:00am
The Big Gamble (1931; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/17 at 2:45pm
The Son-Daughter (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/17 at 4:00pm
Before Dawn (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/17 at 5:30pm
Prosperity (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 6/28 at 1:15am

…Film Noir

Some really great noir options this month, including a couple from featured director Billy Wilder, but also plenty of variety including British noir Brighton Rock. Some of these are vastly underranked, like The Big Combo and Where Danger Lives, both of which deserve to be in the upper echelons of noir. Flickcharters love noir, so I can only think these suffer from being underseen. So…see them!

Sunset Boulevard (1950; ranked #79 by 10827 users) – Playing 6/10 at 8:00pm
The Maltese Falcon (1941; ranked #97 by 14143 users) – Playing 6/6 at 6:15pm
Ace in the Hole (1951; ranked #126 by 955 users) – Playing 6/10 at 10:00pm
Key Largo (1948; ranked #329 by 1752 users) – Playing 6/6 at 4:30pm
Dark Passage (1947; ranked #1529 by 413 users) – Playing 6/25 at 12:00N
The Glass Key (1942; ranked #2821 by 173 users) – Playing 6/12 at 8:00pm
Criss Cross (1949; ranked #3722 by 155 users) – Playing 6/18 at 6:45am
The Blue Dahlia (1946; ranked #3791 by 137 users) – Playing 6/12 at 9:45pm
Clash by Night (1952; ranked #3952 by 158 users) – Playing 6/8 at 7:45am
Brighton Rock (1947; ranked #4200 by 85 users) – Playing 6/7 at 10:00pm
The Big Combo (1955; ranked #4461 by 110 users) – Playing 6/8 at 4:30pm
Where Danger Lives (1950; ranked #8283 by 45 users) – Playing 6/8 at 3:00pm
Born to Be Bad (1950; ranked #13801 by 15 users) – Playing 6/8 at 6:00am

…Silent Film

Several of these come courtesy of Star of the Month Marie Dressler, but Keaton makes a couple of appearances as well. Silent Sunday Nights are rather obscure this month, which is not a bad thing!

The Cameraman (1928; ranked #704 by 397 users) – Playing 6/15 at 6:00am
I Was Born, But… (1932; ranked #2253 by 115 users) – Playing 6/19 at 12:00M
Go West (1925; ranked #3020 by 181 users) – Playing 6/26 at 12:00M
Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914; ranked #5871 by 116 users) – Playing 6/7 at 12:45am
Coney Island (1917; ranked #6203 by 58 users) – Playing 6/27 at 1:15am
Tell It to the Marines (1926; ranked #8530 by 31 users) – Playing 6/17 at 9:00am
The Patsy (1928; ranked #8958 by 35 users) – Playing 6/6 at 11:15pm
The Red Mill (1926; ranked #9902 by 26 users) – Playing 6/6 at 12:30am
Gribiche (1926; ranked #10833 by 28 users) – Playing 6/12 at 12:00M
Old San Francisco (1927; ranked #11073 by 25 users) – Playing 6/17 at 11:00am
When a Man Loves (1927; ranked #11127 by 25 users) – Playing 6/17 at 12:45pm

…Foreign Film

Can’t go wrong in a month that includes Dreyer, Truffaut, Ophuls, Ozu, and Bresson.

Ordet (1955; ranked #746 by 250 users) – Playing 6/6 at 2:00am
Shoot the Piano Player (1960; ranked #1023 by 477 users) – Playing 6/22 at 5:00am
The Earrings of Madame de… (1954; ranked #1162 by 285 users) – Playing 6/15 at 12:15am
My Life as a Dog (1986; ranked #1218 by 477 users) – Playing 6/20 at 3:45am
Diary of a Country Priest (1951; ranked #1789 by 216 users) – Playing 6/27 at 6:00am
Black Orpheus (1959; ranked #1983 by 244 users) – Playing 6/23 at 4:00pm
Good Morning (1959; ranked #2515 by 123 users) – Playing 6/20 at 2:00am
Gertrud (1964; ranked #4006 by 130 users) – Playing 6/6 at 4:15am
Dillinger is Dead (1969; ranked #8146 by 51 users) – Playing 6/27 at 2:00am
Carnival in Flanders (1935; ranked #11075 by 19 users) – Playing 6/13 at 2:00am

…If You Have Kids

As always, these are not necessarily “kids movies,” just movies I picked out of the schedule that I think are particularly appropriate for or interesting to kids. I personally tend to love musicals for kids, and this month is great if you have a musical-loving kid. I also separated out the special Treasure from the Disney Vault programming which is always a great combination of live action classics, cartoon shorts, and this time, a recent documentary about Disney’s animation renaissance.

Harvey (1950; ranked #269 by 2610 users) – Playing 6/15 at 12:00M
The Cameraman (1928; ranked #704 by 397 users) – Playing 6/15 at 6:00am
The Music Man (1962; ranked #1219 by 1528 users) – Playing 6/23 at 10:45pm
Oliver! (1968; ranked #1743 by 2127 users) – Playing 6/18 at 6:15am
Father of the Bride (1950; ranked #2407 by 658 users) – Playing 6/19 at 10:00pm
Annie Get Your Gun (1950; ranked #4304 by 322 users) – Playing 6/10 at 1:00am
Kiss Me Kate (1953; ranked #4352 by 178 users) – Playing 6/10 at 5:45am
Life With Father (1947; ranked #5073 by 114 users) – Playing 6/19 at 8:00pm
Lili (1953; ranked #6492 by 55 users) – Playing 6/26 at 2:00pm
Strike Up the Band (1940; ranked #8286 by 47 users) – Playing 6/26 at 6:00am
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963; ranked #11279 by 47 users) – Playing 6/19 at 5:45pm
A Date with Judy (1948; ranked #13162 by 10 users) – Playing 6/28 at 6:00am
Finian’s Rainbow (1968; ranked #13181 by 61 users) – Playing 6/24 at 5:45am
I Love Melvin (1953; ranked #17841 by 7 users) – Playing 6/15 at 1:30pm
Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942; ranked #19996 by 3 users) – Playing 6/19 at 12:00N

TREASURES FROM THE DISNEY VAULT

The Parent Trap (1961; ranked #2617 by 1988 users) – Playing 6/28 at 8:00pm
Clock Cleaners (1937; ranked #6664 by 83 users) – Playing 6/28 at 10:15pm
Thru the Mirror (1936; ranked #5973 by 178 users) – Playing 6/28 at 10:15pm
The Band Concert (1935; ranked #7482 by 89 users) – Playing 6/28 at 10:15pm
Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009; ranked #5046 by 239 users) – Playing 6/28 at 11:00pm
Old King Cole (1933; ranked #14910 by 26 users) – Playing 6/29 at 12:45am
Flowers and Trees (1932; ranked #5933 by 187 users) – Playing 6/29 at 12:45am
The Pied Piper (1932; ranked #9644 by 47 users) – Playing 6/29 at 12:45am
Adventure in Color: Mathematic Land (1961; ranked #11533 by 48 users) – Playing 6/29 at 1:15am

Movies to See Before You Die

We run a feature on the Flickchart blog called Movies to See Before You Die, focusing on films in the Flickchart Global Top 1000. All these films fit that criteria, so you can use this as a handy checklist as you work your way through Flickchart’s most highly recommended films.

The Apartment (1960; ranked #30 by 5715 users) – Playing 6/25 at 2:45am
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; ranked #61 by 4690 users) – Playing 6/14 at 8:00pm
Sunset Boulevard (1950; ranked #79 by 10827 users) – Playing 6/10 at 8:00pm
On the Waterfront (1954; ranked #84 by 7226 users) – Playing 6/6 at 7:15am and 6/18 at 4:00pm
The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #95 by 2822 users) – Playing 6/16 at 7:45am
The Maltese Falcon (1941; ranked #97 by 14143 users) – Playing 6/6 at 6:15pm
All About Eve (1950; ranked #122 by 4502 users) – Playing 6/26 at 3:30pm
Ace in the Hole (1951; ranked #126 by 955 users) – Playing 6/10 at 10:00pm
Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #140 by 2389 users) – Playing 6/11 at 5:30pm
The Graduate (1967; ranked #142 by 33934 users) – Playing 6/14 at 10:15pm)
The Sting (1973; ranked #143 by 18983 users) – Playing 6/25 at 8:0pm
Stalag 17 (1953; ranked #166 by 1790 users) – Playing 6/10 at 12:00M
Witness for the Prosecution (1958; ranked #225 by 1411 users) – Playing 6/24 at 8:00pm
Harvey (1950; ranked #269 by 2610 users) – Playing 6/15 at 12:00M
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #277 by 5575 users) – Playing 6/8 at 8:00pm
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961; ranked #327 by 8530 users) – Playing 6/26 at 6:00pm
Key Largo (1948; ranked #329 by 1752 users) – Playing 6/6 at 4:30pm
Sabrina (1954; ranked #387 by 2387 users) – Playing 6/12 at 2:00pm and 6/17 at 8:00pm
Five Easy Pieces (1970; ranked #400 by 1611 users) – Playing 6/22 at 3:15am
Lolita (1962; ranked #411 by 4428 users) – Playing 6/12 at 3:45am
Wait Until Dark (1967; ranked #427 by 1175 users) – Playing 6/23 at 9:00am
The Last Detail (1973; ranked #435 by 798 users) – Playing 6/15 at 4:15am
Ninotchka (1939; ranked #458 by 817 users) – Playing 6/25 at 5:00am
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958; ranked #466 by 21189 users) – Playing 6/6 at 2:30pm
East of Eden (1955; ranked #500 by 872 users) – Playing 6/6 at 9:15am
Giant (1956; ranked #523 by 1328 users) – Playing 6/11 at 2:00pm
Lifeboat (1944; ranked #595 by 1031 users) – Playing 6/21 at 11:15pm
You Can’t Take It With You (1938; ranked #667 by 632 users) – Playing 6/16 at 3:30am
Cabaret (1972; ranked #690 by 2346 users) – Playing 6/30 at 8:00pm
A Man for All Seasons (1966; ranked #677 by 1145 users) – Playing 6/22 at 10:00pm
Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #696 by 15301 users) – Playing 6/27 at 10:30am
The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #700 by 1561 users) – Playing 6/15 at 8:00pm
The Cameraman (1928; ranked #704 by 397 users) – Playing 6/15 at 6:00am
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #737 by 1260 users) – Playing 6/11 at 8:00pm
Ordet (1955; ranked #746 by 250 users) – Playing 6/6 at 2:00am
An American in Paris (1951; ranked #751 by 1204 users) – Playing 6/12 at 4:00pm
Captain Blood (1935; ranked #790 by 559 users) – Playing 6/20 at 5:30pm
Ball of Fire (1942; ranked #800 by 304 users) – Playing 6/18 at 2:30am
West Side Story (1961; ranked #826 by 11841 users) – Playing 6/23 at 8:00pm
Gandhi (1982; ranked #970 by 10758 users) – Playing 6/14 at 4:45pm

Day by Day Picks

Monday, June 6

TOP RANKED: On the Waterfront (1954; ranked #84 by 7226 users) – Certainly not Marlon Brando’s first impressive movie role, but the first impressive enough to get him an Oscar, for playing failed boxer Terry Malloy, who’s now embroiled in labor disputes at the dockyard. Playing 6/6 at 7:15am

WILD CARD: Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914; ranked #5871 by 116 users) – Part of the Marie Dressler Star of the Month programming. Playing 6/7 at 12:45am

Tuesday, June 7

TOP RANKED: The Remains of the Day (1993; ranked #1112 by 2150 users) – A newer film for TCM to play, but a good one, with Anthony Hopkins as a butler coming out of his shell thanks to a quiet romance with Emma Thompson. Playing 6/8 at 3:30am

WILD CARD: Brighton Rock (1947; ranked #4200 by 85 users) – Though noir is usually considered a largely American phenomenon, there are plenty of British films that fit the mold, including this one based on a Graham Greene novel (Greene also wrote The Third Man, the crown jewel of British noir). Playing 6/7 at 10:00pm

Wednesday, June 8

TOP RANKED: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #277 by 5575 users) – Part of the From Stage to Screen Spotlight programming. Playing 6/8 at 8:00pm

WILD CARD: Where Danger Lives (1950; ranked #8283 by 45 users) – This was probably my favorite new-to-me film from last year’s Summer of Darkness noir programming, and it’s a crying shame so few users have seen it. Robert Mitchum, lots of suspense, madness, and even some comedy (in a noir!). Playing 6/8 at 3:00pm

Thursday, June 9

TOP RANKED: Guys and Dolls (1955; ranked #1142 by 1267 users) – Marlon Brando is an odd choice for a musical, even as a gangster, and to be honest, he does seem fairly uncomfortable. However, second leads Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine are right at home, and the film is well worth watching for them and the great showstopping musical numbers. Playing 6/10 at 3:00am

WILD CARD: Kiss Me Kate (1953; ranked #4352 by 178 users) – The Taming of the Shrew on-stage and off, as estranged theatrical couple Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel play Shakespeare’s sparring partners on stage, rekindling their romance backstage. Some of Cole Porter’s most enduring music, and tons of comedy thanks largely to the delightful Ann Miller. Playing 6/10 at 5:45am

Friday, June 10

TOP RANKED: Sunset Boulevard (1950; ranked #79 by 10827 users) – Part of the Billy Wilder programming. Playing 6/10 at 8:00pm

WILD CARD: The Student Prince (1954; ranked #16092 by 10 users) – A musical remake of the Ernst Lubitsch silent, which I grant you is better, but I have a soft spot for this one as well. Edmond Purdom is a bit stiff as the prince who falls in love with a barmaid only to run up against his royal duties, but his vocals are dubbed by Mario Lanza, who’s always tremendous. Playing 6/10 at 8:00am

Saturday, June 11

TOP RANKED: Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #140 by 2389 users) – A classic example of a “hanging out” buddy film, with sheriff John Wayne tasked with holding a criminal against his gang’s rescue attempt, with help from drunk deputy Dean Martin, rookie Ricky Nelson, and geezer Walter Brennan. The story’s fine, but the pleasure is just watching these guys interact, chat, sing, and in Martin’s case, sober up. Playing 6/11 at 5:30pm

WILD CARD: The Wasp Woman (1959; ranked #14890 by 172 users) – A plot like this, where queen wasp jelly is used to make cosmetics, with inevitable side effects, is definitely camp horror, but in the hands of Roger Corman, camp horror is an art form. Playing 6/11 at 6:45am

Sunday, June 12

TOP RANKED: Sabrina (1954; ranked #387 by 2387 users) – A favorite among film fans for Audrey Hepburn’s gamine grace, playing a chauffeur’s daughter who garners the attention of both wealthy brothers her father works for. Playing 6/12 at 2:00pm

WILD CARD: The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936; ranked #7140 by 120 users) – Rudyard Kipling’s bracing exciting (if historically inaccurate) poem about the brave 500 is expanded into a pretty solid (and also historically inaccurate) adventure film with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Playing 6/12 at 6:30am

Monday, June 13

TOP RANKED: Anna Karenina (1935; ranked #3813 by 182 users) – Greta Garbo takes on Tolstoy’s tragic heroine in one of the more well-remembered adaptations of the novel. Playing 6/13 at 10:00am

WILD CARD: Sin Takes a Holiday (1930; unranked by 0 users) – I know very little about this beyond title, cast, and plot description, but I’m in based on the title alone. Plus Constance Bennett playing an “ugly duckling who turns into a swan” sounds, well…at least the second half is believable! Playing 6/13 at 8:30am

Tuesday, June 14

TOP RANKED: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; ranked #61 by 4690 users) – Humphrey Bogart and John Huston made a lot of great films together, including The Maltese Falcon and The African Queen – this tale of gold prospectors consumed by greed may just be the best. Playing 6/14 at 8:00pm

WILD CARD: The Earrings of Madame de… (1954; ranked #1162 by 285 users) – Max Ophuls is well-known for his distinctive circular tracking shots, and in this lush and sophisticated film, the style matches the content exactly, as the titular earrings get passed around in a cycle of aristocratic infidelities. Playing 6/15 at 12:15am

Wednesday, June 15

TOP RANKED: The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #95 by 2822 users) – Part of the From Stage to Screen Spotlight programming. Playing 6/16 at 7:45am

WILD CARD: Private Lives (1931; ranked #9840 by 16 users) – A delightfully combative “Battle of the Sexes” comedy, with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery as a battling couple who finally decide to divorce. However, their honeymoons with new partners find them in adjoining suites, and they decide they actually can’t live without each other, despite their non-stop verbal (and physical!) sparring. Playing 6/16 at 2:00am

Thursday, June 16

TOP RANKED: Oliver! (1968; ranked #1743 by 2127 users) – Oliver! gets a lot of flack as an undeserving Oscar winner, but it’s actually a pretty enjoyable (if slightly overblown) adaptation of the Dickens novel, with some rollicking songs you can’t help but sing along to, and some surprisingly dark moments as well. Playing 6/17 at 6:15am

WILD CARD: Gypsy (1962; ranked #5218 by 145 users) – Based on the life of famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, but really more focused on her mother Mama Rose (played here by Rosalind Russell, on stage by the great Ethel Merman), the ultimate stage mother. It’s a tour de force for Mama Rose, with some of the greatest numbers ever belted. Playing 6/16 at 8:00pm

Friday, June 17

TOP RANKED: Sabrina (1954; ranked #387 by 2387 users) – Yes, again. (See June 12.) Playing 6/17 at 8:00pm

WILD CARD: Ball of Fire (1942; ranked #800 by 304 users) – The quintessential “stripper with a heart of gold” film, with Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O’Shea (best character name ever), a showgirl hired by a group of fuddy-duddy professors (including Gary Cooper) to help them write an encyclopedia entry on slang. Hilarious and charming. Playing 6/18 at 2:30am

Saturday, June 18

TOP RANKED: Sense and Sensibility (1995; ranked #1300 by 5027 users) – Emma Thompson takes on Jane Austen, both writing and starring in this fine adaptation, featuring Kate Winslet as the “sensibility” half of the equation, and the late great Alan Rickman. Playing 6/19 at 12:15am

WILD CARD: Criss Cross (1949; ranked #3722 by 155 users) – An early role for Burt Lancaster has him plotting with his lover (Yvonne De Carlo) to rob his boss/her gangster husband. You can guess how this plays in the noir world. Playing 6/18 at 6:45am

Sunday, June 19

TOP RANKED: My Life as a Dog (1986; ranked #1218 by 477 users) – Director Lasse Hallstrom has kind of become an undistinguished Hollywood director at this point, but this earlier film made in his native Sweden remains a well-loved coming of age film. Playing 6/20 at 3:45am

WILD CARD: Good Morning (1959; ranked #2515 by 123 users) – If you’ve never seen a Yasujiro Ozu film, I recommend this one as a good starting place – it’s a gentle story about kids and parents, with lots of humor and slice of life domesticity centered around whether or not a family should get a TV. Showing ordinary 20th century Japanese life is what Ozu did best, and this encapsulates that well. Playing 6/20 at 2:00am

Monday, June 20

TOP RANKED: Captain Blood (1935; ranked #790 by 559 users) – Errol Flynn’s first of many pairings with Olivia de Havilland is a wonderful tale of swashbuckling derring-do, with a mild-mannered doctor forced into slavery and piracy for treating wounded enemies of his lord. Exciting and stirring. Playing 6/20 at 5:30pm

WILD CARD: Min and Bill (1930; ranked #14263 by 26 users) – Most of the highest-ranked Marie Dressler films playing this month have her in supporting roles, but she also led several films in the early 1930s, thanks in large part to her great success leading this one (she even won an Oscar), matching costar Wallace Beery pace for pace in both humor and pathos. Playing 6/20 at 8:00pm

Tuesday, June 21

TOP RANKED: Five Easy Pieces (1970; ranked #400 by 1611 users) – An iconic New Hollywood film, with Jack Nicholson playing a disaffected oil rig worker who turns out to have an upper-class background. Worlds collide when he brings his working class girlfriend home almost out of spite. Playing 6/22 at 3:15am

WILD CARD: Shoot the Piano Player (1960; ranked #1023 by 477 users) – Francois Truffaut takes on the crime/noir film, putting his own distinctive French New Wave spin on it, and it is evocative and wonderful. Playing 6/22 at 5:00am

Wednesday, June 22

TOP RANKED: A Man for All Seasons (1966; ranked #677 by 1145 users) – Part of the From Stage to Screen Spotlight programming. Playing 6/22 at 10:00pm

WILD CARD: Jimmy the Gent (1934; ranked #13377 by 15 users) – I haven’t seen this late Pre-Code gangster film, but with James Cangey in the title role and Bette Davis (before Warner really knew what to do with her) playing off him, I’m definitely in. Playing 6/22 at 2:00pm

Thursday, June 23

TOP RANKED: Wait Until Dark (1967; ranked #427 by 1175 users) – Audrey Hepburn owns the screen as a blind woman stalked by three criminals because they think she has heroine that belongs to them – very suspenseful, and great use of light and dark in the climactic scene. Playing 6/23 at 9:00am

WILD CARD: The Bad Seed (1956; ranked #1853 by 354 users) – Evil children is a pretty well-worn trope, and this is one of the most memorable, with a mother increasingly convinced that her eight-year-old daughter is a heartless killer. Playing 6/23 at 6:45am

Friday, June 24

TOP RANKED: The Apartment (1960; ranked #30 by 5715 users) – Part of the Billy Wilder programming. Playing 6/25 at 2:45am

WILD CARD: The Fortune Cookie (1966; ranked #1666 by 404 users) – A late Billy Wilder film showcasing the Jack Lemmon-Walter Matthau partnership as unscrupulous lawyer Matthau tries to get good-hearted Lemmon to fake an injury for money. Often uncomfortable, but often hilarious, and surprisingly heartwarming at times. Playing 6/25 at 12:30am

Saturday, June 25

TOP RANKED: The Sting (1973; ranked #143 by 18983 users) – Following up the success of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford reunited for another period piece, this time about con artists in the 1930s instead of outlaws. Fairly slight for a Best Picture winner, but a lot of fun. Playing 6/25 at 8:00pm

WILD CARD: Dark Passage (1947; ranked #1529 by 413 users) – The least well-known of the four films Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made together, but it’s still quite good, a noir about a man convicted of killing his wife who escapes to try to prove his innocence. Notable opening is in first-person, so we don’t see Bogart until after the character had had plastic surgery. Playing 6/25 at 12:00N

Sunday, June 26

TOP RANKED: All About Eve (1950; ranked #122 by 4502 users) – With a solid story about a manipulative wanna-be actress (Anne Baxter) and the aging Broadway star (Bette Davis) she preys on, plus one of the greatest and wittiest scripts ever written, All About Eve is pretty unbeatalbe. It’s also proven to be a pretty great introduction to classic film for newbies. Playing 6/26 at 3:30pm

WILD CARD: Strike Up the Band (1940; ranked #8286 by 47 users) – Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland made eight films together, many of them variations on the “let’s put on a show” theme; this is like “let’s start a marching band and put on a show,” and it’s actually one of their better outings, though it’s often overshadowed by others for some reason. Playing 6/26 at 6:00am

Monday, June 27

TOP RANKED: Ben-Hur (1959; ranked #696 by 15301 users) – With a new version of Ben-Hur in the pipeline right now, what better time to get reacquainted with the best-known version (I maintain that the silent version is excellent as well), a film that held the record for most Oscar wins for almost forty years. Playing 6/27 at 10:30am

WILD CARD: Dinner at Eight (1933; ranked #2540 by 309 users) – Part of the Marie Dressler Star of the Month programming. Playing 6/27 at 8:00pm

Tuesday, June 28

TOP RANKED: The Parent Trap (1961; ranked #2617 by 1988 users) – One of Disney’s most beloved live action classics – Hayley Mills plays identical twins whose divorced parents have never told them the other exists…quite a surprise when they fortuitously meet up at summer camp! They set their sights on getting their parents back together. Good family fun. Playing 6/28 at 8:00pm

WILD CARD: Adventure in Color: Mathemagic Land (1961; ranked #11533 by 48 users) – This episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color introduces the character of Ludwig von Drake, who explores color (color TV in 1961 was still something of a novelty), and culminates in the 1959 short Donald in Mathemagic Land, an educational short that I remember loving as a kid. These educational shorts Disney produced should get more play. Playing 6/29 at 1:15am

Wednesday, June 29

TOP RANKED: Hamlet (1948; ranked #1257 by 772 users) – Shakespeare’s moody prince gets a moody adaptation by Laurence Olivier, shot in austere castles with high contrast lighting to heighten the mood. The film and Olivier both won Oscars, the first time a British film had been so honored by the Academy. Playing 6/29 at 10:00pm

WILD CARD: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935; ranked #6573 by 107 users) – A lavish adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most delightful comedies – some offbeat casting choices (a young Mickey Rooney as Puck, James Cagney as Bottom) as well as Olivia de Havilland’s screen debut. Playing 6/30 at 12:45am

Thursday, June 30

TOP RANKED: Jesus Christ Superstar (1973; ranked #1922 by 1482 users) – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera becomes a fairly moving film, shot entirely in Israel where the events took place. The scenery and the energy brought by the cast make the stagy presentation work surprisingly well. Playing 7/1 at 12:30am

WILD CARD: Cabin in the Sky (1943; ranked #4415 by 124 users) – One of the few classic era movies with an all-black cast, Cabin the Sky is a sort of musical allegory as The Lord and Lucifer fight over the soul of Little Joe, using his pious wife (Ethel Waters) and a “loose” woman (Lena Horne) as tools. This type of story is fairly common in folk stories, though it plays a little hokey here. Also notable as Vincente Minnelli’s directorial debut. Playing 6/30 at 6:15pm