Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (June 23-30)

JUNE 23

It must be China's birthday. Every film has something to do with China today.


JUNE 24

11:00pm  Steel Helmet, The (1951)  
Americans trapped behind enemy lines fight off Communists during the Korean War.
Cast: Robert Hutton, Steve Brodie, James Edwards, Richard Loo Dir: Samuel Fuller BW-84 mins, TV-14

Sam Fuller could take a penny and make it look like a dollar on screen. Speilburg could have learned a thing or two about making war films from him.  Tough and gritty just don't do this film justice.

3:45am  Battle Circus (1953)
A doctor fights for his life during the Korean War.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, June Allyson, Keenan Wynn, Robert Keith Dir: Richard Brooks BW-90 mins, TV-PG

The original M.A.S.H., but in no way a comedy.


JUNE 25

9 more Korean war films.


JUNE 26

5:15am   Perversion For Profit(1965)
This anti-porn documentary shows a floodtide of filth engulfing the country in the form of newsstand obscenity  Cast: George Putnam narrates. BW-31 mins, TV-MA

My very favorite documentary. Notice they never run it except in the very early morning hours. Worth getting up and watching for a good laugh. If your still up from the night before fire up a doobie and enjoy it more.

8:30am  Third Man, The (1949)  
A man's investigation of a friend's death uncovers corruption in post-World War II Vienna.
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard Dir: Carol Reed BW-104 mins, TV-14

Three notes to name that movie and if you can't you are tone deaf.

2:00am  Frances (1982)  
Actress Frances Farmer's mind snaps under the pressures of Hollywood life and a domineering mother.
Cast: Jessica Lange, Kim Stanley, Sam Shepard, Bart Burns Dir: Graeme Clifford C-140 mins, TV-MA

Jessica Lange proved she could act in this one.


JUNE 27

2:00pm   Annie Get Your Gun (1950)   
Fanciful musical biography of wild West sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
Cast: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern, J. Carrol Naish Dir: George Sidney C-107 mins, TV-G 

Great music, horrible film. And keep an eye out for that great Irish born Indian J. Carrol Naish.

4:00pm  Plaza Suite (1971) 
A New York hotel room is the setting for three stories of romantic squabbles.
Cast: Walter Matthau, Lee Grant, Barbara Harris, Maureen Stapleton Dir: Arthur Hiller C-114 mins, TV-14

I like Walter Matthau, I really do,  but he is horribly miscast in two of the three acts in this film. I'll let you judge which two.    I have a soft spot for this play as I used to make money directing it for little theater groups before I started doing films.


JUNE 28

1:00am  Brainstorm (1983) 
A scientist battles the military for control of a machine that records sensory experiences-including death.
Cast: Natalie Wood, Christopher Walken, Louise Fletcher, Cliff Robertson Dir: Douglas Trumbull C-106 mins, TV-14

I have a soft spot for this film. Maybe it's because of the guy who loops the porn film and orgasms himself into a nervous breakdown. Now that is a real porn fan.


JUNE 29

4:45am  Loved One, The (1965) 
An Englishman in Hollywood moves into the funeral business.
Cast: Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Anjanette Comer, Rod Steiger Dir: Tony Richardson BW-121 mins, TV-PG

I love "Black" comedy and this is as dark as they come.  Plus Rod Steiger as Mr. JoyBoy who could resist.

8:00pm  How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1967)  
With the help of his handy guidebook, a window washer talks his way into the executive suite.
Cast: Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, Anthony Teague Dir: David Swift C-121 mins, TV-PG

One of the truly great underrated musicals.

JUNE 30

10:00pm  Bell, Book and Candle (1959) 
A beautiful witch puts a love spell on an unknowing publisher.
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs Dir: Richard Quine C-102 mins, TV-PG

Kim Novak never got the attention she deserved as an actress. I guess that's what happens when you are stunningly beautiful. Ernie Kovacs never got a part worthy of his true genius--I guess that's what happens when you are not.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (June 23-30)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (May 4-11)

Kind of missed some time there, thanks to a bit of a stay in the hospital. Funny thing is I didn't miss any films as my hospital room got TCM on the TV. Now that's what I call a top notch medical facility. Now I'm back home with a good excuse to stay in bed and keep watching TCM.


MAY 4

3:30am Oklahoma!(1955)
Pride and a lecherous ranch hand stand between an amorous cowboy and his farm girl sweetheart.
Cast: Gordon MacRae, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, Charlotte Greenwood Dir: Fred Zinnemann C-140 mins, TV-PG

Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical. Nothing more need be said.


MAY 5

12:00pm Hucksters, The (1947)
A war veteran fights for honesty in the advertising game.
Cast: Clark Gable, Deborah Kerr, Sydney Greenstreet, Adolphe Menjou Dir: Jack Conway BW-116 mins, TV-PG

Long before Mad Men there was The Hucksters.

8:00pm Shadow Of The Thin Man (1941)
High society sleuths Nick and Nora Charles run into a variety of shady characters while investigating a race-track murder.
Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Barry Nelson, Donna Reed Dir: Major W. S. Van Dyke II BW-97 mins, TV-G

Not the best of the Thin Man series but any Thin Man is better than none.


MAY 6

5:45pm Citizen Kane (1941)
The investigation of a publishing tycoon's dying words reveals conflicting stories about his scandalous life.
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick Dir: Orson Welles BW-120 mins, TV-PG

It's not often a film this hyped lives up to the hype but this one does. No one who calls themselves a film buff can miss a re-showing of the best film ever made.


MAY 7

7:15am It's A Big Country(1951)
Seven stories celebrate the glorious diversity of American life.
Cast: Ethel Barrymore, Keefe Brasselle, Gary Cooper, Nancy Davis Dir: Richard Thorpe, Don Weis, John Sturges, Don Hartman, William A. Wellman, BW-89 mins, TV-PG

9:00am Man Of The West(1958)
A reformed outlaw is among the hostages when his former colleagues rob a train.
Cast: Gary Cooper, Julie London, Lee J. Cobb, Arthur O'Connell Dir: Anthony Mann C-99 mins, TV-PG

10:45am Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business.
Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan Dir: Frank Capra BW-122 mins, TV-G

1:00pm Sergeant York (1941)
True story of the farm boy who made the transition from religious pacifist to World War I hero.
Cast: Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie, George Tobias Dir: Howard Hawks BW-134 mins, TV-G

3:30pm Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
When he inherits a fortune, a small-town poet has to deal with the corruption of city life.
Cast: Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, George Bancroft, Lionel Stander Dir: Frank Capra BW-116 mins, TV-G

5:30pm Fountainhead, The(1949)
An idealistic architect battles corrupt business interests and his love for a married woman.
Cast: Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, Raymond Massey, Kent Smith Dir: King Vidor BW-113 mins, TV-PG


It's Gary Cooper day at TCM. They are all worth watching. Sergeant York is my favorite of these but I really think TCM missed a great chance to play HIGH NOON at High Noon.


MAY 8

9:00am Lady From Shanghai, The (1948)
A romantic drifter gets caught between a corrupt tycoon and his voluptuous wife.
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders Dir: Orson Welles BW-87 mins, TV-PG

The shoot out in the hall of mirrors is worth sitting through the whole film alone.


12:00pm King Kong (1933)
A film crew discovers the "eighth wonder of the world," a giant prehistoric ape, and brings him back to New York, where he wreaks havoc.
Cast: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher Dir: Ernest B. Schoedsack BW-105 mins, TV-PG

It wasn't the airplanes, twas beauty killed the beast... Greatest tag line in film history! Screw CGI, this monkey still captures the imagination.

8:00pm Lion In Winter, The (1968)
England's Henry II and his estranged queen battle over the choice of an heir.
Cast: Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Merrow, John Castle Dir: Anthony Harvey C-134 mins, TV-14

2:30am Becket (1964)
England's King Henry II appoints his best friend Archbishop of Canterbury then turns on him.
Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit Dir: Peter Glenville C-148 mins, TV-PG

Note to TCM: Come on guys Becket first THEN The Lion in Winter.


MAY 9

10:00pm Gypsy (1962)
A domineering mother pushes her two daughters to burlesque stardom.
Cast: Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Paul Wallace Dir: Mervyn LeRoy C-143 mins, TV-PG

"If you're gonna bump it, bump it with a trumpet." Rose, you can entertain me any time you like.


MAY 10

8:00pm Elmer Gantry (1960)
A young drifter finds success as a traveling preacher until his past catches up with him.
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger Dir: Richard Brooks C-147 mins, TV-PG

Burt Lancaster shows what it means to really have charisma. So much in fact that it actually spills over into the character. And that smile. That's what I call a mouth full of teeth.


MAY 11

8:30am Murder At The Gallop (1963)
Elderly sleuth Miss Marple suspects foul play when an old friend is supposedly scared to death by a cat.
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Robert Morley, Flora Robson, Charles Tingwell Dir: George Pollock BW-81 mins, TV-G

10:00am Murder Ahoy (1964)
Elderly sleuth Miss Marple takes to the seas to investigate murder on a naval training ship.
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Lionel Jeffries, Charles Tingwell, William Mervyn Dir: George Pollock BW-93 mins, TV-G

11:45am Murder Most Foul (1964)
Elderly sleuth Miss Marple joins a small-town theatre to investigate a murder.
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody, Charles Tingwell, Andrew Cruickshank Dir: George Pollock BW-91 mins, TV-G

A morning full of Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. I may not even make it out of bed before lunch.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (May 4-11)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (April 15-23)

APRIL 15

11:00am Time Machine, The (1960)
A turn-of-the-century inventor sends himself into the future to save humanity.
Cast: Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot Dir: George Pal C-103 mins, TV-G

It falls apart in the second half when he gets to the future but like the old saying goes, getting there us half the fun and our hero's trip through future ages us a hoot.



APRIL 16

8:00pm Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The (1988)
A dumb cop tries to thwart a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.
Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Ricardo Montalban, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy Dir: David Zucker C-88 mins, TV-14

9:30pm Top Secret! (1984)
An Elvis-like singer falls for a French resistance fighter during World War II.
Cast: Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Christopher Villiers, Omar Sharif Dir: Jerry Zucker C-90 mins, TV-14

11:15pm Airplane! (1980)
When a flight crew falls ill, the only man who can land the plane is afraid of flying.
Cast: Robert Hays, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Julie Hagerty Dir: Jim Abrahams C-88 mins, TV-MA

It's stupid joke night on TCM. Mindless fun to rest up on post tax day. Take your shoes and socks off, sit back and enjoy the barefoot fun.



APRIL 17

8:00pm Strangers On A Train (1951)
A man's joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll Dir: Alfred Hitchcock BW-101 mins, TV-PG

Hitchcock at the top of his game. A great movie that would be worth sitting through even if it wasn't just for the single shot of Robert Wagner staring motionless at Farley Granger playing tennis as the whole crowds heads swing back and forth following the ball. Not to be missed by anyone who loves movies.



APRIL 18

12:00pm Some Like It Hot (1959)
Two musicians on the run from gangsters masquerade as members of an all-girl band.
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft Dir: Billy Wilder BW-121 mins, TV-PG

Only Billy Wilder could take a one joke premise and stretch it into a 2 hour laugh riot. All that and Marilyn Monroe...wow!

12:00am Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)
In this silent film, a student tries to win a rival captain's daughter after taking over his father's riverboat.
Cast: Buster Keaton, Ernest Torrence, Tom Lewis, Tom McGuire Dir: Charles F. Reisner BW-69 mins, TV-G

Screw Charlie Chaplin. Buster Keaton was the true stand out genius of motion pictures.



APRIL 19

4:00am Breaker Morant (1980)
When his commanding officers make a mistake, an Australian soldier faces court martial.
Cast: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown, John Waters Dir: Bruce Beresford C-107 mins, TV-MA

It was a big stink when they left Farrah Fawcett off the memorial list at the Oscars but no one mentioned them overlooking a real actor like Edward Woodward. A not to be missed tour de force.

9:00pm Diary of Anne Frank, The(1959)
A young girl comes of age while hiding from the Nazis.
Cast: Millie Perkins, Joseph Schildkraut, Shelley Winters, Richard Beymer Dir: George Stevens BW-171 mins, TV-PG

I may watch again. Depends if I feel like having a real cry. Followed by...

11:55pm Short Film: One Reel Wonders: Colorful Holland (1950)
In this "Traveltalk," we learn about the history, culture, and people of Holland.
Cast: James A. FitzPatrick Dir: Ralph F. Donaldson C-9 mins

A short film about my favorite place on Earth. If you ever have the chance to visit be sure not to miss the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam.



APRIL 20

Six (6) Harold Lloyd films in a row. From 6am to 4 pm. Great way to spend a rainy day. Hope it rains all day.



APRIL 21

8:00pm Thomas Crown Affair, The (1968)
A bored tycoon turns to bank robbery and courts the insurance investigator assigned to bring him in.
Cast: Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, Jack Weston Dir: Norman Jewison C-102 mins, TV-14

The original, not the weak-assed remake. The movie that proved chess could be down right dirty sexy.



APRIL 22

8:00pm Red Shoes, The (1948)
A young ballerina is torn between her art and her romance with a young composer.
Cast: Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann Dir: Michael Powell C-135 mins, TV-G

The movie that drove many the young girl into the arms of ballet teachers. And what a use of Technicolor.

10:30pm Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)
A mail-order bride enlists an outlaw and a mystery man to help protect her land from a ruthless cattleman.
Cast: Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards Jr., Charles Bronson Dir: Sergio Leone C-165 mins, TV-14

Henry Fonda as a bad guy and one hell of a bad guy at that. Who knew. Plus Leone does the old west like nobody else.



APRIL 23

Eight (8) Shirley Temple films in a row. If you have never seen any you owe yourself at least one or two to find out why she was America's darling.

8:00pm 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Classic sci-fi epic about a mysterious monolith that seems to play a key role in human evolution.
Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter Dir: Stanley Kubrick C-149 mins, TV-G

A movie so confusing that Arthur C. Clarke had to go back and write a novel just to explain to people what the hell was going on. But do what we all did when it first came out. Sit back, toke up and enjoy.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (April 15-23)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (April 7-14)

APRIL 7

Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rum. It's pirate night on TCM. Tyrone Power in THE BLACK SWAN. Paul Henreid in THE SPANISH MAIN, Errol Flynn in CAPTAIN BLOOD, and Gene Kelly??? in THE PIRATE. Now all together, lets play which of these things is not like the others.


APRIL 8

A Slightly Dangerous night at TCM. DANGEROUS, SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS, SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER and DANGEROUSLY HEY LIVE, all followed by SLIGHTLY FRENCH. Again a case of which of these things is not like the others?


APRIL 9

6:00pm Philadelphia Story, The (1940)
Tabloid reporters crash a society marriage.
Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey Dir: George Cukor BW-112 mins, TV-G

I know it's a classic, I know it's a killer cast, I know, I know, but I still prefer HIGH SOCIETY. But it's still worth watching.

8:00pm Hang 'Em High (1968)
A mysterious drifter survives a lynching then goes back for revenge.
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Inger Stevens, Ed Begley, Pat Hingle Dir: Ted Post C-115 mins, TV-14

The least of the Clint Eastwood westerns but even so it's still a Clint Eastwood western.


APRIL 10

6:00am Captain Kidd (1945)
An infamous pirate tries to double cross the King of England.
Cast: Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, John Carradine Dir: Rowland V. Lee BW-81 mins, TV-G

How can you miss anything with old stone face (Randolph Scott) and old rubber face (Charles Laughton) in the same movie.


4:00pm Fistful Of Dollars, A (1964)
A mysterious stranger plays dueling families against each other in a Mexican border town.
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, Gian Maria Volontè, Wolfgang Lukschy Dir: Sergio Leone C-100 mins, TV-14

Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone, and Dashell Hammet source material set in the old west. A triple threat that should not be missed.

6:00pm Shootist, The (1976)
A dying gunfighter tries to set his affairs in order.
Cast: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart Dir: Don Siegel C-99 mins, TV-14

John Wayne's last and to my mind BEST performance. This is the real Lion in Winter.


APRIL 11

4:15am Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Detective Mike Hammer fights to solve the murder of a beautiful hitchhiker with a mysterious connection to the Mob.
Cast: Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez Dir: Robert Aldrich BW-106 mins, TV-PG

Not a great film but watching it I'm transported back to those days when I was a teenager sneaking a Mike Hammer book up to my room to read.

3:00pm West Side Story (1961)
A young couple from dueling street gangs falls in love.
Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno Dir: Robert Wise C-152 mins, TV-PG

So what if it's a bad version of Romeo and Juliet. The music, the music! And the dancing! It never gets old.


APRIL 12

A day full of minor 40s musicals. A couple with Ann Miller tapping her heart out. A good day for spring cleaning with TCM on in the background.


APRIL 13

12:30pm Singin' In The Rain (1952)
A silent-screen swashbuckler finds love while trying to adjust to the coming of sound.
Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen Dir: Stanley Donen C-103 mins, TV-G

The best musical ever made about the movies. Kelly, O'Connor and Reynolds are great but Jean Hagen steals the show without ever singing a note or dancing a step.


APRIL 14

12:00am Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
Billie Holliday fights drug addiction to make a name for herself as a jazz singer.
Cast: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James Gallahan Dir: Sidney J. Furie C-144 mins, TV-MA

Diana Ross carved out a great career with this film but never lived up to it. A shame cause she really nails it.

2:30am Big Chill, The (1983)
A friend's death brings together a group of former college activists.
Cast: Glenn Close, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum Dir: Lawrence Kasdan C-105 mins, TV-MA

A prepackaged dose of 60s nostalgia which is so dated now that the film has become 80s nostalgia. But the funny thing is it's still totally watchable and enjoyable.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (April 7-14)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (March 29-April 5)

March 29th

6 count them, Six! Marx Brothers movies in a row. Either heaven or hell depending how you feel about the Marx Brothers. To me it's a bit much of a good thing but I'll try to catch one or two at least.


March 30

Three Kurosawa film is a row including the Magnificent RAN. Just in case you missed his retrospective last week.

1:45am Ran(1985)
An aging lord's decision to retire brings out the worst in his sons.
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu Dir: Akira Kurosawa C-163 mins

Kurosawa's version of King Lear. Not to be missed. And followed by...(See below)


March 31

4:30am King Lear (1971)
An aging king mistakenly exiles the one daughter who loves him and divides his kingdom between the other two.
Cast: Paul Scofield, Irene Worth, Cyril Cusack, Susan Engel Dir: Peter Brook BW-138 mins, TV-PG

Shakespeare and Scofield a match made in Heaven.


April 1

8:00pm Adam's Rib (1949)
Husband-and-wife lawyers argue opposite sides in a sensational women's rights case.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell Dir: George Cukor BW-101 mins, TV-G

Tracy and Hepburn at their best. Throw in Judy Holliday and you have a film you can watch over and over.

2:15am To Have And Have Not(1944)
A skipper-for-hire's romance with a beautiful drifter is complicated by his growing involvement with the French resistance.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan, Lauren Bacall, Dolores Moran Dir: Howard Hawks BW-100 mins, TV-G

Bogart and Bacall. Do I really have to say more? OK, have you ever been stung by a dead bee?

4:15am The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks(1973)
Film clips and an exclusive interview capture the career of Hollywood's most efficient director of Westerns and screwball comedies.
Cast: Cary Grant, John Wayne, Howard Hawks Dir: Richard Schickel BW-55 mins, TV-PG

I have no idea if this is any good or not but the subject is my hero and one of the greatest directors who ever worked in Hollywood. Screw the Tivo I'll be staying up just to see it.


April 2

Nothing I'm interested in...Hey, it happens.



April 3

12:00pm Little Big Man (1970)
An American pioneer raised by Indians ends up fighting alongside General Custer.
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, Richard Mulligan Dir: Arthur Penn C-140 mins, TV-14

"Sometime the magic works and sometimes it doesn't." In this case it does. If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about you need to watch this film. If you do you will want to watch it again.

10:00pm Point Blank(1967)
A gangster plots an elaborate revenge on the wife and partner who did him dirty.
Cast: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O'Connor Dir: John Boorman C-92 mins, TV-14

Stark (OK, Westlake) via Marvin and Boorman. I have never figured out why in all the versions of the Parker books they have never called him Parker in the movies. He's Walker in this outing but he's still bad assed Parker.

11:45pm Friends Of Eddie Coyle, The (1973)
An aging hood turns police informer, with deadly results.
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats, Peter Boyle Dir: Peter Yates C-102 mins, TV-MA

One of the great underrated gangster pictures. Don't see it often but when it pops up on TCM make sure you catch it.

1:30am Serpico (1973)
A rookie risks his life going undercover to ferret out police corruption.
Cast: Al Pacino, Tony Roberts, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe Dir: Sidney Lumet C-130 mins, TV-MA

Lumet takes on the New York Police Department. I must admit I like Prince of the City better but this runs a close second.


April 4

Easter specials all damn day..

8:00am Godspell (1973)
Contemporary hippies relive the story of Christ's ministry and crucifixion.
Cast: Victor Garber, David Haskell, Lynne Thigpen, Jerry Sroka Dir: David Greene C-102 mins, TV-G

The only one that even interests this New York Jew boy a little.


April 5

12:15pm Fury (1936)
An innocent man escapes a lynch mob then returns for revenge.
Cast: Sylvia Sidney, Spencer Tracy, Walter Abel, Bruce Cabot Dir: Fritz Lang BW-93 mins, TV-G

One of the few great Hollywood productions by this master German film maker.

6:00pm Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)
A one-armed veteran uncovers small-town secrets when he tries to visit an Asian-American war hero's family.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger Dir: John Sturges C-82 mins, TV-PG

Spencer Tracy proves he can out act almost every actor in Hollywood with one arm tied behind his back.


1:30am Shane (1953)
A mysterious drifter helps farmers fight off a vicious gunman.
Cast: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon de Wilde Dir: George Stevens C-118 mins, TV-G

Is there anybody who doesn't know that this film didn't work when it was about the love between the mother and the stranger until they re-cut it as a love story between the stranger and little boy... Come back Shane, Come back.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (March 29-April 5)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (March 13-19)

March 13

10:00pm Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966)
A sophisticated crook mounts an intricate plan to rob an airport bank. Cast: James Coburn, Camilla Sparv, Aldo Ray, Nina Wayne Dir: Bernard Girard C-107 mins, TV-PG

I'll watch any film and I mean ANY film with James Coburn in it. So should you.


March 14

2:00pm All the King's Men (1949)
A backwoods politician rises to the top only to become corrupted. Cast: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Joanne Dru, John Derek Dir: Robert Rossen BW-110 mins, TV-PG

Broderick Crawford was never this good again. Hell, I would have voted for Willie Stark.


March 15

4:15am Brute Force (1947)
Tough, disgruntled prisoners plan a daring, possibly bloody escape while on a drain pipe detail. Cast: Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn, Charles Bickford, Yvonne De Carlo Dir: Jules Dassin BW-98 mins, TV-14

Best prison film ever made.


March 16

4:00am Great Caruso, The (1951)
The legendary opera singer fights to win his place in society. Cast: Mario Lanza, Ann Blyth, Dorothy Kirsten, Jarmila Novotna Dir: Richard Thorpe C-109 mins, TV-G

I'm not a big Opera fan but Lanza was good enough to convince me that Caruso was the greatest singer who ever lived. Wait isn't that a paradox?

11:30am Lavender Hill Mob, The (1951)
An overlooked gold transporter with twenty years service plots to steal a million pounds of gold. Cast: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass Dir: Charles Crichton BW-81 mins, TV-G

My very favorite Alec Guiness comedy. I had a model of the Eiffel tower many years before I ever made it to Paris.

1:00pm Great Escape, The (1963)
Thrown together by the Germans, a group of captive Allied troublemakers plot a daring escape. Cast: Robert Graf, Nigel Stock, Angus Lennie, John Leyton Dir: John Sturges C-172 mins, TV-PG

Ok I'll admit it there are times TCM's guide listings confuse the hell out of me. A great film starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, not to mention James Coburn and they don't list any of them in the credits. OK they list all the English actors but what is Richard Attenborough, chopped liver?

10:45pm High And Low (1963)
Kidnappers mistake a chauffeur's son for the child of a wealthy businessman. Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi Dir: Akira Kurosawa BW-143 mins, TV-14

Kurosawa's take on a King's Ransom by Ed McBain Not to be missed.


March 17

Drink a green beer and settle down for a day full of seven Irish themed movies. And not one of them The Quiet Man.


March 18

Somebody at TCM has a sense of humor. The day after St. Paddy's they schedule some nice quiet Shoot 'em ups. Hope you don't have a hangover.

8:00pm My Darling Clementine (1946)
When the Clantons steal his family's cattle and kill his brother, Wyatt Earp signs on as sheriff of Tombstone and vows to bring them in. Cast: Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs Dir: John Ford BW-97 mins, TV-PG

10:00pm Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
Dramatization of the legendary battle between Wyatt Earp and the Clanton Gang. Cast: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet Dir: John Sturges C-123 mins, TV-PG

12:15am Hour Of The Gun (1967)
Wyatt Earp tracks down the survivors of the Clanton Gang after the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Cast: James Garner, Jason Robards Jr., Robert Ryan, Albert Salmi Dir: John Sturges C-101 mins, TV-14

2:00am Masterson of Kansas(1954)
Sheriff Bat Masterson joins forces with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday to save a rancher framed for murder. Cast: George Montgomery, Nancy Gates, James Griffith, Jean Willes Dir: William Castle C-73 mins, TV-PG

Wait a minute, am I missing something was March 18th Wyatt Earp's Birthday??


March 19

2:00am Kitten With a Whip (1964)
A delinquent escapes from reform school and holds a politician hostage. Cast: Ann-Margret, John Forsythe, Peter Brown, Patricia Barry Dir: Douglas Heyes BW-83 mins

I don't care if it's a good film or if it's a bad film. It's called KITTEN WITH A WHIP and it has a young Ann-Margret in it. As close to porn as TCM will ever get.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (March 13-19)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (March 6-12)

The 31 days of Oscar is over but not so you would notice...


March 6

6:00am Rhapsody In Blue (1945)
Fictionalized biography of George Gershwin and his fight to bring serious music to Broadway.
Cast: Robert Alda, Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, Charles Coburn Dir: Irving Rapper BW-141 mins, TV-PG

Horrible movie. Nothing to do with real life, but the music, the music!!!!

8:30am Ladykillers, The (1955)
An eccentric bandit gang moves into a little old lady's boardinghouse to plot a major heist.
Cast: Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers Dir: Alexander Mackendrick BW-91 mins, TV-G

One of the great English Comedies. Remade as a horrible movie with Tom Hanks in buck teeth. See the original skip the remake (a good rule anyway)

5:30pm On the Beach(1959)
After a nuclear war, U.S. sailors stationed in Australia deal with the end of civilization.
Cast: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins Dir: Stanley Kramer BW-134 mins, TV-PG

One of the first and one of the best post Nuclear Apocalypse films. And Fred Astaire proves he can act with out dancing shoes on.

10:15pm Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
True story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ.
Cast: Joseph Buloff, Sal Mineo, Everett Sloane, Eileen Heckart Dir: Robert Wise BW-114 mins, TV-PG

Paul Newman in one of his very best roles and they don't even list him. WTF is with that?


March 7

4:15am Killers, The (1946)
An insurance investigator uncovers a string of crimes when he tries to find a murdered boxer's beneficiary.
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Albert Dekker Dir: Robert Siodmak BW-102 mins, TV-14

Based on a Hemingway story that one of these days I'm going to have to read. Don't wait watch this terrific movie now.

8:00pm Oscar, The (1966)
An unscrupulous actor fights his way to the top, destroying everyone in his path.
Cast: Stephen Boyd, Elke Sommer, Milton Berle, Eleanor Parker Dir: Russell Rouse C-119 mins, TV-PG

What can I say, I've got the Hots for Elke Sommer.


March 8

9:45pm Jazz Singer, The (1927)
A cantor's son breaks with family tradition to go into show business.
Cast: Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland, Eugenie Besserer Dir: Alan Crosland BW-89 mins, TV-G

11:30pm I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (1932)
A World War I veteran faces inhuman conditions when he's sentenced to hard labor.
Cast: Paul Muni, Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson, Noel Francis Dir: Mervyn Le Roy BW-93 mins, TV-PG

Two in a row. The one that changed movies forever followed by the one that changed the penal system forever.


March 9

5:00am Casablanca (1942)
An American saloon owner in North Africa is drawn into World War II when his lost love turns up.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains Dir: Michael Curtiz BW-103 mins, TV-PG

You've seen it 30 times, come on admit it you want to see it again.

10:30pm Throne of Blood (1957)
Spurred by his wife and a witch's prediction, a samurai murders his lord to steal the throne.
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki Dir: Akira Kurosawa BW-110 mins, TV-14

Kurosawa does Shakespeare proud.


March 10

Fred Astaire night...7 movies in a row...Sorry not my cup of tea. I'm a Gene Kelly guy. But if you dig Astaire this is your night. Enjoy.


March 11

2:00am Road to Singapore (1940)
A runaway tycoon and his sailor buddy try to con their way through the South Seas.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Charles Coburn Dir: Victor Schertzinger BW-85 mins, TV-G

Hit the road with Hope and Crosby. It's a fun trip.


March 12

4:15pm Walk, Don't Run (1966)
Set during the Tokyo Olympics, one of three unlikely housemates plays matchmaker with the other two.
Cast: Cary Grant, Samantha Eggar, Jim Hutton, John Standing Dir: Charles Walters C-114 mins, TV-G

Cary Grant's last gasp. But I would still take him over Jim Hutton if I was gay.

12:30am Them! (1954)
Federal agents fight to destroy a colony of mutated giant ants.
Cast: James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness Dir: Gordon Douglas BW-93 mins, TV-PG

Still the best atomic mutation monsters film ever made. I saw it in the theater when it first came out And when that little girl screams, “THEM” I still almost wet my pants.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (March 6-12)

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (Feb. 22-Mar. 3)

Still part of the 31 days of Oscar. Great Movie after Great Movie after Great Movie. These are just a few of them.


Feb 22

6:00pm Sunset Boulevard (1950)
A failed screenwriter falls into a mercenary romance with a faded silent-film star.
Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson Dir: Billy Wilder BW-110 mins, TV-PG

One of the greatest movies about movies ever made. Miss the first 5 minutes and you are in for the biggest surprise ending you ever saw.


Feb 23


1:15am American in Paris, An (1951)
An American artist finds love in Paris but almost loses it to conflicting loyalties.
Cast: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary Dir: Vincente Minnelli C-114 mins, TV-PG

OK Fred Astaire was Mr. Suave, but Gene Kelly was Mr. Cool. He made dancing seem Macho.


Feb 24


10:30am Third Man, The (1949)
A man's investigation of a friend's death uncovers corruption in post-World War II Vienna.
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard Dir: Carol Reed BW-104 mins, TV-14

If it takes you more than three notes to recognize this movie's music you're tone deaf. Orson Welles gets all the press but it's Joseph Cotton's performance (his best work short of Shadow of a Doubt ) that sells the film.

2:00pm Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
Three prospectors fight off bandits and each other after striking-it-rich in the Mexican mountains.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett Dir: John Huston BW-126 mins, TV-PG

The perfect film. Watch old man Huston's speech in the flop house lay out the entire film. Second only to the Maltese Falcon as my favorite film of that period and funny both were directed by the same guy.

8:00pm Diary of Anne Frank, The (1959)
A young girl comes of age while hiding from the Nazis.
Cast: Millie Perkins, Joseph Schildkraut, Shelley Winters, Richard Beymer Dir: George Stevens BW-171 mins, TV-PG

It's OK to get choked up. In fact if you don't you have no soul.


Feb 25

8:00pm Killers, The (1946)
An insurance investigator uncovers a string of crimes when he tries to find a murdered boxer's beneficiary.
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Albert Dekker Dir: Robert Siodmak BW-102 mins, TV-14

10:00pm Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962)
An experienced gunman and a peace-loving tenderfoot clash with a Western bully.
Cast: James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin Dir: John Ford BW-123 mins, TV-14

12:15am Dirty Dozen, The (1967)
A renegade officer trains a group of misfits for a crucial mission behind enemy lines.
Cast: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown Dir: Robert Aldrich C-150 mins, TV-PG

3:00am Ice Station Zebra (1968)
A sub commander on a perilous mission must ferret out a Soviet agent on his ship.
Cast: Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown Dir: John Sturges C-152 mins, TV-PG

SHIT. There goes my whole Thursday!! OK I'll grant you Ice Station Zebra doesn't belong. It's not a great film but I saw it when it opened in Cinerama and to me it was my Avatar.


Feb 26

5:45pm Victor/Victoria (1982)
An unemployed female singer poses as a female impersonator and becomes a star.
Cast: Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren Dir: Blake Edwards C-134 mins, TV-MA

Damn I miss Robert Preston. His musical number at the end would be worth sitting through the whole movie if it wasn't as good as it is. The film also showed that Blake Edwards could do more than churn out bad Pink Panther sequels.

3:00am Seconds (1966)
A bored rich man buys a new life from a secret organization.
Cast: Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, John Randolph, Will Geer Dir: John Frankenheimer BW-106 mins, TV-14

Starring Rock Hudson in one of his best roles and Uncle Johnny Randolph. (OK he wasn't my Uncle but I knew his Brother and his Niece so I still think of him as “Uncle Johnny”) one of the finest character actors to ever grace the screen.


Feb 27


8:45am Dick Tracy (1990)
The intrepid comic strip detective fights off a ruthless gangster and his seductive girlfriend.
Cast: Warren Beatty, Madonna, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman Dir: Warren Beatty C-105 mins, TV-14

A film that proves the old saying, “If you notice the Art Direction, the movie stinks.” But I can't help feeling that Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman had more fun making this picture than any other in their careers.

10:30am Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
A Korean War hero doesn't realize he's been programmed to kill by the enemy.
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury Dir: John Frankenheimer BW-127 mins, TV-PG

Forget Murder She Wrote, the bitch could ACT. Still chilling after all these years.

2:45pm Elmer Gantry (1960)
A young drifter finds success as a traveling preacher until his past catches up with him.
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger Dir: Richard Brooks C-147 mins, TV-PG

Burt Lancaster chews the scenery but he chews it well.

8:00pm Tom Jones (1963)
In this adaptation of Henry Fielding's novel, a country boy in 18th-century England becomes a playboy.
Cast: Albert Finney, Susannah York, Hugh Griffith, Edith Evans Dir: Tony Richardson C-122 mins, TV-14

Who knew just eating a meal could be so...dirty.


Feb 28

12:00am Oliver! (1968)
Musical version of the Dickens classic about an orphan taken in by a band of boy thieves.
Cast: Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Harry Secombe Dir: Carol Reed C-154 mins, TV-PG

I'm reviewing the situation... and I still love both of Ron Moody's numbers. A few rough spots but all in all a great musical.


March 1

2:30am Tootsie (1982)
An unemployed actor masquerades as a woman to win a soap-opera role.
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Terry Garr, Dabney Coleman Dir: Sydney Pollack C-116 mins, TV-MA

My then girlfriend was the script girl on this picture and everyday she would come home with stories about Hoffman driving everyone crazy but obviously his method was worth it.

4:30am Little Big Man (1970)
An American pioneer raised by Indians ends up fighting alongside General Custer.
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, Richard Mulligan Dir: Arthur Penn C-140 mins, TV-14

“Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't.” This time it does.

9:30am Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade gets caught up in the murderous search for a priceless statue.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre Dir: John Huston BW-101 mins, TV-PG

My Favorite Movie. The thing Dreams are made of. If you don't love it, you have no heart, you have no soul, you have no taste, and there is no way you are reading this guide anyway.

6:00pm Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954)
When their older brother marries, six lumberjacks decide it's time to go courting for themselves.
Cast: Howard Keel, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn, Tommy Rall Dir: Stanley Donen C-102 mins, TV-G

The greatest argument in favor of letter boxing ever made. The dancing is flawless, the music, not so much.

8:00pm West Side Story (1961)
A young couple from dueling street gangs falls in love.
Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno Dir: Jerome Robbins C-152 mins, TV-PG

I can just picture the pitch...Let's make Romeo and Juliet into a musical. Well, Damn if it doesn't work. From the opening dance number (nothing ever better put on film) to the fade out Leonard Bernstein's music is hypnotic.


March 3


12:15am Heaven's Gate(1981)
A Wyoming sheriff tries to protect immigrant farmers from ruthless ranchers.
Cast: Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterson Dir: Michael Cimino C-219 mins, TV-MA

The single most beautiful outstandingly boring piece of shit ever put on film. 4 hours of my life I will never get back. Stunningly Beautiful but stunningly boring. Go out and try and get laid it will be a much better use of your time.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (Feb. 22-Mar. 3)

Carter Steven's Guide To TCM This Week (2/1-2/7)

It's my favorite month on TCM. The month before the Oscars is almost nothing but pictures that won an Oscar. Billed as 31 DAYS OF OSCAR, at least about 90% of the films shown all month are worth watching. The following are a VERY few of my picks and are very subjective. My real advice. Glue yourself in front of the TV all month and TiVo the ones you can't keep your eyes open for.

Feb 1

11:00pm Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
A British military officer enlists the Arabs for desert warfare in World War I.
Cast: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins Dir: David Lean C-227 mins, TV-14

An epic that should be seen on the big screen. Hopefully you have a home theater to watch this masterpiece on. If not sit Very, Very close to the TV screen.

3:00am (really feb 2^nd) Becket (1964)
England's King Henry II appoints his best friend Archbishop of Canterbury then turns on him.
Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit Dir: Peter Glenville C-148 mins, TV-PG

It really should be followed by THE LION IN WINTER. But Becket does stand alone as a true classic. I'm not really sure who I think is better Burton or O'Toole.

FEB 2

9:15am Dam Busters, The(1955)

8:00pm Thin Man, The (1934)

1:00am Inherit The Wind (1960)
In the twenties, a schoolteacher creates a national furor when he breaks the law against teaching evolution.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Dick York Dir: Stanley Kramer BW-128 mins, TV-PG

3:15am Sergeant York (1941)

Four great films in one day but If pressed I would have to pick Inherit the Wind just to watch Tracy and March go head to head.

Feb 3

10:45am Public Enemy, The (1931)
An Irish-American street punk tries to make it big in the world of organized crime.
Cast: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell Dir: William A. Wellman BW-84 mins, TV-PG

12:15pm Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Spirited musical biography of the song-and-dance man who kept America humming through two world wars.
Cast: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf Dir: Michael Curtiz BW-126 mins, TV-G

The two sides of Jimmy Cagney back to back. From the “I ain't so tough” tough guy to the consummate song and dance man. If some one put a gun to my head and made me choose I guess I would have to go with the musical. But it's a tough choice.

Feb 4

7:15am Captain Blood(1935)
After being unjustly sentenced to prison, a doctor escapes and becomes a notorious pirate.
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill, Basil Rathbone Dir: Michael Curtiz BW-119 mins, TV-G

12:00am (that's midnight, not noon) Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
The bandit king of Sherwood Forest leads his Merry Men in a battle against the corrupt Prince John.
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains Dir: Michael Curtiz C-102 mins, TV-G

How the hell do you choose between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in B&W and Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in Technicolor . Simple answer, you don't... watch them both.

Feb 5

8:00pm True Grit(1969)
A young girl recruits an aging U.S. marshal to help avenge her father's death.
Cast: John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Jeremy Slate Dir: Henry Hathaway C-128 mins, TV-14

10:15pm Shootist, The (1976)
A dying gunfighter tries to set his affairs in order.
Cast: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart Dir: Don Siegel C-99 mins, TV-14

John Wayne's two greatest film roles back to back. I love TCM

Feb 6

4:30am Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)
A one-armed veteran uncovers small-town secrets when he tries to visit an Asian-American war hero's family.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger Dir: John Sturges C-82 mins, TV-PG

“That's big talk for a one a one eyed fat man.” No wait that was TRUE GRIT. This is Spencer Tracy's one ARMED bad ass. What do you want it's 4:30 in the morning. Just TiVo it you won't be sorry.

9:30am How the West Was Won (1962)

12:30pm Magnificent Seven, The (1960)

8:00pm Bullitt (1968)

10:00pm French Connection, The (1971)

Oh, Lord. Another full day eaten by Television. I hate you TCM (no I don't)

Feb 7

3:15am On the Beach (1959) After a nuclear war, U.S. sailors stationed in Australia deal with the end of civilization.
Cast: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins Dir: Stanley Kramer BW-134 mins, TV-PG

This movie scared the hell out of us in 1959 and still leaves chills today. And who knew Fred Astaire could act without his dance shoes.

Carter Steven's Guide To TCM This Week (2/1-2/7)