Every year in August, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) celebrates a different actor each day by showcasing various pictures from their filmography. Starting bright and early at 6am August 1st running straight through the 31st, viewers may expect to find an eclectic mix of masterpieces, forgotten films, and uncovered gems from a specific Hollywood star.

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief

Week four of TCM’s Summer Under The Stars program has me catching up with filmographies that I previously had not found the time for. It also gives me a reason to catch up with some favorites. What are you looking forward to checking out this week? If you decide to join me under the stars, shoot me a note and let me know what motion pictures will be gracing your television screen.

Cabin in The Cotton (1932)
Airs 6:00 AM

I am an avid Bette Davis fan. At the present time I have watched forty-four of her motion pictures. When perusing the TCM Summer Under The Stars schedule, I made my selections based on choosing films that I have never seen. Cabin in The Cotton does not exactly sound like it will be up my alley, but with Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood) as director, I am willing to give it a shot. When a farmer’s son falls for the plantation owner’s daughter, Madge Norwood (Bette Davis), trouble ensues between his father and the Madge’s father. Even if it turns out to not be my cup of tea, it has a swift runtime, clocking in at seventy-eight minutes.

Front Page Woman (1935)
Airs 7:30 AM

I added Front Page Woman to my watchlist four years ago, and look forward to finally checking this one out. Bette plays news journo Ellen Garfield, who has a thing for her colleague Curt Devlin (George Brent). Unfortunately, Curt believes women reporters can’t hold a candle to men. Ellen is out to prove him wrong as the two vie for the latest scoop. I am quite fond of stories about newspaper writers (I have a list on letterboxd of my favorite journos in film, here) and honestly can’t believe it has taken me this long to watch this one.

Dark Victory (1939)
Airs 2:00 PM

This is another Bette Davis picture that I have been meaning watch. Many trustworthy cinphiles have sung praises for Dark Victory that leads me to believe I am in for a treat. The cast is not too shabby, including George Brent and Humphrey Bogart. With it being directed by Edmund Goulding - the filmmaker behind such films as Nightmare Alley (1947) and Razor’s Edge (1946) - I know that I am in capable hands. An affluent debutante, Judith Traherne (Bette Davis), learns that she has an inoperable brain tumor. Up until this point she has lived without meaning and now must decide how she would best like to leave this mortal coil. Sounds pretty heavy. Bette Davis was nominated for an Oscar for her performance, so my guess is that this will be sensational.

A Carol For Another Christmas (1964)
Airs 8:00 AM

Initially I thought it may be a bit early to watch a holiday flick, especially given that I have not even celebrated Halloween yet. However, my sentiment changed when I saw who was behind A Carol For Another Christmas. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and written by Rod Serling (of Twilight Zone fame), I had a feeling that this won’t be your typical holly-jolly tale. Daniel Grudge (Sterling Hayden), a wealthy industrialist and bigot, is visited by three ghosts who challenge him to reconsider his thoughts and feelings towards other human beings. With a cast that includes: Ben Gazzara, Eva Marie Saint, Peter Sellers, Joe Santos and Robert Shaw as the ghost of Christmas Future, this is sure to be an entertaining watch, even if it is a tale as old as time.

The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three (1974)
Airs 2:30 AM

Four armed men hijack a subway in New York City and demand a ransom. This is not a flick that I typically would seek out, but it has been brought up in numerous conversations with fellow film pals and I feel it is about time to cross it off the list. Honestly though, you can’t go wrong with Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw and Martin Balsam… just to name a few.

Fourteen Hours (1951)
Airs 6:00 AM

I have enjoyed a few pictures directed by Henry Hathaway, such as Niagara (1953), Kiss of Death (1947) and journo picture, Call Northside 777 (1948). His track record is what drew me to Fourteen Hours. Clocking in at ninety-two minutes, this is sure to be an edge of the seat thrill. Over the course of fourteen hours, a distraught young man stands upon a ledge of a building threatening to jump. I imagine this to not have a ton of locations and will most likely be more of a character study. With names such as Agnes Moorehead (The Magnificent Ambersons), Grace Kelly, Barbara Bel Geddes (Vertigo) and Robert Keith (Written on The Wind) I am sure this will be a captivating watch.

Mogambo (1953)
Airs 8:00 AM

Victor Marswell (Clark Gable) has an affair with an American aristocrat (Ava Gardner) and later finds an anthropologist’s wife (Grace Kelly) in his arms. Directed by John Ford and set on a Kenyan safari, Mogambo sounds like it has the potential to get steamy.

The Country Girl (1954)
Airs 12:00 PM

The Country Girl caught my eye due to having recently received a special edition Blu-ray copy from Kino Lorber (watch out for my disc dispatch soon). I have been meaning to pop it in the player, so now is as good as time as ever. Starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and William Holden, it tells the tale of a former stage actor that is given one more shot to star in a musical, unfortunately his addiction to alcohol puts a damper on his plans.

Alice Adams (1935)
Airs 6:00 AM

I had to be strategic with my Fred MacMurray picks because, I’ll be honest… I kinda see the guy as a dry piece of toast. There are two particular roles in which I don’t find him completely bothersome, which are: Shaggy Dog (1959) and Double Indemnity (1944). The guy must have had a pretty sweet agent because he truly worked on some incredible pictures. Alice Adams was of interest to me due to costar Katharine Hepburn. I’m working on my way through her films slowly but surely and this was one I had yet to see. A blue collared gal, Alice Adams (Katharine Hepburn) has aspirations to climb the social ladder, but finds that her unsophisticated family keeps getting in the way.

Murder, He Says (1945)
Airs 10:00 PM

Murder, He Says was selected for two reasons: I’ll watch anything with the word “murder” in the title and secondly, because of costar Helen Walker. With Helen’s life being cut short at the age of forty-seven, she did not manage to grace the silverscreen for very long. Although, even with her short stint in Tinseltown, she did manage to portray some memorable characters such as, Dr. Lilith Ritter in Nightmare Alley (1947). George Marshall’s Murder, He Says is listed as a screwball comedy in which Pete Marshall (Fred MacMurray) is sent to a rural mountain town after a surveyor goes missing. After a run in with the Fleagle family, he suspect that they may have something to do with the disappearance. Apparently there is even poison involved, which essentially means: count me in.

Kisses For My President (1964)
Airs 4:00 AM

With this picture, I am hoping it is a prediction of the future. When Leslie McCloud (Polly Bergen) becomes the first female president of the United States, her husband finds that he takes a back seat to her fast paced life. Fred, of course, plays the “hapless” husband. Personally, I did not know perfect casting existed until I stumbled upon this flick.

Shadow of The Thin Man (1941)
Airs 9:00 AM

Surprisingly, I have not yet seen The Thin Man series in its entirety. This is most likely due to my tendencies of leaning towards having a touch of obsessive compulsive disorder, in which I feel the need to start the watch from the first film, only ever making it to the third flick in the series. I have to say, when they have a baby it kinda puts a damper on things for me. I digress. In Shadow of The Thin Man, the sleuthing duo is back to investigate a murder at a race-track. This setting gives the possibility for many outlandish hats and wardrobes. I am excited.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Airs 11:00 AM

I first caught this incredible motion picture on TCM in 2020 and I have yet to really stop thinking about it. Immediately following the conclusion of my initial viewing, I put in an order for a Blu-ray disc to add it to our physical media library. It was one of those watches in which I was overcome with admiration for the film and knew, while experiencing it, that it would go down as one of my favorites. The Picture of Dorian Gray shares the story of a young man, Dorian (Hurd Hatfield) who wishes that instead of himself aging, a painting of him will instead. When this becomes a reality, he of course lives his life to the fullest, until he discovers the price he has paid. Since buying the Blu-ray I have not rewatched the film, so happy to be reminded to do so.

Harry and Son (1984)
Airs 6:00 AM

Directed by Paul Newman, I figured I had to give this one a shot. Harry Keach (Paul Newman) is a recently widowed construction worker that is having a hard time connecting with his son and daughter. After being suddenly let go from his job, he realizes that life may be more than just working.

A Man Called Adam (1966)
Airs 4:00 PM

A famous trumpet player finds the world around him crumbling and has trouble coping with all the obstacles thrown his way. This has a talented cast consisting of Sammy Davis Jr, Louis Armstrong and Ossie Davis. I have a feeling this will be one to remember.

Baadasssss! (2003)
Airs 2:30 AM

I first witnessed Melvin Van Peebles’ movie, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) while in film school and I guess I missed the memo in 2003 when his son Mario Van Peebles’ made a quasi-documentary about the movie. I look forward to catching up with this.

Shanghai Express (1932)
Airs 6:30 PM

I find it quite sad that I have only viewed four Marlene Dietrich motion pictures. Fortunately, I still have a lot of time to dig in to her filmography. There are so many movies out there, which opens up the possibility of always finding a new favorite watch. I find the thought of this quite thrilling and it leaves me so excited to finally check out the Josef von Sternberg pre-code flick, Shanghai Express. Siren, Shanghai Lily (Marlene Dietrich) finds herself on stressful journey aboard a train in which she has a run-in with an old flame and her past is trying to catch up with her.

Angel (1937)
Airs 12:00 AM

I am often fond of Ernst Lubitsch pictures, so that is what drew me to Angel. Lady Maria Barker (Marlene Dietrich) and her husband (Herbert Marshall) decide to take solo getaways. During Maria’s holiday she falls for another man. The story sounds like something one would catch on Lifetime and, well, I am not going to lie… I am intrigued.

The Blue Angel (1930)
Airs 2:00 AM

The Blue Angel is another pre-code picture in which Dietrich collaborated with Josef von Sternberg. When an elderly professor falls head over heels for a nightclub singer, he finds his life ends up upside down. The trailer seems to ooze style, which makes me believe this flick will be a feast for the eyes.