Happy September, everybody! TCM’s Summer Under the Stars may be drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean September is going to be a boring month. In fact, September looks like it’s going to be one of my favorite TCM months in a long time.
First of all, TCM will be kicking off their major Story of Film series. Not only will they be showing Mark Cousins’ The Story of Film — An Odyssey documentary series on Monday and Tuesday nights, but TCM will also be playing many films featured in the documentary. This reminds me a bit of the programming TCM did when they had their Moguls and Movie Stars series back in November of 2010. However, unlike Moguls and Movie Stars, The Story of Film looks beyond the American film industry and branches into world cinema so they will be showing many films that were not discussed during Moguls and Movie Stars. Fans of silent films have good reason to be excited for this because there will be many nights focusing on the silent era. If you want to expand your knowledge of film history in general, you are not going to want to miss this series. This series will continue into October.
If you’re an Alfred Hitchcock fan, you’re going to love the Sundays with Hitch series this month. Every Sunday, almost all day long, will be dedicated to none other than the Master of Suspense.
Kim Novak will be the Star of the Month. Her movies can be seen every Thursday this month.
Friday Night Spotlight also makes its return with a series called “Future Shock” hosted by Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune, dedicated to movies about futuristic dystopias. There are a few more modern movies in this line-up, but I can forgive that considering how many nights are dedicated to silent film this month.
It’s going to be a very busy month, so let’s take a closer look at the schedule…
September 1: September starts off with the first Sunday with Hitch, starting wit Murder! at 10:00 AM, Rope at 12:00 PM, Spellbound at 1:30 PM, Marnie at 3:30 PM, The Birds at 5:45 PM, Shadow of a Doubt at 8:00 PM, Psycho at 10:00 PM, The Lodger at 12:00 AM, Blackmail at 2:00 AM, and Frenzy at 3:30 AM.
September 2: Tonight is the first night of The Story of Film. Start out with Films from Edison Studios at 8:00 PM, Films from the Lumiere Brothers at 9:30 PM, The Story of Film – Chapter 1: 1895-1918 at 10:00 PM, A Trip to the Moon at 11:15 PM, Falling Leaves at 11:30 PM, A House Divided at 11:45 PM, Canned Harmony at 12:00 AM, The Squaw Man at 12:30 AM, The Birth of a Nation at 2:00 AM, and orphans of the Storm at 5:15 AM.
September 3: Even more from The Story of Film tonight with Intolerance at 8:00 PM, Way Down East at 11:30 PM, Haxan at 2:00 AM, an encore of The Story of Film — Chapter 1 at 4:00 AM, and The Phantom Carriage at 5:15 AM.
September 4: First thing in the morning is Lillian Gish in The Wind at 7:15 AM. Then during prime time are Robert Osborne’s picks with Captains of the Clouds at 8:00 PM, The Black Swan at 10:00 PM, You’ll Never Get Rich at 11:30 PM, Dance, Girl, Dance at 1:15 AM, and Holiday in Mexico at 3:00 AM.
September 5: Today we have The Jazz Singer at 6:00 AM, Little Caesar at 9:15 AM, The Grapes of Wrath at 1:30 PM, and No Way Out at 6:00 PM. Then it’s on to Kim Novak’s first night as Star of the Month with her must-see interview at the TCM Film Festival at 8:00 PM, Vertigo at 10:00 PM, The Man With the Golden Arm at 12:15 AM, Pushover at 2:30 AM, and 5 Against the House at 4:15 AM.
September 6: Friday Night Spotlight returns with Metropolis at 8:00 PM, Things to Come at 10:45 PM, Escape From New York at 12:30 AM, and Brazil at 2:15 AM.
September 8: Sundays with Hitch is back Under Capricorn at 10:00 AM, Stage Fright at 12:00 PM, I Confess at 2:00 PM, The Wrong Man at 4:00 PM, Saboteur at 6:00 PM, Foreign Correspondent at 8:00 PM, North By Northwest at 10:15 PM, The Ring at 12:45 AM.
September 9: Happy birthday to Arthur Freed! Naturally you can expect lots of musicals today with Pagan Love Song at 6:00 AM, Annie Get Your Gun at 7:15 AM, Show Boat at 9:15 AM, The Belle of New York at 11:15 AM, Singin’ in the Rain at 12:45 PM, The Band Wagon at 2:45 PM, Invitation to the Dance at 4:45 PM, and the documentary Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit at MGM at 6:30 PM. Then it’s time for more from the Story of Film series with One Week at 8:00 PM, The Three Ages at 8:30 PM, The Story of Film Chapter 2 — 1918-1928 at 10:00 PM, The General at 11:15 PM, The Kid at 12:45 AM, City Lights at 1:45 AM, Never Weaken at 3:30 AM, and Safety Last! at 4:15 AM.
September 10: More Story of Film tonight with Nanook of the North at 8:00 PM, The Thief of Bagdad at 9:15 PM, The Passion of Joan of Arc at 12:00 AM, The Crowd at 2:00 AM, an encore of The Story of Film Chapter 2 — 1918-1928 at 3:45 AM, and Greed at 5:00 AM.
September 11: Madeline Stowe is September’s Guest Programmer, who has chosen The More the Merrier at 8:00 PM, Splendor in the Grass at 10:00 PM, The Bicycle Thief at 12:15 AM, and I Confess at 2:00 AM.
September 12: Kim Novak returns with Picnic at 8:00 PM, Pal Joey at 10:00 PM, The Eddy Duchin Story at 12:00 AM, Jeanne Eagels at 2:15 AM.
September 15: Sundays with Hitch returns with Number Seventeen at 10:00 AM, The Trouble With Harry at 11:15 AM, Family Plot at 1:15 PM, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) at 3:30 PM, Vertigo at 5:45 PM, Rear Window at 8:00 PM, To Catch a Thief at 10:00 PM, The Farmer’s Wife at 12:00 AM.
September 16: Ready for more film history? Tonight we have Sunrise at 8:00 PM, The Story of Film Chapter 3 — 1928-1932 at 10:00 PM, The Battleship Potemkin at 11:15 PM, The Goddess at 12:45 AM, The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari at 2:15 AM, and Metropolis at 3:30 AM.
September 17: It’s a day of Joan Crawford in the 1930s with Our Blushing Brides at 6:00 AM, Montana Moon at 7:45 AM, This Modern Age at 9:15 AM, Today We Live at 10:30 AM, Dancing Lady at 12:30 PM, The Gorgeous Hussy at 2:15 PM, Mannequin at 4:15 PM, and The Last of Mrs. Chayney at 6:15 PM. Then it’s back to the Story of Film with La Roue at 8:00 PM, Un Chien Andalou at 12:30 AM, Unarete Wa Mita Keredo at 1:00 AM, an encore of The Story of Film Chapter 3 — 1928-1932 at 3:00 AM, Osaka Elegy at 4:15 AM.
September 19: Get ready for more Kim Novak with Bell, Book, and Candle at 8:00 PM, her TCM Film Fest interview at 10:00 PM, Kiss Me, Stupid at 11:00 PM, The Notorious Landlady at 1:15 AM, and Phfft! at 3:30 AM.
September 20: Topper at 6:30 AM, Merrily We Live at 8:15 AM, Lady Be Good at 2:30 PM, La Jetee at 8:00 PM, and Rollerball at 8:45 PM.
September 21: Lots of fun things on today. No Time for Sergeants at 3:30 PM, It Happened One Night at 8:00 PM, The Whole Town’s Talking at 10:00 PM, and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town at 12:00 AM.
September 22: It’s another Sunday with Hitch with Lifeboat at 11:30 AM, The Lady Vanishes at 1:15 PM, Topaz at 3:15 PM, Torn Curtain at 5:45 PM, The 39 Steps at 8:00 PM, Sabotage at 9:30 PM, Hitch’s Dick Cavett interview at 11:00 PM, and Champagne at 12:15 AM.
September 23: The Story of Film continues with Love Me Tonight at 8:00 PM, The Story of Film Chapter 4 — The 1930s at 10:00 PM, The Public Enemy at 11:15 PM, Frankenstein at 12:45 AM, Gold Diggers of 1933 at 2:00 AM, Twentieth Century at 3:45 AM, and The Adventures of Prince Achmed at 5:30 AM.
September 24: It’s a day of Ginger Rogers movies with Twist of Fate at 6:45 AM, Tight Spot at 8:30 AM, It Had to be You at 10:30 AM, Perfect Strangers at 12:15 PM, Storm Warning at 1:45 PM, I’ll Be Seeing You at 3:30 PM, Black Widow at 5:00 PM, and Roxie Hart at 6:45 PM. And then it’s back to the Story of Film with Limite at 8:00 PM, Zero de Conduite at 10:00 PM, L’Atalante at 11:00 PM, The Rules of the Game at 12:45 AM, The Story of Film Chapter 4 — The 1930s at 2:45 AM, and Grand Illusion at 4:00 AM.
September 25: King Vidor is the man of the night with The Big Parade at 8:00 PM, Street Scene at 10:15 PM, Stella Dallas at 11:45 PM, Duel in the Sun at 1:45 AM, and Ruby Gentry at 4:15 AM.
September 26: Happy birthday to Geroge Gershwin with Girl Crazy (1932) at 6:30 AM, Shall We Dance at 8:00 AM, Girl Crazy (1943) at 12:00 PM, Rhapsody in Blue at 1:45 PM, Tea for Two at 4:15 PM, and An American in Paris at 6:00 PM. Then Kim Novak enjoys her last night as Star of the Month with Middle of the Night at 8:00 PM, Of Human Bondage at 10:15 PM, The Legend of Lylah Clare at 12:00 AM, The Great Bank Robbery at 2:15 AM, and her TCM interview at 4:00 AM.
September 29: Get ready for the last Sunday with Hitch with Rich and Strange at 10:00 AM, Mr. and Mrs. Smith at 12:00 PM, Suspicion at 2:00 PM, Strangers on a Train at 4:00 PM, Dial M for Murder at 6:00 PM, Rebecca at 8:00 PM, Notorious at 10:15 PM, and The Manxman at 12:15 AM.
September 30: September ends on a very entertaining note with Random Harvest at 8:00 AM, Flamingo Road at 10:15 AM, The Rains Came at 12:00 PM, Susan Slade at 2:00 PM, and Leave Her to Heaven at 4:00 PM. Then it’s time for more Story of Film with Stagecoach at 8:00 PM, The Story of Film Chapter 5 — 1939-1952 at 10:00 PM, Citizen Kane at 11:15 PM, The Best Years of Our Lives at 1:30 AM, and Rome, Open City at 4:30 AM.
