I apologize for the lateness of this post! Rest assured there are plenty of great films coming up in the remaining 27 days of April. Also I’m excited to announce that I will be covering the TCM Classic Film Festival at the end of April for Flickchart, so look for a preview of that programming soon along with some links for following along at home, and some other fun stuff for the fest as well.
Spotlight: The Best of the Barrymores
The Barrymores are one of the most well-known acting families in the history of film, starting in the silent era and running straight through to Drew Barrymore today. TCM’s tribute covers the original siblings, Lionel, John, and Ethel, who were mainstays in the 1920s and 1930s, and even into the 1940s. John Barrymore was a silent heartthrob, known as “The Profile” for his distinguished look, and carried his air of chagrined nobility into the sound era. Lionel was a notorious scene-stealer whether he was the lead or not, and continued acting even after illness confined him to a wheelchair, in fact turning in some of his most memorable performances during that time. Ethel stayed busier on stage than on screen for a while, but settled into a solid film career as a character actress in the 1940s. Many of the films playing in this spotlight are quite obscure, so it’s a great time to catch up on lesser known films if that’s your thing.
TOP FIVE
Key Largo (1948; ranked #338 by 1737 users) – One of Lionel Barrymore’s later roles, as a hostage (along with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall) held by gangster Edward G. Robinson when a hurricane hits the Florida Keys. Bogart and Bacall are great as always, but watching Barrymore and Robinson play off each other (Barrymore from a wheelchair, no less) is gold. Playing April 12 at 1:00am
Grand Hotel (1932; ranked #1539 by 455 users) – You get two Barrymores for the price of one, though they barely share any scenes, in MGM’s star-studded drama; John is a suave jewel thief romancing Greta Garbo’s lonely ballerina, and Lionel is a dying man spluring while he can. Among the ensemble cast, John has a good claim on “lead,” but Lionel is perhaps the more memorable. Playing April 25 at 10:15pm
Dinner at Eight (1933; ranked #2582 by 306 users) – John was known as a hard drinker, and in this film, art imitates life in a way – the film is mostly a comedy, but John’s character is a washed-up actor who turns to drink when his career is definitively over, giving the ensemble film its one serious plotline. Playing April 26 at 1:45am
The Spiral Staircase (1945; ranked #3060 by 154 users) – A psychological thriller that straddles the line between horror and noir, about a serial killer who targets disabled women – next up may be a mute woman (Dorothy Maguire) working for the bedridden Ethel Barrymore. Atmospheric and effective. Playing April 18 at 10:00pm
Treasure Island (1934; ranked #8988 by 80 users) – Considered one of the better film versions of Stevenson’s classic adventure story; Lionel Barrymore kicks this one off as the drunken sailor who leaves a treasure map with young Jim Hawkins. Playing April 11 at 9:30pm
THE REST
Don Juan (1926; ranked #9416 by 31 users) – Playing April 4 at 8:00pm
None But the Lonely Heart (1944; ranked #9612 by 45 users) – Playing April 18 at 8:00pm
Pinky (1949; ranked #9944 by 36 users) – Playing April 18 at 11:30pm
Arsene Lupin (1932; ranked #12606 by 15 users) – Playing April 26 at 3:45am
Night Flight (1933; ranked #13305 by 9 users) – Playing April 26 at 12:15am
One Man’s Journey (1933; ranked #13442 by 10 users) – Playing April 11 at 8:00pm
Rasputin and the Empress (1932; ranked #13526 by 14 users) – (I haven’t seen this one, but just a note that this is the only film starring all three of the Barrymore siblings, which makes it a curiosity at the very least.) Playing April 25 at 8:00pm
Young Dr. Kildare (1938; ranked #13767 by 10 users) – Playing April 11 at 11:30pm
State’s Attorney (1932; ranked #13932 by 5 users) – Playing April 4 at 11:30pm
A Bill of Divorcement (1932; ranked #14154 by 11 users) – Playing April 4 at 10:00pm
Calling Dr. Kildare (1939; ranked #16190 by 2 users) – Playing April 12 at 3:00am
Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937; ranked #16641 by 6 users) – Playing April 5 a 2:30am
The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939; ranked #16837 by 5 users) – Playing April 12 at 4:30am
Arsene Lupin Returns (1938; ranked #17053 by 2 users) – Playing April 26 at 5:15am
Kind Lady (1951; ranked #18459 by 3 users) – Playing April 19 at 1:30am
Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge (1937; ranked #18546 by 3 users) – Playing April 5 at 3:45am
Bulldog Drummond’s Peril (1938; ranked #18778 by 5 users) – Playing April 5 at 4:45am
The Red Danube (1949; ranked #19277 by 1 users) – Playing April 19 at 3:00am
The Great Man Votes (1939; unranked by 0 users) – Playing April 5 at 1:00am
Johnny Trouble (1957; unranked by 0 users) – Playing April 19 at 5:00am
Star of the Month: Judy Garland
I can’t even tell you how much I personally love Judy Garland – I grew up with her musicals, gained an appreciation for her concert years and her dramatic performances later, and feel pretty comfortable declaring she’s my all-time favorite entertainer. So I was pretty excited to see she was Star of the Month this month – TCM is playing basically her entire filmography chronologically (except her final film I Could Go On Singing! for some reason), though I’m sorry to say the first night was on the 1st and I wasn’t able to get this posted in time. The good news there is that that first night was mostly her films as a kid, when MGM couldn’t figure out what to do with her except throw in random movies and have her sing, or pair her up with Mickey Rooney (not that that’s a bad thing) – some of these are good, but mostly they’re For Diehard Fans Only. Here’s the remainder of the lineup, in Flickchart ranked order.
TOP FIVE
The Wizard of Oz (1939; ranked #113 by 73722 users) – MGM finally figured out one thing to do with Judy in 1939, when they cast her (then 16) as the child Dorothy Gale. The film was a huge hit and has remained an essential children’s classic ever since. Trivia: The now-iconic “Over the Rainbow” was very nearly cut, because producers felt it slowed down the action too much before heading to Oz. Playing April 8 at 8:00pm
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961; ranked #441 by 943 users) – One of Judy’s few non-musical roles is also one of her most acclaimed, as a witness during the Nuremberg trials. She was nominated for her second Oscar for the few minutes she’s in the film. Playing April 30 at 1:15am
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #741 by 1246 users) – Americana of the most memorable sort, portraying a year in the life of the Smith family in turn-of-the-century St. Louis. With joys and tears, family troubles and young love, culminating in the 1903 World’s Fair. Playing April 15 at 11:45pm
A Star is Born (1954; ranked #1142 by 548 users) – Judy’s other Oscar nomination came for this film, and aside from Oz, this is probably her best film (Flickchart ranking aside). She’d been off the screen for four years recovering from health issues and pill addictions, the returned to play an up-and-coming star married to a has-been (James Mason). Her raw rendition of “The Man That Got Away” is one of the finest musical moments in all of cinema. Playing April 29 at 8:00pm
Easter Parade (1948; ranked #1810 by 457 users) – Fred Astaire retired in 1946, but came back to the screen to replace Gene Kelly in Easter Parade after Kelly sustained an injury; he wouldn’t retire again until 1968. The film that brought him back is a musical confection, but a very enjoyable one, with Astaire breaking up with his long-time dancing partner Ann Miller and training an unknown (Garland) as her replacement. Playing April 22 at 10:00pm
THE REST
The Harvey Girls (1946; ranked #3364 by 179 users) – Playing April 22 at 8:00pm
The Pirate (1948; ranked #3392 by 209 users) – Playing April 22 at 12:00M
Summer Stock (1950; ranked #4799 by 87 users) – Playing April 23 at 2:00am
The Clock (1945; ranked #5046 by 59 users) – Playing April 16 at 1:45am
For Me and My Gal (1942; ranked #5472 by 69 users) – Playing April 15 at 8:00pm
In the Good Old Summertime (1949; ranked #5473 by 83 users) – Playing April 23 at 4:00am
Girl Crazy (1943; ranked #6244 by 91 users) – Playing April 15 at 10:00pm
Babes on Broadway (1941; ranked #7300 by 81 users) – Playing April 9 at 3:00am
Ziegfeld Follies (1945; ranked #8031 by 61 users) – Playing April 23 at 8:00am
Strike Up the Band (1940; ranked #8149 by 47 users) – Playing April 8 at 11:00pm
Gay Purr-ee (1962; ranked #10046 by 87 users) – Playing April 30 at 4:30am
Till the Clouds Roll By (1946; ranked #10108 by 37 users) – Playing April 23 at 10:00am
Presenting Lily Mars (1943; ranked #10280 by 16 users) – Playing April 16 at 5:45am
Ziegfeld Girl (1941; ranked #11025 by 33 users) – Playing April 16 at 3:30am
Thousands Cheer (1943; ranked #11390 by 21 users) – Playing April 16 at 7:30am
A Child is Waiting (1962; ranked #11428 by 45 users) – Playing April 29 at 11:15pm
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940; ranked #12916 by 17 users) – Playing April 9 at 5:00am
Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941; ranked #13089 by 10 users) – Playing April 9 at 6:30am
Words and Music (1948; ranked #13210 by 27 users) – Playing April 23 at 5:45am
Little Nellie Kelly (1940; ranked #15255 by 10 users) – Playing April 9 at 1:15am
Pepe (1960; ranked #23458 by 6 users) – Playing April 30 at 6:00am
Special Theme: From Caligari to Hitler
Based around the documentary From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses, which plays April 13 at 9:30pm, this series examines German films during the Weimar Republic, featuring such legendary auteurs as Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, and G.W. Pabst. This was the height of German Expressionism, which went on to be hugely influential on Hollywood films in the 1940s and beyond. It’s rare for TCM to focus so much on foreign film, but it makes sense here, as many of Weimar’s greatest directors would flee Hitler’s Germany and become renowned Hollywood directors. It’s an amazing collection of films, and quite an education, especially in conjunction with the documentary. One could only wish they were playing People on Sunday, which I recommend you seek out (it’s on Criterion) and add to this lineup.
TOP FIVE
M (1931; ranked #30 by 3796 users) – Fritz Lang’s first sound film was also quite innovative at the time, using sound design to convey story information, as well as to create an ominous mood for its story about a child murderer. Peter Lorre, rather chubbier and less bug-eyed than he’d be later in Hollywood, is creepy and effective as the killer. Playing April 21 at 5:45am
Metropolis (1927; ranked #135 by 6426 users) – Lang’s masterpiece silent film is rather simplistic in story (a moral tale pitting the privileged overseers of a city against the workers who make it run), but blindingly original in visual style and scale, influencing the look of futuristic films for decades. Playing April 21 at 3:00am
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #238 by 5438 users) – F.W. Murnau’s take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula wasn’t exactly authorized (hence the name change to Nosferatu), but it manages to be one of the most iconic and memorable versions of the tale anyway, with the emaciated Max Schreck making a creeptastic vampire. Playing April 13 at 11:30pm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #297 by 2029 users) – Facing off with Nosferatu for the “most blatantly German Expressionist film ever” is Robert Weine’s Caligari, a nightmare of disorienting sets and psychological disturbances about a somnambulant murderer and the mad doctor who commands him. Playing April 13 at 8:00pm
Pandora’s Box (1928; ranked #772 by 346 users) – Underappreciated in Hollywood, flapper icon Louise Brooks headed to Germany for a pair of films with G.W. Pabst (Diary of a Lost Girl is also playing this month, see below), including this one with Brooks as an uninhibited young woman who inadvertently leads men to their doom, a la the mythical Pandora. Playing April 27 at 8:00pm
THE REST
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933; ranked #1073 by 250 users) – Playing April 21 at 12:45am
Faust (1926; ranked #1123 by 292 users) – Playing April 14 at 1:15am
The Blue Angel (1930; ranked #1245 by 332 users) – Playing April 14 at 4:30am
Dr Mabuse the Gambler (1922; ranked #1692 by 220 users) – Playing April 20 at 8:00pm
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1927; ranked #2070 by 184 users) – Playing April 14 at 3:15am
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929; ranked #2835 by 124 users) – Playing April 27 at 10:30pm
The 3 Penny Opera (1931; ranked #6418 by 56 users) – Playing April 28 at 1:45am
Westfront 1918 (1930; ranked #10116 by 31 users) – Playing April 27 at 12:00M
Kameradschaft (1931; ranked #11410 by 19 users) – Playing April 28 at 3:45am
Anna Christie (1931; ranked #11957 by 19 users) – Playing April 28 at 5:30am
Marathons and Tributes
Gregory Peck’s 100th Birthday, April 5
Days of Glory (1944; ranked #13074 by 13 users) – Playing April 5 at 6:00am
Man with a Million (1953; ranked #14817 by 15 users) – Playing April 5 at 7:30am
The Macomber Affair (1947; ranked #16286 by 3 users) – Playing April 5 at 9:15am
Designing Woman (1957; ranked #8024 by 6 users) – Playing April 5 at 11:00am
The Valley of Decision (1945; ranked #10599 by 32 users) – Playing April 5 at 1:15pm
The Yearling (1946; ranked #5878 by 140 users) – Playing April 5 at 3:30pm
On the Beach (1959; ranked #1913 by 399 users) – Playing April 5 at 5:45pm
Cape Fear (1962; ranked #512 by 1130 users) – Playing April 5 at 8:00pm
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962; ranked #143 by 29247 users) – Playing April 5 at 10:00pm
A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999) – Playing April 6 at 12:15am
The Guns of Navarone (1961; ranked #710 by 1462 users) – Playing April 6 at 2:00am
Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951; ranked #6933 by 51 users) – Playing April 6 at 4:45am
Ida Lupino, April 7
Ida Lupino was one of only a couple of women to direct films in Hollywood during the Studio Era (the other is Dorothy Arzner) – she was an actress first and moved into directing, while maintaining roles in front of the camera as well as behind it, both in her own films and with other directors. This marathon is a mix of films she starred in and films she directed.
They Drive by Night (1940; ranked #3666 by 144 users) – Playing April 7 at 6:15am
Beware My Lovely (1952; ranked #17940 by 18 users) – Playing April 7 at 8:00am
High Sierra (1941; ranked #1461 by 413 users) – Playing April 7 at 9:30am
On Dangerous Ground (1952; ranked #4103 by 107 users) – Playing April 7 at 11:15am
The Bigamist (1953; ranked #11601 by 33 users) – Playing April 7 at 12:45pm
Outrage (1950; ranked #19183 by 2 users) – Playing April 7 at 2:15pm
Hard, Fast, and Beautiful (1951; ranked #19518 by 2 users) – Playing April 7 at 5:15pm
The Hitch-Hiker (1953; ranked #5253 by 101 users) – Playing April 7 at 6:45pm
Blake Edwards, April 7/8
Days of Wine and Roses (1962; ranked #2331 by 201 users) – Playing April 7 at 8:00pm
The Party (1968; ranked #1497 by 906 users) – Playing April 7 at 10:15pm
S.O.B. (1981; ranked #5357 by 164 users) – Playing April 8 at 12:15am
Victor Victoria (1982; ranked #1581 by 966 users) – Playing April 8 at 2:30am
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961; ranked #347 by 8445 users) – Playing April 8 at 5:00am
Stanley Donen, April 13
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954; ranked #1423 by 41 users) – Playing April 13 at 6:00am
Deep in My Heart (1954; ranked #20484 by 3 users) – Playing April 13 at 7:45am
Fearless Fagan (1952; ranked #17371 by 3 users) – Playing April 13 at 10:00am
It’s Always Fair Weather (1955; ranked #8723 by 51 users) – Playing April 13 at 11:30am
Love is Better Than Ever (1952; ranked #15240 by 18 users) – Playing April 13 at 1:15pm
Give a Girl a Break (1953; ranked #13064 by 22 users) – Playing April 13 at 2:45pm
Singin’ in the Rain (1952; ranked #201 by 17491 users) – Playing April 13 at 4:15pm
On the Town (1949; ranked #1587 by 419 users) – Playing April 13 at 6:00pm
Val Lewton, April 18
Bedlam (1946; ranked #5939 by 79 users) – Playing April 18 at 7:45am
The Body Snatcher (1945; ranked #2006 by 367 users) – Playing April 18 at 9:15am
I Walked with a Zombie (1943; ranked #997 by 613 users) – Playing April 18 at 10:45am
Isle of the Dead (1945; ranked #2899 by 232 users) – Playing April 18 at 12:00N
The Ghost Ship (1943; ranked #2899 by 232 users) – Playing April 18 at 1:15pm
The Seventh Victim (1943; ranked #3559 by 125 users) – Playing April 18 at 2:30pm
The Leopard Man (1943; ranked #4668 by 136 users) – Playing April 18 at 3:45pm
Cat People (1942; ranked #764 by 687 users) – Playing April 18 at 5:00pm
The Curse of the Cat People (1944; ranked #3927 by 219 users) – Playing April 18 at 6:15pm
Harold Lloyd, April 20
From Hand to Mouth (1919; ranked #7958 by 46 users) – Playing April 20 at 6:15am
Never Weaken (1921; ranked #5897 by 59 users) – Playing April 20 at 6:45am
Safety Last! (1923; ranked #444 by 584 users) – Playing April 20 at 7:15am
Girl Shy (1924; ranked #3246 by 103 users) – Playing April 20 at 8:30am
The Freshman (1925; ranked #2036 by 247 users) – Playing April 20 at 10:00am
Speedy (1928; ranked #3488 by 117 users) – Playing April 20 at 11:30am
Welcome Danger (1929; ranked #10802 by 31 users) – Playing April 20 at 1:00pm
The Milky Way (1936; ranked #12685 by 35 users) – Playing April 20 at 3:00pm
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947; ranked #16172 by 23 users) – Playing April 20 at 4:30pm
Jack Lemmon, April 21/22
Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #198 by 19201 users) – Playing April 21 at 8:00pm
The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #702 by 1540 users) – Playing April 21 at 10:15pm
The Apartment (1960; ranked #31 by 5667 users) – Playing April 22 at 12:15am
The China Syndrome (1979; ranked #1136 by 1120 users) – Playing April 22 at 2:30am
Mister Roberts (1955; ranked #901 by 644 users) – Playing April 22 at 4:45am
John Ford Westerns, April 25
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #249 by 1766 users) – Playing April 25 at 6:00am
3 Godfathers (1949; ranked #3261 by 160 users) – Playing April 25 at 7:45am
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949; ranked #1318 by 495 users) – Playing April 25 at 9:45am
Wagon Master (1950; ranked #5656 by 76 users) – Playing April 25 at 11:30am
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4647 users) – Playing April 25 at 1:00pm
Peter Sellers, April 27
The Bobo (1967; ranked #25072 by 18 users) – Playing April 27 at 6:45am
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968; ranked #8924 by 91 users) – Playing April 27 at 8:30am
Tom Thumb (1958; ranked #12485 by 76 users) – Playing April 27 at 10:15am
The Ladykillers (1955; ranked #1302 by 689 users) – Playing April 27 at 12:00pm
Never Let Go (1960; ranked #22183 by 5 users) – Playing April 27 at 1:45pm
Lolita (1962; ranked #406 by 4388 users) – Playing April 27 at 3:15pm
The World of Henry Orient (1964; ranked #7591 by 93 users) – Playing April 27 at 6:00pm
Sophia Loren, April 28/29
Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival: Sophia Loren (2016) – Playing April 28 at 8:00pm and 10:00pm
Marriage – Italian Style (1964; ranked #6822 by 66 users) – Playing April 28 at 9:45pm
Arabesque (1966; ranked #5794 by 128 users) – Playing April 29 at 12:45am
The Priest’s Wife (1971; ranked #27017 by 2 users) – Playing April 29 at 2:45am
More Than a Miracle (1967; ranked #12620 by 28 users) – Playing April 29 at 4:45am
If You Like…
…Pre-Codes
All the Pre-Code films playing this month, that is, Hollywood films released between 1930 when the Production Code was written and mid-1934 when it began to be enforced. Many of the Pre-Codes this month are courtesy of the Barrymore Spotlight and star either John or Lionel Barrymore.
Duck Soup (1933; ranked #130 by 5176 users) – Playing April 26 at 9:15am
Animal Crackers (1930; ranked #369 by 1472 users) – Playing April 10 at 10:00am
Grand Hotel (1932; ranked #1539 by 455 users) – Playing April 25 at 10:15pm
Dinner at Eight (1933; ranked #2582 by 306 users) – Playing April 26 at 1:45am
Queen Christina (1933; ranked #3433 by 132 users) – Playing April 10 at 6:00am
A Farewell to Arms (1932; ranked #3569 by 227 users) – Playing April 7 at 4:45am
The Front Page (1931; ranked #7771 by 70 users) – Playing April 6 at 7:45am
Bombshell (1933; ranked #8316 by 32 users) – Playing April 22 at 6:15pm
Blonde Crazy (1931; ranked #9701 by 34 users) – Playing April 22 at 4:45pm
The Dentist (1932; ranked #11626 by 48 users) – Playing April 30 at 9:00am
Arsene Lupin (1932; ranked #12606 by 15 users) – Playing April 26 at 3:45am
Night Flight (1933; ranked #13305 by 9 users) – Playing April 26 at 12:15am
Rasputin and the Empress (1932; ranked #13526 by 14 users) – Playing April 25 at 8:00pm
State’s Attorney (1932; ranked #13932 by 5 users) – Playing April 4 at 11:30pm
A Bill of Divorcement (1932; ranked #14154 by 11 users) – Playing April 4 at 10:00pm
Carnival Boat (1932; ranked #16694 by 5 users) – Playing April 26 at 6:45am
Hold ‘Em Jail (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing April 26 at 8:00am
…Film Noir
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #555 by 617 users) – Playing April 10 at 6:00pm
Brute Force (1947; ranked #1802 by 182 users) – Playing April 8 at 11:30am
On Dangerous Ground (1952; ranked #4103 by 107 users) – Playing April 7 at 11:15am
Body and Soul (1947; ranked #4875 by 76 users) – Playing April 13 at 2:00am
The Hitch-Hiker (1953; ranked #5253 by 101 users) – Playing April 7 at 6:45pm
Lured (1947; ranked #7455 by 64 users) – Playing April 18 at 6:00am
The Bigamist (1953; ranked #11601 by 33 users) – Playing April 7 at 12:45pm
Beware My Lovely (1952; ranked #17940 by 18 users) – Playing April 7 at 8:00am
Outrage (1950; ranked #19183 by 2 users) – Playing April 7 at 2:15pm
…Silents
It’s a great month for fans of silent film, as a few of the Barrymore spotlight films are silents, plus almost all of the Weimar films, and there’s also a tribute to silent comedian Harold Lloyd in addition to the regular Silent Sunday Night screenings. From the iconic to the obscure, if you like silents, you’ll have plenty to watch this month.
Metropolis (1927; ranked #135 by 6426 users) – Playing April 21 at 3:00am
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #238 by 5438 users) – Playing April 13 at 11:30pm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #297 by 2029 users) – Playing April 13 at 8:00pm
Safety Last! (1923; ranked #444 by 584 users) – Playing April 20 at 7:15am
Pandora’s Box (1928; ranked #772 by 346 users) – Playing April 27 at 8:00pm
Faust (1926; ranked #1123 by 292 users) – Playing April 14 at 1:15am
Seven Chances (1925; ranked #1279 by 273 users) – Playing April 9 at 8:15am
Dr Mabuse the Gambler (1922; ranked #1692 by 220 users) – Playing April 20 at 8:00pm
The Freshman (1925; ranked #2036 by 247 users) – Playing April 20 at 10:00am
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1927; ranked #2070 by 184 users) – Playing April 14 at 3:15am
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929; ranked #2835 by 124 users) – Playing April 27 at 10:30pm
Girl Shy (1924; ranked #3246 by 103 users) – Playing April 20 at 8:30am
Speedy (1928; ranked #3488 by 117 users) – Playing April 20 at 11:30am
Never Weaken (1921; ranked #5897 by 59 users) – Playing April 20 at 6:45am
Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914; ranked #5937 by 113 users) – Playing April 11 at 1:45am
From Hand to Mouth (1919; ranked #7958 by 46 users) – Playing April 20 at 6:15am
Don Juan (1926; ranked #9416 by 31 users) – Playing April 4 at 8:00pm
The Extra Girl (1923; ranked #11110 by 32 users) – Playing April 11 at 12:30am
Across to Singapore (1928; ranked #11380 by 26 users) – Playing April 24 at 12:00M
Wild Rose (1932; unranked by 0 users) – Playing April 18 at 12:15am
…Foreign Films
Of course, all the Weimar films are foreign as well, so this section shares a lot of overlap with that spotlight and the silent listings above, but I figured I could copy them down here too, just for completeness’ sake. There are also smatterings of other foreign films in the regular foreign slot on Sunday nights.
M (1931; ranked #30 by 3796 users) – Playing April 21 at 5:45am
Metropolis (1927; ranked #135 by 6426 users) – Playing April 21 at 3:00am
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #238 by 5438 users) – Playing April 13 at 11:30pm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #297 by 2029 users) – Playing April 13 at 8:00pm
Woman in the Dunes (1964; ranked #381 by 9312 users) – Playing April 25 at 2:00am
Pandora’s Box (1928; ranked #772 by 346 users) – Playing April 27 at 8:00pm
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933; ranked #1073 by 250 users) – Playing April 21 at 12:45am
Faust (1926; ranked #1123 by 292 users) – Playing April 14 at 1:15am
The Blue Angel (1930; ranked #1245 by 332 users) – Playing April 14 at 4:30am
Dr Mabuse the Gambler (1922; ranked #1692 by 220 users) – Playing April 20 at 8:00pm
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1927; ranked #2070 by 184 users) – Playing April 14 at 3:15am
Pepe le Moko (1937; ranked #2186 by 140 users) – Playing April 18 at 3:30am
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929; ranked #2835 by 124 users) – Playing April 27 at 10:30pm
Death of a Cyclist (1955; ranked #6038 by 43 users) – Playing April 11 at 2:45am
The 3 Penny Opera (1931; ranked #6418 by 56 users) – Playing April 28 at 1:45am
Westfront 1918 (1930; ranked #10116 by 31 users) – Playing April 27 at 12:00M
Kameradschaft (1931; ranked #11410 by 19 users) – Playing April 28 at 3:45am
Anna Christie (1931; ranked #11957 by 19 users) – Playing April 28 at 5:30am
Peppermint Frappe (1967; ranked #12432 by 16 users) – Playing April 11 at 4:15am
A Pig Across Paris (1957; ranked #13420 by 14 users) – Playing April 18 at 2:00am
…If You Have Kids
The Wizard of Oz (1939; ranked #113 by 73722 users) – Playing April 8 at 8:00pm
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #741 by 1246 users) – Playing April 15 at 11:45pm
Easter Parade (1948; ranked #1810 by 457 users) – Playing April 22 at 10:00pm
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1927; ranked #2070 by 184 users) – Playing April 14 at 3:15am
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948; ranked #2374 by 307 users) – Playing April 24 at 6:15pm
The Major and the Minor (1942; ranked #2883 by 152 users) – Playing April 24 at 4:15pm
Annie (1982; ranked #3313 by 5153 users) – Playing April 9 at 4:00pm
The Harvey Girls (1946; ranked #3364 by 179 users) – Playing April 11 at 12:00N
The Phantom Tollbooth (1970; ranked #4269 by 289 users) – Playing April 9 at 6:15am
Yours Mine and Ours (1968; ranked #4429 by 342users) – Playing April 24 at 8:00pm
The Yearling (1946; ranked #5878 by 140 users) – Playing April 5 at 3:30pm
Babes on Broadway (1941; ranked #7300 by 81 users) – Playing April 9 at 3:00am
Strike Up the Band (1940; ranked #8149 by 47 users) – Playing April 8 at 11:00pm
Treasure Island (1934; ranked #8988 by 80 users) – Playing April 11 at 9:30pm
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940; ranked #12916 by 17 users) – Playing April 9 at 5:00am
Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941; ranked #13089 by 10 users) – Playing April 9 at 6:30am
Little Nellie Kelly (1940; ranked #15255 by 10 users) – Playing April 9 at 1:15am
Movies to See Before You Die
We have a feature here on the Flickchart Blog called Movies to See Before You Die, and it’s basically any movie that’s in the Flickchart Top 1000. Here are the movies playing this month that match that description.
M (1931; ranked #30 by 3796 users) – Playing April 21 at 5:45am
The Apartment (1960; ranked #31 by 5667 users) – Playing April 22 at 12:15am
The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #95 by 2799 users) – Playing May 1 at 12:15am
The Searchers (1956; ranked #104 by 4647 users) – Playing April 25 at 1:00pm
The Wizard of Oz (1939; ranked #113 by 73722 users) – Playing April 8 at 8:00pm
Duck Soup (1933; ranked #130 by 5176 users) – Playing April 26 at 9:15am
Metropolis (1927; ranked #135 by 6426 users) – Playing April 21 at 3:00am
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962; ranked #143 by 29247 users) – Playing April 5 at 10:00pm
Rio Bravo (1959; ranked #145 by 2360 users) – Playing April 11 at 5:30pm
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #178 by 34543 users) – Playing April 16 at 8:00pm
Some Like It Hot (1959; ranked #198 by 19201 users) – Playing April 21 at 8:00pm
Singin’ in the Rain (1952; ranked #201 by 17491 users) – Playing April 13 at 4:15pm
Nosferatu (1922; ranked #238 by 5438 users) – Playing April 13 at 11:30pm
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #249 by 1766 users) – Playing April 25 at 6:00am
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920; ranked #297 by 2029 users) – Playing April 13 at 8:00pm
Key Largo (1948; ranked #338 by 1737 users) – Playing April 12 at 1:00am
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961; ranked #347 by 8445 users) – Playing April 8 at 5:00am and April 19 at 10:00am
Animal Crackers (1930; ranked #369 by 1472 users) – Playing April 10 at 10:00am
Woman in the Dunes (1964; ranked #381 by 9312 users) – Playing April 25 at 2:00am
The Lost Weekend (1945; ranked #387 by 1284 users) – Playing April 9 at 8:00pm
Lolita (1962; ranked #406 by 4388 users) – Playing April 27 at 3:15pm
Z (1969; ranked #428 by 554 users) – Playing April 20 at 2:15am
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961; ranked #441 by 943 users) – Playing April 30 at 1:15am
Safety Last! (1923; ranked #444 by 584 users) – Playing April 20 at 7:15am
The Awful Truth (1937; ranked #504 by 729 users) – Playing April 24 at 12:15pm
Spartacus (1960; ranked #507 by 10680 users) – Playing April 16 at 12:15pm
Cape Fear (1962; ranked #512 by 1130 users) – Playing April 5 at 8:00pm
To Have and Have Not (1944; ranked #555 by 617 users) – Playing April 10 at 6:00pm
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975; ranked #565 by 994 users) – Playing April 29 at 4:00pm
Lifeboat (1944; ranked #592 by 1013 users) – Playing April 10 at 12:00N
The Odd Couple (1968; ranked #702 by 1540 users) – Playing April 21 at 10:15pm
The Guns of Navarone (1961; ranked #710 by 1462 users) – Playing April 6 at 2:00am
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944; ranked #741 by 1246 users) – Playing April 15 at 11:45pm
Cat People (1942; ranked #764 by 687 users) – Playing April 18 at 5:00pm
Pandora’s Box (1928; ranked #772 by 346 users) – Playing April 27 at 8:00pm
West Side Story (1961; ranked #809 by 11692 users) – Playing April 14 at 8:00pm
Mister Roberts (1955; ranked #901 by 644 users) – Playing April 22 at 4:45am
The Trial (1963; ranked #914 by 356 users) – Playing April 4 at 4:00pm
I Walked with a Zombie (1943; ranked #997 by 613 users) – Playing April 18 at 10:45am
Day by Day Flickchart Picks
Monday, April 4
TOP RANKED: The Trial (1963; ranked #914 by 356 users) – Orson Welles takes on Franz Kafka’s classic of bureaucratic persecution, with the protagonist Josef K accused of an unspecified crime and never able to make headway with the faceless legal system. Playing April 4 at 4:00pm
WILD CARD: Don Juan (1926; ranked #9416 by 31 users) – This is John Barrymore’s best-known silent film, playing the dashing swashbuckler; if some of this looks familiar, it’s because the silent we see parts of in Singin’ in the Rain is a direct copy of scenes from this film. Playing April 4 at 8:00pm
Tuesday, April 5
TOP RANKED: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962; ranked #143 by 29247 users) – Gregory Peck deservedly won an Oscar for his memorable role as lawyer Atticus Finch, tasked with defending a black man accused of raping a white girl in the racially-charged Alabama town. Playing April 5 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951; ranked #6933 by 51 users) – Aside from Mockingbird, a lot of Peck’s films aren’t very well known today, making most of his Birthday marathon potential Wild Card material; this one is based on the poplar C.S. Forester novels, which gives it a boost. Playing April 6 at 4:45am
Wednesday, April 6
TOP RANKED: A Farewell to Arms (1932; ranked #3569 by 227 users) – Ernest Hemingway’s classic tale of a WWI soldier and the nurse he falls in love with, brought to the screen by a VERY young Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes (who won an Oscar the same year for a different film). Playing April 7 at 4:45am
WILD CARD: The Front Page (1931; ranked #7771 by 70 users) – A newspaperman quits to get married, only to be pulled back in by his conniving editor and a story too good to pass up – the more famous version of this story is His Girl Friday, which swaps in a newspaperwoman (instead of man) and gives the pair a romantic relationship, but it works surprising well like this as well. Playing April 6 at 7:45am
Thursday, April 7
TOP RANKED: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961; ranked #347 by 8445 users) – Based purely on style, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the most iconic 1960s films, and definitely among Audrey Hepburn’s most memorable roles as Holly Golightly, desperately trying to maintain a party girl lifestyle in New York. Playing April 8 at 5:00am
WILD CARD: High Sierra (1941; ranked #1461 by 413 users) – 1941 was a big year for Humphrey Bogart, as he finally moved out of supporting gangster roles and successfully into leads…although he is still playing a criminal here, it’s interesting to see his persona coalesce both as a criminal here and as a detective in The Maltese Falcon t