Spotlight: Condemned!
Consider this TCM’s version of Banned Books Week – in this month’s Spotlight every Thursday night, TCM explores films condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency. This body as created in 1933 in response to the growing salaciousness of Hollywood films, and remained in effect for decades, warning good Catholics away from films considered morally objectionable. The creation of the Legion was a major influence on the enforcement of the Production Code in 1934 – throughout the studio era, to skirt the Code was also to court the wrath of the Legion, which some filmmakers did with gusto. TCM’s series will be accompanied with conversations with Sister Rose Pacette, which should make for some interesting perspectives.
I was hoping to be able to preview some of the reasons these films were condemned or challenged, but TCM doesn’t have a lot of info up on the individual films in the series like they often do. I guess we’ll have to watch the intros! In the meantime, I will take some guesses.
Top Five
Breathless (1960; ranked #125 by 2121 users) – Foreign films were a big challenge to both the Code and the Legion in the 1950s and 1960s – I suspect Michel’s frank interest in sleeping with Patricia was the major culprit here. Playing 3/11 at 3:00am
Rififi (1954; ranked #219 by 693 users) – I think the Code would’ve had an issue with the detailed nature of the heist here (under the “showing how to be a criminal” subheading); I’m not sure if the Legion had similar concerns. Playing 4/1 at 3:45am
Black Narcissus (1937; ranked #293 by 690 users) – Okay, so this is about a nun who has carnal desires for a man in the nearby village; definitely something that would get the Legion’s attention. Playing 3/3 at 9:30pm
Blow-Up (1966; ranked #640 by 1142 users) – There’s outright nudity in this one, during a nude photo session with our photographer protagonist and a nubile young Vanessa Redgrave. Playing 3/17 at 12:00M
Viridiana (1961; ranked #740 by 413 users) – I haven’t seen this one yet, but a quick look a the synopsis says it’s about a nun getting seduced by her uncle. So, yeah. Playing 3/17 at 8:00pm
Design for Living (1933; ranked #2490 by 128 users) – Playing 3/3 at 11:30pm
Love in the Afternoon (1957; ranked #2521 by 290 users) – Playing 4/1 at 5:45am
Baby Face (1933; ranked #2974 by 148 users) – Playing 3/4 at 3:30am
Baby Doll (1956; ranked #3290 by 121 users) – Playing 3/31 at 8:00pm
Kiss Me, Stupid (1964; ranked #4472 by 171 users) – Playing 3/17 at 9:45pm
Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967; ranked #5860 by 120 users) – Playing 3/18 at 3:45am
Never on Sunday (1960; ranked #6817 by 89 users) – Playing 3/18 at 2:00am
The Outlaw (1943; ranked #7794 by 120 users) – Playing 3/4 at 1:15am
Wild Boys of the Road (1933; ranked #8176 by 43 users) – Playing 3/4 at 5:00am
And God Created Woman (1956; ranked #8204 by 124 users) – Playing 3/10 at 11:45pm
The Moon is Blue (1953; ranked #8347 by 35 users) – Playing 3/31 at 8:00pm
Ice Castles (1978; ranked #9189 by 146 users) – Playing 3/25 at 4:00am
Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural (1973; ranked #10415 by 41 users) – Playing 3/25 at 2:15am
The Story of Temple Drake (1933; ranked #11048 by 18 users) – Playing 3/3 at 8:00pm
M (1951; ranked #11281 by 25 users) – Playing 3/10 at 8:00pm
Strange Cargo (1940; ranked #12329 by 20 users) – Playing 4/1 at 1:45am
L’amore (1948; ranked #12840 by 10 users) – Playing 4/1 at 12:15am
The Competition (1980; ranked #16525 by 63 users) – Playing 3/24 at 10:00pm
The French Line (1954; ranked #22343 by 1 users) – Playing 3/10 at 9:45pm
The Carey Treatment (1972; ranked #24805 by 12 users) – Playing 3/24 at 8:00pm
Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980; ranked #25705 by 13 users) – Playing 3/25 at 12:15am
Untamed Youth (1957; ranked #29248 by 20 users) – Playing 3/11 at 1:30am
Star of the Month: Merle Oberon
The star of the month is often fairly obscure by Flickchart standards, but I wasn’t expecting Merle Oberon to be quite as obscure as she is – her highest ranked film is at #1666, and only one of her films has been ranked by more than 100 people (it likely got a boost because of its Best Actor Oscar for Charles Laughton). While Oberon was a popular favorite in the 1930s and 1940s, thanks to her exotic looks and combination of reserve and passion, most of her films are largely forgotten today, only sought out by classic film fans. Several of these films are well worth seeking out, and I’d largely agree with Flickchart on which ones should top the list. TCM is of course fairly comprehensive, so tune in every Friday night to find out more about Oberon.
Top Five
Wuthering Heights (1939; ranked #1666 by 58 users) – Oberon’s best known film remains one of the best version of Emily Bronte’s windswept novel, though Laurence Olivier is a perhaps slightly too-refined Heathcliff. Playing 3/11 at 9:30pm
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934; ranked #4146 by 95 users) – A popular adventure novel became a more than competent swashbuckler, though again, we may question Leslie Howard’s swashbuckling credentials. Playing 3/12 at 4:30am
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933; ranked #4612 by 114 users) – No one questions Charles Laughton’s credentials at playing Henry VIII, though, and he won an Oscar for this time out, with Oberon a lovely doomed Anne Boleyn. Playing 3/5 at 4:30am
The Lodger (1944; ranked #6934 by 51 users) – Hitchcock originally planned to direct this remake of his silent film, but circumstances led to one John Brahm taking over; still, the cast is intriguing (not just Oberon, but Laird Cregar as a heavy and George Sanders as a detective). Playing 3/11 at 8:00pm
Berlin Express (1948; ranked #8368 by 37 users) – The first American film shot in post-war Germany, this spy tale doubles as an allegory for post-war Allied cooperation; directed by Jacques Tourneur with a documentary feel, this one definitely piques my interest. Playing 3/26 at 2:30am
These Three (1936; ranked #8592 by 24 users) – Playing 3/4 at 8:00pm
That Uncertain Feeling (1941; ranked #10495 by 26 users) – Playing 3/18 at 11:45pm
Desiree (1954; ranked #10857 by 53 users) – Playing 3/25 at 8:00pm
The Cowboy and the Lady (1938; ranked #11001 by 31 users) – Playing 3/11 at 11:30pm
The Divorce of Lady X (1938; ranked #11948 by 26 users) – Playing 3/12 at 1:15am
The Private Life of Don Juan (1934; ranked #12689 by 17 users) – Playing 3/5 at 3:00am
Lydia (1941; ranked #14934 by 8 users) – Playing 3/19 at 1:15am
Over the Moon (1939; ranked #16127 by 8 users) – Playing 3/19 at 4:45am
’Til We Meet Again (1940; ranked #16703 by 2 users) – Playing 3/19 at 3:00am
A Song to Remember (1945; ranked #17729 by 8 users) – Playing 3/18 at 9:45pm
The Dark Angel (1935; ranked #17764 by 1 users) – Playing 3/5 at 1:00am
Beloved Enemy (1936; ranked #18098 by 5 users) – Playing 3/4 at 9:45pm
Night Song (1947; ranked #18374 by 4 users) – Playing 3/26 at 4:00am
The Lion Has Wings (1939; ranked #19163 by 7 users) – Playing 3/12 at 3:00am
Deep in My Heart (1954; ranked #20459 by 3 users) – Playing 3/26 at 12:15am
Hotel (1967; ranked #25486 by 5 users) – Playing 3/25 at 10:00pm
Folies Bergere de Paris (1935; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 3/4 at 11:30pm SUBMITTED
First Comes Courage (1943; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 3/18 at 8:00pm
Affectionately Yours (1941; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 3/26 at 5:45am
Special Theme: Art & Artists
I guess TCM couldn’t be satisfied with one Spotlight series this month; this is kind of a mini-spotlight, focused on art and artists. They interpret it pretty widely, from Orson Welles’ non-fiction treatise on art to biopics about real artists to stories that just happen to have artists in them. But that kind of variety is what makes this sort of series fun.
TOP FIVE
F for Fake (1973; ranked #620 by 620 users) – Orson Welles narrates his way through the history of art, or of fakery – and aren’t they kind of the same thing? Fascinating and heady. Playing 3/28 at 9:45pm
Andrei Rublev (1969; ranked #463 by 452 users) – Tarkovsky’s rumination on artistic endeavors, played through the life of a 15th century Russian iconographer. Playing 3/15 at 1:30am
An American in Paris (1951; ranked #760 by 1174 users) – Gene Kelly is the American in Paris, but did you remember he’s a painter? It’s worth noting too that the American in Paris ballet itself is actually a whirlwind tour through French art history. Playing 3/29 at 3:15am
Scarlet Street (1945; ranked #1204 by 348 users) – A perhaps tenuous connection, but Edward G. Robinson DOES play an amateur artist in the film, and one of the allures Joan Bennett offers him is the encouragement in his artistic endeavors that his wife refuses to give him. Playing 3/28 at 11:30pm
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945; ranked #2546 by 250 users) – The art itself is the focus here, with the infamous portrait acting as a scapegoat for all of Dorian Gray’s decadent debauchery. Playing 3/21 at 10:00pm
Lust for Life (1956; ranked #3827 by 166 users) – Van Gogh biopic. Playing 3/14 at 8:00pm
A Bucket of Blood (1959; ranked #4116 by 192 users) – Playing 3/21 at 12:00M
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965; ranked #4129 by 198 users) – Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. Playing 3/7 at 8:00pm
Moulin Rouge (1952; ranked #4727 by 234 users) – Toulouse-Lautrec (and no relation to the Baz Luhrmann film). Playing 3/7 at 10:30pm
The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933; ranked #5396 by 114 users) – Playing 3/22 at 1:15am
Rembrandt (1936; ranked #8095 by 28 users) – Playing 3/14 at 12:00N
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947; ranked #8752 by 57 users) – Playing 3/21 at 8:00pm
The Moon and Sixpence (1942; ranked #15866 by 6 users) – Paul Gauguin. Playing 3/8 at 2:45am
Marathons and Tributes
JEAN HARLOW’S BIRTHDAY
The Public Enemy (1931; ranked #663 by 900 users) – Playing 3/3 at 8:30am
Platinum Blonde (1931; ranked #6224 by 75 users) – Playing 3/3 at 7:00am
Red-Headed Woman (1932; ranked #9421 by 38 users) – Playing 3/3 at 1:00pm
The Beast of the City (1932; ranked #10821 by 17 users) – Playing 3/3 at 11:30am
The Girl from Missouri (1934; ranked #11757 by 14 users) – Playing 3/3 at 5:15pm
Three Wise Girls (1932; ranked #11970 by 9 users) – Playing 3/3 at 2:30pm
Hold Your Man (1933; ranked #12465 by 14 users) – Playing 3/3 at 3:45pm
Personal Property (1937; ranked #13402 by 7 users) – Playing 3/3 at 6:30pm
The Secret Six (1931; ranked #14276 by 5 users) – Playing 3/3 at 10:00am
JOAN CRAWFORD
The Women (1939; ranked #1925 by 212 users) – Playing 3/9 at 7:45am
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #551 by 874 users) – Playing 3/9 at 12:00N
Humoresque (1946; ranked #8558 by 731 users) – Playing 3/9 at 2:00pm
Possessed (1947; ranked #7956 by 43 users) – Playing 3/9 at 4:15pm
JERRY LEWIS’ BIRTHDAY
The King of Comedy (1982; ranked #213 by 3273 users) – Playing 3/16 at 9:30pm
Artists and Models (1955; ranked #7544 by 78 users) – Playing 3/15 at 12:00M
The Bellboy (1960; ranked #7938 by 150 users) – Playing 3/16 at 8:00pm
The Caddy (1953; ranked #9393 by 59 users) – Playing 3/15 at 10:00pm
The Stooge (1952; ranked #11148 by 42 users) – Playing 3/15 at 8:00pm
At War With the Army (1950; ranked #12799 by 47 users) – Playing 3/16 at 4:00am
Three on a Couch (1966; ranked #17393 by 30 users) – Playing 3/17 at 3:00am
You’re Never Too Young (1955; ranked #18392 by 11 users) – Playing 3/16 at 2:00am
Which Way to the Front? (1970; ranked #21611 by 28 users) – Playing 3/17 at 1:00am
Smorgasbord (1983; ranked #29488 by 24 users) – Playing 3/16 at 11:30pm
AKIRA KUROSAWA
The Seven Samurai (1954; ranked #18 by 16887 users) – Playing 3/23 at 10:30am
High and Low (1963; ranked #68 by 802 users) – Playing 3/23 at 5:15pm
Stray Dog (1949; ranked #453 by 561 users) – Playing 3/23 at 8:00am
The Bad Sleep Well (1960; ranked #1145 by 311 users) – Playing 3/23 at 2:15pm
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946; ranked #5563 by 93 users) – Playing 3/23 at 6:00am
STEVE MCQUEEN
The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #195 by 4853 users) – Playing 3/24 at 11:45am
The Cincinnati Kid (1965; ranked #2071 by 393 users) – Playing 3/24 at 2:00pm
Bullitt (1968; ranked #469 by 3265 users) – Playing 3/24 at 4:00pm
Le Mans (1971; ranked #8115 by 92 users) – Playing 3/24 at 6:00pm
EASTER
Easter Parade (1948; ranked #1813 by 452 users) – Playing 3/27 at 8:00pm
Going My Way (1944; ranked #3146 by 290 users) – Playing 3/27 at 10:00pm
The Nun’s Story (1959; ranked #4908 by 121 users) – Playing 3/27 at 12:00pm
King of Kings (1961; ranked #6896 by 176 users) – Playing 3/27 at 5:15pm
The Silver Chalice (1954; ranked #23596 by 2 users) – Playing 3/27 at 6:00am
The Singing Nun (1966; ranked #25003 by 21 users) – Playing 3/27 at 8:30am
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, in part due to pressure from groups like the Catholic Legion of Decency, being spotlighted this month.
The Public Enemy (1931; ranked #663 by 900 users) – Playing 3/3 at 8:30am
Design for Living (1933; ranked #2490 by 128 users) – Playing 3/3 at 11:30pm
Baby Face (1933; ranked #2974 by 148 users) – Playing 3/4 at 3:30am
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931; ranked #4718 by 91 users) – Playing 3/13 at 8:15am
The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933; ranked #5396 by 114 users) – Playing 3/22 at 1:15am
Platinum Blonde (1931; ranked #6224 by 75 users) – Playing 3/3 at 7:00am
Wild Boys of the Road (1933; ranked #8176 by 43 users) – Playing 3/4 at 5:00am
Red-Headed Woman (1932; ranked #9421 by 38 users) – Playing 3/3 at 1:00pm
The Purchase Price (1932; ranked #9693 by 33 users) – Playing 3/15 at 11:00am
The Beast of the City (1932; ranked #10821 by 17 users) – Playing 3/3 at 11:30am
The Story of Temple Drake (1933; ranked #11048 by 18 users) – Playing 3/3 at 8:00pm
Rain (1932; ranked #11856 by 14 users) – Playing 3/10 at 11:30am
Three Wise Girls (1932; ranked #11970 by 9 users) – Playing 3/3 at 2:30pm
Hold Your Man (1933; ranked #12465 by 14 users) – Playing 3/3 at 3:45pm
But the Flesh is Weak (1932; ranked #12737 by 7 users) – Playing 3/18 at 7:15am
The Bishop Murder Case (1930; ranked #13262 by 14 users) – Playing 3/21 at 6:00am
Remote Control (1930; ranked #13925 by 11 users) – Playing 3/21 at 7:30am
Shopworn (1932; ranked #14095 by 5 users) – Playing 3/21 at 8:45am
The Secret Six (1931; ranked #14276 by 5 users) – Playing 3/3 at 10:00am
The Rich Are Always With Us (1932; ranked #14361 by 6 users) – Playing 3/15 at 6:00am
The Squaw Man (1931; ranked #16612 by 5 users) – Playing 3/29 at 7:15am
Stage Mother (1933; unranked by 0 users) – Playing 3/29 at 2:15pm SUBMITTED
…Film Noir
Touch of Evil (1958; ranked #54 by 3312 users) – Playing 3/20 at 6:00pm
The Asphalt Jungle (1950; ranked #477 by 1025 users) – Playing 3/14 at 6:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #551 by 874 users) – Playing 3/9 at 12:00N
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946; ranked #1195 by 519 users) – Playing 3/4 at 6:00pm
Scarlet Street (1945; ranked #1204 by 348 users) – Playing 3/28 at 11:30pm
No Way Out (1950; ranked #5560 by 86 users) – Playing 3/5 at 2:00pm
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947; ranked #8752 by 57 users) – Playing 3/21 at 8:00pm
…Silents
The majority of Silent Sunday Nights this month are given over to silent comedians Laurel and Hardy, and Fatty Arbuckle, with a collection of shorts filling out each Sunday night’s programming.
The General (1927; ranked #57 by 2053 users) – Playing 3/26 at 8:00pm
Safety Last! (1923; ranked #448 by 580 users) – Playing 3/27 at 1:00am
The King of Kings (1927; ranked #6847 by 63 users) – Playing 3/28 at 12:15am
Big Business (1929; ranked #7008 by 61 users) – Playing 3/6 at 12:00am
Back Stage (1919; ranked #7543 by 72 users) – Playing 3/20 at 12:00M
West of Zanzibar (1928; ranked #7648 by 39 users) – Playing 3/29 at 6:00am
Berth Marks (1929; ranked #7831 by 38 users) – Playing 3/6 at 12:00am
Habeas Corpus (1928; ranked #8791 by 33 users) – Playing 3/6 at 12:00am
Angora Love (1929; ranked #9392 by 39 users) – Playing 3/6 at 12:00am
Double Whoopee (1929; ranked #9557 by 37 users) – Playing 3/6 at 12:00am
Putting Pants of Phillip (1927; ranked #10548 by 27 users) – Playing 3/14 at 12:45am
Do Detectives Think? (1927; ranked #11239 by 32 users) – Playing 3/14 at 12:45am
Thundering Fleas (1926; ranked #17823 by 1 users) – Playing 3/14 at 12:45am
…Foreign Films
Foreign films pop up throughout the month in the Condemned Spotlight and in a chunk for a Kurosawa marathon, but the Foreign Sunday Night spot is dominated by Ingmar Bergman, with a double feature of his films every Sunday night for the whole month.
The Seven Samurai (1954; ranked #18 by 16887 users) – Playing 3/23 at 10:30am
Persona (1966; ranked #67 by 1779 users) – Playing 3/28 at 3:00am
High and Low (1963; ranked #68 by 802 users) – Playing 3/23 at 5:15pm
Wild Strawberries (1957; ranked #83 by 1424 users) – Playing 3/30 at 10:30am
Breathless (1960; ranked #125 by 2121 users) – Playing 3/11 at 3:00am
Rififi (1954; ranked #219 by 693 users) – Playing 4/1 at 3:45am
The Virgin Spring (1960; ranked #283 by 654 users) – Playing 3/28 at 4:30am
Cries and Whispers (1973; ranked #355 by 671 users) – Playing 3/7 at 2:00am
A Man Escaped (1956; ranked #409 by 350 users) – Playing 3/19 at 11:00pm
Stray Dog (1949; ranked #453 by 561 users) – Playing 3/23 at 8:00am
Andrei Rublev (1969; ranked #463 by 452 users) – Playing 3/15 at 1:30am
Viridiana (1961; ranked #740 by 413 users) – Playing 3/17 at 8:00pm
Scenes from a Marriage (1973; ranked #787 by 321 users) – Playing 3/21 at 2:00am
The Bad Sleep Well (1960; ranked #1145 by 311 users) – Playing 3/23 at 2:15pm
Sawdust and Tinsel (1953; ranked #2869 by 130 users) – Playing 3/14 at 2:00am
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946; ranked #5563 by 93 users) – Playing 3/23 at 6:00am
Never on Sunday (1960; ranked #6817 by 89 users) – Playing 3/18 at 2:00am
And God Created Woman (1956; ranked #8204 by 124 users) – Playing 3/10 at 11:45pm
The Devil’s Eye (1960; ranked #9030 by 37 users) – Playing 3/14 at 3:45am
A Lesson in Love (1954; ranked #10675 by 47 users) – Playing 3/7 at 3:45am
If You Have Kids
Doctor Dolittle (1967; ranked #5471 by 722 users) – Playing 3/26 at 5:15pm
The Jungle Book (1942; ranked #7033 by 185 users) – Playing 3/14 at 12:30pm
Son of Lassie (1945; ranked #19265 by 8 users) – Playing 3/6 at 12:00N
The Sun Comes Up (1949; ranked #21955 by 2 users) – Playing 3/10 at 8:30am
TREASURES FROM THE DISNEY VAULT
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954; ranked #1270 by 1397 users) – Playing 3/9 at 8:30pm
Return to Snowy River (1988; ranked #9628 by 177 users) – Playing 3/10 at 3:00am
Nikki, Wild Dog of the North (1961; ranked #17646 by 17 users) – Playing 3/10 at 1:30am
Secrets of Life (1956; ranked #21199 by 5 users) – Playing 3/9 at 12:00M
ANIMATION MARATHON
The Lord of the Rings (1978; ranked #2613 by 3968 users) – Playing 3/25 at 3:30pm
The Phantom Tollbooth (1970; ranked #4264 by 290 users) – Playing 3/25 at 10:45am
Gulliver’s Travels (1939; ranked #6118 by 94 users) – Playing 3/25 at 12:30pm
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964; ranked #6158 by 467 users) – Playing 3/25 at 6:00am
Gay Purr-ee (1962; ranked #10029 by 87 users) – Playing 3/25 at 2:00pm
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.
The Seven Samurai (1954; ranked #18 by 16887 users) – Playing 3/23 at 10:30am
The Apartment (1960; ranked #31 by 5648 users) – Playing 3/22 at 8:00pm
Touch of Evil (1958; ranked #54 by 3312 users) – Playing 3/20 at 6:00pm
The General (1927; ranked #57 by 2053 users) – Playing 3/26 at 8:00pm
Persona (1966; ranked #67 by 1779 users) – Playing 3/28 at 3:00am
High and Low (1963; ranked #68 by 802 users) – Playing 3/23 at 5:15pm
Wild Strawberries (1957; ranked #83 by 1424 users) – Playing 3/30 at 10:30am
On the Waterfront (1954; ranked #85 by 7153 users) – Playing 3/12 at 12:00N and 3/22 at 6:00pm
The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #96 by 2786 users) – Playing 3/11 at 8:00am
The Great Dictator (1940; ranked #121 by 3227 users) – Playing 3/17 at 5:00am
Breathless (1960; ranked #125 by 2121 users) – Playing 3/11 at 3:00am
The Sting (1973; ranked #141 by 18837 users) – Playing 3/12 at 8:00pm
The Great Escape (1963; ranked #142 by 16332 users) – Playing 3/19 at 8:00pm
Lawrence of Arabia (1962; ranked #149 by 19665 users) – Playing 3/23 at 2:15am
Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #177 by 34493 users) – Playing 3/5 at 12:00N
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957; ranked #179 by 14457 users) – Playing 3/5 at 10:00pm
The Magnificent Seven (1960; ranked #195 by 4853 users) – Playing 3/24 at 11:45am
The King of Comedy (1982; ranked #213 by 3273 users) – Playing 3/16 at 9:30pm
Rififi (1954; ranked #219 by 693 users) – Playing 4/1 at 3:45am
Stagecoach (1939; ranked #250 by 1740 users) – Playing 3/26 at 11:15pm
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951; ranked #276 by 5513 users) – Playing 3/22 at 3:45pm
The Virgin Spring (1960; ranked #283 by 654 users) – Playing 3/28 at 4:30am
Black Narcissus (1947; ranked #293 by 690 users) – Playing 3/3 at 9:30pm
Cries and Whispers (1973; ranked #355 by 671 users) – Playing 3/7 at 2:00am
Sabrina (1954; ranked #391 by 2355 users) – Playing 3/5 at 8:00pm and 3/11 at 5:15pm
A Man Escaped (1956; ranked #409 by 350 users) – Playing 3/19 at 11:00pm
Safety Last! (1923; ranked #448 by 580 users) – Playing 3/27 at 1:00am
Stray Dog (1949; ranked #453 by 561 users) – Playing 3/23 at 8:00am
Andrei Rublev (1969; ranked #463 by 452 users) – Playing 3/15 at 1:30am
Bullitt (1968; ranked #469 by 3265 users) – Playing 3/24 at 4:00pm
The Asphalt Jungle (1950; ranked #477 by 1025 users) – Playing 3/14 at 6:00pm
MASH (1970; ranked #511 by 7308 users) – Playing 3/22 at 12:00M
Cape Fear (1962; ranked #517 by 1123 users) – Playing 3/5 at 4:00pm
Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #551 by 874 users) – Playing 3/9 at 12:00N
Easy Rider (1969; ranked #611 by 6641 users) – Playing 3/29 at 12:00M
F for Fake (1973; ranked #620 by 620 users) – Playing 3/28 at 9:45pm
Blow-Up (1966; ranked #640 by 1142 users) – Playing 3/17 at 12:00M
Doctor Zhivago (1965; ranked #653 by 3644 users) – Playing 3/11 at 1:45pm
The Public Enemy (1931; ranked #663 by 900 users) – Playing 3/3 at 8:30am
Breaking Away (1979; ranked #707 by 1107 users) – Playing 3/19 at 6:00pm
The Guns of Navarone (1961; ranked #721 by 1455 users) – Playing 3/12 at 5:15pm
Viridiana (1961; ranked #740 by 413 users) – Playing 3/17 at 8:00pm
An American in Paris (1951; ranked #760 by 1174 users) – Playing 3/29 at 3:15am
Scenes from a Marriage (1973; ranked #787 by 321 users) – Playing 3/21 at 2:00am
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953; ranked #905 by 938 users) – Playing 3/6 at 6:00pm
Un Chien Andalou (1929; ranked #937 by 1368 users) – Playing 3/30 at 6:00am
Day by Day Flickchart Picks
The day by day format with the TOP RANKED and WILD CARD choices seemed popular last month, so I figured I’d try including that alongside the more theme-based format I’ve done most months.
Thursday, March 3
TOP RANKED: Black Narcissus (1947; ranked #293 by 690 users) – Part of the Condemned Spotlight. Playing 3/3 at 9:30pm
WILD CARD: Red-Headed Woman (1932; ranked #9421 by 38 users) – If you want to see Jean Harlow in a true Pre-Code, this is your ticket – she’s ruthless here, going straight after the men she wants no matter what she has to do to get them, and getting away with everything scot-free. Playing 3/3 at 1:00pm
Friday, March 4
TOP RANKED: The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946; ranked #1195 by 519 users) – Quintessential noir, with Lana Turner as the out-of-place glamorous wife of a gas station proprietor who sees a potential way out in a handsome young drifter. Playing 3/4 at 6:00pm
WILD CARD: The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933; ranked #4612 by 114 users) – Part of Merle Oberon’s Star of the Month programming, but Charles Laughton as Henry VIII is the real star here. Playing 3/5 at 4:30am
Saturday, March 5
TOP RANKED: Young Frankenstein (1974; ranked #177 by 34493 users) – Mad scientists and overgrown monsters have never been funnier than in Mel Brooks’ inspired parody of 1930s Universal horror films. Playing 3/5 at 12:00N
WILD CARD: The Decline of Western Civilization (1981; ranked #4734 by 114 users) – Penelope Spheeris’s raw documentary of the late 1970s underground LA punk scene is searing, exciting, inspiring, and heartbreaking. Playing 3/6 at 3:00am
Sunday, March 6
TOP RANKED: Cries and Whispers (1973; ranked #355 by 671 users) – One of Bergman’s late masterpieces, with a full complement of his most consistent muses – Harriet Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, and Liv Ullman. Playing 3/7 at 2:00am
WILD CARD: Laurel and Hardy shorts – One of comedy’s most recognizable duos, though few of their actual films are well-known today; they transitioned into sound well, but silents like these are still their strongest. Playing 3/7 at 12:00M
Monday, March 7
TOP RANKED: The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965; ranked #4129 by 198 users) – Part of the Art & Artists themed programming, with Charlton Heston as Michelangelo working on the magnificent Sistine Chapel and getting more help than he likely wants from Rex Harrison’s Pope Julius II. Playing 3/7 at 8:00pm (Artists)
WILD CARD: It’s a Date (1940; ranked #15243 by 4 users) – Deanna Durbin is not a well-known name today, but her films are utterly delightful; 1940 marks her transition from little girl roles to young woman roles, and this one is right on the cusp. Playing 3/7 at 12:00N
Tuesday, March 8
TOP RANKED: La Cage Aux Folles (1979; ranked #3303 by 308 users) – The original version of The Birdcage, with two gay men trying to play it straight when one of their sons gets engaged. Playing 3/9 at 3:15am
Wednesday, March 9
TOP RANKED: Mildred Pierce (1945; ranked #551 by 874 users) – Joan Crawford’s signature role exemplifies her persona as a strong women who works her way up from nothing, leaving her husband to start her own restaurant chain and dealing with the fallout from her conniving daughter. Playing 3/9 at 12:00N
WILD CARD: Possessed (1947; ranked #7956 by 43 users) – Crawford again, this time suffering a psychotic break and explaining her backstory to a doctor – a great “crazy” role for Crawford, complete with obsession, delusion, and murder. Playing 3/9 at 4:15pm
Thursday, March 10
TOP RANKED: Breathless (1960; ranked #125 by 2121 users) – Part of the Condemned Spotlight. Playing 3/11 at 3:00am
WILD CARD: And God Created Woman (1956; ranked #8204 by 124 users) – Part of the Condemned Spotlight; this film thrust Brigitte Bardot into the spotlight as the buxom sexpot who loves one brother but marries the other, with a good bit of Catholic guilt thrown in for good measure, though apparently that wasn’t enough to appease the Legion! Playing 3/10 at 11:45pm
Friday, March 11
TOP RANKED: The Philadelphia Story (1940; ranked #96 by 2786 users) – Sparkling comedy with socialite Katharine Hepburn about to remarry, but pulled in different directions by a smitten reporter (James Stewart) and her charming ex-husband (Cary Grant). Playing 3/11 at 8:00am
WILD CARD: Wuthering Heights (1939; ranked #1666 by 58 users) – Part of Merle Oberon’s Star of the Month programming. Playing 3/11 at 9:30pm
Saturday, March 12
TOP RANKED: On the Waterfront (1954; ranked #85 by 7153 users) – Certainly not Marlon Brando’s first impressive movie role, but the first impressive enough to get him an Oscar, for playing failed boxer Terry Malloy, who’s now embroiled in labor disputes at the dockyard. Playing 3/12 at 12:00N
WILD CARD: The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988; ranked #7536 by 89 users) – I haven’t seen the sequel to Penelope Spheeris’s 1981 punk documentary, but I definitely want to as the first was so good. The third part is also playing this month, on the 19th. Playing 3/13 at 3:15am
Sunday, March 13
TOP RANKED: Tootsie (1982; ranked #1017 by 9589 users) – Exasperated actor Dustin Hoffman dresses in drag to get better parts and finds the cross-dressing thing works out for him in more ways than one. Playing 3/13 at 10:30pm
WILD CARD: The Uninvited (1944; ranked #2139 by 206 users) – A lovely understated ghost story set on the rugged coast of England, with an American couple buying a manor and getting more than they bargained for. Playing 3/13 at 12:00N
Monday, March 14
TOP RANKED: Andrei Rublev (1969; ranked #463 by 452 users) – Part of the Art and Artists themed programming. Playing 3/15 at 1:30am
WILD CARD: The Asphalt Jungle (1950; ranked #477 by 1025 users) – A glossy heist noir with a great cast, from noir staple Sterling Hayden to up-and-coming starlet Marilyn Monroe in a small role. Playing 3/14 at 6:00pm
Tuesday, March 15
TOP RANKED: Dark Victory (1939; ranked #2538 by 236 users) – One of Bette Davis’ most effective, if slightly maudlin, tearjerkers has her finding love in the midst of coming to terms with an inoperable brain tumor. Morbid but satisfying. Playing 3/15 at 9:00am
WILD CARD: Artists and Models (1955; ranked #7544 by 78 users) – One of the most acclaimed Jerry Lewis-Dean Martin series of films, with director Frank Tashlin (best known as a Looney Tunes animation director) bringing a larger-than-life cartoonish feel that’s way ahead of its time. Playing 3/15 at 12:00M
Wednesday, March 16
TOP RANKED: The King of Comedy (1982; ranked #213 by 3273 users) – Part of Jerry Lewis’s birthday programming; by FAR Lewis’s top-ranked film on Flickchart, thanks to the Scorsese-De Niro double whammy. De Niro is really the star, a wanna-be comedian stalking his idol, played by Lewis. Playing 3/16 at 9:30pm
WILD CARD: The Bellboy (1960; ranked #7938 by 150 users) – If you want to see straight-up Jerry Lewis doing his solo thing, this is one of the best examples of it. If you see what the French see in Lewis, please tel me, because I’m frankly not that big a fan. Playing 3/16 at 8:00pm
Thursday, March 17
TOP RANKED: The Great Dictator (1940; ranked #121 by 3227 users) – Charlie Chaplin’s first 100% talking picture is ambitious in more ways than one; he plays two roles, a Jewish barber and a thinly veiled stand-in for Hitler, at a time when America had not yet entered the war and was still stopping short of condemning Hitler outright. Chaplin had no qualms, and made a film equally great on comedic and ideological fronts. Playing 3/17 at 5:00am
WILD CARD: Kiss Me, Stupid (1964; ranked #4472 by 171 users) – Part of the Condemned Spotlight; Billy Wilder was a director who often pushed the content limit, and never more so than with this film that not only has married men lusting after young women, but married women actually taking freebies with Hollywood heartthrobs. Playing 3/17 at 9:45pm
Friday, March 18
TOP RANKED: That Uncertain Feeling (1941; ranked #10495 by 26 users) – Part of Merle Oberon’s Star of the Month programming; not usually mentioned among Ernst Lubitsch’s best films, I’m still curious to see this one, which brings the ever-popular 1940s trope of psychoanalysis into the mix. Playing 3/18 at 11:45pm
WILD CARD: First Comes Courage (1943; unranked by 0 users) – Part of Merle Oberon’s Star of the Month programming; there’s precious little to choose from that even I’ve heard of today, but this one about Norwegian spies directed by Dorothy Arzner definitely intrigues me the most (and also looks to be difficult to see – IMDb doesn’t even have a plot synopsis). Playing 3/18 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 19
TOP RANKED: The Great Escape (1963; ranked #142 by 16332 users) – Getting out of a WWII POW camp turns out to require similar planning as a heist, and despite the setting, this film is as fun and thrilling as any heist caper. Playing 3/19 at 8:00pm
WILD CARD: Fort Apache (1948; ranked #1709 by 382 users) – Henry Fonda as a by-the-book commander versus John Wayne as his street-smart second-in-command is a pretty winning proposition, and indeed, this film is pretty great. I mean, street smart isn’t the right term. Native American trail smart? Dirt road smart? Playing 3/19 at 12:00N
Sunday, March 20
TOP RANKED: Touch of Evil (1958; ranked #54 by 3312 users) – Usually considered the end of the classic noir cycle, and you can see why – Orson Welles’ film is a nasty, sleazy little piece of work that still winds up memorable and moving. But there’s basically no depths left to plumb after this, until neo-noir came along to turn the genre upside down. Playing 3/20 at 6:00pm
WILD CARD: Fatty Arbuckle shorts. Both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton got their start working with wildly popular Keystone Studios comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Unfortunately, the Virginia Rappe rape/murder scandal has overshadowed Arbuckle’s career, but here’s a chance to see several of his shorts and see what made him the biggest star in Hollywood in the 1910s. Playing 3/20 at 12:00M
Monday, March 21
TOP RANKED: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945; ranked #2546 by 250 users) – Playing as part of the Art and Artists themed programming. Playing 3/21 at 10:00pm
WILD CARD: The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933; ranked #5396 by 114 users) – Playing as part of the Art ad Artists themed programming; this earlier version of House of Wax is superior for me. It lacks Vincent Price, but the two-color Technicolor is brilliantly moody, the mystery is a bit more suspenseful as opposed to purely campy, and Glenda Farrell is utterly delightful. Playing 3/22 at 1:15am
Tuesday, March 22
TOP RANKED: The Apartment (1960; ranked #31 by 5648 users) – It’s hard to pick a top Billy Wilder film, and