May Movies on TCM to Watch For

These monthly schedule posts are going away. Between deadlines and a desire to have time set aside for my own projects, I just can’t justify the several hours it takes for me to put these posts schedule posts together. Further, in recent months I have noticed Sundance shows commercials during a lot of their films, plus IndiePlex and RetroPlex show bad prints and shrink down Academy ratio films to almost unwatchable sizes (which perhaps look better on a widescreen television, but who knows). Fox Movie Channel has a lot of repeats, too. It’s just not worth it to list anything but TCM, and so many other bloggers do that better than I ever could.

This month, I’m posting a quick list of some pre-codes, Underground, silents and other films you might like. It’s possible you’ll see similar lists from me in the future, but I doubt I’ll make it a regular feature.

For great TCM roundups, I recommend my BBFF and runner up SBBN patron saint (he’s the go-to guy when El Brendel is busy washing his hat) Ivan at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear and his Coming Distractions posts.

TCM
All times Eastern.

Moonfleet (1955)
May 2, 6:15 PM
Fritz Lang film starring Stewart Granger as a buccaneer and smuggler, whose former lover sends her child to live with him. Starring George Sanders and Joan Greenwood, so that’s three great actors right there. Supporting is Vivica Landfors (four!) and John Hoyt and Jack Elam in small roles. Also, Granger wields a halberd. You have to see this movie.

stewart-granger-moonfleetImage courtesy Tietiecinema.

 

May 3 Pre-Codes:
7:00 AM The Heart Of New York (1932)
8:15 AM Side Streets (1934)
9:30 AM Two Alone (1934)
12:15 PM A Successful Calamity (1932)
8:00 PM Alice In Wonderland (1933)
9:30 PM No Greater Glory (1934)

Judex (1917)
French silent serial, which according to TCM is being shown out of order:
May 5, midnight: Episode 3, then the prologue, then episodes 1 and 2.
May 12, midnight: Episodes 6, 4, 7 and 5.
May 19, midnight: Episodes 8, 10, 11, 9, epilogue, then episode 12.

alain-delon

May 9: Alain Delon Day:
ALAIN DELON, GUYS. YOU GUYS, ALAIN DELON.
6:00 AM Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
9:00 AM Purple Noon (1960)
11:00 AM Have I the Right to Kill (1963)
12:45 PM The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
3:00 PM Once A Thief (1965)

May 13: Laurel & Hardy shorts, various language versions
6:45 AM Helpmates (1932)
7:15 AM The Live Ghost (1934)
7:45 AM Ladrones (“Night Owls”, Spanish) (1930)
8:30 AM La Vida Nocturna (“Blotto”, Spanish) (1930)
9:15 AM Tiembla Y Titubea (“Below Zero”, Spanish) (1930)
9:45 AM Noche De Duendes (“Laurel & Hardy Murder Case” & “Berth Marks”, Spanish) (1930)
10:45 AM Politiquerias (“Chickens Come Home”, Spanish) (1931)
11:45 AM Les Carottiers (“Be Big!” & “Laughing Gravy”, French) (1931)
1:00 PM Los Calaveras (“Be Big!” & “Laughing Gravy”, Spanish) (1931)

May 23: Frances Marion films
6:00 AM Without Lying Down – Frances Marion and the Powerful Women in Hollywood (2000) (documentary)
7:00 AM Coquette (1929)
8:30 AM The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1929) – I generally hate Norma Shearer on principle, but this is terrific film.
10:15 AM Voice of the City (1929)
11:45 AM The Divorcee (1930)
1:15 PM The Life of the Party (1930)
2:45 PM The Office Wife (1930)
4:00 PM Kept Husbands (1931)
5:30 PM The Secret Six (1931)
7:00 PM Complicated Women (2003) (documentary)

May 23: Harold Lloyd shorts immediately following Frances Marion films. Many of these are billed as being rare, so they’re probably worth checking out.
8:00 PM Safety Last! (1923)
9:30 PM A Gasoline Wedding (1918)
9:30 PM Look Pleasant, Please (1918)
9:30 PM The Big Idea (1918)
9:30 PM By the Sad Sea Waves (1917)
9:30 PM Lonesome Luke, Messenger (1917)
9:30 PM Take a Chance (1918)
9:30 PM Bashful (1917)
11:00 PM The Freshman (1925)
12:30 AM Next Aisle Over (1919)
12:30 AM Just Neighbors (1919)
12:30 AM A Sammy in Siberia (1919)
12:30 AM Spring Fever (1919)
12:30 AM Young Mr. Jazz (1919)
12:30 AM The Marathon (1919)
1:45 AM The Kid Brother (1927)
3:15 AM Captain Kidd’s Kids (1919)
3:45 AM His Royal Slyness (1920)
4:15 AM Now or Never (1921)
5:00 AM Hot Water (1924)

harold-lloyd-from-doctor-macro

The Coward (1915)
May 26, 3:15 AM (early morning the 27th)
A Confederate deserter stumbles on the chance to redeem himself.

The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
May 26, 4:30 AM (early morning the 27th)
Russian film about a woman who fears for her boyfriend sent off to fight in WWII.

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As always, feel free to list movies you want to give a shout-out to in the comments — any movie, any channel, as long as it’s during this month!

3 comments

  1. Here’s my beef with the TCM tentative schedules: they capitalize the titles of the movies, which doesn’t lend itself to good cut-and-pasting simply because IT MAKES ME SEEM LIKE I’M SHOUTING! That’s where a lot of that time-consuming preparation goes.

    Also, too: May 11, Saturday – The Strangler (1964) at 7:30am. (It’s all about the Buono.)

    1. Good one – I set an email reminder for Strangler but then forgot to list it here.

      All the websites I used to go to sucked for cutting and pasting, and Sundance was terrible about only showing maybe 3 weeks of schedule so I could never get the end of the month anyway. It IS a lot of time to get these posts done, and you remember what I said to you when I started this: “Surely it won’t take THAT long.” I was way off, they take forever because of formatting.

      Your schedules are great. Don’t feel like you have to keep doing them because I mentioned you here — I hope I didn’t put any pressure on you.

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