TCM puts spotlights on classic films in August

7/31/2009

Fans of classic Hollywood films may not see much of the summer sun in August, with cable channel TCM (Turner Classic Movies) presenting a movie marathon with hundreds of titles featuring some of the silver screen's greatest legends.

Returning for its seventh year, TCM's Summer Under the Stars festival includes movies assembled from the network's massive library of more than 5,000 classic films. Starting tomorrow morning, each day of August will be dedicated to a single star, with at least 10 movies featuring that star, shown uncut and commercial-free.

Among the 31 actors and actresses showcased in this year's festival are such icons as Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, John Wayne, Angela Lansbury, Sidney Poitier, and Frank Sinatra. Also included are less-celebrated names like James Coburn, Dirk Bogarde, Harold Lloyd, Ida Lupino, Red Skelton, Jean Arthur, and Yul Brynner.

Forty-two of the 300-plus films in the festival have never been seen before on TCM. They include Les Miserables (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Avengers (1942), An Affair to Remember (1957), Waltz of the Toreadors (1962), Futureworld (1976), and Mississippi Burning (1988).

Other notable titles include James Mason's The Boys from Brazil; James Coburn's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid; Judy Garland's Meet Me in St. Louis; Glenn Ford's 3:10 to Yuma; Betty Davis' The Man Who Came to Dinner; Cary Grant's To Catch a Thief; Audrey Hepburn's The Nun's Story and My Fair Lady and Clark Gable's Mutiny on the Bounty.

The stars being spotlighted each day are listed below, and the complete schedule of films can be found on the Internet at http://www.tcm.com/2009/summer/_pdf/summerunderthestars09.pdf

Tomorrow: Henry Fonda; Sunday: James Mason; Monday: Marion Davies; Tuesday: James Coburn; Wednesday: Harold Lloyd; Thursday: Judy Garland; Aug. 7: Glenn Ford; Aug. 8: Bette Davis.

Aug. 9: Cary Grant; Aug. 10: Dirk Bogarde; Aug. 11: Audrey Hepburn; Aug. 12: Clark Gable; Aug. 13: Gloria Grahame; Aug. 14: Sidney Poitier; Aug. 15: Deborah Kerr.

Aug. 16: Elvis Presley; Aug. 17: Jennifer Jones; Aug. 18: John Wayne; Aug. 19: Red Skelton; Aug. 20: Miriam Hopkins; Aug. 21: Gene Hackman; Aug. 22: Sterling Hayden.

Aug. 23: Angela Lansbury; Aug. 24: Fredric March; Aug. 25: Merle Oberon; Aug. 26: Yul Brynner; Aug. 27: Ida Lupino; Aug. 28: Frank Sinatra; Aug. 29: Peter Sellers; Aug. 30: Jean Arthur; Aug. 31: Claire Bloom.