August is a special month on TCM, this is now the eighth year of the month-long "Summer Under the Stars" marathon in which each day's programming is devoted to a single actor or actress. In order not to avoid playing favorites with the featured stars, I've chosen one film for each day of the month!
8/1: Basil Rathbone
8 PM - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) - Sherlock Holmes is definitely Rathbone's most iconic role and he is wonderful as the great detective.
8/2: Julie Christie
12 AM - Petulia (1968)
8/3: Steve McQueen
10:15 AM - The Honeymoon Machine (1961) - This is early McQueen, before he earned a reputation as the "essence of cool," in a zany comedy with the always delightful Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss - looks like alot of fun!
8/4: Ethel Barrymore
5:45 PM - The Story of Three Loves (1953)
This anthology film features a great cast, besides Ethel Barrymore who is no slouch herself, as passengers on an ocean liner recalling their great loves. It's a sweet, romantic film which I can't wait to watch again!
8/5: Woody Strode
8 PM - Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
Of all his films, this one was Strode's personal favorite.
8/6: Ingrid Bergman
10 AM - The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
Another anthology film pick, this time the stories are linked by the titular car. The eclectic cast includes Bergman, Shirey MacLaine, Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau, Art Carney, and George C. Scott.
8/7: Errol Flynn
2:30 PM - The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
8/8: Bob Hope
2:30 AM - Critic's Choice (1963) - In this film, Hope is paired with Lucille Ball as a theater critic and actress who are also husband and wife. These two have great chemistry, so they are always a joy to watch together. In my mind Lucy is second only to Bing Crosby among Bob's co-stars.
8/9: Warren Beatty
4 AM - Ishtar (1987)
Why not? I promise it's not as bad as you've heard.
8/10: Kathryn Grayson
8 PM - Show Boat (1951) - This film exemplifies the glorious Technicolor musical!
4 AM - Lovely to Look At (1952) - And for a bonus, here's another musical pairing lovely Kathryn with her favorite on-screen partner, the handsome Howard Keel.
8/11: Walter Matthau
9:45 AM - Fail-Safe (1964) - After I wrote about Matthau recently, several people suggested I watch Fail-Safe to see the serious/sinister side of an actor known more for comedies.
6 PM - Casey's Shadow (1978) - And we're back to good old irascible Matthau, in this film about a family of horse trainers.
8/12: Norma Shearer
10 PM - Private Lives (1931) - I'll confess that I'm not a particular fan of a Norma Shearer, but she does seem well-cast in this film based on the play of the same name by Noel Coward. I suppose that in the 1930s even a story about a messy divorce could feel like escapism if it takes place on the French Riviera.
8/13: Robert Ryan
1:15 AM - The Wild Bunch (1969)
8/14: Gene Tierney
8 PM - Leave Her To Heaven (1945) - Tierney earned her only Oscar nomination for this film directed by John M. Stahl. It is the height of melodrama, on par with the best of Douglas Sirk, so check your cynicism at the door and enjoy the hysterics.
8/15: Margaret O'Brien
4 AM - Big City (1948) - The plot of this film makes it sound like the original Three Men and a Baby!
8/16: Robert Stack
9:45 PM - The Tarnished Angels (1957)
8/17: Maureen O'Hara
1:45 AM - Our Man in Havana (1960)
8/18: Ann Sheridan
6:15 PM - George Washington Slept Here (1942)
I realize I picked this one last month when it was shown in a series of films starring Terry the terrier. However, I fell asleep while watching it (not the fault of the movie!), so it is on the list again!
8/19: Walter Pidgeon
7:15 AM - The Hot Heiress (1931)
A glance at today's line-up of Walter Pidgeon films revealed several potentially risque film titles (Julia Misbehaves, Man Hunt, Design for Scandal), but The Hot Heiress was by far my favorite.
8/20: Katharine Hepburn
6:15 PM - Keeper of the Flame (1942)
8/21: Paul Newman
5:45 PM - Harper (1966) - Newman is so good here as the titular private eye, it might be my favorite of his performances!
12:30 AM - Rachel, Rachel (1968) - Newman directed this film starring his wife, Joanne Woodward, about the sexual awakening of a shy schoolteacher. Unfortunately for Seinfeld fans, this isn't Rochelle, Rochelle, the immortal tale of a young woman's erotic journey from Moscow to Minsk.
8/22: John Mills
12:15 AM - Hell, Heaven, or Hoboken (1958)
That title...how can I resist?
8/23: Elizabeth Taylor
6 AM - Lassie Come Home (1943)
8/24: John Gilbert
6:30 PM - Downstairs (1932) - "An evil chauffeur seduces and blackmails his way through high society" - why isn't this movie on everyday?
8 PM - The Big Parade (1925) - This film is heralded as one of the greatest films of the silent era, I am really looking forward to it.
8/25: Lauren Bacall
4:30 PM - Designing Woman - (1957)
8/26: Lee Remick
10 AM - Loot (1970)
6 PM - Telefon (1977)
I couldn't decide which one of these sounded stranger, so I picked them both.
8/27: Olivia deHavilland
2 PM - Princess O'Rourke (1943)
Beautiful Olivia as a princess? Perfection.
8/28: Peter O'Toole
10 AM - The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960)
8/29: Henry Fonda
1:45 AM - The Lady Eve (1941)
8/30: Thelma Todd
8 PM - Monkey Business (1931)
8/31: Clint Eastwood
2 AM - Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
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