Quick Preview of TCM in January

The January schedule was posted today by Turner Classic Movies!

The January Star of the Month is Peter Sellers. I have zero interest in his films, as they're not my cup of tea...but there are some fabulous films showing in January!

Some of the best news is that more Paramount titles are showing up on the TCM schedule...the most exciting movie on the list being the Fritz Lang thriller MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944), starring Ray Milland and Marjorie Reynolds, with Dan Duryea in a supporting role. I'd contemplated buying this on Region 2 DVD but now I'll wait for TCM to show it.

Another Paramount title of interest is LUCKY JORDAN (1942) starring Alan Ladd and Helen Walker.

Hopefully we'll see lots more Paramount films on TCM in 2011...I've got a very long list of films I'd love to see with Paramount stars such as Ray Milland, Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray, Paulette Goddard, and Madeleine Carroll.

Another title of great interest to me is the British film HUNGRY HILL (1947), starring one of my recent favorites, Margaret Lockwood, with Jean Simmons in a supporting role.

One of the real treats in January is an evening of John Payne film noir: 99 RIVER STREET (1953) costarring Evelyn Keyes, THE CROOKED WAY (1949) costarring Ellen Drew, and KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952) with Coleen Gray.

There's also an evening of Jeanne Crain movies, including the Fox films STATE FAIR (1945) and PINKY (1949). Crain, a longtime favorite of mine, rarely receives any attention on TCM, since most of her films were released by Fox, so it's great to see more films from that studio airing on TCM. PINKY has been shown in the past, but I believe STATE FAIR may be a TCM premiere. (I would really love to see Crain and Linda Darnell in the 1946 Fox film CENTENNIAL SUMMER...it would be wonderful if it showed up on TCM in 2011.)

There's an amazing evening of rare TV shows on the schedule, starring the likes of Robert Ryan, John Wayne, Laraine Day, Errol Flynn, Ray Milland, George Montgomery, Teresa Wright, and Peter Lawford. Directors represented that evening include John Ford, Leo McCarey, Ida Lupino, and Fred Zinnemann.

A January film that's been on my viewing wish list is SHE COULDN'T SAY NO (1954), starring Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons. There are also new-to-me Loretta Young and Kay Francis titles, MEN IN HER LIFE (1941) with Young and BRITISH AGENT (1934) with Francis.

I'll discuss the schedule in greater detail prior to New Year's Eve. In the meantime, we have an Ava Gardner festival to look forward to in November and all sorts of great movies coming in December.

Update: Here's my complete post on January!