A Preview of TCM's Summer Under the Stars
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Do I love anything as much as Summer Under the Stars? My mind immediately flashed to at least 12 different people and objects, so let's treat that as rhetorical. Time to laze around with TCM on 24/7 and enjoy the offerings!
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Here's your guide to the 2025 Summer Under the Stars.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: WHO ARE THE STARS?
In order: Lana Turner, Christopher Plummer, Audrey Hepburn, Howard Keel, Claude Rains, Judy Garland, Ruby Dee, James Garner, Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, Glenda Farrell, Pedro Armendáriz, Shirley MacLaine, Sterling Hayden, Janet Leigh, Charles Bronson, Jennifer Jones, James Gleason, Hedy Lamarr, James Cagney, Patricia Neal, Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Henry Fonda, Shirley Jones, Tom Courtneay, Joan Crawford, Donald O'Connor, Alexis Smith, Kirk Douglas, and Irene Dunne
ANY FAVOURITE STARS HEADING INTO THE MONTH?
Right off the bat: Audrey Hepburn, until the end of time. I've seen all of her films but I'll still be sat all day Sunday for Audrey Hepburn Day. Also a huge fan of Howard Keel, Judy Garland, James Garner, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, and Joan Crawford.
WHO ARE NEW TO ME?
Pedro Armendáriz.
I recognize the names Sterling Hayden and Alexis Smith but couldn't pick them out of a line-up. And I've only seen maybe one Charles Bronson flick; he's more known to me as a cameo from The Simpsons or other shows. I definitely recognize the voice!
WHAT'S THE ONE DAY I WON'T MISS?
Audrey Hepburn, if I have to watch your day sprawled out on my living room floor dying of a heat wave, I'll do it.
WHAT DAYS WOULD I LIKE TO SKIP?
They could never make me like Kirk Douglas. I don't care that he singlehandedly ended the blacklist (according to him). Whatever movie has the shortest runtime is the one I'm watching.
ARE ANY OF MY FAVOURITE MOVIES PLAYING THIS MONTH?
Um, hello, The Sound of Music?! (Christopher Plummer Day) What do you mean that's a TCM premiere?! Captain Von Trapp is the ultimate dream man.
I also love Inside Daisy Clover (also Christopher Plummer Day) in this weird, inexplicable way. I feel like love is a loose way to phrase it; I make it a point to watch almost every time I'm free and it's on TCM, but it's not like, a top 10 (or 50, or 100) film for me.
As I stated, I'm not skipping Audrey Hepburn Day, and you shouldn't either. The woman had a limited filmography and 98% of them are masterpieces. The ones I definitely won't be missing—maybe I'll meal prep for the day during The Unforgiven and Green Mansions— are Charade, Two for the Road, Breakfast at Tiffany's, How to Steal a Million (my top Audrey Hepburn film ever), and My Fair Lady. It's been a while since I sat down and watched that last one; this is the perfect reason. Plus, it's a holiday in Nova Scotia the next day, so I can stay up all night. Sabrina is hit or miss for me; I love the wardrobe, I hate the Humphrey Bogart being so miscast.
On Howard Keel Day, I particularly love Texas Carnival, Lovely to Look at, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Rose Marie and Jupiter's Darling (which is so bad it's good). Two of my favourite James Garner comedies are playing on his day: Boys' Night Out and The Wheeler Dealers. I also love A Date with Judy (Elizabeth Taylor Day) and Clark Gable's Day has a bunch of my favourites, with Forsaking All Others, It Happened One Night, and Wife vs. Secretary. Too bad Chained didn't make the cut.
The Heavenly Body on Hedy Lamarr Day is another favourite, as is The Bride Came C.O.D. on James Cagney Day. On Frank Sinatra Day, there's Ocean's Eleven, High Society and The Tender Trap.
Don't tell Doris Day, but I also love the romantic comedies Rock Hudson made with Gina Lollobrigida. Come September and Strange Bedfellows are both playing on her day! I can't remember off the top of my head if it was A Ticklish Affair or The Courtship of Eddie's Father that I liked, but they're both playing on Shirley Jones Day. I enjoy Susan and God, which plays on Joan Crawford Day, if only for her enviable wardrobe. There's a dress she wears in this film that I want to own in real life.
I Love Melvin is playing on Donald O'Connor Day, which is a charming and kooky '50s musical romance; and Theodora Goes Wild and My Favourite Wife are both playing on Irene Dunne Day!
WHICH 'NEW' MOVIES AM I MOST EXCITED FOR?
I'm just quickly glancing at the schedule, so forgive me if I neglect any films here that I wax about later in the month...
Believe it or not, I still haven't seen Raintree County or Taming of the Shrew (both on Elizabeth Taylor Day). On Judy Garland Day I need to watch Little Nellie Kelly, Girl Crazy and Listen, Darling. A few on Joan Crawford Day I still need to see: Rain, Above Suspicion, The Story of Esther Costello, Harriet Craig and Humoresque.
But I think the one I'm most excited for, though, is John Loves Mary, on Patricia Neal Day. That one's been on my Letterboxd watchlist forever.
WHO WOULD I HAVE GIVEN A DAY TO, IF I WERE A TCM PROGRAMMER?
They* said it couldn't be done about Grace Kelly and look who manifested it? What a great day that was... Anyway, my perennial requests remain Ray Milland and Claudette Colbert. I also wouldn't hate a Catherine Deneuve Day.
*No one said this. To me, anyway. I'm sure someone somewhere conveyed this thought.
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