TCM Picks Of The Week – Nov 9-15, 2009
Hollywood Hotel (1937) – Wednesday 8pm EST
A small-town boy wins a Hollywood talent contest.
Cast: Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, Hugh Herbert Dir: Busby Berkeley BW-110 mins, TV-G
One of the lesser Busby Berkeley films, but it has the most famous version of the song Hooray for Hollywood.
Dial M For Murder (1954) – Thursday 8:00pm EST
A straying husband frames his wife for the murder of the man he’d hired to kill her.
Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams Dir: Alfred Hitchcock C-105 mins, TV-PG
Rear Window (1954) – Thursday 10:00pm EST
A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building.
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter Dir: Alfred Hitchcock C-114 mins, TV-PG
TCM’s Grace Kelly festival continues with two of the three films she did with Alfred Hitchcock. The quintessential Hitchcock cool blond, Kelly delivers terrific performances in both of these films which are among Hitchcock’s best.
To Catch a Thief (1955) – Friday 8:00am EST
A retired cat burglar fights to clear himself of a series of Riviera robberies committed in his style.
Cast: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams Dir: Alfred Hitchcock C-106 mins, TV-G
This is the third film Grace Kelly did with Hitch. Not nearly as good as Dial M and Rear Window, but worth seeing for the gorgeous Ms. Kelly and fabulous locations.
White Heat (1949) – Saturday 10:00am EST
A government agent infiltrates a gang run by a mother-fixated psychotic.
Cast: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O’Brien, Margaret Wycherly Dir: Raoul Walsh BW-114 mins, TV-PG
One of Cagney’s best performances as a gangster with mommy issues. “I’m on top of the world, ma!” Plot is a lot like Face/Off without the face swapping. Great movie.

