Welcome to this week’s installment of What to Watch, the series in which I push my top TCM picks of the week at you in hopes that you’ll enjoy them!

All times are listed in EST and subject to change, so check the TCM website for updates. “New to me” films that I hope to catch are marked with an asterisk, as usual. Linked film titles will take you to TMP’s review of a film, and I’ve also included links for where else to watch the non-“new to me” recommendations, for those of you who don’t have access to TCM. Happy viewing!

June 5

2:15 am – The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)* – Peter Lorre stars, which means you can count me in. I love that bug-eyed man. Here he plays a mystery writer who is investigating the death of a notorious criminal (Zachary Scott).

4:00 am – Background to Danger (1943)* – George Raft stars and the film is directed by Raoul Walsh. Yes please. Peter Lorre, Brenda Marshall and Syd Greenstreet also star in this WWII tale.

6:00 am – Camille (1937) – Musical romance starring Greta Garbo and directed by a TMP favorite, George Cukor
$7.99 DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix DVD delivery

10:00 am – Waterloo Bridge (1940) – One of my favorite Vivien Leigh films. Set in World War I, the film follows ballet dancer Vivien Leigh and a soldier that she meets during an air raid in London. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy.$6.49 DVD via Amazon

Prime time on this day is full of Westerns that I haven’t seen and therefore can’t recommend. If you think I should watch any of them, let me know! The films are: Westward the Women (1951), The Far Country (1955), Winchester ’73 (1950), Devil’s Doorway (1950), Cimarron (1960) and The Last Frontier (1956).

June 6

9:30 am – I See a Dark Stranger (1945)* – Deborah Kerr stars in this WWII film about an Irish woman who becomes a Nazi spy because she hates the English.

8:00 pm – Bride of Frankenstein (1935) – Best Frankenstein film ever, and you really can’t go wrong with Karloff. If you haven’t seen this one (though I’m sure you have) you’re missing out, big time.
$8.84 DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix Instant
Netflix DVD delivery

11:00 pm – Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) – I don’t need to explain this one. Watch it or Gill Man will kidnap you and take you to his sea cave.
$8.99 DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix DVD delivery

June 7

2:00 am – King Kong (1933) – Another one that needs no explanation. Watch it or a giant ape will terrorize your city.
$6.49 DVD via Amazon
$15.49 Blu-ray via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental (or FREE for Prime members)
Netflix DVD delivery

6:45 am – Outward Bound (1930)* – Between Two Worlds is a remake of this, which means I must watch it. Plus, Leslie Howard stars! And Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.!

9:45 am – Carefree (1938) – Astaire & Rogers. That’s all you really need to know.
Used DVD from $7.99 via Amazon
Netflix DVD delivery

11:15 am – Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)* – Another Peter Lorre film! Maltin says it has a “knockout” nightmare montage, which is a bonus.

12:30 pm – Tom, Dick and Harry (1941)* – Comedy starring Ginger Rogers as a girl trying to choose between three suitors. Sounds like a fun one.

8:00 pm – The Maltese Falcon (1931)* – First version of a story that was remade as one of my favorite Bogie films! I’m interested to see how it compares, since the Bogie version is one of my favorites from his filmography.

11:00 pm – After the Thin Man (1936) – We all know how much I love the Thin Man films. Marathon them all in order if you can, but if not, tune in for this showing.
$37.99 COMPLETE Thin Man collection via Amazon
Netflix DVD delivery

June 8

1:00 am – The Glass Key (1942)* – I can’t believe I haven’t seen this one (and I’m glad TCM is showing it so I finally can!). Ladd and Lake star in this suspense flick directed by Stuart Heisler.

2:30 am – The Maltese Falcon (1941) – The Bogie version of the film that’s showing at 8:00 pm on June 7. Love love love love love it.
$6.96 DVD
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix DVD delivery

4:30 am – Satan Met a Lady (1936)* – Yet another version of The Maltese Falcon, starring Bette Davis and Warren William.

8:00 pm – Breathless (1960) – Superb crime flick directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
$22.98 Criterion DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix DVD delivery

June 9

6:00 am – Dames (1934)* – The gang’s all here: Joan Blondell, Busby, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts, Guy Kibbee… pretty much everyone I love from early ’30s musicals.

8:00 am – Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)* – This sounds like an odd parade of big-time Warner Bros. names with very little plot… but with appearances by Bogie, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, John Garfield, Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie, Ida Lupino, Ann Sheridan AND MORE, I can’t skip this one.

12:00 pm – Gaslight (1944) – Classic suspense film with a fantastic performance by Bergman. Joseph Cotten, Charles Boyer and Angela Lansbury (in her film debut) also appear.
$16.19 DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental (or FREE for Prime members)
Netflix DVD delivery

2:00 pm – The Talk of the Town (1942) – I’m due for a re-watch on this fantastic film, which is one of my favorites from Cary Grant’s filmography.
$11.97 DVD via Amazon
$9.99 digital copy via Amazon

4:15 pm – The Seven Year Itch (1955) – The film in which Marilyn Monroe’s skirt infamously catches the wind of a subway grate. It’s a delightful little comedy.
$12.80 DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix DVD delivery

9:30 pm – A Slight Case of Murder (1938)* – Crime comedy starring Edward G. Robinson. The title caught my attention, and the cast (which also includes Allen Jenkins) convinced me to tune in.

June 10

12:30 am – It (1927) – One of my favorite Clara Bow films. She stars as a department store sales clerk with a crush on her boss (Antonio Moreno).
Netflix Instant

8:00 pm – Caged (1950) – I gave this one a 4.5 score when i reviewed it in March of 2012. Great prison film.
$9.72 DVD via Amazon

June 11

9:30 am – The Woman in White (1948)* – Eleanor Parker stars in this mystery as a tutor sent to work in a haunted estate.

2:45 pm – Detour (1945) – I gave this one a 4.5 when I reviewed it back in February, thanks in large part to its ability to keep the viewer guessing what’s fact and what’s just plain delusion on part of Tom Neal’s character.
$7.11 DVD via Amazon
Netflix DVD delivery – This film was unfortunately dropped from the streaming service.
Watch it completely free of charge at The Internet Archive

5:30 pm – The Hitch-Hiker (1953) – Worth watching if for no other reason than the fact that it was directed by the great Ida Lupino.
$5.99 DVD via Amazon
$1.99 Amazon Instant Video rental (or FREE for Prime members)
Netflix DVD deliver

8:00 pm – Baby Face (1933) – STANWYCK ALERT. Great pre-code starring TMP’s favorite lady.
$31.83 DVD of Forbidden Hollywood Vol. 1 via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental
Netflix DVD delivery

10:45 pm – His Girl Friday (1940) – CARY GRANT ALERT. Co-starring Roz Russell and Ralph Bellamny, this is one of the best comedies ever made. If you watch nothing else that I’m recommending this week, at least watch this one!
$12.93 DVD via Amazon
$2.99 Amazon Instant Video rental (or FREE for Prime members)
Netflix Instant or DVD delivery