5 Best Turner Classic Movies Playing This Weekend: TCM on April 7-9
Turner Classic Movies has some of the best film programming when it comes to delivering both famous and lesser-known titles. April 7 until 9 has a diverse group of movies playing over the weekend that provides a little bit of something for all audiences who enjoy the channel. Here’s a look at the five best movies airing on TCM.
‘I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang’ (1932)
James Allen (Paul Muni) reenters civilian life after serving in World War I, finding his calling as a construction engineer. He attends a dinner with an acquaintance, only to be forced to commit a robbery at gunpoint. James serves in a Southern chain gang, with inhumane conditions haunting him in the time to follow.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang earned three Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role for Muni, and Best Sound, Recording. Mervyn LeRoy’s captivating piece of film noir pulls from Robert Elliott Burns’ autobiographical novel, crafting a memorable movie adaptation.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang airs on TCM on Saturday, April 8, at 12:00 a.m. ET.
‘Wild Boys of the Road’ (1933)
Eddie Smith (Frankie Darro) and Tommy Gordon (Edwin Phillips) are teenage friends forced to leave everything that they know when the Great Depression hit. They travel to find work to support themselves, as they endure homelessness and the dangers associated with it. The pair create a gang with other teenagers in their fight for survival.
Wild Boys of the Road was largely forgotten over time, but it deserved much better. It’s bleak, but it successfully communicates the angry energy to come from the Depression.
Wild Boys of the Road plays on TCM on Saturday, April 8, at 6:00 a.m. ET.
‘Splendor in the Grass’ (1961)
Two teenagers named Deanie Loomis (Natalie Wood) and Bud Stamper (Warren Beatty) fall in love during the 1920s. However, they run into substantial issues when neither of their families approves of their relationship. Meanwhile, Deanie and Bud simultaneously deal with differing societal pressures, such as her having to maintain her “good girl” status, while he must follow in his father’s footsteps.
Splendor in the Grass won an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, while Wood also earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The film tackles youth, sexuality, and mental health in a way that is equal parts genuine and intriguing.
Splendor in the Grass airs on TCM on Saturday, April 8, at 11:45 a.m. ET.
‘Casablanca’ (1942)
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is an American living in Casablanca, running a popular nightclub. Despite running such a lively establishment, he has a bleak outlook on the world after a woman he loved betrayed his trust in Paris. However, everything changes when his former lover (Ingrid Bergman) comes back into his life with her husband (Paul Henreid), who’s an important member of the Czech Resistance.
Casablanca won big at the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, and Best Writing, Screenplay. Additionally, it earned nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Bogart, Actor in a Supporting Role for Claude Rains, Cinematography, Film Editing, and Music. It’s one of the greatest films ever made, with brilliant performances from Bogart and Bergman.
Casablanca plays on TCM on Saturday, April 8, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
‘The Nun’s Story’ (1959)
A nun named Gabrielle Van Der Mal (Audrey Hepburn) must face the disparity between her faith and her dreams. She must decide if she truly wants to continue along this path, or if she will ditch this life to chase her ambitions of working in the medical field. At the beginning of World War II, she goes to the Congo to work at a hospital full of nuns, witnessing the horrors of war firsthand.
The Nun’s Story earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role for Hepburn, Director, Writing – Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, Film Editing, and Music. Hepburn is phenomenal in this enthralling drama.
The Nun’s Story airs on TCM on Sunday, April 9, at 3:15 p.m. ET.
