Thursday, November 7, 2024

TCM November 2024 spotlight: Powell and Pressburger

Kim Hunter and David Niven in A Matter of Life and Death (Nov. 30, 8:00 PM)

Most months, in addition to TCM having a Star of the Month, they also have some other programming block where they have one night a week every week fitting a theme. This time out, that's a salute to British director Michael Powell, and his screenwriting partnership with Emeric Pressburger that resulted in a series of fine films from just before Britain entered World War II through to the early 1950s. For the first three Thursdays this month, TCM will run Powell movies. (November 28 is Thanksgiving, so TCM has a different tribute instead of Powell and Pressburger.)

In addition to the movies, there's a new documentary on Powell and Pressburger, featuring director Martin Scorsese. That airs tonight (Nov. 7) at 8:00 PM and again on Nov. 14 at 10:00 PM. Tonight's features include The Red Shoes at 10:30. One of the previous times it aired I only got to watch about half of it. It's a gorgeous movie set against the world of ballet, although since ballet isn't my thing I found the presentation of the subject material a bit of a slog. There's also 49th Parallel overnight tonight, or early Nov. 8, at 2:30 AM.

November 14 brings One of our Aircraft is Missing at 8:00 PM. I see that I did do a post on it back in 2022. I've got it on DVD somewhere, although my DVD had some playback problems, so I may record it even though I don't think it's one of Powell and Pressburger's best. For that I think I'd pick A Canterbury Tale at 3:30 AM Nov. 15. Finally, November 21 includes the fine comedy I Know Where I'm Going! at 8:00 PM and the new-to-me Tales of Hoffman at 1:30 AM November 22.

I was going to say that I was disappointed that not included in the tribute is A Matter of Life and Death, but a second look shows that's it is airing on TCM in November, just not part of the Thursday night lineups. Instead, you can find a third showing of the Scorsese documentary at 5:45 PM on November 30 followed by A Matter of Life and Death at 8:00 PM.

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