Finally, the shortest month of the year is upon us. For me, this means that the holidays are very much over! In our household our birthdays all fall from November to the end of January, so gift-giving is over for this year, as well as baking birthday cakes and holiday pies. (The cakes are from box mixes and the pies are from the freezer, so there truthfully isn’t that much to either of them.)
As I am getting the Turner Classic Movies channel’s mystery movies list together, it seems to me that there are quite a few science fiction movies on their roster. I’m not going to list them, but if you like those types of movies make sure to take a look at the channel’s guide online. I happen to like them, especially the older ones – the cornier the better. (Weird, huh?)
Also, on the second there will be a whole lot of cold-weather movies being shown in the morning followed by hot-weather-destination movies in the afternoon. But the best part of the day is when they will air several film noirs at the end of the day. The tenth seems to be devoted to movies about divorces. Who knew there were so many of these movies?! And then, the day after Valentine’s Day TCM is focusing on jealousy between couples.
***** ***** ***** *****
TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES CHANNEL MYSTERY MOVIES – February 2021:
***** ***** ***** *****
Monday – February 1, 2021
2:00 AM
Live Flesh (1997)
Victor goes to meet Elena for a date. Elena, uninterested, tells Victor to leave the apartment before her dealer gets there. Their ensuing argument and struggle draw the attention of policemen Sancho and David. As Elena flees, her gun goes off, paralyzing David. Six years later, Victor gets out of jail and begins having an affair with Sancho’s wife. This movie is in Spanish and is based on Ruth Rendell’s novel of the same name.
Dir: Pedro Almodóvar Actors: Angela Molina, Penélope Cruz, Mariola Fuentes, Liberto Rabal
100 mins
9:00 AM
After Office Hours (1935)
A society newspaperwoman tries to prove to her editor that she can crack a murder case.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard Actors: Constance Bennett, Clark Gable, Stuart Erwin
75 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Tuesday – February 2, 2021
8:00 PM
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
A frustrated wife seduces a drifter into murdering her husband.
Dir: Tay Garnett Actors: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway
111 mins
10:00 PM
Force of Evil (1949)
Joe Morse, an attorney for racketeer Ben Tucker, realizes that thousands of people select the number “776” in the lotteries on Independence day and conceives of a clever scheme to fix that as the winning number on the Fourth of July, thus bankrupting the numerous numbers banks operating in the city and enabling Tucker to gain a stranglehold…
Dir: Abraham Polonsky, Robert Aldrich Actors: John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, Marie Windsor, Howland Chamberlin
88 mins
11:45 PM
He Ran All the Way (1951)
Despite having a premonition that he will forever be on the run for murdering a man, Nick Robey agrees on a plan to make some easy money with his disreputable pal, Al Molin. The two men rob a man for a company payroll at the local train yard warehouse, but before they can make their getaway, Al is killed by a policeman…
Dir: John Berry, Arnold Laven Actors: John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Selena Royle
77 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Wednesday – February 3, 2021
1:15 AM
Nobody Lives Forever (1946)
A con artist falls for the rich widow he’s trying to fleece.
Dir: Jean Negulesco Actors: John Garfield, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Walter Brennan
100 mins
4:30 AM
Out of the Fog (1941)
A racketeer terrorizes a small fishing community until he falls in love with a fisherman’s daughter.
Dir: Anatole Litvak Actors: John Garfield ,Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell
93 mins
6:15 AM
Blackwell’s Island (1939)
A reporter gets himself sent to prison to expose a mobster.
Dir: William Mcgann Actors: John Garfield ,Rosemary Lane, Dick Purcell
71 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Thursday – February 4, 2021
2:30 AM
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
A black detective teams up with a racist white sheriff to solve a murder in a small town in the South. Over time, they begin to find respect for one another.
Dir: Norman Jewison Actors: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates
109 mins
4:30 AM
Edge of the City (1957)
An army deserter and a black dock worker join forces against a corrupt union official.
Dir: Martin Ritt Actors: John Cassavetes, Sidney Poitier, Jack Warden
85 mins
9:45 PM
Charade (1963)
A young woman returns home from vacation to find her elegant apartment stripped and her husband murdered.
Dir: Stanley Donen Actors: Cary Grant , Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau
114 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Friday – February 5, 2021
2:30 AM
Ball of Fire (1942)
At the Daniel S. Totten Foundation in New York, Bertram Potts, a somber, dedicated linguistics professor, oversees the writing of an encyclopedia, on which he and his eight uniquely qualified colleagues have been toiling for nine years. When their financial backer, Miss Totten, drops by the foundation and threatens to withdraw her support, Bertram…
Dir: Howard Hawks, William Tummel Actors: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oscar Homolka, Henry Travers
111 mins
*****This isn’t a mystery movie, but if you’re a fan of Barbara Stanwyck – this comedy is for you!*****
4:30 AM
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)
A woman slowly discovers that her artist husband is a deranged killer.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith
99 mins
9:30 AM
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960)
A small-time thief kills his way to the top of the New York rackets.
Dir: Budd Boetticher Actors: Ray Danton, Karen Steele, Elaine Stewart
101 mins
4:30 PM
Chandler (1971)
A former private eye lands in hot water when he agrees to protect a government witness.
Dir: Paul Magwood Actors: Warren Oates, Leslie Caron, Alex Dreier
88 mins
6:15 PM
Badlands (1973)
A teenager from a dead-end town decides to join a charming older boy on his shooting spree through Montana’s badlands.
Dir: Terrence Malick Actors: Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates
95 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Saturday – February 6, 2021
2:30 PM
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
The legendary sleuth becomes involved with a mysterious French woman while investigating the Loch Ness monster.
Dir: Billy Wilder Actors: Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely, Irene Handl
125 mins
6:30 PM
Rope (1948)
Two wealthy young men try to commit the perfect crime by murdering a friend.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Actors: Dick Hogan, John Dall, Farley Granger
80 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Sunday – February 7, 2021
12:00 AM
The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)
In November, 1947, a dizzy, sweating Sheila Bennet returns to New York City from Cuba. She checks into a cheap hotel and phones her husband, Matt Krane, who warns her to stay away from their apartment in case it is under surveillance by treasury agents. Unknown to Sheila, Matt is having an affair with her sister Francie…
Dir: Earl Mcevoy, James Nicholson Actors: Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, William Bishop, Dorothy Malone
79 mins
1:45 AM
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
On one of the hottest days of August 1972, three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a Brooklyn bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.
Dir: Sidney Lumet Actors: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Carol Kane
130 mins
10:00 AM
The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)
In November, 1947, a dizzy, sweating Sheila Bennet returns to New York City from Cuba. She checks into a cheap hotel and phones her husband, Matt Krane, who warns her to stay away from their apartment in case it is under surveillance by treasury agents. Unknown to Sheila, Matt is having an affair with her sister Francie…
Dir: Earl Mcevoy, James Nicholson Actors: Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, William Bishop, Dorothy Malone
79 mins
5:45 PM
The Birds (1963)
An immense flock of birds descends upon a seacoast town, makes it their nesting ground, and begins to attack and kill the townsfolk.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Actors: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy
120 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Monday – February 8, 2021
11:30 AM
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
A frustrated wife seduces a drifter into murdering her husband.
Dir: Tay Garnett Actors: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway
111 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Tuesday – February 9, 2021
7:45 AM
Crossfire (1947)
A crusading district attorney investigates the murder of a Jewish man.
Dir: Edward Dmytryk Actors: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan
85 mins
9:15 AM
The Woman on the Beach (1947)
A coast guardsman begins to think his mistress’s blind husband can really see.
Dir: Jean Renoir Actors: Joan Bennett, Robert Ryan, Charles Bickford
71 mins
10:30 AM
Act of Violence (1949)
An embittered veteran tracks down a POW camp informer.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann Actors: Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh
82 mins
12:00 PM
The Set-Up (1949)
An aging boxer defies the gangsters who’ve ordered him to throw his last fight.
Dir: Robert Wise Actors: Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter, George Tobias
72 mins
3:00 PM
The Secret Fury (1950)
The wedding of Ellen and David is halted by a stranger who insists that the bride is already married to someone else. Though the flabbergasted Ellen denies the charge, the interloper produces enough evidence that his accusation must be investigated. Ellen and David travel to the small coastal town where her first wedding allegedly occurred.
Dir: Mel Ferrer Actors: Claudette Colbert, Robert Ryan, Jane Cowl
85 mins
6:00 PM
Clash by Night (1952)
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend.
Dir: Fritz Lang Actors: Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan
104 mins
9:45 PM
Body and Soul (1947)
In New York City, Charley Davis, the middleweight champion of the world, wakes up from a nightmare screaming the name “Ben,” then visits his mother, telling her that Ben died that day.
Dir: Robert Rossen, Robert Aldrich Actors: John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere
105 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Wednesday – February 10, 2021
8:00 PM
Moonrise (1948)
When his wife becomes ill, Virginian Jeb Hawkins phones a doctor, but the doctor refuses to visit her, saying that her condition is not serious. Shortly thereafter, she dies, causing Jeb to lose control and kill the doctor.
Dir: Frank Borzage, Lee Lukather Actors: Dane Clark, Gail Russell, Ethel Barrymore, Allyn Joslyn
90 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Friday – February 12, 2021
4:00 AM
Vertigo (1958)
A detective falls for the mysterious woman he’s been hired to tail.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Actors: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
128 mins
6:15 AM
Rear Window (1954)
A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Actors: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey
112 mins
6:00 PM
Party Girl (1958)
A showgirl and a crooked lawyer try to break with a powerful mob boss.
Dir: Nicholas Ray Actors: Robert Taylor, Cyd Charisse, Lee J. Cobb
99 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Monday – February 15, 2021
6:30 PM
Rage in Heaven (1941)
A jealous man plots to fake his death and incriminate his wife’s suspected lover.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke Ii Actors: Robert Montgomery, Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders
82 mins
8:00 PM
In Cold Blood (1967)
Two vagrants try to outrun the police after committing a savage crime in this real-life shocker.
Dir: Richard Brooks Actors: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe
134 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Thursday – February 18, 2021
6:15 PM
The Front Page (1931)
A crusading newspaper editor tricks his retiring star reporter into covering one last case.
Dir: Lewis Milestone Actors: Adolph Menjou, Pat O’brien, Mary Brian
101 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Saturday – February 20, 2021
1:15 PM
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Young Charlie is a small-town girl consumed with finding out whether her unhinged Uncle Charlie is a serial killer.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Actors: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey
108 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Sunday – February 21, 2021
12:00 AM
Native Son (1951)
In Chicago’s “black belt,” where nearly half a million African Americans are crowded in…
Dir: Pierre Chenal Actors: Jean Wallace, Richard Wright, Nicholas Joy
105 mins
10:00 AM
Native Son (1951)
In Chicago’s “black belt,” where nearly half a million African Americans are crowded in…
Dir: Pierre Chenal Actors: Jean Wallace, Richard Wright, Nicholas Joy
105 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Monday – February 22, 2021
1:15 PM
Adam’s Rib (1949)
A happily-married, middle-aged husband and wife strain their marriage while serving as trial attorneys on opposite sides of the same headline-making attempted murder-marital case. He is the prosecutor, and she is the defender.
Dir: George Cukor Actors: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday
101 mins
*****Not so much a mystery movie, but it is a fun movie to watch.*****
***** ***** ***** *****
Tuesday – February 23, 2021
6:45 AM
Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)
A wife-killer marries an innocent barmaid and plots her death.
Dir: Lewis Gilbert Actors: Margaret Lockwood, Dirk Bogarde, Kay Walsh
85 mins
8:15 AM
Libel (1959)
A former POW is accused of being an impostor.
Dir: Anthony Asquith Actors: Dirk Bogarde,Olivia De Havilland,Paul Massie
100 mins
11:45 AM
Victim (1961)
A closeted lawyer risks his career to bring a blackmailer to justice.
Dir: Basil Dearden Actors: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Syms, Dennis Price
100 mins
3:45 PM
Our Mother’s House (1967)
Afraid of being separated, a family of children keep their mother’s death a secret.
Dir: Jack Clayton Actors: Dirk Bogarde, Margaret Brooks, Pamela Franklin
105 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Wednesday – February 24, 2021
5:30 PM
Mrs. O’Malley and Mr. Malone (1950)
A lawyer and a widow encounter murder on a train ride.
Dir: Norman Taurog Actors: Marjorie Main, James Whitmore, Ann Dvorak
69 mins
10:00 PM
A Soldier’s Story (1984)
A black army attorney is sent to an all-black army camp during World War II to investigate the murder of a sergeant and sees first hand the racial strife between the black soldiers and the white officers who run the boot camp.
Dir: Norman Jewison Actors: Howard E Rollins, Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington, Dennis Lipscomb
101 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Friday – February 26, 2021
11:45 AM
Their Big Moment (1934)
A phony psychic conjures up a real ghost who asks her to solve his murder.
Dir: James Cruze Actors: Zasu Pitts, Slim Summerville, William Gaxton
68 mins
1:00 PM
Miracles for Sale (1939)
A magician turns detective to investigate murder and a phony seance.
Dir: Tod Browning Actors: Robert Young, Florence Rice, Frank Craven
71 mins
2:15 PM
Fingers at the Window (1942)
A magician uses hypnosis to create an army of murderers.
Dir: Charles Lederer Actors: Lew Ayres, Laraine Day, Basil Rathbone
80 mins
8:00 PM
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
A Korean War hero doesn’t realize he’s been programmed to kill by the enemy.
Dir: John Frankenheimer Actors: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh
126 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Saturday – February 27, 2021
4:00 AM
Out of Bounds (1986)
Daryl Cage’s parents think that he will have a better life if he leaves the family farm and goes to live with his brother in the city. So Daryl makes the trip, but when there is a baggage mix up at the airport, he finds that he has gotten a bag full of drugs. When the ruthless dealer tracks Daryl down and murders his brother…
Dir: Richard Tuggle, James M Arnett Actors: Raymond J Barry, Ted Gehring, Jerry Levine, Kevin Mccorkle
93 mins
1:45 PM
12 Angry Men (1957)
A jury holdout tries to convince his colleagues to vote not guilty.
Dir: Sidney Lumet Actors: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley
95 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Sunday – February 28, 2021
12:00 AM
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
In New York City, David Burke, a former policeman who once served a prison sentence, asks bigoted Southern tough guy Earl Slater to rob a bank with him, promising him $50,000 in small bills if the robbery is successful. Earl is reluctant to accept Burke’s proposal but feels he needs the money to support his live-in girl friend, Lorry.
Dir: Robert Wise, Charles Maguire Actors: Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley
95 mins
10:00 AM
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
In New York City, David Burke, a former policeman who once served a prison sentence, asks bigoted Southern tough guy Earl Slater to rob a bank with him, promising him $50,000 in small bills if the robbery is successful. Earl is reluctant to accept Burke’s proposal but feels he needs the money to support his live-in girl friend, Lorry.
Dir: Robert Wise, Charles Maguire Actors: Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley
95 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
If you’re really looking forward to these or other mystery-themed tv specials coming up in February, be sure to leave a comment below!
In case you’re interested in seeing the rest of this month’s television mystery movies, here’s the January 2021 television mystery movies schedule:
Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for January 2021 on Turner Classic Movies channel
And here is the page on my site with plenty of entries about movies and television shows you may enjoy:
Cozy Mystery List TV and Movie Section – all you have to do is click on the link to go to that page on my site.
Carol Cullens says
Our family birthdays are from early October through late January. We’ve also thought that the holidays ended with my birthday! How funny!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carol, that sounds pretty similar to how it works out sometimes here! We have to work hard to get the Christmas/New Years stuff all put away before birthdays start.
Dee Peterson says
Great lists!! Thank you!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dee, you’re welcome!
Linda says
Thanks for the update. We also enjoy those old, corny sci-fi movies.
I will check out the schedule.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I hope you find something to enjoy!
Mary says
Thanks so much for this list. I hadn’t even considered Turner Classic Movies.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary, you’re welcome!