This is the second month I am posting the upcoming television mystery movies on the Turner Classic Movie channel. As I have mentioned several times, I subscribe to TCM’s monthly television movie guide (Now Playing) and actually highlight the movies I think my husband and I might enjoy watching. The movies I’m going to list are all mysteries, except for two that feature one of my very favorite actresses: Judy Holliday.
I have not seen all of these listed movies, so please don’t hold me accountable if they aren’t any good. I am going to be listing these movies in Central time zone, so you might want to check out your local starting times.
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Thursday – May 2, 2013
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) 1:30 AM (Central)
A young man about to be married discovers the two aunts who raised him have been poisoning lonely old men.
Dir: Frank Capra Cast: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey
BW-118 mins, TV-G, CC
THE CASE OF THE BLACK CAT (1936) 9:15 AM (Central)
Perry Mason looks into a trio of murders heralded by the shriek of a cat.
Dir: William McGann Cast: Ricardo Cortez, June Travis, Jane Bryan
BW-66 mins, TV-PG
***** ***** ***** *****
Saturday – May 4, 2013
THE FALCON TAKES OVER (1942) 9:45 AM (Central)
A society sleuth and a lady reporter try to track down a murderous thug’s lost girlfriend.
Dir: Irving Reis Cast: George Sanders, Lynn Bari, James Gleason
BW-63 mins, TV-G
***** ***** ***** *****
Tuesday – May 7, 2013
CROSSFIRE (1947) 9:00 PM (Central)
A crusading district attorney investigates the murder of a Jewish man.|
Dir: Edward Dmytryk Cast: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan
BW-86 mins, TV-PG, CC
OUT OF THE PAST (1947) 10:30 PM (Central)
A private eye becomes the dupe of a homicidal moll.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas
BW-97 mins, TV-PG, CC
***** ***** ***** *****
Wednesday – May 8, 2013
THE NAKED CITY (1948) 2:15 AM (Central)
A step-by-step look at a murder investigation on the streets of New York.
Dir: Jules Dassin Cast: Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart
BW-96 mins, TV-14, CC
SO LONG AT THE FAIR (1950) 5:30 PM (Central)
A woman searches for her missing brother in Paris despite the fact that nobody believes he exists.
Dir: Antony Darnborough Cast: Honor Blackman, Jean Simmons, Dirk Bogarde
BW-86 mins, TV-PG, CC
***** ***** ***** *****
Thursday – May 9, 2013
SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (1969) 4:00 PM (Central)
This film comprises three supernatural tales based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Dir: Roger Vadim Cast: Vincent Price, Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda
C-121 mins, TV-14, Letterbox Format
***** ***** ***** *****
Friday – May 10, 2013
UNDER CAPRICORN (1949) 10:00 PM (Central)
Newly arrived in Australia, a man discovers his childhood love is now an alcoholic.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, Michael Wilding
C-117 mins, TV-PG, CC
♦♦♦(I wasn’t sure if this is a mystery until I noticed that on page 4 of TCM’s May Now Playing magazine, this is written: “…Under Capricorn (1949) a compelling murder mystery set in 19th-century Australia that was one of the few Alfred Hitchcock films of its period not to capture the public fancy;…”
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Saturday – May 11, 2013
THE FALCON’S BROTHER (1942) 9:45 AM (Central)
A gentlemanly detective calls on his brother to help him stop the Nazis from assassinating a key diplomat.
Dir: Stanley Logan Cast: George Sanders, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph
BW-63 mins, TV-G
***** ***** ***** *****
Wednesday – May 15, 2013
THE THIRD MAN, THE (1949) 8:30 AM (Central)
A man’s investigation of a friend’s death uncovers corruption in post-World War II Vienna.
Dir: Carol Reed Cast: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles
BW-104 mins, TV-14, CC
***** ***** ***** *****
Thursday – May 16, 2013
BORN YESTERDAY (1950) 4:30 AM (Central)
A newspaper reporter takes on the task of educating a crooked businessman’s girlfriend.
Dir: George Cukor Cast: Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, William Holden
BW-102 mins, TV-PG, CC
THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC (1956) 1:15 PM (Central)
A small time investor takes on the management of a major corporation.
Dir: Richard Quine Cast: Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, Fred Clark
C-100 mins, TV-G
♦♦♦(Neither of these movies are mysteries. They are both movies that star one of my all time favorite actresses: Judy Holliday.)
***** ***** ***** *****
Friday – May 17, 2013
MAD HOLIDAY (1936) 6:15 AM (Central)
A temperamental film star’s vacation turns deadly when he uncovers a murder.
Dir: George B. Seitz Cast: Edmund Lowe, Elissa Landi, ZaSu Pitts
BW-72 mins, TV-G
THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR (1937) 7:30 AM (Central)
A phony psychic tries to solve a murder that took place during her seance.
Dir: George B. Seitz Cast: Dame May Whitty, Madge Evans, Lewis Stone
BW-67 mins, TV-G
***** ***** ***** *****
Saturday – May 18, 2013
THE FALCON STRIKES BACK (1943) 9:45 AM (Central)
A society sleuth is framed for murder by criminals running a war-bond racket.
Dir: Edward Dmytryk Cast: Tom Conway, Harriet Hilliard, Jane Randolph
BW-66 mins, TV-G
MURDER BY DEATH (1976) 10:15 PM (Central)
A criminal madman invites the world’s greatest detectives for a night of dinner and murder.
Dir: Robert Moore Cast: Peter Falk, Truman Capote, Alec Guinness
BW-95 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
***** ***** ***** *****
Sunday – May 19, 2013
TEN LITTLE INDIANS (1966) 5:15 AM (Central)
Party guests at a remote mansion have been brought together to pay for past crimes.
Dir: George Pollock Cast: Hugh O’Brian, Shirley Eaton, Fabian
C-90 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
♦♦♦(Based on Agatha Christie‘s mystery.)
JOHNNY O’CLOCK (1947) 11:00 AM (Central)
Gambling hall owners get mixed up with a cop on the take, leading to murder and mystery.
Dir: Robert Rossen Cast: Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb
BW-96 mins, TV-PG, CC
***** ***** ***** *****
Sunday – May 26, 2013
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) 3:30 AM (Central)
An American reporter covering the war in Europe gets mixed up in the assassination of a Dutch diplomat.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall
BW-120 mins, TV-PG, CC
***** ***** ***** *****
Friday – May 31, 2013
A NEW LEAF (1971) 3:30 AM (Central)
A playboy squanders his wealth and must seek out a new source to maintain his idle rich lifestyle, namely marrying a rich woman and … murdering her.
Dir: Elaine May Cast: Walter Matthau, Elaine May, Jack Weston .
C-102 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format
♦♦♦(While this isn’t technically a mystery, I enjoyed this movie and think some of you might, too. On page 4 of TCM’s May Now Playing it says: “Elaine May wrote, directed and stars in A New Leaf (1971), a black comedy in which she plays a wealthy wallflower pursued by an impoverished playboy (Walter Matthau) with murder on his mind.“)
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If you know of any other mystery movies that are going to be airing this month, feel free to post a comment.
(All of the above descriptions were copied from the TCM site. I hope they don’t change their line-up!)
Michelle E says
Thank you for posting the list of movies. I am looking forward to watching them.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
You’re welcome, Michelle E. My husband and I just watched The Penguin Pool Murders from TCM’s last month list. I had seen it before, but I wanted him to see it.
Lois G. says
I have seen Arsenic and Old Lace, Murder by Death and A New Leaf….All of them had me laughing out loud. They all combine wonderful humor with the mystery and/or murderous plot. I have read that Cary Grant didn’t like Arsenic and Old Lace because he believed he had overacted in it, but it is one of my all-time-favorite movies. Quotes from that movie (“I’m the son of a seacook!”) and from A New Leaf (“….carbon in the valves”) are now part of my family’s verbal shorthand. I think (hope) that everyone here will enjoy them too. We could all do with a few laughs 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
You are so right, Lois G! Those three movies are indeed funny. I’m glad they will be on again, since this time I’m going to share them with my husband. (Also, I think my daughter would enjoy A New Leaf. Elaine May is absolutely a riot in this movie!)
"Auntie" says
Thank you!!!
“Auntie”
Julia says
I LOVE ‘Murder By Death’ 🙂 I saw it in the theaters when it first came out, and somehow I still get that same sense when I see it on the small screen- so many wonderful actors, spoofing that many wonderful fictional detectives – it’s really just a big larger than life.
My favorites are David Niven and Maggie Smith as Dick and Dora Charleston, although Peter Falk as Sam Diamond is fantastic as well (I’m just glad Neil Simon gave Peter Falk/Sam Diamond a movie all his own in ‘The Cheap Detective’…another classic). Oh, and Alec Guiness as Jamessir Bensonmum…he’s to die for (pun intended).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julia, to name just a few…
Laura says
Danna: Judy Holliday is my favorite romantic comedy actress. I love “The Bells Are Ringing”. Will put “Cadillac” on the DVR. Thanks for the TCM reminder. Really appreciate it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laura, you have great taste in romantic comedy actresses! I just love to watch Judy Holliday in any of the few movies she made. (I think both she and Dean Martin are delightful in The Bells are Ringing.)
"Auntie" says
“Auntie” is back! I put a link to this great post of yours, in my blog today. Hope more people see it, and use it.
Again, thank you.
“Auntie”
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks for the shout-out, Auntie!
Ksenija says
Hi Danna!
I wasn’t sure where to post this, but since I know you take care of all the comments, you will definitely see this. I discovered a new author (for me at least) and I saw he already has his page here, but some of the titles are not listed yet. Edward Marston is in question and the book title is The Amorous Nightingale. It is the 2nd book in the Redmayne-Bale Restoration mystery series. The 1st book in the series is also not on the list. It’s called The King’s Evil.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Ksenija, for the Edward Marston correction. I just changed his page (and Keith Miles’ as well as Conrad Allen’s) BUT the corrected pages won’t show up for a few days. (I am in the middle of changing a few other things on the site, so I won’t be able to re-publish it for a few days.)
Donna says
Thank you, Danna! You must put a lot of hard work into compiling this list every month. I really appreciate it, and watch TMC nearly every day now.
Donna says
Oops! Make that TCM. Silly typos! 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, ever since AndieP told us about the monthly TCM Now Playing magazine, I have found myself scouring its pages for shows my husband and I can add to our Sage (our dvr recorder). It finally dawned on me that since I always highlight the old mystery movies, I might as well share them here. I figured there would be lots of other people here who would enjoy the mystery movies as much as we do.
Joyce says
I just found your list for cozies on television for the first time. I printed it out to keep by my TV chair! I will check on this each month. What a wonderful idea!
Thank you.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joyce, I have taped a lot of these mystery movies on TCM, now I just have to watch them! It seems like I just keep accruing more and more movies. I hope you make your way through them faster than I do…