This month, TCM will be treating us to several mystery movies that are based on mystery authors’ novels. Agatha Christie, of course, will be represented. We’ll be able to watch Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, and some Stand Alone novels adapted for the screen. Christie is not the only mystery author to be represented. There will be a few Bulldog Drummond mystery movies (written by H.C. McNeile), some Charlie Chan mystery movies (based on the mystery novels by Earl Derr Biggers), and The Falcon (courtesy of Michael Arlen) will be appearing, as well as Stuart Palmer‘s Hildegarde Withers. Also, there will be a movie adapted from a Daphne du Maurier novel.
So >>> get your popcorn ready, find a comfortable seat in your home, and enjoy these mystery movies that the TCM channel has in store for us!
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September 2015 Turner Classic Movies Channel Mystery Movies (Central time zone):
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Wednesday – September 2, 2015
5:30 PM
IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU (1954)
A dizzy model in love with fame rents a billboard and puts her name on it.
Dir: George Cukor Cast: Judy Holliday, Peter Lawford, Jack Lemmon.
BW-87 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****This is not a mystery, but anything with Judy Holliday is a must-see for me!*****
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Thursday – September 3, 2015
6:30 AM
THE FALCON IN MEXICO (1944)
A society sleuth travels South of the border to investigate an art dealer’s murder.
Dir: William Berke Cast: Tom Conway, Mona Maris, Martha MacVicar.
BW-70 mins, CC
11:30 AM
THE HITCH-HIKER (1953)
A dangerous madman kidnaps two businessmen on a hunting trip.
Dir: Ida Lupino Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman.
BW-71 mins, CC
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Friday – September 4, 2015
4:00 AM
THEY WON’T BELIEVE ME (1947)
A faithless husband is charged with a murder he didn’t commit.
Dir: Irving Pichel Cast: Susan Hayward, Robert Young, Jane Greer.
BW-80 mins, CC
7:15 AM
DEADLINE AT DAWN (1946)
An aspiring actress risks her life to clear a sailor charged with murder.
Dir: Harold Clurman Cast: Susan Hayward, Paul Lukas, Bill Williams.
BW-83 mins, CC
8:45 AM
GIRLS ON PROBATION (1938)
A dizzy young girl falls into crime but wins her lawyer’s heart.
Dir: William McGann Cast: Jane Bryan, Ronald Reagan, Anthony Averill.
BW-64 mins
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Saturday – September 5, 2015
9:30 AM
BULLDOG DRUMMOND ESCAPES (1937)
Captain Drummond becomes a prisoner when he intents to protect a beautiful heiress of an espionage organization.
Dir: James Hogan Cast: Ray Milland, Sir Guy Standing, Heather Angel.
BW-67 mins
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Sunday – September 6, 2015
9:15 AM
BERLIN EXPRESS (1948)
Allied agents fight an underground Nazi group in post-war Europe.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Merle Oberon, Robert Ryan, Charles Korvin.
BW-87 mins, CC
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Monday – September 7, 2015
11:30 AM
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1958)
A British lawyer gets caught up in a couple’s tangled marital affairs when he defends the husband for murder.
Dir: Billy Wilder Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton.
BW-116 mins, CC
***** ***** ***** *****
Tuesday – September 8, 2015
5:30 AM
THE LADYKILLERS (1955)
An eccentric bandit gang moves into a little old lady’s boardinghouse to plot a major heist.
Dir: Alexander Mackendrick Cast: Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom.
C-91 mins, CC
7:00 PM
ACROSS THE PACIFIC (1942)
An American agent tries to keep Axis spies from blowing up the Panama Canal.
Dir: John Huston Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet.
C-96 mins, CC
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Friday – September 11, 2015
9:00 AM
MURDER ON A BRIDLE PATH (1936)
Schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers matches wits with the police to solve the murder of a society bride in Central Park.
Dir: Edward Killy Cast: James Gleason, Helen Broderick, Louise Latimer.
BW-67 mins, CC
*****Based on Stuart Palmer‘s Hildegarde Withers Mystery Series.*****
10:15 AM
CAT PEOPLE (1942)
A newlywed fears that an ancient curse will turn her into a bloodthirsty beast.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Simone Simon, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph.
BW-73 mins, CC
3:30 PM
IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU (1954)
A dizzy model in love with fame rents a billboard and puts her name on it.
Dir: George Cukor Cast: Judy Holliday, Peter Lawford, Jack Lemmon.
BW-87 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****I just love Judy Holliday movies! Not a mystery.*****
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Saturday – September 12, 2015
3:00 AM
THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE (1947)
After being framed for a policeman’s murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
Dir: [Alberto] Cavalcanti Cast: Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, Griffith Jones.
BW-101 mins, CC
9:30 AM
BULLDOG DRUMMOND AT BAY (1937)
A rock thrown through his window sets a gentleman adventurer on a search for enemy agents.
Dir: Norman Lee Cast: John Lodge, Dorothy Mackaill, Victor Jory.
BW-74 mins
*****H.C. McNeile wrote the Bulldog Drummond mysteries.*****
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Sunday – September 13, 2015
7:00 PM
GASLIGHT (1944)
A newlywed fears she’s going mad when strange things start happening at the family mansion.
Dir: George Cukor Cast: Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten.
BW-114 mins, CC
9:00 PM
HUSH… HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964)
A wealthy southern spinster fights to keep her family’s secrets hidden.
Dir: Robert Aldrich Cast: Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, Joseph Cotten.
BW-133 mins, CC
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Monday – September 14, 2015
5:00 PM
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1941)
An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family.
Dir: William Keighley Cast: Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley.
BW-113 mins, CC
*****This is a sometimes over-looked Christmas movie. It’s never too early to DVR it for the holiday season coming up! Not a mystery.*****
7:00 PM
DEATHTRAP (1982)
A blocked playwright plots to kill a beginner and steal his script.
Dir: Sidney Lumet Cast: Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, Dyan Cannon.
C-116 mins
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Tuesday – September 15, 2015
6:30 AM
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945)
Guests at a remote island mansion realize a crazed killer is stalking them.
Dir: René Clair Cast: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward.
BW-97 mins, CC
*****One of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries!*****
8:15 AM
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1958)
A British lawyer gets caught up in a couple’s tangled marital affairs when he defends the husband for murder.
Dir: Billy Wilder Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton.
BW-116 mins, CC
*****One of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries!*****
10:15 AM
MURDER SHE SAID (1961)
When nobody will believe she witnessed a murder, elderly sleuth Miss Marple takes a job as a maid to ferret out clues.
Dir: George Pollock Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow.
BW-86 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****One of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries! A rather different portrayal of Miss Marple.*****
12:00 PM
MURDER MOST FOUL (1964)
Elderly sleuth Miss Marple joins a small-town theatre to investigate a murder.
Dir: George Pollock Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody, Charles Tingwell.
BW-91 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****One of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries! A rather different portrayal of Miss Marple.*****
1:45 PM
THE ALPHABET MURDERS (1965)
Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates a series of murders committed in alphabetical order.
Dir: Frank Tashlin Cast: Tony Randall, Anita Ekberg, Robert Morley.
BW-91 mins, CC
*****One of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries! The Hercule Poirot portrayal is rather different than you might expect.*****
3:30 PM
TEN LITTLE INDIANS (1966)
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, CC, Letterbox Format
*****One of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries!*****
5:15 PM
AGATHA (1979)
A fictional account of the real life, eleven day, never explained 1926 disappearance of famed murder mystery writer Agatha Christie.
Dir: Michael Apted Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Vanessa Redgrave, Timothy Dalton.
C-98 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****Not one of Agatha Christie‘s mysteries, however it does have to do with her!*****
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Thursday – September 17, 2015
5:00 AM
THE VELVET TOUCH (1948)
After accidentally killing her lecherous producer, a famous actress tries to hide her guilt.
Dir: John Gage Cast: Rosalind Russell, Leo Genn, Claire Trevor.
BW-97 mins, CC
8:30 AM
THE GIRL IN BLACK STOCKINGS (1957)
A young girl’s murder leaves a hotel full of suspects.
Dir: Howard W. Koch Cast: Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, Mamie Van Doren.
BW-75 mins
10:00 AM
NIGHTFALL (1957)
A man on a hunting trip gets mixed up with murderous bank robbers.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Aldo Ray, Brian Keith, Anne Bancroft.
BW-79 mins, CC
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Friday – September 18, 2015
7:15 AM
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950)
A gang of small time crooks plots an elaborate jewel heist.
Dir: John Huston Cast: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen.
BW-112 mins, CC
9:15 AM
LARCENY, INC. (1942)
An ex-convict and his gang try to use a luggage store to front a bank robbery, but business keeps getting in the way.
Dir: Lloyd Bacon Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford.
BW-95 mins, CC
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Saturday 19, 2015
7:00 AM
JAMAICA INN (1939)
A young woman on the British coast stumbles onto a ring of bloodthirsty scavengers.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Charles Laughton, Horace Hodges, Hay Petrie.
BW-99 mins, CC
*****Based on Daphne du Maurier‘s novel.*****
9:30 AM
BULLDOG DRUMMOND COMES BACK (1937)
An old enemy kidnaps Bulldog Drummond¿s fiancée.
Dir: Louis King Cast: John Barrymore, John Howard, Louise Campbell.
BW-59 mins
*****H.C. McNeile wrote the Bulldog Drummond mysteries.*****
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Sunday – September 20, 2015
11:15 AM
HIGH SIERRA (1941)
An aging ex-con sets out to pull one more big heist.
Dir: Raoul Walsh Cast: Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Alan Curtis.
BW-100 mins, CC
7:00 PM
DARK ALIBI (1946)
Famed Asian detective Charlie Chan tries to disprove fingerprint evidence left at a bank robbery.
Dir: Phil Karlson Cast: Sidney Toler, Mantan Moreland, Ben Carter.
BW-61 mins
*****Earl Derr Biggers wrote the Charlie Chan mysteries.*****
8:15 PM
DANGEROUS MONEY (1946)
Famed Asian detective Charlie Chan investigates a shipboard murder.
Dir: Terry Morse Cast: Sidney Toler, Gloria Warren, Victor Sen Young.
BW-66 mins
*****Earl Derr Biggers wrote the Charlie Chan mysteries.*****
9:30 PM
THE GAY FALCON (1942)
A society sleuth tries to break up an insurance scam.
Dir: Irving Reis Cast: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, Allen Jenkins.
BW-67 mins, CC
*****Michael Arlen wrote The Falcon mysteries.*****
10:45 PM
A DATE WITH THE FALCON (1941)
The gentleman detective postpones his wedding to find a cache of stolen diamonds.
Dir: Irving Reis Cast: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, James Gleason.
BW-63 mins
*****Michael Arlen wrote The Falcon mysteries.*****
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Monday – September 21, 2015
6:30 AM
THE ROADHOUSE MURDER (1932)
Reporter has bright idea of claiming to be a murderer and writing his own expose.
Dir: J. Walter Ruben Cast: Dorothy Jordan, Eric Linden, Rosco Ates.
BW-73 mins
12:45 PM
THE PHANTOM OF CRESTWOOD (1933)
Five men have to prove their innocence when a blackmailer is murdered.
Dir: J. Walter Ruben Cast: Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Anita Louise.
BW-76 mins
***** ***** ***** *****
Wednesday – September 23, 2015
7:00 AM
THE SELLOUT (1951)
A small-town newspaper editor risks everything to expose a corrupt sheriff.
Dir: Gerald Mayer Cast: Walter Pidgeon, John Hodiak, Audrey Totter.
BW-83 mins, CC
8:30 AM
THE UNKNOWN MAN (1951)
A scrupulously honest lawyer discovers that the client he’s gotten off was really guilty.
Dir: Richard Thorpe Cast: Walter Pidgeon, Ann Harding, Barry Sullivan.
BW-86 mins
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Friday – September 25, 2015
5:00 AM
WHERE LOVE HAS GONE (1964)
Family secrets come to light when a teen-ager murders her mother’s lover.
Dir: Edward Dmytryk Cast: Susan Hayward, Bette Davis, Michael Connors.
C-114 mins
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Saturday – September 26, 2015
9:30 AM
BULLDOG DRUMMOND’S REVENGE (1937)
Captain Drummond travels to Switzerland in order to marry his girlfriend but the disappearance of a dangerous cargo of explosives makes him delay his plans.
Dir: Louis King Cast: John Barrymore, John Howard, Louise Campbell.
BW-55 mins
*****H.C. McNeile wrote the Bulldog Drummond mysteries.*****
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Monday – September 28, 2015
5:00 AM
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944)
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, CC
9:00 AM
GASLIGHT (1944)
A newlywed fears she’s going mad when strange things start happening at the family mansion.
Dir: George Cukor Cast: Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten.
BW-114 mins, CC
11:00 AM
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
A straying husband frames his wife for the murder of the man he’d hired to kill her.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.
C-105 mins, CC
3:00 PM
THE LETTER (1940)
A woman claims to have killed in self-defense, until a blackmailer turns up with incriminating evidence.
Dir: William Wyler Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson.
BW-95 mins, CC
5:00 PM
WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967)
A blind woman fights against drug smugglers who’ve invaded her home.
Dir: Terence Young Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna.
C-108 mins, CC
10:00 PM
STOLEN IDENTITY (1953)
A jealous musician kills his wife and frames a cab driver.
Dir: Gunther Fritsch Cast: Donald Buka, Joan Camden, Francis Lederer.
BW-78 mins
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Wednesday – September 30, 2015
2:45 AM
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)
An aging American judge presides over the trial of Nazi war criminals.
Dir: Stanley Kramer Cast: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark.
BW-179 mins, CC
11:15 PM
GILDA (1946)
A gambler discovers an old flame in South America, but she’s married to his new boss.
Dir: Charles Vidor Cast: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready.
BW-110 mins, CC
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(All of the above TCM descriptions were copied from the TCM site.)
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I have been posting the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel’s mystery movie line-up here, but I just looked at it, and it looks like they won’t be offering any new mystery movies. They will have the marathons of the old Diagnosis Murder shows, as well as the Murder, She Wrote and Columbo old shows, ETC. I will be watching the channel’s roster and will try to announce when they air a new mystery movie.
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Please post a comment if you know of any other TV mystery movies that will be airing during September 2015.
Here is the August 2015 television mystery movies schedule:
Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for August 2015
Here is the page on my site with lots and lots of entries of movies and television shows you may enjoy:
Hanna says
“And then there were none” and “Ten Little Indians” are, of course the same story. Still, will be interesting to watch both.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hanna, it should be interesting to see both of these Agatha Christie movies. I especially enjoy watching Barry Fitzgerald and Walter Huston in their movie appearances.
Denise says
Wow, I didn’t know you had a list of upcoming movies Danna, thank you soooooooooo much! I love the old movies/classics. There were a few on your list I have not seen, always ready to watch a classic;)
I find the tv guides so hard to understand, so thank you again for your list;) Denise
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Denise, I hope you enjoy the ones you watch. I love these old movies, and especially enjoy hearing about them from Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz >>> who happens to be the younger brother of Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz.
Mary g says
Hello. What a great list! If I had my druthers, and could only pick three….. I would go with Witness for the Prosecution (based on an agatha Christie short story, with a different ending…but fabulous. I would also pick Arsenic and Old Lace, because it is a classic comedy (Cary grant at his best), and while an older movie holds up very well. This one I always watch when I get the opportunity. And anything with billy Holliday. And anything with Margaret Rutherford. Darn, that makes four. All not to be missed, I feel.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary G, it looks like you have the same problem as I do. I DVR so many movies that I can barely watch all of them!
Paula Catherine says
Just an FYI: some PBS stations are having a one hour special about Miss Fishers’ murder mysteries. The actors are interviewed along with some of the others responsible for producing this fabulous series. The third season is on the way, Yeah!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Paula Catherine, thanks for the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries info. I hope all of the PBS stations start airing this show. I don’t quite understand why only local stations have done that. It seems like this show is good enough to warrant a national PBS showing time. (Now I’ll get off my soap box!)
Nikki says
Gaslight and Wait Until Dark are my two all time favorite scary mysteries. Nobody does it better than Ingrid Bergman, a very young Angela Landsbury, and Audrey Hepburn. Thank you so much and I’ll have the popcorn ready.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nikki, when I think of the roles Charles Boyer was in, I usually associate him with a character who is happy and good. Yikes! This movie sure does flip that on its head!
Margaret M. says
Thank you for the list Danna.
I don’t think I have seen AGATHA since I saw it in the theater in 1979!
I can not wait to see it again. if I remember, it was not a bad movie.
And DEATH TRAP, my favorite play and movie. Although I love MOUSETRAP too. Luckily I have DEATH TRAP on DVD. It is one of my go to movies for those cool, wind driven rain Fall nights.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Margaret M, you’re welcome. I just watched Deathtrap again (I had DVRed it from a previous TCM showing) and enjoyed it >>> again!
Donna Mc says
Hi Danna, I just found a DVD collection of the Hildegard Withers movies on the TCM website! It’s on sale now. 🙂 I don’t know if it’s exclusive to TCM or not, but here is the link so you can check it out.
http://shop.tcm.com/detail.php?p=460090&ecid=PRF-TCM-100121&pa=PRF-TCM-100121