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“Trouble in Paradise” (1932): A Masterclass in Pre-Code Elegance and High-Stakes Deception Directed by legendary filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch, Trouble in Paradise (1932) is a quintessential pre-Code romantic comedy starring Herbert Marshall, Kay Francis, and Miriam Hopkins. Set against read more

“Design for Living”: A Pre-Code Tale of Love, Art, and Compromise Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, Design for Living (1933) is a sophisticated pre-Code romantic comedy about an unusual love triangle that forms in Paris. The story begins on a train where Gilda Farrell (Miriam Hopkins), an read more

Bonded by Loyalty, Tested by Fate: The Emotional Triumph of “Three Comrades” Directed by Frank Borzage, Three Comrades (1938) is a poignant romantic drama set in Germany during the turbulent aftermath of World War I. The film stars Robert Taylor, Margaret Sullavan, Franchot Tone, an read more

From Chicago to California: The Wagon Train of “Westward the Women” Directed by William A. Wellman, Westward the Women opens in 1851 with California rancher Roy Whitman hiring veteran trail guide Buck Wyatt (Robert Taylor) to lead 139 women from Chicago across the harsh American wil read more

“Little Man, What Now?”: A Test of Love in the Shadow of Crisis  Little Man, What Now? Directed by Frank Borzage, Little Man, What Now? (1934) stars Margaret Sullavan as Emma “Lämmchen” Pinneberg and Douglass Montgomery as Hans Pinneberg. Set in early 1930s Germany read more

Class Collisions and Culinary Cover-Ups: “The Mating Season” Directed by Mitchell Leisen and released by Paramount Pictures in 1951, The Mating Season is a satirical screwball comedy starring Gene Tierney, John Lund, Miriam Hopkins, and Thelma Ritter. The story opens in Jersey City, read more

Sacrifice and Survival on the Waterfront: “Min and Bill” (1930) Directed by George Hill, Min and Bill (1930) is a pivotal Pre-Code comedy-drama starring Marie Dressler as Min Divot and Wallace Beery as Bill. Set along a dusty waterfront dock, Min runs a seedy, rundown hotel while ma read more

Highlights for TCM’s Summer Under the Stars (August 1–31) Turner Classic Movies (TCM) brings back Summer Under the Stars for the entire month of August! Each day, TCM dedicates its entire 24-hour schedule to celebrating a single iconic film legend. TCM Host Picks Don't miss these read more

High Society Collides with Personal Drama in “Dinner at Eight” Directed by George Cukor, Dinner at Eight (1933) brings together an ensemble cast that includes Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, and Billie Burke. The story centers around Mil read more

Bound by Luxury, Broken by Truth: The Easiest Way Directed by Jack Conway, The Easiest Way (1931) is a Pre-Code melodrama starring Constance Bennett, Adolphe Menjou, and Robert Montgomery. The story centers on Laura Murdock (Bennett), a young woman living in a cramped, poverty-stricken tenement read more

The Price of Devotion: Sacrificial Motherhood and Fatal Ambition in Michael Curtiz’s “Mildred Pierce” Directed by Michael Curtiz, Mildred Pierce (1945) seamlessly blends classic melodrama with the dark, shadows-and-murder aesthetic of film noir. The story kicks off in classic read more

High Society and Second Chances: The Philadelphia Story Released in 1940 and directed by George Cukor, The Philadelphia Story is a quintessential romantic comedy starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. The narrative centers on Tracy Lord (Hepburn), a proud, strong-willed Phil read more

A Symphony of Obsession and Sacrifice: “Humoresque”  Directed by Jean Negulesco, Humoresque (1946) is a sweeping, emotionally charged melodrama that chronicles the turbulent rise of a classical musician and the destructive romance that threatens his career. The story centers on read more

Unlocking the Subconscious: The Nested Secrets of John Brahm’s “The Locket” (1946) Directed by John Brahm, The Locket (1946) is a psychologically dense film noir that unpeels its narrative mystery through a uniquely complex structure of nested flashbacks. The story begins on t read more

Echoes of Suspicion: Trust on Trial in “Wife vs. Secretary” Directed by Clarence Brown, Wife vs. Secretary (1936) is a sophisticated Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic drama that explores the fragile nature of marital trust and the destructive power of societal gossip. The story centers read more

A Six-Million-Dollar Slander: The High-Stakes Romance and Hilarious Hoaxes of “Libeled Lady” Libeled Lady (1936) directed by Jack Conway, is a breathless, high-stakes MGM screwball comedy that weaponizes romance to avert a devastating legal crisis. The chaos begins when the unscrupu read more

Inside the Hollywood Madhouse: The Frantic Satire of Jean Harlow’s “Bombshell” Bombshell (1933), a fast-paced pre-Code satirical comedy directed by Victor Fleming, stars Jean Harlow as Lola Burns, a glamorous but utterly exhausted Hollywood movie star. Lola is the top “b read more

A “Gentleman’s Agreement” Exposed: Unmasking the Polite Facade of American Anti-Semitism Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) is a groundbreaking social drama that follows Philip Schuyler Green (Gregory Peck), a distinguished, widowed journalist who relocates to New York City wi read more

Shadow of Suspicion: Out of the Foxhole and Into the Noir Light with “Crossfire” Directed by Edward Dmytryk, Crossfire (1947) opens in the shadows of a dimly lit Washington, D.C. apartment, where a Jewish civilian named Joseph Samuels is beaten to death. Police Captain Finlay (Rober read more

2026 #TCMFF Wrap-Up Another Turner Classic Film Festival (TCMFF) is in the books. This year’s festival was held from April 30 to May 3. The anticipation for the TCMFF is huge. Thinking about the film festival helps get me through the Chicago winters. At this festival, I saw 11 movies. Th read more