The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Upcoming gems on TCM

I am an admitted fan of Turner Classic Movies for several reasons. The movies are uncut and uninterrupted. Even between the movies, the only commercials are for upcoming TCM movies, programs and products. Finally, they still show movies from the 1930s-40s. In reviewing the July schedule, I noticed several interesting items, many of which I have seen, some I know only by reputation, but all worth watching or recording. These include a nice matched set of Fred MacMurry/Barbara Stanwyck films (if you remember her only as the TV matriarch on The Big Valley, watch these to see her in a much different light); some classic 1939 Cary Grant movies; and a nice run of good, old-fashioned Dick Tracy B movies, including the last of the 1940s series featuring Boris Karloff as a great villian.

All Times Central Daylight Saving Time

Thursday, July 16, 2009
6:30 AM
Remember the Night (1940) - An assistant D.A. takes a shoplifter home with him for Christmas. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi. Dir: Mitchell Leisen. BW-94 mins, TV-G

8:00 AM
Double Indemnity (1944) - An insurance salesman gets seduced into plotting a client's death. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson. Dir: Billy Wilder. BW-108 mins, TV-PG, CC

Friday, July 17, 2009
1:00 AM
Gunga Din (1939) - Three British soldiers seek treasure during an uprising in India. Cast: Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Victor McLaglen. Dir: George Stevens. BW-117 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS

3:00 AM
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) - A team of flyers risks their lives to deliver the mail in a mountainous South American country. Cast: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth. Dir: Howard Hawks. BW-121 mins, TV-PG, CC

5:15 AM
The Real Glory (1939) - A U.S. military doctor stationed in the Philippines helps the natives fight off invaders. Cast: Gary Cooper, Andrea Leeds, David Niven. Dir: Henry Hathaway. BW-97 mins, TV-G, CC

Saturday, July 18, 2009
11:00 AM
Dick Tracy (1945) - Dick is faced with a series of murders in which the victims all come from different social and economic backgrounds. Cast: Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Mike Mazurki. Dir: William A. Berke. BW-61 mins, TV-PG

12:15 PM
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946) - A police detective uses his girlfriend to track down a homicidal maniac. Cast: Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Dick Wessel. Dir: Gordon Douglas. BW-62 mins, TV-PG

1:30 PM
Dick Tracy's Dilemma (1947) - Dick Tracy takes on "The Claw" in this crime thriller Cast: Ralph Byrd, Lyle Latell, Kay Christopher. Dir: John Rawlins. BW-60 mins, TV-PG

2:45 PM
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) - Dick Tracy tracks down a bank robber using nerve gas. Cast: Boris Karloff, Ralph Byrd, Anne Gwynne. Dir: John Rawlins. BW-65 mins, TV-PG

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