Well, it’s a quiet month on TCM for pre-Codes, but that’s okay. At the end of the month the annual Turner Classic Movies Film Festival kicks off in Los Angeles. I will be attending for the first time since 2019, so I’m looking forward to returning and seeing what’s changed. I’ll be posting about it here and over on my BlueSky, so expect incessant chatter.
I did want to take one quick moment to highlight a piece of personal violence to me, and that is that TCM is showing 1999’s Varsity Blues at the end of the month. For members of my weird ‘xennial’ generation who lived in the Midwest, this was basically our Star Wars; unavoidable and, after a while, pretty insufferable. I had completely blocked this movie out, and that stupid schedule just brought all of it back. … Thanks, okay, I’m better now, I just needed to vent.
Pre-Codes on Criterion Channel in April 2026
Only one movie to note added over on Criterion Channel is King Kong, which is, of course, great (c’mon), but really cool is that they’ve uploaded the film with its original Criterion commentary track with Ronald Hayer from 1984. The track, recorded for the Collection’s LaserDisk release, is considered the first ‘commentary track’ ever recorded. You can listen in here.
Pre-Codes Movie on TCM in April 2026
All movie times listed below are EST and subject to change. Movies marked with an asterisk appear in my book Pre-Code Essentials. Links go to my reviews of the movies. Full schedule here.
- 4/8 @ 06:00 – Thirteen Women (1932)
- 4/9 @ 04:15 – Dinner at Eight (1933)
- 4/14 @ 04:15 – Abraham Lincoln (1930)
- 4/14 @ 06:00 – Rain (1932)
- 4/14 @ 15:45 – The Most Dangerous Game (1932) *
- 4/14 @ 18:30 – Bird of Paradise (1932)
- 4/16 @ 10:00 – Road to Paradise (1930)
- 4/21 @ 20:00 – One Way Passage (1932)
- 4/22 @ 00:45 – Man Wanted (1932)
- 4/22 @ 03:15 – The Keyhole (1933)
- 4/22 @ 04:30 – The House of 56th Street (1933)
- 4/28 @ 07:45 – Tiger Shark (1932)
- 4/30 @ 04:15 – Rain (1932)
Hope you find a good watch this month! But not Varsity Blues, c’mon.
