Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will spend April celebrating 100 years of Warner Bros. with 30 days of movies, moments and memories.
“Warner Bros.' history is TCM history. Where would this network be without films like Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, or A Star is Born? We are thrilled to be honoring the studio that has given us so many iconic films since 1923,” said Pola Changnon, general manager of TCM, in a statement. “In addition to this wide swath of films, we are programming a tapestry of trailers, archival interviews and more that will further highlight the studio's legacy, so much of which can't be found anywhere but on TCM.”
Besides showing Warner Bros. movies from every decade of the last ten, the channel also will offer interstitials, documentaries, shorts and Looney Tunes cartoons throughout the month. The network also will premiere restorations and remasters of ten iconic Warner Bros. films during the month, with introductions from filmmakers and experts. The films will also be available on the Classics Curated by TCM hub on HBO Max. The event is part of TCM's multi-year partnership with The Film Foundation, which funds education and restoration of classic films.
These films are:
—East of Eden (1955) – a 4k restoration introduced by filmmakers Wes Anderson and Joanna Hogg
—Rio Bravo (1959) – a 4k restoration introduced by filmmaker Martin Scorsese
—Land of the Pharaohs (1955) – a Blu-ray HD remaster introduced by Martin Scorsese
—A Lion is in the Streets (1953) – a Blu-ray HD remaster introduced by Daphne Dentz and Robyn Sklaren from the Warner Bros. Discovery Library
—Rachel, Rachel (1968) – a Blu-ray HD remaster introduced by filmmaker and actor Ethan Hawke
—Safe in Hell (1931) – a Blu-ray HD remaster introduced by filmmaker Alexander Payne
—Storm Warning (1951) – a Blu-ray HD remaster introduced by Martin Scorsese
—The Strawberry Blonde (1941) – a Blu-ray HD remaster introduced by Wes Anderson
—Helen of Troy (1956) – a Blu-ray HD remaster
—One Way Passage (1932) – a Blu-ray HD remaster
Throughout the month, programming will be organized thematically and showcase the breadth of the studio's films from classic to current, with categories including “Warner Joins a Gang,” “Warner Goes to School,” “Warner Raises a Family,” “Warner Turns to Crime,” and more. TCM premieres will include documentaries such as Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul (1993); TCM originals like Jet Jockeys in Love: The Making of Chain Lightning; and Oscar-winning films such as Full Metal Jacket (1987), Million Dollar Baby (2004), and Argo (2012).
Fans will be able to engage with the network in a variety of ways, including with a Letterboxd list highlighting the programming, social posts featuring photos from the Warner Bros. archives, more than a dozen articles on TCM.com, and a Film 101 YouTube video chronicling the history of the gangster movie at Warner Bros.
Another extension of TCM's WB100 celebration are upcoming auctions through TCM's partnership with Julien's. April's “Hollywood: Classic & Contemporary” auction will feature hundreds of pieces of Hollywood history, including such items from private collections of WB films as seven prop wands from the Harry Potter franchise, a production-used clapperboard from Superman (1978), the original WB opening title panel from My Fair Lady (1964), Christian Bale's Batman Cowl from Batman Begins (2005), and a Darryl Zanuck script from The Jazz Singer (1927).
In May, the studio will release Warner Bros.: 100 Years of Storytelling, a book chronicling the centennial history of the studio, written by Mark Vieira with a foreword by TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz. The book is published by Running Press in partnership with TCM and Warner Bros.