SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) Saturday 30 July 1.15-3.10pm BBC 2
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) Saturday 30 July 3.55-5.25pm BBC 2            
Marilyn Monroe died 60 years ago on the 5th of August and the BBC is showing two of her most popular films. Some Like It Hot, with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon both outstanding, is her best film; Gentlemen made her a star. The repeat showings, Thursday 4 August, are preceded by a rare 1999 interview with Jane Russell, who was Marilyn’s co-star.

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976) Wednesday 27 July 9.00-10.50pm Legend (Channel 41)
Essentially a clever remake of the Howard Hawks classic Rio Bravo (1959), this is a brilliant B-thriller, in an urban setting, and remains one of director John Carpenter’s best films. Street thugs besiege an abandoned police station where the father of a murdered girl has taken refuge.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962) Thursday 28 July 9.00-11.10pm BBC 4            
The feud between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis is one of Hollywood’s great legends. Their one teaming, directed by Robert Aldrich, also enjoys legendary status. Two former screen queens, and sisters, share a dilapidated mansion and their enmity is given full rein . . . .

MUSIC BOX (1989) Monday 18 July 9.00-11.30pm Talking Pictures (Channel 82)
HEAR MY SONG (1991) Monday 18 July 11.45pm-1.55am Film Four            
Welcome to a Film Society Week in miniature: two of our early successes are making relatively rare appearances on Freeview!
Music Box has Jessica Lange defending her father, accused of being a war criminal, in court. Directed by Costa-Gavras, a master of the political thriller, members gave it 83% in our 1991-92 season. Hear My Song opened our 1992-93 season and earned an impressive 89%. Ned Beatty turns in a fine performance as tenor Josef Locke.
BETTE DAVIS
Ms Davis was the Meryl Streep of her day, earning 11 Oscar nominations and twice winning the coveted statuette. BBC 2 is showing two of her classics (Dark Victory and Now, Voyager) Saturday afternoon and repeated Thursday evening. The latter performances are preceded by a rare broadcast of the 1983 documentary Bette Davis: the Benevolent Volcano at 8pm.