TCM Airing Films Inducted Into 2022 National Film Registry
Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022 Turner Classic Movies (TCM) celebrates films chosen to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to film heritage in the United States. Dr. Carla Hayden of The Library of Congress joins TCM host, film historian and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Director and President Jacqueline Stewart, who is chair of the National Film Preservation Board, to discuss the films. Starting at 8 p.m. ET, TCM screens a selection of motion pictures named to the registry this year; Hayden and Stewart will introduce the first four films of the night airing on TCM.
The public submitted 6,865 titles for National Film Registry consideration this year, of which 25 were chosen. “I am especially proud of the way the Registry has amplified its recognition of diverse filmmakers, experiences, and a wide range of filmmaking traditions in recent years,” Stewart said. “I am grateful to the entire National Film Preservation Board, the members of the public who nominated films, and of course to Dr. Hayden for advocating so strongly for the preservation of our many film histories.”
“Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We’re grateful to the entire film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress to ensure these films are preserved for the future.”
Select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are also freely available online in the National Screening Room.
TCM Programming
Charade (1963) – 8:00pm ET
With the 1963 romantic comic thriller Charade, director Stanley Donen gave audiences their first and only opportunity to enjoy the delicious onscreen chemistry of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, two of Hollywood’s most elegant and sophisticated actors. Set in picture-postcard Paris, Charade has grown in regard over the years, appreciated at its 50th anniversary as “the last sparkle of Hollywood” by cultural historian and film critic Michael Newton.
Titicut Follies (1967) – 10:00pm ET
With this landmark 1967 film, Frederick Wiseman takes audiences inside the Bridgewater State Prison for the Criminally Insane in Massachusetts to expose the abuse of patients. The film was banned from general release until 1991 when a judge ruled the film could be shown to the general public. The film is a seminal work of American documentary and an illustration of the impact of cinema to bring change to institutions.
Super Fly (1972) – 11:30pm ET
As a classic of the “Blaxploitation” genre, Super Fly was also a searing commentary on the American dream in 1972. Directed by Gordon Parks Jr., son of the renowned photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks, the film revolves around a Harlem drug pusher with style who aims to make one final score and then leave the business; criminals and corrupt police have other ideas. Some criticized the film as glorifying drug dealers or for reinforcing stereotypes. Curtis Mayfield’s score, however, received universal acclaim.
Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977) – 1:15am ET
By the late 1970s, a collective of six queer filmmakers known as the Mariposa Film Group would create Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives. The film would become a landmark in the emerging gay rights movement. Composed of a mosaic of interviews, a diverse group of interviewees discuss their lives as gay men and lesbians at a time when depictions of gay men and lesbians as “everyday people” were extremely rare.
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) – 3:30am ET
Produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Michael Gordon, this was the first U.S. film version of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 French play. Though critics felt the film suffered from its low budget and appearing too much a stage production, José Ferrer’s star-making performance received much acclaim. For his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac, Ferrer won the Oscar for Best Actor, becoming the first Hispanic actor to win the award.
Photos courtesy of TCM