TCM Schedule for Tuesday, April 7: Birthday Tribute: James Garner/Family Movie Night Menus (book by the Maltins)
Today we're celebrating actor (and Democrat) James Garner, who was born on April 7, 1928.
And tonight's roster of movies was inspired by the book Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes and Films for Unforgettable Times Together by film critic Leonard Maltin and his daughter, Jessie.
Happy cooking, eating, and watching!
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Star of the Month: Sophia Loren (continued)
1:00 AM Operation Crossbow (1965)
Allied agents go behind enemy lines to destroy a German missile base.
Dir: Michael Anderson Cast: Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard
Runtime: 118 mins Genre: Adventure Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
3:00 AM Brass Target (1978)
Gold thieves plot to assassinate General Patton in the days following World War II.
Dir: John Hough Cast: Sophia Loren, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy
Runtime: 111 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
5:00 AM William Wyler: Forty Takes Willy (2024)
Documentary on the life and career of famed director William Wyler. An Academy Award-winning director and 14-time Oscar nominee, Wyler was known for shooting multiple takes of a scene before he was satisfied. This documentary takes a deep dive into his extraordinary career, featuring never-before-seen material provided by Wyler's children.
Dir: Bertrand Tessier Cast: William Wyler (archive footage)
Runtime: 53 mins Genre: Documentary Rating: TV-G CC: Y
TCM Daytime: Birthday Tribute: James Garner
6:00 AM Boys' Night Out (1962)
A psychology student researches infidelity by becoming a platonic kept woman for four buddies.
Dir: Michael Gordon Cast: Kim Novak, James Garner, Tony Randall
Runtime: 115 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
8:00 AM How Sweet It Is! (1968)
A husband and wife take their young son on a trip to Europe as a way of sparking their married life, but the wife ends up having interludes with a gallant Frenchman.
Dir: Jerry Paris Cast: James Garner, Debbie Reynolds, Maurice Ronet
Runtime: 99 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
10:00 AM Cash McCall (1960)
A corporate spoiler makes a play for a failing company and the owner's daughter.
Dir: Joseph Pevney Cast: James Garner, Natalie Wood, Nina Foch
Runtime: 102 mins Genre: Romance Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
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12:00 PM The Americanization of Emily (1964)
A British war widow falls for an opportunistic American sailor during World War II.
Dir: Arthur Hiller Cast: James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas
Runtime: 115 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
2:00 PM Up Periscope (1959)
A U.S. frogman infiltrates a Japanese-held island during World War II.
Dir: Gordon Douglas Cast: James Garner, Edmond O'Brien, Andra Martin
Runtime: 111 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
4:00 PM Darby's Rangers (1958)
An Army Major leads his men behind enemy lines during World War II.
Dir: William A. Wellman Cast: James Garner, Etchika Choureau, Jack Warden
Runtime: 121 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
6:15 PM Marlowe (1969)
Detective Philip Marlowe probes the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles in search of a woman's missing sister.
Dir: Paul Bogart Cast: James Garner, Gayle Hunnicutt, Carroll O'Connor
Runtime: 95 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-MA CC: Y
TCM Primetime: Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes and Films for Unforgettable Times Together by film critic Leonard Maltin and his daughter, Jessie.
8:00 PM National Velvet (1944)
A British farm girl fights to train a difficult horse for the Grand National Steeplechase.
Dir: Clarence Brown Cast: Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Elizabeth Taylor
Runtime: 125 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-G CC: Y
10:15 PM Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor
Runtime: 113 mins Genre: Musical Rating: TV-G CC: Y
12:15 AM Sounder (1972)
In 1933 Louisiana, a family of African American sharecroppers endure racism and injustice when their father is convicted of a petty crime and sent to a prison camp.
Dir: Martin Ritt Cast: Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks
Runtime: 105 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-PG CC: Y
2:15 AM Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
The seven Pontipee brothers ease the loneliness of their Oregon farm by courting seven women.
Dir: Stanley Donen Cast: Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar
Runtime: 102 mins Genre: Musical Rating: TV-G CC: Y
4:15 AM The Kid (1921)
In this silent comedy, an adoptive father schemes to keep his son.
Dir: Charles Chaplin Cast: Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance, Carl Miller
Runtime: 52 mins Genre: Silent Rating: TV-G CC: N