DEPRESSION ERA FILMS THIS MONTH ON TCM

One of the best experiences I had while writing my new novel, Infamous, was going back and watching films from the early 1930s. I was no stranger to many of these films. Some are my favorite movies of all time: It Happened One Night, The Thin Man, Baby Face. But to get the feel for the movies that shaped — and were shaped by the American psyche of the time — I was introduced to a whole new list. Some of the films make big appearances in the novel such as Gold Diggers of ’33 and Gabriel in the White House. This month Turner Classic Movies is showing many of the known gems and some hidden classics, too. And they’re not just sticking to the films made in in the period but about the Depression, too. O, Brother Where Art Though? and Paper Moon are two classics made about the perido. There’s no doubt our current economic crisis has us thinking back up on the ’30s. While I was writing last year and earlier this year, I often got confused whether I’d read a story from ’33 or that week. The headlines really blurred. If only Hollywood could turn back the clock, too. A complete schedule can be found here.