TCM Schedule for Thurs, Mar 19, 2026: Betty Compson / New to the National Film Registry

Following the conclusion of Hollywood Humanitarians, Part 1, in the morning (Navy Blues), TCM salutes Betty Compson on the date of her birth.

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Betty Compson (March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in The Docks of New York and The Barker, the latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress (neither of which, unfortunately, will be shown today).

She was "discovered" in vaudeville by a comedic producer named Al Christie. Her first film was Leading Lady in 1915, made with Christie. She made 25 films in 1916 alone, most of them shorts. Her fame rising, she signed with Paramount in 1919.

Compson was a big star back in the day. More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Compson



Prime time: Every year, the Library of Congress chooses 25 films to be inducted into the National Film Registry. The films are chosen based on nominations from the public, which are then narrowed down by the National Film Preservation Board to a selection of titles that are deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Not only are these films considered the best of American cinema, but they’re also marked for preservation to help secure their legacy. TCM will be screening a sampling of the newly selected films as well as a documentary about the history of film preservation.

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DAYTIME (listings EST)

6:00 AM Navy Blues (1941)
Honolulu days are far from peaceful for a boatload of amorous sailors.
Dir: Lloyd Bacon Cast: Ann Sheridan, Jack Oakie, Martha Raye

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8:00 AM Weary River (1929)
A jailed criminal's life turns around when he fronts the prison band.
Dir: Frank Lloyd Cast: Richard Barthelmess, Betty Compson, Louis Natheaux

9:45 AM On with the Show (1929)
An inexperienced newcomer steps in for a musical comedy's ailing star.
Dir: Alan Crosland Cast: Betty Compson, Louise Fazenda, Sally O'Neil

11:45 AM Street Girl (1929)
A girl from the wrong part of town finds a new life managing a jazz band.
Dir: Wesley Ruggles Cast: Betty Compson, John Harron, Ned Sparks

1:30 PM Inside the Lines (1930)
During World War I, German spies stop at nothing to spy on the allied war plans stored at Gibraltar.
Dir: Roy J. Pomeroy Cast: Betty Compson, Ralph Forbes, Montagu Love

3:00 PM The Lady Refuses (1931)
A millionaire hires an out-of-work girl to lure his son from a gold digger.
Dir: George Archainbaud Cast: Betty Compson, John Darrow, Gilbert Emery

4:15 PM Three Who Loved (1931)
A bank teller's love life falls apart when he's accused of embezzling.
Dir: George Archainbaud Cast: Betty Compson, Conrad Nagel, Robert Ames

5:30 PM The Gay Diplomat (1931)
A Russian diplomat takes on a notorious female spy in Bucharest.
Dir: Richard Boleslawski. Cast: Genevieve Tobin, Betty Compson, Ivan Lebedeff

6:45 PM Mad Youth (1939)
A conflict between a mother and daughter forces the daughter into a prostitution ring.
Dir: Melville Shyer Cast: Mary Ainslee, Betty Compson, Willy Castello


PRIME TIME. LATE NIGHT, EARLY MORNING

8:00 PM High Society (1956)
Hasn't improved any since I listed it last month. Highlight of the film: Louis Armstrong. Maybe he's the reason this yawner made it on the registry.
Dir: Charles Walters Cast: Louis Armstrong, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

10:00 PM Say Amen, Somebody - The Good News Musical (1982)
The lives and music of early gospel artists are documented.
Dir: George T Nierenberg Cast: Rhodessa Barrett Porter, Edgar O'Neal, Zella Jackson Price

12:00 AM Before Sunrise (1995)
An traveling American male and French woman spend an impromptu day together. A connection develops, but is it sort-lived?
Dir: Richard Linklater Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert

2:00 AM Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926)
A man is swindled out of his mill business and struggles with alcohol
Dir: Roy Calnek Cast: Charles Gilpin, Myra Burwell, Lawrence Chenault

3:15 AM Film: The Living Record of Our Memory (2021)
Archivists, curators, technicians, and filmmakers from around the world explain what film preservation is and why it is needed.
Dir: Inés Toharia Terán Cast: Ann Adachi-Tasch, Laure Adler, Benjamin Chowkwan Ado

5:30 AM Changing (1971)
A young family tries to cope with shifting social values in this short film.
Dir: Hubert Smith Cast: Gene Kopp, Edward Kutner, Kathy Mcginnis