It’s hard to believe that nearly 60 years have passed since Ron Howard first charmed audiences as the lovable Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. Despite his long and successful career as an Oscar-winning filmmaker, Howard still holds the iconic TV series close to his heart. In his latest announcement for Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the director and actor shared his personal picks for November, beginning with a tribute to his late TV father, Andy Griffith.
Howard selected Elia Kazan’s 1957 film A Face in the Crowd to honor Griffith’s lasting impact. “Its significance has grown tremendously over the decades, both as a distinct piece of cinema and an increasingly relevant social commentary,” Howard explained in a video accompanying the announcement. For Howard, the film’s most personal element is Griffith’s standout performance as Lonesome Rhodes, a charming folk singer turned populist media figure, whose rise reflects the power of media to shape political discourse.
Howard’s next pick was the 1949 boxing drama Champion, starring Kirk Douglas. He credited the film as a major influence on his own 2005 biopic Cinderella Man, about boxer James J. Braddock. In Champion, Douglas plays a scrappy fighter desperate to support his disabled brother. Howard shared an interesting behind-the-scenes anecdote, noting that despite recently undergoing cosmetic surgery on his nose, Douglas insisted on doing all his own boxing stunts. “Any missed punch landing for real on his face would have been a huge problem,” Howard quipped.
He also highlighted Goldie Hawn’s comedy Private Benjamin, in which Hawn plays a pampered woman who joins the army, and Diana Ross’s powerful portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues.
Finally, Howard rounded out his TCM picks with one of the most beloved films in the noir genre, The Maltese Falcon (1941). Directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart as the iconic Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon is often credited with defining the genre. Howard revealed a fascinating bit of Hollywood history about the film’s director: “Historians credit John Huston with actually inventing the Hollywood genre film noir with his adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s great Sam Spade detective novel. But here’s the kicker—it was actually Huston’s first movie as a director.” Howard also touched on the fact that Huston, the son of legendary character actor Walter Huston, initially pursued a career in writing before stepping behind the camera.
With picks ranging from sharp social commentary to legendary performances, Howard’s November selections offer a window into the films that shaped his career and continue to influence his work today.
