‘Never Surrender: WWII in the Movies’ Begins on the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

In honor of this year’s 75^th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, Turner Classic Movies will air 24 hours of World War II films every Thursday in June, beginning on June 6, the 75^th anniversary of D-Day itself.

Primetime programming will include introductions from Ben Mankiewicz joined by an expert co-host each week, shot on location at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA.

TCM’s primetime look at WWII In The Movies will include:

• June 6: On the 75^th anniversary of D-Day, Ben Mankiewicz is joined by Rob Citino, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy and Senior Historian for The National WWII Museum, to discuss the War in Europe, with films including The Longest Day (1962) and Overlord (1975), which both take place on June 6, 1944

• June 13: Ben Mankiewicz is joined by Seth Paridon, staff historian at The National WWII Museum, to discuss the War in the Pacific, featuring Sands of Iwo Jima (1950) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) set in the Pacific theatres of WWII

• June 20: Ben Mankiewicz and Seth Paridon take a look Behind Enemy Lines, featuring The Great Escape (1963) and Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) that tell the stories of prisoners of war during World War II

• June 27: Ben Mankiewicz and Lynne Olson, New York Times bestselling author of seven history books, dive into Biopics, featuring To Hell and Back (1955), in which Audie Murphy plays himself in the tale of how he became the most decorated U.S. soldier of WWII, and The Story of GI Joe (1945), depicting war correspondent Ernie Pyle

Here’s the complete movie schedule:

Thursday, June 6 — 75th Anniversary of D-Day / War in Europe

5:30 AM    In Which We Serve (1942)

7:30 AM    Screaming Eagles (1956)

9:00 AM    Breakthrough (1950)

11:00 AM    Fighter Squadron (1948)

1:00 PM    36 Hours (1964)

3:15 PM    Dunkirk (1958)

5:45 PM    Battle of Britain (1969)

8:00 PM    The Longest Day (1962)

11:15 PM    Overlord (1975)

1:00 AM    A Bridge Too Far (1977)

4:00 AM    Battleground (1949)

6:30 AM    Attack (1956)

8:30 AM    The Rear Gunner (1943)

Thursday, June 13 — War in the Pacific

5:45 AM   December 7th (1943)

7:15 AM   Objective Burma (1945)

9:45 AM   Air Force (1943)

12:00 PM   Bataan (1943)

2:00 PM   Back to Bataan (1945)

4:00 PM   Flying Leathernecks (1951)

6:00 PM   Operation Pacific (1951)

8:00 PM   Sands of Iwo Jima (1950)

10:15 PM   Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

1:00 AM   Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

3:30 AM   Destination Tokyo (1943)

6:00 AM   They Were Expendable (1945)

Thursday, June 20 — Behind Enemy Lines

6:00 AM    Attack on the Iron Coast (1968)

8:00 AM    They Who Dare (1954)

10:00 AM    Darby’s Rangers (1958)

12:15 PM    Merrill’s Marauders (1962)

2:15 PM    Counter-Attack (1945)

4:00 PM    The Purple Plain (1955)

6:00 PM    Cry ‘Havoc’ (1944)

8:00 PM    The Great Escape (1963)

11:15 PM    Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

2:15 AM    The Guns of Navarone (1961)

5:15 AM    Eight Iron Men (1952)

6:45 AM    March on America! (1942)

Thursday, June 27 — Biopics

6:00 AM    Tank Force (1958)

8:00 AM    Bitter Victory (1957)

10:00 AM    The Hill (1965)

12:15 PM    The Way Ahead (1944)

2:00 PM    Sahara (1943)

4:00 PM    The Gallant Hours (1960)

6:00 PM    The Wings of Eagles (1957)

8:00 PM    To Hell and Back (1955)

10:00 PM    The Story of GI Joe (1945)

12:15 AM    Hell to Eternity (1960)

2:45 AM    PT 109 (1963)

5:15 AM    Above and Beyond (1952)