This month TCM turns its spotlight on American International Pictures (AIP), a film production company founded in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff, dedicated to releasing independently produced, low-budget films aimed primarily at young audiences. Along with providing teenagers with lively entertainment for three decades, AIP proved to be a training ground for important filmmakers including producer/director Roger Corman, who serves as host for our tribute.

Other young talent cultivated by AIP included Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich, Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro. The company also rediscovered older stars, particularly horror specialists such as Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre, and popularized the "Beach Party" movie. Our tribute begins with the company's first film, the Corman- produced The Fast and the Furious (1955), and includes other films produced and/ or directed by Corman: The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Beach Party (1963), The Wild Angels (1966) and Boxcar Bertha (1972). Movies are arranged by time periods and subjects, and each grouping includes at least one TCM premiere. Here's a rundown of categories and premieres.

Early Days/The 1950s: High School Hellcats (1958), a story of girl-gang delinquents, was produced by silent screen star Charles "Buddy" Rogers. The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959) is a send-up of monster and dragstrip movies. 1960s Horror and Sci-Fi: X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes (1963) was produced and directed by Corman, with Ray Milland starring in the title role. The Comedy of Terrors (1964) blends scares and laughs and features a lineup of horror stars.

1960s Kids and Counterculture: Wild in the Streets (1968), now a cult classic, stars Christopher Jones as a young rocker running for President, while Three in the Attic (1968) casts Jones as a college lothario. The 1970s: A Matter of Time (1976) is a rarity among AIP pictures since it is sophisticated fare aimed at adults, with an established director (Vincente Minnelli) and stars (Ingrid Bergman and Liza Minnelli).