"14"

Roughly two years ago, I had the honor of dining with Angela Lansbury. It was at a private event, where we screened “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962), which features perhaps her most indelible film role, as the diabolically wicked mother of a would-be presidential assassin. Rarely have I met a more grounded, down-to-earth lady. She had no airs whatever. She might have been the British granny of anyone’s happiest dreams: smart, sensible, with a ready laugh and the confidence to listen.

At the tender age of 11, I was peering up at an immense screen in one of Manhattan’s grand old cinemas. I was there to see a newly released film called “Patton.” The lights went down, and before any credits or music, an American flag filled the screen. An imposing man in uniform ascended some stairs to a platform and began speaking to an unseen audience of soldiers. As this opening scene progressed, I was struck by this man’s power, confidence, and authority. His was a fearsome, awe-inspiring presence. This was my introduction to the gifted actor and director George C. Scott.

I was lucky enough to know Gene Wilder. That’s not to boast but to affirm a tired old cliché: to know him was to love him. He was surprisingly reserved, but once comfortable with you, he readily displayed that trademark twinkle. His keen wit and intelligence made him excellent company, and unlike some actors, he listened as intently as he spoke.

Gloria Grahame never quite became a star in Hollywood, but she sure left her mark. If you’re a fan of film noir, you know her already. This shadowy world of double-and triple-crosses was where she thrived. Still, even casual fans of older films will remember that face, that voice, that look.

It was 1971, and the financially-strapped Paramount Pictures was about to take a big risk — actually several of them — in bringing Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” to the big screen.

You may not remember their names, but you will certainly remember their faces, their voices, and the characters they played.

Over the decades, our biggest stars and their agents have been forced to navigate yet another fascinating and frustrating aspect of the movie business: which parts to choose.

These pictures remind us of her special radiance, a distinctive, fresh-faced beauty lit from within that required only the bare minimum of make-up.  Impossibly versatile, she could project strength and vulnerability, warmth and remoteness, sexuality and poise.  At a womanly 5’10”, she always made one hell of an entrance, and you always regretted her exits.

It’s a familiar story: a hugely talented performer — actor, comedian, musician- rockets to fame and discovers that their on-stage life is the only time they feel totally happy, totally free.