Actors
The Quiet Strength of Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda once confided that the characters he played on-screen bore little resemblance to himself. Rather, they were who he’d like to be, if he could.
Actors
Peter O’Toole’s 6 Most Sensational Movies
The legendary Peter O'Toole's birthday is upon us, and thinking of him, part of me still can’t accept that he's really left us. The spirit of mischievous exuberance he brought to his life — and his work — somehow made me believe he could never die, even as years of carousing eroded his once startling good looks.
Biographical
The True Story of Robert Ryan: Underrated Hollywood Pro
For someone who is not remembered today as a star, Robert Ryan did an awful lot of first-rate films. And always his presence helped make them that way. He was, quite simply, a superb screen actor.
Western
8 Reasons Why the Western Will Never Die
Westerns seem like an endangered species these days. With the studios depending more and more on international distribution and formula entertainment that can cross all those borders, the verdict is that the Western just doesn’t travel well.
Actors
Jimmy Stewart’s 10 Greatest Films
Stewart’s innate capacity to project a sympathetic, universal vulnerability, and when called upon, the strength of ordinary men doing extraordinary things, made him an actor we could all hold to our hearts — and did.
Actors
How Marilyn Monroe Almost Derailed “Some Like It Hot”
The making of the classic “Some Like It Hot” (1959) was textbook proof of the latter case. The story of two musicians who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and are forced to cross-dress as women to escape the gangsters in hot pursuit, it is arguably one of the top comedies ever made. However, its production was torturous — largely due to the deteriorating mental state of its female star, Marilyn Monroe.
Actors
The Life and Times of Lee Marvin: Hollywood Villain and Tough Guy
Lee Marvin, tough character actor turned unlikely (and equally tough) movie star, has been gone over thirty years now, abetted by some very intense experiences and a stated fondness for tequila in quantity.
Themes
The 11 Worst Hair Days in Recent Movie History
Ever have a bad hair day? Sure you have. You do everything you can to make things right, but nothing seems to work. “Oh, well,” you think. “At least it’ll be better tomorrow.”
Actors
Here’s Looking at You, Kid: A Brief History of How Bogart Became Bogart
From the outset, Bogie seemed an unlikely candidate for success. He was thrown out of most schools he attended for bad grades, bad behavior, or both. He fell into acting, a disreputable profession for the upper classes in those days, because he had few other options.