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Olivia de Havilland’s death not only marks the passing of a great actress, but also the last vestige of Hollywood’s Golden Age, when the old studio system held sway. In those far-off days, motion pictures, viewed in theaters still owned by those studios, were widely considered the pre-eminent form of mass entertainment.

With one exception, Olivia de Havilland, Kirk Douglas lasted longer than any other star from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

A close inspection of Lee J. Cobb’s film career, spanning nearly four decades, demonstrates what a versatile actor he was. Still, today he is best remembered for playing bitter, caustic, angry men. 

If you’re like me, sometimes you’re in the mood for just that — a classic that takes you back to your childhood or gives you a glimpse into another era. Great older films tend to move slower, with longer scenes and fewer cuts. And they usually contain one precious ingredient that too many narrative films lack today: an emphasis on intelligent, clever dialogue, recalling a time when good conversation was considered an art.

If you don’t remember the face of this peerless British player, whose film career spanned from the forties through the eighties, his silky, mellifluous voice will surely be familiar.

It’s striking just how alike they were: both petite women with big personalities and talent who achieved overnight success in iconic movies at age 19; both immensely driven professionals who, in the face of personal challenges and misfortune, channeled their prodigious energies into their work.