Actors
Beautiful Survivor: The Stranger-than-Fiction Journey of Jennifer Jones
Today, the name Jennifer Jones is largely lost to history, but in her prime, this raven-haired beauty was one of Hollywood’s most bankable female stars. And her personal story may be more dramatic than any of her movies.
Directors
How French Director Jacques Tati’s Masterwork Almost Destroyed Him
There are just a few authentic geniuses in the history of cinema whose names and work must be remembered. High on that list is Jacques Tati.
Actors
Why Eli Wallach Was the Happiest Good Actor Ever
Eli Wallach was known as one of our most versatile performers. Though Jewish, he played Mexican, Italian, and assorted other ethnic characters with the same fluency and assurance.
Actors
Dan Duryea— How a Good Man Excelled at Playing the Bad Guy
Never a big star but a welcome fixture in westerns and film noirs over three decades, Dan Duryea specialized in playing the heel. In those kinds of parts, no one could touch him.
Directors
The 14 Most Legendary Film Composers and Their Most Unforgettable Scores
With the gradual passing of opening movie credits, we also lost a vital element that distinguishes many so-called “classic” movies: the original music score, including a heroic, memorable opening theme. What’s the last film you remember that had a score you could hum while walking home from the theater — a piece of music you knew you'd always remember and associate with the film?
Thrillers
The Making of “The Third Man” — A Masterpiece Thriller
In early 1949, Alexander Korda, the top movie producer in Britain, had cause for excitement. He was about to bring back a winning combination — director Carol Reed and writer Graham Greene — for a thriller that would make history.
Actors
All About Anne Baxter, The Actress Who Played “Eve”
Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s “All About Eve” is often cited as the best film ever made about the theater, and I believe it earns that distinction. It also stands one of the most literate dramas ever to come out of Hollywood, a caustic, cautionary tale about how the dark side of our natures can emerge in the pursuit of bright lights and fame.
Actors
Dancing like a Man: The Masculine Moves of Gene Kelly
It always irked Gene Kelly that dancing was considered an effeminate activity for men. When his mother first enrolled him and his brother in dance classes when Gene was still a boy, he had to endure taunts from his classmates which he promptly settled with his fists.
Actors
Golden Boy — The Dramatic Ups and Downs of Actor William Holden
It was Hollywood in early 1950, and legendary director Billy Wilder had a big problem. In two weeks, shooting would start on his next film, “Sunset Boulevard,” and his mercurial young star, Montgomery Clift, had just backed out of playing the lead.