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Personally, I rate Melvyn Douglas as one of the finest stage and screen actors of the twentieth century. Not only was he awarded two Oscars over his career, but he is one of just nine individuals to attain the fabled Triple Crown of acting, winning an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony.

2016 was a very good year for Isabelle Huppert. The then-63 year-old actress scored a hit in Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle,” about a successful businesswoman being stalked. The film earned her an Oscar nod for Best Actress, which was fabulous but also made me wonder what took so long.

I remember my first sighting of Bruce Willis in a TV series called “Moonlighting”  back in 1985. I liked him right away, and I knew a lot of other people did too. Part of what creates a star is the degree to which an audience identifies with his or her essential character. Watching Willis (with hair!) play the wisecracking private eye David Addison, I had a moment of recognition.  I actually felt I’d met this guy. I even saw a bit of myself in him.

You don’t have to be a liberal to love Rob Reiner. But it helps.

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.

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.

Dick Powell: always underrated, and today, perhaps even unknown. While any movie buff worth their salt will certainly remember him, for most anyone else not holding an AARP card, the mention of his name will likely elicit a questioning look.