Iconic actress Maureen O’Hara had a long successful film career. She is known for her pairing with John Wayne in five films, but she was a great co-star with many of Hollywood’s great leading men. During the years 1961-1963, she appeared in four of her best roles and most memorable films. She portrayed many fiery, … More Maureen O’Hara (1961-1963)
I like Weird Al. I get him. He’s a clever and funny guy. You either like him or you do not. Alfred Yankovic started calling himself Weird Al in college as a way to give himself some distinction. He started college at age 16 and admitted to be a big nerd. He got picked on … More Weird Al
Sheriff Andy Taylor was an eligible bachelor; a widower as all single fathers were in classic television land. His wife was rarely referenced and it appeared in the first season of The Andy Griffith Show that his grieving was long over and Andy was up for grabs. In the first couple of seasons, Andy had … More Andy’s Girlfriends
The summer of 1983, a big budget television film crew landed in Lawrence, Kansas. The Day After told the story of a Midwest community and the aftermath of a nuclear strike. I was living in Lawrence and had been for the previous 20 years. When a film production comes to town, it’s a big deal. … More The Day After (1983)
James Garner was the king of silly, suggestive films of the mid 1960s. In the first half of the decade, Garner had starred in the comedies Boys Night Out, The Thrill of It All, The Texas Wheeler Dealers, Move Over Darling and The Americanization of Emily. He could be a debonair and a cad at … More The Art of Love (1965)
Westerns started making a comeback in the 1990s. The Quick and the Dead is one of my favorite Westerns. It has a bit of everything. Ordinarily, I’m not a big Sharon Stone fan. Here, she’s tough and she’s vulnerable, often at the same time. In my opinion, it’s her best role, which allows her to … More The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Films of 1967 nominated for Best Picture. Back then, five films are nominated. Four really good films were nominated, the fifth is a mystery. Here are other studio and foreign films from 1967: In Like Flint Hombre Barefoot in the Park You Only Live Twice The Dirty Dozen Up the Down Staircase The Flim-Flam Man … More Best Film Nominees (1968)
One of Humphrey Bogart’s most famous films, and the one where he flirts with Lauren Bacall whenever they are on screen. This has always been Casablanca Lite, in my book. Both films have heavy atmosphere, quirky characters, a piano-playing pal, Nazis, a world-weary American who doesn’t want to dirty his hands with current politics. To … More To Have And Have Not (1944)
Dick and Mary. A better team of actors? You would have to go back to Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, or William Powell and Myrna Loy to find that kind of chemistry. For five years, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore played Rob and Laura Petrie. Rob and Laura were like JFK and Jackie … More Dick Van Dyke & Mary Tyler Moore
If you are going to see one Russell Crowe film, this is the ticket. It is not one of his many fine dramatic roles (Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, The Insider), it is light, romantic comedy. This is a Cary Grant or James Garner role. It might be light and frothy, but you still have … More A Good Year (2006)
