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With the cast of Ship of Fools, as Elizabeth Ashley's artist boyfriend.

Thought I would post this again for anyone who didnt see it.... I think I wrote this before a long time ago, but I'll post it again. One celebrity, who was said to be a real pompous snide when it came to an autograph, was Jerry Lewis. After the performance of "Damn Yankees" in Kansas City, I waited at the stage door exit of the theater for them to exit and HOPEfully get his autograph. It was blazing cold, lightly sleeting and he had a nice warm car waiting for him at the curb directly outside the stage doors. He emerged and I gently approached him and said "Mr. Lewis?" He stopped and looked at me and I asked for his autograph. He grinned without saying anything. I gave him my program, the full color booklet souvenir program, and an ink pen I got from a police woman. He went to sign it and the pen had FROZE! I kid you not, he made the motion to sign the J and it wouldnt work. He kept spinning the ball point on the cover over and over and then looked at me like "You got to be kidding?" He handed me the pen and I almost panicked! I started trying to get it to write on my pants! As I am doing this, I looked up at him and he held out one finger like "Wait." I stopped on my pants and he produced a red Sharpie from his coat. He signed my program and I told him, flustered, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lewis." He grinned and mouthed "You're welcome" and went to his car just a few feet from me. The police woman let me keep the pen and I found a few days later, that when he adjusted the program in his hand to sign Lewis, he stuck his thumb in the fresh red ink of Jerry and left his entire thumbprint in the J of Jerry! Pretty cool bonus and all in 11 degrees and sleeting after a performance. That night, he shattered that pompous reputation.

https://deadline.com/2021/03/george-segal-dead-the-goldbergs-1234720483/ George Segal Dies: Oscar-Nominated Actor & ‘The Goldbergs’ Star Was 87 George Segal, the Oscar-nominated actor whose credits range from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Where’s Poppa? to Just Shoot Me! and The Goldbergs, died today in Santa Rosa, CA, of complications from bypass surgery. He was 87. His wife, Sonia Segal confirmed the news. “The family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery,” she said in a statement. For the past eight years, Segal had been a series regular on ABC’s 1980s-set family comedy The Goldbergs. The last episode he filmed before his death, Episode 16 of the show’s current eighth season, is set to air April 7. The series is expected to pay tribute to Segal on-air. Segal, an Oscar nominee for Mike Nichols’ 1966 Edward Albee adaptation Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, probably is best known for his TV sitcom roles as magazine publisher Jack Gallo on NBC’s Just Shoot Me!, a role that earned him two Golden Globe nominations, and as family patriarch Albert “Pops” Solomon on The Goldbergs. He also headlined the late-’80s ABC detective drama Murphy’s Law, the 1987 CBS comedy Take Five and TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. Segal also was a leading man in movies, starring in films by such legends as Sidney Lumet (Bye Bye Braverman, 1968), Carl Reiner (Where’s Poppa?, 1970), Herbert Ross (The Owl and the Pussycat, 1970), Paul Mazursky (Blume in Love, 1973) and Robert Altman (California Split, 1974). He also has starring roles in such features as A Touch of Class, The Terminal Man, The Black Bird, Fun with Dick and Jane, Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, Time of Darkness and For the Boys. Along with his Academy Award nomination, Segal was a five-time Golden Globe nominee and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. MORE TO COME…

also also also: ME BEFORE QUARANTINE: ME RIGHT NOW:

It's always amused me that Segal starred in the 1981 screen comedy "Carbon Copy," in which he played a white businessman who discovered he had a black son he never knew about. His young co-star -- who made his feature debut opposite Segal -- had portrayed Malcolm X on stage. Wonder what ever happened to him?

Nearly all the stars of classic films have passed on, (all the ones I listed below are gone) but I wanted to hear any stories of encounters you may have had years ago. Here are my stories, I met them all at either book signings or autograph shows. Charlton Heston He was signing his 1998 book Charlton Heston's Hollywood. One thing about this was there were instructions that they would hold your coat or purse for you when you met Mr Heston. This was during the time he was with N.R.A., so I guess they wanted to make sure no one had any concealed weapons! He was very nice, flashed that huge grin of his and he shook my hand. Tony Curtis This was during his book signing tour of American Prince in 2008. He was known in his later years of wearing toupees, when he was at this event, he was wearing a huge cowboy hat, he removed it to show his totally bald head. The place was packed so they said there would be no pictures or chatting. However when I passed by him, since I was a New Yorker like him, I said to him "How ya doin'?" He winked and smiled and said "Doin' good!" Farley Granger He was signing his 2007 book Include Me Out. He was 81 at the time and seemed to be really feeling his age, he was walking very gingerly. I mentioned to him that I had recently seen They Live By Night in a revival theater. "Oh you did?" he said. I told him many younger people are discovering his films of this period. He smiled and seemed very pleased to hear that. Besty Blair The ex wife of Gene Kelly and co star of the 1955 Best Picture Marty. She was signing her memoir The Memory Of All That. During her talk someone complimented her on her performance in the film and she got a round of applause, she was very touched. When she signed my book I told her Marty was one of my favorite movies. She said "It IS a great movie, and you know why? Because of the writing" Anne Francis This was at a sci fi/horror convention autograph show, around 1995. Most were asking her about Forbidden Planet, but I wanted to hear about A Lion Is In The Streets and her co stars James Cagney and Lon Chaney Jr. She said they were very old school but great professionals. Her honey blond hair was all gray now, but I looked into those beautiful blue eyes and became a lovesick teenager again. Hazel Court I think this may have been at the same autograph show around 1995. She was in many Hammer horror films of the 1950s and 1960s. I had read of a story of her experiences with Peter Lorre on The Raven (1963). She had said he was constantly ad libbing and pinching her behind. I asked her about this and she laughed "Yes! He was such a little devil!" Of course today he would be sued, but she did not seem bothered by it.

I liked him in The Hot Rock 1972 an great caper movie and cast. The cast was Robert Redford, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn and Zero Mostel in that film. George Segal made an great contribution to cinema and I will miss him.

Well, once again, have I ever told you folks about the time Kirk Douglas and I had a little chat while I was working at Los Angeles International Airport? Oh, I HAVE?! Well then, never mind. LOL But besides him, and in regards to "classic stars" and not any of the newer ones I'd often encounter at said airport, among them were... Bob Hope...who it seemed pretty much felt the same way about his fans as the previously mentioned Mr. Widmark did, and although I would occasionally see Ol' Ski Nose sign an autograph for the star struck air traveler, and while he was waiting to board the short flight from LAX to PSP. ("PSP": Palm Springs, CA) Ginger Rogers...and who like Mr. Hope was also a frequent flyer to PSP and where she also owned a home, was always very accommodating to her fans whenever they'd spot her seating in the boarding area. Vincent Price...and who not only did I have an encounter with at LAX, but also just a few years before his death would again meet this wonderful and gracious gent while attending a showing of "Champagne for Caesar" at the Director's Guild Theater in Hollywood. I remember telling him how much I enjoyed him in this comedy and how funny I thought he was in it the first time I happened to catch it on TV years ago, and that whenever I'd tell someone about how funny he was in it, their reaction was usually something such as, "Vincent Price? In a COMEDY???". And to which Mr. Price chuckled at and told me that he had always wished he had done more of in that genre.

Excuse My Dust Destination Moon Back to the Future

Flying High (1931) Bert Lahr invents flying machine It Happened One Night (1934) King Westley's gyrocopter

Did anyone mention The Quiller Memorandum (mostly British cast - Alec Guiness is a no brainer, but, for those of you who have seen The Red Shoes, one of the dancers is in the film, as well as Senta Berger, George Sanders, and Max Von Sydow (yes I know he was in many Ingmar Bergman (?) films).

any tribute to him should include imo the hilarious movie Bye Bye Braverman. 'we'll get there."

he's in a pretty good scrap with Jean Hale in the st. valentine's day massacre.

I went to a TIFF showing of Vertigo a few years ago which was attended by Kim Novak. She had a question and answer session after the screening and, as she was leaving the stage, a few people rushed up to ask her for an autograph. This was not on the schedule but she graciously stopped to hand out a few. I bolted to the stage like a jack rabbit and, as I pulled out a photo of her from Vertigo to sign said, "I just happened to have this with me." Miss Novak looked at me for a second and then laughed before signing the photo. I also went to a Kirk Douglas book signing which was attended by hundreds in a very crowded room. The signings went on for a solid hour or so but no one could get near Kirk as he signed the books on a stage with security standing around him. After a while, though, I noticed a section to the side of the room being yellow taped off (no one else seemed to notice as they were all watching Douglas). I made my way to the yellow tape on a hunch and, sure enough, about 15 minutes later Kirk was leaving through that secured area. I stuck out my mitt as he passed by and got a Spartacus handshake, one of a tiny handful in that packed room to get one. I saw Joe Flaherty of SCTV sitting on a bar stool one day. I walked up to him to tell him how much I enjoyed his work as Count Floyd and other characters. Unfortunately at that moment a friend with me (who was in a foul mood for some reason) returned from a washroom and gave me a shove in the chest, telling me not to block her. Flaherty's eyes popped out of his head like a cartoon character, not knowing what was going on. I tried to shrug her off like I didn't know who she was but he, rather understandably, seemed eager to see me move on. So much for meeting Count Floyd. I once sat at a keno bar in Vegas and saw people with pens and papers swarming the person who was sitting on a stool beside the girl sitting beside me. It was Rodney Dangerfield. The girl beside me asked me who he was and when I provided his name it was apparent from her facial expression that she had never heard of him. I told her to dump her drink on him as he didn't get any respect anyway. She didn't but Rodney got up to leave and as he passed right behind me I heard him say, "Give me a break. I'm just trying to have a drink." He wore bermuda shorts that day and his legs were not pretty.

That's been pretty much my experience. I used to spot John Lennon (& Yoko) around town and just gazed from afar. It's so very hard not to stare, since you almost can't believe your eyes they're right in front of you. Back in the 70's Universal Studios Tours would have "upcoming celebrities" meet & greet thing, anyone recall that? I met Leif Garrett who was adorable and Nick Nolte who was kind of weird. Many a convention I'd enjoy meeting a movie star, but again that's an arranged situation. Most notable for me was Chris Sarandon, Deep Roy, Linda Blair, George Romaro & the MST3K guys. I actually paid to meet William Shatner and throughout the pandemic quarantine, thanked my lucky stars I did, because fat chance of that happening now. Shamelessly waited backstage to get Debbie Reynold's autograph. Boy, she sure was gracious, never made anyone feel like they were a bother to her in any way. Like a previous poster, most stars I've met are rock musicians from working at a radio station in the 70's. Looking over my framed backstage passes there's Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, ELO, The Eagles, Blue Oyster Cult, Jethro Tull, The Jam, Heart, etc. But my favorites were meeting Mel Tormé and Cab Calloway. Oh yeah, then there was the time I was asked to escort Bruce Campbell to his dressing room and wait with him until show time. I had zero idea who he was and actually a little scared by the crowd response. I'm sure having an escort who was unaware of his celebrity helped calm his nerves before going on stage. He seemed a little scared and actually kind of sweet.

Um, two missing words: KING RAT.

Great topic! I've had a couple encounters with classic stars and, sadly, an "almost" encounter. Jimmy Stewart Shortly after I moved to DC in 1989, Jimmy Stewart published a small book of his light poetry -- poems he often read during his "Tonight Show" appearances, to the great amusement of Johnny Carson and the audience. Mr. Stewart was on a book tour and stopped at a small bookstore not far from my office in downtown Washington. I went over during my lunch break and stood in a very long line of people waiting to see him -- the line snaked throughout the store and outside into the large lobby of the building that housed the bookstore. When the line finally advanced so that I was in sight of Mr. Stewart, I could see that he was standing behind a tall counter, signing books. Every once in a while, he'd stretch his legs and arms -- I suppose that he must have been getting stiff standing in one place for so long, even though he seemed to be in pretty good shape for a white-haired guy in his 80s. When it was finally my turn to have my book signed, I noticed that Mr. Stewart stood very tall and straight. I said, "We all love you Mr. Stewart," as he signed his name. He didn't say anything but just looked up and smiled at me. Sometimes, when I'm watching one of Stewart's movies, I'll remind myself that I once had the good fortune to stand about two feet from Mr. Stewart and look him in the eye as he smiled. Tony Curtis A few years later, I was in the same DC bookstore where I'd seen Jimmy Stewart, just browsing around. I didn't know that Tony Curtis was about to show up for a book-signing event. Suddenly, there was some commotion, and I looked up with surprise to see Tony Curtis striding directly toward me. He was shaking hands with everyone he passed as he moved through the store. When he was about three feet from me, reaching out to shake my hand, the person accompanying him guided him off to the side, where the book-signing was to take place. Even though I didn't get to shake Mr. Curtis's hand, it was pretty cool to see him so close up, and to have it be a total surprise on top of that. I recall that he wasn't very tall and had a much fuller head of hair than he'd had as a younger man. With a shining smile that reminded me of his character in The Great Race, Mr. Curtis exuded charisma. Cary Grant This was the sad "almost" encounter. Cary Grant has long been my favorite movie star -- it was seeing him and Katherine Hepburn in Holiday on late-night TV that turned me into a classic movie fan. When I was in my last semester at the University of Iowa in late 1986, I learned Mr. Grant was going to bring his "Conversation with Cary Grant" tour to a beautiful old theater in nearby Davenport, Iowa, on November 29. I sent away for tickets so that my wife and I could attend, and we couldn't have been more excited. In those student days, we had little money for extras, so it was such a treat to drive over to Davenport on a Saturday night, have a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant, and then go to see our favorite movie star, Cary Grant, in person. Everything went as planned until we got to the theater. There was someone standing out front, telling the approaching audience members that Mr. Grant was ill and wouldn't be able to appear. I remember the disappointed looks on the faces of our fellow audience members as we turned away. One young woman clutched a book about Mr. Grant, which I imagined she was going to ask him to sign. My wife and I drove back to Iowa City, hoping that the event would be rescheduled. First thing the next morning, I tuned in to the "CBS Sunday Morning" program. At the top of the show, Charles Kuralt reported that Cary Grant had died the previous night in Davenport. Disappointment turned to profound sadness, and I wrote a short appreciation of Mr. Grant for the university newspaper that day. Several days later, we learned that Barbara Grant had asked that proceeds from the ticket sales be donated to the Davenport theater where her husband was about to appear. (They also offered a refund, but I'd guess that most audience members donated the price of their tickets.) I sent a copy of my newspaper article to Mrs. Grant, care of the theater. I few weeks later, I was very surprised to receive a handwritten note on monogrammed stationery from Mrs. Grant, thanking me for writing the appreciation of her husband. I wasn't so much surprised that Mrs. Grant would be so gracious in writing to a complete stranger, but surprised that my article had ever reached her. I still have our tickets and Mrs. Grant's kind note.

Moonstruck Next: garden party

THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES THE RIGHT STUFF

I've just remembered that I had another and my first encounter with Vincent Price before meeting him in person at LAX. Well, kind'a sort'a, anyway. Before working at the airport for Hughes AirWest, I worked at the TWA reservation office in downtown L.A., and doing one THE most monotonous jobs that one can do...answering phones. Well anyway, this one time a guy calls into TWA "Res" and says, "Can you tell me if your Flight 61 from London Heathrow is arriving on time into Los Angeles?" And because I IMMEDIATELY recognized the voice on the other end of the line, I replied, "SURE Mr. Vincent Price. I can tell you this. Just give a second here and I'll look this up for ya." The voice on the other end of the line then chuckled and said, "So, you recongnized my voice, did you?!", and I replied, "Well, it's certainly not hard to recognize that great distinctive voice of yours, Mr. Price. I've been a fan of yours since I was a kid." (...always the true gentleman, he thanked me for that comment and then again after I gave him the answer to his original query)

The Inn of Sixth Happiness 1958

The House on Haunted Hill

So evidently you've never experienced unrequited love in your life, eh James? And, as Holly experiences in this film? You see, I think THIS aspect of it has always added to an even deeper contextual feeling to how this film plays out. And so no, I don't think it detracts from the arc of the storyline, but in fact makes it's even clearer as to the breath of Anna's obsessive love for Harry. And in addition, this little "love triangle" makes it even clearer the internal emotional conflict that Holly is going through during the time he has to make the decision to help apprehend Harry or not, as he comes to know that by doing so, his chances at winning over the beautiful woman he's come love will be washed away... (...and as is so much of the flotsum and jetsum inside the Viennese sewer system)

Coal Miner's Daughter Next: Rock Singer

I really love Carol Reed's work overall. We could loosely categorize severl of his films and make them solid candidates for Noir Alley, and I'm all for it! If TCM wants to put Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol, and Night Train to Munich (has this been screened on the show?) into the Noir Alley canon that'd be fine by me! They all have outstanding qualities tied to them; I just don't know how "Noir" they are lol.

YES, I love this one. It's in the TCM library and airs once a year. Hope they replay it soon.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (1976) TCM -8/10 Several adults get suspicious when a 13 year old girl appears to be living alone in a house. This is one disturbing and engrossing little suspense/mystery. Jodie Foster is excellent in the lead, one of her best performances ever. Martin Sheen plays a creepy pervert with sick designs on Jodie. Hollywood veteran Alexis Smith is Sheen's mom. The film takes a few twists and turns and this could only have been made in the edgy 1970s. One of the more interesting things is the casting of Scott Jacoby as a young magician who befriends Jodie. Jacoby had been in his own "teenager alone in a house film" with the TV movie Bad Ronald. I had seen this film years ago on TV, I forgot most of it, but the final close up of Jodie Foster's face has always haunted me. See this movie and you will know what I mean.

I've been out of college for (gasp) 41 years. The last two years on campus, I lived with the same guy, and even though we've only seen each other maybe half a dozen times since graduation, we still consider each other as besties and keep in touch regularly. So, yeah, it can be done.

I wonder how many extras drowned filming it. CUT TO: DAVID LEAN BEHIND THE CAMERA: ”KEEP ROLLING!!! WE’LL SEND THE WIDOW A HAM!!!”

Wow; quite a bit of slagging on Orson here. Oh well. I couldn't resist commenting, The Third Man being one of my very favorite films of all time. I'm so glad that Eddie showed it; Noir Alley feels much closer to complete now. This movie has it all. Every time I watch it gives me back something new to ponder. This has the greatest entrance of any character in the history of the cinema. Period. That entire sequence is one of the most riveting I've ever seen. It's set up so beautifully, starting with the shot of the camera going through the flower pots on the window sill, peering down to the street below, catching Harry as he's walking past Anna's place, and retreating back into that unforgettable doorway. Then Anna's cat strolls down the street toward that doorway and settles in as a spectator to the big surprise. I love all the little details of that sequence. One of my favorite elements is watching Holly ALMOST get hit and killed by a car in the street, exactly like what was supposed to have happened to Harry. the use of darkness and light in the entire scene, ending with the enormous shadows on the walls as Harry runs away, just incredible looking; it seems like a genuine nightmare. I always think of what poor Holly is going through, and after everything that's happened, now he thinks he sees Harry, and then Harry disappears. That light switch upstairs is like a magician performing a trick. It's one of my favorite edits of all time, that close up of Orson's face when the old woman upstairs turns on the light after cursing out Holly for making a ruckus out in the street late at night. I've seen The Third Man in the theater now at least half a dozen times, and for people seeing the film for the first time, that scene is like a thunderbolt that shoots across the theater. The only edit I've ever experienced in my lifetime of movie going in the theater that had that kind of impact on an audience was: "Garcon. Coffee". I'll always remember the first couple times I saw that edit in a theater with a full audience; same kind of feeling, like now you understand completely that you're in the hands of a genius director; you're in real good hands lol. I could talk about this film forever I love it so much. Now Eddie: please play Touch of Evil! Another of my favorites of all time. And please: Odd Man Out. That film is an absolute stunner. The ending! What despair! And what a great assortment of character actors in that film supporting the greatest James Mason performance ever. And regarding Eddie's comments about subtities and this week's upcoming film, i just want to say, it's time for some Jean Pierre Melville on Noir Alley. My favorite Les Doulos, and perhaps The Samourai. Show those and Noir Alley really WILL be complete. OK, back to Orson slamming. Gee, I wish i was so unattractive I could only settle for somebody like Rita Hayworth to marry me LOL.

There's also that little but, perhaps, telling, line of dialogue that Anna had. "Harry said I laughed too much." Aside from what we know and think of Harry it would appear that he made her laugh a lot. Just as he once charmed Holly, he also clearly had her in the palm of his (rat-like) hand, too. Oh, yeh, Harry was the only person Anna's cat liked. That reminds me of the time I was at the apartment of a friend who had a cat that had been abused and used to hide whenever someone visited her home. As I sat on her couch one day, however, her cat leaped upon the couch and sat beside me, placing her paw on my leg as she stared up at me. Rose (my friend) had never seen her pet respond to anyone else this way and I remember her saying, "Oh, Tom, you're a good person." Maybe Anna felt the same way.

Always enjoyable, as an actor he just got better and better. Good night GEORGE! We all love you!

Apropos. . . . Unfortunately, there's no good picture I could find of this gown. One of the most stunning on one of the most beautiful women in movies. People familiar with the movie Random Harvest (1942) will know.

I just thought I'd make a point of praising the performance of Trevor Howard as Major Calloway in The Third Man. It's a film in which the performances of Cotten and, especially, Welles get a lot of attention. Calloway is not a flashy role as a British "cop," as a slightly inebriated Holly Martins as one point derisively calls him. But Howard brings an ice cool understated professionalism to the role, as well as a sense of decency. You can see that he is exasperated with and also concerned about naive Holly getting involved (and doesn't want another body turning up on the scene). There is also that telling moment when the Russian army officer asks for Anna's fake passport and you see Calloway's momentary reluctance to pursue the matter. "We're not going to pick her up for that, are we?" he asks. Calloway is a decent man, and we feel that decency through Howard's skilfull portrayal. He's not just that cold cop that Martins called him earlier. But at the same time did anyone notice how unflatteringly cold the Russian military are portrayed in this film made during the Cold War? When those three army officers of different nations show up at Anna's apartment in the night to take her to international headquarters, the British one (played by Leo Genn, a future popular character actor) is sympathetic with an apology, the French one is chivalrous and offers her her lipstick while the Russian army sergeant is stoic with a face like grim death.

He had a touch of class. Don't forget No Way to Treat a Lady (1968).

Sad to hear this. We featured him in the Winter Under the Stars thread a few weeks ago. George Segal was always charming, whether in dramas or comedies. And a bit edgy if the film called for it. Here he is in FUN WITH DICK AND JANE (1977):

Scarlett O'Hara was loaded with great hats designed by the great Walter Plunkett, starting with my favorite:

It's important to remember - as of course, you do, Tom -- that at no time does Holly consider betraying Harry for selfish reasons (ie, for reward money or status of some kind or anything like that.) He agrees to help Major Calloway (love that Trevor Howard !) twice; the first time, his price is Anna's freedom from the Russians, he demands that she be put on a train to Paris, away from the surveillance of the Russian police in Vienna. How could he know she'd figure out what he'd done and reject his attempt to save her? But you don't mention the second time he agrees to help the police find Harry: Calloway decides to take Holly on a tour of a children's hospital, showing him what has happened to the children who have been administered the diluted penicillin Harry Lime was marketeering. The camera wisely never shows us the children, just little touches like the expression on Holly's face as he looks at them, and a teddy bear being tossed in the garbage, its owner no longer having any need for it. It's a powerful scene, and it's clear that Calloway's motives for wanting to stop Harry Lime have finally gotten through to Holly. I love the famous ferris wheel scene, in which Harry seemingly, at least in his own mind, justifies what he does to his friend. It's interesting, how people who do evil things can always rationalize what they do.

Nope. I feel you've got it all wrong. It's interesting that you attribute such basic and oversimplified motives to Holly. Of course he isn't "throwing his friend under the bus" to clear the way for himself to get Harry's girl. He knows she's still in love with Harry. Look, one of the best, most memorable things about The Third Man is the ethical complexity of the story. And its characters. As I said earlier, the film poses a fascinating moral question, one that has no "right or wrong" answer: Is it ok to turn a friend over to the police if that friend is perpetrating horrific harms and sees no reason to stop? What about the trust that friend might have in you? Which is the greater moral good: loyalty to a friend who trusts you, regardless of what kind of crimes that friend might be performing, or putting a stop to the very serious and real harm that friend is causing by turning him in to the police? I don't think your cheap and overly facile interpretation would "make for a better storyline" at all.

I have had numerous encounters with celebrities through my veterinary practice. I've recounted several in other threads before. Only one would probably remember me. Christine Baransky She was a long time client with both dogs and cats. I repaired a fracture one of her dogs suffered from an unfortunate encounter with a car on the little, backwoods road she lived on. She was forever grateful. We would occasionally cross paths at the local grocer. I remember many cordial conversations. She never failed to recognize me and greet me fondly. She is a very kind, neighborly person. Not a hint of pretense. Her late husband, Matthew Cowles was also charming and witty. He did not enjoy the career that she did but they were clearly connected. Alfred Uhry He too was a client, with cats. I knew him before DRIVING MISS DAISY made him famous. He too, was always extremely friendly and respectful. I remember I got his cats through a short and not terribly bad infection, but Mr. Uhry was quite concerned. After they recovered he incredulously asked me "How did you do that?" and I responded, "Well, I can ask you the same question about what you do"....he nodded and we had a nice chuckle. Glenn Close My wife knew her step son-in-law and his wife. We were in Portland, Me. traveling on vacation and stopped at their house for a visit. We did not know that Glen Close was a relation. She and her husband (I believe they are now divorced) lived in a larger house across the back yard. We're having brunch with the kids and in through the screen door strolls Glen Close! "Oh, let me introduce you to my mother-in-law", our host says. "Hi. I'm Glenn." , she says in the most matter of fact way. After a bit of "Oh..we're huge fans....blah, blah, blah..." We have a wonderful 30 minute cup of coffee. At the end, my daughters, who were about 8-10 years old were asked, "Do you know who this is?" and they shake their heads no. Ms. Close puts her hands up by her face like claws and screeches in her Cruella DeVille voice, "Puppies!!!" My daughters immediately squeal in delight as they then know exactly who she is. True story. Art Carney and Peter Benchley Treated their pets. Met them each one time. Very matter of fact. No acknowledgment by either of us as to who they were. Just a normal office visit. They both just brought their pets into the vet. Just as normal as could be. Richard Widmark Crossed paths with him on the golf course, one time. He was having a bad day. My first job after college was in Norwalk, CT. My boss had a bunch of celebrity clients from the Darien to Westport area. I would see them but never interacted with Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker, Richard Thomas, JoAnne Woodward (Newman never, ever came in). I once spoke with Anne Morrow Lindbergh on the phone. She always sent an employee in with her dog. Not a movie star, but a celebrity nonetheless, I took care of Annabella Batistella's dog. She was also known as "The Tidal Basin Bombshell". Remember who she was?

Well, this sucks. In spite of him being in one terrible film in the 70s [Blume in Love], he was otherwise a consummate professional, almost always great to watch. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is of course tops, but I want to also she a light on some of his other great films: the all-star melodrama Ship of Fools, the twistedly hilarious dark comedy No Way To Treat a Lady with him chasing a Jack-the-Ripper type serial killer played by an over-the-top Rod Steiger and while also trying to romance Lee Remick, the compulsive gambling film California Split with Elliot Gould, the mid-life crisis film Loving with his character's adultery going public in the worst possible way, and my personal favorite, Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe, a dynamite and inventive comedy that is one of the best comedies of its era, between his bickering chemistry with Jacqueline Bissett, and with Robert Morley stealing his every scene as an acid-tounged food critic. I feel bad in a way that his post-70s performances were usually so tiny in films, though he was great in For the Boys. His small roles in To Die For, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Flirting with Disaster, and The Cable Guy were still eye-catching, as was a multilayered guest spot on Murder She Wrote in 1993 that rates as one of that series' great guest turns. This is a big passing for me and one that hurts. He will be missed.

Sad. excellent actor, always enjoyed his performances and yes very funny in the Goldbergs. RIP George Segal

Zandra, played by Eileen Brennan on Will and Grace

THE GREAT MAN'S LADY (1942)

Ok, I laid out our whole argument (debate?) here because all 3 of these posts are related to the same point. Sorry, james, I don't think I misunderstood you. It appears you're saying that The Third Man would have been a better noir, or a more noirish noir anyway, if Holly had tried to compete with Harry Lime for Anna's love. You say that narrative would have made the film more "noir". But first, we have to remember that when these films were made - whether it be The Third Man or any other movie from that era we now call "noir" - that there was no such thing as that label, that people just made movies, some involving crime and/or deceptive women and friends / and/or dark shadowy cinematography, etc. It's not as though Carol Reed was supposed to adhere to some concept called "film noir" and didn't follow the blueprint (or noirprint.) Sometimes I think people who like noir want to put a template of noir tropes over a movie and try to make the movie fit that template. That's not the way it works. So, I still say, if Holly had tried to compete with Harry for Anna in the way you suggest, it would have made The Third Man a more predictable (following a pattern) and therefore far less interesting story. As for the "love angle" being part of the film's narrative, I think that makes The Third Man better, not worse. It's not a mushy romance ; it's about introducing a character who loved Harry Lime, the problematic mystery man, unconditionally. Anna loved him despite the terrible things she was dimly aware he was doing. To take a character like Harry Lime, full of contrasts - charming, funny, exciting, but also unbelievably selfish and amoral, some would say evil - and show us two people who cared about him, one an old friend, the other a lover, gives us a kind of depth to the characters and the narrative that would be lacking without it. We need Anna to see how a decent person can love someone who she knows is wicked (no other word for it) but cannot bring herself to betray him, nor to accept anyone else who is willing to betray him.

I watched THE THIRD MAN (1949) last night. My wife had never seen it and it's been years for me. I was surprised to see that it is often called the greatest British film of all time. Really? I get the lighting and the 15% degree off camera angles. Tight editing and exquisite use of light and shadows. I thought the theme music was oddly out of sync with the drama and intrigue of the film. It bordered on Flamenco guitar music and seemed more "jaunty" than "mysterious". I thought the film was ripe for a different, moodier score. I don't want to seem unappreciative of a fine, artistic film...but it did not come across as anywhere near the best British film I can recall. I would be open to other's opinions. Excellent...but best???

From March 24-26, 1921, the Poli ran Worlds Apart, starring Eugene O’Brien as Hugh Ledyard and Olive Tell as Elinor Ashe. Released in January of 1921 at six reels, the film is presumed lost. Unfortunately, I could only find two stills. Plot: Hugh Ledyard, a wealthy young man, is engaged to Phyllis Leigh. Peter Lester, who wants Phyllis, arranges to have her find Ledyard in a compromising situation. Phyllis leaves Ledyard and marries Lester. Ledyard, disillusioned, wanders the slums, and rescues Elinor Ashe, who has attempted to drown herself. He then recklessly marries her, even though she is “worlds apart” in social status. Eventually he falls in love with her, but she does not return his affections. They live in separate apartments. He tries to get her to attend a fox hunt with him but he refuses. The Lesters come to the Ledyard home, along with Harley and Marcia Marshall. Ledyard does not know that the Marshalls are under financial obligations to Lester, and also aided Lester in his plot to frame Ledyard. Elinor has also hired a servant, who in reality is her father, an old man once unjustly imprisoned because of Lester’s crooked dealings. Lester is shot to death, and Elinor’s father is accused of the crime. Eventually, the real killer is revealed to be Harley Marshall. He is captured in a Chinese opium den and confesses to the crime. Ledyard then finds that his love for his wife is reciprocated. The film hunt scene was filmed in Warrenton, Virginia. Exhibitor’s Herald wrote “the mystery is so well sustained up to and through the climax that it is a regret to have it flatten out so badly with its sudden ending. However, the picture’s entertainment value will redeem it to a great extent. The settings are highly attractive and the women players are pretty and wear charming gowns.” Wid’s Daily remarked “good direction and realistic atmosphere produced by some extravagant sets raise this above the average.” A few years before beginning her film career, Olive Tell appeared onstage in “The King of Nowhere,” at the Thirty-Ninth Street Theatre in New York City, playing the leading lady opposite Lou Tellegen. Tellegen, at the time, was married to actress and opera singer Geraldine Farrar. Farrar had gone to Boston to sing in “Madame Butterfly.” Shortly after her arrival, she came down with a sore throat, and her voice became hoarse. A physician diagnosed tonsillitis, and advised isolation. Meanwhile, her performance was cancelled, as well as another engagement in Atlanta, costing her around $6000. She returned to New York, where she told her husband what was wrong, and suggested he stay in a hotel. Tellegen disregarded the warning. And every night he would continue to kiss Olive Tell as part of the performance. Apparently the two really put their hearts into it, as can be seen in the still below: Several days after Farrar returned, Tellegen came down with a sore throat, but continued to act. Eventually he consulted a doctor, who diagnosed tonsillitis. Tellegen followed the doctor’s orders, and isolated himself. The theater was shut down for four days, costing Tellegen about $2500 in his share of the receipts. With both Farrar and Tellegen recovered, the show reopened. A few days later, while Tellegen was in his dressing room, a messenger arrived saying that Olive Tell had a sore throat. An understudy took over her part.

1923

Not exactly a premiere BUT... Dancing Sweeties (1930) hasn't aired on TCM since 2005. It's just a B programmer, but it is a taste of that urban look and feel Warner Brothers was going for in its infancy. It stars Grant Withers, who had a rather sad life on the whole, and Sue Carol who was married to Alan Ladd. It's one of my very guilty pleasures. 3-24 9:30AM EST.