MarkMiller

I like your list. Do you mean "Now Voyager" by Max Steiner?

Jack, Are you familiar with "Hangover Square?" It was Laird Cregar's last film and Herrmann did the score for it too. In fact the story was about a composer going mad and BH did the background music and composer's scores. I have never seen this film, but all of the Herrmann talk has whetted my appetitie for it. Maybe I should put it on the "suggest a movie" list.

Jerry Goldsmith anyone? He did music for "In Harm's Way," "Patton," "Planet of the Apes," "Papillon," "The Omen" and many others. He also did some of the themes for "Twilight Zone" show.

How about Bernard Herrmann for "Taxi Driver?"

Thanks, Jack.

Thelma Ritter is good in "The Misfits" too. Her character (Monroe's sidekick) loves the wayward cowboys (Gable, Wallach and Clift) in spite of their flaws. It's funny--I don't consider this to be a great or even particularly good film, but it has an eerie fascination. Maybe it's because most of the principals died shortly after its completion. If you haven't seen it yet, you should.

I have a question about "Judgement at Nuremberg." Early in the film Spencer Tracy's character goes for a walk and stops at a hot dog stand. He smiles at a young lady and she says something to him in German. He asks the vendor what she said. What did she say??? I couldn't hear the answer.

Charles Lane is now 101 and yes there was a celebration for his 100th birthday. He credits a positive outlook for his longevity.

I think John Sutton was a Warners stock player, but you're right about the others. David Niven was MGM and I think George Sanders acted mainly at Fox.

He wasn't exactly lovable, but Barton McLane deserves mention as a Warners stock player.

I haven't checked, but I am pretty sure Lyle Talbot has passed away--he would be over 100. I enjoyed him too in TV sitcoms from the 60s as well as character parts in movies.

You've got me on your question about Hitchcok and Dreyer. Regarding Richard Thorpe I have an ironic answer--Thorpe directed the original "Night Must Fall" with Robert Montgomery which was supposed to be much better than its remake with Albert Finney in 1964. He also did The Crowd Roars (1938), A Date with Judy (1948), Jailhouse Rock and Tip on a Dead Jockey (both 1957). If nothing else he must have been good with big stars.

Henry Fonda anybody??

Nice one. I think I would vote for Davis. More range.

The cook in "The Cowboys" was Roscoe Lee Browne, a wonderful character actor. I believe his character's name was Mr. Nightlinger. I love the scene in which he atones to his maker just before he and the boys retaliate against Bruce Dern.

Yes, they resembled each other, but Victor Buono was much younger. I don't think he even made any films prior to "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" in 1962.

One of his films that I would like to see is "The Proud Rebel" (1958). I have read that he and real life son David had a kind of on screen chemistry and that the film itself is very touching. Any feedback?

Nevada Smith. McQueen played him in the 1966 Henry Hathaway film of the same name and Ladd played him in "The Carpetbaggers" (1964).

Black and White was also effective at hiding things. Billy Wilder thought about shooting "Some Like It Hot" in color, but the make up that Curtis and Lemmon wore gave off a greenish hue when photographed in color. Plus the violennce in the first scenes would have been more graphic in color which would have been inapproriate for a comedy.

That's a pretty good answer and you may be right. Here is what I've heard: Even Hitchcock had to work under budget constraints sometimes and he couldn't spend as much money on "Psycho" as he had on "North by Northwest" the year before. So instead of big stars he had to use up and coming players (like Perkins) and established names (Janet Leigh). Perkins was under contract at Paramount for one more picture and Paramount owed Hitchcock something (I'm not sure what). Bottom line: Paramount released Perkins to do "Psycho" and Hitchcock economized on the lead role. There is more to this story than that; I am fuzzy on some of the details. Although Perkins had a "boy next door" image prior to "Psycho" he was pretty good in "Fear Strikes Out" (1957). Maybe Hitchcock considered that, too.

How about Jeff Chandler? Plenty of salt and pepper virility and he was really a pretty good actor, too.

Actually at that time he was better known for boy next door roles kind of like Robert Walker prior to "Strangers on a Train."

Does anyone know how Hitchcock decided on Anthony Perkins when he was casting "Psycho?" He wasn't his first choice.

I agree that the interviews showed a softer side of Bette. Maybe that's why "Stardust" avoided or toned down some of the harsher aspects of her life and career. I have read three bios on her (none by her daughter) and all went into detail on her failed marraiges and fueds with co-stars and directors. I have read different accounts of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane." According to the books Jack Warner didn't want to make the film and told Robert Aldrich that he wasn't going to give him much money for it. He also warned Aldrich that he would regret casting Davis and Crawford whom he considered to be has-beens. I have also read different versions of how her second husband (Farnsworth) died. Her third marrainge was probably the worst because of the physical abuse, yet she stated that at least it produced a child. Again "Stardust" accentuated the positive and played down the negative. There's no doubt that Bette Davis was a pioneer and inspiration to other actresses. Unfortunately, her catty behavior may have equaled her acting. Celeste Holm, Miriam Hopkins and Joan Crawford were not the only actors who complained about her.

Maybe it's not so easy. Any hints?