jakeem

"If you are looking for a ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills -- skills that I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. " -- Retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) on the telephone with one of his daughter's kidnappers in "Taken" (2008).

TCM On Demand for August 5, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) -- Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Russell, Gladys George, Roman Bohnen, Ray Collins, Minna Gombell, Walter Baldwin, Steve Cochran, Dorothy Adams, Don Beddoe, Marlene Aames, Charles Halton, Ray Teal, Howland Chamberlain, Dean White, Erskine Sanford, Michael Hall, Victor Cutler. Uncredited: Gene Krupa, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Joyce Compton, Blake Edwards. Producer Samuel Goldwyn's drama about the sometimes bumpy return of American G.I.s from World War II action earned seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor (March) and Best Supporting Actor (Russell). The film also won for Best Writing, Screenplay (Robert E. Sherwood), Best Film Editing (Daniel Mandell) and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Hugo Friedhofer). The only nomination that did not win was Best Sound, Recording (Gordon Sawyer, Samuel Goldwyn SSD). March became only the second person to win two Best Actor Oscars. His first was for playing the title characters in the 1931 film version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Spencer Tracy received back-to-back awards for Best Actor for his performances in "Captains Courageous" (1937) and "Boys Town" (1938). Russell, a real-life veteran who lost both his hands in a wartime training accident, also was presented an honorary Oscar "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in 'The Best Years of Our Lives'." He thus became the only person to receive two Oscars for the same movie. Although Russell had never acted before, Wyler called his work in the film "the finest performance I have ever seen on the screen.'' In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked this drama No. 37 on its list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. When AFI updated the list in 2007, the film remained at the 37th spot. Expires August 11, 2015. 2. The Little Foxes (1941) -- Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Richard Carlson, Dan Duryea, Patricia Collinge, Charles Dingle, Carl Benton Reid, Jessica Grayson, John Marriott, Russell Hicks, Lucien Littlefield, Virginia Brissac, Terry Nibert, Henry "Hot Shot" Thomas, Charles R. Moore. Davis, Collinge and Wright received Academy Award nominations for their performances in William Wyler's film version of the 1939 Lillian Hellman play about a dysfunctional Southern family. The film earned nine Oscar nods overall: Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actress (Davis, her fourth of five nominations in a row), Best Supporting Actress (Collinge), Best Supporting Actress ( Wright), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hellman), Best Music, Scoring for a Dramatic Film (Meredith Willson), Best Film Editing (Daniel Mandell) and Best Art Direction (Stephen Goosson, Howard Bristol). Although Wright did not win, she earned two Academy Award nominations the following year, for her performances in "The Pride of the Yankees" (Best Actress) and "Mrs. Miniver" (Best Supporting Actress). She won the latter award, making her the youngest person -- at age 24 -- to receive three Oscar nominations for acting. That record stood until January 16, 2014, when 23-year-old Jennifer Lawrence broke it with her third nomination in four years. Collinge and Wright went on to play a mother and daughter, respectively, in Sir Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943). Look for Kenny Washington in an uncredited role as a servant. Five years after this movie's release, he became the first African-American athlete in the modern era to sign with a National Football League team. He and his UCLA teammate Woody Strode -- who later starred in such films as "Spartacus" and "Sergeant Rutledge" (both released in 1960) -- played for the Los Angeles Rams, beginning in 1946. Expires August 11, 2015.

TCM On Demand for August 5, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 3. The Pride of the Yankees (1942) -- Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Walter Brennan, Babe Ruth, Dan Duryea, Elsa Janssen, Ludwig Stössel, Virginia Gilmore, Bill Dickey, Ernie Adams, Pierre Watkin, Harry Harvey, Bob Meusel, Mark Koenig, Bill Stern. Uncredited actors: Dane Clark, Frank Faylen, James Westerfield. Directed by Sam Wood and produced by Samuel Goldwyn, this film biography is about the great career and tragic end of New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig (1903-1941). The drama earned 11 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper) and Best Actress (Wright). The movie's only Oscar win was for Best Film Editing (Daniel Mandell). Wright, who co-stars as Gehrig's steadfast wife Eleanor, also was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and won for her performance in the 1942 Best Picture winner "Mrs. Miniver." Wood received a nomination for Best Director, but it was for another film, "Kings Row." Cooper as Lou Gehrig The biopic's screenplay was co-written by Jo Swerling and Herman J. Mankiewicz (Ben's grandfather), based on an original story by sportswriting great Paul Gallico. Mankiewicz, who shared a 1941 screenwriting Oscar with Orson Welles for "Citizen Kane," later wrote the screenplay for "The Pride of St. Louis" (1952), which starred Dan Dailey as Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean. Gehrig, who was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1939, joined the Yankees in 1923 and played 17 seasons for the ballclub. He was a member of six World Series championship teams, had a .340 career batting average, slugged 493 home runs and drove in 1,995 runs. From 1925 to 1939, he appeared in a record 2,130 consecutive games. The mark was surpassed during the 1995 Major League Baseball season by Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles. Gehrig's career tragically was short circuited when he contracted amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal disease marked by the gradual degeneration of the nerve cells in the central nervous system. It has since become known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." "The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth": The film re-creates Gehrig's unforgettable farewell address at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. The most famous line from the speech was ranked No. 38 on the American Film Institute's 2005 list of the 100 greatest movie quotes of all time. Frequent collaborators: Cooper and Brennan appeared together in five other films: "The Cowboy and the Lady" (1938), "The Westerner" (1940), "Meet John Doe" (1941), "Sergeant York" (1941) and "Task Force" (1949). They wore the pinstripes, too: Several of Gehrig's Yankees teammates appear as themselves, including Ruth, who preceded "The Iron Horse" in the team's batting order for many seasons. The Oscars and sports: This was one of the rare sports stories to be nominated for Best Picture. Among the others: "Rocky" (which won the top Academy Award for 1976) and "Chariots of Fire" (the 1981 Best Picture winner). The most recent baseball movie to receive a Best Picture nomination was "Moneyball" (2011), which starred Brad Pitt. Expires August 11, 2015. 4. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) -- Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Hume Cronyn, Wallace Ford, Edna May Wonacott, Charles Bates, Irving Bacon, Clarence Muse, Janet Shaw, Estelle Jewell. Uncredited: Virginia Brissac, Miverva Urecal. Sir Alfred Hitchcock frequently referred to this suspense drama -- about the dark side of Middle America and family relations -- as his personal favorite film. The picture received an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Original Story (Gordon McDonell). But its screenplay was quite a collaborative effort. Hitchcock brought in author and playwright Thornton Wilder ("Our Town") to handle the storyline. And there were contributions by others. Sally Benson wrote the dialogue for the children in the film. Actress Collinge reworked a scene in a garage involving the characters of Wright and Carey. Wright stars as teenager Charlotte "Charlie" Newton, who lives with her family in Santa Rosa, California. She becomes excited when her namesake uncle, Charlie Oakley (Cotten), comes to town for a visit. Before long, she discovers that her beloved relative harbors a dark secret. Hitch's cameo: The director's traditional appearance occurs during a scene on a train. He sits with his back to the camera while holding a big hand in a card game. Memorable quote: "Because we're not just an uncle and a niece. It's something else. I know you. I know that you don't tell people a lot of things. I don't either. I have a feeling that inside you somewhere there's something nobody knows about...something secret and wonderful. I'll find it out." -- Young Charlie to her mysterious uncle. Recurring theme: Snippets of "The Merry Widow Waltz" by composer Franz Lehár are played several times during the film. Expires August 11, 2015.

TCM On Demand for August 4, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Father Takes a Wife (1941) -- Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Swanson, John Howard, Desi Arnaz, Helen Broderick, Florence Rice, Neil Hamilton, Grady Sutton, George Meader, Mary Treen, Ruth Dietrich. Uncredited: Pierre Watkin, Grant Withers. Menjou and Swanson, who began their careers during the silent era, play older newlyweds in this comedy effort. He is Frederick Osborne, Sr., the head of a shipping company; she is Leslie Collier, a demanding stage actress. Their nuptials are a source of distraction for his son Frederick Jr. (Howard) and Junior's wife Enid (Rice). The movie was directed by Jack Hively ("They Met in Argentina," "Four Jacks and a Jill"). The screenplay was provided by Dorothy Fields and Herbert Fields. Expires August 10, 2015. 2. Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935) -- Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart, Alice Brady, Hugh Herbert, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Joseph Cawthorn, Grant Mitchell, Dorothy Dare, Winifred Shaw. Uncredited: Walter Brennan, Dennis O'Keefe, Virginia Grey, Arthur Aylesworth, E.E. Clive, Sam McDaniel. Busby Berkeley directed this third film in the "Gold Diggers" musical comedy series. It followed "Gold Diggers of Broadway" (1929) and "Gold Diggers of 1933" (1933) and preceded "Gold Diggers of 1937" (1936) and "Gold Diggers in Paris" (1938). The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song ("Lullaby of Broadway" by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics). Berkeley, who also choreographed the production numbers, received an Oscar nomination for Best Dance Direction. Expires August 10, 2015.

Since that was only Dunaway's second or third film, it's possible that she hadn't quite evolved into a diva yet.

The first AFI tribute was in 1973. Bogart had been dead for 16 years by then. Everyone else you mentioned was eligible.

Gene Hackman would be a worthy honoree, too.

TCM On Demand for August 3, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) -- Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Alan Hale, Sr., Melville Cooper, Ian Hunter, Una O'Connor, Herbert Mundin, Montagu Love, Leonard Willey, Kenneth Hunter. Uncredited: Carole Landis, Sam Jaffe, Leonard Mudie. Directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, this Technicolor action-adventure film based on legendary British tales stars Flynn in his best-remembered role. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won three Oscars: Best Art Direction (Carl Jules Weyl), Best Film Editing (Ralph Dawson) and Best Music, Original Score (Erich Wolfgang Korngold). In 2005, Korngold's score placed 11th on the American Film Institute's ranking of the top 25 film scores of all time. This was one of eight films that co-starred Flynn and De Havilland. The others: "Captain Blood" (1935), "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936), "Four's a Crowd" (1938), "Dodge City" (1939), "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (1939), "Santa Fe Trail" (1940) and "They Died with Their Boots On" (1941). Seven of the films were either directed or co-directed by Curtiz. Memorable scene No. 1: Displaying great athleticism and ingenuity, Robin escapes from the clutches of Prince John's soldiers at Sir Guy of Gisbourne's castle. Memorable scene No. 2: Although it's a ruse to smoke him out, Robin (in disguise) can't resist displaying his prowess with a bow and arrow in a royal archery tournament. Future mane attraction: De Havilland's horse in the film was a golden palomino stallion named Golden Cloud. The steed eventually was purchased for $2,500 by Western star Roy Rogers and renamed Trigger. Expires August 9, 2015.

TCM On Demand for August 3, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 2. The Proud Rebel (1958) -- Alan Ladd, Dame Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, David Ladd, Cecil Kellaway, Harry Dean Stanton, Thomas Pittman, Henry Hull, Eli Mintz, John Carradine, James Westerfield, King (as Lance the Dog). Uncredited: Mary Wickes, Percy Helton. Michael Curtiz directed this post-Civil War tale about a former Confederate soldier (Ladd) who moves to Illinois with his 10-year-old son David. The boy (played by Ladd's real-life son David) stopped speaking after he witnessed the tragic death of his mother. As a result, his father hopes to find help for him in the North. This was David Ladd's second film with his father. They first appeared together in "The Big Land" (1957). In 1973, the younger Ladd married the South Dakota-born actress Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor. She began using her married name professionally and -- as Cheryl Ladd -- became a sensation in 1977 when she joined the cast of the red-hot ABC detective series "Charlie's Angels." The Ladds' marriage lasted until 1980. Their daughter Jordan became an actress and starred in numerous movies, including "Never Been Kissed" (1999), "Cabin Fever" (2002) and "Grindhouse" (2007). Expires August 9, 2015.

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?" -- Written by the Narrator (Richard Dreyfuss) at the end of "Stand By Me" (1986).

Moonraker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2GTKBx4H5Y What can I say? "Moonraker" is my favorite of the Sir Roger Moore 007 films, with a great score by the late John Barry. As I recall, there were six Moonraker shuttles. James Bond and Dr. Goodhead (Lois Chiles) save the day in Moonraker No. 5!

"Is that Lefeld down there?...Ask him how my mother is." -- Hardened criminal Cody Jarrett (James Cagney), about to receive some bad news in a prison mess hall in "White Heat" (1949).

TCM On Demand for August 2, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Advise & Consent (1962) -- Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres, Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Gene Tierney, Burgess Meredith, Paul Ford, George Grizzard, Inga Swenson, Betty White, Eddie Hodges, Edward Andrews, Paul McGrath, Will Geer. Engrossing political tale directed by Otto Preminger and based on the best seller by Allen Drury. One of three great 1960s Washington D.C.-based dramas starring Fonda. The others: "Gore Vidal's The Best Man" and "Fail Safe" (both released in 1964). The movie's title is derived from Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which empowers the Senate to approve treaties and confirm certain presidential appointments. The fictional storyline revolves around the controversial nomination of Robert A. Leffingwell (Fonda) to head the State Department. Many of the lead actors play senators, including White, who appears as the Hon. Bessie Adams of Kansas. Tone is the ailing president who hopes Leffingwell's nomination is approved as soon as possible. Ayres is the vice president, whose vote will be needed in case the Senate becomes deadlocked over the issue. This was the last picture of Laughton's distinguished career. The Oscar winner died of cancer at the age of 63 on December 15, 1962, six months after the film was released. It also was one of Tierney's final films. Expires August 8, 2015. 2. Close to My Heart (1951) -- Ray Milland, Gene Tierney, Fay Bainter, Howard St. John, Mary Beth Hughes, Ann Morrison, James Seay, Baby John Winslow, Eddie Marr. Uncredited: Louis Jean Heydt. Directed by William Keighley ("The Adventures of Robin Hood," "The Man Who Came to Dinner"), this drama stars Milland and Tierney as a married couple desperate to adopt a child. Their attempt -- outside the normal channels -- to take in an abandoned baby leaves them worried that the child's biological father is a convicted murderer. The movie's screenplay is credited to James R. Webb, who adapted it from his novel "A Baby for Midge." Webb went on to win the 1963 Best Original Screenplay Oscar for "How the West Was Won." This was director Keighley's penultimate picture before his retirement from filmmaking. His final feature was "The Master of Ballantrae" (1953), which starred Errol Flynn and Roger Livesey. Expires August 8, 2015. 3. Toys in the Attic (1962) -- Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, Yvette Mimieux, Dame Wendy Hiller, Gene Tierney, Nan Martin, Larry Gates, Frank Silvera, Charles Lampkin. Uncredited: Leonard Stone, Helen Kleeb, Based on the 1960 stage play by Lillian Hellman, this Southern Gothic drama was directed by George Roy Hill ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting"). Set in New Orleans, the film is about unmarried sisters (Page, Hiller) who are visited by their btother (Martin) -- a failed businessman -- and his young wife (Mimieux). The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Black-and-White Costume Design (Bill Thomas). Expires August 8, 2015.

TCM On Demand for August 1, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. Brute Force (1947) --Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn, Charles Bickford, Yvonne De Carlo, Ann Blyth, Ella Raines, Anita Colby, Sam Levene, Jeff Corey, John Hoyt, Jack Overman, Roman Bohnen, Sir Lancelot, Vince Barnett, Jay C. Flippen, Richard Gaines, Frank Puglia, James Bell, Howard Duff, Art Smith, Whit Bissell. Uncredited: Charles McGraw, Ray Teal. Based on a screenplay by Richard Brooks (and a story by Robert Patterson), this prison break film was directed by Jules Dassin ("The Naked City"). Lancaster, who would later headline films directed by Brooks ("Elmer Gantry," "The Professionals"), stars as Joe Collins, a tough prisoner at odds with a sadistic corrections officer (Cronyn). Dassin filmed this movie not long before he was blacklisted for suspicion of Communist leanings. He moved to Europe and found great success there with such films as "Rififi," "Never on Sunday" and "Topkapi." Duff made his screen debut in the film. Expires August 7, 2015. 2. Criss Cross (1949) -- Burt Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Esy Morales, Tom Pedi, Percy Helton, Alan Napier, Griff Barnett, Meg Randall, Richard Long, Joan Miller, Edna Holland, John Doucette, Marc Krah, James O'Rear. John "Skins" Miller. Uncredited: Tony Curtis, Raymond Burr, Gene Evans, Vito Scotti. Directed by Robert Siodmak ("The Spiral Staircase," "The Killers"), this film noir drama stars Lancaster and De Carlo as a couple who become involved in a plot to have his armored truck robbed. This film marked the screen debut of Curtis, who went on to co-star with Lancaster in the dramas "Trapeze" (1956) and "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957). Expires August 7, 2015.

TCM On Demand for August 1, 2015 The following feature is now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 3. The Harder They Fall (1956) -- Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling, Mike Lane, Max Baer, Sr., Jersey Joe Walcott, Edward Andrews, Harold J. Stone, Carlos Montalbán, Nehemiah Persoff, Felice Orlandi, Herbie Faye, Rusty Lane, Jack Albertson. Uncredited: Val Avery, George Cisar, Patricia Dane, Abel Fernandez, Paul Frees, Robert Fuller, Roy Jenson, Mort Mills, Stafford Repp. Bogart's final film was an indictment of abuses in the fight game. Directed by Mark Robson ("Champion," "Inn of the Sixth Happiness"), the film's screenplay was adapted by Philip Yordan ("Detective Story," "Broken Lance") from the 1947 novel by Budd Schulberg. The book was modeled on the unscrupulous handling of the career of the hulking heavyweight contender Primo Carnera of Italy. Bogart stars as Eddie Willis, a veteran newspaper sportswriter who goes to work as a publicity agent for shady boxing promoter Nick Benko (Steiger). But Willis grows to dislike the mishandling of boxer Toro Moreno (Lane), a gentle giant from Argentina who gradually is being set up for failure in a big-money prizefight. Bogart died of cancer on January 14, 1957, eight months after this film was released in theaters. The acting great had hoped to star in another project with his wife, actress Lauren Bacall. The proposed movie, a satire titled "Melville Goodwin, U.S.A.," was based on a 1951 novel by John P. Marquand. But Bogart's illness forced him to withdraw from the project. It eventually was revived, revised and released in 1957 under the title "Top Secret Affair." It starred Kirk Douglas and Susan Hayward. Expires August 7, 2015.

"Did you really think I was going to kill you, Martha?...Well, I might someday." -- George (Richard Burton) in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966), after pulling a prank on his wife Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and their dinner guests (George Segal, Sandy Dennis). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWgIOb_U2Hc

TCM On Demand for July 31, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 1. AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Steve Martin (2015) -- The versatile, award-winning actor, comedian, writer and musician becomes the 43rd person to receive the American Film Institute's annual honor for career excellence. He joins Mel Brooks as the only honorees cited primarily for comedy. Taped on June 4, 2015 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the special features appearances by many of his friends and collaborators and co-stars, including Carl Reiner (who directed him in such movies as "The Jerk" and "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid"), Martin Short ("The Three Amigos" and "Father of the Bride"), Diane Keaton ("Father of the Bride" and "Father of the Bride II"), Lily Tomlin ("All of Me"), Tina Fey and Amy Poehler ("Baby Mama") and Queen Latifah ("Bringing Down the House"). Among those seen in taped sequences: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard. Martin, who comments about career highlights in taped segments appearing throughout the special, accepts the award from Brooks. "Now I’ve heard tonight the phrase ‘comic genius,’ and we know who that applies to -- Chaplin, Buster Keaton," he said. "And I always wondered, ‘What exactly is a comic genius?’ Now I know what a scientific genius is -- someone who explains the universe and cures diseases. But what is a comic genius? Is it someone who always gets a laugh, his every movie a hit? “But after all these years of work and luck and mentors and compatriots, of successes and failures, elation, all of these balanced with an equal amount of insecurity, self-doubt, good audiences, tough audiences, surprise hits and surprise misses, I have finally realized what a comic genius is. A comic genius is someone who decides never to go into comedy." Expires August 6, 2014. 2. Carson on TCM: Steve Martin (June 15, 1979) -- Martin's versatility came into play during his appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." He was there to plug "Cruel Shoes," his collection of short stories and essays. Martin said he studied the great authors, such as Hemingway and Tolstoy, and found that he had an advantage over them. "I knew I could fatten up the book with photographs," he said. "And you can use extra-heavy paper and it makes the book thicker." Martin's favorite writer: Charles Dickens, author of "A Tale of Two Cities." "It's a masterpiece," Martin said of the classic novel. "At the end, when Ronald Colman puts his head on the guillotine, and the camera just pans up...That's good writing." Martin also talked about his upcoming film "The Jerk," his first major feature as a lead actor. The comedy, co-written by Martin and directed by Carl Reiner, went on to become a box-office hit, grossing more than $100 million dollars. At the time of the interview, Martin was dating Bernadette Peters, his co-star in "The Jerk." Apparently, the news hadn't been picked up on by everyone in the news media. "I read an article in some fan magazine that said I was seeing Diane Keaton, whom I've never met," he said. More than a decade later, Martin would co-star with Keaton in "Father of the Bride" (1991) and "Father of the Bride Part II" (1995). This was one of 50 vintage Carson interviews edited for special broadcasts on Turner Classic Movies. Expires August 6, 2015.

I'd throw Vivien Leigh into that group, too. It's almost as if the British actresses on the list were made from the same Albion cookie cutter. I've always found it interesting that one of Simmons' first movie roles was as a harpist in the court of Cleopatra (Leigh) in "Caesar and Cleopatra" (1945). I'd also add the Irish-born actress Audrey Dalton (from the 1953 version of "Titanic") to the list. She looks so much like Jean Simmons in "Separate Tables" (1958), you're likely to believe she IS Simmons.

No chance of that happening since the Babe was an original HOF inductee in 1936. But I get your drift.

I'll bet you didn't agree with Craig Biggio's Hall of Fame induction, too.

TCM On Demand for July 31, 2015 The following features are now available on TCM On Demand for a limited time: 3. Pennies from Heaven (1981) -- Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Jessica Harper, Christopher Walken, Vernel Bagneris, John McMartin, John Karlen, Jay Garner, Robert Fitch, Tommy Rall, Eliska Krupka, Frank McCarthy, Raleigh Bond, Gloria LeRoy, Nancy Parsons, Toni Kaye, Shirley Kirkes, Jack Fletcher, Hunter Watkins, Arell Blanton, George Wilbur, M.C. Gainey. Herbert Ross ("Footloose," "Funny Lady") directed this unusual big-screen musical adapted from Dennis Potter's acclaimed 1978 British miniseries. Set in Chicago during the Depression years, the film balances a serious storyline with flights of fancy. The musical sequences feature the characters -- even three-time Tony Award recipient Peters -- lip-syncing to recordings from the era. The film received three Academy Award nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay (Potter), Best Costume Design (Bob Mackie) and Best Sound (Michael J. Kohut, Jay M. Harding, Richard Tyler and Al Overton, Jr.). The movie's cinematographer was the great Gordon Willis, who died of cancer on May 18, 2014 -- 10 days shy of his 84th birthday. Willis, who never won a competitive Academy Award, received an honorary Oscar in 2009 "for unsurpassed mastery of light, shadow, color and motion." Memorable scene: Walken, at the time better known as a dramatic actor than a scene-stealing hoofer, dances to "Let's Misbehave." Expires August 6, 2015. 4. Protocol (1984) -- Goldie Hawn, Chris Sarandon, Richard Romanus, André Gregory, Gail Strickland, Cliff De Young, Keith Szarabajka, Ed Begley, Jr., James Staley, Kenneth Mars, Jean Smart, Maria O'Brien, Joel Brooks, Grainger Hines, Kenneth McMillan, Richard Hamilton, Mary Carver, Kathleen York , Georganne LaPiere, Pamela Myers, Lyman Ward, Joe Lambie, Daphne Reid, Michael Zand, Amanda Bearse. Uncredited: John Ratzenberger. Political comedy about Washington, D.C. cocktail waitress Sunny Davis (Hawn) who becomes a national headliner by inadvertently foiling the assassination of a Middle Eastern leader. Although she's not interested in politics, her new status as a celebrity prompts the White House to offer a job as a protocol officer in the State Department Directed by Herbert Ross ("The Goodbye Girl," "Footloose"), the movie's screenplay was written by Buck Henry from a story by Charles Shyer, Nancy Meyers and Harvey Miller (the trio responsible for Hawn's 1980 comedy hit "Private Benjamin"). Expires August 6, 2015.

Here's a list of the 43 recipients of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award: 1973 -- John Ford. 1974 -- James Cagney. 1975 -- Orson Welles. 1976 -- William Wyler. 1977 -- Bette Davis (first female recipient). 1978 -- Henry Fonda (daughter Jane honored in 2014). 1979 -- Sir Alfred Hitchcock. 1980 -- James Stewart. 1981 -- Fred Astaire. 1982 -- Frank Capra. 1983 -- John Huston. 1984 -- Lillian Gish (oldest recipient at age 90). 1985 -- Gene Kelly. 1986 -- Billy Wilder. 1987 -- Barbara Stanwyck. 1988 -- Jack Lemmon. 1989 -- Gregory Peck. 1990 -- Sir David Lean. 1991 -- Kirk Douglas (son Michael honored in 2009). 1992 -- Sidney Poiter (first African-American recipient). 1993 -- Elizabeth Taylor. 1994 -- Jack Nicholson. 1995 -- Steven Spielberg. 1996 -- Clint Eastwood. 1997 -- Martin Scorsese. 1998 -- Robert Wise. 1999 -- Dustin Hoffman. 2000 -- Harrison Ford. 2001 -- Barbra Streisand. 2002 -- Tom Hanks (youngest recipient at age 45). 2003 -- Robert De Niro. 2004 -- Meryl Streep. 2005 -- George Lucas. 2006 -- Sir Sean Connery. 2007 -- Al Pacino. 2008 -- Warren Beatty (sister Shirley MacLaine honored in 2012). 2009 -- Michael Douglas (father Kirk honored in 1991). 2010 -- Mike Nichols. 2011 -- Morgan Freeman. 2012 -- Shirley MacLaine (brother Warren Beatty honored in 2008). 2013 -- Mel Brooks (first recipient honored primarily for comedy). 2014 -- Jane Fonda (father Henry honored in 1978). 2015 -- Steve Martin. You cannot deny that that's a pretty impressive group of honorees. I love the fact that since 2013, Turner Classic Movies has paid tribute to each year's AFI Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Apparently, many of you are blaming TCM for being the messenger when you don't like the message. Just remember, when you miss a city bus, there's usually another one on the way. Next year's recipient could be someone of the caliber of Joanne Woodward, Sophia Loren, Debbie Reynolds, Dame Julie Andrews, Vanessa Redgrave or Julie Christie. Or perhaps Robert Redford, Denzel Washington, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sir Anthony Hopkins or George Clooney. Maybe Francis Ford Coppola, Norman Jewison, the Brothers Coen, Barry Levinson -- even Woody Allen, although (1) he probably wouldn't attend; and (2) he's rather controversial these days. The reactions to this year's AFI Lifetime Achievement Award recipient are akin to the debate over whether the Houston Astros' Craig Biggio was consistently great enough to deserve induction this year into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. As for me, I'll always tip my cap to someone who accumulates 3,000 hits -- no matter how long it took for him to do it. And I also tip my cap to comedy geniuses.

This is the one that would have been must-see TV! Martin playing his character and Lily Tomlin's character in the same body.

The biggest problem with the "Star Wars" prequels -- and the only one I really dislike is "Attack of the Clones" -- was the absence of Harrison Ford's Han Solo. The character's bravado and cynicism were sorely missed.

"What the hell are you worried about? This is 1874. You'll be able to sue her." -- Governor William J. Le Petomane (Mel Brooks) in "Blazing Saddles" (1974), after addressing State Attorney General Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) as "Hedy".