JefCostello

I forgot to add Jean Seberg on mine. I put the list together in 5 minutes, so naturally I'd forget at least several people. Right now I'm searching for a common theme in my list. So far it's not necessarily my favorite actresses, nor the most beautiful or biggest sex symbols. It's a very mixed list.

Surprised Audrey Hepburn's name isn't on everyone's list. Heck, I didn't even see her mentioned. She'd be far and away my first choice. 1. Audrey Hepburn 2. Marilyn Monroe 3. Doris Day 4. Natalie Wood 5. Brigitte Bardot 6. Shirley MacLaine 7. Gene Tierney 8. Irene Jacob 9. Elizabeth Taylor 10. Kim Novak

How about Bogart doing "In a Lonely Place" Or maybe John Barrymore in "Grand Hotel" Or Woody Allen in every film.

Very few of his silent films have survived, if I'm not mistaken. I'm not a big fan of Japanese films pre-war, but am a huge fan of Japanese films post-war. .

I've always thought it odd that this film came out the same year as "Aguirre: Wrath of God", which is one of the greatest films ever. You'd think one of them would change the title, being the same year and all. But I've never seen the Mitchum film, so I'd love to watch it, him being one of my favorite actors.

As far as beauty alone, I've always said that Hedy Lamarr, Elizabeth Taylor and Gene Tierney are the most beautiful women in film history. I could rank the 3 of them in any order, depending on which day you ask me.

I've always thought that too. They look very different from one another for sisters. How about a young Paul Newman and Marlon Brando? I remember reading somewhere that Newman claimed to have signed numerous autographs under the name Marlon Brando.

Joan Fontaine and Myrna Loy. William Powell and Melvyn Douglas. I'll try to add more later.

Out of the Past, when Mitchum says "Smoking", after Kirk Douglas offers him a cigarette. Also, in Laura, when Vincent Price blows smoke, and it flies right past Gene Tierney's face as they're on the veranda talking.

I agree that Crime and Punishment wasn't in the novel's league, but it's almost impossible to do a good film version of Dostoevsky. And yeah, I've seen the Russian version of The Brothers Karamazov. Didn't work either. His novels are not about pure action and character. There's a lot more philosophical undercurrent and mood underneath the surface, which can't be captured in a film less than 5 hours long.

Amazing how many undeserving films won the Oscar, when better movies came out that year. The 50's was even worse, with all kinds of idiotic musicals winning Oscars over much stronger competition.

Beautiful cinematography and set designs in all his movies. Seems like they're filmed in dungeons somewhere or in someone's nightmare. Love the way his movies take you to places like that. The castle in The Scarlett Empress and the nightclub in The Shanghai Gesture are probably the best examples of that. He also knew how to shoot Dietrich and make her look like a great seductress. I never found her appealing until I saw the films she made with von Sternberg and saw the way he filmed her face and the lighting he used on her.

I remember reading somewhere that Holden said he hated Bogart. I also remember reading that there were tensions on the set of Sabrina. Bogart didn't like Sabrina and I don't think he liked most of the stuff Warner Brothers threw at him before High Sierra. I imagine he wasn't one to hide his feelings on the set.

I've never been the biggest Renoir fan, despite having seen most of his films. I think the deep focus is certainly one strength, but specifically the film's ability to weave multiple characters in one big romantic farce. The way Renoir stages those cat and mouse scenes from room to room in that house is quite impressive, and has been duplicated in many films. Also, the movie was controversial in its stance against the bourgeoisie, which led to the film being panned by many critics. All in all, I wouldn't rank it as one of the 10 or even 20 best films ever, but I could say the same about many classic films which get rave reviews from critics. It's a good film, but not great. Maybe with repeated viewings, I'll change my stance on it and call it great.

This may be off topic, but Strother Martin starred in the 3 big Westerns that year. The Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and True Grit. That's pretty impressive! I'm just glad the Coen Brothers didn't get their hands on the other two, as True Grit isn't really all that good a Western in my opinion. At least not compared to some other Westerns which could have been remade.

I'll watch anything with Gene Tierney in it. Those high cheekbones and that hypnotic face are never boring to look at. The film itself is better than most of her films, but nothing special in the end.

Mickey Rooney should be star of the month.

The man directed the greatest romantic comedy of all time back in 1961. Sad news indeed. Always felt that Operation Petticoat was a very underrated movie as well.

I thought some of these were MGM stars. For instance, people like Hedy Lamarr, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. Or are you basing this on whether they ever did a Paramount movie or were on loan or something?

Now how many of these people were misused and abused by Darryl F. Zanuck? I'd say just about all of them.

My favorite is Stalker, by Andrei Tarkovsky. I also like Andrei Rublev, Winter Light, Diary of a Country Priest and the Seventh Seal.

If TCM plays too many foreign films, then I'm Marcelo Mastroianni. Where are these foreign films you speak of? The ones they play in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping? Fact is, they don't play enough foreign films. I'm not a fan of silents, but the same can be said about them.

If you've ever seen Ekstase with Hedy Lamarr, then you'll see what early foreign films could do.

I actually think the remake is better, with its unique blend of stars. The original is a good movie, but far from being one of the best noirs ever.

Summertime is the most beautiful non-Italian film I've ever seen filmed in Italy. Remarkable location shooting.