Hollywood is a company town, which means celebrity spawn often join the movie business. Think Henry, Peter and Jane Fonda. Judy Garland...

Maureen O’Hara once nailed the appeal of her favorite leading man: “To the world, John Wayne is not just an actor. John Wayne is the...

Few 75-year-olds have aged as gracefully as All About Eve . With biting wit undiminished by time and a performance for the ages by Bette...

In Part One, I explained why I felt Dana Andrews should have been nominated for an Oscar in 1946 – and in this post, I share my...

Ever since MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer established the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, fans and show biz...

Many call 1939 Hollywood’s Greatest Year. So what should we call the actor who appeared in five of the top films released back then?...

There are many reasons to love Teresa Wright. Her natural beauty. Her understated acting. Her acclaimed dramas for legendary directors...

The best part about Spencer Tracy’s acting is that you rarely catch him doing it. There are no visible “Method” gears grinding, no hammy...

I was late to the Liking Robert Mitchum Party . No particular reason why. His droopy eyes and “Whatever” nonchalance always made him seem...

Betcha if I say “Ginger Rogers,” you think “Fred Astaire.” It’s the classic-movie equivalent of the patellar reflex . Paired by destiny...

Pop music is littered with One-Hit Wonders. Movie stars are hot...until they’re not. And then there’s Bing Crosby, who reigned for nearly...

The honey-soaked hive of Film Noir Bad Girls is always buzzing with Queen Bee candidates. Barbara Stanwyck from Double Indemnity . Jane...

“Never have I seen a performer plagued with such a chronic case of stage jitters. I’m sure she vomited before and after every scene. When...

When I was a kid, I assumed most great actors came from New York, as if proximity to Broadway bestowed talent by osmosis (see: Bogie,...

Like us mere mortals, actors form close friendships, too. Myrna Loy and William Powell shared a tight bond, on screen and off. Before...

In the 1930s, two of the most powerful antidotes to the Great Depression were a race horse named Seabiscuit and a little girl named...

Two gangster classics, released four months apart in 1931, didn’t just launch the careers of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. They...

Remember that episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, when Lou tells Mary, “You know what? You’ve got spunk!” then adds, “I hate spunk”?...

Sometimes, Academy Awards are given to the right actor in the wrong year. Exhibit A: James Stewart was nominated for Mr. Smith Goes to...

In 1950, Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson launched big-screen comebacks in All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard with scenery-chomping...