They say High Noon is popular with presidents: Reportedly, it was the favorite movie of Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, and Bill Clinton, who allegedly screened it 17 times during his tenure. Being the commander in chief of the free world is a lonely job – Clinton jokingly called the White House "the crown jewel in the federal penal system.” No wonder Oval Office occupants can relate to the Oscar-winning story of a marshal (Gary Cooper) who must confront a vengeful enemy al

I once got an email from an 88-year-old man named George, praising an essay I’d written for The Washington Post . Coincidentally, I had...

With just 21 feature-length credits, director Fred Zinnemann’s batting average was awfully high, thanks to legendary releases like High...