The Classic Movies Weekly Newsletter
May 22, 2005


This week: Updated tributes to Laurence Olivier, John Wayne, and Vincent Price.

Our condolences to the family of actor Frank Gorshin, who died last week at the age of 72.

Celebrating birthdays this coming week are Joan Collins (72) and Christopher Lee (83). Check out our birthday calendar:
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/d23507ba34/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


--------------- New/Updated Features --------------

**A Tribute to Vincent Price**
Although known primarily as the star of numerous gothic horror films, Vincent Price was also an accomplished art historian, writer, and gourmet chef.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/8f992e123d/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to John Wayne**
A tribute to the beloved "B" movie, western, and war film star who became an American patriotic icon.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/c7ae31c629/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Laurence Olivier**
Affectionately dubbed "Sir Larry" by his many fans, Laurence Olivier is widely recognized as the greatest English-speaking actor who ever lived.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/128095a7c2/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Centennial Tribute to Henry Fonda**
Henry Fonda was one of the most believable actors in Hollywood. There was a time when he probably could have been elected President; after all, he played the role better than many of the guys who had the job! An updated
centennial tribute.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/6de2dabb9e/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Maureen O'Sullivan**
Though best known as the actress who played Jane in a half-dozen Tarzan movies, Maureen O'Sullivan had a film career that included many roles in which she was fully dressed!
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/01e51b7ebd/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Frank Capra**
Very few directors have had words coined from their names to describe their style. "Capra-esque" is one of them.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/0a09c4715e/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Jimmy Stewart**
Here's a salute to everybody's favorite Everyman on what would have been his 97th birthday.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/b0118e6809/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**100 Years...100 Movie Quotes**
The American Film Institute (AFI) will broadcast its "AFI's 100
Years...100 Movie Quotes" program -- counting down the 100 greatest quotes from American movies, as chosen by experts of the motion picture community -- in a three-hour television event on CBS on June 21, 2005. Here's the current scoop on the nominees, plus a list of sound files for likely winners.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/40860e7e88/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


--------------- New on DVD -------------------

Last week we announced three brand new DVD releases, including one you've probably been anticipating for a long, long time (more new releases next week):

"The High And The Mighty" (Special Collector's Edition) (1954) - Probably
the most anticipated DVD release of all time is now available for advance
orders for delivery in June! The Oscar-winning progenitor of the airborne
disaster film genre features a memorable turn by John Wayne as a veteran
airline pilot unable to overcome surviving a crash which killed his wife
and child. Serving as co-pilot to brash rival Robert Stack on a
Honolulu-San Francisco passenger flight that sustains a midair emergency,
Wayne must try to safely land the damaged plane before the fuel runs out.
Among the passengers, whose personal crises are shown in flashbacks, are
unhappily married couple Laraine Day and John Howard, playboy David Brian,
mail-order bride Jan Sterling, and world-weary Claire Trevor; William
Wellman directs.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/ab16e54e64/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

"Controversial Classics" - Seven-disc set of excellent films appearing on
DVD for the first time that were controversial when they were released:
"I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang," "Fury," "Blackboard Jungle," "Bad Day
at Black Rock," "A Face in the Crowd," "Advise and Consent," and "The
Americanization of Emily."
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/8900cfde7c/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

"The Longest Yard" (Lockdown Edition) (1974) - With the remake coming out,
it might be a good time to revisit the original: Burt Reynolds is an ex-pro
quarterback sent to a Florida prison for car theft, where the conniving
warden (Eddie Albert) coerces him into organizing an all-con football team
to play against the guards' semi-pro squad. The result is a violent and
hilarious contest you won't forget. With James Hampton, Michael Conrad.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/12a5686933/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


--------------- Best New Links ------------------

More best new links (new to us, anyway) were added to the Classic Movies
site this week:

**AFI's 100 Years of Films Scores - The American Film Institute asked over
500 leaders from the creative community to choose the 25 best film scores
of all time, which will be presented live by John Mauceri and the
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra on September 23, 2005.
**MIDI Movie Theme Songs & Movie Clips - Michael Appert offers a huge
collection of both wav files and MIDI (that's electronic music rather than
the original scores) theme songs from movies for your listening pleasure.
**Tighsolas - A site created by Dorothy Nixon about a family in Richmond,
Quebec 1908-1913; Richmond is the home town of Mack Sennett.
**Michelle Vogel - Home page for author Michelle Vogel, whose specialty is
Hollywood biographies, the most recent a bio of Gene Tierney.
**The WOW Factor - A UK-based purveryor of hand-signed memorabilia.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/5b41d616c9/336425/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


----------------Parting Words -------------------

Next week: Updated tributes to Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis, plus a brand new 75th birthday tribute to Clint Eastwood, and a Memorial Day salute to World War II movies.

Brad Lang
Classic Movies
classicmovies.org