Richard Harris

He would approve of this paragraph because he thought one should just put it out there and let the chips fall where they may.  So then... he was a very good actor, a director, a singer, a poet, a writer, a professor, a fairly absent father, a disastrous husband, a troublemaker, a hitter, a cocaine abuser and an alcoholic of mythic proportions.  On the screen he completely captured my attention and I was always saddened somehow that he frequently did the same off screen.

Good 60s Films: The Secret of Santa Vittoria

1969 Comedy Drama
From Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Directed by Stanley Kramer

Starring
Anthony Quinn
Anna Magnani
Hardy Kruger
Virna Lisi
Sergio Franchi
Giancarlo Giannini
Renato Rascel
Patrizia Valturri
Eduardo Ciannelli

You Don't Know Jack

Oh, I'm so sorry.  You thought this was going to be about Jack Nicholson or maybe Jack Lemmon and it's not.  Eat some chocolate.  You'll feel so much better.  No, this is about three character actors all named Jack and all prominent in the 60s, 70s and on.  You might have even confused one's name with another one.  Don't look.  Guess.  Who do you think they are?  When you're ready, click on...

Robert Preston

Just as I said in my postings on Geraldine Page and Maureen Stapleton, Robert Preston would have considered himself a Broadway baby rather than a big-deal movie actor.  Unlike those ladies, however, he made many mainly B movies in the 40s and 50s.  His movie career really never took off until the 60s.  What I enjoyed most about his acting was his enormous enthusiasm.  Whether he was handling drama or comedy or even singing, he put a lot of energy into what he did.

Good 60s Films: The Misfits

1961 Drama
From United Artists
Directed by John Huston

Starring
Clark Gable
Marilyn Monroe
Montgomery Clift
Thelma Ritter
Eli Wallach

The Directors: Martin Ritt

Most of his films are thoughtful studies of relationships.  They were often seen in tandem with struggles of equality, usually featuring poor or ethnic characters.  He seemed to care about his characters like little girls care for their dolls.  He groomed them, watched out for them, wept for them, smiled at them, kept them locked in his brain.  His themes, while bold and decidedly liberal in nature, took a back seat to his beloved characters.

REVIEW: Love and Mercy

Directed by Bill Pohlad
2015 Musical Biography
2 hours and 1 minute
From Roadside Attractions

Starring
Paul Dano
John Cusack
Elizabeth Banks
Paul Giamatti
Bill Camp
Jake Abel
Kenny Wormald
Graham Rogers
Brett Davern
Diana Maria Riva
Joanna Going

Maureen Stapleton

She was a scattershot of emotions.  It's why she vomited before most stage performances and hit the vodka sitting on her vanity table in her dressing room as soon as the curtain came down.  After a lifetime on the stage, she never conquered the thought that somebody was going to kill her after the curtain went up.  She spent nearly two decades in therapy wrestling with those emotions and she clearly used them to become one of America's finest actresses.

Good 60s Films: Elmer Gantry

1960 Drama
From United Artists
Directed by Richard Brooks

Starring
Burt Lancaster
Jean Simmons
Arthur Kennedy
Dean Jagger
Shirley Jones
Patti Page
Edward Andrews
John McIntire