Favorite Actors, #9: Kirk Douglas

First Movie I Saw Him In: The Fury (1978; probably on cable in 1979)

Three Favorite Movies: Young Man With a Horn (1950); The Bad and the Beautiful (1952); Man Without a Star (1955)

Honorable Mention: Ace In the Hole (1951)

Favorite Performance: Detective Story (1951)

Why I Like Him: Kirk never came off like a relic from "the old days" when I was a kid, though I always loved old movies and TV shows, but Douglas has a vitality that never dates itself. He's the most intense actor of the pre-Brando era and played nasty S.O.B.s better than anyone, even Robert Ryan. I still try and impersonate Douglas' slow-burning anger routine in his voice just before he explodes in an incandescent rage. He's intense!!! Some of my favorite Kirk Douglas rage moments: Kirk in Young Man With a Horn having a crack up at a bar; his explosion of anger at Lana Turner in The Bad and the Beautiful and then kicking her to the curb; In Harm's Way (1965), when Douglas is leaving the morgue after identifying the body of his trollop of a wife. His look of pure misery (along with Jerry Goldsmith's amazing underscore) brings home that Douglas intensity.

Random Info: Ivy League cesspool Harvard used to bestow a "Kirk Douglas Overacting Award" in the 1950s and 60s.

The Old Lion: Kirk at the Golden Globe Awards, 1986.

Favorite Actors, #10: Gary Cooper

It’s been pouring rain here every afternoon for the past three weeks and since any outdoor plans have been scuttled by the sheer ugliness outside, it occurred to me that I never did do a favorite actors list. And since part of this blog’s identity is its honored performers--though it’s obvious by who shows up in these pages—I thought I’d better go ahead and list those preferred gents of the screen. However, instead of just slapping down ten pictures and leaving it at that, I’m going to dedicate one post for each actor and provide a few things in terms of what I like about them and whatever else comes to mind. This way, I don’t just put some photos up, but I also don’t torture anyone with any long-winded reminiscences (though I’m sure those will come later; it’s what I do). Anyway, the Hollywood Dreamland Top Ten Favorite Actors List begins today!

#10) Gary Cooper

First Movie I Saw Him In: High Noon (1952; in 1990 or so)

Three Favorite Movies: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); High Noon (1952), Man of the West (1958)

Honorable Mention: The Fountainhead (1949)

Favorite Performance: High Noon (1952)

Why I Like Him: Cooper was everything he appeared to be on screen and seemed as genuinely down to earth and the regular Joe he often played in films. I completely see how subtle his acting was, yet he could steal a scene without saying a word, too. Men love his “a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do” attitude; women love his decency and think he’s among the most beautiful creatures to ever walk the Earth, particularly in his 1930s prime. There are still dozens of his earlier films I need to see.

Random Info: He’s name dropped in the Irving Berlin song Puttin’ On the Ritz, which gives you an idea of how popular this guy was.

Effortless Charm: Cooper with Ingrid Bergman. Note how she's aglow and Coop is so...relaxed.

June 6, 1944

Omaha Beach June 6, 1944

For a truly amazing account of that day's events, read D-Day: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen E. Ambrose.

Misty About the Fog

Man, do I miss Mel Tormé (1925-1999). Tormé (nicknamed "The Velvet Fog" by a disc jockey) died on this day ten years ago. Mel was an accomplished everything: singer, composer (The Christmas Song aka "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."), drummer, writer, airplane pilot, and all-around Bon Vivant. Whenever I think of swinging and sophisticated singing, Mel is the one who comes to mind. He's hands down my favorite singer. As far as local history goes, Mel performed at Miami Beach's Carillon Hotel many times and I think of that every time I drive past that Miami landmark. It's easy to imagine him in his tuxedo making his way to the stage in front of a well-dressed crowd, circa 1958. Tormé's appeared in movies, too, making his debut in Higher and Higher (1943) as did another well-known singer--some guy named Sinatra.

There is no official or any fan website dedicated to Mel, and there haven't been any recent CD reissues of his work. However, two of his best 1950s-60s albums are on CD: the self-titled Tormé from 1958 and 1960's Swingin' On the Moon. I highly recommend his 1988 autobiography, It Wasn't All Velvet, as it's one of the best entertainment memoirs ever written. Mel tells many tales about Hollywood stars, including anecdotes about his relationships with Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe.