Happy Birthday Christian

christian bale is one of the best actors around these days. this year he is finally getting his due with his role in 'the fighter'. a golden globe sits on his mantle and now an oscar nom as best supporting actor. he was robbed of a nom for 'batman returns' in 2005.

bruce wayne in 'batman returns'

and now the oscar nom for 'the fighter' as best supporting actor

Happy Birthday Katharine

i loved katharine ross since the graduate. she feel out of film when she reached a 'certain age'. the parts were just not there. but three wonderful performances in three wonderful films give her a place forever among the best.

she stole hearts worldwide as elaine in 'the graduate' a great film and a defining film for all time.

elaine and ben together again

as joanna in 'the stepford wives' katharine went from normal to stepford without missing a beat.

as etta place she held her own with two giants of the screen newman and redford in butch cassidy and the sundance kid' and oh that smile!

'the bicycle scene', raindrops and oh that smile again

katharine appeared in an all-star film 'voyage of the damned' as mira hauser about german jews seeking refuge and denied entry everywhere. her character, etta hauser, was a jewess posing as a gentile. she was prostituting herself to make money to help her parents seeking refuge. it was a bit overbloasted but for history buffs it was a  bit of an enlightment.

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R.I.P. Susannah York

susannah york was an amazing actress. she should have been bigger. i've always thought her problem was julie christie. they had the same talent, great,  but julie just had that certain something, screen magic, that susannah apparently did not. or maybe she did but julie just got moved to the forefront first having won an oscar in 1965.
however that did not diminish her real talent.

for me susannah will best be remembered for her role as alice in 'they shoot horses don't they'. she was oscar nominated in 1969. she lost to goldie hawn, a ridiculously absurd sham, in 'cactus flower'. 

and there was 'tom jones', 'the killing of sister george' and 'a man for all seasons' amongst others. she made her time on this planet quite memorable.