The Greatest Stars of the 1950s Poll Is Here!

Last December, we hosted a Greatest Stars of the 1940s poll and had so much fun that we've produced a sequel. Unlike many sequels, we hope this one is as good as the original!

As we've written in this blog before, the 1950s was an intriguing decade for cinema. The biggest stars of the 1940s were still going strong--even as a whole new generation of classic stars emerged. International performers also gained widespread attention, to the extent that Hollywood "imported" some of them (e.g., Sophia Loren).

Once again, we've tried to compile a comprehensive list of the biggest stars for our online ballot. However, it's always possible that we inadvertently omitted a major star. If so, then please use the write-in portion of the ballot to add the missing name(s).

Click on the following link to access your online ballot: http://classicfilmtvcafe.polldaddy.com/s/greatest-stars-of-1950s

Please remember that you can only vote for a total of 10 stars (you're on the honor system). We will keep the ballot open until May 30th. In advance, we thank you for voting!

This Week's Poll: What is your favorite movie about a monk?

Last month, we did a poll on films about nuns. So, it only seems fair to focus on monks for this week's poll. Alas, there haven't been as many monk movies, especially when compared to nuns. Still, monks have been played by a wide variety of performers, to include Sean Connery and Charles Boyer.

After careful consideration, the Cafe Pollsters decided to omit Friar Tuck--portrayed most famously by Eugene Pallette in The Adventures of Robin (1938). We're concerned that the Friar and Robin Hood would dominate the poll and it just wouldn't be any fun. That leaves the following monk movie nominees for your consideration:

Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Franco Zeffirelli's biography of Francis of Assisi was a big hit with the college crowds of the 1970s, who appreciated its message of hope and Donovan's songs.

Cadfael - Derek Jacobi played this 12th century monk who dabbled in solving grisly crimes. There were thirteen 75-minute, made-for-TV films shown in the U.S. on PBS. The mysteries were adapted from Edith Pargeter's popular novels.

The Garden of Allah - Charles Boyer stars as a Trappist monk who leaves the monastery and eventually marries Marlene Dietrich! Unfortunately, things don't quite work out for the couple.

The Name of the Rose - Sean Connery's William of Baskerville was a 14th century monk who, along with his apprentice (Christian Slater), investigated a murder in an abbey. The film was based on Umberto Eco's bestseller.

Rasputin and the Empress - The Russian monk Rasputin has been played by many actors, to include Christopher Lee, Tom Baker, and Alan Rickman. But the most famous portrayal is probably Lionel Barrymore's in the only film that teamed Lionel, John, and Ethel Barrymore.

Other movies with monks include Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Luther, Francis of Assisi, and the TV-movie Kung Fu. Edward G. Robinson posed as a monk in Brother Orchid. The George Maharis movie The Monk  wasn't about a monk, but a private eye named Gus Monk.

You can vote for one of the nominees above by visiting the poll in the green sidebar to the right.

This Week's Poll: What is your favorite horse film?

This week's poll tries to gallop past its predecessors by focusing on horse films. This simple idea to honor horses on celluloid proved to be surprisingly difficult. Does one include horse racing films, ranging from Broadway Bill to Bite the Bullet? What about movies about people who work around horses, like Boots Malone with William Holden and The Man From Snowy River? Alas, the inclusion of these types of films would result in a poll with too many nominees. Therefore, the Cafe's poll experts (well, we're using the term "experts" loosely) decided to whittle down the list to films where the horse is "the star". The candidates vying for your vote as favorite horse film are:

The Black Stallion (1979) - A boy and a horse are shipwrecked on an island in Carroll Ballard's visually stunning adaptation of Walter Farley's classic children's novel. Mickey Rooney earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination as a horse trainer, but my favorite part of the film is the friendship between the boy and stallion forged on the island.

Misty (1961) - Marguerite Henry's award-winning 1947 children's book Misty of Chincoteague provided the basis for this film about two children who capture a mare on an island off the coast of Virginia. It starred David Ladd, Alan's son and a future Hollywood executive.

National Velvet (1944) - An English lass named Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor) saves a horse, names him The Pie, and eventually rides him in the Grand National steeplechase. Anne Revere won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as Velvet's mother and Mickey Rooney played another trainer. This one was also an huge hit, this time for MGM.

My Friend Flicka (1943) - Roddy McDowall plays young boy who learns responsibility by a raising a young filly he names Flicka (Swedish for "little girl"). This adaptation of Mary O'Hara's book proved to be a big hit for 20th Century-Fix and spawned two sequels, plus a later TV series.

Phar Lap (1983) - This import from Down Under traces the exploits of Phar Lap, a phenomenally successful race horse who captured the public's imagination. Tom Burlinson, from The Man From Snowy River, played the horse's strapper (hey, can a horse lover please post a good definition of "strapper"?).

Smoky (1946) - There are several versions of Will James' horse tale, but this one is the most famous. Fred MacMurray plays a cowboy who captures a wild horse and forms a friendship with it. The two are separated, but reunited in the film's poignant climax.

Any quibbles with the above nominees? Please leave a comment below. You can cast your vote by clicking on your choice in the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll: What is your favorite Film Noir that "played" at the Cafe this month?

To close out the Cafe's Film Noir Festival this month, I thought it'd be fun to do a poll asking readers to pick their favorite film noir. Alas, I quickly realized that there are too many choices and no fair way to reduce the nominees to a reasonable number. Therefore, I'm cheating (sort of) by limiting to the nominees to some of the movies that were reviewed by the Cafe's contributors this month. It's an impressive list of classic film noir pictures and lesser-known ones with loyal fans. Instead of describing each film, I've linked the titles to the reviews at the Cafe. Just click on the title to go to the link.

Beware, My Lovely


Clash By Night


Double Indemnity


Kiss Me Deadly


Laura


The Narrow Margin


Out of the Past


Whistle Stop

Please keep in mind that this poll is not about which review you liked best (hey, they're all good!). It's about which of the above nominees is your favorite film noir. To vote, go to the green sidebar on the right.

This week's poll: Which of the original "NBC Mystery Movie" detectives was your favorite?

The NBC Mystery Movie was a "wheel" TV series which ran from 1971-77, though some of its installments survived much longer (e.g., Columbo, Quincy, M.E.). The "wheel" format meant that several TV series rotated in the same time spot under the umbrella title of The NBC Mystery Movie. The original three series were Columbo, McCloud, and McMillan & Wife. The Western detective series Hec Ramsey was added in the second season.

The Mystery Movie was so popular that it eventually expanded to twice weekly: The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie (the original) and The NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie (which featured all new detective series). There were a plethora of rotating shows that came and went during the seven-year run: McCoy (Tony Curtis), Amy Prentiss (Jessica Walter), Lanigan's Rabbi (Art Carney), The Snoop Sisters (Helen Hayes & Mildred Natwick), Tenafly (James MacEachin), Banacek (George Peppard), Cool Million (James Farantino), Faraday & Company (Dan Dailey), Madigan (Richard Widmark), and Quincy, M.E. (Jack Klugman).

To keep this week's poll to a manageable size, our nominees include only the original three plus Hec Ramsey, which joined the rotation for the second and third seasons.

Lieutenant Columbo - With his crumpled raincoat and apparent absentmindedness, it's no wonder that a number of wily murederers underestimated L.A. police detective Columbo--but that was their mistake. Created by William Link and Richard Levinson, Columbo was first played by Bert Freed in a 1960 episode of The Chevy Mystery Show. That episode formed the basis of the stage play and TV-movie Prescription: Murder. The latter starred Peter Falk as Columbo; the actor and character would be forever linked. Ironically, Link and Levinson originally thought Bing Crosby would make the ideal Columbo. The series, which lasted the longest of the Mystery Movie originals, boasted an unusual format: Viewers watched the culprit commit murder in the opening scenes; the appeal of the show then became watching the crafty Columbo catch the often over-confident murderer.

Sam McCloud - Dennis Weaver played McCloud, a New Mexico marshal who traveled to New York City and stayed there to solve crimes. The series was inspired the Clint Eastwood movie Coogan's Bluff and, especially in the early episodes, played up the "cowboy in the big city" theme. The McCloud series originated on Four in One, a rotating series that lasted a single season. When it folded, McCloud moved over the new NBC Mystery Movie and enjoyed a long run.

McMillan & Wife - Rock Hudson moved from the big screen to the small screen to play San Francisco police commissioner Stewart McMillan. Susan St. James played his much younger, more free-spirited wife Sally. Together, the McMillans solved crimes with assistance from police detective Sergeant Enright (John Schuck). Nancy Walker provided comic relief as the McMillans' housekeeper Mildred. When a contract dispute with St. James couldn't be resolved, Sally McMillan died in a plane crash in the fifth season. The show carried on for one more year as McMillan.

Hec Ramsey - During the second season of The NBC Mystery Movie, Richard Boone starred as a former gunslinging lawman in the final days of the Old West, who had become interested in forsenic investigative methods. Dr. Amos Coogan (Harry Morgan) accompanied Ramsey on most of his cases. Despite good critical notices, Hec Ramsey only lasted two seasons.

If you want to vote, please select your choice in the green sidebar on the right!

This Week's Poll: What's your favorite movie about nuns?

There have been a number of memorable films about nuns or featuring nuns in prominent roles. This week's poll has narrowed the nominations for "favorite movie about nuns" down to a list of just seven films. I am sure some readers will take issue with which films were included and which were omitted. But before those discussions begin, let's peruse the seven films vying for your vote this week:

Black Narcissus - This Powell & Pressberger masterpiece stars Deborah Kerr as a nun sent to a remote village in the Himalayas to start a hospital and a school. A thematically rich film, it features brilliant performances and is enhanced by the most glorious color photography ever captured on celluloid.

Lilies of the Field - A group of German nuns in a small Arizona town convince a wanderer (Sidney Poitier) to do a roof repair—which eventually results in him building a chapel for them. Yes, Poitier won the Oscar for this and he’s terrific—but he’s matched by Lilia Skala as the Mother Superior. The language difference is the source of much unexpected humor. This is a lovely little film about faith and perseverance.

The Bells of St. Mary’s - Bing Crosby recreated his Oscar-winning role as Father O’Malley (“Just dial ‘O’ for O’Malley”) in this sequel to Going My Way. But this film belongs to Ingrid Bergman, who anchors it with her captivating, warm performance as Sister Mary Benedict. It’s an incredibly natural performance and her climatic scene with Crosby may be Ingrid’s finest moment on film.

Come to the Stable - Loretta Young and Celeste Holm play French nuns who settle in the New England town of Bethlehem with the goal of building a children’s hospital—but they have no money, no land, and no one to help. A charming film that works its magic in subtle ways, even if the outcome is never in doubt.

The Nun’s Story - Aubrey Hepburn gives one of her best performances in this tale of the hardships faced by a young nun. The heart of the film takes place in the Belgian Congo, where Sister Luke assists a physician (Peter Finch) in treating lepers. However, it’s the opening and closing scenes that linger the longest with me.

The Sound of Music - It’s easy to dismiss this film as a solid adaptation of the Broadway smash with an engaging performance by Julie Andrews. But the film was a culture phenomenon in the 1960s, revived the musical for a few years, and played for months in some cities (in my hometown, one theatre ran it for a year!).

The Trouble With Angels - Rosalind Russell plays Mother Superior of a girls’ boarding girl and Haley Mills is on hand as the resident troublemaker. It’s episodic, but always pleasant and the closing scene (though not unexpected) is a great touch.

As always, the requirement to keep the nominees to a reasonable number means that good movies need to be left out. This week's omissions include: Song of Bernadette, Bedazzled (Dudley Moore as a nun), The Singing Nun, and Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison.

Feel free to highlight any other notable nun films by leaving a comment. In the meantime, please cast your vote for one of the seven nominees in the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll: Who is your favorite member of the Addams Family?

Yes, they're creepy and they're kooky. They are indeed mysterious and spooky. You must admit that they're altogether ooky. I'm talking about the Addams Family, as shown in the 1964-66 television series. Granted, the Addams Family has appeared in animated form, twice on the silver screen, in a "reunion" TV series, and even as a Broadway musical. But for true fans, there's nothing like the original TV family--and they were very, very original.

This week's poll asks Cafe readers to select their favorite member of the family. I doubt if they need much of an introduction, but here goes anyway:

Gomez Addams (John Astin) is a wealthy eccentric who loves his wife Morticia passionately. He is very acrobatic and becomes uncontrollably romantic when Morticia speaks French or calls him "Bubele" (a German expression meaning "darling").

Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) is woman of class who dabbles in art and cultivates flesh-eating plants. She can light candles with her fingertips and fence with his husband. She has a sister named Ophelia (also played by Carolyn Jones).

Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) is Morticia's wacky but kindly uncle. When he places a lightbulb in his mouth, it lights up.

Grandmama Addams (Blossom Rock) is Gomez's mother (he occasionally calls her "Mamacita"). She frequently mixes potions and conjures up spells.

Lurch (Ted Cassidy) is the household butler. When summoned him by means of a bell pull, the bell's gong shakes the entire house. Lurch then appears, responding with with a baritone" "You rang?"

Wednesday Addams (Lisa Loring) is Gomez and Morticia's six-year-old daughter, who raises spiders and beheads her dolls (which are named Marie Antoinette, Mary Queen of Scots, etc.).

Pugsley Addams (Ken Weatherwax) is Gomez and Morticia' son and Wednesday's older brother. He is the most conventional member of the family, though he does have a pet octupus named Aristotle.

Thing T. Thing (Ted Cassidy) is a disembodied hand that appears out of boxes and other containers.

Cousin Itt (Felix Silla) is Gomez's cousin, a short creature covered head-to-foot in long hair. He speaks in rapid gibberish which only the Addams family can understand.
 
To support your favorite member of the Addams Family, cast your vote in the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll: What is your favorite movie set primarily aboard an airplane?

Film sequels are rarely as good as the originals...but does that hold true for movie polls? After last week's surprisingly popular poll about movies set on submarines, I thought it'd be fun to ask a similar question: What is your favorite film set aboard an airplane?

The challenge, of course, is to narrow the nominees to a reasonable number. Therefore, this poll focuses solely on films set primarily aboard an airplane. There are several post-1980s movies that fit this criterion (e.g., Air Force One, Passenger 57, Executive Decision, Red Eye, Flightplan)...but they're too recent to qualify as classics at the Cafe. Therefore your nominees for this week are:

The High and the Mighty - The grandaddy of disaster films recounts the drama aboard Trans-Orient-Pacific flight 420 when the plane suffers an engine fire midway between Honolulu and San Francisco. Robert Stack plays the pilot with John Wayne as his first officer (whose wife and child died during a crash in which he was the pilot). The passengers include a Grand Hotel gathering of stars such as Laraine Day, Claire Trevor, Robert Newton, and Phil Harris.

Airport - This 1970 adaptation of Arthur Hailey's bestseller features Van Heflin as a mentally unbalanced passenger who plans to blow up an airliner so that his wife can collect on the life insurance policy. Burt Lancaster stars as the airport manager coping with the crisis on the ground, with Dean Martin as the pilot who tries to talk Heflin's character out of sabotage. The all-star supporting cast included Helen Hayes, who won an Academy Award as a charming stowaway. This huge hit spawned several sequels of declining interest.

The Horror at 37,000 Feet - In this bizarre 1973 made-for-TV film, millionaire architect Roy Thinnes and his English wife (Jane Merrow) transport a Druid altar from England to the U.S. aboard a chartered flight. Unfortunately, they don't realize that they have disrupted a sacrificial ceremony that occurs once every 100 years. The Druid spirits escape from the altar, determined to take a new sacrifice--and, by the way, they have halted the plane flight in mid-air. That's bad news for pilot Chuck Connors and passengers William Shatner, Paul Winfield, Tammy Grimes, and Buddy Ebsen.

Airplane! - This grand spoof of disaster films is probably the funniest collaboration among Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker (ZAZ). Robert Hays plays a pilot Ted Striker, who has a fear of flying (due to wartime trauma) and Julie Hagerty is his stewardess girlfriend. But the plot is just an excuse for a succession of hilarious sight gags and one-liners. Playing against type, Lloyd Bridges (as a wacky air traffic controller) proved he could be an adept comedian; it revived his career. Followed by a non-ZAZ sequel.

The Spirit of St. Louis - How do you make a movie about Charles Linbergh's solo transatlantic flight and keep audiences engrossed for the full running time? Director Billy Wilder's solution was to intersperse flashbacks that flesh out James Stewart's portrait of the famed aviator. Considered a misfire by some critics, the film still has its fans who admire Wilder's ingenuity and Stewart's subtle performance.

If I've made left out any notable films, please leave a comment below. Last week, several Cafe readers were aghast that Run Silent, Run Deep was omitted from the list of submarine-set films. (Apologies abound, but tough choices had to be made!) In the meantime, please cast a vote for the nominees in the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll: What's your favorite film set aboard a submarine?

Cramped quarters. Poor air circulation. Spies lurking among the crew members. Threats of depth charges, enemy torpedoes, underwater volcanos, and giant squids! It's no wonder that submarines have provided a memorable cinematic setting for everything from tense war films to colorful science fiction to comedy. But what is your favorite movie set aboard a submarine in the classic film era?

There were a surprising number of good sub pictures competing for the seven highly-sought-after nominations below. Some were omitted because they fall just outside the Cafe's purview (e.g., 1990's The Hunt for Red October, 1995's Crimson Tide). Other serious contenders were dropped solely because I wanted to provide some variety among the genres. Feel free to take issue with my picks if you're a fan of The Deep Six, The Bedford Incident, The Mysterious Island, Atragon, Up Periscope, The Silent Enemy, Run Silent Run Deep, and On the Beach (whew!). For that caveat, here are this week's nominees:

Destination Tokyo. Cary Grant commands the Copperfin, a World War II submarine navigating through enemy waters. His crew includes John Garfield as Wolf and Alan Hale as Cookie (perhaps, this was the beginning of nifty names for sub crew members). Directed and co-written by Delmer Daves, the film's climax places in the Copperfin in an underwater mine field.

Das Boot (The Boat). Wolfgang Petersen's art-house picture, set aboard the cinema's most claustrophobic German U-boat, became an unexpected worldwide hit in 1981. At the time, it was the second most costly German film, trailing only Metropolis.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Walt Disney's fanciful adaptation of the classic Jules Verne novel increased the "cool" quotient for submarines significantly. The Nautilus looked spectacular, featured an offbeat commander (James Mason as Captain Nemo) who played an organ, and there's that famous giant squid fight, too.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Vote the film and you get the TV series for free--or vice versa! Both featured the super sub Seaview and its inventor Admiral Harriman Nelson (Walter Pidgeon in the movie and Richard Basehart on TV). Enemy subs, giant octopus, aliens...the Seaview faced them all!

Fer-de-Lance. Long before there was Snakes on a Plane, this was this nail-biting 1974 made-for-TV movie pitting David Janssen and Hope Lange against poisonous snakes running amok aboard a submarine. A cult classic from the Golden Age of TV Movies.

Ice Station Zebra. Allegedly, this Alastair MacLean adaptation was Howard Hughes' favorite film during the billionaire's later life. It's not hard to guess who the spy is aboard the submarine headed to the Arctic on a secret mission, but Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Brown make it fun.

Operation Petticoat. The most famous submarine comedy has Cary Grant (again) as the Sea Tiger's commander and Tony Curtis as his inventive (but sneaky) supply officer. Their routine existence is turned upside down when they have to transport a group of nurses (Joan O'Brien, Dina  Merrill, and others).

If you wish to vote, select your choice in the green sidebar on the right. Also, please leave any comments below about serious omissions! (Yes, the weekly poll has made a few faux pas in the past, such as leaving out Bones McCoy in the "TV Doctor" poll. Fortunately, the Cafe's patrons are very smart!)

This Week's Poll: What was the Best MGM Musical of the 1950s?

This week, the Cafe's poll dares to go where no classic movie poll has gone before! Yes, we have the nerve to ask you to vote for the one best MGM musical of the 1950s. Furthermore, to get the number of candidates down to a reasonable number, we're only providing seven nominees. Not fair, you say! True, it's not...but it should still be an entertaining poll.

MGM made over 60 musicals from 1950-59, featuring some of the greatest stars of the genre: Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Esther Williams (to name but a few). The studio's musicals were set in contemporary times, the Old West, and the turn of the century. They featured ballets, underwater choreography, and people dancing with animated characters. But, out of the studio's very diverse catalog of musicals, the following seven nominees are vying for your vote:

Summer Stock. Gene Kelly's musical troupe invades Judy Garland's farm, resulting in the final pairing of these first-rate musical stars. Decked out in a tuxedo jacket, black fedora, and black nylons, Judy delivers one of her most fondly-remembered numbers with "Get Happy."

The Band Wagon. Fred Astaire rescues a promising stage musical from the hands of an artsy-fartsy director. In addition to the lovely "Dancing in the Dark" number with Cyd Charisse, Fred gets to sing the classic "That's Entertainment."

High Society. Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Celeste Holm team up for this musical remake of The Philadephia Story. Bing and Grace sing the big hit "True Love." Frank counters with a solo "You're Sensational." And Bing comes back with a duet with Louis Armstrong on "Now You Has Jazz."

An American in Paris. The tuneful score by the Gershwins features "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful," and "Our Love is Here to Stay." But the film's set piece is an ambitious 16-minute ballet that cost a hefty-at-the-time $500,000.

Singin' in the Rain. Hollywood's transition from silent films to the talkies forms the backdrop for this musical starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor. Kelly's splashing "Singin' in the Rain" number is a truly iconic musical number, though O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" has its fans, too.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Michael Kidd's innovative choreography takes center stage in this colorful Western musical starring Jane Powell, Howard Keel, and six more brothers in search of wives. Click here to read a Cafe review of it published earlier this month.

Show Boat. One of several Howard Keel-Kathryn Grayson pairings, this was the second version of the Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II stage musical. Most critics consider the highlight to be "Ol' Man River" which is sung by William Warfield.

The honorable mentions are pretty impressive lot. There's not room here to list them all, but they include Gigi, Silk Stockings, Les Girls, Brigadoon, Dangerous When Wet, and Annie Get Your Gun. If you feel there's been a serious omission from the MGM 1950s musical vault, then please leave a comment! To vote for one of the seven nominees above, go to the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll is a Critics' Choice...or a Choice of Critics!

The movie industry has shown little interest in exploring the lives those who criticize its product for a living. Thus, there just aren’t a lot of movies about film or theatre critics. That said, a pretty impressive group of actors starred as critics in the films below. Which of the following is your favorite movie featuring a film or theatre critic?

Critic’s Choice (1963). Bob Hope plays a theater critic stuck in the unenviable position of reviewing a new play written by his wife (Lucille Ball).

Theatre of Blood (1973). Vincent Price stars as a Shakespearean actor skewered by drama critics, who gains his revenge by murdering them in stylish methods inspired by the Bard.

All About Eve (1950).  George Sanders won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his delightful turn as acid-tongued theater critic Addison DeWitt.

Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960). In this light comedy, Doris Day suspects her theatre critic husband David Niven of having an affair with a younger woman (Janis Paige).

Citizen Kane. As the drama critic for the New York Enquirer, Joseph Cotten’s writer loses his job after writing a scathing (but honest) review of a dreadful operatic performance by Charles Foster Kane’s wife.

If you can think of any additional films about critics, please leave a comment. To vote in this poll, click on your choice in the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll: Who would you hire to clean up a rowdy Western town?

You've just been elected the mayor of South Bend, Texas--of course, no one ran against you. Why? Well, no one else wanted to be mayor of the rowdiest town west of the Mississippi! The bank is robbed every day. The stagecoach doesn't stop in South Bend anymore. The sheriff and his deputy joined Pike Magee's gang of cattle rustlers because the life insurance was better.

You've convinced what's left of the good townsfolk to contribute to a fund to hire a lawman to clean up the town and restore order. Who are you going to hire?  A federal marshal, a retired sheriff, a reformed gunfighter? Here are your nominees:

Will Kane (Gary Cooper, High Noon) - He has the experience and did more for the town of Hadleyville than it deserved. However, it might be hard to convince his wife Amy, who normally doesn't condone violence.

Shane (Alan Ladd) - He's quiet, but there's no doubt that he can shoot "a little bit." Only question is whether he's still available after the big gunfight with Riker and Wilson.

Paladin (Richard Boone, Have Gun--Will Travel) - He's expensive, but looks very imposing in that all-black outfit. Tries to reason with the baddies first, so there might be less bloodshed.

Clay Blaisdell (Henry Fonda, Warlock) - Blaisdell has the perfect experience, having been hired by the town of Warlock to clean it up. Only problem is that he and his crony tend to overstay their welcome.

The Stranger (Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter) - Experience is similar to Blaisdell's, but may have ulterior motives and appears to vanish as he rides away.

Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne, True Grit) - Sturdier than he looks, comes cheap, and gets the job done. But beware of his interest in bad sequels.

Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral) - A potentially smart deal, because when you hire Wyatt, you apparently get his brothers and Doc Holliday, too.

There are plenty more lawmen and gunfighters who could handle this job, so please leave a comment if think a viable applicant was omitted. If you want to vote for one of the seven nominees above, cast your ballot in the green sidebar on the right.

This Week's Poll Features Julie Andrews, Jim Herriott, and a Cross-Eyed Lion

This week’s poll is going to the dogs…cats, elephants, cows, horses, and lions as the Café asks: What is your favorite veterinarian TV series? The nominees below include some well-known animal doctors, plus a couple of lesser-known ones who played supporting roles in short-lived shows featuring Julie Andrews and Celeste Holm.

Daktari. Producer Ivan Tors (Sea Hunt) created this 1966-69 CBS series starring Marshall Thompson as a vet who runs the Wameru Study Center for Animal Behaviour in Africa. He and his daughter have two pets that get plenty of screen time: Clarence, a lion, and Judy the chimp. The former starred in his own movie, Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion, which inspired this TV series. Daktari (which is supposed to be Swahili for “doctor”) also starred Hari Rhodes.

Julie. This brief 1992 series cast Julie Andrews as the star of a fictional TV variety series who gives up show biz—temporarily, it turns out—to settle down with her veterinarian husband and two stepchildren in Iowa. James Farentino played Julie’s spouse, Dr. Sam McGuire. This sitcom lasted just six episodes…in the summer, no less.

Kentucky Jones. After his big decision to leave Gunsmoke, Dennis Weaver starred in this 1964-65 series as Kenneth Yarborough (K.Y. or “Kentucky") Jones, a recently-widowed veterinarian and former horse trainer. Kentucky and his wife had applied to adopt a Chinese boy when she died suddenly. Despite initial second thoughts about being a single parent, Kentucky grows to love young Dwight Eisenhower Wong (who goes by Ike). Harry Morgan and Keye Luke co-starred.

Nancy. While vacationing in Iowa (obviously a popular place for vets), the President’s daughter (Renne Jarrett) falls in love with veterinarian Dr. Adam Hudson (John Finks). Nancy’s celebrity status creates some challenges for the couple, but they get married midway through the series’ half-season run. Celeste Holm played Nancy’s chaperone; the President was heard, but never seen.

All Creatures Great and Small. In 1978, the BBC adapted James Herriott’s semi-autobiographical stories about life as a rural veterinarian into a long-running TV series. Christopher Timothy played the novice vet Jim Herriott, who comes to work for the eccentric Dr. Siegfried Farnon (Robert Hardy). Peter Davison played Siegfried’s carefree brother Tristan (who role becomes larger in later seasons) and Carol Drinkwater played Helen, whom Jim meets and weds in the first season. The series ran for three seasons and was revived, without Drinkwater, in 1988 for four more years. It aired on PBS and later A&E in the U.S.

You can cast your vote in the green sidebar on the right. As always, please leave a comment if you think there’s been a serious omission.

This week's poll: What is your favorite Biblical epic of the sound era?

Inspired by ABC's annual Easter weekend broadcast of The Ten Commandments, this week's poll asks Cafe readers to pick their favorite Biblical epic of the sound era. The candidates:

Ben-Hur (1959) - William Wyler's big budget version of Lew Wallace's novel racked up a then-record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It cemented Charlton Heston's status as the star of big screen spectacles and thrilled audiences with a chariot race for the ages.

King of Kings (1961) - Jeffrey Hunter gave one of his best performances in Nicholas Ray's remake of Cecil B. DeMille's 1927 silent film. Hunter plays Jesus in this film that starts with his birth and ends with his crucifixion and resurrection.

The Robe (1953) - This adaptation of Lloyd C. Douglas's best-seller was the first film released in CinemaScope. Richard Burton, who earned an Oscar nomination, plays the Roman soldier who becomes a Christian--but Jean Simmons is every bit as good. Victor Mature reprised his role of a former slave in a sequel called Demetrius and the Gladiators.

Quo Vadis (1951) - Against the backdrop of Nero's tyranny, Robert Taylor stars as a Roman soldier who falls in love with a Christian played by Deborah Kerr. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Leo Genn and Peter Ustinov in the supporting actor category, but won none.

The Sign of the Cross (1932) - Cecil B. DeMille's adaptation of Wilson Barrett's stage play bears many similarities to the novel Quo Vadis (both were written in 1895). Fredric March plays the Roman military leader who falls in love with a Christian woman. Charles Laughton was Nero and Claudette Colbert was the jealous Poppaea.

The Ten Commandments (1956) - Charlton Heston led an all-star cast in Cecil B. DeMille's remake of his own 1923 film focusing on Moses. Some critics claim the performances border on camp (especially Anne Baxter and Edward G. Robinson, who does seem out of place)...but the parting of the Red Sea is still a neat effect.



As always, any comments about omissions are welcomed. But please vote for one of the six above in the green sidebar at the right!