What Will Become of the BBC?

Those of you who keep track of news regarding the British Broadcasting Corporation (better known as the BBC) have probably already read about the report issued by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (a  Select Committees of the House of Commons that oversees the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, a department that deals with culture, sport, and some aspects of media in the United Kingdom). In its report the Culture, Media and Sport Committee insisted that the licence fee (the payment required by British subjects to receive television broadcasts) should eventually be abolished and that failure to pay the fee should be decriminalised. The committee also suggested that the BBC Trust, the governing body of the BBC, should be replaced by an independent Public Service Broadcasting Commission. The report also called for a smaller BBC with a more narrow focus.

The report has received a good deal of criticism, even from one person who provided evidence for the report. Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, said of the report, "The ultimate aim of this report appears to be a smaller, poorer, less publicly attuned BBC which will simply be filling in the spaces left by commercial competitors, rather than a thriving and dynamic institution which serves its audiences and operates in the public interest." and "It seems to be aimed more at appeasing the BBC's competitors than promoting the interests of consumers and citizens."

Given the sheer size of the report (it is 164 pages) and much of what it recommends, I imagine many of my fellow American fans of the BBC may be concerned for its future. I rather suspect that there is little reason for any of us to be overly concerned at this moment. The report is simply a set of recommendations that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport can simply choose to ignore. Ultimately any changes to the BBC will only come when its charter goes into effect on midnight, January 1 2017. In the meantime there will be another General Election, not to mention a lot of lobbying on the behalf of the BBC and its supporters. To steal part of a line from Shakespeare's Macbeth, in some respects the the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report is simply,  a lot of "...sound and fury, signifying nothing." In the end, it has no real power to make changes to the BBC.

Indeed, the BBC's charter is renewed every ten years, and every time it comes up for renewal there are those who demand massive changes to the Corporation. In the end there is generally very little change and even the licence fee remains in place. Even if the licence fee was abolished and replaced with a levy on all household, much as Germany has, I suspect it would only be the nature of the BBC's funding that would change. The BBC would continue much as it always has.

Of course, while I do not think the BBC is under any really threat of being reduced from what is and has been for the past many years, that is not to say that I don't think the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee is a bit misguided. Namely, I think that in calling for a smaller, more narrowly focused BBC they are wrong. First, I think there is a need for a public broadcaster whose primary purpose, at least in theory, is broadcasting in the public interest rather than turning a profit. Second, like many fans of the BBC I have to question if the Corporation could continue with much of its programming if it was reduced in size. Would the BBC be able to continue to produce such shows as Doctor Who, Call the Midwife, Wolf Hall, and others if it was smaller? The BBC produces some of the best programming in the world. It is the reason many of their shows have large, loyal followings not only in the United Kingdom, but around the globe. This is not only good for the BBC, but for the whole of Britain. Shows such as Doctor Who and Call the Midwife not only bring in money to the United Kingdom, but also help promote the image of the United Kingdom worldwide. 

Of course, ITV (Britain's oldest commercial network) also produces some great shows, but I have to wonder if they would continue to do so if they did not have the BBC to compete with. Because the BBC set such a high bar for television in Britain before ITV was even launched in 1955, ITV was forced to create fine TV shows in order to compete. As a result British television has been much richer than that of other countries. I should not have to point out that even many American viewers believe that on the whole British television shows are better than those produced in the United States.

Whatever the renewal of the BBC's charter entails, it seems to me that one thing is certain. It should insure that the BBC not only remains an important part of British life, but one of the most respected broadcasting organisations in the world. It should insure that the BBC can continue to produce shows that are not only enjoyed and appreciated in the United Kingdom, but around the world as well. Anything less and Britain, not to mention the world, will have lost a very valuable resource.

The Late Great Leonard Nimoy, Live Long and Prosper

I have never known a world without Leonard Nimoy until today. Star Trek was among the earliest shows of which I was aware. I remember watching reruns of the show when I was very young. In fact, I do not remember a time when I did not know who Mr. Spock was and who played him as well. In the role of Spock on Star Trek, as well as that of Paris on Mission: Impossible and yet other roles, Leonard Nimoy was very much a part of my childhood, as I am sure he was the childhoods of many other people. Sadly, Leonard Nimoy died  today at the age of 83. The cause was complications due to  chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Leonard Nimoy was born on March 26 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts. He took to acting young, appearing in local theatrical productions from when he was eight years old. He continued to appear in local plays through his years in high school. His first major role was in an amateur production of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing when he was 17. He studied at Boston College and in 1949 went to Hollywood. In 1951 he made his film debut in Queen for a Day.

Throughout the Fifties Mr. Nimoy appeared in such films as Rhubarb (1951), Kid Monk Baroni (1952), the serial Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952), Old Overland Trail (1953), Them! (1954), and The Brain Eaters (1958). He appeared on several TV shows throughout the decade, including Four Star Playhouse, Fireside Theatre, The Man Called X, West Point, Highway Patrol, Broken Arrow, Steve Canyon, Dragnet, Colt .45, M Squad, Sea Hunt, The Rebel, Wagon Train, and Bonanza. From 1953 to 1955 he served in the United States Army. He was stationed for 18 months at Fort McPherson in Georgia, where he was involved with shows for the Army’s Special Services branch. After his discharge from the Army in 1955 he studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.

The early to mid-Sixties saw Leonard Nimoy guest star on such shows as Rawhide, 87th Precinct, Gumsmoke, The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Dr. Kildare, The Outer Limits, Combat, Daniel Boone, and Get Smart. In 1963 he first acted alongside future Star Trek co-star DeForest Kelley in the episode of The Virginian "Man of Violence". He first acted with future Star Trek co-star William Shatner in the Man From U.N.C.L.E. episode "The Project Strigas Affair" in 1964; Mr. Nimoy played the villain. He also guest starred on Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's short lived series The Lieutenant. In 1963 he appeared in a few episodes of the soap opera General Hospital.

It was in 1964 that Leonard Nimoy was cast in what would be his most famous role, that of Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Mr. Nimoy first played the half Vulcan/half human character in the first pilot for Star Trek "The Cage". NBC thought that "The Cage" was too cerebral and as a result commissioned a new pilot. In the meantime there would be various changes to the cast (Jeffrey Hunter, who played Captain Christopher Pike, was not longer available, so William Shatner was cast as Captain James T. Kirk), as well as changes to the character of Spock. A mere lieutenant in "The Cage", Spock became the First Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. More importantly while Spock showed emotion in "The Cage", in the second pilot ("Where No Man Has Gone Before") he became the familiar character who's life is guided by logic. Although ratings for Star Trek were never particularly high during its initial run, the show developed a large cult following even then. Even in the late Sixties Leonard Nimoy as Spock was recognisable to people who had never watched an episode of Star Trek, to the point that he was able to appear as the character in a cameo of a 1967 edition of The Carol Burnett Show.

Leonard Nimoy would follow his role as Spock with a role on another iconic show, playing disguise artist Paris for two seasons on Mission: Impossible starting in 1969. During the Sixties he also appeared in the films The Balcony (1963) and Deathwatch (1966). He appeared on the TV shows The Pat Boone Show, The Hollywood Squares, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, The Joey Bishop Show, The Red Skelton Hour, and The David Frost Show.

In the Seventies Leonard Nimoy returned to the role of Mr. Spock in both the 1973-1974 animated version of Star Trek and the feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). He was the host of the syndicated television documentary series In Search of... He guest starred on the TV shows Night Gallery and Columbo. He appeared in the TV movies Assault on the Wayne, Baffled!, The Alpha Caper, and The Missing Are Deadly. He appeared in the feature films Catlow (1971), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).  It was in 1973 that Mr. Nimoy broke into directing with the episode of The Night Gallery "Death on a Barge".

The Eighties would see Leonard Nimoy play Mr. Spock in several more Star Trek films, including Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). He also continued to direct, directing the feature films Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), 3 Men and a Baby (1987), The Good Mother (1988), "Body Wars" (1989), and Funny About Love (1990) , as well as episodes of The Powers of Matthew Star and T.J. Hooker, and the television movie Vincent. On television he appeared in the mini-series Marco Polo and The Sun Also Rises. He also guest starred on the shows T.J. Hooker and Faerie Tale Theatre. He played Vincent Van Gogh in the TV production Vincent.

In the Nineties Leonard Nimoy played Spock in the feature film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), as well as an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He guest starred on such shows as The Outer Limits and The Simpsons. He had a recurring role on the syndicated show Invasion America. He provided the voice of Mr. Moundshroud  in the TV special The Halloween Tree (based on Ray Bradbury's book of the same name), and appeared in the TV movies Never Forget, Bonanza: Under Attack, David, The First Men in the Moon, The Lost World, and Brave New World. He was the host of both the TV shows Ancient Mysteries and History's Mysteries.

From the Naughts into the Teens, Leonard Nimoy had a recurring role on the TV show Fringe. He guest starred on The Big Bang Theory. He provided the voice of King Kashekim  in the film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and the voice of Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). He played Mr. Spock in the films Star Trek (2009). Perhaps fittingly, Spock would be the final role in which he appeared, making a cameo in the film Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).

In addition to being an actor, Leonard Nimoy was also a talented photographer and poet. He published three books containing his photographs: Shekhina (2005), The Full Body Project (2008), and Secret Selves (2010). He published several volumes of poetry, including You & I (1973), Will I Think of You? (1974), We Are All Children Searching for Love: A Collection of Poems and Photographs (1977), Come be With Me (1978), These Words are for You (1981), Warmed by Love (1983), and A Lifetime of Love: Poems on the Passages of Life (2002).

Leonard Nimoy also had a recording career. In December 1966 the Paramount subsidiary Dot Records signed Mr. Nimoy to a recording contract when it became apparent that Star Trek was developing a cult following. His first album, Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space, was released in June 1967. It was followed by Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy (which contains "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins") and The Way I Feel in 1968, The Touch of Leonard Nimoy in 1969, and The New World of Leonard Nimoy in 1970.

Throughout his life Leonard Nimoy was identified with the character of Mr. Spock. Indeed, he even entitled his two biographies I Am Not Spock and I Am Spock. There should be little wonder that Leonard Nimoy would be so identified with the role, as he was extraordinary in it. Throughout the years Mr. Nimoy gave what may be one of the best continued performances in a single role in the history of television and film. Today it is often forgotten that Mr. Nimoy was nominated three times in a row for the Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama for his work on Star Trek.

Of course, it was not simply Mr. Nimoy's performance as Spock that led to him being so identified with the character, but the fact that the character was so extraordinarily popular. Even while Star Trek was still on the air people who had never seen the show could recognise the character of Spock. As to why Spock was so popular, it is perhaps because the half Vulcan/half human represented in a single character a conflict with which each one of must deal from time to time, that of  logic versus emotion. Raised Vulcan, Spock sought to live his life according to pure logic. Despite this, all too often Spock's emotional side won out, particularly with regards to his friends. In many respects, then, Spock represents an ideal: logic tempered by the human heart. While Spock almost never allowed negative emotions such as hate or anger to dominate him, he often found himself at the mercy of such emotions as  love and sympathy, and he was ultimately a better person for it.

While Spock remains one of the most beloved characters in television history, in some respects it is perhaps unfortunate that the role overshadowed the rest of Mr. Nimoy's career to  large degree. The fact was that Mr. Nimoy was an immensely talented actor who could play a large array of roles, many of them about as far from Spock as one could get. On the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe" he played a rather brutal hoodlum with no objections to beating his wife. He was incredible in his role as Vincent Van Gogh in the television production Vincent. He also did a fine job of portraying Golda Meir's husband Morris Meyerson in A Woman Called Golda (in fact, he was nominated for an Emmy for the role). In his many guest appearances on American television shows he played everything from a young Basque immigrant on Wagon Train to a surgeon who thinks he committed the perfect crime on Columbo. What is more, he played all of these roles well. Leonard Nimoy's talent as an actor is even more impressive when one considers he was also talented as a director, photographer, and poet as well.

Beyond Mr. Nimoy's talent, it also appears that he was quite simply a good man. During the run of Star Trek Walter Koenig (who played Ensign Chekov on the show) told Leonard Nimoy that Nichelle Nichols (who played Lt. Uhura) was getting paid less than either or him or George Takei (who played Lt. Sulu), despite the fact that her role was as large as theirs. Mr. Nimoy went to the producers and made sure Miss Nicholas got a pay raise. When the animated version of Star Trek went into production it was initially planned that neither George Takei nor Nichelle Nichols would be hired to reprise their roles. Leonard Nimoy made it clear that if they were not hired, then he would not return to provide the voice of Spock. Needless to say, Mr. Takei and Miss Nichols were hired for the animated series. Fans who had the honour of meeting Leonard Nimoy always had the same things to say about him. He was a very kind and gracious man. In the end, it was perhaps not merely because he played an iconic character or because he was a talented actor that Mr. Nimoy was so loved by his fans, but because in the end he was a truly nice person.

Are the Oscars Out of Touch with Movie Goers?

In the wake of the 87th Academy Awards ceremony there have appeared the usual articles proclaiming that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is out of touch with movie audiences. Many have pointed out that the winner of Best Picture, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), was seen by fewer than 5 million people in the United States. There have been not a few who have accused the Academy of snubbing popular movies.

Speaking for myself, I don't think the idea that the Academy is out of touch with movie goers is a particularly new idea. In fact, it seems to me that people have been saying this for as long as I have been alive. What is more, I think they may have been saying it for as long as the Academy has given out awards. Consider the year 1933. The highest grossing films for the year were Queen Christina, I'm No Angel, and King Kong. Not only did all three films do well at the box office, but they are also now regarded as classic films. As hard as it is to believe, not a one of them was nominated for Best Picture that year. Instead the Oscar for Outstanding Production (pretty much the "Best Picture" award of today) that year went to Cavalcade, a film that did well enough at the box office, but nonetheless did not rank in the ten highest grossing films for the year. And while  Queen Christina, I'm No Angel, and King Kong are widely regarded as classics, Cavalcade is now remembered only by classic film buffs and film historians.

Fifteen years later, in 1948, the three highest grossing films for the year were The Red Shoes, The Three Musketeers, and Red River. While The Red Shoes was nominated for Best Picture, neither The Three Musketeers nor Red River were. What is more, the winner of Best Picture that year was Lord Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Hamlet. While Lord Olivier's Hamlet is regarded today as a classic, it was hardly a winner at the box office--it was the seventeenth highest grossing film for the year.

Over the years, particularly since the Eighties, there have been several times in which films that did not do particularly well at the box office have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This is not something that just began in the past few years. And while it is true that there have been many times in the past that big box office films have walked away with the award (Gone with the Wind, From Here to Eternity, The Sound of Music, and so on), at no point in the history of the Academy do I think it can be said that it was the norm.

Of course, here I have to say that I don't think the fact that top grossing films are sometimes shut out of the Best Picture category can be used as evidence that the Academy is somehow out of touch with the movie going public. Instead I think it is more likely the case that the Academy uses other criteria than box office gross or popularity in determining whether a film is worthy of a nomination. Let's face it, if the Oscar for Best Picture had gone to the top grossing film for 2014, the producers of Transformers: Age of Extinction would have been on the stage accepting the award this past Sunday. Given I know of no one who thinks Transformers: Age of Extinction is a good movie, let alone a great one, I think we can agree that how well a film does at the box office should not play a role in being nominated for Best Picture.

That is not to say that I do not think the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences does not have a problem when it comes to nominating films for Best Picture at times. I still remember 2008 when The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture. Not only was it the highest grossing film of the year worldwide, but it also received overwhelmingly positive reviews and was on many critics' best lists. Despite this, The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture. Christopher Nolan was not even nominated for Best Director. Instead the award for Best Picture went to Slumdog Millionaire, a very good film in my humble opinion but nowhere as good as The Dark Knight. While I can understand why the Academy would not nominate a high grossing but critically despised film like Transformers: Age of Extinction (and I would not want them to either), I cannot understand why there are times the Oscars will not nominate high grossing but critically acclaimed films either.

Ultimately, I think the problem may not be so much that the Academy is purposely snubbing popular films, as it is biased against certain types of films. King Kong, Red River, and The Dark Knight all have one thing in common--they all belong to genres that the Academy has traditionally overlooked when nominating films for Best Picture. Indeed, if one looks at a list of the Best Picture winners, one will see very few horror movies, science fiction movies, fantasy movies, superhero movies, Westerns, or even comedies among them It is rare that they are even nominated. Given that the past several years many of the critically acclaimed, but popular films have belonged to genres the Academy tends to overlook, it should be no surprise that there should be a gap between what the Academy nominates for Best Picture and what audiences actually pay to see.

Unfortunately, the only solution to the Academy's consistent snubbing of certain genres of film and thus closing the gap between the Academy and movie goers would seem to be to change the Academy membership. The average Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member is 63 years old, male, and of European American descent. Many of the Academy members no longer make movies. The average Academy member is then among the least likely people to appreciate superhero movies, science fiction movies, horror movies, or any of the various other genres that at one time were regarded as "kid's stuff" or simply not taken very seriously. It would seem the only way to change the sort of films that are nominated for Best Picture, then, is for more young people, more women, and more people of various ethnicities to join the Academy.

In the end, I think to some degree the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has always been out of touch with the movie going public. Certainly in some years the Academy has given Best Picture to what movie goers apparently liked best, but in many other years they did not. It is quite possible that if the membership of the Academy changed dramatically we would still see certain types of films nominated for Best Picture over other types. Regardless, the idea that the Academy is out of touch with movie goers is hardly a new one.

87th Academy Awards

 Alejandro González Iñárritu and his Best Director Award

This year I saw very few of the films nominated for Oscars. It is a sad fact of life that I don't get to the cinema as often as I once did, and that many Oscar nominated films are not shown at our local theatre. For that reason I do not have a real opinion on many of the films and personages who won awards last night. That having been said, it has been a tradition since my childhood to watch the Academy Awards and so I watched the 87th Academy Awards last night.

As far as the awards themselves were concerned, last night's Oscars held very few surprises. The people and films that many pundits expected to win did so: J. K. Simmons took Best Supporting Actor, Patricia Arquette took Best Supporting Actress, Eddie Redmayne took Best Actor, and so on. As I said earlier, I saw very few of the films nominated for Oscars this year, so I don't really have an opinion on many of this year's winters. There are three categories in which I either saw or, in one instance, heard the nominees. With regards to Best Animated Short, while I liked all of the nominees I do think "Feast" definitely deserved to win. As to Best Animated Feature, I do not think the best animated feature film was even nominated. Namely, The Lego Movie not only deserved to be nominated, it deserved to win. How How to Train Your Dragon 2 (which is a good animated film, just not Oscar material) was nominated and The Lego Movie was not I will never know.

This brings me to the category of Best Original Song. To be blunt, I think this is one of the worst groups of nominees for Best Song in literally years. The only song I actually liked was "Grateful" from Beyond the Lights. While I love The Lego Movie, I absolutely despise "Everything Is Awesome" (I actually dislike it more than "Happy" from last year...). As to "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" and "Lost Stars", I thought both songs were rather dull. This brings us to "Glory". I realise many have referred to the song as "inspiring". And I will agree that  John Legend and Common gave very inspirational speeches when they accepted the award for Best Song. That having been said, I do not like "Glory". For me it is a song that could have been very good had it only featured John Legend's contributions to the song. Of course, here I must point out that rap is my least favourite genre of music of all time, so I am probably biased when I think "Glory" would have been much better without a rap section.

As to the Oscar ceremony itself, I thought it was disappointing. I had been looking forward to last night's ceremony as Neil Patrick Harris has hosted several other awards ceremonies (the Emmys and the Tonys) and he has always proven funny, witty, and charming. Unfortunately, as last night's Oscars host he was hit and miss. I rather suspect the problem was not so much Mr. Harris as it was the Academy's writers. Evidence for this may be found in the speeches of the various presenters, very few of which were very good. Speaking as someone who is short himself, I thought Anna Kendrick and Kevin Hart's arguing over who was shorter when they presented the award for Best Animated Short was very funny. For me the highlight of the night came when Julie Andrews presented the Academy Award for  Best Original Score. Miss Andrews was as beautiful and eloquent as ever. She was by far the best presenter of the night.

Of course, that brings me to another highlight of the night. As most of you know, I have never been a fan of The Sound of Music (to put it simply, it puts me to sleep), but I thought the tribute to the film may have been the best thing about last night's ceremony. While I don't care for the movie itself, I have always loved the songs in both the film and the stage musical and Lady Gaga did them justice. I don't think anyone but Julie Andrews herself (who, sadly, can no longer sing) could have given a better performance.

I would say that the "In Memoriam" segment was another highlight of the evening, but unfortunately I honestly cannot. This year's "In Memoriam" segment was much better than those in the past many years. I thought it was subtle and subdued as it should be. Unfortunately, they once more omitted many who had died the past year. For me the most glaring omission was that of legendary film noir actress Lizabeth Scott. How they could have possibly left her out, I do not know. They also omitted Mary Anderson, Polly Bergen, Mona Freeman, Richard Kiel, Donald Sinden, Elaine Stritch, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and others. I am honestly beginning to think that the Academy should simply show Turner Classic Movies's excellent "TCM Remebers" segment instead of trying to do their own "In Memoriam".

As to last night's acceptance speeches, there were very few that impressed me. The very best acceptance speeches came from director Alejandro González Iñárritu, who was funny and charming every time he took the podium. Indeed, I loved the acceptance speeches for the award for Best Original Screenplay for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). It may have been the first time a dog has ever been thanked! Why more people don't thank their pets when winning Oscars I don't know. I also loved Graham Moore's acceptance speech for the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game. Not only did he bring attention to the great Alan Turing (who not only deserves a pardon, but a posthumous knighthood as well), but to some very important issues as well. I also liked Patricia Arquette's acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood. Like Mr. Moore, she also addressed some important issues. While I did not like the song "Glory", I did like John Legend and Common's acceptance speech for Best Song. I thought it was very inspiring. 

Of course, there were several missteps during last night's Academy Awards. Having Idina Menzel and John Travolta present the Oscar for Best Song was inspired and could have been quite funny. Unfortunately I think Mr. Travolta went so overboard in touching Miss Menzel that it swiftly became a bit creepy. I also think the performance of "Everything is Awesome" was a bit over the top. Granted I really don't like the song, but I thought its performance seemed more in tune with the old TV show Kids Incorporated (yes, I know I am dating myself there) than it did the Oscars. I also thought Sean Penn's "Green Card" joke was in very poor taste.

Here I also have to say that I wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would return the Lifetime Achievement Awards to the main ceremony itself. For me they were always the highlight of the evening and I really do miss them. There is so much that they could cut from the ceremony to make room for them. Do presenting speeches really need to be that long? Do they really need a song following the "In Memoriam"? Do they really need production numbers? I don't think so.

In the end the 87th Academy Awards was not the worst Oscar ceremony ever, but it was far from the best either. I think it was much too dull. I would like to see Neil Patrick Harris host again, but I definitely think the Academy needs to fire its writers and get new ones. I also suggest that next year they select better songs for the "Best Song" category (I am almost certain there were better songs in films last year than the five nominees--surely last year's crop of song wasn't that bad). Finally, they really need to include more people in the "In Memoriam" segment. They can cut the superfluous song afterwards. And it might not be a bad idea to get Tuner Classic Movies to produce the "In Memoriam" segment for them!

The Oomph Girl Turns 100: A Pictorial Tribute to Ann Sheridan

It was 100 years ago today that Ann Sheridan was born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas. Today she is probably best known for her appearances in such films as Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), They Drive by Night (1940), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Kings Row (1942), and I Was a Male War Bride (1949). In the early Forties she was receiving as many as 250 marriage proposals a week from starstruck, lovesick fans. During World War II she was one of the most popular pin-up girls.

Ann Sheridan circa 1934

As a young girl Clara Lou Sheridan was very athletic. She was quite adept at riding horses and had an interest in both football and basketball. In her own words, Miss Sheridan could "....whistle through my fingers, bulldog a steer, light a fire with two sticks, shoot a pistol with fair accuracy, set type, and teach school..." She attended Robert E. Lee Grade School and Denton Junior High School in Denton, Texas. While in school she tried out for many school plays, but she always wound up the understudy. After graduating high school she enrolled in North Texas State Teachers College in Denton (now the University of North Texas) with the intention of becoming a teacher. All of this would change when her eldest sister Kitty sent a bathing suit picture of Clara Lou as an entry in a beauty contest held by Paramount Pictures. Clara Lou won the contest and with it a bit part as a beauty contestant in the film Search for Beauty (1934). The film marked her big screen debut.

Despite Clara Lou Sheridan's obvious good looks, Paramount cast the starlet only in bit roles for the most part. Even changing her stage name to "Ann" after being told "Clara Lou Sheridan" was too long to fit on a cinema marquee did not improve the roles that Paramount gave her. Ann Sheridan then left Paramount for Warner Bros. in 1936, where she would be much better utilised. It was not long before she was appearing in such films as Angels with Dirty Faces, Dodge City (1939), Torrid Zone (1940), and They Drive by Night (1940).  It was not also long before Ann Sheridan became known as "the Oomph Girl". In 1939 in his column Walter Wincell wrote of Miss Sheridan, "she's got an 'umphy' quality." Warner Bros. head of publicity  Bob Taplinger seized upon this and dubbed Ann Sheridan "the Oomph Girl". Despite the popularity of the nickname, Ann Sheridan never liked being called "the Oomph Girl" as she thought it was demeaning.

Ann Sheridan in the Early Forties

Arguably Ann Sheridan was at the height of her career in the Forties. It was during this period that she was receiving 250 marriage proposals from fans a week and she was one of the most popular pin-ups with G.I.s serving in World War II. It was during this period that she also played what may be her best known role, that of vain actress Lorraine Sheldon in The Man Who Came to Dinner. During the Forties she also appeared in such films as Kings Row (1942), George Washington Slept Here (1942), Nora Prentiss (1947), I Was a Male War Bride (1949) and Stella (1950).

Ann Sheridan circa 1952

Sadly Ann Sheridan's career had begun to decline in the late Forties. Despite the success of  I Was a Male War Bride  in 1949, it continued to decline in the Fifties. As the Fifties progressed, then, she appeared more and more on television. Throughout the decade she appeared on such shows as Schlitz Playhouse, Four Star Revue, Celebrity Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, Playhouse 90, and The United States Steel Hour. Miss Sheridan did continue to appear in films during the decade, including Steel Town (1952), Take Me to Town (1953), Come Next Spring (1956), The Opposite Sex (1956), and The Woman and the Hunter (1957).

Ann Sheidan in a publicity still for Pistols 'n' Petticoats

By the Sixties Ann Sheridan's career was entirely in television. She guest starred on the popular Western Wagon Train and had a regular role on the soap opera Another World. It was in 1966 that she took the lead role of Henrietta Hanks in the Western parody Pistols 'n' Petticoats. Unfortunately it was during the shooting of the series that it was learned Miss Sheridan had developed oesophageal and liver cancer. She died on January 21 1967 at the age of 51.

In an interview with film historian John Kobal, Ann Sheridan once said, "That's the only thing I ever wanted to be. A good actress. But I suppose I can't get away from that Ann Sheridan Oomph thing. I wish I could." Miss Sheridan was right that she was never able to get away from that "Oomph thing". To this day she is still known as "Oomph Girl". With a face and figure like hers it is little wonder that she is still known that way. That having been said, I believe that she is regarded by most classic film buffs as a good actress. Her performance as Lorraine Sheldon in The Man Who Came to Dinner remains well loved to this day. Her performances in such film as Angels with Dirty Faces, King's Rowk, and I Was a Male War Bride also remain respected to this day. In the end Ann Sheridan was a pin-up girl who could act. And for that she has remained among the most beloved stars 100 years after her birth.

Gary Owens R.I.P.

Gary Owens, the disc jockey who provided the voices of such carton characters as Roger Ramjet and Space Ghost, as well as served as the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on February 12 at the age of 80. The cause was complications due to type 1 diabetes.

Gary Owens was born Gary Altman on May 10 1934 in Mitchell, South Dakota. He was only 16 years old when he got his first job in radio, working  at KORN in Mitchell. Two years later he was promoted to the station's news director. He attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. In the late Fifties he worked a number of stations in the Mid-West and South. In 1956 he moved from KORN to KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa. Afterwards he got a job as a disc jockey at KOIL in Omaha, Nebraska. It was there that the station's owner gave him the surname "Owens". He worked in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Denver before moving to California in 1959. He worked at  KROY in Sacramento and KEWB in Oakland. It was in 1954 that Gary Owens did his first voice work in animation, narrating the Disney animated short "Pigs is Pigs". During the Fifties he also served as one of the announcers on the children's show Ding Dong School.

It was in 1961 that Mr. Owens got a job at  KFWB in Los Angeles. In 1962 he moved to KMPC in Los Angeles, where he would remain for the next two decades. It was during the Sixties that Gary Owens voiced what might be his two most famous animated characters. In 1965 he provided the voice of the title character in the syndicated cartoon Roger Ramjet. In 1966 he provided the voice of Space Ghost in the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Space Ghost & Dino Boy. He also served as the narrator on the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. It was in 1968 that he began his stint as the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. He coined a number of the catchprases on the show, including "beautiful downtown Burbank". He was one of the few members of the cast to remain with Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In for the entire run of the show. He also either appeared in or did voice work for such television shows as McHale's Navy, The Munsters, Mr. Terrific, The Green Hornet, and Batman. He worked as an announcer on Sesame Street for seventeen years starting in 1969.

In the Seventies Gary Owens provided the voice of The Blue Falcon on The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, as well as voices in various other Hanna-Barbera cartoons. He appeared on such live-action television shows as Barnaby Jones, Get Christie Love, and Man from Atlantis. He did voice work for such feature films as The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), Return from Witch Mountain (1978), and Coming Attractions (1978). In 1972 he released the comedy album Put Your Head On My Finger. In 1973 he wrote the humour book The (What to Do While You're Holding the) Phone Book.

In the Eighties Gary Owens moved from KMPC to KPRZ  in Los Angeles. He also served as an announcer for KKGO-FM in Los Angeles, and co-hosted a morning commute show with Al Lohman on KFI. For a time he was the host of the syndicated oldies radio show Soundtrack Of The Sixties and the oldies show  Gary Owens Super Track. He continued to provided assorted voices for Hanna-Barbera cartoons. He served as the narrator on the TV show Sledge Hammer and guest starred on Simon & Simon and Night Court. He was one of the performers on No Soap Radio. He was the voice of various announcers and newscasters in the feature films Hysterical (1983), European Vacation (1985), Destroyer (1988), and How I Got Into College (1989). He played a minister in Diggin' Up Business (1990).

From the Nineties to the Naughts Gary Owens was one of the voices on the cartoons Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron, Ren & Stimpy, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Eek! the Cat, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. He also provided guest voices on numerous other cartoons. He appeared or did voice work for the feature films Spy Hard (1996), Border to Border (1998), Muppets from Space (1999), Major Damage (2001), and Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002). He did voice work on promos for Antenna TV. His last voice work for a character was fittingly enough Space Ghost in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His last work as a narrator was for the feature The Adventures of Kaitlyn Kitty Kat Kay (2015). In 2004 he published the book  How to Make a Million Dollars with Your Voice (Or Lose Your Tonsils Trying).

 There can be no doubt that Gary Owens was blessed with an amazing voice. It was well suited to that of a disc jockey, which explains why he was so successful throughout his career. His voice was also highly adaptable. He could voice such bigger than life heroes as Roger Ramjet and Space Ghost, but at the same time he could be a newscaster, announcer, or disc jockey. There was little wonder he was very much in demand as an announcer or narrator for various animated cartoons, TV shows, and feature films. Few men had a voice as great as that of Gary Owens.

The Late Great Louis Jourdan

Louis Jourdan, the legendary French actor who starred in such films as Madame Bovary (1949), Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), and Gigi (1958), died on February 14 2015 at the age of 93.

Louis Jourdan was born Louis Henri Gendre in Marseilles on June 19 1921. His parents were Yvonne (née Jourdan) and Henry Gendre, a rich hotelier. His education was truly international, as his father's work took the family to Turkey and the United Kingdom. He took an interest in acting while very young and studied at the École Dramatique in Paris. It was while he was at the École Dramatique that he began acting on stage. This brought him to the attention of director Marc Allégret, who hired him as an assistant cameraman on the film Entrée des artistes (1938). Mr. Allégret cast him in the film Le corsaire (1939), which would have been Louis Jourdan's film debut had it not been interrupted by the onset of World War II.

During the Occupation, Louis Jourdan would appear in several films, most of them directed by Marc Allégret. They included Parade en 7 nuits (1941), La belle aventure (1942), L'arlésienne (1942), Félicie Nanteuil (1944), and Les petites du quai aux fleurs (1944). He also appeared in the films Ecco la felicità (1940), Premier rendez-vous (1941), and La vie de bohème (1945). Following the war Mr. Jourdan immigrated to the United States. Producer David O. Selznick cast him in The Paradine Case (1947), against the wishes of director Alfred Hitchcock. The legendary director appears to have been right, as Mr. Jourdan was cast against type as a rather earthy valet. Regardless, Hitchcock and Louis Jourdan liked each other (Mr. Jourdan even attended the director's funeral in 1980).

Fortunately Hollywood would find more suitable roles for Mr. Jourdan in the late Forties: Stefan Brand in  Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Octavio Quaglini in No Minor Vices (1948), and Rodolphe Boulanger in Madame Bovary (1949). The Fifties would see Louis Jourdan at the height of his career. He starred in such high profile films as Decameron Nights (1953), Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Escapade (1957), and Gigi (1959).  He also appeared in such films as Bird of Paradise (1951), Rue de l'Estrapade (1953), The Swan (1956), Dangerous Exile (1957), The Beat of Everything (1959), and Can-Can (1960). Mr. Jourdan made his television debut in an adaptation of Fulton Oursler's A String of Blue Beads in 1953. He starred in the TV show Paris Precinct, and guest starred on such shows as The Elgin Hour, Studio One, Climax, General Electric Theatre, and ITV Play of the Week. He made his debut on Broadway in 1954 in The Immoralist and appeared again on Broadway in Tonight in Samarkand.

The Sixties would see Louis Jourdan's career go into a slight decline as the urbane, European types he had played fell out of favour with Hollywood. He appeared in such films as Le vergini di Roma (1961), Le comte de Monte Cristo (1961), Il disordine (1962), Leviathan (1962), Mathias Sandorf (1963), The V.I.P.s (1963), Made in Paris (1966). Les Sultans (1966), Peau d'espion (1967), Cervantes (1967), and A Flea in Her Ear (1968). He appeared on television in such shows as The Greatest Show on Earth, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Name of the Game, and The F.B.I.

In the Seventies Louis Jourdan guest starred on the shows Columbo and Charlie's Angels, as well as the mini-series The French-Atlantic Affair. He appeared in the television movies The Count of Monte-Cristo, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Count Dracula. He appeared in the films Piange... il telefono (1975), Plus ça va, moins ça va (1977), and Silver Bears (1978). He appeared on Broadway in 13 Rue de l'Amour.

From the Eighties into the Nineties Louis Jourdan's most notable roles were often villains. He played Arcane in Swamp Thing (1982) and The Return of Swamp Thing (1989), as well as Kamal in the James Bond movie Octopussy (1983). He appeared in such films as Double Deal (1983), Grand Larceny (1987), Escuadrón (1988), and Year of the Comet (1992). He guest starred on such shows as Aloha Paradise, Vega$, Hotel, and Cover Up. He appeared in the television movies The First Olympics: Athens 1896.

Hollywood cast Louis Jourdan as a series of Continental sophisticates, something with which he was not always happy. He once said that he was Hollywood's "French cliche". Regardless, he was very good in such roles. Remarkably handsome, gifted with an incredible voice, and even more remarkably charming, he could easily play charismatic, urbane Frenchmen. Still, Louis Jourdan had such talent that he could play many other sorts of roles with ease. In a television adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo Mr. Jourdan was excellent as the  State Attorney Villefort (here it must be pointed out that he earlier played Edmond Dantès himself in Le comte de Monte Cristo). He was also very adept at comedy, as his role as a neurotic artist in No Minor Vices stands as proof.

Of course, many younger people might remember him best for his roles as villains in his later films. And there can be no doubt that Mr. Jourdan was very good at playing villains, whether it was the smooth Arcane in the "Swamp Thing" movies or the treacherous Kamal in Octopussy. One of his best roles as a villain was in the Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass" in which he played Paul Gerard, a food critic who has found a new source of income by extorting money from restaurants in trade for positive reviews.

In real life Louis Jourdan was nothing like the villains he played. By all accounts he was always friendly and polite, and I have never heard anyone say anything negative about Mr. Jourdan as a person. He remained married to the same woman, his wife Berthe, for 68 years (she preceded him in death last year). By all accounts he was the perfect gentleman, not only charming, but friendly and kind as well. Louis Jourdan was then more than a talented actor, but a truly good human being as well.