History Is Made at Night: Taking a Chance on Love
The feeling of freedom in this swooningly beautiful blend of melodrama and romantic comedy speaks to director Frank Borzage’s belief in the invincibility of love.
Burt Lancaster: Body and Soul
Having mastered his imposing physicality early in his career, the legendary Hollywood actor later gravitated toward roles that allowed him to explore a rich, complicated inner life.
A Woman’s Voice: Ingrid Bergman in Five Languages
Over the course of her five-decade career, one of cinema’s greatest globe-trotters brought her musical, richly expressive voice to an impressive array of cultural contexts.
Love in Bloom: Jack Benny in To Be or Not to Be
In the one great film role of his career, the comedian and radio personality used his beloved, minimalist performance style to capture the silliness of human vanity.
Too Close for Comfort: Theresa Russell in Bad Timing
A true acting iconoclast, Theresa Russell unleashes a torrent of emotion in this tale of sexual obsession, her first collaboration with the director Nicolas Roeg.
A Flower in the Mud: Val Lewton’s Isle of the Dead
A showcase for some of Boris Karloff’s most nuanced acting, this beguiling horror gem is perfect Halloween viewing.
The Corn Is Green and Bette Is Evergreen
Bette Davis struck a blow against expectations of pliant female loveliness and grace with her role as a no-nonsense teacher in The Corn Is Green.
Flickers of Passion: Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter
No one has captured the complexities of forbidden love with more intimacy than Celia Johnson in David Lean’s classic romance.