La Dunne, Exquisite At Every Turn

In The Awful Truth (1937, dir Leo McCarey), Cary Grant and Irene Dunne make the biggest mistake of their lives by divorcing. Each moves on to other interests (he with Molly Lamont, she — hilariously — with Ralph Bellamy), before attempting to sabotage the other’s chance at happiness. Here, Dunne displays the timing that Cary Grant, even decades later, lauded as the best in show business.

English Eccentricity At Its Best

Robert Morley (1908-1992) was a brilliant raconteur, a sparkling wit, and a much underrated actor. Here he gives a wonderful interview, covering everything from princesses to gambling. We shall likely not see his type again.

Er, These What?

Dedicated to none other than Keith H, who I can still see doing the shimmy to this song all these years later. From Lust in the Dust (1985, dir Paul Bartel).

Mashup

Two of my favorite television memories: Carol Burnett’s takeoff on Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” and the Dean Martin roasts. If you are a child of the 1970s you know just what I mean.

Why Alec Baldwin Wins Awards

Pure, if not so simple. A bravura piece of acting from “30 Rock.”

Sévérine

Get into the spirit of the sparkling Jour pour nuit (1973, dir François Truffaut) — called Day For Night in the US — and you will fall in love with its collection of egoists, oddballs, ballbusters, and raging neurotics. If you have ever had an interest in how films are made, you will love this movie. Here, Valentina Cortese plays the thoroughly overwhelmed Sévérine, with too much dialogue, waaaaay too much business, and constant, obstreperous direction to contend with.

Oh No She Di’n't

And I don’t know to whom I’m referring.  Rock Hudson and Mae West light up the legendary 1957 Academy Awards.  Here the two, um. . . friends spark to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”  Fantastic!

La Grande Lucia

It will be difficult (er, “dwefful diffy”) to convey how brilliant this adaptation of Benson’s novel is, but I urge you to see the serialization of “Mapp & Lucia” as soon as possible.

Genius

Donald O’Connor is brilliant, nimble, and audacious in this scene from Singin’ In The Rain (1952, dirs Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly). This number has earned O’Connor a place in the Pantheon.

From The Crassest, Most Vulgar TV Show

Maybe ever, but undoubtedly one of the funniest. The brilliant Kathy Burke is the egregious Linda, here abetted by her roommate, the flamboyant James Dreyfus.