Robert Vaughn: the Man From U.N.C.L.E. star was the first major actor to publicly speak out against the Vietnam War.

In these times of Hollywood superstars generally making jackasses of themselves by lecturing the unwashed masses on how to vote, it's easy to forget there actually was an era in which politically involved movie stars were not airheads, but real, live intellectuals. Yes, Jane Fonda could never see the difference between opposing the Vietnam War and extolling the virtues of a communist regime - and on the other end of the spectrum, dear old Duke Wayne could barely contain his admiration of Spiro Agnew, even as he dismissed the Watergate scandal as "a panty raid". Yet, no matter how infuriating Fonda and Wayne's positions were to their political opponents, both were extremely intelligent, well-read people who arrived at their points of view after much soul-searching. If only today's Hollywood elite could say the same. Instead, many arrive at their opinions through signing on to one-sided propaganda sites, many of which dispell absurd conspiracy theories. Other nitwits confuse legitimate criticism of their own government with a clarion call to seek out the company of some of the most repressive dictators on earth and act as their enthusiastic propoganda tools. However, in a fascinating article in this week's Variety, the paper reminds us that forty years ago, the situation was much different. Actors began to emerge as activists during the contentious year of 1968, a time that saw such divisive events as the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy, the announcement by Lyndon Johnson that he would not seek re-election, the Vietnam War escalating by the day, the riots in Chicago that marred the Democratic convention, the Soviet invasion of Czechosolvakia, race riots that engulfed American's cities and the unlikely emergence of Richard Nixon from his political deathbed to become the next president of the United States. Those of us who lived through that year will never forget it.

During this period, actors and actresses began to speak out and take an active role in political campaigns. Among them: Kirk Douglas, Paul Newman, Tony Randall, The Smothers Brothers (who had their show cancelled rather than tone down their political satire) and Robert Vaughn. In fact, the article correctly points out that Vaughn was the trendsetter, boldly opposing the Vietnam War at a time when no other actor would. The Variety article has Vaughn recalling his movitations and determination to lend his name to a cause he fervently believed in. To read, click here. (Cinema Retro issue #12 will feature an exclusive interview with Vaughn.)- Lee Pfeiffer

Batman is among the many classic TV series and movies that have fans clamoring for an official video release.

Most hard-core collectors of classic movies have felt frustrated when those elusive titles they've so desperately sought fail to show up on DVDs from the major studios. In many cases, this is due to the fact that there are legal clearance issues that haven't been resolved, while in other situations, the films in question have simply been deemed too uncommerical to merit priority consideration. Thus, the web has spawned countless homegrown sites that offer these unreleased favorites on bootleg DVDs. Inevitably, the owners of these sites don't view themselves as video pirates - a term generally relegated to large-scale operations designed to mass produce the latest hit movies and flood the market before legitimate video releases can occur. Rather, these folks tend to be well-meaning and generally only seek to make a modest profit to cover the time and effort expended in duplicating films for other collectors on a one-by-one basis. The problem is that the Motion Picture Association of America doesn't get misty-eyed over the concept of movie fans duplictating films for the sheer love of cinema. To the MPAA, it's all piracy, even if the intentions of these small-time operators are pure. In recent months, the MPAA has launched a crackdown that has seen some of the most popular bootleg sites shut down. Thus, you may have a real problem getting completing your collection of every My Mother, the Car episode. To read Home Media Magazine's article about the crackdown, click here

Legendary British actor Christopher Lee has confirmed to Cinema Retro that he has just signed for one of the most important and prominent roles of his career, co-starring with Colin Farrell in a new film.. Lee never likes to reveal specifics about his forthcoming projects, but said much of the film will be shot in Spain. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie is titled Triage and additonal scenes will be shot in Ireland. The film focuses on the real life experiences of a photographer who witnessed the massive genocide that took place in Bosnia in the early-to-mid 1990s. The movie will be directed by Bosnian Danis Tanovic, who won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2001 for No Man's Land. Filming starts next week, but Lee will be joining the company later as he has just started production on another major film in Scotland. Sources say the film is titled Cowboys for Christ and is said to be a long-awaited reimagining of the classic 1973 movie The Wicker Man. At age 85, Lee told Cinema Retro he is grateful for the fact that he is in demand more than ever. For more on Triage click here

Photo: Rory Monteith collection

HERE'S A GREAT WEB SITE FOR LOVERS OF MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS: FILM MUSIC REVIEW IS DEDICATED TO THE GREAT MOVIE COMPOSERS. THEY ARE FEATURING A TRIBUTE TO MAX STEINER AND HIS SUPERB SCORE FOR KING KONG. TO VIEW CLICK HERE

Photo: AP/George Kalinsky

NEW PHOTOS HAVE SURFACED FROM ELVIS PRESLEY'S 1972 CONCERT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. THE GARDEN'S OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER GEORGE KALINSKY RECENTLY CAME ACROSS 40 SPECTACULAR SHOTS OF THE KING THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED BEFORE. THEY ARE ON DISPLAY AT GRACELAND AS PART OF AN EXHIBIT OF ELVIS' JUMPSUITS. FOR THE STORY CLICK HERE

Curtis in London: auditioning to be the next Lex Luthor?

Screen legend Tony Curtis made an appearance at Harrods in London last week and his appearance caused a shock on two levels. The famed Hollywood heartthrob, who was in town to promote his paintings, was largely confined to a wheelchair due to an illness in 2006 that has affected his motor skills. Most surprising was his decision to appear sans toupee, making for a startling site. For more on the 82-year-old actor's visit to London, click here

Responding to the absurd news that the Parker Brothers board game Monopoly is to be made into a feature film, the folks at Cracked magazine have devised conceptual art for posters relating to thirty movies that should never be made. It's quite hilarious. Click here to view

Here's another original gem from You Tube: a spoof of the title credits for Star Wars if they had been created by legendary designer Saul Bass. Click here to view

(Thanks to Paul from Movie Poster Studio for the tip)

If you're like us, you consider Robert Wise's 1966 epic The Sand Pebbles one of the great films of that decade. It also represents the only film that saw Steve McQueen nominated for an Oscar. The film was nominated for numerous major awards, but unfortunately the Academy chose to honor that noble snooze-fest A Man for All Seasons. Nevertheless, The Sand Pebbles lives on through legions of loyal fans worldwide. Their prime meeting place is the ultimate tribute site at www.thesandpebbles.com Here, virtually every aspect of the film is celebrated, from rare production stills to fascinating insights and film clips. Among the latter is the full length theatrical trailer that also features brief glimpses of Wise's previous triumphs, West Side Story and The Sound of Music. Curiously, the trailer also features a deleted scene of river bandits firing on the ship. Click here to visit the site - but be prepared to spend a long time there! Click here to view the trailer.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE SPECIAL RESTORED DVD COLLECTOR'S EDITION FROM THE CINEMA RETRO AMAZON MOVIE STORE.

DAVID WYLER, SON OF DIRECTOR WILLIAM WYLER WHO WON AN OSCAR FOR HIS 1959 VERSION OF BEN-HUR, HAS ANNOUNCED HE IS PRODUCING A TV MINI SERIES VERSION OF THE LEW WALLACE NOVEL. NO CASTING HAS BEEN DECIDED UPON FOR THE LEADING ROLE THAT WON CHARLTON HESTON HIS ONLY ACADEMY AWARD. WYLER SAYS THE RELIGIOUS ASPECTS OF THE STORY WILL BE MORE SUBDUED IN THIS VERSION. FOR MORE CLICK HERE

Hughes in 1995

He was one of the most successful and influential film directors of the 1980s, helming hits such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and the Brat Pack favorite The Breakfast Club. However, John Hughes has been off the radar screen since 1991 to the degree that we might expect his face to pop up on a milk carton. By all accounts, he has gone into self-imposed exile in Chicago, having foresaken the industry that gave him fame and fortune. His work still resonates with a generation of filmmakers who are greatly influenced by his movies, but if Hughes is flattered by his legacy, he isn't speaking about it. He gives no interviews and never courts the press.

For an update on Hollywood's most famous "missing person", click here.

We've stumbled on a hilarious site called Superdickery that celebrates the dumbest moments in comic book history. If you doubt us, just check out these flapadoodles:  Lois Lane being wooed by then-teen idol Pat Boone and Archie meeting The Punisher. What's next in the pipeline: Sad Sack deserts to the Nazis? To visit the Superdickery site click here

Widmark in his most legendary role, as the mad dog killer in Kiss of Death

Journalist Kim Morgan has an excellent tribute to recently-departed screen legend Richard Widmark, complete with clips from his greatest performances. Isn't it a pity that the mainstream media, which has unlimited coverage of "celebrities" most people have never heard of, let Widmark's passing go virtually unnoticed? For the tribute, click here.

She was the ultimate head-turner: Linda Blair in William Friedkin's The Exorcist.

Sorry for the crude headline, but there's no other way of putting it. One of the film industry's greatest genres has been beaten into the ground by armies of talentless hacks. Not only are most original horror films dreadful, these uninspired, no-talents have systematically revisited genuinely scary films and ruined their legacies as well. Writer James Christopher has a very perceptive article in the Times of London explaining why there are precious few genuinely scary films made any more. Filmmakers simply don't understand the difference between suspense and gore. In Psycho, there are only two murders - but the film is still paralyzingly scary. Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now is virtually all based on the power of suggestion, not special effects - and it remains one of the most terrifying films ever made. Robert Wise's The Haunting eschewed special effects for a literate script and a great cast: no screaming teenagers trying to avoid a guy with a buzzsaw. I still can't watch the movie with the lights out. Nowdays, there has been an abundance of gore, but few genuine chills. Off the top of my head, I can only think of two really scary films that I have seen in the last decade: The Blair Witch Project and 28 Days Later. Not coincidentally, both had miniscule budgets and had to rely on innovative methods and nuance to provide the scares. Armed with a larger budget, the producers of the sequel to the latter film, 28 Weeks Later fell victim to going overboard and threw in everything but the kitchen sink (though the film is still head and shoulders over the "dead teenage" epics released seemingly every week - and it does have a kick ass final scene.)

James Christopher recalls the impact William Friedkin's The Exorcist had on audiences in 1973 and why it is still arguably the greatest horror film ever made - and he gets comments from other noted filmmakers about the demise of one of the cinema's most time-honored genres. - Lee Pfeiffer

To read, click here

Paul Gerrard, who runs the great web site www.movieposterstudio.com provides some insights into an unusual Alfred Hitchcock collectible.

Many people think that crazy publicity stunts are a recent development in the world of movie marketing, but not so, as this promotional mask from Hitchcock's 1963 chiller The Birds can testify. The concept behind this particular bird-brained scheme was to allow members of the public free entry to screenings, as long as they were wearing the mask, and as long as they could match a number printed on the back of the mask with a list at the cinema box office. It can only be imagined that the sight of couples parading along the street to their nearest theatre adorned with this avian headgear was even more disturbing than the film itself. Still more sinister when you consider this was an adult-rated film, and not some form of amusing diversion for the kiddies.

And it didn't end there. Not content with ruffling a few feathers amongst the twittering classes with their seemingly ungrammatical campaign slogan "The Birds Is Coming", the Universal publicity team had more 'cheep' tricks in the wings. Here is a small selection of absolutely genuine stunts from the original campaign manual, hatched by over-imaginative (m)Ad Men, who were no doubt eager to launch themselves up the pecking order:-

A specially-commissioned crossword was to be copied and distributed, comprising such fun-filled clues as 37 Down: "The birds ---- the farmer to death".

Cinema owners were encouraged to antagonise bird enthusiasts by inviting them onto radio shows and debating topics such as "Birds Do Not Love People But Hate Them", and that birds are the "Villains of Nature".

Seagulls could be painted in bright colours to attract attention around town (although thoughtfully the manual advised to "get instructions about dyeing seagulls from your local Audubon Society, the ASPCA or other local bird groups").

Talking birds could be enlisted from pet shops and trained to cry out "The Birds Is Coming" en masse.

Local restaurants were to promote their meals with the slogan "The Birds Are Here In The Best Dishes You Ever Ate".

Fowl play indeed! We can but hope that the threatened remake of this Hitchcock classic inspires similar flights of fancy.

(If you want to terrify your own children with this vintage collectibe, Movie Poster Studio has one for sale. To view, click here)

Deborah Kerr in the 1967 James Bond spoof version of Casino Royale

Writer Michael Russnow offers a heart-felt tribute to the late, great Deborah Kerr - and ponders why her passing went with so little notice in the mainstream media. Click here to read

TRIBUTES ARE BEING POSTED BY THOSE WHO KNEW THE LEGENDARY CHARLTON HESTON. PREDICATABLY, SOME VILE INDIVIDUALS HAVE POSTED SOME HORRENDOUS STATEMENTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES CELEBRATING THE ICONIC ACTOR'S DEATH. HOWEVER, NOT ALL THOSE WHO OPPOSED HIS POLITICAL VIEWS ARE LACKING IN CLASS. SOME LEFT-WING COLUMNISTS HAVE POINTED OUT THAT, DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCES WITH HESTON, THEY ADMIRED AND LIKED HIM AS A PERSON.

FOR MARK JOSEPH'S COLUMN CLICK HERE

FOR DAVID ROBB'S COLUMN, CLICK HERE

It was once the cushiest of all jobs...getting paid to sit in theaters and review movies. However, as the New York Times reports, the bloom is now off the rose for magazine and newspaper film critics. With shrinking ad sales and plunging readerships, periodicals have put film critics in their crosshairs as being expendable overhead. Thus, some of the most prominent names in film criticism have been put out to pasture, victims of the economy and the fact that the explosion of popular web-based movie sites have diluted their influence. To read the article click here

Widmark: The Man Who Would be Szell

In an article for Variety, writer William Goldman reveals that Richard Widmark aksed for the opportunity to read for the role of the Nazi Dr. Szell in the classic 1976 thriller Marathon Man, which was based on Goldman's novel. Goldman and director John Schlesinger were in London working on the screenplay when they received an out-of-the-blue request from Widmark, who was in town, to stop by and try his hand reading for the part. At the time, Widmark was aware that Laurence Olivier had accepted the role, but his frail health cast doubt on whether he would be able to perform. Widmark said his goal was to see if he would be an acceptable back-up for Olivier in case "Larry" wasn't able to do the film. As all movie fans know, Olivier did indeed rally and do the movie - and received a Supporting Actor nomination for one of the best portrayals of a villain ever put on film. However, Goldman says in his article that Widmark was superb in his reading and brought back memories of his first great role as the villain Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death. To read the fascinating tale click here

Photo: Rex

Photo: Rex

Well, it's actress Goldie Hawn, who appears in two candid photos from London's Daily Mail. She was photographed with long time beau Kurt Russell while exercising near their home in California. While Goldie may not evoke an image of her perky, seemingly ageless self, let's give her credit for going au natural in an age in which so many other actresses have foolishly engaged in harmful surgeries and Botox treatments. It's refreshing to find an actress who feels comfortable enough in her own skin to not resort to those practices. Besides, how many women half her age boast the figure Goldie Hawn displays in the photo above? For more visit the Daily Mail site by clicking here.