Here's a blast from the past: a spoof of "Becket" if it had starred Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Katharine Hepburn, all courtesy of the Second City TV cast.

In this clip from the 1970 Academy Awards ceremony honoring films from 1969, glamorous Elizabeth Taylor announces the controversial choice of "Midnight Cowboy" as the Best Picture, the only X-rated film to be so honored. Producer Jerome Hellman gives one of the shortest acceptance speeches on record, using his time to thank United Artists head of production David V. Picker, who provided financial backing for the film when other studios wouldn't.

Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" was a major hit in 1991, though enthusiasm for the film has not been especially enduring over the ensuing years. Nevertheless, at the time of initial release, there was a line of officially licensed toys. Here's a vintage advertisement for the Robin Hood action figures and Sherwood Forest play set.

Here is a brief newsreel of the festivities taking place at the 1962 New York premiere of MGM's "Mutiny on the Bounty", a magnificent epic even though there were almost impossible obstacles to overcome in bringing it to the big screen. (See Cinema Retro's Movie Classics roadshow epics issue for full coverage). Despite causing controversies during filming, Marlon Brando was induced to attend the premiere, a practice he was usually adverse to. Note the theater marquee across the street showing John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate".

In this vintage clip from "The Dick Cavett Show", Henry Fonda discusses his rare screen appearance as a villain in Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West", a film that was underappreciated in its day but which many now consider to be a masterpiece. Surprisingly, Cavett, who is one of the best-informed and astute interviewers, is unaware of the film's existence.

Here's the 1973 trailer for the second of five Dirty Harry films starring Clint Eastwood, "Magnum Force". It was an era for renegade cop movies. Only a couple of months later, John Wayne's "McQ" would open, which also featured our hero battling corruption in the police department. 

Here is rare footage from the 1962 Oscars ceremony in which the winners for Best Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay are awarded by "Days of Wine and Roses" co-stars Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon.

In this vintage clip from the April 28, 1968 "Ed Sullivan Show", Richard Harris reprises his performance of "Camelot". Harris has played King Arthur in the big-budget film version the previous year and would go on to appear in various productions in live theater throughout his career.

 This portion of the movie section from a 1966 edition of The New York Times indicates just a portion of how many fine movies were in release during a single week. Among them: "The Ipcress File", "Thunderball", "Darling", "The Hill", "The Slender Thread", "A Patch of Blue", "Bunny Lake is Missing", "Viva Maria!", "The Pawnbroker" and a Beatles double feature: "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!". Those really were the days!