The 'L' You Say. Epinions Dictionary Of Film W/O -The Letter L
Apr 14 '03
The Bottom Line Imagine saying 'L. L. L. L.' over and over again as though you were a spam-loving Viking, and eggs, sausage, and L was all there was on the menu.
This is my entry in Simply_Crispy's write-off as noted in the title, and 'L' sucks. Find more info on his profile page http://www.epinions.com/user-simply_crispy. This will soon have links to those works devoted to the letters 'K' and 'M', but as far as I know those people are later than me.
Ladd, Alan - A top star of the forties, Ladd was among the shorter stars Hollywood has seen. Camera tricks (or just plain standing on a box) were often used so that his co-stars wouldn’t dwarf him. Entered in the annals of film history as ‘Shane’, his other credits include: ‘Gun’, ‘The Glass Key’, and ‘The Carpetbaggers’.
Ladd, Diane - Wildly unpredictable character actress who became the mother half of the first mother-daughter team (with daughter Laura Dern) to receive simultaneous Oscar nominations, this for ‘Rambling Rose’. Credits include: ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’, ‘Chinatown’, and ‘Wild at Heart’.
Lake, Veronica - A high/low story, Lake, all of 5'2" was the top of the tops, but by the 60's had vanished into obscurity, and was waiting tables. Making good on a role in Preston Sturges’ brilliant ‘Sullivan’s Travels’, Lake was on her way, and soon paired with Alan Ladd in ‘This Gun for Hire’ and ‘The Glass Key’. She was in several other films, but for whatever reason, her popularity didn’t last past the late forties.
Lamarr, Hedy - One of several ‘L’s to at one time or other be called the Most Beautiful Woman in Films (and my personal pick among ‘L’s), Lamarr rocked the world (pseudo-pun intended) with ‘Ecstacy’ in 1933. She signed with MGM in '39, and her credits include: ‘White Cargo’, ‘Boom Town’, ‘Her Highness and the Bellboy’, and ‘The Conspirators’. In her case, she had quite a bit more in the looks department than the talent department, but people rarely complained.
Lambert, Christopher - At this point a sad tale, there were once high hopes for Lambert’s career. 1984's ‘Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan’ may not have been a masterpiece performance, but it was certainly intriguing, and pretty engaging for Tarzan. In '86 we saw him again as Connor MacLeod in ‘Highlander’, a role that, though it has now gone down the several sequel, cult-goofiness road, single-handedly (unless you have a better theory) spurred a spike in the number of children named ‘Connor’ of almost mythic proportions. Though his ‘Fortress’, and several others have been popular in Europe, his career has now become something that consists mainly of making sequels or straight-to-video titles. Was married to Diane Lane for many years. This apparently largely responsible for the horrible ‘Knight Moves’ in which they both star.
Lamont, Charles - One of the first truly notable film directors (in some sense anyway). Lamont worked for several companies including Republic and Universal. He directed dozens of films from the early twenties into the fifties where he ended his career directing the television version of ‘Zorro’. His most notable work was in directing many of the Abbott and Costello movies, and several of the Ma and Pa Kettle series. He is also generally credited with discovering Shirley Temple.
Lamour, Dorothy - Yet another ‘L’ beauty, vamp and songbird Lamour is (or at least was) often referred to as ‘the sarong girl’ because of her roles in such wonders as ‘The Jungle Princess’. She enjoyed a lengthy stint as one of Hollywood’s most popular, attempting a variety of roles, but perhaps finding something especially suited to her in the Crosby/Hope ‘Road’ pictures.
Lancaster, Burt - Few people have traveled a shorter road to success (especially with good reason) than Lancaster. His first role was in ‘The Killers’, and that was it really. He rocketed to stardom. Even in his only four Oscar nominations (‘From Here to Eternity’, ‘Elmer Gantry’-won, ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’, ‘Atlantic City’) we can see that he chose a range of roles. He and longtime friend Kirk Douglas often appeared together. Not only was Lancaster a staple of the movie world for some forty years, but virtually all of his 90-some films are actually quite good.
Lanchester, Elsa - A wonderfully clever and semi-insightful woman (judging by her two volumes of memoirs), Lanchester is unfortunately hard to remember as anything but ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’. She was nevertheless in many other pictures, including: ‘The Bishop’s Wife’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Pajama Party’, and ‘Murder by Death’.
Landau, Martin - The supporting actor’s supporting actor (whatever I might mean by that), Landau has for years been just as comfortable on television or in movies. He comes to mind easiest (perhaps) for his television roles in ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘Space: 1999'. Most of the eighties were rough on him cinematically, and he never has been one to turn down a role in a low-budget picture. ‘Ed Wood’ is worth the price of admission just to watch him as Bela Lugosi.
Landis, John - Director of so many truly awful movies that he warrants status on that alone. He’s also done a few good things, so I guess he’s double ‘interesting’. Shooting out of the gates with ‘The Kentucky Fried Movie’, ‘Animal House’, ‘The Blues Brothers’, and ‘An American Werewolf in London’, he then went on to such feats of greatness as, ‘Spies Like Us’, ‘Beverly Hills Cop III’, and ‘The Stupids’. He also wrote several of the movies he directed (and some he didn’t), and makes semi-frequent cameos in a variety of films made by John Landis fans.
Lane, Diane - Largely overrated actress who met with some success in the early eighties. At best slightly above-average with a bit of likeableness thrown in, her role in ‘Unfaithful’ caused a inexplicable uproar of her ‘being back’, as though she had ever been here to begin with, and gained her the sort of Oscar nomination that reminds one of stuffing ballot boxes with your friends names in high school. Once married to Christopher Lambert, a union which did neither of them any good careerwise. Credits include: ‘Six Pack’ and ‘Streets of Fire’ which were two of her better roles really, ‘Judge Dredd’, ‘Jack’, and ‘The Glass House’.
Lang, Charles - Nominated for 18 Academy Awards for Cinematography, but only winning once for 1932's ‘A Farewell to Arms’. One of the kings of cinematography, he worked on over 100 films. Notably: ‘Death Takes a Holiday’, ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir’, ‘Sabrina’, ‘Some Like it Hot’, and ‘Butterflies are Free’.
Lang, Fritz - Writer/Director who began his career in 1917. Creator of such treasured classics as ‘M’, ‘Die Nibelungen’ and ‘Metropolis’.
Lang, Walter - A director whose resume is not especially impressive from 1925-1940, but from 1940-1960 would be the envy of anyone. In that time he directed: ‘Tin Pan Alley’, ‘State Fair’, ‘Moon Over Miami’, ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’, ‘Desk Set’, and many others besides. Loved by his peers, he was considered by many a gentleman of almost mythical proportions.
Lange, Jessica - Often excellent, often just hard to look at actress who has received as much good press since ‘King Kong’ as she received bad press for it. Nominated for several Academy Awards, and giving even more critically acclaimed performances, she has earned her spot among the best actresses of recent years. Credits include: ‘Frances’, ‘Tootsie’, ‘Country’, ‘Music Box’, ‘Blue Sky’, and ‘Rob Roy’.
Lansbury, Angela - Her roles in movies like: ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, ‘Gaslight’, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’, ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’, and ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ are as nothing. Her Tony Awards and Oscar nominations are meaningless. That’s right, all that matters is that she won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama every year from 1985 straight through to 1996 for that godawful, endless blather ‘Murder, She Wrote’.
Lasseter, John - Winner of an Academy Award for Special Achievement for ‘Toy Story’. Director, Writer, and Animator, Lasseter has worked on ‘A Bug’s Life’, Both Toy Story movies, and the upcoming ‘Cars’.
Laughlin, Tom - To many he may just be Billy Jack, and since he wrote, directed, and starred in three Billy Jack movies, perhaps that’s deserved, but he’s had other roles, and other directing credits. Not much compares to the cult wonder that is ‘Billy Jack’, however. Made for slightly under $1 million, it has made more than $65 million.
Laurel, Stan - The one who isn’t Hardy.
Laurie, Piper - Hopelessly fun actress who appeared in a dozen or some films during the 50's. Hit home in ‘The Hustler’, but didn’t appear again for several years. Appeared in ‘Carrie’, ‘Children of a Lesser God’, ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’', and even had a fun little Laurie-esque role in ‘Dream a Little Dream’.
Lauter, Ed - The only way I can remember Ed Lauter is as Sherriff Cain in ‘B.J. and the Bear’. I loved that show. Give me a break, I was eight. He rarely plays a part you’re supposed to remember (he has recently been Fire Captain Dannaker in many episodes of ‘E.R.’ if that means anything), but with well over 100 roles to his credit, he’s earned his spot. He’s been in everything from ‘Thirteen Days’, ‘Mulholland Falls’, and ‘Crash’, to ‘The Longest Yard’, ‘The French Connection II’, and ‘Fat Man and Little Boy’.
Law, Jude - Impressive new actor with a wide range. Credits include: ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’, ‘Gattaca’, ‘A.I.’, ‘The Road to Perdition’, and ‘Enemy at the Gates’.
Lawrence, Martin - Funny guy. Bad actor. His particular shtick worked better on television. Nevertheless, not a bad moneymaker in most cases. Credits include: ‘Bad Boys’, ‘Blue Streak’, ‘Big Momma’s House’, and a movie that I almost had to like just for reminding me how much I liked the Bing Crosby version, ‘Black Knight’.
Lazenby, George - An actor almost completely uninteresting (though he has been in a lot of ‘Emmanuelle’ movies) except that he once played James Bond, and everyone who has played Bond is interesting.
Leachman, Cloris - Probably most memorable as Phyllis from ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, she also took over for ‘Mrs. G’ in ‘The Facts of Life’, and has more than 100 credits in TV guest spots alone. Film credits include: ‘Texasville’, ‘History of the World: Part I’, ‘Young Frankenstein’, ‘The Last Picture Show’, and ‘Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid’.
Lean, David - Largely considered one of the best directors of all time, Lean has several Oscar nominations, and two wins. He was also given the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990 by the American Film Institute. His credits include: ‘Brief Encounter’, ‘Summertime’, ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’, ‘Doctor Zhivago’, and ‘Passage to India’. Also, though filmed eons ago, his versions of ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Oliver Twist’ are still considered the best available by many.
Learned Helplessness - A psychological term, learned helplessness is the reaction to repeated occurrences of harmful or painful situations from which escape proves impossible. The effect is to retard learning in subsequent situations where escape is possible. A dog repeatedly beaten, for example, in a closed room will eventually stand still and suffer the inevitable even in an open field. The effect has caused the continued viewing of many a movie that might easily have been run away from. Whether the learned helplessness occurred while watching movies with parents or friends, where escape was unacceptable for one reason or another, or through some other unfortunate circumstances, we can be sure that it is there.
Leary, Denis - Anti-PC comedian turned actor who is actually surprisingly good in the right roles. Wouldn’t stop smoking (like, even for a minute) and dared God to give him cancer, and then found out that’s really stupid. Credits include: ‘The Ref’, ‘Wag the Dog’, ‘Jesus’ Son’, and ‘Double Whammy’.
Lee, Ang - Loved by many, if odd, director who seems to be trying his hand at everything. Directing such films as: ‘Eat Drink Man Woman’, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘The Ice Storm’, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and of all things ‘The Hulk’.
Lee, Bernard - A good enough actor in his own right, starting his career in the mid-thirties and deservedly getting a fair amount of work (‘The Black Tulip’, ‘The Third Man’, and many others, usually as Inspector someone), in 1962 he became ‘M’ in ‘Dr. No’, and continued that role through 1979's ‘Moonraker’.
Lee, Brandon - Son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, Brandon was on his way to success in the acting business, having a decent start on ‘Kung Fu: The Next Generation’ and, by way of lesser (though not horrible) films, finally arriving in ‘The Crow’. He was killed during the filming of that movie in a prop gun accident.
Lee, Bruce - Martial Arts legend and star of numerous martial arts films, he was also Kato in ‘The Green Hornet’ television series, and co-creator of the ‘Kung Fu’ television series. His star credits and media successes are perhaps secondary to (though coincide with) the fact that he is almost single-handedly responsible for the popularity of martial arts in America.
Lee, Christopher - The quintessential movie bad guy, Lee has played a variety of monsters, vampires, slave dealers, and people named something Von something. When Terry Pratchett’s novels were put on film, who else could have been Death? Also appearing as a bad guy in the recent Lord of the Rings movies, and the most recent Star Wars film. Add Rochefort in ‘The Three Musketeers’, Scaramanga in ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’, and Lord Summerisle in ‘The Wicker Man’, and Lee has been every bizarre sort of villain/sinister person under the sun. He is soon to be reprising his role (sort of) as King Haggard in ‘The Last Unicorn’.
Lee, Jason - Quirky actor who started out as a professional skateboarder. Discovered(ish) by Kevin Smith, Lee is now a Smith regular appearing in: ‘Mallrats’, ‘Chasing Amy’, ‘Dogma’, and ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’. His offbeat performances have generally been accepted by critics, and his more mainstream credits include: ‘Almost Famous’, ‘Vanilla Sky’, ‘A Guy Thing’, ‘Dreamcatcher’, and the overlooked ‘Mumford’.
Lee, Spike - Largely overrated director whose name became a household word in the late-eighties and early-nineties, mainly because politically his movies were deemed ‘good whether they’re good or not’. Nevertheless, most of work is actually good, and there are often shades of genius lurking in them somewhere. His movies, though I concede often brilliant at least in some theoretical way, usually fall to just the sort of flaws you would expect from someone who changed his name from Shelton to Spike. Thankfully, popularity has diminished over time, and now rests at a comfortable appreciation. Credits include: ‘Do the Right Thing’, ‘Jungle Fever’, ‘Malcolm X’, ‘He Got Game’, and 25th Hour’.
Legitimate Film - A Film Approved by SAG.
Leguizamo, John - Funny, if bizarre, comic turned actor whose list of credits reads like a list of random movie titles. Often falling well below par in the acting ability area, but when he works in a role, he works quite well. Credits include: ‘Casualties of War’, ‘Regarding Henry’ (he shot Henry), ‘Spawn’, ‘Moulin Rouge!’, and ‘Empire’.
Lehmann, Michael - In some sense, few directors are less notable, but Lehmann is a rare mix of brilliance and stupidity that warrants its own attention. Directing such films as ‘Heathers’ and ‘Hudson Hawk’ (which I love even if everyone else hates it), he also directed ‘Airheads’, ‘My Giant’, and '40 Days and 40 Nights’, apparently because no one else would.
Leigh, Janet - She appeared in over fifty movies, including: ‘Angels in the Outfield’, ‘Scaramouche’, ‘Prince Valiant’, ‘Safari’, and ‘Touch of Evil’, but you probably only know her as ‘that chick what gets knifed in the shower’ in ‘Psycho’.
Leigh, Jennifer Jason - Frankly useless actress who hit her peak in ‘Fast Time at Ridgemont High’. Daughter of Vic Morrow and Barbara Turner (and taking the name ‘Jason’ from close family friend Jason Robards), her questionable career was never in question. Credits include: ‘Rush’, ‘Single White Female’, ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’, ‘Dolores Claiborne’, her silly though not completely horrible ‘The Anniversary Party’, and the only thing she was ever good in ‘Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle’.
Leigh, Mike - 1993's ‘Naked’ won him a best director award at Cannes, and his ‘big production’ movies have generally been well-received. (‘Topsy Turvy’, ‘All or Nothing’) But, perhaps his best work is his series of made-for-television movies for BBC which include: ‘Hard Labour’, ‘Kiss of Death’, and ‘Nuts in May’.
Leigh, Vivien - Often ranked in the top 100 Actresses of all time, one expects more than the twenty or so credits she has. Once married to Sir Laurence Olivier, the forevermore Scarlett O’Hara was also in: ‘Caesar and Cleopatra’, ‘Anna Karenina’, and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.
Lemmon, Jack - 1988's AFI Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Winner of too many awards to make sense of. Among the very best actors ever. Credits include: ‘Bell Book and Candle’, ‘Some Like it Hot’, ‘The Apartment’, ‘Irma la Douce’, ‘The Odd Couple’, ‘The China Syndrome’, and ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’.
Leniency Effect - A common error in judgement whereby the work of a known or sympathetic person is more likely to be judged favorably. This effect accounts for some ninety percent of the Oscars over at least the last twenty years. Another nine percent are accounted for by an almost random selection among those that the leniency effect would not suggest. This is known as the ‘They All Think I’ll Choose X, Well I’ll Show Them Effect’
Leonard, Robert Sean - A very talented actor who is, however, perhaps better suited to the stage, as witnessed by his many acclaimed performances on Broadway. His sometimes good, sometimes passable movie credits include: ‘Dead Poet’s Society’, ‘Swing Kids’, ‘The Age of Innocence’, and ‘The Last Days of Disco’.
Leonard, Sheldon - A staple of the visual entertainment industry, Leonard created, directed, or produced several key television shows including: ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’, and ‘I Spy’. Leonard was also an actor that was the very definition of ‘Gangster’. Acting credits in film include: ‘Another Thin Man’, ‘Tortilla Flat’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (he’s Nick the bartender what passes out wings), ‘The Gangster’ (natch), and ‘The Brink’s Job’.
Leone, Sergio - Director of the Spaghetti Westerns (‘Fistful of Dollars’, ‘For a Few Dollars More’, and ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’), Leone also directed ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ and worked as Assistant Director on a host of other movies.
LeRoy, Mervyn - Early film heavyweight who started at the very bottom in early Hollywood. He started directing in the 20s, and was responsible, as producer, for ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Directing credits include: ‘Little Caesar’, ‘Three on a Match’, ‘Gypsy’, and ‘The Green Berets’. He directed dozens of movies in the 20s and 30s, and was head producer at MGM for a time.
Lester, Richard - After graduating college at 19, Lester became a voice of the 60s with Beatles films ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘Help!’, and cult classics ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’, and ‘How I Won the War’. The 70s saw him at the helm of some memorable period pieces, including: ‘The Three Musketeers’, ‘The Four Musketeers’, and ‘Robin and Marian’. The 80s put him in a downward spiral with: ‘Superman II’, ‘Superman III’, and ‘The Return of the Musketeers’.
Letterbox - What they now call ‘Widescreen’. This is the one where there are ‘those damn lines on the top and bottom of the screen’. This is so that the movie can be presented within the dimensions afforded by your television, without screwing with it. Choosing ‘full-frame’ or ‘pan and scan’ as opposed to ‘widescreen’ tells me most of the things I need to know about you. Keep in mind, if you’re buying movies, that televisions are going the road of widescreen, and if you buy those full-frames now, eventually they are going to have ‘those damn lines on the sides’.
Levinson, Barry - Director/Writer/Producer involved with some of the more memorable movies of the 80s, and some of the worst trash of the since thens. Credits include: ‘Diner’, ‘The Natural’, ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’, ‘Tin Men’, ‘Avalon’ –And– ‘Toys’, ‘Home Fries’, ‘Jimmy Hollywood’, and ‘Analyze That’.
Levy, Eugene - Member of SCTV and collaborator with Christopher Guest on three mockumentaries ‘Waiting for Guffman’, ‘Best in Show’, and ‘A Mighty Wind’. A subtle sort of comic genius. Other credits include: ‘Club Paradise’, ‘American Pie’, and ‘Bringing Down the House’.
Lewis, Herschell Gordon - Director/Producer/Writer/Composer. Creator of countless trashy horror movies. Often referred to as the Godfather of Gore, his forte is the truly horrible gorefest. Such classics as ‘Blood Feast’, '2000 Maniacs!’ (The movie from which 10,000 Maniacs took their name), ‘Monster a-Go Go’, ‘She-Devils on Wheels’, and ‘The Wizard of Gore’ all grace his resume.
Lewis, Jerry - Oh for God’s sake, it’s Jerry Lewis. You know who he is, and I don’t want to talk about him. The only thing more true than ‘Germans love David Hasselhoff’ is ‘The French love Jerry Lewis’.
Lewis, Juliette - Another useless, overrated ‘L’, and funny-looking besides. She’s the daughter of veteran actor Geoffrey Lewis. She was emancipated from her parents at 14, dropped out of high school within a month (of starting it), and it shows. Credits include: ‘Christmas Vacation’ (perhaps her best role), ‘Cape Fear’, ‘Kalifornia’, ‘Natural Born Killers’, ‘From Dusk til Dawn’, and ‘Enough’ (where she made a winning combination with the equally talented Jennifer Lopez).
Li, Jet - Martial arts master attempting to make the transition and meeting with some success. His ‘Once Upon a Time in China’ series still proves far more interesting than any of his American movies. Credits include: ‘Black Mask’, ‘Lethal Weapon 4', and ‘The One’.
Library Shot - A shot of stock footage used in a film.
Liman, Doug - New kid on the block director of ‘Swingers’, ‘Go’, and ‘The Bourne Identity’ who served as his own cinematographer for the first two of those. Also co-produced ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’.
Line Producer - This is the guy (or gal) who is very much in charge. He manages the whole production. Sort of. I guess.
Linklater, Richard - Writer/Director who helped open the door for independent films. ‘Slacker’ and ‘Dazed and Confused’, counter-culture journeys of notable (if also somehow suspect) insight, continue in their cult popularity. ‘Before Sunrise’, ‘SubUrbia’, ‘The Newton Boys’, ‘Waking Life’, and ‘Tape’ have met with varying degrees of success, and each have earned some continuing level of popularity. At worst, none could really be said to have been a very serious misstep.
Liotta, Ray - On again, off again actor who has always seemed to have been around longer than he has. His role in ‘Goodfellas’ sums up his look (and perhaps ‘feel’), and his role in ‘Narc’ sums up his abilities. Other credits include: ‘Field of Dreams’, ‘Corrina, Corrina’, ‘Hannibal’, ‘Blow’, and ‘John Q’.
Lithgow, John - A true oddity of the acting world, Lithgow seems able to pass, if not excel, at anything he does, and he tests the theory. There are actors with a wide range, and then there’s John Lithgow. Credits include: ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai’, ‘The World According to Garp’, ‘Harry and the Hendersons’, ‘Footloose’, ‘The Pelican Brief’, ‘A Civil Action’, and ‘Don Quixote’.
Llewelyn, Desmond - Not so much an actor in his own right before his rebirth, Llewelyn first entered the stage of his re-christening in ‘From Russia with Love’, his first Bond movie, where he was known as Boothroyd. It was not until his second Bond picture, 1964's ‘Goldfinger’ that he became ‘Q’. He continued the role through '99's ‘The World is Not Enough’. Sadly, he died in '99.
Lloyd, Christopher - You might be surprised to learn it of Reverend Jim (or not old enough to know who Reverend Jim is anyway), but Lloyd is, and has long been, one of the workingest people in the biz. From semi-dramatic roles, to attempting to corner the market on mid-range, family movies, Lloyd has scarcely spent a year since 1979 without amassing at least three credits. Some of same include: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’, ‘Mr. Mom’, ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Clue’, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, and ‘Angels in the Outfield’.
Location Manager - The person in charge of shots on location as far as arranging permission to shoot, and other necessities.
Lockhart, Gene - Known forever as the Judge in ‘Miracle on 34th Street’. A film staple from 1934 to 1957, amassing over 100 credits in that time. Credits include: ‘Algiers’, ‘Blackmail’, ‘A Scandal in Paris’. Oddly, his Judge role aside, his most memorable roles have been when he’s played a villain, but they are few and far between. An amazingly interesting person, whose life would make a great movie.
Logan, Joshua - Not particularly prolific, but certainly notable for the movies he did direct, including: ‘Picnic’, ‘Bus Stop’, ‘South Pacific’, and ‘Camelot’.
Loggia, Robert - To subvert an old quote (which is supposed to be applied to H. L. Mencken), Robert Loggia suffers from the delusion that he is Robert Loggia. I mean it in a good way Mr. Loggia. A man who has carved his niche by establishing himself as Robert Loggia, and who’s going to take jobs from that? Credits include: several ‘Pink Panther’ movies, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’, ‘Prizzi’s Honor’, ‘Big’, and ‘The Jagged Edge’.
Lollobrigida, Gina - You may not know who she is, but there’s no way you don’t know the name. Labeled ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Woman’ (after the movie she was in), she reigned for years. And then she was on ‘Falcon Crest’. Credits include: ‘Beat the Devil’, ‘Hotel Paradiso’, and ‘Stuntman’.
Lom, Herbert - Chief Inspector Dreyfus. Enough said. “I will kill Clouseau!”
Lombard, Carole - One of only a handful of untouchable actresses, no one will ever be Carole Lombard again. Married at one time to William Powell, and at the time of her tragic death to Clark Gable. Sexy, saucy, and comic, often within the same line of dialogue, Lombard paved the way for countless actresses who couldn’t touch her with a million-foot pole. Credits include: ‘My Man Godfrey’, ‘Nothing Sacred’, ‘True Confession’, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’, and ‘To Be or Not to Be’.
Lopez, Jennifer - Hee hee.
Loren, Sophia - The next ‘L’ bombshell from Italy, she dethroned ‘Lollo’. I think we all know her really. Credits include: ‘Two Women’, ‘El Cid’, ‘The Black Orchid’, and ‘The Cassandra Crossing’. In 1991 she received a special Oscar for her career as a whole. One assumes because she only ever received one ‘real’ one, that for ‘Two Women’.
Lorre, Peter - That weasely guy in ‘Casablanca’ and ‘The Maltese Falcon’, and frankly that’s the part he often played. The first person to eventually become a caricature of himself. Credits include: Fritz Lang’s ‘M’, ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’, the amazingly Moto-esque Mr. Moto in the ‘Mr. Moto’ series of movies, and ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’.
Losey, Joseph - Directing films for more than forty years, Losey was a powerful, if off-beat, force in the movie world. Often making films that integrated social messages into the strangest of plots, he nevertheless had a very wide range. In the fifties, rather than accept the dinner invitation of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Losey fled to England, and was thus labeled a Communist and blacklisted. For many years he directed under pseudonyms. His credits include: ‘The Boy With Green Hair’, ‘M’ (remake of the Lang classic), ‘Blind Date’, ‘Eva’, and the masterpiece of whatever it is exactly ‘Modesty Blaise’.
Lovitz, Jon - Lovitz was excellent on ‘Saturday Night Live’, and he knows comedy, but as an actor he is best when he is least there. His roles in ‘Big’, ‘Mr. Destiny’, ‘City Slickers’ and ‘A League of Their Own’ gave him his best chances. Other than that, his good work has been as a voice, especially in the short-lived television series ‘The Critic’.
Lowe, Rob - Onetime member of the ‘Brat Pack’ (‘The Outsiders’, ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’), his card was pulled in '88, when he made ‘Illegally Yours’. The most interesting thing about him since then are the occasional rumors that crop up about him. He is a regular on the show ‘The West Wing’, and thus someone from ‘Wayne’s World’ and ‘Goldmember’ is on ‘The West Wing’. Hurray.
Loy, Myrna - Another beauty working in the early years of movies (who have all conspired against me and had ‘L’ names), Loy is probably best remembered for her work opposite William Powell in the ‘Thin Man’ series. Other credits include: ‘Men in White’, ‘Manhattan Melodrama’, ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’, and ‘Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House’.
Lucas, George - Two-trick pony responsible for the worthy efforts known as the first three ‘Star Wars’ movies (although in a move of unmitigated goofiness they are now ‘officially’ the 4th, 5th, and 6th movies), and the ‘Indiana Jones’ series. Unfortunately, in what seems the worst case of being lost in the limelight since the inventor of the ‘Ultima’ series of games changed his name to Lord British, built a castle, and started wearing a crown, Lucas continues the ‘Star Wars’ series despite having apparently lost all memory of what good stories are like, or for that matter what people are like.
Lucas, Josh - Mostly uninteresting actor who has not yet proved himself one way or the other. Credits include: ‘The Weight of Water’, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, ‘The Hulk’.
Lugosi, Bela - Dracula.
Luhrman, Baz - Australian Director/Writer of the passable ‘Strictly Ballroom’, the borderline offensive ‘Romeo + Juliet’, and the wonderful ‘Moulin Rouge!’. Currently working on one of the many upcoming versions of ‘Alexander the Great’, and what a Luhrman ‘Alexander the Great’ might mean I have no idea. Noted for the sort of loud, sprawling, fast-paced roller-coasters that one might expect from a person who actually decided to call himself ‘Baz’.
Luke, Keye - He might have been Master Po in the ‘Kung Fu’ series, and he might have been Kato in the movie version of ‘The Green Hornet’ (giving him another connection to Bruce Lee), and he might even have played ‘Keye Luke, Grandfather & Owner of Chinatown Shop’ in ‘Gremlins’ (which is just a damned odd credit), but most importantly, he was Number 1 Son.
Lullaby Effect - Coming to us from Pavlov, this is the process by which an organism becomes adapted to a novel stimulus. Basically, the diminishing of one’s ability to be shocked by the repetition of the same thing. A sudden, loud rapping causes one to be startled. When it happens again, not so much. Eventually, you will hardly notice it (unless it is really loud). Thus, the lullaby effect is responsible for the gradual increase in acceptability of really stupid movies. At this point they are hardly worthy of note, and become labeled, even by the strictest purists as ‘Okay’. We have simply had stupid movies done to us too many times before.
Lumet, Sidney - Considered by some to be one of the giant (if lesser known) names of the directing world, there was once a strong argument for his genius ('12 Angry Men’, ‘The Pawnbroker’, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’), but his abilities and choice of subject seem to have diminished over the years (‘The Morning After’, ‘Running on Empty’, ‘Family Business’)
Luske, Hamilton - One time number one director of Disney works. Credits include: ‘Pinnochio’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Lady and the Tramp’, and '101 Dalmations’.
Lynch, David - One trick pony writer/director whose one trick is simply to be bizarre for the sake of being bizarre. His early work is quite good, but it’s getting old. Credits include: ‘Eraserhead’, ‘The Elephant Man’, ‘Dune’, ‘Blue Velvet’, the bizarrely out-of-character ‘The Straight Story’, and ‘Mulholland Drive’.
Lyne, Adrian - Director of mediocre (though often highly acclaimed) oddball psychological works, and ‘Flashdance’, including: ‘Fatal Attraction’, 9 1/2 weeks’, ‘Indecent Proposal’, and the recent overly-appreciated ‘Unfaithful’. Oddly, also directed ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, which really was quite good.
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Epinions.com ID:
Vormancian
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Marc Eastman
Location: Bangor,ME
Reviews written: 329
Trusted by: 351 members
About Me:
Evangeline Sylvan Betty Eastman. AKA "Cricket" 9/12/06
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