This is not to say that the movies made now don't address the concerns of the day, politics, religion, morals and morality, the past, present and future. But the way movies were made back in the "old days" is different. The actors, and their acting was a craft, an art, and not necessarily judged by box-office draw as much as by the quality of the work. Subject matter has changed as well. We seem to be searching for the reality fix, or a total escape from the real world - time is not as easily taken to reflect and appreciate the true artistry of the process of making a movie the way it used to be done in Hollywood.

We recently lost two of my favorite actors, Katherine Hepburn and Bob Hope. I had the occasion to catch some of Bob Hope's old movies from the 50's and 60's on late nite television, and to be perfectly honest, had forgotten how out-and-out funny the man was. He didn't swear, no 4 letter words in his movies. He always had a pretty girl around to kiss, but everyone kept their clothes on. He surrounded himself with other actors who were as just as talented as he was, or moreso. And everyone he worked with didn't mind being the "victim" in one of his hairbrained schemes or acting the straight man to his shenanigans. I never heard a bad thing said about Bob Hope. He was never arrested for drugs or booze, or not paying his taxes. His personal love life was never discussed in the media. Why not? Because there wasn't anything to say except that he was the consummate professional, a kind and generous man, and funnier than all get out.

Katherine Hepburn was a "piece of work!". From the very beginning of her career, she did things her way, made her own decisions, played the parts that she wanted, and acted them the way she wanted to. And she was an incredible success. Go to the local video store and rent some of those old black and white movies she made way back before Technicolor. She was drop dead beautiful and she had an attitude that wouldn't quit.They don't make movie stars like that any more. Yes, she has an affair with a married man (Spencer Tracey for you young'uns), but that wasn't dragged thru the newspapers because she, and Tracey kept their personal lives out of their work, and the work came first. And it showed on the silver screen.

Great big "Epic" motion pictures aren't really made anymore (except for LOTR which is film history in itself) like the ones that were cranked out in the past. For scope, casts of thousands, huge wide shots and backgrounds that seem to go on for days, take a look at Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Ten Commandments, Cleopatra, Dr. Zhivago, The Lion in Winter to name a few. These were huge movies, and they were made with the real thing, not smoke and mirrors.

Then of course, we have the ones that are so special and unique - their like will never be made again. All Quiet on the Western Front, Casablanca, To Kill a Mockingbird, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Grapes of Wrath, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Diary of Anne Frank, to name a few.

So, the next time no one is in the chat room, nothing is on tv and its raining, or too hot or cold to go outside, rent a movie. But don't rent just any movie, get one of the old ones! A classic. Go ahead - be brave - watch one that is not in color and was made before your parents were born. You'll be amazed how much can be done with perfect writing, Oscar-winning acting, direction by the masters who taught Speilberg and Lucas and Cameron and Jackson (you think they learned how to make movies in school? - no, they learned by watching the masters of the craft and then practicing!), and art and costume and set decoration and music and lighting and all the stuff that makes a movie. Trust me - you will like it! And you will be watching history in the film business and you might just learn something too.