Speed Gibson

I note with sadness and respect the passing of actor Glenn Ford. He is in that fast disappearing class of real men in Hollywood. He could be tough as nails as in the original "Ransom!" or that wonderful father in "Superman" who knew his adopted son was here for a reason. Who's reason, what it was he didn't know, but in a memorable line for me anyway he says, "But I do know one thing: it's not to score touchdowns."

"Casablanca" was on the other day, and I had to watch the ending once again. As lovely as Ingrid Bergman is, it's all about Bogie, a man's man, plain spoken, mostly polite, minds his own business, but not afraid to act boldly when the situation finally calls for it. He's even willing to re-assess that situation when Victor Laszlo gently challenges his assumptions.

There are a few exceptions I suppose, like Robert DeNiro and Russell Crowe. And maybe it has more to do with the scripts. But by and large, the Hollywood leading men of today play wimps on the screen.

Who's replacing Glenn Ford? John Wayne? Robert Mitchum? Kirk Douglas? Charleton Heston? Gary Cooper? Burt Lancaster? Jimmy Stewart? Henry Fonda? And my personal favorite, William Holden?

Until someone does, their movies will live on to remind us of times that were somehow, grit and all, more civilized than today.