Classic Movies

With Memorial Day just a couple of weeks away, I thought it would be a good idea to explore several classic war movies Hollywood has released over the years.

Some showcase the heroics of history's greatest battles, while others display on the harsh realities of war itself. And one focuses on a larger-than-life American general who commanded authority while ironically defying his own superiors.

Whether waving the flag in undying patriotism or revealing the dark underbelly of battle, war movies have long been a staple of Hollywood. Here are nine classic war movies that cover America's three great wars from the 20th century.

George C. Scott in his Oscar-winning performance in 'Patton' (1970)/20th Century Fox

In their continuing effort to reintroduce a number of classic movies to the public, Universal Studios will release Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960) as part of their 100th anniversary celebration.

Starring Kirk Douglas in the titular role, this historical epic was a fictionalized account of a slave who leads a massive uprising against the Roman Empire. The film was a big hit with audiences and critics, but behind-the-scenes turmoil between Douglas and Kubrick permanently damaged their relationship and the two would never work again.

The Blu-ray has a few notable extras, including archival interviews with Oscar winner Peter Ustinov and co-star Jean Simmons, a few re-edited scenes from the 1967 release, and a brief, but silent featurette Behind the Scenes at Gladiator School.

Releases June 5th.

Blu-ray cover for 'Spartacus' (1960)/Universal Studios

As one of classic Hollywood's most iconic actors, Gary Cooper was the star of many hit classic movies and earned two Academy Awards for Best Actor in his five-decade career.

He broke into acting as an extra during the silent era, had a supporting role in William Wellman's Wings (1927), and catapulted to stardom as the lead in The Virginian (1929). From there, he cemented his status as a stoic, all-American and won his first Oscar for playing a pacifist-turned-war hero in Howard Hawks' Sergeant York (1941).

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Cooper remained one of Hollywood's most bankable actors, but courted controversy for his role in High Noon (1952), which was deemed un-American by John Wayne for the film allegedly being an allegory for blacklisting in Hollywood. Ironically, Cooper asked Wayne to accept his second Oscar for Best Actor, being too ill with an ulcer to attend the ceremony.

Less than a decade later, Cooper died from a heart attack while still in his prime. He left behind an extraordinary cinematic legacy filled with outstanding performances in many classic movies. Here are just a few great films starring Gary Cooper.

Gary Cooper as U.S. Marshal Will Kane in 'High Noon' (1952)/RHI Entertainment

He spent over six decades working in Hollywood as an actor, writer and director. Raoul Walsh was a prolific craftsman who worked in a wide range of genres. His style was straightforward and unpretentious, but at the same time vibrant and compelling.

Walsh struggled to find his footing for over a decade until hitting his stride in the 1940s, a period where he produced his best work. His greatest films were in collaboration with stars Errol Flynn and James Cagney.

After leaving his home studio of Warner Bros. in 1953, Walsh's output diminished and his career faltered. Despite never having been nominated for an Academy Award, he was without a doubt one of classic Hollywood's best directors. Here are six classic movies directed by Raoul Walsh.

Publicity still of Raoul Walsh on set/Unknown

British-born actress Patricia Medina, whose Hollywood heyday came in the 1950s, died at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles on April 28, 2012. She was 92.

Medina launched her career as a teenager in the late 1930s with a number of films made in her native England and worked her way up to leading roles in films like Hotel Reserve (1944), Don't Take It to Heart (1944) and Kiss the Bride Goodbye (1945).

Following the war, she came to Hollywood and signed a contract with MGM, for whom she had a supporting role in The Three Musketeers (1948), starring Gene Kelly and Lana Turner.

Medina was prolific throughout the 1950s, starring in a wide range of classic movies like Francis (1950), Botany Bay (1953) with Alan Ladd and James Mason, Plunder of the Sun (1953) starring Glenn Ford, Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954) with Karl Malden, and Orson Welles' convoluted Mr. Arkadin (1955).

Her film career tapered off near the end of the decade, leading to a transition to television. But by the end of the 1960s Medina's acting days were virtually at an end.

In 1960, she married her second husband, actor Joseph Cotten, which last until his death in 1994. Four years later, Medina published her memoirs Laid Back in Hollywood: Remembering (1998).

Publicity still of Patricia Medina/Unknown

For the first time, Warner Bros. will publish a host of scripts as e-books for their new Inside the Script series.

The idea is for the studio to share with fans rarely seen details of how some of Hollywood's greatest classic movies came together. Among the classics include Michael Curtiz's Casablanca, William Wyler's Ben-Hur and Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest.

The Inside the Script series will include the shooting script from each film as well as a number of extra features like production notes, storyboards and photo stills from the sets.

All e-books are currently available on iBooks, Kindle and Barnes & Noble's NOOK.

Screenshot of the script for 'Casablanca' (1942)/Warner Bros.

Another month, another wave of classic movies making their way onto Blu-ray.

Several great films are being released in May, including the first of three on-screen collaborations between Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Fritz Lang's masterpiece film noir, and one of the greatest movies of all time.

Of course, all the films would make great additions to any collection and are great gifts for even the most casual fan.

Blu-ray cover for Fritz Lang's 'The Big Heat'/Twilight Time

Following months of negotiations and speculation about her competence, Lindsay Lohan has officially signed on to play Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime movie, Liz & Dick, a behind-the-scenes look at her rocky marriage to Richard Burton.

Lifetime released a statement confirming that Lohan is set to star as Taylor with production to commence in June in Los Angeles. Initial news of Lohan playing the iconic Oscar-winning actress was greeted with skepticism at best and downright derision at worst, due to in part Lohan's many brushes with the law and drug rehab, including her recent house arrest and sentence of community service for stealing a necklace from a jewelry store.

Ever since completing her sentence, Lohan seemingly dedicated herself to the role once word spread of her being the top pick. With the signing, all speculation about whether or not Lifetime was serious has been lifted. But doubts still lingered following Lohan's latest adventures at the Standard Hotel in Los Angeles, where she allegedly pushed a woman in a nightclub and threw a drink at another customer two weeks later.

Lindsay Lohan and Elizabeth Taylor/Tony Barson/WireImage; MGM

This Sunday, April 22nd, the great Sidney Poitier will be featured on Oprah's Master Class, a two-week event that will cover his life's journey from a remote island in the Bahamas to an Academy Award-winning actor.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Poitier commanded the silver screen with grace, dignity and an enormity of talent. Like Jackie Robinson in professional baseball, he broke down barriers to become one of the first African-American leading men and the first to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field (1963).

Poitier was a top box office draw in 1967 and delivered his most indelible performance as Virgil Ribbs, a Philadelphia homicide detective investigating a murder with a racist local sheriff (Rod Steiger) in Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night.

Though his career tapered off in later decades, Sidney Poitier remains a groundbreaking performer who accomplished great things on his own terms.

Oprah's Master Class starts airing tonight at 10/9c.

Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs in 'In the Heat of the Night' (1967)/MGM Home Entertainment