TCM Viewer Poll: What Is Your Favorite Tribute?

So after bashing Melanie Griffith’s annoying tribute to Jean Harlow, I thought I would ask the Brain Trust: What’s your favorite?

As far as I can tell, there is no complete list of TCM tributes (not even on Wikipedia!), so here’s my catalog, which I’m sure is incomplete. I’m not talking about the “What a Character” features (sorry, Edna May Oliver and William Frawley) or Film Fanatics (sorry, noir fans) or brief comments (sorry, Jane Wyman or Gloria De Haven about getting your hair washed by Marlene Dietrich).

This is strictly one actor or actress talking at length about another actor or actress.

Here goes:

Ernest Borgnine on Robert Ryan.

Michael Caine on Cary Grant.

Keith Carradine on Greer Garson.

Richard Chamberlain on Claude Rains

Tony Curtis on Cary Grant.

Michael Feinstein on Fred Astaire.

Peter and Jane Fonda on Henry Fonda.

Melanie Griffith on Jean Harlow.

Martin Landau on Bela Lugosi. Update: I see this is a “Word of Mouth” (aka “Damn Good Actress”/”Loved Every Minute of It”) and shouldn’t be in this category.

Jack Lemmon on Billy Wilder.

Paul Newman on Elizabeth Taylor.

Chazz Palminteri on Edward G. Robinson.

Robert Redford on Natalie Wood.

Burt Reynolds on Spencer Tracy.

George C. Scott on James Cagney.

Elizabeth Taylor on Montgomery Clift.

Marlo Thomas on Loretta Young.

John Waters on Vincent Price.

Have I missed your favorite? Let me know!

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in Film, Hollywood and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

16 Responses to TCM Viewer Poll: What Is Your Favorite Tribute?

  1. Gretchen's avatar Gretchen says:

    Tony Curtis on Cary Grant. It was fun watching Tony’s man-crush, and as for Cary himself — why, I’d watch that boy do absolutely anything.

    Like

  2. Anthony's avatar Anthony says:

    My favorite was the Marlo Thomas on Loretta Young. I want to remember that Loretta young was Marlo’s Godmother?

    Like

  3. Jo Anne's avatar Jo Anne says:

    George C Scott on James Cagney

    Like

  4. kthursby's avatar kthursby says:

    Kevin Spacey on Jack Lemmon.

    Like

  5. Dan Nather's avatar Dan Nather says:

    John Gielgud’s tribute to Claude Rains, who was one of his acting teachers. It was touching to hear the awe he held for Rains’s talent.

    Like

  6. mtsu1984's avatar mtsu1984 says:

    In reading this list I thought of some others omitted:

    Julianne Moore on Myrna Loy
    Kelsey Grammer on Lauren Bacall
    Liza Minnelli on Vincente Minnelli
    Michael Douglas on Kirk Douglas
    Clint Eastwood on James Garner
    Carrie Fisher on Debbie Reynolds
    Meryl Streep on Bette Davis
    Ann Blyth on Joan Crawford
    Janet Leigh on Norma Shearer
    Cher on Katharine Hepburn
    Kurt Russell on Elvis Presley
    John Frankenheimer on Burt Lancaster

    This is a feature I enjoy when the narrator has a personal connection of some kind to the star.

    Like

  7. LC's avatar LC says:

    Love all those, but you omitted one of the latest, Doris Day on Rock Hudson. It was so great to hear from her. Love her!

    Like

  8. LC's avatar LC says:

    It aired in June or July, he was star of the month.

    Like

  9. Anne's avatar Anne says:

    Older tributes, perhaps but among my favorites:
    Jennifer Jason Leigh on Barbara Stanwyck
    Laura Dern on Barbara Stanwyck
    Patricia Clarkson on Ingrid Bergman

    Like

Comments are closed.