As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing and delighting in An American in Paris.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree. I hope to hear from all of you.

“Twinkle, twinkle little star…”

For several years, my husband and I have had a running conversation about a phenomenon we call “The Twinkle.” This is one of those concepts that is utterly subjective. It requires a smart-ass attitude, a bit of the con, and loads of charm. Questions: Who has it; who doesn’t; who can turn it off; who can’t; who has it more often, actors or actresses?

For some reason, actors seem to have the twinkle far more often than actresses. The only actress that had it without question was Mae West. An argument can be made that Goldie Hawn has it.

More actors with blue eyes seem to have it than those with brown eyes. But there are plenty of actors with brown eyes that twinkle.

The actor who displayed the twinkle most obviously was Paul Newman. Think of him in such movies as Rally ‘Round the Flag, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Redford does not have the twinkle), and The Sting. Newman could also turn it off. Remember him in Mr. and Mrs. Bridge with Joanne Woodward, The Verdict, From the Terrace, and The Hustler? He’s the twinkle champion.

Then there is Robert Wagner. His twinkle was permanent and very engaging. Unfortunately, this limited his acting roles. His performances in war movies, such as What Price Glory, The War Lovers,and The Frogmen, were particularly good. His work with Paul Newman in Winning and Harper was fine. Now, he is selling mattresses on television and that sparkling twinkle is diminished.

Jack Nicholson is another actor who can turn it on and off. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Terms of Endearment, he displays this ability. The twinkle was quite evident in Five Easy Pieces and Chinatown. He toned it down in About Schmidt and Ironweed, and the dreadful The Departed.

Kevin Kline is a great actor who can twinkle on cue. In A Fish Called Wanda (for which he earned an Oscar), Soapdish, and Dave you could see the twinkle. In Emperor’s Club, Ice Storm and Cry Freedom, you could not.

With his great charm, one would think that Cary Grant had it, but he didn’t. Beneath that slick exterior, I believe there was darkness. He could have played a great villain, given the chance. Watch his eyes closely in such films as Charade, North by Northwest and Destination Tokyo and you will see a noticeable lack of twinkle. Even in his madcap comedies those dark eyes stayed dark.

Among the current crop of actors, I think George Clooney comes the closest to having a twinkle. His performances in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ocean’s Twelve, and Batman and Robin demonstrate a glimmer of a twinkle. It’s gone in Up in the Air, Michael Clayton and The Good German. He has enormous charm but little smart ass and no con.

British actors who spring to mind are Hugh Grant, Ian McShane, Ian Richardson and Sir Alec Guiness.

Hugh Grant, that bumbling, blue-eyed, charming actor from such films as Four Weddings and a Funeral, About a Boy, and Mickey Blue Eyes is the Brit who defines the twinkle.

Although Ian McShane made several movies, his twinkle was most evident in his long-running television series Lovejoy. However, in another television series, Deadwood, there is little evidence of a twinkle. He was in the campy Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides which required a twinkle.

Ian Richardson’s most blatant display of the twinkle was in television’s House Cards, one of the most deliciously wicked series ever. Hints of the twinkle can be found in the movie Canterville Ghost.

Sir Alec Guiness, known for his serious roles, could produce a twinkle if the role called for it. Remember him in Murder by Death, The Horse’s Mouth, and The Lavender Hill Mob?

I see hints in James Garner, Denzel Washington and Christopher Walken. Who else do you think has the twinkle? Please post your comments and I will discuss them in a future blog.