William Wyler

Who's the best director in Hollywood history? You could look at who's won the most Best Director Oscars -- that would be legendary John Ford, whose fo...

Which Hollywood director actually made the most great movies? In the Alsace area of Germany, future director William Wyler was born. Here is a sampling of his best movies covering three full decades.

Those wanting to get closer to that more traditional and comforting take on the eternal "boy meets girl" predicament need only look back and revisit the great film romances of the past, movies that reflect those long-vanished ideals.

Even though Entertainment Weekly named him the 16th-best film director of all time, if I mention the name Ernst Lubitsch to my own middle-aged contemporaries, I usually get a hazy look.

As seen through the revealing lens of timeless film, you can derive a measure of comfort and perspective amidst the seeming complexity of it all, because the pressures and vicissitudes of the work place go back a very long way.

It is exceedingly strange and more than a little sad that actresses Olivia de Havilland, 94, and her sister Joan Fontaine, 93, have been estranged for many years, the result of an intense sibling rivalry which has never dissipated.

These special movies not only recreate the horror of combat, but also portray the human toll war takes beyond those who fall on the field of battle.

As we head into Independence Day weekend, for those who'd like to move beyond the evergreen "Yankee Doodle Dandy", I want to suggest some classic titles that evoke our country's unique character.