In Tifton, Ga., Frank Sayles Jr. is thinking about what five movies he would want with him on a desert island, if he knew he would be there forever, and those five movies would be his only companions:
“Call Northside 777.” “My favorite newspaper movie,” he says. “Based on a true story, it has the feel of a documentary. Starring James Stewart, the film carries a theme that persistence eventually pays off.”
“Casablanca.” “I’ve often wondered if, faced with similar choices as the Humphrey Bogart character, I would be as heroic.”
“To Kill a Mockingbird.” “I saw this movie when I was a kid, and it had a profound effect on me growing up in the South. Racial prejudice was part of the life around me, and I came to realize how it ultimately destroys people who allow it to burn within them.”
“West Side Story.” “My dad and I went to the theater to see this when I was 8 years old. The mesmerizing music has stayed with me for 40 years.”
“Young Frankenstein.” “Every time I see this Mel Brooks-Gene Wilder film, I laugh out loud — especially when Wilder and the `monster’ (Peter Boyle) are on stage in tuxedos `singing’ and dancing to `Puttin’ on the Ritz.'”
In Ireland, Robin R. McArdle is thinking about what five movies she would want on her desert island:
“It’s a Wonderful Life.” “Because who wouldn’t want to live in Bedford Falls? If I were on a desert island, just the sight of George Bailey running and slipping through the snow, calling out to his neighbors, with Harry’s newspaper headline under his arm, would make me happy.”
“Diner.” “Talk about important stuff. Talk about nothing. Talk about the nothings that are actually very important. Eat the sandwich. Start another plate of fries. These are your best buddies. They’ll never leave you. There’s always the diner.”
“The Godfather.” “So evocative of time and place that you are instantly lost in it, and current surroundings completely melt away.”
“The Man Who Would Be King.” “Remember, when you come to the end, that friendship and loyalty are all that matter; that it’s never too late to make an apology; and that to die standing up with dignity is the only way to go.”
“Mutiny on the Bounty.” “Because, maybe, one day, Fletcher Christian would show up and rescue me. And maybe he’d look like Clark Gable. I can always hope.”
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In Roland, Iowa, Roger Fritz is thinking about the movies he could watch for the rest of his life on the island:
“Airplane!” “The first time I saw this movie I had to stop the VCR because a friend and I were literally rolling on the floor from laughing. `I am serious, and stop calling me Shirley.'”
“Animal House.” “I wasn’t a frat guy, but I love the exaggerated view of college life.”
“The Breakfast Club.” “It’s amazing that five people sitting around in a school library can be interesting. I am like a skeeter drawn to the bug light when this movie is on.”
“Purple Rain.” “It’s not one of my favorite movies, but I could dance on the beach all by myself for hours with its music.”
“Die Hard.” “This is the hands-down best shoot-’em-up, good-guy-against-bad-guy movie ever made. Gunfights, hand-to-hand fighting, helicopters … what more does a guy need?”
In Chicago, Walter N. Dreyfus is thinking about being stranded on the island, and about the five movies he would want:
“The African Queen.” “Two disparate souls — Bogart and Hepburn — surmount trials and tribulations before achieving a triumphant victory.”
“Mister Roberts.” “Eloquently portrays the other side of war, experienced by countless servicemen who, behind the lines and scenes of action, provided the support to front-line forces.”
“The Caine Mutiny.” “The superb cast members show very dramatically the conflicts among the ship’s officers about relieving the commanding officer of his duties.”
“Battleground.” “Every conceivable type of character is represented. Often scared, often brave, the `dogfaces’ who do the real dirty work in most wars are very accurately portrayed.”
“Yankee Doodle Dandy.” “The real story is the story of America and its music. The dance by Jimmy Cagney to the tune of the movie’s title is among the most memorable ever seen on the `silver screen.'”
On Wednesday, more of your preparations for the desert island.
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– Bob Greene comments on the news of the day Thursdays on the “WGN News at Nine.”