James Garner

James Garner died yesterday. He was a one of those tall, dark, strong, square-jawed Hollywood actors whom we've all seen, but whose performances were all the more memorable for the complex vulnerabilities he allowed to show through that tough exterior. 

I saw one of his best, quirkiest performances late last year: Mister Buddwing (1966). The above still shows the stammering Garner, afflicted with amnesia, meeting Angela Lansbury playing a louche woman. The movie is a gem, filmed in black and white, and the plot keeps twisting to the very last scene.