Fred Rogers

Known for light comedies and her partnership with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers stepped off the dance floor and into 1940's Oscar spotlight with her Best Actress turn as Kitty, an indomitable working-class girl who endures the rejection of Philadelphia society, makes her own way as a single woman and ultimately chooses between an unmarried arrangement with Main Line scion Wynnewood Strafford VI (Dennis Morgan) or marriage to a struggling physician (James Craig). Rogers' deserved Academy Award confirmed she was more than a dance star - a fact humorously underscored when she returned to the studio and was greeted by staffers and actors in top hats and tails. Jane Wyman won the Best Actress Academy Award for her sensitive portrayal of Belinda, capturing the girl's affecting isolation, awakening desire to learn and ultimate triumph. Directed by Jean Negulesco and co-starring Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford and Agnes Moorehead (all four Oscar nominees* for their fine work), Johnny Belinda (nominated for a total 11 Oscars including Best Picture) blends atmosphere, nuance and high drama into a heartbreaking classic.

MADtv: Season 14: Episode 17 -- Episode 1417: MADtv Series Finale on Fox: Fred Willard hosts the 'MADtv Gives Back' telethon, and introduces character favorites Oprah Winfrey, Lorraine, Miss Swan, and Kenny Rogers, Sopranos, Obama Video, Johnny Gan, Stuart Montage Clip Package, Nacho at the Phone Bank, Wizard of Oz Lost Episode, Telethon Wrap Up, Coors Commercial

D.C. Follies: Season 2: Episode 18 -- Ford's plan to go back to school to play football comes to an end when his agent, Nixon, is caught with foul play. Dolly's make-up tips for Barbara Bush cause George's eyes to pop out. Nixon tells Quayle horror stories of how the presidency used to be. Cable finally becomes all that it can be with the creation of the Elvis Channel. International Relations may fall into the hands of God when Quayle appoints the wrong Jim Bakker as Secretary of State. Weird Al drops in to return Fred's accordion so that he can once again sleep at night. Bush turns to Mr. Rogers for a lesson on how to be an educational president. Like everything else, Nixon's concept of three wishes is distorted. Even soup can't ease Charles' and Di's marital problems.

Today is the late Fred Rogers birthday, and in honor of everyone s favorite television neighbor and de facto inspirational pseudo-parent, let s take a moment to watch one of Mr. Rogers all-time most touching moments: His acceptance speech after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy Award in 1997. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Rogers in person several times in my life (still by far my proudest name-drop), and he was absolutely as genuine and unassuming in person as his onscreen, seemingly impossibly-positive persona, because that was literally just who he was at all times. If you can watch this speech without tearing-up eeeever so slightly, I actually don t even have to finish this thought because that won t be an issue: You ll always be missed, Mr. Rogers! You live on as that tiny sliver of face-value kindness inside all of us ultrajaded adult-children.

A. O. Scott looks back at the classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical.

Fred shows off his interactive map and Oscar Rogers still wants someone to FIX IT!

Fellini's touching tale of retired Astaire and Rogers impersonators who reunite after thirty years for a television special.

Fred shows off his interactive map and Oscar Rogers still wants someone to FIX IT!

A visit to The Dance Theatre of Harlem

Fun with the 'Flying Karamazov Brothers'

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