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The very first movie I remember that used the old "dumb blonde" format was the fantastic "Born Yesterday," which was released in 1950, with Judy Holliday playing the blonde, Emma "Billie" Dawn.

Once upon a time, American movies reflected the idealized, middle-class existence all fathers seemed to aspire to.

A new box set from Sony documents Jack Lemmon's reign as America's ultimate male hysteric, trapped between the corporate conformism of the 1950s and the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

Jack Lemmon was Hollywood's go-to good guy in the first phase of his nearly five-decade film career, a hapless everyman who found himself in situations over which he had little or no control.

Clint Eastwood, as Walt Kowalski, alongside actors Bee Vang, Brooke Chia Thao, Chee Thao and Ahney Her in "Gran Torino." Will "Gran Torino " really mark Clint Eastwood a TMs last appearance on screen? He certainly acts like a man making a final stand, with his gritty portrayal of a bitter veteran who gets to know the Hmong family next door.

Jack Lemmon did some of his best work with Billy Wilder, but even in his lesser films, some of which are collected in this new Sony box set, he is never less than engaged and engaging.

What does the Lehigh Valley have to do with the late Jack Lemmon 's remarkable success? Quite a bit, says the actor's son, Chris Lemmon.

The Jack Lemmon Collection , a six DVD disc set of films featuring funnyman Jack Lemmon , is out this week.

This week, we start with an old friend: Recently, while watching a bland movie ruined by an actor poorly trained in comedy, direction, diction and stage presence, the thought arose as to how much better that particular film would have been if Jack Lemmon had starred instead of the misguided ham.

This week we're looking at DVD box sets about a path-breaking TV producer, a memorable rock festival and one of America's most beloved actors.

SERVICE COMEDY: Jack Lemmon, right, cavorts with Mickey Rooney, center, in the 1957 comedy A A'Operation Mad Ball,A A' one of five films in the new Sony set.