MICKEY: As we leave Halloween and scary movies behind, and I am undirected as to any particular topic to write about, I think of spotlighting my favorite actor - Ronald Colman. Colman is not as commonly remembered as many of his peers . . . Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, etc, are all (usually) well-known, or at least known, to modern audiences - but Ronald Colman is largely unknown by today's movie fans. This is not because he was never as big a star as these other men, Ronald Colman was huge . . . he was one of the biggest, most popular silent era stars and became even bigger when sound came to the local theaters. Colman had movie star good looks, compelling eyes, and the most beautiful speaking voice in the English language - but his appearance and manner were distinctly of his time. Whereas Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and others looked and comported themselves in a compatible manner with the 30's, 40's, 50, and even the 60's, by the 50's Ronald Colman struck audiences as definitively a man of a generation or two ago.
Ronald Colman was a great actor, as I said he was one of the biggest and most popular silent era stars, and in 1930 in his first talking picture roles Colman received two Oscar nominations for two different films, he went on to earn several more best actor nominations winning an Oscar in 1948 - but it's hard not to speak first and dwell on his voice. You can't find comments about Ronald Colman that don't praise his most celebrated gift - his speaking voice. When he spoke, saying nearly anything, you heard earnestness, gallantry, resoluteness, warmth, heroism, and most of all, virtue. Generations later, people who have never heard of Ronald Colman, still adopt a particular manner of speaking to portray a noble, honorable, heroic character - what they are doing is simply mimicking Ronald Colman. Various cartoon characters and advertisements have and do use a Ronald Colmanesque voice to inform the audience that what the audience is hearing is a good, trustworthy, honorable person. In his last film, The Story Of Mankind, humanity was on trial before a cosmic court and Earth offered the finest individual of all mankind, humanities most noble representative - Ronald Colman was cast as that man. 
And yet - one of Colman's most remarkable screen moments is all a closeup and lingering shot of his face, with nothing said. My favorite love story is Random Harvest, with Ronald Colman, one of my favorite romantic comedies is Lucky Partners with Ronald Colman, my all time favorite movie is A Tale Of Two Cities with Ronald Colman. Year after year Colman was voted the number one favorite film star, from the 1920's to the 1950's - yet today he is forgotten by many. For those who love old, classic, B&W Hollywood films but are unfamiliar with Ronald Colman, you have a great treasure storehouse to investigate and enjoy. Some you should look for first include ~
MARY: I always loved Colman, and felt a certain warmth when thinking of him almost as if he was someone I knew once. The first thing that I think when his name is mentioned is "Paula" I can hear him standing there saying it, one word, one scene, filled with more emotion then most can fill an entire movie with.
