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Jerry Lewis, Comic Icon And Titan Of Telethons, Dies At 91

Dean Martin (left) and Jerry Lewis in 1953. They met in 1945, and over the next decade went on to become the highest-paid comedy act in the U.S. Express Newspapers/Getty Images hide caption

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The Two-Way

Jerry Lewis, Comic Icon And Titan Of Telethons, Dies At 91

Lewis, whose comedic duo with Dean Martin launched him to the peak of showbiz, starred and directed in dozens of films. He was perhaps just as famous for his charity work fighting muscular dystrophy.

Jerry Lewis, Comic Icon And Titan Of Telethons, Dies At 91

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Music Interviews

Leroy Anderson: Master of the Miniature

The Boston-based composer is remembered, 100 years after his birth, for a string of three-minute pops-concert classics such as "Sleigh Ride," "The Typewriter" and "The Syncopated Clock."

Leroy Anderson: Master of the Miniature

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Movies

John Huston, Hollywood's Human Element

Filmmaker John Huston -- born 100 years ago Saturday, on Aug. 5, 1906 -- made some of cinema's most enduring classics, among them The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

John Huston, Hollywood's Human Element

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Movies

Pawlikowski's Classy 'Summer of Love'

Pawel Pawlikowski is one of Britain's most decorated filmmakers. Now his latest film has reached the United States, amid much critical praise. My Summer of Love revolves around two girls of different classes who meet and find themselves drawn to each other.

Pawlikowski's Classy 'Summer of Love'

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Pop Culture

Revisiting 'War of the Worlds'

This Wednesday, Steven Spielberg's version of The War of the Worlds opens across the country. The film is based on H. G. Wells' classic novel, which has been adapted many times since it was published in 1898. Most famous is Orson Welles' 1938 radio play, which frightened millions who mistook it for a news report. The 1953 film version appeared during a wave of sci-fi movies that hit American screens in the 1950s, a time of great fear in the United States.

Revisiting 'War of the Worlds'

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Movies

German Filmmaker Tackles the Holocaust in 'Ninth Day'

Volker Schlondorff is an Academy Award-winning German filmmaker who has focused on many aspects of German culture and history, but vowed never to make a movie about concentration camps -- until now. The Ninth Day tells the story of a priest who is torn between what is best for the church and his people.

German Filmmaker Tackles the Holocaust in 'Ninth Day'

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Movies

'Aviator' Takes Off With 11 Oscar Nominations

Nominations for the 77th Academy Awards are announced in Beverly Hills. Martin Scorsese's The Aviator led the nominations with 11, including best picture and best director. Best actress nominations went to Annette Bening, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Imelda Staunton, Hilary Swank and Kate Winslet.

'Aviator' Takes Off With 11 Oscar Nominations

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Movies

Soderbergh Takes 'Sequel' to Theaters

The Sundance Film Festival is known for trumpeting fresh, new filmmakers. Directors Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh are two of the biggest names to benefit from exposure at the Park City, Utah festival. This year, Soderbergh is there helping promote Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take 2.5, the sequel to a film that's nearly 40 years old. Pat Dowell delves into the making of the original film, a film-within-a-film premise, and its follow-up.

Soderbergh Takes 'Sequel' to Theaters

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Culture

The Evolution of 'Peter Pan'

Productions Peter Pan have reflected changing social attitudes toward children over the years. The result is that until recently, Peter, the boy who wouldn't grow up, was played by a woman. NPR's Pat Dowell explores the history of the character.

The Evolution of 'Peter Pan'

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Movies

Director's Cut of Cult Hit 'Donnie Darko' Released

The independent film Donnie Darko made little impact at the box office when it was released in late 2001. But the dark comic fantasy, about an alienated teen plagued by apocalyptic visions in an American suburb, has become a cult favorite. A new director's cut featuring 20 minutes of additional footage is opening in select U.S. theaters. Pat Dowell reports.

Director's Cut of Cult Hit 'Donnie Darko' Released

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Pop Culture

Political Thrillers Shed Light on Public Paranoia

The Manchurian Candidate, a remake of a Cold War thriller, opens in U.S. theaters Friday, where it will play alongside The Bourne Supremacy, a tale of spies and international intrigue. For decades, films like these -- featuring secret agents and conspiracies -- have shed light on the mood and fears of the times. Hear NPR's Pat Dowell.

Political Thrillers Shed Light on Public Paranoia

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Music Interviews

Oscar-Winning Composer Jerry Goldsmith Dies

Academy Award-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith dies at the age of 75 after a long battle with cancer. Goldsmith composed a number of memorable scores for films such as Total Recall, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes, and TV shows such as Perry Mason. Pat Dowell reports.

Oscar-Winning Composer Jerry Goldsmith Dies

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Culture

Sand-and-Sandal Movies Remain Popular

Ancient Rome and Greece seem to be the hot topics for major motion pictures once again. Troy, with Brad Pitt as Achilles, opens in theaters next weekend. Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, opens this summer. Pat Dowell reports on why filmmakers find the ancient venues so appealing.

Sand-and-Sandal Movies Remain Popular

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