Acting Up

One of my college teachers -- Dr. Kinzer, I think -- was a fan of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, a famed acting couple from the golden age of Broadway. I remember Dr. Kinzer quoting Lunt on the secret to great stage acting: "Speak loudly and try not to bump into things." Sir Lawrence Olivier said once that he learned acting from Lunt. I discovered today that Lunt and Fontanne built a lavish estate near Milwaukee and the house, called Ten Chimneys, is now open to tourists. Check it out here.

On Joe Posnanski's amazing blog, there is a rollicking debate about who's the better actor -- Tom Cruise or Kevin Costner. Of course, the great thing about that debate is that both of these guys have been in some truly bad movies and in some classics. Bull Durham is still one of my favorites.