Ernest Borgnine's Birthday

Today is Ernest Borgnine's birthday (he's 95). With the Oscar nominations announced today it reminds us that Ernest won an Academy Award in 1955 for his portrayal of Marty in the movie of the same name. One of our These Amazing Shadows interview subjects, Amy Heckerling, (director of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless, Look Who's Talking and the most recent episode of the TV show Gossip Girl) is good friends with Ernest and in the above video talks about why the movie Marty is so important to her.

Even though Mr. Borgnine had a marvelous motion picture career he is known best to a certain generation as Lt. Commander Quinton McHale in the television show, McHale's Navy. When I was a kid - me and all my friends definitely thought he was a very cool guy in that role. It was only when I got older did I realize that he was such a fine and successful movie actor.

Marty was selected to the National Film Registry in 1994.
Mr. Borgnine also appears in the following films that are on the National Film Registry:
From Here to Eternity (selected in 2002)
Johnny Guitar (selected in 2008)
The Wild Bunch (selected in 1999)

Amy Heckerling's film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, was selected to the National Film Registry in 2005.