Alan Smithee: On Sigourney, MacMurray and the toupee

Dear Mr. Smithee: Since recently signing a contract with one of the DVD rental companies, I have been using it to better myself and my film knowledge. Lately I have been concentrating on one actor, Sigourney Weaver. How can one of her movies which I had not heard of ("Snow Cake") be so charming as well as unknown?

And can you recommend a few actors who you think have a wonderful catalog, along with some picks for me to try?

DUSTY HAVERTY, Marietta, Ga.

Dear A Better You: Good choice. Soliciting my advice is always preferred over stumbling about in the dark and fumbling through stacks of DVDs with no clear mission and, worse, unrefined tastes.

I, too, am a Sigourney Weaver fan. Here's hoping you have seen these: "Alien," "Eyewitness," "The Year of Living Dangerously," "Aliens," "Gorillas in the Mist," "Working Girl," "Death and the Maiden" and "The Ice Storm." Maybe "Tadpole," too.

As so many of us are aware, one must be diligent because Hollywood is most interested in creating, promoting, advertising and inundating the public with what could be called junk. I believe "Snow Cake" had too much thought in it to be appropriate for the masses.

As for your kind request for other actors and their works you might want to explore to further your well-being, I might suggest these, for starters:

• Delroy Lindo: "Clockers," "Get Shorty," "Wondrous Oblivion," "This Christmas."

• Chris Cooper: "Matewan," "This Boy's Life," "Lone Star," "October Sky," "American Beauty," "The Bourne Identity," "Adaptation," "Capote," "Syriana."

• Shia LaBeouf: "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," "Disturbia," "Transformers."

• Lindsay Crouse: "The Verdict," "Places in the Heart," "House of Games."

• Taraji P. Henson: "Hustle & Flow," "Four Brothers," "Talk to Me."

ALAN

P.S. You get a "Fool's Gold" hat and an "Ask Alan Smithee" T-shirt.

Dear Mr. Smithee: Would you know the name of a movie starring Fred MacMurray and in it is a phrase in an alternate language: "On a horse there are flies, in a comb there are bees, on a chest there are knobs, in the knobs there are keys."?

LORI FLEMING, ST. PAUL, MINN.

Dear Glowing Gravy: I believe the comedy film you are looking for is 1945's "Murder, He Says." MacMurray is a pollster who finds himself trapped amongst rather odd murderous hillbillies. Research indicates the lyrics you refer to are "On horse flies is; In comb bees is. On chest knob is; In knob keys is."

P.S. You get a "The Bucket List" jacket and an "Ask Alan Smithee" T-shirt.

Dear readers: On some occasions I receive anonymous requests. Normally, I don't use them. But the following query is just too good to pass up:

"I was surprised to read that John Travolta wears a rug. Which other stars might we be surprised to know wear toupees?"

The Internet is a wonderful place. In it exists www.celebrity-toupee.com. There you will learn that Ben Affleck is suspected of having some sort of hair addition atop his noggin. Among others the site says appear to be hair-challenged: Jimmy Kimmel, Chuck Norris, William Shatner, Al Pacino, your aforementioned John Travolta, Jeremy Piven, Bob Costas and Vince Vaughn.

The site includes a rare photo of Humphrey Bogart without his toupee.