Pop culture Q&A

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. Like you, I enjoyed the series “Leverage.” Where can I find it on DVD?

A. The first two seasons have been released on DVD, in individual- season sets. (Three seasons have been televised to date, with a fourth coming.) Your local video retailer should either have them or be able to get them for you. If not, try online sites such as Amazon.com, Deepdiscount.com or Moviesunlimited.com, all of which had it for sale last week.

Q. Is there a book out there you would consider the definitive source for all things cinematic? Leonard Maltin is good, but I’m looking for a more expansive source, particularly as it regards actors, actresses and their body of work. A bonus would be as it extends to television.

A. As you know from reading this column, the search for information ranges far. But here are some highlights.

I long have relied on “The Film Encyclopedia,” originally by Ephraim Katz and updated by others since his death in 1992; it comes close to what you are looking for. On the TV side, I always have the most recent edition of “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present,” by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, although it is organized by show.

David Thomson’s “New Biographical Dictionary of Film” is handy for perspective on various figures in film but is based on Thomson’s personal views. I also have one of Maltin’s “Movie Guides” close at hand, and a multivolume encyclopedia about individual movies, as well as more narrowly focused books on Oscars, Emmys and even a 1980 book called “Movies Made for Television,” which comes in handy with the many questions I get about older productions.

Online, I regularly use the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), which includes both TV and movies and is organized by titles, individuals’ names and other means — but which is not mistake-free. I often try to cross-check its information with other sources. (And I never take anything from Wikipedia unless I can verify it elsewhere.) Turner Classic Movies has an informative reference database on its site, www.tcm.com, which also can be searched by person or title.

There are other things here, as well, but that gives you some guidance.

Q. Can you tell me if the TV show “It Takes a Thief” starring Robert Wagner is available on DVD?

A. I do not know of an authorized release of the 1968-70 series starring Wagner as Alexander Mundy, a thief put to work as a government spy. I do not recommend unauthorized releases.

Q. When I was a child, there was a marvelous movie called “Hand in Hand” about two children: a Catholic boy and a Jewish girl. I believe it was shown first in theaters, but it became a staple Easter offering on TV for many, many years. I once thought I found a reference to a video release, but I’ve not been able to find it again. Is there any way to get it?

A. The 1960 movie is available on DVD from Sony. If your local retailer does not have it, I have seen it for sale online at Amazon.com, among others.

Q. I recall a war movie with Red Buttons. I think it was “Imitation General.” Do you know if it was ever out on VHS or DVD?

A. Buttons’ considerable body of work does include a movie called “Imitation General.” The 1958 film stars Glenn Ford as an Army sergeant who impersonates a general during World War II, with Buttons as his sidekick. Unfortunately, I do not know of an authorized video release.