Gene Hackman, one of the greatest actors of all time, is dead at 95. The Academy Award-winning star and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their house in Santa Fe, New Mexico on 26 February 26. The entertainment world is reeling from the news, as Hackman's lengthy résumé had long established him as one of Hollywood's true greats. From his Oscar-winning turns as Jimmy Doyle in "The French Connection" (1971) and Little Bill Daggett in "Unforgiven" (1992) to his eye-catching turns as Lex Luthor in "Superman" (1978) and Royal Tenenbaum in "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001), he was one of those rare actors who could illuminate any screen he graced with his presence.

Even so, a career that included roles in no less than 101 projects -- the overwhelming majority of them movies -- and spanned decades is bound to feature at least some disappointing projects ... for the actor himself, if not the audience. In Hackman's case,...