"Madness. Madness!" The exclamation at the end says it all about The Bridge on the River Kwai, a thrilling WWII picture with William Holden and Alec Guinness at their finest. Against them is the massive bridge that overshadows everything and therefore must be brought down. Alec Guinness actually felt bad about winning the Oscar and felt William Holden did the best acting of the film. Indeed so.

To refuse to acknowledge Sunset Boulevard as a masterpiece is to commit a crime in film appreciation. William Holden is superb, dashing, and handsome, but it's Gloria Swanson who steals the limelight in every scene. Timeless and beautiful, she has brilliant lines and even more brilliant scenes. Forget Golden Boy. This is the one that dramatically changed William Holden's career for good.

A brilliant satire about the world of television that's penned by the great Paddy Chayefsky, Network is the one that Howard Beale famously yells: "I am as mad as hell, and I am not going to take this anymore!" The quality of the acting is at its zenith with William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, and Ned Beatty giving powerful performances.

The best way to think of The Wild Bunch is "honor among thieves." If there's a film that represents Sam Peckinpah the most, it's this one. The editing is amazing. There are some scenes that are stirring and passionate. The display of violence is unbelievable and is best described as poetic. It's simply a Western masterpiece. William Holden makes a serious comeback to show that he's capable of adapting to the changing times.

In Stalag 17, William Holden shows why he was a star or, rather, why he was a great actor, hence the Oscar win. What he did feels like a supporting performance. Forget everybody else in the cast: they're a dime a dozen. To be fair, William Holden conceded that Burt Lancaster should've won the trophy for From Here to Eternity.

Given the pairing of William Holden and Audrey Hepburn for the second and last time, Paris When It Sizzles is far better than Sabrina. It may be that Audrey Hepburn had become a seasoned actress at this point. She's at her classical best as the typist while William Holden is a longtime outstanding actor who turns in another strong performance. He's the main reason why Paris When It Sizzles works while she's happy to oblige. If anyone wants to be a screenwriter, this is the perfect place to begin with to learn the process.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, Breezy is a wonderful romantic movie with great chemistry between William Holden and Kay Lenz. As expected, it's impossible to go wrong with the former, and he's great in anything. The latter is a natural and fun to watch. These two, despite their age difference, make a good couple.

Making her screen debut, Hong Kongese Nancy Kwan can't be any more beautiful opposite William Holden. They have great chemistry together, and the romance story is well-suited for them. It's the authentic Hong Kong cinematography that brings the most out of the film, making the setting an exotic locale and the poverty a reality for those who sell their beauty to make ends meet.

Executive Suite is a rare film that gives a glimpse of business ethics and how a corporation is run. It's a simple story of power struggle among execs to be next in line for the CEO position of a furniture manufacturing company. The performances of the all-star cast are outstanding, and they're fun to watch. William Holden has come a long way as an actor since appearing with Barbara Stanwyck in Golden Boy.

The best performance award goes to Broderick Crawford as the restless fast-talking, ball-busting Harry Brock who won't stop giving orders to people around him. He reminds me of Paul Douglas who ironically played the same character for the stage version. On the other hand, William Holden is great. So is Judy Holliday who's fun and quirky. They have nice chemistry together with no bad scenes between these two.