This month TCM is showcasing four films of the unique and eccentric actress Shirley MacLaine. More recently recognized for her belief in New Age philosophies such as reincarnation and channeling, MacLaine has enjoyed an enduring and varied career in the entertainment industry. From Broadway musicals to critically acclaimed films and best selling novels, MacLaine's distinctive personality and energy are certain to entertain. Born in 1934 in Virginia to a drama teacher/actress and a professor of psychology and philosophy, MacLaine was named after the child star Shirley Temple. She herself began performing at an early age as a dancer. After high school, she moved to New York and landed parts in the chorus line of several Broadway shows. Her big break came when Carol Haney, the leading lady in The Pajama Game, broke her ankle and MacLaine, Haney's understudy, took over. As luck would have it, Hollywood producer Hal Wallis saw MacLaine's performance and signed her to a film contract. MacLaine's feature film debut was Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 film The Trouble With Harry. From there, she was cast in numerous comedies and dramas along with some of Hollywood's most popular leading men including Fred MacMurray, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, and Clint Eastwood. She soon established herself as a talented and versatile actress, playing enormously different parts such as a disillusioned lover in The Apartment(1960), a prostitute in Irma La Douce (1963), and a nun in Two Mules For Sister Sara (1969). Beginning in 1959 with Some Came Running, MacLaine earned a total of six Academy Award nominations, winning Best Actress for her portrayal of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (1983). To date, MacLaine has appeared in over fifty films, including Two Loves (1961), Woman Times Seven (1967), Being There (1979), Steel Magnolias (1989), Postcards from the Edge (1990), and The Evening Star (1996), in which she reprised her Oscar-winning role as Aurora from Terms of Endearment. It should come as no surprise that Turner Classic Movies has chosen to highlight Shirley MacLaine for her sometimes kooky and always engaging film roles. By Sarah Heiman