09.17.08 -- Who's Who Is Whose?

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956)
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Puzzle by Edward Safran, edited by Will Shortz
Six movie titles clued by actors who play the title character in each constitute the interrelated entries of this Wednesday crossword -- 21A. Sean Connery: “The Man Who WOULDBEKING (1975); 51A. David Bowie: “The Man Who FELLTOEARTH” (1976); 3D. Boris Karloff: “The Man Who LIVEDAGAIN” (1936); 9D Burt Reynolds: “The Man Who LOVEDWOMEN” (1983); 28d. Lloyd Nolan: “The Man Who WOULDNTDIE” (1942); 30D. Billy Bob Thornton: “The Man Who WASNTTHERE” (2001).
MALES (1A. Some electric plugs) manages to AVOID (56A. Get out of) a human clue, and MOVIE (17A. Typical date activity) is even VAGUER (6D. Not so clear) about any association with the interrelated entries, both ending up in a LIMBO (9A. Neither-here-nor-there state). BIOS (23D. Book jacket blurbs) utilizing an ALIAS (46D. Wanted post info) may be in order.
Other people in the puzzle -- ANWAR (27A. President Sadat); CORTES (45D. Conqueror of Mexico); a DODO (41D. Thickhead); ELI (4D. Gridder Manning); ELS (64A. Ernie on the links); EVAN (52D. Sen. Bayh); HAL (55A. Shakespearean prince); LONI (53D. Anderson of “Stroker Ace”) LOUIS (36D. Vuitton of fashion); MOSES (39A. Climber of Mount Sinai); NESS (32D. Top Untouchable); a PLANT (50D. Carnival shill, e.g.); RAOUL (47D. Holocaust hero Wallenberg); with a nod to ILIKE (10D. With 20-Across, ’50s slogan) IKE (20A. See 10-Down) and FALA (51D. F.D.R. dog) conveniently provided with a DOGTOY (33A. Rubber hamburger, e.g.).
There’s the possibility of a little trouble at the last-letter intersect of ISOLE (7D. Sicilia e Sardegna) and LEETIDE (26A. It flows with the wind) which form a cul de sac, resulting in the knowledge of the name for a tide that runs in the same direction that the wind is blowing, plus the singular and/or plural for island in Italian.
DEADTREE (8D. Like paper vis-à-vis electronic); DESOLATE (35D. Like a moonscape); LENIENCE (38D. Defendant’s hope at sentencing) and SHIELDED (40A. Hid from view) constitute a quartet of serious sounding eight-letter entries.
The remainders are a MIX of the usual and unusual suspects: AWOKE, ANISE, ASE, ATEE, BERN, CANIT, CEDE, CUE, DID, DON DOSE, EAGER, EEN, ENTRE, EXERT, GOA, IWILL, LANAI, LIE, MDVI, MIMIC, NOT, OLAY, OMEGA, ONEG, OTARU, OTHE, VID, OLDEN, RANT, REUNES, ROW, SIREN, SLEW, STEP, VIVRE, WAN (30A. Hardly ruddy).
My favorite “Man Who“ movie? Not in today’s puzzle -- “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.
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Xword search information -- Across: 6. Kid-___ film genre); 14. Volunteer’s words; 15. Enzyme suffix; 16. Bygone; 18. ___ few rounds; 19. Joie de ___; 24. Turn over; 29. Ticket datum; 37. Hokkaido seaport; 38. Golfer’s concern; 42. Attends homecoming, say; 43. Velvet finish?; 44. Put on; 45. “Zip your lip!”; 57. “___ funny!”; 58. The end; 60. Maui veranda; 61. Words on a card; 62. Signal to pull over; 63. Biscotti flavoring; 65. Bring to bear. Down: 1. Chimp, at times, 5. Knocked off; 11. Year of Columbus’s death; 12. It’s on the Aare; 13. NASA force unit, briefly; 22. Oil of ___; 25. ___ nous; 31. Suit to ___; 33. Two caplets, e.g.; 34. “Top ___ morning’!”; 35. Executed; 42. Go ballistic; 49. Raring to go; 54. Cheat, slangily; 59. Be sociable.

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