For over 50 years, the late James Earl Jones' name in the credits of a film was reason enough to devote a couple of hours to a movie. Was it always a satisfying two hours? As someone who sat through "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold," "Three Fugitives," and "Soul Man," I can confidently say no.

This is more than fine. Jones was a working actor who took the "work" part seriously. As he told journalist Joe Leydon in 1989, "This is my profession. I do need to make a living at it, because I can't make a living any other way." So, when you're not getting offered, say, "The Great White Hope" every time out, you roll up your sleeves and do some time on the sets of "Blood Tide," "Best of the Best," and "Excessive Force" with no apologies. Those paychecks keep you afloat while you wait for the next "Star Wars" to plop down on your desk.

And yet, as Jones told Leydon, there were two other reasons for him to make a movie. One was the story. If he believed the script contained a tale worth telling, he would sign on to see what he could make of it with his director and fellow actors. The other was more elusive. "Sometimes, I just see a role that I want to do," said Jones. And when that connection was strong enough, Jones could find himself being moved to tears -- as he was when he made "Field of Dreams."