'Rocky,' 'Fargo,' 'Saddles' join Nat'l Film Registry

December 28, 2006 "Rocky," the Oscar winner for best picture of 1976, joined Mel Brooks' outrageous comedy "Blazing Saddles" (1974), John Carpenter's slasher classic "Halloween" (1978), the Coen brothers' black comedy "Fargo" (1996) and Steven Soderbergh's groundbreaking "sex, lies, and videotape" (1989) on this year's selection of treasures that are guaranteed to be preserved forever. The 2006 entrants span the years 1913-96 and feature performances by Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Bill Murray, Ingrid Bergman, John Wayne and late soul great James Brown and directors Alfred Hitchcock, Rouben Mamoulian and Raoul Walsh. While the choices by Librarian of Congress James Billington spotlights some well-known films, it also features many lesser-known lights of the filmmakers' art, including the only film recording of pioneering blues artist Bessie Smith, a 1913 exploitation film about the white slave trade, one of the first rock concert movies and even a home movie.

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