I was surprised not to see Egbert Sousé, Harold Bissonette (pronounced Bissonay), or Larson E. Whipsnade. These Fields characters certainly deserve mention. If Kevin McAllister and The Dude are good enough for the list, these Fields characters should join them.

—Randy Brooks, Spring Hill, FL

How could Gollum be one of the top 100? Harvey the Rabbit and Nemo, even Francis the Talking Mule are better characters than Gollum! Also, how could the following spectacular great roles by women be so greatly overlooked: Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell as Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Kate Winslet as Ruth Barron in Jane Campion’s Holy Smoke!; Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles; Leslie Caron as Gigi in Gigi; Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman; and Rachel Ward as Meggie Cleary in The Thorn Birds?

—Victoria McDaniel, Berryville, VA

I wish you had included Col. Nicholson, Alec Guiness’s compelling character in the greatest anti-war movie of all time, 1957’s Bridge on the River Kwai. His courage, dedication to the proper conduct of war, and last-second revelation keep us thinking about him endlessly. I am glad you included the most influential and admirable character of my youth, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird). Has it ever occurred to anyone else that Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster in Contact), another unfortunate omission, is the Atticus Finch of her generation? Her commitment to her truth far outweighs her self-interest. Would this world had more Finches and Arroways!

—Rick Rosenthal, Monterey, CA

Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs!! From the suspense-filled buildup to the introduction of his character (as Mr. White and Mr. Pink discuss the jewelry-heist slaughter, courtesy of Mr. Blonde), to his destined-to-be-on-a-T-shirt taunting of Mr. White ("Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?"), to the infamous torture scene set to "Stuck in the Middle with You" (who honestly can hear that song today WITHOUT thinking of Mr. Blonde’s pre-ear cutting jig?!?), Michael Madsen’s performance singularly stood out in a cast full of powerhouse performances and memorable scenes. So, any chance of expanding the list? Just wondering . . .

—Abel Tomatis, Dallas

I never buy Premiere. I'm a screenwriter and I think of your magazine as being one directed more to movie fans than people working in the industry. But I picked up your April issue in the airport and I'm sorry I did. I can think of no other group that is so consistently marginalized in the film industry than screenwriters. To feature an entire article on the 100 greatest characters in film and not include the people responsible for inventing them is more than omission, it borders on pathology. These characters were not invented by actors and directors but by writers. I notice that you give credit to the people on your staff who wrote the article.

—Pepper Calvin