Legends: Michael Caine

To celebrate his 74th birthday, Sky Movies will be screening a selection of those classic movies, from Zulu to The Ipcress Files.

One of cinema's mysteries is why the screen legend whose movies include Get Carter, Alfie, The Man Who Would Be King and The Quiet American has never won a Best Actor Oscar.

He's landed the statuette for Best Supporting Actor in The Cider House Rules and Hannah and her Sisters.

But the ultimate accolade has always eluded him - despite being nominated for Alfie, Sleuth, Educating Rita and The Quiet American.

Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, the son of a fish-market porter and a tea-lady left school at 15 and took low-paid jobs before serving with the British Army in Korea.

Back in England, he joined the Horsham Repertory Company in Sussex as assistant stage manager and later moved to the Lowestoft Repertory Theatre in Suffolk.

He adopted the name of Caine on the advice of his agent, taking it from the movie a Caine Mutiny.

In the years that followed, he worked in more than 100 television dramas.

The 1964 African adventure film Zulu brought Michael to international attention but it was his title role as Alfie that made him an international star.

Michael Caines turns 74 on March 13th, and to celebrate we're screening some of his finest films. See below for showing times and channel numbers.

Monday 12th March
5.30pm - Zulu - Sky Cinema 1

Tuesday 13th March
6pm - Billion Dollar Brain - Sky Cinema 1
8pm - The Ipcress File - Sky Cinema 1
10pm - Alfie - Sky Cinema 1
12am - The Hand - Sky Cinema 1

Wednesday 14th March
6.10pm - Funeral In Berlin - Sky Cinema 1

Thursday 15th March
6pm - The Italian Job - Sky Cinema 1