Swayze’s top moments from movies, TV

Although Patrick Swayze's movies never ended up on my must-see lists year after year, a recent surf through YouTube reminded me that I do have some fond memories of his work.

I think that appreciation is rooted in the fact that, for me, he was a B-movie action/romance star who wasn't afraid to come across as rather comical. And that's not to disrespect his body of work, which at the time was well-regarded by audiences, if not critics. But somehow I imagine that after a certain amount of time Swayze, too, may have found some humor in his cinematic legacy.

Let's start with the classic — "Road House." There's no way you can watch this movie today and not chuckle at Swayze's tough guy bouncer, Dalton, who comes to the Double Deuce bar to instill his special brand of security. A mullet never looked so tough.

For many fans, appreciating Swayze starts and ends with "Dirty Dancing." An accomplished dancer, Swayze will forever be remembered for not putting Baby in the corner. Shall we have a last dance?

What do you remember about "Ghost"? Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for best supporting actress? Demi Moore had short hair that a lot of women tried to copy? Oh, and Moore and Swayze made a potter's wheel the sexiest movie prop of the '90s.

Slideshow   Patrick Swayze on film Actor never put baby in the corner and wasn't afraid to don a dress for the many films throughout his career more photos

It's not a stretch to say that Swayze played pretty much the same character in many of his movies — "The Outsiders," "Red Dawn," "Point Break." He was a man's man, a leader, not a follower. "Youngblood" may have been a Rob Lowe vehicle in 1986, but the boozing hockey players looked up to Swayze in this clip.

It's sadly ironic that we'll complete this short list with a clip featuring another star who died too young — Chris Farley. This "Saturday Night Live" Chippendales skit is more about Farley's dance moves than Swayze's, but there's no denying the tough guy had a great sense of humor.

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