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Received this message from my daughter yesterday: “Daddy, in Old Testamant Poetry today, [the professor] whistled a song and said that anyone who knew the song or what movie it was from, we would get two points extra on our final exam. I was the only one who raised my hand. Can you guess what song it was? Bridge on the River Kwai!"

This started a long conversation among the family about great movies and great actors. Gradually, we focused in on "who were/are the greatest leading men of all time"?

We thought there were five candidates: Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks.

There were a host of others that we considered strongly: Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, William Holden, Henry Fonda, Christopher Plummer, Jack Lemon, Clint Eastwood, Gene Kelly, Spencer Tracey, Errol Flynn, Bob Hope, and others. We were brain storming (no computer use), so we may have missed an obvious candidate or two.

Edited to add some later candidates mentioned by the Forum: Johnny Depp, Groucho Marx, Paul Newman, Robert Redford; Robert Donat, Robert Cummings, James Mason, James Cagney, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, James Dean, Mel Gibson, George Clooney, Lawrence Olivier, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Duval, Kurt Russell, George C. Scott, Randolph Scott, Lionel Barrymore, Burt Lancaster, Steve McQueen, Russell Crowe, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Al Pacino, Charles Loughton, Leslie Howard, Charlton Heston, Alec Guiness, Peter O'Toole, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Basil Rathbone, Edward G. Robinson, Yul Brenner, Jack Nicholson, Anthony Quinn, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Tom Cruise, Ed Harris, Cliff Robertson, Dustin Hoffman, George Clooney, Jack Hawkins, Robert Shaw.

Who do you think was the greatest leading man of all time?

Forum Nominations for the Single "Greatest" (thus far): Groucho Marx, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin

Groucho Marx, hands down.

Well, now, he was not on our list! Are you serious?

Johnny Depp might be a worthy candidate.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Well, now, he was not on our list! Are you serious?

Johnny Depp might be a worthy candidate.

So what's the definition of leading man then? Groucho carried every movie he was ever in.

I don't know what the definition is. This is loose and casual topic. I wasn't sure whether you were being serious or not (now I know; but I wasn't disparaging Groucho Marx, I'm just not very familiar with him).

I didn't see Paul Newman on your list. He's certainly worthy of consideration...

Yeah, he could be included. Robert Redford too. I'll add them in.

Am I right in classifying those first five as the leading candidates?

Some other candidates would be:

Paul Newman
James Mason
James Cagney
Rudolph Valentino
Charlie Chaplin
Robert Mitchum
Robert Donat
Gary Cooper

Alfred

Good mentions, Alfred. (Actually, Gary Cooper was on the list we discussed last night. In fact, he and Gregory Peck were originally included in the final group.)

Robert Donat is a great candidate. He's just wonderful in Hitchock's "The 39 Steps."

Robert Cummings is another possibilty. See him in Hitchcock's "Saboteur."

I've added in the additional names mentioned. Arguably, I think the "first five" are still the elite of the elite. Anyone disagree, thinking that one (or more) of them should be replaced by one (or more) of the "honorable mentions." Gary Cooper ahead of Jimmy Stewart? Groucho Marx over Tom Hanks?

The Duke hands down. He was a/THE Box Office top draw for nearly 50 years. From Stagecoach to The Shootist he defined a leading man.

Here is the Forum choices as the "elite of the elite": Groucho Marx, John Wayne

(To be added to if more votes come in.)

Richard Burton.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Well, now, he was not on our list! Are you serious?

Johnny Depp might be a worthy candidate.

So what's the definition of leading man then? Groucho carried every movie he was ever in.

Not so. Harpo was much more the life of that group, IMO. I will decline putting Harpo on your list, CR. [:D]

My vote is for Gregory Peck. Always thought of him as a great actor of the time. Liked him in everything I saw him in.

John Wayne was iconic, but (don't shoot me) not the best actor in the world.

In our own time George Clooney comes to mind.

Some more English actors could appear here. Most of the ones with a sir before their name.

Anthony Hopkins

Sean Connery

Michael Caine

Laurence Olivier

Patrick Stewart (although did more theater other than time on Star Trek)

My list would be:

Jimmy Stewart

Anthony Hopkins

Charlie Chaplin

Humphrey Bogart

Cary Grant

I would add Robert Duval and Kurt Russel

I'll have to go with John Wayne as well. Long story short my family dissolved when I was 15. He was my role model/icon, scary as that may be. I actually got a chance to see him from across the park in Ridgeway, CO when he was making True Grit. I still go elk hunting a mile away from his famous charge in that movie.

Gawd help me, I even have a bit of a squint like he did [8|]

Clint Eastwood

There are also actors who have done ok, but are absolutely outstanding in certain films

Scott in Patton for example