OT: The Greatest Leading Men

[adsoul64]

OK, but I'm still persuaded that Georgia's days are longer than usual [;)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

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.

Not to women.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The List of those Who Shall Not Be Nominated: Ben Affleck, Donald Southerland, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Bill Paxton, Brendan Frazer, Val Kilmer

No Brad Pitt? Are ya freakin kidding me? [:)] With Tom Cruise probably the biggest leading man in Hollywood of the past twenty years. OK, Hanks too. But those three, for much of our adult lives, could write their own tickets. Script approval, casting approaval, director approval. Executive proiducer credit. They were (are) box office gold.

OK, add George Clooney. Women love him, men want to be him.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

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]

Harpo was a walk on gag scene. He didn't cary the movie. Hard to do plot development when you can't speak.

And he could never have carried off "Hail, Freedonia!"

[Canoerebel]

I'd say Hanks, Ford and Depp have been the greatest leading men of this generation. Pitt and Clooney would trail. But I think that's my bias showing.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I'd say Hanks, Ford and Depp have been the greatest leading men of this generation. Pitt and Clooney would trail. But I think that's my bias showing.

If you haven't seen it, watch Pitt in "Moneyball."

Of course, the "Oceans" movies with Clooney he's a riot too.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Okay, you guys are in trouble. I just spoke with my mother, who is about to celebrate her 83rd birthday. She's smart, she's classy, she's funny, she's given to the worst verbal goofs I've ever heard ("hyponemic durdle" and "Ingledink Hunkleburt" being my two favorites of all time). I didn't tell her about this little excercise, but I had told her about my daughter's "Bridge On the River Kwai" episode yesterday. Thus prompted, my mom opined that Cary Grant is the greatest leading man of all time. She says Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace was just about perfection.

Truly, Grant may be the greatest leading man of all time. Anybody care to argue with my mom?

Can't go with a dude named "Archibald."

[Lecivius]

Never, ever, argue with Mom! [:-]

[crsutton]

Leading men???? [X(]

Come on guys, we really have to find Canoerebel a new opponent. And very fast if you ask me....

This guy is just desperate. Next he will be asking us to share recipes. [;)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58


Harpo was a walk on gag scene.

My point exactly. He was *the* reason for watching the Marx Brothers.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Paxton?

Third best thing in Aliens after Ripley and the big alien!

"Game over, man, game over"

The greatest line in that movie: "Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: obvert

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)

warspite1

Not sure Connery would be thrilled to be called English [;)]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Not sure Connery would be thrilled to be called English [;)]

Yes, British actors. He would give a trademark scowl for that, I'm sure.

I just had a conversation with an English friend here, and said British in relation to the language. He didn't like that. 'It's English,' he said. So hard to get it all right sometimes.

[tocaff]

So many, how about adding:

Trevor Howard
Robert Shaw
Jack Hawkins

[LargeSlowTarget]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The List of those Who Shall Not Be Nominated: Ben Affleck, Donald Southerland, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Bill Paxton, Brendan Frazer, Val Kilmer

+ Leonardo DiCaprio



My vote for "single greatest" goes to a Brit - Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin.

Liberty Schtonk!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I'd say Hanks, Ford and Depp have been the greatest leading men of this generation. Pitt and Clooney would trail. But I think that's my bias showing.

I think a more basic quesiton is exposed by these responses. What is a "leading man"? Is he a romantic ideal who appeals to the women who choose the movie to see, while being at least non-threatening to men and at best a role model? Or is he simply the male actor the plot is built around even if he's evil or a cad? Robert Mitchum was at the core of most of his movies, but many/most women of the era found him dangerous and off-putting. In his later roles, such as Pug Henry, he was more lovable, but look at him in "Cape Fear."

Also, it's impossible to really compare actors from the studio system era with modern ones. Putting Gregory Peck up against Brad Pitt. In the studio era the actor didn't get a choice; the mogul decided he was a romantic lead, a villain, a character actor, and that was it. Take it or don't work. Actors now are free agents who can craft a career and choose to take risks by playing against type.

Finally, what sort of man appeals to women has radically changed over fifty years. Tom Hanks would not have been a star in 1950. For SURE Depp wouldn't have been. Too much eye makeup.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Leading men???? [X(]

Come on guys, we really have to find Canoerebel a new opponent. And very fast if you ask me....

This guy is just desperate. Next he will be asking us to share recipes. [;)]

I have tried. If this is "decompression" bring on a new game!!! [:'(]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58


Harpo was a walk on gag scene.

My point exactly. He was *the* reason for watching the Marx Brothers.

He was good, but Groucho was always my favorite. You never got the feeling Harpo was going to fail. Groucho was a moving train wreck, especially with the women.

Harpo would have been 200% better if he had defied his mother and never, ever insisted on playing the dang harp. The movies came to a screeching stop for three minutes every time he did.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Paxton?

Third best thing in Aliens after Ripley and the big alien!

"Game over, man, game over"

The greatest line in that movie: "Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

I thought it was "In the pipe, five-by-five." Why? I've heard it 22,308 times playing the original "Starcraft."

[Canoerebel]

Hey, this is the kind of things we discuss in our family. We'll be at the dinner table and someone will ask, "What are the top 10 places you would visit that you've never been to before?" Or, "Who's your favorite leading lady of all time?"

Bullwinkle was right. Pitt belongs on the "leading man" not the "banned" list, so I've made that change. LST was also right - DiCaprio belongs on the "banned" list.

Several other changes made.

A couple of observations. I was not aware just how many prominent leading men there have been. The list is huge and filled with good actors (or competent actors who were fortunate to have great movies). Also, I really thought Stewart, Grant, and Bogart were the obvious targets, with perhaps some argument coming for Gable, Cooper and Peck. But not many of the other men that were nominated. This is simply a reflection of where individual taste comes in, nothing more. Finally, it was interesting to see that the modern era has produced a large number of talented leading men. I usually give the nod to the "golden era."

No, recipes aren't next. But perhaps leading lady? Ingrid Bergman? Vivien Leigh? Lauren Bacall? Rita Hayworth? et al?