The 50 Greatest American Screen Legends

American Film Institute ^

[CondoleezzaProtege]

WOMEN

1. Katharine Hepburn
2. Bette Davis
3. Audrey Hepburn
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Greta Garbo
6. Marilyn Monroe
7. Elizabeth Taylor
8. Judy Garland
9. Marlene Dietrich
10. Joan Crawford
11. Barbara Stanwyck
12. Claudette Colbert
13. Grace Kelly
14. Ginger Rogers
15. Mae West
16. Vivien Leigh
17. Lillian Gish
18. Shirley Temple
19. Rita Hayworth
20. Lauren Bacall
21. Sophia Loren
22. Jean Harlow
23. Carole Lombard
24. Mary Pickford
25. Ava Gardner

MEN

1. Humphrey Bogart
2. Cary Grant
3. James Stewart
4. Marlon Brando
5. Fred Astaire
6. Henry Fonda
7. Clark Gable
8. James Cagney
9. Spencer Tracy
10. Charles Chaplin
11. Gary Cooper
12. Gregory Peck
13. John Wayne
14. Laurence Olivier
15. Gene Kelly
16. Orson Welles
17. Kirk Douglas
18. James Dean
19. Burt Lancaster
20. Chico Marx
20. Groucho Marx
20. Harpo Marx
21. Buster Keaton
22. Sidney Poitier
23. Robert Mitchum
24. Edward G. Robinson
25. William Holden

[DFG]

Noah Beery Jr (Dad on The Rockford Files) is my maternal Grandma’s 5th cousin. Her elementary school classmate in North Dakota was Eric Severeid (CBS newsman). My Dad went to the same elementary school as James Garner in Norman, Ok but was 4 grades behind Garner.

[nanetteclaret]

Fredric March
Helen Hayes
William Powell
Myrna Loy

[one guy in new jersey]

easy now GlA

[Rummyfan]

American? Just the women:

3. Audrey Hepburn - Belgian
4. Ingrid Bergman - Swedish
5. Greta Garbo - Swedish
9. Marlene Dietrich - German
16. Vivien Leigh - English
21. Sophia Loren - Italian

The films were definitely American, but often directed by other foreigners.

[Ezekiel]

Oh boy, it's always something.

The 50 Greatest American Screen Legends

Out of Many, One:

When color was introduced into movies, we also learned that the Torch Lady was a redhead. But who is this graceful, regal lady atop the pedestal? What's her story? As it turns out there is no easy answer to that question.

>>>
In 1924, the studio changed its name to Columbia Pictures. Columbia was chosen as the new name because "Columbia" was the code-name used for America when the early settlers defied British law and started publishing the weekly debates of the British Parliament.

>>>
Will we ever know who really was the models for the various incarnations of the iconic lady? Probably not. Perhaps all the ladies were used and a composition was created to capture the beauty, regal grace, and mystique of all of these ladies. But regardless, the Columbia Pictures' "Torch Lady" still shines brightly as a symbol of grace and beauty in our film industry.

https://frombeneaththehollywoodsign.com/f/the-mystery-behind-columbia-pictures-torch-lady

Don't let the "dumb blonde" appearance fool you -- it's really the simple meaning.

A little dove, Columba, the Wanderwort*.

Have rope, will travel:

 

American Progress, a painting of profound historical significance, has become a seminal example of American Western Art. Serving as an allegory for manifest destiny and American westward expansion, this 11.50 by 15.75 inches (29.2 cm × 40.0 cm) masterpiece was commissioned in 1872 by George Crofutt, a publisher of American Western travel guides and has since been frequently reproduced.

The woman in the center is Columbia, the personification of the United States, and on her head is what Crofutt calls "The Star of the Empire."

Columbia represents progress, which moves from the light-skied east to the dark and treacherous West, leading settlers who follow her either on foot or by stagecoach, horseback, Conestoga wagon, wagon train, or riding steam trains. Columbia is the figure of progress as she lays a telegraph wire with one hand and carries a school book in the other.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Progress

*At a sufficient time depth, it can be very difficult to establish in which language or language family a Wanderwort originated and into which it was borrowed.

Frequently, they are spread through trade networks, sometimes to describe a previously unfamiliar plant, animal or food.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderwort

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doves_as_symbols#Judaism

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

"Good Morning, America. How are ya!" ♫

[equaviator]

Fred McMurray

[Rummyfan]

Kim Novak too.

[GingisK]

We watched those guys every day.

My brother interviewed at Lockheed years ago, and was treated to a series of interviews, including a stereotypical psychiatrist complete with sweater and pipe. He asked, "When you were growing up did you have an idol, someone to model or emulate? Someone you looked up to?". My brother answered, "Sure, even now I love the Three Stooges". The shrink dropped the pipe out his mouth with a look of shock on his face. After recovery he said, "That is the first time I heard that!".

He got the job.

[GingisK]

Bogart is the most overrated.

[Blueway]

When I was a kid in the ‘40s and ‘50s, they would bring back the older movies periodically at the tiny local theater.

One movie that I always liked was “Song of the South”.

Now my adult grandkids tell me that it is racist.

Mind you, I don’t think they have ever even seen it.

[alexander_busek]

I’m related to Marlene Dietrich through my Mom’s side of the family.

Mom's maiden-name?

Regards,

[Rummyfan]

A legendary actor should be so good that I forget who he is during the movie because he becomes the character for those two hours.

Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln.

[TTFlyer]

Gene Hackman

Clint Eastwood

James Garner

Steve McQueen

Toshiro Mifune

Charlton Heston

Olivia De Havilland

Julie Andrews

[Rummyfan]

Burt Lancaster...

Per Burt himself, he was a movie star long before he became an actor.

Another anecdote about actors. Victor Mature was an avid golfer and as his screen roles dried up he had more time to play. He tried to join some exclusive California club and was turned down with the explanation being 'we don't admit actors as members'.

Mature replied 'I'm no actor. And I've got fifty movies to prove it!'

[Rummyfan]

William Powell

Love William Powell. Always so elegant, suave, witty, and urbane.

[kelly4c]

Nice! I’m related to Lucille Ball through my mom’s side. We have not had much luck tracing very far back on my dad’s. Can’t find any info on ggggrandfather aside from his name and origin country listed on his son’s document.

[Lurker]

“What, no Traci Lords?”

Well done.

L

[Flavious_Maximus]

Ida Lupino belongs in the top 10. At least ahead of Marilyn Monroe who was not in enough films to be in the top ten.

[TTFlyer]

Almost forgot: Alec Guinness

[virgil]

Forgot Rudy Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks. Big stars back in the day.