Robert Duvall, Daniel Day-Lewis, Anthony Edwards
Vivian Leigh, Helen Mirren, Juliette Binoche
Actors:
Robert De Niro
Steve Buscemi
Kevin Spacey
Actresses:
Parker Posey
Linda Fiorentino
(don’t really have a third).
Actors:
Ed Norton
Anthony Hopkins
Morgan Freeman
Actresses:
Katherine Hepburn
Helena Bohnam Carter
Jodie Foster
Outrider - I completely agree about Bette Midler but I’d keep Goldie and instead get rid of Sharon Stone.
Here’s mine. Remember these are favorite, not best.
Actors
[list=1]
[li]Harrison Ford[/li][li]Mel Gibson (aka My man Mel)[/li][li]Bill Murray[/li][/list=1]
Runner-ups: Michael Keaton, Bruce Willis
Actresses
[list=1]
[li]Susan Sarandon[/li][li]Janeane Garofalo[/li][li]Deborah Duchêne[/li][/list=1]
Runner-up: Catherine Zeta-Jones
I’d just like to chime in again with my best (and favorite) YOUNG actresses. I will not miss a movie with:
- Sarah Polley
- Chloe Sevingy
- Sandra Oh
Not that it matters.
I’m pretty sure Maureen O’Hara still walks among us.
Anyway, actors:
Spencer Tracy
James Cagney
Joel McCrea
actresses:
Jean Arthur
Mary Astor
Claire Trevor
Thanks for the help re: Veronica Lake. I know that Bogart and Bacall weren’t in the film I’m speaking of so it may be the other one. For some reason I see Alan Ladd (forgive me, Eve, if that is Allan Lad or some other spelling variation) or a very young Richard Widmark in the film, but that could just be a jumble of stuff. And now that I think of it Canterville Ghost had Lou Costello in it but was along the same lines: folks are burned as witches but come back to haunt new owners of the house, merriment ensues, proof of their innocence is found, lost, found again, ha ha ha, etc etc etc.
I almost put Walter Huston in my list simply for his work in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but several members of my list are sort of incestously related anyway (Humphrey Bogart was in Maltese Falcon, which was directed by John Huston, who was the son of Walter Huston, and the father of Angelica Huston (who also nearly made my list and is in The Grifters with Annette Benning who did make my list), who was the long-time paramour of Jack Nicholson, who did make my list, who also played in Chinatown with John Huston. Additionally, in the Lion in Winter (which also starred KathErine Hepburn, who did make my list), Peter O’Toole looked very much like John Huston later in life. Whew. I’m glad that’s over. Now, as to Charles Laughton and Elsa Lancaster…
Plnnr—are you a him or a shim? I thought you were a guy, which would have made the Cary Grant comment annoying; if you’re female, it just makes sense. Oops!
Thanks, Ike, for jumping in with Veronica Lake info and proving once again that you and I are actually the same person . . .
Just read Stefan Kanfer’s new Groucho book, and he (Groucho, that is) really tortured poor Maggie Dumont! He did soften towards her later in life and gave her some work; guess he realized she was more of a “Marx Brother” than Zeppo had been.
I’m actually kinda torn on Kate Hepburn—I like some of her later dramatic work (she WAS terrific in “Lion in Winter”), but her early comedies just strike me as being very fey and mannered. I can’t watch “Alice Adams” without wanting to haul off and slap her. Far prefer Claudette Colbert for screwball comedies . . .
Anybody for Lyda Roberti? Joan Blondell? Una Merkel? Patsy Kelly?
Yup… Eddy Norton is a god.
Jodie Foster is dandy.
My all time favorite actor…David Niven
In “Stairway To Heaven”, he made me cry when I was a teenager.
My 3 favorites:
- Laurence Fishburne - when is he not cool
- Steve Buscemi - he always kills me, even though it is the same character in every movie.
- Jodi Foster - she convinces me with every role
Eve:
I am very much a red-blooded, hetero, male. I didn’t mean to annoy with the Cary Grant comment, but WHAT was the publicity dept. thinking? In retrospect I suppose the times were a little less jaded and those ridiculous photos didn’t raise any eyebrows. We’ll let the Cary Grant issue die a natural death. Incidentally, Randolph Scott’s wife (whom I don’t believe he ever divorced) lived here in Richmond for years and hosted a big steeplechase event, the Strawberry Hill Races (before it became a fundraising event for the Historic Richmond Foundation). A friend who used to attend said that she had herself carried out to her private box in a Roman-style sedan chair.
Dick Cavett (who I can’t really take very much of) tells a good story about Chico Marx and Tallulah Bankhead (I’m sure I"ve butchered the spelling so feel free to flame, Eve). It seems that Chico, ever the suave, debonair, ladies man knew of her reputation and said to her on their first meeting, “I hear you’re an easy lay. Well I want to f*ck you silly” (or something to that effect). TB replied “And so you shall you charming man.” She also apparently invited Eleanor Roosevelt into the bathroom while she (TB)attended nature’s call.
I’ll go along with the early KH being too mannered and fey. She did come into her own, though (RAHLLLLY SHE DID, to quote Bugs Bunny’s impersonation of her).
I think you and I have spoken of Una Merkel before. She added just the right comic touch to “Bride of Frankenstein” (speaking of Elsa Lancaster). Did you see “Gods and Monsters?” Brendan Fraiser did a good job in that. Too bad that he’s also been doing the dreck like Dudley Dooright.
Veronica Lake was in The Glass Key with Alan Ladd.
Hmmmm . . . Just when plnnr earns my everlasting affection by telling a wonderful Tallulah Bankhead story, he blows it by confusing Una O’Connor and Una Merkel.
Honestly! Next thing you know, you’ll tell me you can’t tell the difference between Anita Louise and Anita Page!
I think the reason these actors come to mind is that they have played in more than a few of my favorite movies, not that they are great actors or anything, I just like their stuff.
Actors
-
Samuel L. Jackson (numero uno!)
-
Bruce Willis
-
Woody Harrelson
-
Mel Gibson
-
Harvey Keitel
-
Nicholas Cage
Actresses -
Holly Hunter
-
Meg Ryan (I like cutsey movies sometimes - so sue me)
-
Charlise Theron
-
Angelina Jolie
-
Bridget Fonda
-
Demi Moore (yes really)
I stand corrected in my orthopedic shoes. I’ve been laboring under a misconception. I think I have an idea of who Una Merkell is, but could you describe her and name a film or two? Anita Louise, Anita Loos, Anita Page, Geraldine Page, one could easily become befuddled. If they had all kept their original names we could tell them apart.
Ack! How could I forget about Samuel L? He’s great in everything… Ever see the artsy Red Violin? Even in that he was great. No one does angry better.
Pre-implant, I’d agree. I thought she was beautiful in About Last Night. Post-implant, I hate her.
- Edward Norton
- Brad Pitt
- Jim Carrey
- Helena Bonham carter
- Jodie Foster
- Helen Mirren
Men:
Robert DeNiro
Jack Nicholson
Tom Hanks
Women:
Jodie Foster
Holly Hunter
Susan Sarandon
Pretty boring, but they are the one’s I liked. If Robin Williams could keep his sctick under control he would be a contender. I saw Awakenings again last night and it suprised me how good Robin Williams can be when he wants to.
Keith
To paraphrase Andy Warhol, “In the future, everyone will have their own Web site for fifteen minutes.” Here is Una Merkel’s: http://www.expage.com/page/unapage/
She was a Joan Blondell type—acidic, wisecracking blonde, usually the heroine’s best friend. Did some good dramatic work, too, but boy could she snap out a line!
Never mind about Una Merkel’s films, Eve. I found a site dedicated to her. I forgot all about her being in The Bank Dick with Fields.