Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

OT: The Greatest Leading Men

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> OT: The Greatest Leading Men Page: [1] 2 3   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 2:55:32 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		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


< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 11/9/2012 1:55:41 PM >
Post #: 1
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 2:58:13 PM   
Bullwinkle58


Posts: 11302
Joined: 2/24/2009
Status: offline 		Groucho Marx, hands down.

_____________________________

The Moose

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 2
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 3:06:55 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Well, now, he was not on our list! Are you serious?

Johnny Depp might be a worthy candidate.

(in reply to Bullwinkle58)
Post #: 3
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 3:41:26 PM   
Bullwinkle58


Posts: 11302
Joined: 2/24/2009
Status: offline
quote:

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.


_____________________________

The Moose

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 4
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:08:48 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		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).

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 11/8/2012 4:14:30 PM >

(in reply to Bullwinkle58)
Post #: 5
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:10:59 PM   
bradfordkay

 

Posts: 8683
Joined: 3/24/2002
From: Olympia, WA
Status: offline 		I didn't see Paul Newman on your list. He's certainly worthy of consideration...

_____________________________

fair winds,
Brad

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 6
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:13:24 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		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?

(in reply to bradfordkay)
Post #: 7
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:16:01 PM   
Alfred

 

Posts: 6685
Joined: 9/28/2006
Status: offline 		Some other candidates would be:

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

Alfred

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 8
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:19:16 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		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."

(in reply to Alfred)
Post #: 9
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:21:44 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		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?

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 10
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:25:41 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline 		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.


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 11
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:34:01 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Here is the Forum choices as the "elite of the elite": Groucho Marx, John Wayne

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

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 12
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 4:37:54 PM   
slinkytwf


Posts: 35
Joined: 3/22/2011
Status: offline 		Richard Burton.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 13
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 5:00:20 PM   
Chickenboy


Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58


quote:

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.

_____________________________


(in reply to Bullwinkle58)
Post #: 14
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 5:01:29 PM   
Chickenboy


Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline 		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 reply to Chickenboy)
Post #: 15
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 5:23:44 PM   
obvert


Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline
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)




< Message edited by obvert -- 11/8/2012 5:24:05 PM >

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to Chickenboy)
Post #: 16
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 5:27:22 PM   
obvert


Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline 		My list would be:

Jimmy Stewart

Anthony Hopkins

Charlie Chaplin

Humphrey Bogart

Cary Grant

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to obvert)
Post #: 17
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 5:46:35 PM   
HansBolter


Posts: 7704
Joined: 7/6/2006
From: United States
Status: offline 		I would add Robert Duval and Kurt Russel

_____________________________

Hans


(in reply to obvert)
Post #: 18
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 5:51:01 PM   
Lecivius


Posts: 4845
Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
Status: offline 		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

(in reply to obvert)
Post #: 19
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 6:03:39 PM   
Encircled


Posts: 2024
Joined: 12/30/2010
From: Northern England
Status: offline 		Clint Eastwood

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

Scott in Patton for example

_____________________________


(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 20
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 6:12:44 PM   
Bullwinkle58


Posts: 11302
Joined: 2/24/2009
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

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).


Half of each.

Groucho is underrated. One of my favorite quotes of all time: "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

_____________________________

The Moose

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 21
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 6:12:52 PM   
RevRick


Posts: 2617
Joined: 9/16/2000
From: Thomasville, GA
Status: offline 		John Wayne
Jimmy Stewart
Laurence Olivier
Robert Mitchum
Anthony Hopkins

< Message edited by RevRick -- 11/8/2012 6:13:10 PM >

_____________________________

"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

(in reply to Encircled)
Post #: 22
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:01:31 PM   
SqzMyLemon


Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline 		Burt Lancaster and Steve McQueen.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 23
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:07:29 PM   
Hiltibrant

 

Posts: 28
Joined: 1/5/2012
Status: offline 		I second James Stewart. If you are asking for an actor who single-handedly defined the movies he was in and made those movies great, I think that he is my top choice. So many great movies that were simply great because he was the lead actor in them.

< Message edited by Hiltibrant -- 11/8/2012 8:08:30 PM >

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)
Post #: 24
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:30:33 PM   
jeffk3510


Posts: 4132
Joined: 12/3/2007
From: Kansas
Status: offline 		John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, and Russell Crowe are my favorites.

_____________________________

Life is tough. The sooner you realize that, the easier it will be.

Currently chasing three kids around the Midwest.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 25
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:36:47 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		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?

(in reply to jeffk3510)
Post #: 26
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:39:38 PM   
geofflambert


Posts: 14863
Joined: 12/23/2010
From: St. Louis
Status: offline 		+1 Stormwolf on Robert Duval, he's one of the greatest actors I've ever seen.

How did you forget Charles Laughton? Captain Bligh and the Hunchback.

Or Robert Newton? Everyone in the world knows his Long John Silver, "Arrrrrrrrr".

Was Al Pacino on the list? Peter Sellers? Dustin Hoffman? James Dean?

Here's one that excelled in two categories: Drama, "Forbidden Planet" and Comedy, "Naked Gun" - Leslie Nielsen

I like Robert Mitchum a lot, but I won't say the greatest. Marlon Brando is real strong.

I've got to mention Denzel Washington, too. And frigging Sydney Poitier!

Was Tom Hanks on the list?

< Message edited by geofflambert -- 11/8/2012 8:44:21 PM >

(in reply to Hiltibrant)
Post #: 27
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:42:34 PM   
geofflambert


Posts: 14863
Joined: 12/23/2010
From: St. Louis
Status: offline 		Oh, and since we're only talking about leading MEN, what about Sigourney Weaver in "Alien"?

(in reply to geofflambert)
Post #: 28
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:42:44 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		I've edited the list as nominations have come in. The list is huge! There have been a heckuva lot of memorable leading men.

I will say, though, that the vast majority of these are clearly not in the "elite" class. I think the truly elite might number around 10. Then you can argue number one. (But I think mom may be right....)

(in reply to geofflambert)
Post #: 29
RE: OT: The Greatest Leading Men - 11/8/2012 8:46:34 PM   
geofflambert


Posts: 14863
Joined: 12/23/2010
From: St. Louis
Status: offline 		Alec Guiness? Peter O'Toole?

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 30
Page:   [1] 2 3   next >   >>
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> OT: The Greatest Leading Men Page: [1] 2 3   next >   >>
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

1.063