Post by urbanpatrician on Jun 23, 2024 10:24:49 GMT
Here we go:
Thoughts?
1. Humphrey Bogart - I don't think he was directly involved in the New Hollywood turning point of the early 50s..... because well..... Hollywood was changing. It was Sunset Blvd and A Streetcar Named Desire everybody was now into. But I think the reason Bogart is a legend partly has to do with his 50s output.
Bogart lowkey persisted even when In a Lonely Place was overshadowed initially in 1950 by Sunset Blvd. And while The African Queen is a popular genre movie, I think the Brando fans generally gravitate towards the newish kinda boy on the block, which epitomizes Brando and Streetcar more. Still, I put Bogart #1 because In a Lonely Place has lasted as a classic even to 2024...... lots of Bogart guys say it's his best performance. And I tend to agree. Why Bogart is #1 is because while he has tons of classic films, you have to dig a little bit more outside of his main classics to find his best performances, and this width of filmography makes him the strongest candidate for my #1 spot.
2. James Dean - Yeh... I'm the only guy who takes Dean over Clift, Brando, and Newman. I understand his 3 film filmography is the main thing dragging him down in the eyes of most people.... but I find him more compelling in his 3 movies over the others. I could live without his performance in Giant, but I can't even choose between which performance of his is better.... East of Eden or Rebel Without a Cause. Ok... Rebel Without a Cause. And to think, those 2 might not even be the best performance of 1955 because Laurence Olivier's powerhouse work exists.
3. James Stewart - I generally prefer his common man performances of the late 30s and 40s over his eccentric dalliances into the auteur universe of Hitchcock, but I do think he was really good in Vertigo and Harvey and that's why he would be 3rd here.
4. Laurence Olivier - Only reason he'd be 4th is because the 50s isn't his most memorable decade. I dunno if his relationship with Vivien Leigh made him work less, or what. But it was only starting the 60s when he went full workhorse mode.
He did 6 movies between 1948-1957. In the 50s I thought he was only great in Richard III and Carrie. Still good enough for 4th tho.
5. Gene Kelly - A little bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Or if he even counts as one. His best performance is Inherit the Wind which was 1960. But I just like smartasses, and he slides into that label perfectly.... in classic roles like An American in Paris and Singing in the Rain.
Thoughts?
1. Humphrey Bogart - I don't think he was directly involved in the New Hollywood turning point of the early 50s..... because well..... Hollywood was changing. It was Sunset Blvd and A Streetcar Named Desire everybody was now into. But I think the reason Bogart is a legend partly has to do with his 50s output.
Bogart lowkey persisted even when In a Lonely Place was overshadowed initially in 1950 by Sunset Blvd. And while The African Queen is a popular genre movie, I think the Brando fans generally gravitate towards the newish kinda boy on the block, which epitomizes Brando and Streetcar more. Still, I put Bogart #1 because In a Lonely Place has lasted as a classic even to 2024...... lots of Bogart guys say it's his best performance. And I tend to agree. Why Bogart is #1 is because while he has tons of classic films, you have to dig a little bit more outside of his main classics to find his best performances, and this width of filmography makes him the strongest candidate for my #1 spot.
2. James Dean - Yeh... I'm the only guy who takes Dean over Clift, Brando, and Newman. I understand his 3 film filmography is the main thing dragging him down in the eyes of most people.... but I find him more compelling in his 3 movies over the others. I could live without his performance in Giant, but I can't even choose between which performance of his is better.... East of Eden or Rebel Without a Cause. Ok... Rebel Without a Cause. And to think, those 2 might not even be the best performance of 1955 because Laurence Olivier's powerhouse work exists.
3. James Stewart - I generally prefer his common man performances of the late 30s and 40s over his eccentric dalliances into the auteur universe of Hitchcock, but I do think he was really good in Vertigo and Harvey and that's why he would be 3rd here.
4. Laurence Olivier - Only reason he'd be 4th is because the 50s isn't his most memorable decade. I dunno if his relationship with Vivien Leigh made him work less, or what. But it was only starting the 60s when he went full workhorse mode.
He did 6 movies between 1948-1957. In the 50s I thought he was only great in Richard III and Carrie. Still good enough for 4th tho.
5. Gene Kelly - A little bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Or if he even counts as one. His best performance is Inherit the Wind which was 1960. But I just like smartasses, and he slides into that label perfectly.... in classic roles like An American in Paris and Singing in the Rain.
