To recap, in my recent article on Robert Pattinson and the “enduring appeal of pale, white dudes,” a gaggle of fans of the movie “Twilight” took umbrage to some things I said about their beloved idol.
Most of the reactions was pretty inane, along the lines of:
“Hey you ugly, loser, geek, doodyheaded, nincompoop -- you WISH you were as HOT as our boy Pattinson, you’re just a jealous smelly mongrel…DIE DIE DIEl!!!”
These remarks I merely brushed off as so much hot, fetid air expelled from a bunch of sub-mental moronic twits. There was one comment, however, that sparked my interest: an avid fan asked what MY idea of a great actor was. I thought it was a fair question, and deserved a well thought out response. Moreover, I felt it was a good opportunity to add weight to my opinions on Pattinson’s meager abilities as a thespian and perhaps give a little history lesson to the uneducated reader who might not be familiar with the TRUE giants of the industry.
So, as a follow up to my first post on the Greats, from 10-6, here are my Top Five Greatest Actors of All Time:
5) Jack Lemmon AND Warren Oates (a TIE)
Both of these actors absolutely needed to be included on this list and as there are only ten slots, I had to call a tie for fifth place.
Let’s begin with Jack Lemmon.
To some, Lemmon’s unparalleled brilliance as a comedic actor may forever bind him in their minds exclusively to the genre. It would be easy enough to understand this point of view, as his absolute virtuosity in such hilarious masterworks as “The Odd Couple,” “Some Like It Hot,” and “The Out-Of-Towners” will stand forever in time as some of the funniest movies ever printed on celluloid. However, Jack Lemmon’s talent was far too great to be restricted to any one category -- he could do it all. Expertly starring in dramas like “Save The Tiger,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” and “The China Syndrome” proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Ultimately though, Jack Lemmon’s many varied characters (whether they were tragic failures as in “Glengarry Glen Ross” or romantic heroes like his turn in “The Wackiest Ship In the Navy”) will be remembered as the paragon depiction of the modern American everyman. With innate warmth and technical perfection, he made us root for him throughout his entire illustrious career, and in doing so; we were really just rooting for ourselves. His contribution to cinema was truly colossal.
His greatest films are: “Mr. Roberts,” “The Odd Couple,” “Save The Tiger,” “Some Like It Hot,” “Glen Garry Glen Ross,” “The Days Of Wine and Roses,” “The Apartment,” “The Fortune Cookie,” “The Out-Of-Towners,” “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” and “The China Syndrome”
And now on to Warren Oates.
Putting it simply, Warren Oates was the greatest American character actor that ever lived.
His ability to tear at your heart with his nuanced portraits of the disaffected and rejected contingent of society is unsurpassed. He started off his career in Westerns, adeptly playing a host of ne’er do wells one shadier than the next, but it wasn’t until his role as Lyle Gorch in the classic “The Wild Bunch” directed by Sam Peckinpah that he gained his first real notice. He would go on to star in several other films helmed by Peckinpah, most notably “Bring Me the Head Of Alfredo Garcia,” which very well might be the ultimate encapsulation of the anti-hero aesthetic of the 1970s. As far as I’m concerned though, his greatest performance was in the existential masterpiece “Two-Lane Blacktop,” in which he plays a shattered loser, with a pathological inability to tell the truth -- especially to himself. Richard Linklater (director of such films as “Dazed and Confused” and “Slacker”) once described Oates as a “God who once walked the earth”, I thoroughly concur.
His greatest films are: “Two-Lane Blacktop,” “The Wild Bunch,” “Bring Me the Head Of Alfredo Garcia,” “The Shooting,” “In the Heat Of the Night,” and “Stripes.”
I mean, just take a look at this:
4) Marlon Brando
It is impossible to have a list of the greatest actors of all-time without including Brando. Still, it’s hard to come up with any new insight on the man as his body of work has been analyzed and re-analyzed, ad nauseum, by both fans and critics alike from the beginning of his career to its end. Still, I suppose there might be something to glean from that after all and it’s this… despite the fact that he’s been the most studied actor in the history of film, there is something basic, something intrinsic about him that still continues to elude us all to this day. For many, Brando would be the obvious choice for greatest actor of all time, but I stand by my decision to have him in the number four slot. I will say this however, his almost unsettling ease and facility for the craft perhaps makes him the most natural actor that ever lived. The way he moved his body, delivered his lines, used his tremendous sex appeal (which was an extremely compelling combination of masculine and femine) it was all so unhindered and fluid. Of course, before Brando no one had actually acted this way before. He pretty much created a new blueprint of dramatic expression, which was copied wholesale by many others -- including James Dean. He really had it all, astonishing looks, incomparable skill and a raw animalistic power that literally sent shockwaves through the world. His performances in “On the Waterfront,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and “The Wild One” captured the imagination of an entire generation, as well as being a major inspiration for practically every other actor to come along after him. Of course for me and many millions of others, his crowning achievement will always be his tour-de-force performance as Don Corleone in “The Godfather.” Brando was a true enigma. After all, it’s well documented that he hated the profession and preferred instead to promote human rights causes. Still, as with all enigmas his mysterious, elusive quality is part of the reason audiences have been drawn to him for decades.
His best films are “On the Waterfront,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Wild One,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Last Tango in Paris,” “Apocalypse Now,” and of course…”The Godfather.”
3) Humphrey Bogart
If Brando was the most natural actor that ever lived, then Bogey was the COOLEST. Deep down inside, every man secretly wishes they could be like him. He’s a veritable icon, one of the TRUE legends. His nonchalant gift for attracting the dames, his quick wit, steady nerves, and general all around…well… COOL-ness was and always will be unequalled in cinema. He’s inspired books and movies dedicated to his cool (my favorite being Woody Allen’s side-splitting “Play It Again Sam”). Hell, he is cool personified. This unique gift was a perfect fit for the characters of Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe in the respective films “The Maltese Falcon” and “the Big Sleep” which literally cemented Film Noir as one of the most enduring genres in cinematic history. Bogart OWNED his performances like no other, his turn as Rick Blaine in “Casablanca” is so real and deftly executed, he made audiences believe those incredible words coming out of his mouth were HIS. If it wasn’t for Bogey, Casablanca would not be what it is -- the greatest film of all time. Now, if that was all there was to the man, it would be more than enough, but there’s much more. He could also play pitiful characters like Captain Queeg in “The Caine Mutiny” as well as cold hearted killers as he did in the superb “Dead End.” Underpinning all of these roles though, was that unquestionable, remarkable, overpowering, mesmerizing, mind-blowing, colossal COOL! There will never be another that comes close to Bogey. His contribution not only to the movies but to the world is inestimable.
His greatest films were: “The Big Sleep,” “The Maltese Falcon,” “Across the Pacific,” “The Caine Mutiny,” “The Petrified Forest,” “Dead End,” “The African Queen,” “In a Lonely Place,” “Dark Passage,” and of course…”CASABLANCA.”
2) Jack Nicholson
Ahhh.. Jack. Well, here it gets personal. Jack Nicholson is my hero. Growing up an outsider, I connected with his disaffected anti-hero characters in a profound way. I can still remember clear as a bell the day I first saw the film “Five Easy Pieces.” I was in my late teens, and miserable. At the time I thought no one felt as I did about life, the universe and all the ‘what not’ that falls in-between the cracks. “Five Easy Pieces” for me was a revelation. The main character of Bobby Dupea instantly resounded deep within my soul - the overbearing ambivalence, cynicism, and hopelessness was exactly the same jagged prism through which I viewed the world that surrounded me. With one movie, my whole life changed. In point of fact, all of Jack’s roles during his 1970s hey-day dealt with a similar theme; the inevitability that the average thinking human being, will eventually get their unique ‘spark’ extinguished, and the NECESSITY that as thinking human beings we must all fight against that inevitability -- to the death. After watching “Five Easy” I decided to cast off my own awkward persona (one that had most definitely not been working for me I might add) and try on Jack’s. Those were some of the happiest days of my life! By playing a role in my own movie, I was able to disconnect from all the bullshit I’d endured in my childhood. In a way, it freed me, and ultimately changed me for the better -- I owe that all to Jack Nicholson. Now, getting back to the man’s actual body of work, for my money, the run of “Easy Rider,” “Five Easy Pieces,” “Carnal Knowledge,” “The King Of Marvin Gardens,” “The Last Detail,” “Chinatown,” “The Passenger,” “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” “The Missouri Breaks,” “Goin’ South,” “The Shining,” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice” is the single greatest run of any actor -- bar none. Of course, a lot of his later work was quite masterful as well i.e. “The Witches Of Eastwick,” “Terms Of Endearment,” and “About Schmidt,” but I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the work he did in the 1970s. It’s truly an astounding achievement. Anything he did during those days was absolute magic, he was the golden boy of the decade and deservedly so.
His best films are part of that great 70s run : “Easy Rider,” “Five Easy Pieces,” “Carnal Knowledge,” “The King Of Marvin Gardens,” “The Last Detail,” “Chinatown,” “The Passenger,” “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” “The Missouri Breaks,” “Goin’ South,” and “The Shining.”
PS: Remember that famous diner scene?
1) James Stewart
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Pound for pound, in my humble estimation, the greatest actor of all time was none other than James Stewart. If you don’t agree, let me state my case. The man did it ALL: Westerns (“The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence”); mysteries ( “Rear Window” and “Vertigo”); comedies (“You Can’t Take It With You” and “Harvey”); drama (“Anatomy of a Murder”); film noir (“Call Northside 777″); tragedy (The Glenn Miller Story); romance (“The Shop Around the Corner” and “The Philadelphia Story”)… and he did it all perfectly. He was both leading man and character actor; he could play either a total bad ass or a lovable everyman. He simply was the most versatile actor that ever lived, thus making him the greatest. Moreover, he’s got some of the most iconic performances of all time in his resume. Films that permanently reside in the collective psyche of the entire western world. Films like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.” These roles have surpassed mere performance; they’ve become symbols of America and our ideals as a nation -- ideals we’ve tragically strayed far away from in recent years. Still we have the evidence; that America once stood for something great, something worth fighting for. James Stewart remains an undying symbol of that lost America…and he is the greatest actor that ever lived.
His best films are: “Rear Window,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Anatomy of a Murder,” “Rope,” “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington,” “Harvey,” and “Vertigo.”
So there you have it, the top ten greatest actors of all time!
Now some of you may argue that Robert Pattinson is still young, and that it’s unfair to compare his work with these legends. I however disagree. I was asked my opinion as to what I considered to be great acting and these actors are it. Moreover, hearing so many of you go on about Pattinson’s “brilliance,” literally began to turn my stomach. It wasn’t so much that I hate Pattinson, I just hate what we’ve become as a society when it comes to our art and culture. We are worshipping at the altar of mediocrity!
For those that say Pattinson “could yet still develop,” I say “no.” You see, even at the start of their careers all of the actors I’ve mentioned in my articles shared that undeniable something which I refer to as “the goods.” Pattinson just doesn’t have it. He’s merely a colorless hack with a slight physical appeal. I don’t say this to be cruel, it’s just the truth. I guess in writing these articles I’m attempting to shine a spotlight on what we value nowadays as a society. Has respect for actual talent gone completely out the window? Will we keep culturally devolving until someday, someone taking a dump on national TV for an hour will pass as an evening’s worth of entertainment ? I surely hope not… I surely hope not.
BONUS ACTORS WHO SHOULD RECEIVE HONORABLE MENTION:
TOM HANKS, Gene Hackman, Cary Grant, Sidney Poitier, Clark Gable, Groucho Marx, Fred MacMurray, Joseph Cotton, Van Heflin, Lee Marvin, Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, Michael Murphy, Sterling Hayden, Ned Beatty, Robert Redford, James Dean, William Bendix, Alan Ladd, Robert Deniro, James Gandolfini, Fred Astaire,Robert Duvall, Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, and many, many more….
Bonus Read: Robert Pattinson vs. The Top 10 Greatest Actors of All Time (Part 1)
Branwyn Lancourt
Just your average, ordinary, every day malcontented misanthrope. My disdain for the current state of popular culture permeates my very core. Hence, I feel obligated to tug on your coat about it until you’re just as nauseated as I am. ...
Read more about Branwyn Lancourt ->
More on these topics:
1940s cinema, 1950s cinema, 1960s cinema, 1970s cinema, Al Pacino, Alan Ladd, brilliant, Cary Grant, Christopher Walken, Clark Gable, Dennis Hopper, five easy pieces genius jack film, Fred Astaire, Fred MacMurray, Gene Hackman, glen garry glen ross, Groucho Marx, Harry Dean Stanton, humphrey bogart was the cooolest actor, i love jack nicholson, jack nicholson was an actor for intellectuals, jacklemmon is a brilliant actor, James Dean, James Gandolfini, james stewart tops the lis of greatest actors of all time, Joseph Cotton, Lee Marvin, marlon brando was elusive and the most natural actor, Michael Murphy, Ned Beatty, obsessive twilight fans blindly defending their idols, Robert Deniro, Robert Duvall, robert pattinson and the mediocrity that's taken a stranglehold, robert pattinson is a lousy actor, robert pattinson vs the greatest actors of all time, Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Sterling Hayden, the top 5 greatest actors of all time, TOM HANKS, twilight and robert pattinson, twolane black top brilliant, Van Heflin, warren oates was the greatest american character actor, William Bendix
