True, Day-Lewis, DeNiro and Pacino could do well in the Golden Age, but they have a few years of experienced and paid their dues, but some of the others forget it. And I agree about the actresses of the studio and silent eras were better.
I think that the current crop of film stars can't hold a candle to the older one's from the early days. Where are the new Cagney's, Davis's, Wayne's, Tracy's, Hepburn's, etc. Nobody currently.