spence Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 People throw the word "genius" around too much maybe, especially when it comes to the movies But, who truly are the handful of true cinematic "geniuses' in motion picture history For me & by far #1 is *Chaplin & only a handful more, but you fans pick your own??? THANK YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spence Posted August 18, 2016 Author Share Posted August 18, 2016 After *Charlie I'd also cast my own personal votes for *Welles, *Kubrick-(NOTE: Although I rank *Ford as the best film director ever) Hitchcock, *Brando-(& again, my #1 idol *"The Great: Spencer Tracy" is my pick as all-time finest movie actor) But, often "genius" depends on other things of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 WA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 In The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (written of course by Gertrude Stein), Alice makes the following statement: "I may say that only three times in my life have I met a genius and each time a bell within me rang and I was not mistaken, and I may say in each case it was before there was any general recognition of the quality of genius in them. The three geniuses of whom I wish to speak are Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso and Alfred North Whitehead. I have met many important people, I have met several great people but I have only known three first class geniuses and in each case on sight within me something rang. In no one of the three cases have I been mistaken." Gertrude Stein, played by Kathy Bates, is a character in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris; Picasso has some connection with a few films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Ingmar Bergman -- no doubt about it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 My choice is Akira Kurosawa. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyCronin Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 I don't disagree with some of these choices, but I would also add Fellini, as AMARCORD and E LA NAVE VA are two films I fnd particularly brilliant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 By my count, there were 10 actual geniuses, and 57 imaginary ones. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 It's easy to tell....... If you love a particular actor's or director's work, then he's a "genius". If you don't, then they AREN'T! Then again, in both film AND music, some confuse "ingenious" with "genius". Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Definitely Buster Keaton -- as a director, writer and performer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lydecker Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Billy Wilder, for sure. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spence Posted August 19, 2016 Author Share Posted August 19, 2016 I agree 100% on Buster, Kurosawa & I personally also would include *Woody Allen-(especially for writing) & to some extent William Claude Dunkenfeld was another comedic genius 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spence Posted August 19, 2016 Author Share Posted August 19, 2016 By my count, there were 10 actual geniuses, and 57 imaginary ones. WHICH 10 THOUGH??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spence Posted August 19, 2016 Author Share Posted August 19, 2016 Many film historians would also include Sergei Eisenstein & *Streep is obviously a "Genius" in her acting talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vautrin Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Zero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 ...& to some extent William Claude Dunkenfeld was another comedic genius Totally agree about Fields. IT'S A GIFT is a brilliant comedy, all because of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkblue Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 & *Streep is obviously a "Genius" in her acting talent Oh, come on. She ain't that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Let's not get carried away! There are no geniuses in cinema, maybe just a few wise guys. I don't recall Einstein or Stephen Hawkings being in movies Respectfully disagree. I think we do have geniuses in the movie business. It takes a certain type of skill and talent to do this type of work successfully, and only brilliant people can to do it well for years on end. Even Einstein or Hawkings, with all the intelligence in the world, might not be able to pull it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovieMadness Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Let's not get carried away! There are no geniuses in cinema, maybe just a few wise guys. I don't recall Einstein or Stephen Hawkings being in movies; merely, there is a lot of critics with massive egos who take themselves way too seriously. Hawkings wishes he was an Einstein, he has lately said some pretty dumb things. But i agree, no geniuses in the movies, and it only got worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 There's a scene in the movie AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS in which Billy Crystal refers to some director as a "genius". Stanley Tucci, as a studio suit blurts out, "There was only ONE "genius" in show business. SENOR WENCES! A little lipstick on his hand( and he emulates Wences' fist puppet with his hand), a tiny wig and he has a career for 65 YEARS!" Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamradio Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Let's not get carried away! There are no geniuses in cinema, maybe just a few wise guys. I don't recall Einstein or Stephen Hawkings being in movies; merely, there is a lot of critics with massive egos who take themselves way too seriously. It's just entertainment people! Just a bunch of people getting way too overpaid for not working but plainly doing kindergarten work. If you are set on finding geniuses, I would say these would be definitely found amongst the people who work the electric department and those that built majestic sets. Maybe... and let's not forget the plastic surgeons who gave all these stars we love (and hate) their faces, the very ones they came to be known with. Without plastic surgeons Hollywood would be nothing. ETA: I can't believe sheeple buy into the Meryl Streep hoax. She downright sucks and hard. Worst actress now living. Ruins every movie! Hate her! Yes, let's not get carried away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Let's not get carried away! There are no geniuses in cinema, maybe just a few wise guys. I don't recall Einstein or Stephen Hawkings being in movies; merely, there is a lot of critics with massive egos who take themselves way too seriously. It's just entertainment people! Just a bunch of people getting way too overpaid for not working but plainly doing kindergarten work. If you are set on finding geniuses, I would say these would be definitely found amongst the people who work the electric department and those that built majestic sets. Maybe... and let's not forget the plastic surgeons who gave all these stars we love (and hate) their faces, the very ones they came to be known with. Without plastic surgeons Hollywood would be nothing. ETA: I can't believe sheeple buy into the Meryl Streep hoax. She downright sucks and hard. Worst actress now living. Ruins every movie! Hate her! Gee, I got to get a hold of that plastic surgeon who did Greta Garbo.LMREO Just out of curiosity are there any actors or actresses that you like? Or do you just hate everybody in Hollywood, then and now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Gee, I got to get a hold of that plastic surgeon who did Greta Garbo.LMREO Just out of curiosity are there any actors or actresses that you like? Or do you just hate everybody in Hollywood, then and now? Well in the 'hate on Bette Davis' thread these actresses were mentioned in a positive light: ",,,, Angela Lansbury, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jean Harlow, Olivia de Havilland, Gene Tierney, Myrna Loy, Claudette Colbert or even Guinn Williams in lipstick and a wig.". (I assume the mentioning of Guinn Williams was in jest!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic movie fan Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 When it all comes down to it, there weren't many geniuses in Cinema. The ones that are called geniuses are just people that are really good at their craft and what they did for a living.There is a difference between being a genius and just being good at what You do. The people in Cinema put in a lot of hard work to get where they are today. Key word is hard work.If you dig deep enough, you would find that most people who became the greats of Cinema actually had rough starts to their career. Many of them had less than desirable jobs before making it big. Others were lucky enough to have parents involved in show business. Most Film Stars had to start somewhere,and the majority of them had to start from the bottom up to get where they are today (or when they were alive, if they are dead). So in closing,many of these "geniuses" are really just people who put in lots of hard work. They do it because that's what they enjoy. In Cinema,its not about being smart, it's about having skill and talent to be able to make it in film and in Hollywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts