princessananka Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Whose the male star who you can watch again and again and still want more? For nearly l00 years, Hollywood has been good to us--giving us thousands of men to choose from. From the l915 pin-up boy, Francis X. Bushman to today's Brad Pitt and Shia Lebouef (Transformers), We've had the gorgeous, suave charmers like Clark Gable, William Holden, Gary Cooper and today's Mathew McCoughnehey. The brooding, betroubled types like Marlon Brando and Robert DiNiro. We've had the boyish, vulnerable types like James Dean, Montgomery Clift and today's Matt Damon.. And of course, such fabulous eye candy like Steve Reeves, Mark Forest, Buster Crabbe and Arnold Schwartzenegger. My all-time King of Charisma is Rudolph Valentino. When he died in 1926, he was at his peak and yet, no one ever heard him say a word on screen. He was the Adonis of the Jazz Age and he's still an all-time knockout when you see him in "Son of the Shiek" and "The Eagle." Unfortunately, nearly all of his movies have vanished. He's rarely seen anymore except on TCM. What would have happened to him if he had lived to an old age? Would his silent screen Great Lover type have been laughed at? Or, like Garbo, would he have flourished in carefully chosen roles? Some more of my favorites are the dazzling Johnny Mack Brown--who went from silent screen boy toy to cowboy king...Bela Lugosi who always thrilled me with those heavy-lidded eyes and sensual mouth...and Bomba the Jungle Boy's Johnny Sheffield (with a torso by God). Whose your favorite? Let's hear it for the boys! The Princess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Let's hear it for some of the older, but still working, stars, such as Sean Connery (post James Bond), Gene Hackman, and Michael Caine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilgrimsoul Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 These are good choices. I'd have to pick Montgomery Clift and John Wayne, (especially when young, in such movies as "The Big Trail"and "Shepherd of the Hills"). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessananka Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 I forgot to mention the young William Holden--who was soooooo gorgeous and charismatic in PICNIC and GOLDEN BOY. Also Clint Eastwood galvanized the screen during his peak years in those sphagetti westerns and rogue detectives. Warren William was so wicked and cool in his thirties movies--like SKYSCRAPER SOULS. Ahhh, that profile and suave voice. I'm falling in love again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movielover11 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Marlon Brando is my choice of most charismatic, followed by William Holden.....and I'd add Johnny Depp for a "current" charismatic actor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Here are the actors that to me exude a very strong charisma, in no particular order: Humphrey Bogart Clark Gable. Spencer Tracy William Powell Cary Grant John Garfield John Wayne James Cagney Edward G. Robinson Frank Sinatra Robert Ryan William Holden Marlon Brando Robert Montgomery Robert Mitchum James Stewart Gary Cooper Thomas Mitchell Kirk Douglas Sean Connery I think *Bogart, Cagney, Gable* and *Tracy* may have been four of the most potently charismatic actors of them all. Except for Gable, they weren't classically handsome, it is their their personality---and whatever else constitutes "Charisma"---which generates so much heat to this day. I'm not sure if I can think of any actor today I find all that charismatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I have to agree about Your assessment of todays actors. none of todays actors have the style and charm of the ones you listed, I'm a big Bogart fan, He had more style in his pinky then any of todays star altogether.. and Early Eastwood in the Westerns, and John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, I would have to ad Gene Hackman, Young Sinatra, was suave, debonair, Todays stars are too busy making money and "Doing Good Works" I don't follow any stars male or female in particular, In fact I don't buy into the whole "Hollywood" game at all, if a movie looks like it might be interesting I may or May not watch, in fact I'll probably wait to rent it or more likely wait for it to be on my movie channels.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythoughts Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Here's a few actors with lots of charisma who were not mentioned yet. Gregory Peck Errol Flynn Paul Newman I also add the following: Humphrey Bogart Marlon Brando William Holden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopsgirl Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I like how in the old days there was a leading man for every woman?s taste. Today, they just all seem the same. Christian Bale is probably the only modern actor I really like but often times his choices of films are strange and not movies that I really like. He is a very talented actor though and he doesn?t make the tabloids b/c he lives a normal life which is one of the things I like the most about him. I don?t think Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price or Christopher Lee have been mentioned yet and they are my fave horror film actors. In a horror flick you definitely need a little extra something to scare people or creep them out and these guys were the best at it. Christopher Lee is still making films too and he has one of the coolest voices I?ve ever heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CelluloidKid Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Clark Gable Robert Mitchum Burt Lancaster Paul Newman Daniel Craig John Garfield Cary Grant Jimmy Stewart Steve McQueen Rusell Crowe Christian Bale Glenn Ford Robert Taylor Rock Hudson Alan Ladd Willliam Holden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicki82 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Here's my list: Lon Chaney Sr.- my all time favorite (proves that one doesn't need a pretty face to have charisma) Humphrey Bogart George Raft James Cagney Errol Flynn William Powell Bela Lugosi Warren William Boris Karloff Lionel Barrymore Today's Faves: Christian Bale Johnny Depp Message was edited by: Nicki82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessananka Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 Bela Lugosi has been mentioned and he must've had something going for him for Clara Bow to have been wild about him. Just watch how suave, sexy and charming he was in THE BLACK CAT. Lon Chaney Jr. has gotten a bum rap and maybe his acting style wasn't the greatest--yet, he exuded an intense machismo in his Inner Sanctum mysteries and I loved him as Count Dracula in "Son of Dracula." He looked very commanding and evil, especially with that moustache and slicked back hair. All of you right about today's male stars. They just don't have it like their predecessors did--especially Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Charles Boyer and John Garfield. By the way, my favorite eye candy today is Gerard Butler--he, of the growling, threatening he-man with the knock-out bod in 300. Ewan McGregor is also a ****, along with Matthew McCoughnehy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webestang Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 A new one is Clive Owen, seeing him in The Croupier, Gosford Park and Derailed he dominates the screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdgirl Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Oldies: Gregory Peck Laurence Olivier Michael Caine Rock Hudson Charleton Heston Today: Michael Douglas Clint Eastwood George Clooney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrinceSaliano Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Charisma? Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill had it in spades. But if you're referring to traditional leading men, I must mention Robert Mitchum, Chester Morris, Preston Foster, Ricardo Cortez (based on his Sam Spade in THE MALTESE FALCON), Dennis O'Keefe (he could play comedy and drama), Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (pre-Code), James Cagney and George O'Brien (the BEST B-western star). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedy Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 oooo, my favorite topic! Past: in no particular order Cary Grant Paul Henreid Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Fred MacMurray John Wayne William Powell William Holden Present: Russell Crowe Christian Bale Keanu Reeves Richard Armitage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phippsfoammattress Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Cary Grant Randolph Scott George O'Brien John Payne Tyrone Power Joel McCrea Glenn Ford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineMaven Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Slim Summerville. No, seriously...I cannot take my eyes off the compelling Javier Bardem. A modern-day Anthony Quinn who was also charismatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessananka Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Thanks for remembering the great, sexy and talented Chester Morris! I thought he was so cool in THE BAT WHISPERS. He should have been a major star, on the par with Cagney and Spencer Tracy. Also Preston Foster was marvelous as the horrific DR. X. Just remember his words: "Synthetic Flesh." Ricardo Cortez was sooo handsome and virile and macho. Does anybody out there remember Zachary Scott? He played the sexy sleazeball Monty Barrigan in Joan Crawford's masterpiece, MILDRED PIERCE. When Paul Muni managed to wipe away the heavy make-up for his period roles, i.e., JUAREZ and THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR, he was one helleva handsome guy--like the Mexican Johnny Ramirez in BORDERTOWN and of course as Tony in SCARFACE. I'd love to have played his love interest in both of these sizzling pre-code classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts