TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Let's start with Lucille Ball. She considered THE BIG STREET (1942) her best film. Critics considered MAME (1974) her worst. Leonard Maltin said it was a: "hopelessly out-of-date musical...will embarrass even those who love Lucy." Let's move on to Katharine Hepburn. I enjoy her as the title character in ALICE ADAMS (1935). But it's a chore to watch her in THE IRON PETTICOAT (1956). Next, James Stewart. A lot has happened in your career if you head from MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)... ...to the abysmal FIRECREEK (1968). Ouch, this movie is painful to sit through. Someone should have fired the hair stylist on that set! 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Can't argue with those. Especially the JIMMY STEWART "Mr. Smith"/"Firecreek" thing. This might take some thought time for me on this very good thread idea, but off the top of the head.... MARLON BRANDO. This is open to subjective differences on his best, as many would be divided by ON THE WATERFRONT('54) and probably THE GODFATHER('72). But for me.... There can be NO argument that his worst and most wasted effort was A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG('67) Neither Brando's talent, Chaplin's brilliance nor Sophia Loren's beauty could turn this swill into something swell. Sepiatone 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 Madonna. Great in DICK TRACY (1990). Terrible in BODY OF EVIDENCE (1992). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aritosthenes Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 hour ago, TopBilled said: Let's start with Lucille Ball. She considered THE BIG STREET (1942) her best film. Critics considered MAME (1974) her worst. Leonard Maltin said it was a: "hopelessly out-of-date musical...will embarrass even those who love Lucy." Let's move on to Katharine Hepburn. I enjoy her as the title character in ALICE ADAMS (1935). But it's a chore to watch her in THE IRON PETTICOAT (1956). Next, James Stewart. A lot has happened in your career if you head from MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)... ...to the abysmal FIRECREEK (1968). Ouch, this movie is painful to sit through. Someone should have fired the hair stylist on that set! Like/Love the Thread. Do You Mind if i mention a Director Or Two that Fall Under this (what i will call) Eccentricity ? Or is that more off topic and not the point here(?) Either Way Is Cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethluvsfilms Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 I actually thought FIRECREEK was quite a good flick. True, it's no MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON or THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (Now THOSE are classics), but I can still sit it and watch be able to enjoy it for what it is, a watchable time passer. MAME was absolutely a chore to watch. Lucille Ball simply wasn't right for the role, no matter what the director or casting directors may have thought otherwise. THE IRON PETTICOAT is definitely one of Katharine's worst. Madonna was watchable in DICK TRACY, but she's definitely a better singer than an actress overall. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 Just now, Aritosthenes said: Like/Love the Thread. Do You Mind if i mention a couple Directors that Fall Under this (what i will call) Eccentricity ? Or is that more off topic and not the point here(?) Either Way Is Cool. Yes, that's fine. I was thinking of mentioning Hitchcock's best and worst. So go right ahead! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aritosthenes Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 minute ago, TopBilled said: Yes, that's fine. I was thinking of mentioning Hitchcock's best and worst. So go right ahead! Awesome. Thank You Sir. (Hitchcock's a Good One.. !) Though Not the one i was initially thinking about. (And Of Course And Obviously These Are Subjective + Interpretive.) Zack Snyder. For me. Id Say His Best Consists of maybe a three way tie: Dawn of the Dead. Sucker Punch (though many folks Hate this flick. Its a Shame.). And His Fabled Snyder Cut. Army of the Dead though. Cant Figure ThatOne Out. Its a Trash Heap. Acting is Alright imo, but the script is a dismembered mess. One More (newer) director. Michael Bay. (Sorry.) For me he has ONE Solid (SciFi) Flick to his name. The Island. A lotta folks dont like this feature. Honestly and Personally i dont know why (not) though. All his others (imo) are anywhere between ok - mediocre - tolerable - good, not great - needs help - eject. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 3 minutes ago, Aritosthenes said: (Hitchcock's a Good One.. !) Though Not the one i was initially thinking about. (And Of Course And Obviously These Are Subjective + Interpretive.) Yes entirely subjective. I think Hitchcock's best is probably FRENZY (1972). I think his worst is JAMAICA INN (1939). Others may disagree, of course! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aritosthenes Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 One More If Possible. If its Not the time & not the place for this Title though. Tell me to shove off and if i can ill delete (it). Ten Little Indians. To my knowledge theres been three, Interpretations and Visions of This Story. (maybe four if we count knives out) The Shirley Eaten, Hugh O'Brian Vision and Telling of that tale is for me (EASILY) the Best. Hands Down. Just Has a Vibe, a Swagger, a Glimmer and Twinkle in the Eye.. that None of the others has/maintains. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gorman Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 In regards to Alfred Hitchcock I dig THE 39 STEPS (1935) and, of the Hitchcock films I've seen I find his worst THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956). I can watch JAMAICA INN and enjoy it well enough . . . but it's tough sledding with the '56 remake of the '34 original for a myriad of reasons. It's un-necessarily long and drags at Albert Hall, it contains that infernal song, the kid isn't very interesting -- I didn't even care if he was rescued or not + I can't help but think of the 1934 version with its tidy 75-minute run time as this version goes on . . . and on . . . and on. Still an ok movie, but no great shakes from Sir Alfred. If given the choice of which version to watch I'd pick the '34 every time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 Gary Cooper. He's at his very best in SERGEANT YORK (1941). He was terminally ill while making THE NAKED EDGE (1961) and it is easily his worst film. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aritosthenes Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 minute ago, TopBilled said: Gary Cooper. He's at his very best in SERGEANT YORK (1941). He was terminally ill while making THE NAKED EDGE (1961) and this is easily his worst film. Such A Freaking Awesome Talent. For me his BEST, Consist of York. Friendly Persuasion. And Pride of the Yakees. But to each their own on details. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 Doris Day. She considered CALAMITY JANE (1953) her best film. Then there's THE BALLAD OF JOSIE (1967). It's the pits! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethluvsfilms Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 minute ago, TopBilled said: Doris Day. She considered CALAMITY JANE (1953) her best film. Then there's THE BALLAD OF JOSIE (1967). It's the pits! No argument there! I liked CALAMITY JANE, but my personal favorite film of hers is LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME. She and James Cagney worked well together I thought. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 minute ago, Bethluvsfilms said: No argument there! Doris was stuck with some lousy scripts near the end. Marty wasn't always looking out for her best interests. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethluvsfilms Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 minute ago, TopBilled said: Doris was stuck with some lousy scripts near the end. Marty wasn't always looking out for her best interests. Well, what'd you expect? He was a crook after all. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gorman Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 It's easier to pick 'BEST' and 'WORST' when you have an actor and actress who weren't in very many films! Try picking JOHN CARRADINE's worst and your head will explode. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 8 minutes ago, Mr. Gorman said: It's easier to pick 'BEST' and 'WORST' when you have an actor and actress who weren't in very many films! Try picking JOHN CARRADINE's worst and your head will explode. I think a tougher one for me would be Vincent Price. He was in some important classics. Maybe I'd choose DRAGONWYCK (1946) or THE BARON OF ARIZONA (1950) as his best. But the shlock he made in the 60s and 70s, there were quite a few bad ones and it would be difficult to settle on one that was the absolute worst. At least he redeemed himself at the end with THE WHALES OF AUGUST (1987) and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990). Same with George Sanders. His movie career took a tumble from 1965 onward and he was in a lot of junk during those final years, presumably for the steady paycheck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gorman Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 HENRY FONDA at his best in "Fort Apache" and "Mister Roberts" . . . but do yourself a favor and don't watch TENTACLES. → Despite the fact "Tentacles" boasts a good cast, including Henry, it's AWFUL! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txfilmfan Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Notice how the clinkers tend to come at or near the end of their careers? Is it because there are so few decent scripts and parts for older actors, or is it because they need the paycheck, or some combination? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethluvsfilms Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 I actually enjoy Vincent Price's horror films, but if there was one of them that I couldn't stomach it would be THEATER OF BLOOD. It was pretty much a rip off of THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, his earlier film from 3 years before (and a much better movie I might add), only in THEATER he's a homicidal actor rather than a homicidal doctor. (SPOILER ALERT) I couldn't handle Price's mad actor doing what he did to one of his victim's dogs....made them into pie and tricked the said victim into eating it. Maybe because I love dogs so much it makes me really sensitive to see them come to such a horrible fate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allhallowsday Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 36 minutes ago, TopBilled said: JAMAICA INN (1939) JAMAICA INN takes a lot of heat... it was much better than I expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CinemaInternational Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Bette Davis: Now Voyager/Fog Over Frisco Kim Novak: Vertigo/The Legend of Lylah Clare Robert Mitchum: The night of the hunter/The Yakuza Kay Francis: Trouble in Paradise/Raffles George Segal: Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?/Blume in Love Jane Fonda: Julia/Period of Adjustment Robert Redford: The Great Gatsby/Tell Them Willie Boy is Here 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 9 minutes ago, txfilmfan said: Notice how the clinkers tend to come at or near the end of their careers? Is it because there are so few decent scripts and parts for older actors, or is it because they need the paycheck, or some combination? Possibly. They are eager to keep working. In Gary Cooper's case, he was making hits into his final years. Just two years before his death he was in THEY CAME TO CORDURA (1959) and THE HANGING TREE (1959) which are considered western classics. Unfortunately when he went to England to make THE NAKED EDGE (1961) he was dying and in some scenes he seems to lack energy. Plus I don't think the thriller genre really suited him. (The script was written by Joseph Stefano, who had previously done the screenplay for PSYCHO). THE NAKED EDGE probably would have worked better if a different lead actor had been cast, or if Cooper had been more up to the challenge. I would say it is also Deborah Kerr's worst film. The best thing about it is the cinematography and location filming. But in almost every other department, it's a let-down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethluvsfilms Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Jack Nicholson Best: CHINATOWN Worst: GOIN' SOUTH Gene Hackman Best: THE CONVERSATION Worst: LOOSE CANNONS Gregory Peck Best: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Worst: THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL Elizabeth Taylor Best: WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINA WOOLF? Worst: THE FLINTSTONES (1994) Richard Burton Best: WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF: Worst: EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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