Your top 10 male & female stars versus AFI's.

[speedracer5]

Quite a while ago, AFI released their top 25 male and female stars of all time. While I understand the criteria of their list and how various stars were chosen, I didn't agree which each of their selections. Here are their top 10 male and top 10 female actors:

 

MALE

1. Humphrey Bogart

2. Cary Grant

3. James Stewart

4. Marlon Brando

5. Fred Astaire

6. Henry Fonda

7. Clark Gable

8. James Cagney

9. Spencer Tracy

10. Charlie Chaplin

 

FEMALE

1. Katharine Hepburn

2. Bette Davis

3. Audrey Hepburn

4. Ingrid Bergman

5. Greta Garbo

6. Marilyn Monroe

7. Elizabeth Taylor

8. Judy Garland

9. Marlene Dietrich

10. Joan Crawford

 

For me, for example, I don't understand the appeal of Greta Garbo. I find her dull. Gary Cooper is #11 on the male list, and I find him incredibly boring. Some of the choices I agree with, like I love Bette Davis, I find her amazing. Joan Crawford, I find annoying. If it were up to me to make a top 10 male and top 10 female actors list. This would be mine:

 

MALE

1. Cary Grant

2. Humphrey Bogart

3. Fred Astaire

4. Gene Kelly

5. Errol Flynn

6. Montgomery Clift

7. William Holden

8. Clark Gable

9. James Dean

10. William Powell

 

FEMALE

1. Bette Davis

2. Audrey Hepburn

3. Katharine Hepburn

4. Judy Garland

5. Marilyn Monroe

6. Olivia DeHavilland

7. Rita Hayworth

8. Myrna Loy

9. Lauren Bacall

10. Natalie Wood

 

What would be your list?

[tommyphils31]

I am sure that some element of this has appeared at some point on these pages, speed, but I am relatively new, so I am game. As with all the lists I have offered in any category, it is strictly personal, as a fan, not a critic. That is all that matters to me. Therefore, some picks may be curious, but they are mine. I have no problem explaining my choices, but not debating their merits (as with anyone else's picks). Here are mine. Mind you, these are off the top of my head, and could be amended if I think again. I have found narrowing down to "Top 10" in anything has been hard. Here goes:

 

Male

James Cagney

John Wayne

Charlton Heston

Humphrey Bogart

Paul Muni

Gary Cooper

Walter Brennan

Bob Hope

Woody Allen

Peter Falk

 

Female

Maureen O'Hara

Ingrid Bergman

Diane Keaton

Fay Wray

Maureen O'Sullivan

Teresa Wright

Sally Field

Vivien Leigh

Judy Garland

Joanne Dru

[jamesjazzguitar]

Well the AFI listing is 25 Greatest Female Screen Legends. To me this is much different than best actor or top talent. For example, take Monroe. If I was doing a listing of female screen LEGENDS I would put Monroe in the top 3 or 4. BUT if best actress or favorite actress I wouldn't have Monroe in my top 25.

 

This also relates to Garbo. Both Garbo and Monroe are iconic LEGENDS. Again, if based on acting now could DeHavilland NOT make the top 25 list!!! That is insane but I guess the AFI didn't feel she was a legend and someone like Monroe with less than half the acting skills of DeHavilland gets in the top 10. Oh well, done with that rant. Here is my top 10 favorites (i.e. the actors that stared in the movies I enjoy the most):

 

MALE

1. Leslie Howard

2. Humphrey Bogart

3. Cary Grant

4. Robert Mitchum

5. William Powell

6. James Cagney

7. Gary Cooper

8. Errol Flynn

9. Alan Ladd

10. Clark Gable

 

FEMALE

1. Bette Davis

2. Olivia DeHavilland

3. Barbara Stanwyck

4. Jean Arthur

5. Carole Lombard

6. Katharine Hepburn

7. Audrey Hepburn

8. Myrna Loy

9. Rosalind Russel

10. Joan Crawford

[DownGoesFrazier]

The AFI lists are for "most legendary" stars. In other words, the stars they feel have been most "talked-about", for whatever reason, including personal scandals. It has nothing to do with acting ability.

[BasilBruce]

Marilyn needs to be taken off the list entirely.

 

1. Barbara Stanwyc

2. Ginger Rogers

3. Myrna Loy

4. Irene Dunn

5. Claudette Colbert

6. Greer Garson

7. Gene Tierney

8. Ingrid Bergman

9. Vivian Leigh

10. Audrey Hepburn

 

1. James Stewart

2. William Powell

3. Joel McCrea

4. Henry Fonda

5. Joseph Cotten

6. Robert Walker

7. Jack Lemmon

8. Gregory Peck

9. Leslie Howard

10. Peter O'Toole