Suggestions of Classic Male Actors (1 Viewer)

[Emcee]

I know the title of this thread might sound a little silly, especially if you've followed my posts in any capacity on this website. I'm quite fond of classic Hollywood films. A lot of classic movie fans might have a specific way they relate to the films themselves. I, for one, always look from the viewpoint of the leading actress in them. You see, my entire fascination with old Hollywood started with a picture I swiped off my brother's door of Marilyn Monroe.

Monroe opened the door to my vast collection and admiration of classic cinema. So many other ladies have been added to my list over the years, such as Garbo, Harlow, Dietrich, Crawford, Davis, both Hepburns, Taylor, and so many more.

But I've come to realize that I neglect the men in these movies. I don't believe I've ever went into a classic movie because of the leading man. Sure, there's been some I liked, but I don't necessarily collect their films. I do like actors like John Wayne (he's a staple of my father's old movie watching), Elvis Presley (despite his being in a bucket load of bad movies), James Dean (despite a relatively short career), Marlon Brando (despite not seeing much of his work) among a few others. I want to get more into Audie Murphy, perhaps mostly because he was the most decorated soldier of WWII, he fought bravely for this country, and then had an extensive and rewarding movie career. He starred as himself in his own biopic called TO HELL AND BACK.

What I'm wanting you all to do is suggest some actors to me that I can dive into. I'm especially looking for recommendations of actors before 1965, and nothing really newer than 1970. I'm picky about what I watch, and I want some good, old movies starring some good actors.

Let the suggestions roll on in.

 

[Robert Crawford]

To get you started as there are many others:

• William Powell
• Henry Fonda
• James Stewart
• John Garfield
• Humphrey Bogart
• James Cagney

 

[Walter Kittel]

In addition to Robert's recommendations I'll add:

Montgomery Clift
Gary Cooper
William Holden
Robert Mitchum
Robert Ryan
Richard Widmark

- Walter.

 

[Emcee]

To get you started as there are many others:

• William Powell
• Henry Fonda
• James Stewart
• John Garfield
• Humphrey Bogart
• James Cagney

I've seen William Powell in LIBELED LADY and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE.

Henry Fonda in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (back in high school) and JEZEBEL.

James Stewart in REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956), and some westerns.

John Garfield in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE and HUMORESQUE.

Humphrey Bogart in CASABLANCA. I do have a DVD/Blu-ray collection of Bogart and Lauren Bacall's films together in my Amazon shopping cart.

James Cagney in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME and THE PUBLIC ENEMY.

I'm not too skilled on any of these guys, really. I know they all specialized in varying types of films, but they just all ride right under my nose.

 

[Emcee]

In addition to Robert's recommendations I'll add:

Montgomery Clift
Gary Cooper
William Holden
Robert Mitchum
Robert Ryan
Richard Widmark

- Walter.

I've seen Montgomery Clift in A PLACE IN THE SUN, RAINTREE COUNTY, and THE MISFITS.

Gary Cooper in SARGEANT YORK.

William Holden in SABRINA and PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES. Oh, and his hilarious I LOVE LUCY bit.

Robert Mitchum in RIVER OF NO RETURN and EL DORADO.

Robert Ryan in CLASH BY NIGHT, but that was years ago.

Richard Widmark in DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK and I LOVE LUCY.

Again, not well versed on these guys, either.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I've seen William Powell in LIBELED LADY and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE.

Henry Fonda in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (back in high school) and JEZEBEL.

James Stewart in REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956), and some westerns.

John Garfield in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE and HUMORESQUE.

Humphrey Bogart in CASABLANCA. I do have a DVD/Blu-ray collection of Bogart and Lauren Bacall's films together in my Amazon shopping cart.

James Cagney in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME and THE PUBLIC ENEMY.

I'm not too skilled on any of these guys, really. I know they all specialized in varying types of films, but they just all ride right under my nose.

I suggest you expand your film viewing of all six actors as well as the actors Walter suggested. Checkout some of the following movies:

• The Thin Man
• My Man Godfrey
• One Way Passage
• Mister Roberts
• My Darling Clementine
• The Breaking Point
• White Heat
• The Maltese Falcon
• Angels with Dirty Faces
• Anatomy of a Murder
• The Big Sleep
• The Ox-Bow Incident
• The Sea Wolf
• 12 Angry Men
• Force of Evil
• Body and Soul
• The Roaring Twenties
• 13 Rue Madeleine
• Black Legion
• Call Northside 777
• The Mortal Storm

 

[Walter Kittel]

I'll once again, take a cue from Robert and mention some films that I feel are worth consideration:

In a Lonely Place
Sahara
Sunset Boulevard
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Pride of the Yankees
The Philadelphia Story
Red River
The Set-Up
Odds Against Tomorrow
Bad Day at Black Rock
Kiss of Death
The Night of the Hunter
Out of the Past

- Walter.

 

[dana martin]

Robert is dead on in all of those well curated selections, if I may make a recommendation, looking at the titles, not necessarily a specific actor, but more of where you can feed the need of both female and male, while at the same time appreciating, some of the best film has to offer

Film Noir will open up your appreciation for a whole new set of Actresses especially Barbara Stanwyck

Double Indemnity
Notorious ( as no one has mentioned Cary Grant)

 

[David Weicker]

Trying not to duplicate
Fred Astaire
Cary Grant
Clark Gable
Sidney Poitier
Spencer Tracy
Gregory Peck

And then the comedians (and comedy teams)
Charlie Chaplin
Buster Keaton
W. C. Fields
Marx brothers
Abbott & Costello
Bob Hope
Bing Crosby
Laurel & Hardy

 

[Suzanne.S]

Adding to this already fantastic list:

Ronald Colman - especially Lost Horizon (1937)
Warren William - He did bucket loads of Pre-Codes that are interesting.
Boris Karloff - He did a great number of roles and quite a variety.
Lew Ayres - He did some great work in the early 30s, particularly All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).
John Gilbert - He is much better than his reputation would suggest and if you like silents Flesh and the Devil (1927) is fabulous.
Vincent Price - This man can lift the level of even the silliest of films. However, he was in some very fine films such as Laura (1944) and The Song of Bernadette (1943).
Lon Chaney, Sr. - Either version of The Unholy Three (1925 or 1930)or The Unknown (1927) or... really any of his existing films. He is another actor that is unjustifiably known as a "horror actor" but had roles that spanned the spectrum.
George Raft - Best known as a gangster but my favorite performance of his is the super cheesy Bolero (1934) with Carole Lombard

Other actors of note:
Victor McLaglen
Thomas Mitchell
Elisha Cook, Jr.
John Carradine
Edward Everett Horton
Peter Lorre
Joseph Cotten
Robert Keith
Harry Davenport

Some of these are character actors, but in classic films these guys make a difference.

 

[Emcee]

Robert is dead on in all of those well curated selections, if I may make a recommendation, looking at the titles, not necessarily a specific actor, but more of where you can feed the need of both female and male, while at the same time appreciating, some of the best film has to offer

Film Noir will open up your appreciation for a whole new set of Actresses especially Barbara Stanwyck

Double Indemnity
Notorious ( as no one has mentioned Cary Grant)

This always comes as a shocker to most, but I'm not a Barbara Stanwyck fan. I've seen a few of her films, the first one CLASH BY NIGHT, but only because Monroe's in it. There's been times when I've tried to watch Stanwyck in other genres, but it still hasn't worked. I won't say she's a bad actress, because she certainly isn't bad, but I can firmly state she's not my cup of tea.

I guess I just don't "get it", and therefore I've shied away from her work for quite sometime. I liked her on DYNASTY and THE COLBYS, but I know that isn't classic Stanwyck.

On another site, I once mentioned that I preferred Bette Davis to Barbara Stanwyck, and that I probably prefer Joan Crawford over both. That almost got me lynched. They were beyond baffled that I could possibly prefer Crawford over Davis or Stanwyck, but it's probably true.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This always comes as a shocker to most, but I'm not a Barbara Stanwyck fan. I've seen a few of her films, the first one CLASH BY NIGHT, but only because Monroe's in it. There's been times when I've tried to watch Stanwyck in other genres, but it still hasn't worked. I won't say she's a bad actress, because she certainly isn't bad, but I can firmly state she's not my cup of tea.

I guess I just don't "get it", and therefore I've shied away from her work for quite sometime. I liked her on DYNASTY and THE COLBYS, but I know that isn't classic Stanwyck.

On another site, I once mentioned that I preferred Bette Davis to Barbara Stanwyck, and that I probably prefer Joan Crawford over both. That almost got me lynched. They were beyond baffled that I could possibly prefer Crawford over Davis or Stanwyck, but it's probably true.

That cuts it, you and I are done with you badmouthing my favorite actress.

 

[Emcee]

That cuts it, you and I are done with you badmouthing my favorite actress.

I'm sorry, really I am. I don't mean to badmouth her, but she really isn't my cup of tea.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm sorry, really I am. I don't mean to badmouth her, but she really isn't my cup of tea.

Based on what exactly? Which films besides Clash by Night helped formed that opinion of her?

 

[Emcee]

Based on what exactly? Which films besides Clash by Night helped formed that opinion of her?

I saw CLASH BY NIGHT first, and over time, I've watched TITANIC, THE LADY EVE, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, BALL OF FIRE, and BABY FACE.

Just didn't "click".

Maybe I just haven't seen enough to form a solid enough opinion.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I saw CLASH BY NIGHT first, and over time, I've watched TITANIC, THE LADY EVE, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, BALL OF FIRE, and BABY FACE.

Just didn't "click".

Maybe I just haven't seen enough to form a solid enough opinion.

Wow, you watched those movies in their entirety and you still dislike Stanwyck? If so then there isn't anything else I can say or recommend that will change your mind.

 

[dana martin]

I saw CLASH BY NIGHT first, and over time, I've watched TITANIC, THE LADY EVE, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, BALL OF FIRE, and BABY FACE.

Just didn't "click".

Maybe I just haven't seen enough to form a solid enough opinion.

i get it, there are a few actors that are that way, Adam Sandler, mostly, anything past Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, Ben Stiller, funny guys, I don't find them funny.

and you named the recommendations that I would have given minus Forty Guns and Meet John Doe

 

[Robert Crawford]

i get it, there are a few actors that are that way, Adam Sandler, mostly, anything past Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, Ben Stiller, funny guys, I don't find them funny.

and you named the recommendations that I would have given minus Forty Guns and Meet John Doe

I get it too, but I think Stanwyck was the best actress that Hollywood ever produced so it kind of takes me back when I read negative comments about her. What actress can be a lead role in film noir, westerns, comedy and drama. The only genre she might have been restricted from is musicals. Disliking an actress, I've seen it beforehand with Bette Davis or Joan Crawford so it doesn't surprise me.

I can honestly say I never disliked an actor or actress. Some, I like more than others. The closest I came was Meryl Streep and it wasn't because I didn't think she's a great actress, it was more of the movie parts she was playing back in the 1980's. Since then, I've come around and enjoy the parts she is playing now.

 

[dana martin]

I can take Sandler, Will Ferrell, is Ben Stiller all in small doses. There's things that they all done that's just totally hilarious. Tropic Thunder is perfect because Ben Stiller was so over-the-top in it. But usually him and Sandler come off as being the smug guys. And Will Ferrell sometimes Rises to the occasion and comes up with genius, but then he also does some bad movies too.

Oh now back to what we were actually talking about,

Other suggestions
Errol Flynn
Dana Andrews
Tyrone Power

 

[David Weicker]

Errol Flynn

Don’t know how I missed this on in my list