Compared to the Hollywood greats how do today's male stars stack up?

Question

Burt Lancaster..Spencer Tracy..Kirk Douglas..Jack Lemmon..William Holden.Robert Ryan and others only have comparisons today in De Niro,Pacino and possibly Hackman and Eastwood.Do you think the pretty boy brigade of Di Caprio,Clooney,Depp etc.are as good?

Answer 1

Hard to say. The face of Hollywood, itself, has changed drastically. While the Hollywood greats reigned during a time where films actually had substance (not necessarily to say that today's films don't, but most films DO lack substance and are primarily made to make money), todays leading males do hold their own in Hollywood. People like Sean Penn, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe (despite his attitude), and Johnny Depp have pulled great performances and have gone beyond the "pretty boy" image.

Unfortunately for them, many of these actors are either typecasted or merely make horrible mistakes in choosing their next roles, but they can't be wholly blamed considering that the film industry has changed so much.

However, I do have a soft spot for the Hollywood Greats (Lemmon, Newman, McQueen). :)

Answer 2

I'm not sure about the Kirk Douglas and Jack Lemmon, but I do like certain actors that bring in different charactersitics to the movies of today, like Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, and Clooney's Daniel Ocean, and Jim Carry's Grinch, not only that, but Sean Penn in The Weight of Water, and Di Caprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, I think the depth of acting is what is important to me, not the pretty boy image, I'm sure in your time people like Kirk Douglas and Jack Lemmon were Pretty Rugged or today's standard of pretty boy, but I think it is wrong to make comparisons when the art of what is said is truely present without time. I think the looks you see from Di Caprio is a look of professionalism on the red carpet to a ball game jeans and t-shirt. It just depends on what they are doing.

Answer 3

Maybe it's just me, but it seems not, judging by your answers, that back then, they were real men, who had often served in World War Two.
Being in a war, changes people, they have seen it all, and seen the horror of war. It made them what they were, tough, and hard, when needed and it showed.
Not all the big stars of that era served, John Wayne didn't, and a few others didn't either.
But they lived through the depression and the world war. So they were tough and survivors, unlike the guys we have now.
Some of todays leading men, are pretty good actors and can hold their own, George Clooney for one, but he's been in the business a long time, and knows that era, and respects it.
Movies, are now made for teenagers, who are the ones, that go to see them, so they look for someone more like them.
Luckily we do have all those great films to watch on DVDs and Movie channels.

Answer 4

I was about to agree that they don't, and then you named Clooney. He does. So does Russell Crowe. But these two guys are just a hint of what the male persona of Hollywood used to be.

I honestly believe that if Johnny Depp wanted to, he could become another major icon, however he has make a xconscious decision to turn his back on those kinds of films. He likes the quikiness too much.

In your list of icons you forgot to emntion Steve McQueen. I recently worked on a documentary about who today embodies the "essence of cool" and the "tough guy pesona" McQueen brought to screens. The only person who came close was Russell Crowe.

Most don't, but there are a few. I blame the Hollywood machine for the decline, not the actors themselves.

Answer 5

that is boring, tacky, and lacks marvel value. The storylines aren't any more interesting like they use to be. There are merely some surprises anymore and each and every thing is made to be noticeably predictable. it really is a company made up with strong wrestlers with poor gimmicks. i imagine a sensible company decision will be to carry back the guidelines-set era utilizing their modern-day roster. i'd anticipate extra interesting programming in the adventure that they all started up the guidelines-set era with the skills they now have (John Cena, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Curtis Axel, Cesaro, Jack Swagger, Sheamus, etc). It does no longer be complicated to do,

Answer 6

I don't think any of those guys match up but I do think Tom Hanks has done nothing but grow and will continue to do so. Russel Crowe is excellent as well, despite his temper. Clooney has some growing to do as an actor but I wouldn't write him off completely. Depp has done some good parts but there again he needs to mature a bit more. DiCaprio is a write off. He can't act his way out of a paper bag.

Answer 7

The current group is not necessarily any better, nor are the earlier generation of leading men. They are different from each other. It's sad that Tom Cruise is considered by many to be the top box office draw in the world. His talent is minimal.

Answer 8

i think in about 30 years time, they will be rated as highly as the old Hollywood greats.

Answer 9

no nobody good ever compete against the likes of cary grant / james stuart/ john wayne etc etc

Answer 10

Don't mention anybody old