Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
#1
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Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
So doing the Humphrey Bogart poll also got me to thinking - who are the most iconic movie stars of all time?
Not necessarily the greatest actors of all time, but the biggest icons - movie STARS - of all time.
Is it Bogart? John Wayne? Clint Eastwood? Jack Nicholson? Clark Gable? Timothy Dalton?
OK, I'm kidding with that last one - even though I love the guy as an actor and, briefly, as a movie star.
If it's the BIGGEST icon of all time, I've got to go with John Wayne. Bogart had a great 20 year stretch, but Wayne was a star for four decades and was a larger than life figure.
Bogart and Eastwood certainly aren't far behind, IMO, but The Duke still has an iconic status that few do 30 years after their deaths.
Not necessarily the greatest actors of all time, but the biggest icons - movie STARS - of all time.
Is it Bogart? John Wayne? Clint Eastwood? Jack Nicholson? Clark Gable? Timothy Dalton?
OK, I'm kidding with that last one - even though I love the guy as an actor and, briefly, as a movie star.
If it's the BIGGEST icon of all time, I've got to go with John Wayne. Bogart had a great 20 year stretch, but Wayne was a star for four decades and was a larger than life figure.
Bogart and Eastwood certainly aren't far behind, IMO, but The Duke still has an iconic status that few do 30 years after their deaths.
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
Jimmy Stewart for me. (Sean Connery and Jack Nicholson are in there somewhere too)
Edit: oh, sorry, the mandatory answer is Heath Ledger.
Edit: oh, sorry, the mandatory answer is Heath Ledger.
Last edited by The Cow; 02-23-09 at 12:37 AM.
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
#8
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
Wow. I hadn't even considered him. I love Jimmy Stewart, but I don't think he's as iconic a figure as some other people. I would say he would probably be top 10, though... (Just my feelings, but they don't sell many t-shirts or posters of Jimmy Stewart, and they do sell t-shirts, posters, refrigerator magnets, calendars, and all sorts of other products like that for John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart.)
#9
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
More identifiable? Maybe as identifiable, but not more. Everyone knows John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, and Clint Eastwood's faces - from any point in their careers, and their careers were all much, much longer than hers was.
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
Wow. I hadn't even considered him. I love Jimmy Stewart, but I don't think he's as iconic a figure as some other people. I would say he would probably be top 10, though... (Just my feelings, but they don't sell many t-shirts or posters of Jimmy Stewart, and they do sell t-shirts, posters, refrigerator magnets, calendars, and all sorts of other products like that for John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart.)
You are probably on target with John Wayne. I tend to block out the last 20 years for "most whatever of all time things", but I do think Stallone (i guess he is beyond that, heh) would be in the same discussion 20 years from now. Not so much a great actor, but he is "iconic".
#13
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
Both Stallone AND Schwarzenegger are iconic and really should be part of the discussion. Both of them go back more than 30 years in films, as hard as that is to believe...
#14
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
Heck, even though he only made 4 films, Bruce Lee is probably more "iconic" than any actor mentionned so far. So you might want to change your topic to "Biggest American Movie Icon".
Last edited by eXcentris; 02-23-09 at 01:15 AM.
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
I think you're severely underestimating the popularity of John Wayne films around the world.
#16
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
I am not, but perhaps we do not share the same definition of "icon". An "icon" to me is someone that managed to transcend his sport/art to achieve popularity status outside his craft and his nation of origin. Muhammad Ali achieved that. So did Bruce Lee. John Wayne is the typical representation of the American hero. While he might be "iconic" in the US and he's certainly popular/recognizable elsewhere, he's not a worldwide "icon" in my book.
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
It's pretty hard to pick a defining one so here's a bunch of possible candidates:
Actors:
Jimmy Stewart
Humphrey Bogart
Gregory Peck
Cary Grant
Paul Newman
Marlon Brando
Charlton Heston
Clint Eastwood
John Wayne
Jack Nicholson
Actresses:
Katherine Hepburn
Marilyn Monroe
Bette Davis
Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly
Meryl Streep
Julie Andrews
Judy Garland
Actors:
Jimmy Stewart
Humphrey Bogart
Gregory Peck
Cary Grant
Paul Newman
Marlon Brando
Charlton Heston
Clint Eastwood
John Wayne
Jack Nicholson
Actresses:
Katherine Hepburn
Marilyn Monroe
Bette Davis
Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly
Meryl Streep
Julie Andrews
Judy Garland
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#24
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Re: Biggest Movie Icon Of All Time
Actually, no, it's not that hard. It's either John Wayne or Charlie Chaplin. And John Wayne is the only one whose name is also sort of an adjective. But Chaplin's last movie came out longer ago than Wayne. So it's a tie.