Actor association.....fill in the actor of today that reminds you of these actors of the old days...

[a kennedy]

Cary Grant = George Clooney. and that’s as far as I can go......
Jimmy Stewart =
Rock Hudson. =
Tony Curtis =
Fred Astaire. =
Paul Newman =

Lauren Bacall. =
Deborah Kerr =
Betty Davis =
Marilyn Monroe. =


Been watching a lot of TCM of late, and really miss some of these old actors male and female. Guess it is a different time now.....

[Freddie]

1. Jimmy Stewart Tom Hanks

[a kennedy]

2. Ya, I see that.......

Jimmy Stewart is one of my all time favorites.......

[dewsgirl]

3. Not great at this, Neil Patrick Harris Fred Astair.

[a kennedy]

5. Ya, ya, both song and dance men.......good.

[LisaM]

4. Lauren Bacall. Cate Blanchett

Her performance in "Carol" was a throwback to glamour days.

[a kennedy]

6. Have not seen Carol, but love Cate......great actor.

[LisaM]

7. I highly recommend it.

Along with the book it's based on. It got very unfairly buried at the Oscars.

[hibbing]

12. Carol

Such a quiet and interesting movie. Both women are gorgeous. Rooney Mara was so cute in that movie.


Peace

[Glorfindel]

8. Tony Curtis Robert Downey, Jr.

Deborah Kerr = Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley)

[femmocrat]

9. Does it seem to anyone else that this latest group of actors is not that memorable?

They kind of all look alike to me. Maybe it's because I haven't seen their movies. I kept seeing Idris Elba mentioned for "Sexiest Man" and I had no idea who he was.

Those old-time actors, and even the ones from the 1960s-70s-80s, seemed so much more glamorous and distinctive looking. (I sound like an old fogey.) I can visualize every one of those names, but wouldn't be able to identify any of the current crop of Ryans and Chrises.

[a kennedy]

10. Ha ha my husband says the same thing.......that they all look alike.

Even says that about country singers of today....he’s so old country, the true twang country singers.

[femmocrat]

11. Oh yes!

Not only do they look alike, to my untrained ear, they all sound alike!

[Thor_MN]

15. Primacy effect. The "Old-Time" actors are more memorable because you knew them first.

The Recency effect is diluted due to the broader spread of media. There simply are more actors now, so none of them are as memorable. Back then, the relatively smaller number of movie studios, the contract systems and virtual lack of any television productions like that that exist today, resulted in greater saturation of "stars". You saw the same actors in many more productions because that was the recipe for success then.

Today's actors are more concerned about type casting and studios are reluctant to go to "star power" due to budget concerns, today's star command a far higher salary than the contract actors of yore.

How could one possibly remember actors that they have never seen?

Being a very tail end 'boomer" (1962), I know the listed actors from seeing movies on TV and cable. If I asked my niece about any of the listed, she would know Jimmy Stewart solely due to "It's a Wonderful Life" and Marilyn Monroe due to static pictures only or people impersonating her. The others, she would not recognize at all. There are "stars" today that my response would be "Who is that?"

I believe that actors should be known for their own body of work and not as a rehashed version of a former actor. Stars are stars in their own right. The entire premise of this thread is flawed in my opinion. The greats of yesteryear will fade with the memory of those who made them great. They will be replaced by newer actors who will be much more memorable to the relevant generations, who will in turn fade and be replaced.

[malthaussen]

19. I'm sure it's just old-fogeyism...

.. but few actors of today seem to me to be able to summon the gravitas of actors of earlier days. Of course, there is the reverse problem: the Golden Age was plagued with overactors and poor technicians, whereas today even the children are seasoned professionals.

And there are some actors who are clearly brilliant, but they are immersed in a sea of pretty non-entities.

I'll agree that the premise of the thread is flawed. Any comparison is bound to make somebody wince. Or commit video-screen violence.

-- Mal

[smirkymonkey]

31. Yes, totally agree.

The new guard can't hold a candle to the glamorous stars of old Hollywood. Neither in talent or in star power.

[Orrex]

33. And these new stars won't get off of your lawn!

[pressbox69]

32. Even Johnny Depp and Leonardo D are getting old.

Seems most of the great actors these days are British or Australian.

[Drahthaardogs]

13. Paul Newman Brad Pitt

Very good to great actors who were both kind of pretty boys.

Rock Hudson = Tom Selleck, more rugged leading men type.

Betty Davis = Meryl Streep. Premier actresses of their time.

Marilyn Monroe = Jessica Simpson. Blonde bombshells who really cannot act but tremendous sex appeal.


What do you think?

[a kennedy]

14. These could be our winners so far.....all excellent....

Bravo Drahthaardogs.

[Drahthaardogs]

16. I would actually say Audrey Hepburn is closer to

Meryl Streep than Betty Davis, but it's close, maybe too close to call.

Anna Nicole Smith was always compared to Marilyn, but Smith never really acted in movies plus she has passed so I DQ'd her.

[malthaussen]

18. Audrey Hepburn and Meryl Streep?

In what way are these actresses comparable?

And please, it's Bette Davis, not "Betty."


There's a cute scene in "NCIS" where diNozzo is appalled at McGee because the latter doesn't know who Gary Cooper is. Sic transit gloria mundi, and Tuesday's not much better.

-- Mal

[Drahthaardogs]

20. Autocorrect does not like Bette

And Streep and Hepburn are both considered the top actresses of their generation. In terms of accomplishment, I think both are comparable.

[malthaussen]

22. Considering just academy awards...

Audrey has one and Meryl has four. As for nominations, there is no comparison. As to range -- well, I think Audrey was a lovable-enough gamin, but Meryl Streep can play anything and has played everything.

Now, Kate Hepburn has the same number of Oscars as Meryl Streep, but no one would accuse her of great range ("The full gamut of emotions from A to B," I believe Dorothy Parker said). She just did a good job playing Kate Hepburn. But in the sole criterion of being awarded the Oscar, she can match Meryl. But IMO, they aren't comparable as actresses, since Meryl has demonstrated considerably more range and depth.

-- Mal

[Drahthaardogs]

24. Considering Academy Awards is like using the Hall of Fame

As your sports criterion. Jerry Jones got in....

[malthaussen]

29. Oh, I agree...

... I think Halls of Fame basically suck. But comparing Oscars is a quasi-objective measure; in the absence of any other, it's okay for ballpark estimates.

But after all, Donald Trump has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, so we must be wary.

-- Mal

[sl8]

21. Gosh, I hope Gloria is feeling better.

Sorry to say, mass transit is not for everyone.

[whistler162]

17. Louis Armstrong - Forest Whitaker

Always thought he would do a good job in a bio picture of Satchmo.

[ChubbyStar]

23. Errol Flynn--Orlando Bloom

Gorgeous facial bones!

[Demoiselle]

25. I think it's almost impossible to compare today's actors with the actors of the old days..

Back in the old days, the movie star's persona was carefully crafted not just by the actor himself…but by the whole studio system. The system was a protection, of course, but it probably limited a few people as well.
Actors these days are out there pretty much on their own. (I feel I know George Clooney a bit. There's no way I can possibly really know Cary Grant. But I love them both.)

[Leith]

26. Here Are a Couple

Katherine Hepburn and Kate Mulgrew

Errol Flynn and Kevin Kline






YMMV

[a kennedy]

27. Wow.....those photos of Flynn and Kline are very similar

[Leith]

28. It Helps When You Have Dozens of Each to Choose From

and if you've seen Kline as the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance and Errol Flynn as Robin Hood.

[malthaussen]

30. That's true, that is...

... the same person can look completely different in another picture.

And let's not even talk about hair color... I have three pix of Lauren Bacall that Bogey took over a year's time. In the first she's blonde, in the second, brunette, and in the last she has auburn hair. Since Bogey called her "Reds" in a black-and-white film, I'm betting that the latter was her "real" hair color.

-- Mal

[red dog 1]

34. Jack Nicholson -- Christian Slater

Nicholson is not really "of the old days" like Jimmy Stewart, Tony Curtis or Rock Hudson,
but at 80 he's still going strong.
Christian Slater looks and talks like him, imo, and he's only 48

Scarlett Johansson reminds me of Ingrid Bergman

[a kennedy]

35. Yah, ive Heard Christians Jack and loved it........

[pressbox69]

37. Michael Keaton reminds me of Jack.

Something about the eyes and the delivery.

[wyldwolf]

36. Heddy Lamar - Gal Gadot

One was a beautiful non-American actress who some say was an inspiration for Wonder Woman's 'look.'
One is a beautiful non-American actress and IS Wonder Woman!

[pressbox69]

38. Liam Neeson is the current day Gary Cooper.

Neeson should do a remake of High Noon.