The Silver Screen Oasis

Gee, some of my favorites are detested here.
In any event I would have to choose Lauren Bacall and Jerry Lewis.

Number one on my list of course is Brando, followed by Chaplin and Gene Kelly. Chaplin just never struck me as funny no matter how many times I tried to watch his movies, and Graucho Marx falls in with him. Kelly seemed so egotistical, I couldn't stand to watch him on screen.

As for the 'ladies', Hedy Lamarr was too beautiful and knew it. Also, I didn't like Gretas' 'in your face' lesbianism.

Anne

Good Grief! I almost forgot Hanoy Jane.
It was difficult watching Edna May Oliver.

I think I must like my actors with a little arrogance seeing as I would name Chaplin, Gene Kelly and Marlon Brando in my top five watchable male stars

Chaplin depends for me on which films and which stage in his career. I dislike him in many of his shorts, especially in 1914, but the later shorts and features are a different story. I still have trouble with Fatty Arbuckle though, in anything. That's all probably sheer distance in time and culture though.

Irene Dunne, as I just posted on a different thread, came close to killing every film she was in for me. I can't give a single example of anything she did that I can appreciate on any level.

Joan Crawford annoys me but somehow I still enjoy what she does. From what I've read about her, that may be her real personality shining through into her characterisations. She wasn't Bette, but she wasn't bad.

I can appreciate Leslie Howard but he still frequently annoys me because of how wishy-washy everyone he seems to play ends up being, whether they're supposed to be or not.

I'm a big fan of Myrna Loy but the fact that her arms and body never move always annoy me.

I find that modern actors annoy me far more than classic actors. Nicolas Cage is the highest up that list but it's a long list.

Dawtrina wrote:I'm a big fan of Myrna Loy but the fact that her arms and body never move always annoy me.

And of course the day I finally say that aloud, even in a virtual sense, I see The Squall, where Myrna acts with every part of her body. I've heard that she despised her exotic period in the early sound era, but it would be difficult for any red blooded male not to enjoy performances like this one!

I thought Irene Dunne cloying but she could sing ( 'Showboat', 'Roberta' ).

mrsl wrote:
As for the 'ladies', Hedy Lamarr was too beautiful and knew it. Also, I didn't like Gretas' 'in your face' lesbianism.

Anne

Anne, could you please define your use of 'in your face'?

Al Jolson drives me up a wall. Ann Miller always comes across (at least to me) as thinking she was really "hot stuff".