Top Ten Hollywood Movie Stars of All Time

I was watching television the other night, and there was some awards show on. (I couldn't even tell you which one it was, they all look so similar. I'm fairly certain that if you just spliced together segments from five different awards shows into one long program, no one watching would be able to tell.) So I watched, remote teetering precariously in my hand, mouth slightly open, eyes glazed with indifference, for about three minutes as some sparkling sequins in the shape of a woman bantered on inanely about concepts fed to her from an unseen tele-prompter. She really seemed to have no clue as to the ideals the prompter aspoused, as was evident to me as she faltered over several multi-syllabic words. Who is this chick, I wondered. Should I know her? Is she important? Is she on TV or in movies, or what? I mean, am I so far removed from the entertainment loop now that there's a whole new crop of talent that I'm completely unaware of?
And as she stumbled on, faigning composure after her third mispronounciation, I found her so mindless; so inconsequential; that it got me thinking. (Ok, it got me mad and then it got me thinking. That's how it works.) But here's what I realized: There are no Stars left in Hollywood.

There.
I said it.
Somebody had to. We used to have Stars, but not any more. Paul Newman's death was a harbinger; a tolling of an iron bell sounding the end of a Hollywood as we once knew it. We used to have Celebrities. They were the Royalty of the American Cultural landscape. We cared about what they did, where they went, what they ate, and who they were. (When Clark Gable disrobed in "It Happened One Night" and he wasn't wearing a tee-shirt, national tee-shirt sales for men dropped by 30%.) But now we have nothing; bupkiss; dick.


As a society, we have replaced the once brilliant luminessence of our celebrity Milky Way with the dim, christmas-bulbed flicker of pop idols and two-dimensional pan flashes. The tintilation of behind the scenes gossip has been replaced by smutty who's-the-daddy scandal that passes for "entertainment news." At 7:00 pm nightly, this parade of cultural clap-trap is spewed out by self-indulgent automotons like Ryan Seacrest who hurl jagged headlines at us in rapid succession, so quickly and with such ablomp that we become covered in it; layers of it; hardening around us like a thick insullation of shit. We become jaded to the boldness and audacity of teenagers and young adults with little to no accernable talent who now pass as the closest thing we have to stars.


And they are not. They are not Stars. Stars have class. Stars have dignity. Stars have a sense of personal privacy and societal mores. Stars are afraid of shame, but have the guts to stand up on their own when the going is tough. I don't see a lot of that anymore.


Stars appear in movies and legitimate television programs; not cable-based abominations and scripted "reality shows." Stars gain respect for their accomplishments and reputations for their blunders; they don't become famous simply by appearing in front of cameras and labelling themselves celebrities. (Here's a hint: If you've ever called yourself a Diva...You're Not. Look up the definition of the word before you apply it. Aretha Franklin is a Diva. Paris Hilton is not.) Stars contribute to the cultural touchstones of our American fabric; they are not the loose strings on the fraid edges of fringe belief systems adding no more to the lexicon than fart referrences. Stars have legacy, not infamey. Stars are filmed, not digitally recorded on cell phones.


It is a tremendous honor and responsibility to be a Star, and to shoulder that golden burden every day, every where. And if you can't do that, then don't apply for the job. And don't apply if you don't have a resume, either. Respect used to have to be earned. We ain't giving it away just because you decided you'd get out of bed today.


So here, for once and for all, and for use as a back-board for all of the wannabes, woulda-beens, posers, and poor excuses, is the definitive collection of Hollywood Stars.
This is the Top Ten American Movie Stars of All Time.


First off, let me eliminate the Icons. Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Wayne. Sorry, but I'm talking about Movie Stars here; not American Icons of Film History. Dean was a great actor, true, but he never had the opportunity to explore the depth or range of his potential to make his way into my list. He died before he'd done half a dozen films! Sorry! Movie Stars have Legs. They are not Shooting Stars. They are fixtures in the constellation called Hollywood. And I took into account not only acting chops, but also diversity in subject matter. Bruce Willis makes damn interesting choices in the roles he plays, as did James Cagney. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, on the other hand, as much as I personally love them, generally play themselves in their movies.

So let's sum it up. Stars have legs, chops, humility, strength, and a commitment to their craft that is endless and boundless, if not sometimes quiet and restrained. They are not one trick ponies, flashes in the celebrity pan, or self-important jerk offs. And with that said, here, in no particular order, are the Top Ten American Movie Stars of All Time.

Bette Davis
Robert DeNiro
Douglas Fairbanks
Meryl Streep
Paul Newman
James Stewart
Tom Cruise
Jack Lemmon
Anthony Quinn
Katherine Hepburn

I'm sure that should get a few of you fired up.
Please. Tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing your thoughts....