My original plan was to do a top five list of today’s actors under thirty-five with more personality than the ShamWow! guy, but you can only tap your chin so long.
To try and explain away the fact that the true movie star is fast becoming extinct, a few apologists over the years have tossed out the excuse that there’s no way today’s celebrities, er, uhm, actors can compete with their historical counterparts because color, unlike black and white, makes them too human and thus brings them down to earth. It would be foolish to completely dismiss that idea, but not as foolish as raising it before, oh, say, a lack of presence, talent, and most of all, class. Of course, if you’re determined to hold that position you must also believe that putting Ashton and the Jessica-of-the-day in a good noir film would change everything.
Well, here they are, ten of the most beautiful movie stars ever bestowed on us “brought down to earth” by color. You be the judge.
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For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) – Color, no color, if Ingrid Bergman asked me “where the noses go” I’d pass out from the vapors. It might have been producer David O. Selznick going for publicity, but he said Bergman’s skin was so perfect she didn’t need make-up for the camera. If you know anything different, keep it to yourself, I prefer the legend.
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Dodge City (1939) – Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn on screen together, especially in color, is about as beautiful a sight as you’ll ever see. Director Michael Curtiz (who helmed Flynn’s best films) stages this scene perfectly. He makes us wait for the close-ups, making those ten seconds after 1:27 really hit home. Now we’re all in love right along with our lead characters.
Believe it or not, there’s an even better close-up of de Havilland earlier in the film. One of the greatest ever, but it’s not on YouTube.
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The Quiet Man (1952) – Tell me again how John Wayne can’t act. No, really do, because I don’t believe for a second that he’s now so deeply in love with Maureen O’Hara she has the power to ruin him like Ava did Frank. And Maureen O’Hara in color? Completely ordinary.
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Rear Window (1954) – What was it about the Classic Hollywood in-and-out-of-focus close up that worked so well? Maybe it was Grace Kelly.
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Blood and Sand (1941) – The angel at 1:18 making you want to get to work on that time machine is Linda Darnell. Rita Hayworth is in the film, as well. The movie’s not very good, but the stars keep me coming back.
Even when “brought down to earth” in color.
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