Summary
- Fred Astaire's "Top Hat" is a timeless classic with joyful musical numbers and iconic visuals.
- Greta Garbo's performance in "Ninotchka" showcases her versatility and comedic talent beautifully.
- Marlon Brando's role in "The Godfather" solidifies his lasting impact as a legendary actor.
Although the classic age of Hollywood cinema is now long-gone, its brightest stars created movies which are still being discovered by new fans decades later. In 1999, the American Film Institute curated a list of the greatest movie stars of classic Hollywood cinema. (via AFI) The list includes 25 men and 25 women who appeared in many of the greatest movies of all time.
While these stars have earned their place in history, they have such impressive bodies of work that it can often be hard to decide where to start. Despite their consistent excellence, some actors still have movies which stand out from the rest. They are not just their greatest movies. They are also a great introduction for any newcomers, as they show these classic Hollywood stars at the peak of their powers.
15 Great Classic Actors Whose Movies We Never Get Tired Of Watching
Hollywood's Golden Age may have finished long ago, but many classic movie actors from that period are still highly watchable even today.
10 Fred Astaire
Top Hat (1935)
"Cheek to Cheek" has since been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holliday, but the original version which appears in Top Hat has become iconic for its visual splendor.
Fred Astaire is perhaps the greatest dancer that Hollywood has ever known, and his movies with Ginger Rogers are a huge reason why. He and Rogers made 10 movies in total. Top Hat is one which has stood the test of time, and is just as charming for musical fans and newcomers almost 90 years later. Astaire plays an American tap dancer who travels to Britain to star in a West End show, but he becomes more consumed by his attempts to woo a local woman he meets.
Top Hat is a classic screwball comedy, with a series of risible misunderstandings and a few oafish side characters. Ultimately, the plot isn't as important to the movie's enduring appeal as its joyous musical numbers. "Cheek to Cheek" has since been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holliday, but the original version which appears in Top Hat has become iconic for its visual splendor, with Rogers' feathered dress and a lavish Old Hollywood set. "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" shows Astaire at his best without a partner.
Tom Holland's Fred Astaire Biopic Gets Encouraging Update From Director After 2 Years Of Silence
The upcoming Fred Astaire biopic starring Tom Holland gets an encouraging new update from director Paul King after two years of silence.
9 Greta Garbo
Ninotchka (1939)
Garbo is brilliant as the deadpan Soviet agent, and the role suggests that she could also have been one of the greatest comedy stars of the era if she had wanted to be.
Greta Garbo is one of a few movie stars who successfully rode out the transition from the silent era to "talkies," and she became known for her subtlety and emotional nuance, traits which aren't often associated with silent movies. She delivered a string of powerful dramatic performances in the 1930s, including in Mata Hari, Anna Karenina and Camille, so Ninotchka was an unexpected turn toward comedy.
Although it isn't the movie which best represents the whole picture of her career, Ninotchka is arguably Garbo's best and most entertaining work. She stars as an icy Soviet diplomat whose heart begins to thaw when she meets an American in Paris. Despite her dedication to her cause and her hatred of the west, Ninotchka relaxes her hard exterior. Garbo is brilliant as the deadpan Soviet agent, and the role suggests that she could also have been one of the greatest comedy stars of the era if she had wanted to be.