Top Ten Money Making Stars Since 1932

[Brief Encounter]

I've taken this away from the Baby Jane thread. That Radio 4 drama got me thinking about the actual box-office popularity of the stars, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The popular legend is that they ruled the roost for years.



According to the Quigley site:

Top Ten Money Making Stars - Poll Results

(you need to register!)



These lists are based on votes from cinema exhibitors in the USA alone, as far as I can tell.



Crawford last appeared in the top 10 for 1936! (7th.) Prior to that: 1935 (5) 1934 (6) 1933 (10) 1932 (3). That was the year the poll began.



Bette Davis' last appearance was in 1944 (10th). Prior to that: 1941 (8) 1940 (9) 1939 (6).



The polls really do tell a different story.



I recall Bette was in the UK top 10 in the post-war period. I'd be interested to know how well both she and Joan did overall here.



Any idea why Barbara Stanwyck is not featured, Ray? (This isn't a dig - it's a serious question, I'm curious!)



The polls really are interesting though. Judy Garland only appears a few times and never higher than 9th. Katherine Hepburn is only there once - in 1969! Marilyn Monroe's showing is fairly average. Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Sophia Loren, Carole Lombard, Ava Gardner and Marlene Dietrich make no appearance at all.



I took these names from this listing, which seems pretty definitive in terms of the stars now deemed 'legends':

AFI's 100 Years?100 Stars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



As for the men, no appearances in the box-office lists for Henry Fonda, Laurence Olivier, Gene Kelly, Orson Welles, Kirk Douglas, James Dean, The Marx Brothers, Robert Mitchum, Edward G. Robinson.



It's fair to exclude Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mary Pickford, since they were at their peak before 1932.



The greatest disparity between the lists is the fact that several of the all-time biggest stars at the box-office - Doris Day, Mickey Rooney, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis and Bing Crosby - aren't anywhere in the AFI poll.



It came as quite a shock to me that the Hollywood 'legends' don't seem to have been as big in their day as they are now!



Is the answer to all this simply that many of the 'popular' films, and the stars' appeal, have dated badly? Or am I looking too deeply to suggest that the media tend to choose who we like? Audrey Hepburn, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe have been turned into icons due to the memorabilia and endless repeats of their films.



I'm also inclined to believe that certain stars have gathered bigger 'cult followings' over the years, especially Bette and Joan!

[eddie badger]

I would have though Harrison Ford would have been in the top ten.

[Ray]

Good question Theo, Barbara was never attached to any one studio for very long, she preferred to freelance, and at one time had short term contracts with Columbia and Warners. This had it's advantages, certainly financially, in 1944 the U.S Treasury announced that she had been the highest paid woman in the USA, earning $323,333, which was a phenominal amount at that time. Both Bette and Joan had financial problems in old age, Barbara was financially secure all of her working life. It was said of her that she never cared about being in the Top Ten, all she cared about was the work, not how popular she was. Although ironically by 1966 she had won two Emmy's as TV's favourite actress, and a whole new career had opened up for her.



The disadvanteges of not having the backing of a big studio was when Oscar time came around. As an example of what a studio like Warners can do for you, Their publicity machine told powerful columnist Hedda Hopper that Crawford was giving an Oscar worthy performance as Mildred Pierce, and this was in the first week of shooting. Hopper boosted Joan in her column, and by the time Oscar time came around it was certain that she would win. Plus, she had been around for almost 20 years and she had deserved it before.



Bette had problems with Warners, as you probably know. So did Olivia de Havilland, although she took them to court and won.



Being a Top Box Office Star could also be a jinx, Mickey Rooney was the Worlds Number One Box Office star in 1939 and 1940, by 1950 he had trouble getting a job.



Cary Grant was another star who freelanced, and he only managed to get into the bottom of the Top Ten just once, and he was just about the greatest leading man in the history of the cinema. So you see, it really wasn't that important, what mattered was how long that stardom lasted, and for most of those that I mentioned it lasted until they died.

[Brief Encounter]

Thanks for the interesting post Ray. You're probably right. The thing to remember is that these lists are the stars which exhibitors felt guaranteed bums on seats in cinemas. Everyone would go to see a Bing Crosby or Doris Day picture no matter what it was. But perhaps with a Barbara Stanwyck or a Bette Davis type star, it was more dependent on each film's merits to get audiences in. Perhaps in their day, they didn't have the dedicated following they later acquired!

[batman]

name='Ray'] So you see, it really wasn't that important, what mattered was how long that stardom lasted, and for most of those that I mentioned it lasted until they died.

I agree with that .... apart from those (like James Dean or Jean Harlow) who died very young but remain popular today, for me a real star is someone who can stay at or near the top for a long time and appeal to more than one generation of film lovers. The 'shooting stars' may not have lived to enjoy long careers, but their films have been enjoyed for over fifty+ years, that's real stardom.

[Moor Larkin]

There's an awful lot of cause and effect in those numbers.... Burt Reynolds at all-time joint Number 2...........



1 Tom Cruise 7

2 Bing Crosby (Tie) 5

Burt Reynolds (Tie) 5

Clint Eastwood (Tie) 5







I'm not sure what it all means..........



I can imagine that so far as the stars themselves are concerned that they all made huge amounts of money, but some spent and looked after it differently.

[Ray]

I believe that John Wayne holds the all time record for the Star most consistently in the Top Ten. From 1949 to 1974, the only year he was missing in that time was 1958. He topped the Poll in 1950, 51, 54, and 1974. My records only go up to 1980, so maybe Clint has overtaken him as he began showing up every year from 1975 to 1980.

[will.15]

Some of those performers on the top ten made a lot more movies per year than actors who we would regard as bigger stars. When Abbott and Costello started out they made four movies in one year.



Mickey Rooney was on the list when he was still making The Andy Hardy series, which was MGM's idea of a B series.

[Ray]

name='Brief Encounter']Thanks for the interesting post Ray. You're probably right. The thing to remember is that these lists are the stars which exhibitors felt guaranteed bums on seats in cinemas. Everyone would go to see a Bing Crosby or Doris Day picture no matter what it was. But perhaps with a Barbara Stanwyck or a Bette Davis type star, it was more dependent on each film's merits to get audiences in. Perhaps in their day, they didn't have the dedicated following they later acquired!

Theo, the 1940's was certainly the Golden Age of the cinema. The war had a lot to do with it, nearly everyone went to the cinema to escape the awful reality of everyday life. Bette, Barbara and Joan were at their peak, and their films were especially popular with women who were often left on their own, and the only romance they got was at the cinema. 1946 was the record year for bums on seats, and after that it gradually changed. TV was already popular in America, although it never really took off here until 1953, Coronation year.



Even in the Golden Age there was never usually more than two or three women in the top Ten, and by 1957 not a single actress was on the list. By 1959 the next generation of actresses like Liz Taylor and Doris Day were starting to show up. I haven't looked at recent years as I can't say that I am really interested, but I would take a guess that the actress to feature most regularly would be Meryl Streep.

[will.15]

Julia Roberts was a top draw for many years.

[Brief Encounter]

I might as well post the lists, I can't see anything to say I shouldn't!



Top Ten All-Time Poll of Money-Making Stars

Position Years on List

1 John Wayne 25

2 Clint Eastwood 21

3 Tom Cruise 20

4 Gary Cooper 18

5 Clark Gable 16

6 Bing Crosby 15

7 Paul Newman 14

8 Mel Gibson (Tie) 13

Bob Hope (Tie) 13

Jerry Lewis (Tie) 13

Tom Hanks (Tie) 13



All Time Number One Stars

Position Years #1

1 Tom Cruise 7

2 Bing Crosby (Tie) 5

Burt Reynolds (Tie) 5

Clint Eastwood (Tie) 5

Tom Hanks (Tie) 5

6 Doris Day (Tie) 4

John Wayne (Tie) 4

Shirley Temple (Tie) 4

9 Mickey Rooney (Tie) 3

Robert Redford (Tie) 3



Top Ten Money Making Stars



2009

1 Sandra Bullock

2 Johnny Depp

3 Matt Damon

4 George Clooney

5 Robert Downey Jr.

6 Tom Hanks

7 Meryl Streep

8 Brad Pitt

9 Shia LaBeouf

10 Denzel Washington



2008

1 Will Smith

2 Robert Downey Jr.

3 Christian Bale

4 Shia La Beouf

5 Harrison Ford

6 Adam Sandler

7 Reese Witherspoon

8 George Clooney

9 Angelina Jolie

10 Daniel Craig



2007

1 Johnny Depp

2 Will Smith

3 George Clooney

4 Matt Damon

5 Denzel Washington

6 Russell Crowe

7 Tom Cruise

8 Nicholas Cage

9 Will Ferrell

10 Tom Hanks



2006

1 Johnny Depp

2 Leonardo DiCaprio

3 Will Smith

3 Denzel Washington

5 Tom Hanks

6 George Clooney

7 Will Ferrell

8 Tom Cruise

9 Dakota Fanning

10 Sacha Baron Cohen



2005

1 Tom Cruise

2 Johnny Depp

3 Angelina Jolie

3 Brad Pitt

5 Vince Vaughn

6 George Clooney

7 Will Smith

8 Reese Witherspoon

9 Adam Sandler

10 Tom Hanks



2004

1 Tom Hanks

2 Tom Cruise

3 Leonardo Di Caprio

4 Nicholas Cage

5 Jim Carrey

6 Denzel Washington

7 Julia Roberts

8 Will Smith

9 Brad Pitt

10 Adam Sandler



2003

1 Jim Carrey

2 Nicole Kidman

3 Jack Nicholson

4 Tom Cruise

5 Julia Roberts

6 Johnny Depp

7 Russell Crowe

8 Tom Hanks

9 Will Ferrell

10 Renee Zellweger



2002

1 Tom Hanks

2 Tom Cruise

3 Mike Myers

4 Reese Witherspoon

5 Leonardo Di Caprio

6 Nicole Kidman

7 Catherine Zeta-Jones

8 Denzel Washington

9 Mel Gibson

10 Vin Diesel



2001

1 Tom Cruise

2 George Clooney

3 Julia Roberts

4 Russell Crowe

5 Nicole Kidman

6 Denzel Washington

7 Will Smith

8 Brad Pitt

9 Ben Affleck

10 Jackie Chan



2000

1 Tom Cruise

2 Julia Roberts

3 George Clooney

4 Eddie Murphy

5 Russell Crowe

6 Mel Gibson

7 Martin Lawrence

8 Tom Hanks

9 Jim Carrey

10 Harrison Ford



1999

1 Julia Roberts

2 Tom Hanks

3 Adam Sandler

4 Bruce Willis

5 Mike Myers

6 Tom Cruise

7 Will Smith

8 Mel Gibson

9 Meg Ryan

10 Sandra Bullock



1998

1 Tom Hanks

2 Jim Carrey

3 Leonardo Di Caprio

4 Robin Williams

5 Meg Ryan

6 Mel Gibson

7 Adam Sandler

8 Eddie Murphy

9 Cameron Diaz

10 Julia Roberts



1997

1 Harrison Ford

2 Julia Roberts

3 Leonardo Di Caprio

4 Will Smith

5 Tom Cruise

6 Jack Nicholson

7 Jim Carrey

8 John Travolta

9 Robin Williams

10 Tommy Lee Jones



1996

1 Tom Cruise (Tie)

1 Mel Gibson (Tie)

3 John Travolta

4 Arnold Schwarzenegger

5 Sandra Bullock

6 Robin Williams

7 Sean Connery

8 Harrison Ford

9 Kevin Costner

10 Michelle Pfeiffer



1995

1 Tom Hanks

2 Jim Carrey

3 Brad Pitt

4 Harrison Ford

5 Robin Williams

6 Sandra Bullock

7 Mel Gibson

8 Demi Moore

9 John Travolta

10 Kevin Costner (Tie)

10 Michael Douglas (Tie)



1994

1 Tom Hanks

2 Jim Carrey

3 Arnold Schwarzenegger

4 Tom Cruise

5 Harrison Ford

6 Tim Allen

7 Mel Gibson

8 Jodie Foster

9 Michael Douglas

10 Tommy Lee Jones



1993

1 Clint Eastwood

2 Tom Cruise

3 Robin Williams

4 Kevin Costner

5 Harrison Ford

6 Julia Roberts

7 Tom Hanks

8 Mel Gibson

9 Whoopi Goldberg

10 Sylvester Stallone



1992

1 Tom Cruise

2 Mel Gibson

3 Kevin Costner

4 Jack Nicholson

5 Macaulay Culkin

6 Whoopi Goldberg

7 Michael Douglas

8 Clint Eastwood

9 Steven Seagal

10 Robin Williams



1991

1 Kevin Costner

2 Arnold Schwarzenegger

3 Robin Williams

4 Julia Roberts

5 Macaulay Culkin

6 Jodie Foster

7 Billy Crystal

8 Dustin Hoffman

9 Robert De Niro

10 Mel Gibson



1990

1 Arnold Schwarzenegger

2 Julia Roberts

3 Bruce Willis

4 Tom Cruise

5 Mel Gibson

6 Kevin Costner

7 Patrick Swayze

8 Sean Connery

9 Harrison Ford

10 Richard Gere



1989

1 Jack Nicholson

2 Tom Cruise

3 Robin Williams

4 Michael Douglas

5 Tom Hanks

6 Michael J. Fox

7 Eddie Murphy

8 Mel Gibson

9 Sean Connery

10 Kathleen Turner



1988

1 Tom Cruise

2 Eddie Murphy

3 Tom Hanks

4 Arnold Schwarzenegger

5 Paul Hogan

6 Danny De Vito

7 Bette Midler

8 Robin Williams

9 Tom Selleck

10 Dustin Hoffman



1987

1 Eddie Murphy

2 Michael Douglas

3 Michael J. Fox

4 Arnold Schwarzenegger

5 Paul Hogan

6 Tom Cruise

7 Glenn Close

8 Sylvester Stallone

9 Cher

10 Mel Gibson



1986

1 Tom Cruise

2 Eddie Murphy

3 Paul Hogan

4 Rodney Dangerfield

5 Bette Midler

6 Sylvester Stallone

7 Clint Eastwood

8 Whoopi Goldberg

9 Kathleen Turner

10 Paul Newman



1985

1 Sylvester Stallone

2 Eddie Murphy

3 Clint Eaastwood

4 Michael J. Fox

5 Chevy Chase

6 Arnold Schwarzenegger

7 Chuck Norris

8 Harrison Ford

9 Michael Douglas

10 Meryl Streep



1984

1 Clint Eastwood

2 Bill Murray

3 Harrison Ford

4 Eddie Murphy

5 Sally Field

6 Burt Reynolds

7 Robert Redford

8 Prince

9 Dan Aykroyd

10 Meryl Streep



1983

1 Clint Eastwood

2 Eddie Murphy

3 Sylvester Stallone

4 Burt Reynolds

5 John Travolta

6 Dustin Hoffman

7 Harrison Ford

8 Richard Gere

9 Chevy Chase

10 Tom Cruise



1982

1 Burt Reynolds

2 Clint Eastwood

3 Sylvester Stallone

4 Dudley Moore

5 Richard Pryor

6 Dolly Parton

7 Jane Fonda

8 Richard Gere

9 Paul Newman

10 Harrison Ford



1981

1 Burt Reynolds

2 Clint Eastwood

3 Dudley Moore

4 Dolly Parton

5 Jane Fonda

6 Harrison Ford

7 Alan Alda

8 Bo Derek

9 Goldie Hawn

10 Bill Murray



1980

1 Burt Reynolds

2 Robert Redford

3 Clint Eastwood

4 Jane Fonda

5 Dustin Hoffman

6 John Travolta

7 Sally Field

8 Sissy Spacek

9 Barbra Streisand

10 Steve Martin



1979

1 Burt Reynolds

2 Clint Eastwood

3 Jane Fonda

4 Woody Allen

5 Barbra Streisand

6 Sylvester Stallone

7 John Travolta

8 Jill Clayburgh

9 Roger Moore

10 Mel Brooks



1978

1 Burt Reynolds

2 John Travolta

3 Richard Dreyfuss

4 Warren Beatty

5 Clint Eastwood

6 Woody Allen

7 Diane Keaton

8 Jane Fonda

9 Peter Sellers

10 Barbra Streisand



1977

1 Sylvester Stallone

2 Barbra Streisand

3 Clint Eastwood

4 Burt Reynolds

5 Robert Redford

6 Woody Allen

7 Mel Brooks

8 Al Pacino

9 Diane Keaton

10 Robert De Niro



1976

1 Robert Redford

2 Jack Nicholson

3 Dustin Hoffman

4 Clint Eastwood

5 Mel Brooks

6 Burt Reynolds

7 Al Pacino

8 Tatum O?Neal

9 Woody Allen

10 Charles Bronson



1975

1 Robert Redford

2 Barbra Streisand

3 Al Pacino

4 Charles Bronson

5 Paul Newman

6 Clint Eastwood

7 Burt Reynolds

8 Woody Allen

9 Steve McQueen

10 Gene Hackman



1974

1 Robert Redford

2 Clint Eastwood

3 Paul Newman

4 Barbra Streisand

5 Steve McQueen

6 Burt Reynolds

7 Charles Bronson

8 Jack Nicholson

9 Al Pacino

10 John Wayne



1973

1 Clint Eastwood

2 Ryan O?Neal

3 Steve McQueen

4 Burt Reynolds

5 Robert Redford

6 Barbra Streisand

7 Paul Newman

8 Charles Bronson

9 John Wayne

10 Marlon Brando



1972

1 Clint Eastwood

2 George C. Scott

3 Gene Hackman

4 John Wayne

5 Barbra Streisand

6 Marlon Brando

7 Paul Newman

8 Steve McQueen

9 Dustin Hoffman

10 Goldie Hawn



1971

1 John Wayne

2 Clint Eastwood

3 Paul Newman

4 Steve McQueen

5 George C. Scott

6 Dustin Hoffman

7 Walter Matthau

8 Ali MacGraw

9 Sean Connery

10 Lee Marvin



1970

1 Paul Newman

2 Clint Eastwood

3 Steve McQueen

4 John Wayne

5 Elliott Gould

6 Dustin Hoffman

7 Lee Marvin

8 Jack Lemmon

9 Barbra Streisand

10 Walter Matthau



1969

1 Paul Newman

2 John Wayne

3 Steve McQueen

4 Dustin Hoffman

5 Clint Eastwood

6 Sidney Poitier

7 Lee Marvin

8 Jack Lemmon

9 Katharine Hepburn

10 Barbra Streisand



1968

1 Sidney Poitier

2 Paul Newman

3 Julie Andrews

4 John Wayne

5 Clint Eastwood

6 Dean Martin

7 Steve McQueen

8 Jack Lemmon

9 Lee Marvin

10 Elizabeth Taylor



1967

1 Julie Andrews

2 Lee Marvin

3 Paul Newman

4 Dean Martin

5 Sean Connery

6 Elizabeth Taylor

7 Sidney Poitier

8 John Wayne

9 Richard Burton

10 Steve McQueen



1966

1 Julie Andrews

2 Sean Connery

3 Elizabeth Taylor

4 Jack Lemmon

5 Richard Burton

6 Cary Grant

7 John Wayne

8 Doris Day

9 Paul Newman

10 Elvis Presley



1965

1 Sean Connery

2 John Wayne

3 Doris Day

4 Julie Andrews

5 Jack Lemmon

6 Elvis Presley

7 Cary Grant

8 James Stewart

9 Elizabeth Taylor

10 Richard Burton



1964

1 Doris Day

2 Jack Lemmon

3 Rock Hudson

4 John Wayne

5 Cary Grant

6 Elvis Presley

7 Shirley MacLaine

8 Ann-Margret

9 Paul Newman

10 Richard Burton



1963

1 Doris Day

2 John Wayne

3 Rock Hudson

4 Jack Lemmon

5 Cary Grant

6 Elizabeth Taylor

7 Elvis Presley

8 Sandra Dee

9 Paul Newman

10 Jerry Lewis



1962

1 Doris Day

2 Rock Hudson

3 Cary Grant

4 John Wayne

5 Elvis Presley

6 Elizabeth Taylor

7 Jerry Lewis

8 Frank Sinatra

9 Sandra Dee

10 Burt Lancaster



1961

1 Elizabeth Taylor

2 Rock Hudson

3 Doris Day

4 John Wayne

5 Cary Grant

6 Sandra Dee

7 Jerry Lewis

8 William Holden

9 Tony Curtis

10 Elvis Presley



1960

1 Doris Day

2 Rock Hudson

3 Cary Grant

4 Elizabeth Taylor

5 Debbie Reynolds

6 Tony Curtis

7 Sandra Dee

8 Frank Sinatra

9 Jack Lemmon

10 John Wayne



1959

1 Rock Hudson

2 Cary Grant

3 James Stewart

4 Doris Day

5 Debbie Reynolds

6 Glenn Ford

7 Frank Sinatra

8 John Wayne

9 Jerry Lewis

10 Susan Hayward



1958

1 Glenn Ford

2 Elizabeth Taylor

3 Jerry Lewis

4 Marlon Brando

5 Rock Hudson

6 William Holden

7 Bridgitte Bardot

8 Yul Brynner

9 James Stewart

10 Frank Sinatra



1957

1 Rock Hudson

2 John Wayne

3 Pat Boone

4 Elvis Presley

5 Frank Sinatra

6 Gary Cooper

7 William Holden

8 James Stewart

9 Jerry Lewis

10 Yul Brynner



1956

1 William Holden

2 John Wayne

3 James Stewart

4 Burt Lancaster

5 Glenn Ford

6 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

7 Gary Cooper

8 Marilyn Monroe

9 Kim Novak

10 Frank Sinatra



1955

1 James Stewart

2 Grace Kelly

3 John Wayne

4 William Holden

5 Gary Cooper

6 Marlon Brando

7 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

8 Humphrey Bogart

9 June Allyson

10 Clark Gable



1954

1 John Wayne

2 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

3 Gary Cooper

4 James Stewart

5 Marilyn Monroe

6 Alan Ladd

7 William Holden

8 Bing Crosby

9 Jane Wyman

10 Marlon Brando



1953

1 Gary Cooper

2 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

3 John Wayne

4 Alan Ladd

5 Bing Crosby

6 Marilyn Monroe

7 James Stewart

8 Bob Hope

9 Susan Hayward

10 Randolph Scott



1952

1 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

2 Gary Cooper

3 John Wayne

4 Bing Crosby

5 Bob Hope

6 James Stewart

7 Doris Day

8 Gregory Peck

9 Susan Hayward

10 Randolph Scott



1951

1 John Wayne

2 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

3 Betty Grable

4 Abbott & Costello

5 Bing Crosby

6 Bob Hope

7 Randolph Scott

8 Gary Cooper

9 Doris Day

10 Spencer Tracy



1950

1 John Wayne

2 Bob Hope

3 Bing Crosby

4 Betty Grable

5 James Stewart

6 Abbott & Costello

7 Clifton Webb

8 Esther Williams

9 Spencer Tracy

10 Randolph Scott



1949

1 Bob Hope

2 Bing Crosby

3 Abbott & Costello

4 John Wayne

5 Gary Cooper

6 Cary Grant

7 Betty Grable

8 Esther Williams

9 Humphrey Bogart

10 Clark Gable



1948

1 Bing Crosby

2 Betty Grable

3 Abbott & Costello

4 Gary Cooper

5 Bob Hope

6 Humphrey Bogart

7 Clark Gable

8 Cary Grant

9 Spencer Tracy

10 Ingrid Bergman



1947

1 Bing Crosby

2 Betty Grable

3 Ingrid Bergman

4 Gary Cooper

5 Humphrey Bogart

6 Bob Hope

7 Clark Gable

8 Gregory Peck

9 Claudette Colbert

10 Alan Ladd



1946

1 Bing Crosby

2 Ingrid Bergman

3 Van Johnson

4 Gary Cooper

5 Bob Hope

6 Humphrey Bogart

7 Greer Garson

8 Margaret O'Brien

9 Betty Grable

10 Roy Rogers



1945

1 Bing Crosby

2 Van Johnson

3 Greer Garson

4 Betty Grable

5 Spencer Tracy

6 Humphrey Bogart (Tie)

6 Gary Cooper (Tie)

8 Bob Hope

9 Judy Garland

10 Margaret O'Brien



1944

1 Bing Crosby

2 Gary Cooper

3 Bob Hope

4 Betty Grable

5 Spencer Tracy

6 Greer Garson

7 Humphrey Bogart

8 Abbott & Costello

9 Cary Grant

10 Bette Davis



1943

1 Betty Grable

2 Bob Hope

3 Abbott & Costello

4 Bing Crosby

5 Gary Cooper

6 Greer Garson

7 Humphrey Bogart

8 James Cagney

9 Mickey Rooney

10 Clark Gable



1942

1 Abbott & Costello

2 Clark Gable

3 Gary Cooper

4 Mickey Rooney

5 Bob Hope

6 James Cagney

7 Gene Autry

8 Betty Grable

9 Greer Garson

10 Spencer Tracy



1941

1 Mickey Rooney

2 Clark Gable

3 Abbott & Costello

4 Bob Hope

5 Spencer Tracy

6 Gene Autry

7 Gary Cooper

8 Bette Davis

9 James Cagney

10 Judy Garland



1940

1 Mickey Rooney

2 Spencer Tracy

3 Clark Gable

4 Gene Autry

5 Tyrone Power

6 James Cagney

7 Bing Crosby

8 Wallace Beery

9 Bette Davis

10 Judy Garland



1939

1 Mickey Rooney

2 Tyrone Power

3 Spencer Tracy

4 Clark Gable

5 Shirley Temple

6 Bette Davis

7 Alice Faye

8 Errol Flynn

9 James Cagney

10 Sonja Henie



1938

1 Shirley Temple

2 Clark Gable

3 Sonja Henie

4 Mickey Rooney

5 Spencer Tracy

6 Robert Taylor

7 Myrna Loy

8 Jane Withers

9 Alice Faye

10 Tyrone Power



1937

1 Shirley Temple

2 Clark Gable

3 Robert Taylor

4 Bing Crosby

5 William Powell

6 Jane Withers

7 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

8 Sonja Henie

9 Gary Cooper

10 Myrna Loy



1936

1 Shirley Temple

2 Clark Gable

3 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

4 Robert Taylor

5 Joe E. Brown

6 Dick Powell

7 Joan Crawford

8 Claudette Colbert

9 Jeanette MacDonald

10 Gary Cooper



1935

1 Shirley Temple

2 Will Rogers

3 Clark Gable

4 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

5 Joan Crawford

6 Claudette Colbert

7 Dick Powell

8 Wallace Beery

9 Joe E. Brown

10 James Cagney



1934

1 Will Rogers

2 Clark Gable

3 Janet Gaynor

4 Wallace Beery

5 Mae West

6 Joan Crawford

7 Bing Crosby

8 Shirley Temple

9 Marie Dressler

10 Norma Shearer



1933

1 Marie Dressler

2 Will Rogers

3 Janet Gaynor

4 Eddie Cantor

5 Wallace Beery

6 Jean Harlow

7 Clark Gable

8 Mae West

9 Norma Shearer

10 Joan Crawford



1932

1 Marie Dressler

2 Janet Gaynor

3 Joan Crawford

4 Charles Farrell

5 Greta Garbo

6 Norma Sheare

7 Wallace Beery

8 Clark Gable

9 Will Rogers

10 Joe E. Brown

[Brief Encounter]

name='Ray']Theo, the 1940's was certainly the Golden Age of the cinema. The war had a lot to do with it, nearly everyone went to the cinema to escape the awful reality of everyday life. Bette, Barbara and Joan were at their peak, and their films were especially popular with women who were often left on their own, and the only romance they got was at the cinema. 1946 was the record year for bums on seats, and after that it gradually changed. TV was already popular in America, although it never really took off here until 1953, Coronation year.



Even in the Golden Age there was never usually more than two or three women in the top Ten, and by 1957 not a single actress was on the list. By 1959 the next generation of actresses like Liz Taylor and Doris Day were starting to show up. I haven't looked at recent years as I can't say that I am really interested, but I would take a guess that the actress to feature most regularly would be Meryl Streep.

I agree with you there Ray. It would be very interesting to have the full set of British lists from the period. Margaret Lockwood's achievement of topping our polls from 1943-46 is even more impressive when you consider the fact it was the peak period for cinema-going.



It really is evident from the lists how much women have struggled compared to men. It was Goldie Hawn who said - quite truthfully:

"There are only three ages for women in Hollywood - Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy."



I was surprised to see the list was still going, and even more so that Sandra Bullock was top for 2009. Maybe so, but the achievement seems less significant now, when being a star doesn't quite carry the same weight as it did back then.



I noticed on the Joan Crawford IMDB Trivia page, it says that she starred in very few 'classic' films. The same thing probably affected many of the other top box-office draws, because they were churning out pictures for an eager public, who lapped them up, a great deal of the films don't stand the test of time. Bing Crosby's film achievements seem to be almost forgotten nowadays.

[Ray]

Theo, That is a good point that you made about Bing Crosby. His films were what the war weary public wanted in the 1940's. In 1944 he was the worlds Number One Star, probably one of the reasons he won the Best Actor Oscar for Going My Way, which also won best film Supporting actor, Best Film and Director. It was up against Double Indemnity which lost out in all categories. Today Going My Way is all but forgotten, while Double Indemnity is on most lists as one of the greatest film noirs of all time. So as you say, it is all about standing the test of time. The same with Joan Crawford, she may not have many films on the Classics list, but she is still remembered as one of the greatest stars of all time.

[Joenoir]

I think these polls should not be taken too seriously - when was the last time you said 'I must see the latest Shia LaBeouf film?! - as Ray has stated, this is a list of the actors in the most popular films, and even then the choices are debatable. There is a list that goes back to about 1915, if I can find it I will add it to the thread.

[Windthrop]

I notice that there are alot of stars who don't make, Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark for example, who had long high profile careers in leads. Presumably they hung around the top twenty for decades without actually peaking.

[Ray]

name='Joenoir']I think these polls should not be taken too seriously - when was the last time you said 'I must see the latest Shia LaBeouf film?! - as Ray has stated, this is a list of the actors in the most popular films, and even then the choices are debatable. There is a list that goes back to about 1915, if I can find it I will add it to the thread.

To be quite honest Joe, I have never heard of him/her. As someone once commented, "If I can't pronounce their name, I don't want to know"

[Ray]

name='Windthrop']I notice that there are alot of stars who don't make, Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark for example, who had long high profile careers in leads. Presumably they hung around the top twenty for decades without actually peaking.

Two perfect examples of why these polls are worthless, except to the money men. Both great stars, and terrific actors with careers lasting more than 50 years.



Another two names to add to the illustrious list of actors ignored by Oscar. Widmark was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the first and last time for Kiss of Death, his first film.



Mitchum was also nominated just once, early in his career, for Best Supporting Actor in The Story of GI Joe. He deserved at least two, for Night of the Hunter and The Sundowners.



For anyone who still thinks that these polls make any difference to a career, just look at some of the names who did make the Top Ten, they flickered briefly and then disappeared. Sandra Dee, Elliot Gould, Ali McGraw, Tatum 'O Neal, and Jill Clayburgh.

[Moor Larkin]

Shia is in a movie on BBC3 on Monday - Disturbia (2007) - so we can gauge his (I had assumed Shia was a woman... ) contribution to movie history........



imdb tells me:

His first name is pronounced to rhyme with "hiya."

Last name is pronounced "La-buff".



The first bit was useful, the second seems unecessary.........





Also... with the economic crisis in mind:

Salary

Transformers (2007) $500,000

Disturbia (2007) $400,000





That'll do me for life......

but you can see why everyone wants to be in showbiz

[will.15]

I notice Jane Withers is on the list for 1937 and '38. All her starring vehicles were made by Twentieth Century Fox's B Pictures unit. Their other child actress star, Shirley Temple, got the classier productions. People of a certain age like myself remember Withers not as a child star, but as Josephine the Plumber in a long running series of commercials.

[Ray]

name='Brief Encounter']



It would be very interesting to have the full set of British lists from the period. Margaret Lockwood's achievement of topping our polls from 1943-46 is even more impressive when you consider the fact it was the peak period for cinema-going.

Theo, I was looking through my old Preview Annuals from 60 years ago, I thought that you would like to see their list of the UK's most popular Actors and Actresses.



1950: Actresses - Actors



Anna Neagle - Michael Wilding



Jean Kent - Laurence Olivier



Jean Simmons - Stewart Granger



Glynis Johns - Jack Warner



Patricia Roc - Robert Donat



Kathleen Harrison - Michael Dennison



Vivien Leigh - Alex Guinness



Moira Shearer - Dennis Price



Valerie Hobson - Richard Attenborough



Ann Todd - Eric Portman



They mentioned that some of the previous years most successful stars, notably Margaret Lockwood and John Mills were not included as they had no films generally released at the time of the poll.



1951:



Jean Simmons - Richard Todd



Margaret Lockwood - John Mills



Anna Neagle - Michael Wilding



Jean Kent - Laurence Olivier



Patricia Neal - Jack Warner



Alida Valli - Stewart Granger



Valerie Hobson - Trevor Howard



Patricia Roc - Michael Dennison



Kathleen Harrison - Richard Attenborough



Edith Evans - Donald Houston