Zing! Went the strings of my heart

February 02, 2010

In December I made my Top 20 Favorite Actors list, and my criteria was pretty strict. I couldn't include an actor just because I enjoyed watching him onscreen, I had to think their entire filmography was pretty impressive, their skills superior to the thousands of other actors who wouldn't make it onto my list.

While that list included some of my drool-worthy favorites, crushing was not a factor in my decision at all. So I thought it was about time I made a list of the actors that I would watch in any movie at all, regardless of its nature, stature, quality or subject matter, just for the shallow pleasure of seeing them onscreen.

Who but Dirk Bogarde could get me to sit through a movie about alcoholic cheese? Who else but Robert Redford could get me to watch movies made after 1970!? Would I have watched a movie about mercenaries in Africa if Rod Taylor wasn't the star? Doubtful. And considering the fact that my least favorite genres are adventure and westerns, I can honestly say that I've watched almost every adventure or western that the following men starred in.

So, without further ado, my list of actors who give me goosebumps just thinking about their movies...

DIRK!
Sorry to the other guys who follow, but seriously, I love
Dirk more than all them combined. *swoon*

Robert Redford
Gosh, was he dreamy in The Way We Were.. and Out of Africa..
and The Hot Rock... and Barefoot in the Park...

Dana Andrews
I think I've watched My Foolish Heart over 100 times now.
That scene in the elevator... *fans face*

Cliff Robertson
If I was Gidget, this is who I would have picked.

Rod Taylor
Just try watching Sunday in New York and NOT
falling in love with him.

Gary Cooper
Do men even look like this anymore? Seriously, he was perfect.

Cary Grant
But only in the 50's and 60's, actually. Like fine wine, he really
grew better with age. In the 30's and 40's, though, I think he
was just grape juice ;-D


Who are your swoon-worthy stars??

20 comments:

Kendra said...

Oh man, I love Gary Cooper's face. Mine are:

Laurence Olivier
Clark Gable
David Niven
Daniel Day-Lewis

Wendymoon said...

Fun post. :-) My classic movie crushes include:

Paul Newman
Dana Andrews
William Holden
Peter Lawford
Brando
George Sanders

and, strangely enough, George C. Scott.

Millie said...

LOVE THIS!

Seriously.

But, REALLY, Dana Andrews is MINE! ;-D

Unknown said...

Kendra- Ooh great list!! I especially love David Niven, especially in Bachelor Mother :-D

Wendy- Thanks! Neat to see George Sanders on your list!! hmm, George C. Scott?! Have you seen Petulia yet? He's really good in it!

Millie- haha that's ok, you can have him... I have Dirk!

Sally said...

Great list!!

Oh, too many to name. But I'll try to narrow it down to:
Errol Flynn
Gene Kelly
Gary Cooper
Cary Grant
Ricardo Montalban
William Holden

Okay, I'd really better stop now.

Francy said...

Great list! I swoon over Paul Newman. I would watch him in anything! And this is especially bad, but early Marlon Brando :-)

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Ginger Ingenue said...

Cute! :)

I love how your pictures look.

Are you using Blogger's new post editor??

...

I don't think I even know who 'Dirk' is??

Maybe from a different era than my usual viewing?

...

Swoon favorites: Ha. I seem to be a bit of a Mrs. Robinson these days...but I'll go with the Kids, James Cagney, and Dana of course.

...

Your blog looks amazing, as always! :)

Raquel Stecher said...

Superb post! I wet myself over Robert Mitchim. He's my equivalent of Dirk Bogarde.

Rachel said...

John Gilbert definitely!
And I don't know why but Fredric March is doing something for me lately.

DKoren said...

How cool! Cuz you're right, the favorites actors is a slightly different list for me too from the goosebump list. Some overlaps, but some not. I love that Rod Taylor's on your list!!

Guys who take my breath away, who I'll watch in anything:

William Holden
George Raft
Ralph Meeker
Dana Andrews
Sean Bean
Russell Crowe
Aldo Ray

Artman2112 said...

i think you must be the first person i ever saw put Rod Taylor on a "hunk" list! doubly strange to me because i just saw him as Winston Chruchill in "Inglourious Basterds" about a week ago, lol!

Linda J. Alexander said...

Great blog ... found you on Twitter! I'd be a bad, bad biographer if the likes of Robert Taylor & Jack Kelly didn't top MY list of movie/TV hunks--& of course they do.

But what about Guy Madison as another oldie ... & from almost-current day, I have quite an eye for Alan Rickman. Explain that one to me, please....

Unknown said...

Sally -- lol, it is hard to narrow it down! I had about three others I wanted to list, but figured I'd stick to the heavyweights ;-D

Francy- Thanks! Ooh Paul Newman!!

Ginger!! Thanks for commenting! I'm still using the old post editor, I just upload my photos onto my own website or flickr instead of blogger now :)

DIRK!!!!!??? Dirk is Dirk Bogarde!! My new love!! Click on the "Dirk Bogarde" label under the post and you'll see all 30-some posts I've devoted to him.. it got out of hand so I gave him his own blog. I really think you'd like some of his gritty crime movies from the 50's (he's British!) I think I might send you a couple to clue you in :-D

Raquelle- lol!! You know, Robert Mitchum is really growing on me! I didn't used to like him when I first watched classic movies but now I pretty much record anything he's in!

Rachel- Oh, I caught part of a John Gilbert movie on Silent Sunday recently, totally understandable!!

Deb- Yay for Rod Taylor!! :-D ALDO RAY! Oh, he should be on my list I adore him!! And his voice!!!

Paulie- haha! Well I obviously mean his earlier roles ;-D He was quite a dish in the 60's!

Linda- Thank you! Hmm.. I left out the TV hunks... otherwise Larry Hagman definitely would have made my list!

Tinky said...

I don't know why, but I have a thing for Walter Pidgeon; he's always so darn calm, and I like it! Also Peter Cook and Ronald Colman at present....
Tinky
http://www.ourgrandmotherskitchens.com

Jennythenipper said...

I'm soooo picking up this meme. Also, love the post title.

Sarah Mann said...

OOOOOOOOOOH YAY, BOYS. :D
I would have to say Ian McShane...HOLY CORN MAZE. I also love Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Tony Perkins, Rock Hudson, PAUL NEWMAN. (yes, Paul is so drool worthy his name is being called twice.)
hnnnnngggg I'm going to go stare at these pictures some more.




I am not a creeper, I SWEAR.
:)

Andi B. Goode said...

That's a great list. I swoon over Dirk, too. As well as Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck...I spend a good deal of time swooning over men in classic films, actually.
-Andi x

Millie said...

Sarah, we all know you're a creeper, there's no use trying to deny it! Ahaha!

Terence Towles Canote said...

I think most of my swoon worthy actresses made my top twenty--Gracie, Audrey, Ingrid, Louise, Cyd, Carole, Vivien, Ava, Gene, and Brigitte. I think if I had to add one more, it'd be Paulette Goddard.

emma wallace said...

Ah, j'adore Robert Redford too. He makes me want to cry, he's so pretty. It's between him and the delicious Gene Kelly... that little scar... Sigh.

I've also been quietly falling for William Holden, love Randolph Scott, and though I've only seen him in Christmas in Connecticut, I've decided to find and devour all Dennis Morgan films.

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