Post by cynthiagreen on Feb 6, 2020 12:29:27 GMT
While there are a handful of fine actors and familiar faces from the Golden Age still with us, (Angela Lansbury, Margaret O'Brien etc) I guess Douglas's passing leaves Olivia de Havilland as the one true superstar of the era, or am I missing someone?
R.I.P. Mr. Douglas.
Living golden age superstars?
Taking the 200 names from Shipman's Great Movie Stars Volume 2 as my guide - (and I'm not checking if alive - just going from memory) .....I'm interpreting "Golden age" as up to 1970... I can suggest some names, but none that achieved stardom before Kirk, let alone Livvy....unless I'm wrong none of the names below made their star debut as early as 1947 .
These are stars who became such during period 1940- 1970 roughly - most of the survivors are not strictly Kirk's peers
I'd say Loren, Novak, Maclaine and Poitier - maybe Connery - are probably the nearest to Kirk/ Livvy era - and theyre all 15-20 plus years behind her in achieving stardom.
I count maybe 20 superstar level names tops from the Shipman - I list them all and their breakthrough years
Sean Connery - one of the biggest of the lot! debut in 54 although not a major star before 1962
Sophia Loren (has Bardot gone?) - made her debut 1950 I think but again - lots of bits/small parts - a star by mid 50s
Kim Novak 55
Shirley ( a star since 1955 ) & Warren (1961)
Robert Redford - around since early 60s but not superstar til that western (1969)
Poitier (is he still here?) Not far behind Kirk early 50s
Vanessa Redgrave 66
Julie Andrews 64
Faye Dunaway 67
Jane Fonda 60 (and a superstar from HORSES/KLUTE onwards)
Streisand 68
James Caan . Hmm..... was he a superstar??? Strong thoughts? 72?
Albert Finney 60
Alain Delon 60
Gene Hackman 71
Glenda Jackson 69
Raquel ( a superstar in terms of public recognition... if few actually went to see the films) 66
Joanne - not sure she a superstar...... 55
Still around but never superstars - Eva Marie Saint (almost a contemporary of Kirks) , George Segal (although for a while in the 70s he made the front rank of the A list), Claire Bloom (debut in 1948 and a "name" since 1952), Ellen Burstyn, Louise Fletcher, Elliott Gould , Ryan & Tatum ( I think Ryan was a superstar at the time but posterity has not been kind) , Max Schell, JL Trintignant, Tuesday Weld
of the notable omissions from Shipman's book from this era Donald Sutherland, Claudia Cardinale and Charlotte Rampling are still with us.
EDIT - just checked Shipman's vol 3 - this includes a few more names who were stars pre 1970 that are still alive -
Living Superstars? a few I'd nominate:
Michael Caine (debut 56, major stardom took nearly another decade)
Ann-Margret
Woody Allen
Hoffman
Liza (borderline - not in terms of being a superstar but qualifying before 1970)
Goldie (ditto)
Voight (ditto)
Jack (ditto)
Maggie Smith
Mia Farrow
Sally Field wasn't really big til 1979
Bisset, Bujold, Candice Bergen, Terence Stamp, Katharine Ross, Alan Arkin, Barbara Hershey(just)... were all stars before 1970 but never superstars
Carroll Baker debut 53 and still with us (had her 4th book published last year!) Bless.
Tippi? If Dean can be a star from 3 movies then I think she can be one with only 2.... Obvs never a superstar 
EDIT 2 - and I forgot the star of my favourite movie!
