All-Time Film Actor/Actress Draft

[3ric]

So... if oykib is taking a pass, then it's my turn now, right?

[3ric]

OK, since I can't access this board while going away over the weekend, I'll take my pick just in case.

The category actor (comedy) is a difficult one, with few names who are truly worthy. The plural tense of the word "names" is important in this case since these men are selected as a group - it would be impossible to select one before the others as the whole of the group became something more than just the sum of the parts. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly select: the Marx Brothers, Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo.

[GoldenScribeGuy]

Originally Posted by oykib

p.s. I was wondering who would pick Speilberg. I also want to read the film elitist reaction to it.

Is that directed at little old me?? Hmm. Maybe I should add elitist to my signature. Kind of makes me want to take back my endorsement of the Bing Crosby pick.

{waiting in anticipation of oykib's next pick...I hope it's a good one}

[BishopMVP]

First off I'll offer my services as holder of PM'ed lists, in case of an expected absence from the board. This way you can avoid worrying about either submitting too short a list, as happened in the football draft, or giving too much information to someone involved in the draft.

I am not the expert that GSG is, and I'll probably bring a more modern perspective in, but I'll do my best to give proper respect to all the old-timers. I'd even support counting my vote as half and maybe giving half to someone else or FOFC as a whole in some sort of voting mechanism.

I also must admit that I'm somewhat uncertain as to how to judge the compilations of talent at the end. Should I give a team more points for having solid people in every category, or for having some that are head and shoulders above others in their category. Should they be counted as a 'team' at all and thus be able to fit into one or two movies, or just judged on individual talent? With these qualifications, I submit my (fairly quick and easy) draft grading so far, with limited commentary.

Splitpersonality1 (1.1) Director: Alfred Hitchcock A-
A Peyton Manning-esque #1. Nothing inspired or out of the ordinary, but a very very solid choice.
WSUCougar (1.2) Actor/Drama: Jimmy Stewart B-
A solid choice, and this may be my modern bias, but I feel there were better candidates available.
NoMyths (1.3) Actor/Drama: Jack Nicholson B+
3Ric (1.4) Actress/Romance: Katherine Hepburn C
One of the Top 10 actresses in each category, but is she #1 in any of them? Her versatility may prove to be an asset late in the draft.
oykib (1.5) Musical: Bing Crosby A
The toughest pick to grade. Really depends on how you judge the teams at the end, but I think getting a clear-cut #1 at one of the harder categories is a very good choice.
Calis (1.6) Director: Stanley Kubrick A-
Karim (1.7) Actor/Action: Harrison Ford B-
Sloan (1.8) Director: Charlie Chaplin C/A-
First grade on the pick as a director, second on how Sloan recovered and moved him to Comedic Actor and picked up Spielberg.
Shorty3281 (1.9) Actor/Drama: Al Pacino B+
Barkeep49 (1.10) Actor/Drama: Robert DeNiro B+
Ntndeacon (1.11) Director: Billy Wilder B+
Sun Tzu (1.12) Actor/Action: John Wayne A
---2nd Round---
Sun Tzu (2.13) Actor/Drama: Marlon Brando A
Ntndeacon (2.14) Actress/Romance: Audrey Hepburn A-
Barkeep49 (2.15) Supporting Actor: Peter Lorre B
Shorty3281 (2.16) Supporting Actor: Kevin Spacey B+
Sloan (2.17) Director: Steven Spielberg A-
Karim (2.18) Actress/Drama: Meryl Streep B
Calis (2.19) Actor/Drama: Humphrey Bogart A-
Oykib (2.20) Pass I
3Ric (2.21) Actors/Comedy: The Marx Brothers B+

[oykib]

I'll make my pick in a minute...

[oykib]

My pick is the best of the modern action stars. He's the clear best, just given the fact that he can actually act and can still kick ass at seventy-plus.

He's one of only five legitimate picks in this category. In my opinion, he's the best of them.




Clint Eastwood


He's done it all. He's been a cop, an astronaut, and a whole lotta cowboys. He is the cowboy. He's as much an icon as Wayne-- without being the charicature of himself that Wayne was in his later career.

[BreizhManu]

plus he's got an advantage over john wayne, you can switch him to director too. nice pick

[oykib]

Originally Posted by BreizhManu

plus he's got an advantage over john wayne, you can switch him to director too. nice pick

Domo. But I still got to get past GSG and CW.

[oykib]

Originally Posted by GoldenScribeGuy

Is that directed at little old me?? Hmm. Maybe I should add elitist to my signature. Kind of makes me want to take back my endorsement of the Bing Crosby pick.

{waiting in anticipation of oykib's next pick...I hope it's a good one}

Actually, it's not directed at anyone here (simply because I really don't know your movie tastes). Just that, in general, Speilberg's middle career is regarded by critics as a series of dumbed down clap-trap.

Obviously, he's turned a number of people around with Schindler's List and, more importantly, Saving Private Ryan.

[ntndeacon]

What do you mean by his middle period, oykib? He has been making movies now for 30 years 74-2003. So lets assume for the sake of arguement the middle period is from 84-93. 10 years. Granted there are some not very good movies...or at least not classics. Always Temple of Doom, Hook. But there are some great movies there too.
Color Purple Empire of the Sun mainly.

[WSUCougar]

Man, my "hot list" is in tatters after the last few picks. I had targeted Eastwood (my hero as a youngster), The Marx Brothers (who are consistently laugh-out-loud funny to me), and Spielberg. Obviously, I applaud all of those picks.

NoMyths is up and I'm on deck.

[oykib]

Originally Posted by ntndeacon

What do you mean by his middle period, oykib? He has been making movies now for 30 years 74-2003. So lets assume for the sake of arguement the middle period is from 84-93. 10 years. Granted there are some not very good movies...or at least not classics. Always Temple of Doom, Hook. But there are some great movies there too.
Color Purple Empire of the Sun mainly.

I'm not one of them. But every discussion that I've had with a group of people about him includes the discussion of his less than Oscar worthy. Basically the stuff that's meant to make money.

Plenty of movie lovers only love movies that normal people won't pay to see.

[Sloan]

Originally Posted by oykib

Actually, it's not directed at anyone here (simply because I really don't know your movie tastes). Just that, in general, Speilberg's middle career is regarded by critics as a series of dumbed down clap-trap.

I was wondering what the reaction to the pick would be as well. Granted not every movie he has ever done is hall of fame material, but neither is anyone elses. We just know of Spielberg's failures because they just happened. Maybe Spielberg just wanted cash on some of his lesser films, or maybe he was experimenting. Who knows? If you read the biographies of Chaplin and Welles on imdb, you'll see they had many box office failures as well.

[NoMyths]

My pick is the director of what many folks consider to be the greatest film of all time. The cinematic innovations that he pioneered (or, if not invent, cemented into the language of filmmaking) have affected just about every movie of vision since his time: deep fields of vision, exterior to interior "uncut" transitions, mirrored shots, and single shot scenes, to name a handful. His ability to move an audience is legendary (witness his "War of the Worlds" broadcast, or W.R. Hearst's machinations against him). With yesterday's tools he changed the landscape of cinema--with today's tools there's no telling what kind of brilliances would have emerged.

For Director, I select Orson Welles.

Citizen Kane. Touch of Evil. The Third Man. The Magnificent Ambersons. A Man for All Seasons. Transformers: The Movie.

[Sloan]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

Transformers: The Movie.[/i]

Wow, I did not know that.

[GoldenScribeGuy]

Wow. I'm truly stunned. Orson Welles directed Transformer: The Movie? I thought I knew everything about Welles, but this somehow slipped past me.

Edit: Okay, I'm not crazy. He did not direct Transformer: The Move.
He was the voice of Unicron in that 1986 classic film.

[korme]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

My pick is the director of what many folks consider to be the greatest film of all time. The cinematic innovations that he pioneered (or, if not invent, cemented into the language of filmmaking) have affected just about every movie of vision since his time: deep fields of vision, exterior to interior "uncut" transitions, mirrored shots, and single shot scenes, to name a handful. His ability to move an audience is legendary (witness his "War of the Worlds" broadcast, or W.R. Hearst's machinations against him). With yesterday's tools he changed the landscape of cinema--with today's tools there's no telling what kind of brilliances would have emerged.

For Director, I select Orson Welles.

Citizen Kane. Touch of Evil. The Third Man. The Magnificent Ambersons. A Man for All Seasons. Transformers: The Movie.

Orson Welles and Spielberg gone, I was hoping Orson would slip to my pick. Damn.

[HornedFrog Purple]

Originally Posted by GoldenScribeGuy

Wow. I'm truly stunned. Orson Welles directed Transformer: The Movie? I thought I knew everything about Welles, but this somehow slipped past me.

Edit: Okay, I'm not crazy. He did not direct Transformer: The Move.
He was the voice of Unicron in that 1986 classic film.

You should change your title to self-proclaimed ultimate authority.

Truly dissappointing.

[WSUCougar]

Like watching the last great cover corner slip down through the draft order, I sweated out the last few picks hoping and praying that she wouldn't get stolen away from me (like Clint and the Marx Brothers had before her). Yet there she sits, in all of her glamorous glory...the very image of screen presence & beauty, of fleeting fame, and of sadness & tragedy...mine for the taking. And I do take her! Yes, give my candle in the wind,

Actress/romance: MARILYN MONROE.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Some like it Hot. The Seven Year Itch (and one of the most memorable scenes in film history!). Marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. The whole Kennedy thing. And then suicide...or murder? Whew, what an impact player!

[NoMyths]

Hehe. Maybe I should have been more explicit about stating that the list of films were projects that Welles was involved in...not necessarily directed.

He was a (great) actor as well, and had a helluva voice (hence the Transformers nod, which I figured would make a few folks smile).

[Coffee Warlord]

Week from hell has prompted it to be relaxation time for me. I'll catch up my reviews after the Super Bowl, prolly.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

For actor: Screech (Saved by the Bell)

[Sloan]

bump

[SplitPersonality1]

The final pick in round 2 goes to Elizabeth Taylor – Actress/Drama

Forget all the tabloid entries on the last two decades, forget about the eight failed marriages, the odd link to Michael Jackson and the horrible movie “The Flintstones”

Before she became a parody of herself, Elizabeth Taylor was a great actress. Starting out as a child star, in films like “National Velvet” and “Life with Father”, Taylor went on to become a Holywood legend in “Father of the Bride”, “Giant”, Butterfield 8”, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and “The Taming of the Shrew”

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by SplitPersonality1

Before she became a parody of herself, Elizabeth Taylor was a great actress.

I believe she was also the first million-dollar-movie actress, for Cleopatra.

[SplitPersonality1]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

I believe she was also the first million-dollar-movie actress, for Cleopatra.

Yes. That is correct.

[SplitPersonality1]

This is getting difficult. I have about seven names that I want to use for this pick, but of course, the rules will not let me do that that. I have a feeling that most of my reserve picks will go soon, but I have to hope for the best. So here goes nothing.

The first pick in round three is Judy Garland for Actor/Actress/Musical.

This will be a very tough category to fill so I am taking one of the best off the table right away. Her resume includes “The Wizard of Oz”, “Meet Me in St. Louis”, “Easter Parade”, and “A Star Is Born” Too bad drugs cut her career short.

[ntndeacon]

Both excellent Picks Split. I was hopinbg Taylor would somehow slide back to me. Ah well of to find plan 2.

[WSUCougar]

I'm going to go a different route than I intended, in hopes that my other choices for this pick will drop. I am more than happy to select:

MORGAN FREEMAN (Supporting Actor)

His list of impressive roles is a long one, but a few highlights include Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, Unforgiven, Seven, and of course Shawshank Redemption.

[NoMyths]

With the third pick of the third round (and as the seventh son of a seventh son), I select:

Jack Lemmon (Actor, Comedy)

Was the funniest man of his era when young and the funniest old man later. Jack was so good that Ving Rhames gave away an acting award he'd just received to the man. Even hosted the Academy Awards back in the day.

Some Like It Hot. The Apartment. The Odd Couple. JFK. Glengarry Glen Ross. Grumpy Old Men. My Fellow Americans. Hamlet. 12 Angry Men.

[3ric]

I'm running out of worthy names in the Actor(action) category, now that both John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are gone. This means I have to push ahead and pick the King of Cool, the star of films such as Papillon, Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Sand Pebbles, The Cincinnati Kid, The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven. Ladies and gentlemen, I pick the one and only Steve McQueen.

[WSUCougar]

oykib PMed me his next selection, which is:

ROBERT DUVAL (Supporting Actor)

Calis, you're on the clock.

Great pick, by the way 3Ric. Steve McQueen is one of my favorite actors, and particularly his roles in The Great Escape and The Sand Pebbles. I was hoping he might drop...

[Calis]

Alright, I'm going to go ahead and go with...

Cary Grant
Actor(Comedy)

North by Northwest, Philadelphia Story, Notorious, ahh..you all know it. The list goes on and on. Great actor imo, and a shame that he never received any accolades for his work.

[WSUCougar]

Very nice pick, Calis. Another high one scratched off my list. Dang, you guys are a tough bunch to draft with.

Karim is a night owl, so we'll have a bit of a wait on the next pick. Any more comments thusfar?

[korme]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

I'm going to go a different route than I intended, in hopes that my other choices for this pick will drop. I am more than happy to select:

MORGAN FREEMAN (Supporting Actor)

His list of impressive roles is a long one, but a few highlights include Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, Unforgiven, Seven, and of course Shawshank Redemption.

Good good good pick. He was right up there for me.

[3ric]

I have trouble with the supporting actor category - I was totally blindsided by the selection of Peter Lorre - didn't see him coming, yet I totally agree. Same thing with Duvall. He's a superb actor, one of the finest there is. And then Freeman. I don't know who to pick here that will come close to that quality.

[SplitPersonality1]

Originally Posted by 3ric

I have trouble with the supporting actor category - I was totally blindsided by the selection of Peter Lorre - didn't see him coming, yet I totally agree. Same thing with Duvall. He's a superb actor, one of the finest there is. And then Freeman. I don't know who to pick here that will come close to that quality.

I agree. This is a very tough category. Hopefully, my picks make it to the end of round 4. Lorre & Freeman I saw coming. Great picks. Duvall, I missed, yet another great pick.

This draft is a blast.

I am curious to see what our judges think.

[ntndeacon]

There are several categories that I have NO clue on who I even want to pick. I knoew most of the recent picks would go eventually, but not in round 3. Only Duvall and Spacey I had not thought of...shoulda but did not. And I had thought about taking Cary Grant in the Drama category. Crosses more off my list.

[Calis]

Originally Posted by ntndeacon

And I had thought about taking Cary Grant in the Drama category. Crosses more off my list.

I actually had decided on Cary Grant for Actor/Romance as there are plenty of good options in the comedy category. Then I realized there was only a slot for Romance Actress. Sexist! Sexist I say!

Supporting Actor is going to be tough. I know who I'd like to pick for that, but I don't think the critics would be overly fond of the pick.

[Karim]

I wanted Morgan Freeman...

I'll select Actor(Drama): Gregory Peck

[oykib]

Maybe we should go to a twelve hour deadline for picks in round four. We seem to be bogging down here.

But this seems like the most fun of drafts/auctions.

BTW, Calis, I also looked at Cary Grant as Actor(Romance) before realizing that there was no such category.

[WSUCougar]

I'd recommend submitting me prioritized lists via PM that I can employ in the event of a significant delay. If your pick is prior to mine there is no conflict of interest, and if your pick follows mine I will not open the message until after my selection.

[oykib]

Why don't we go...

4th round -- 12 hours
5th+ round -- 8 hours

[WSUCougar]

Well, I hesitate to fix a lower number of hours since we have participants from (literally) across the world (U.S., Sweden, & Japan, I believe...maybe Canada too). If everyone can try to check in a couple times daily that would do the trick, in addition to the PM'd lists.

[oykib]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

Well, I hesitate to fix a lower number of hours since we have participants from (literally) across the world (U.S., Sweden, & Japan, I believe...maybe Canada too). If everyone can try to check in a couple times daily that would do the trick, in addition to the PM'd lists.

I realize what you're saying as I live out in Japan myself (+14 hours as compared to EST). But it's on each guy to send a list or let the guys go ahead of him (I've done each once).

I'm having a lot of fun. But I've noticed that there's much less commentary from the peanut gallery now. Whither GSG...?

[GoldenScribeGuy]

GSG was, and is, a tad under the weather. Don't worry. I have not gone away.


* edit * My commentary has been updated through 1.10. * edit *

[Sloan]

Busy day at work, and I'll give more backgound later, but my pick is Ingrid Bergman.

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by Sloan

Busy day at work, and I'll give more backgound later, but my pick is Ingrid Bergman.

I'm going to list that as an Actress/Romance selection, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Shorty3281 follows that up (via PM) with:

BRAD PITT (Actor/Comedy)

Shorty stated that he felt Pitt could go in several categories...I'll await his description of Brad's comedic highlights (I loved his performance in 12 Monkeys).

Barkeep49 is on the clock!

[ntndeacon]

I assumed Bergman was actress: drama.

[Barkeep49]

Wow didn't see Pitt going in the Comedy category... Give me a couple of minutes to consider the draft board and then I'll announce my pick.