24 Golden Age Actors Who Got Famous Despite Their Acting

[@Bensonhurstbabyboomer]

Don’t agree putting Doris Day, Glen Ford or Ann Sheridan on the list. The rest I can live with. Can’t stand computer generated narration same words over and over!! ANNOYING!!!

[@patrickryan1515]

Sorry, but you did not look closely enough into Doris Day's filmography -- She definitely could act.

[@constancemerwin8171]

YES!

[@billolsen4360]

Creator of this video is just intellectually lazy

[@maxb4074]

Doris Day's acting was perfect (for Doris Day roles).

[@constancemerwin8171]

She had serious roles as well as comic and musical roles.

[@estellacoggins715]

Charles Bronson could only play one character and that was "tough guy".

[@mbrownie22]

Every age has its subpar actors, Arnold, Stallone, Van Damm, Segal etc

[@geraldmartin7703]

Notice how all these actors' careers spanned two decades.

[@ANDREWWILKINSON-kl4um]

Fair comment on most but I have to disagree on Glenn Ford (who gave many very fine performances) and Ann Sheridan. But you could put Grace Kelly in. Very overrated.

[@patterson65]

Okay, I can agree with several of your choices (Bob Cummings, Johnny Weismuller, Robert Taylor), and several could be considered competent and pleasant, but ANN SHERIDAN??? She was a terrific actress! She could also sing, dance and do comedy. She should not be on this list and I would suggest you look again at her work.

[@seaboe1muffinchucker]

Also, Glenn Ford. He wasn't Oscar material, but was considered a consistent and able actor.

[@patterson65]

@@seaboe1muffinchucker his performance in Superman the Movie was great. He embodied what was special about Pa Kent.

[@viningx21]

Oh, I don’t agree. I love watching Ann Sheridan movies.

[@constancemerwin8171]

@@seaboe1muffinchucker very good actor, with the right director. Very believable.

[@gnirolnamlerf593]

The assessment of Bob Cummings is about right for his comedic skills. He had just a few techniques up his sleeve, one of them an ability to sputter his lines when he wanted to appear shocked. However, before dismissing him as an actor, one should watch _Dial M for Murder_ . A shame he ended up addicted to methamphetamines because he should (would?) have been given more chances at dramatic acting if he had conquered his addiction. I agree with you about Ann Sheridan.

[@susanf8113]

Totally mistaken about several of these actors. Glenn Ford was excellent and versatile! Take a look at his portrayal in Ransom. And comedy too.

[@lindamarie6574]

I always thought Tony Curtis was so-so, except in Some Like it Hot, he was hilarious in that.

[@paulsuchy6210]

To be fair, many of these people were approached to be in films due to popularity in other fields; Weissmuller was an Olympic champion and Doris Day was a singer who were sought after for film contracts. I appreciate the delivery of this subject being presented without undue cruelty, yet I would consider Ronald Reagan as a top contender over some of these choices.

[@lynntownsend4457]

Reagan was lousy

[@89128]

In 1942 my late FIL was doing gate duty as an MP at MacDill Air Base. A taxi pulls up and a woman gets out and says I'm Arlene Dahl and I'm expected. My Fil responds, "yeah and I'm Clark Gable'. At that moment a command car pulls up and the commanding general gets out and says, 'Great to see you again Arlene. She gave my FIL a look that would have frozen the sun.

[@tonybennett4159]

You criticise actors who were wooden, monotone and lacking in emotional depth or range, yet you omit John Wayne??? In The Searchers he was out-acted by the buttes in Monument Valley. The Oscar he received was because he'd been around for decades and made a ton of movies not for a performance that was better than Dustin Hoffman's in Midnight Cowboy.

[@gnirolnamlerf593]

My mother couldn't stand John Wayne (not only because of his politics) because of his wooden acting, which one of my uncles found convincing -- strong, silent type and all. However, he gave believable performances in _Stagecoach_ and _The Quiet Man_ . No, he didn't deserve that acting Oscar.

[@markrowlett6921]

Steve McQueen was a movie star, a poser & used gimmicks. To make the audience focus on him. James Garner aptly characterized McQueen as a bad actor though. You could tell he was acting. Some women don't think he was an especially good looking man. With a leathery complexion & always looked about ten years older than his stayed age. Yet intangible qualities made him a star. Although, dissenting opinions on what those qualities were.

[@BeverlyLedbetter-cb1971]

They need to focus on the soap opera actors and some of these recent actors!🧐

[@diane5254]

Again :56 is Gig Young, not John Payne. Why do these stupid things if you don't know who or what you're talking about?

[@kythomas8633]

The narrator shows lack of emotional depth 😂

[@annaquinn4810]

I don’t care what you say about these stars, movies of the 30’s, 40’s and early 50’s were made to be entertaining, i still watch them. So don’t be so judgmental. By the way, you need some lessens in English, especially in pronouncing!!!!

[@bricksloth6920]

How dare you insult Lily Munster

[@estellacoggins715]

Ava Gardner was a bad actress but beautiful on screen.

[@rainydaylady6596]

Glenn Ford was great in a Pocket Full of Miracles. It's one of my favorite movies.

[@arthuradonizio7762]

Fernando Lammas was just dripping with sex appeal.😛

[@sharonpolome3033]

These actors obviously did what they were expected to do -- the film's directors had a big influence on how a part was played, and are probably responsible for at least a FEW performances now considered "weak". . And it is well to remember that not every role NEEDS "depth and nuanced performance" -- not every role is Lady Macbeth, or Hamlet either......also, it can't have been easy to "add depth and nuance" to scripts churned out by studios of that era, when they were more interested in "fast and frequent" than "works of art" -- before television, when many people went to the movies 2 or 3 times a week -- fast turnover was a fiscal necessity. AND in a way, beauty IS if not a "talent", at least rare enough to be valuable for itself alone, and beauty is generally more apparent in a calm smiling face than in a face ravaged by "depth" of emotional turmoil, angst, sturm und drang......who needs it? when we have WW2 and Korea to provide more emotion than most people want to deal with....? Those movies were good for their time in history, for the most part. They served their purpose.

[@richardmcmahon7466]

I agree .Anybody who went to the movies in those days were not looking for "class" acting acting.

[@billolsen4360]

You say the same thing about all of these, that their acting was wooden and lacking in emotional depth or range but that their screen presence and good looks made their career for them.

[@bluesquirrel3919]

Add Ava Gardner and Ronald Reagan

[@joehellno9097]

Both Doris Day and Dick Powell showed some good acting chops later in their careers, after the less demanding musical film stage in their careers. But, like most of the other commenters, when you add Ann Sheridan to your non-actor's list, I have to protest. She had a solid presence, great timing, and strength. Look at her in a couple of later film noirs. No, here, as well as at least five others on your list are all rude and smarmy and wrongly dismissive steps too far, both for you producers of this video, AND the jaded short sighted anonymous critics you put so much stock in throughout your less than stellar and unnecessary little hit piece vid!

[@thomaschacko6320]

You included shots of Brad Dexter in the first segment, on John Payne! Evelyn Ankers did very well in “Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror.” (You show the photos with Basil Rathbone.) Placing Ann Sheridan and Doris Day in this category is simply ridiculous! If it hasn’t been done already, a video should be made on the Oscar winners of recent years. Some of them boggle my mind!

[@rafs8302]

The roles they were bound under contract to play rather than a lack of talent hindered them from proving their acting mettle. Their job was to uphold an image. Unfortunately, that job often came at the expense of their artistry.

[@lecrsc]

These are handsome actors that did their job based on what the studios required. The film industry simply acknowledged them for their looks and if by any chance they put in a good or grand performance it was well overlooked. Many of the B stars were never given any chance to prove themselves, yet Robert Taylor was always haunted for his limited acting ability, yet when he excelled in movies like Above and Beyond (1952) and Devil's Doorway (1950) critics would not get anywhere near critical praise because of the norm being his good looks. Regarding Doris Day , obviously she was a better singer, but she was also number 1 at the box office and several of her movies were dramas where she was brilliant.

[@beeharbour]

"So and so was stiff and lacked depth and is an example of how an actors looks and charisma could be valued over acting ability." It is the same thing for every one of them.

[@petersalem2433]

Why is Dóris Day on this list? However I do agrée with almost all the choices on this list ,with the possible exception of Ann Sheridan ,and with the absence on the list of Ronald Reagan ,Rock Hudson and ESPECIALLY Marilyn Monroe!

[@ingmarvandesande3235]

You are so right!

[@patrickryan1515]

You nailed it!

[@mbrownie22]

Sorry Marilyn Monroe was an excellent actress.

[@constancemerwin8171]

mixed response here.....Doris should NO WAY be on this list! Very talented actress. Dont agree about Rock, he was a good actor. For one thing, all those scenes with WOMEN, no one suspected he was gay! Convincing in love scenes and dramatic scenes. Dont agree about Monroe either. She was a lot of trouble and cost money to studios and drove directors nuts at times, but she had talent.

[@diane5254]

2:50 is not Arlene Dahl, it's Ava Gardner!

[@briangrigsby1842]

I agree!!!!!!!!and always have. I would include Glen Ford maybe John Wayne but sometimes he succeeded.

[@frederickcombs8661]

A good agent and being liked on set, by directors and studio heads determined most of what happened in films. The couch helped, too.

[@figmo397]

I wouldn't have put Doris Day on the list. She was okay as an actress. Rock Hudson, OTOH, mostly walked through his lines.

[@constancemerwin8171]

She was a fine actress, he could be a fine actor at times. just my opinion.

[@MrEab2010]

Rock Hudson should have made the list. And of course Ronald Reagan.

[@marthawelch4289]

It's Evelyn Ankers, not Evelyn Dahl. Also there are too many wrong photos for me to waste my time on.

[@constancemerwin8171]

I often see the wrong photo put with a person's name. Who does the photo research and the "proofreading." Agree it shows disrespect.

[@jamessheridan4306]

Sheesh! The same narrative applied over and over and over again.

[@MLBrooks-g3u]

When an audience went for a particular actor in a particular role, the actor often got stuck in playing that same character over and over, because that character sold. John Wayne comes to mind. Audiences expected and paid for an actor to act a certain way, no matter the film, no matter the character. Hollywood has always been about commerce, not art.

[@tonybennett4159]

Agreed. John Wayne should have been at the top of this list.

[@AllenMurphy-le8sw]

When I was a kid, I thought Gordon Scott was a good Tarzan but when I would go home and tell my uncles and aunts, they said no it’s Johnny W,

[@davidmcquain4053]

I would disagree to varying degrees on Jane Russell, Victor Mature, Doris Day, and Yvonne DeCarlo being on this list--maybe even Robert Cummings.

[@frederickcombs8661]

Doris Day was a very good natural actress with no training at all.

[@Avatar610]

This is ridiculous! A LOT of the people mentioned don’t belong here- Payne, Russell, Day, DeCarlo, Sheridan, Turner. Several of these stars were Oscar nominated, had successful TV shows, and even did Broadway! Mind you- this video was the opinion of ONE person who didn’t even say his or her own name!😡

[@WendyMorean]

LETS CRITIQUE THE CRITICS, NOW. I USUALLY IGNORE THE CRITICS WHEN THEY CRITIQUE A MOVIE!!!

[@constancemerwin8171]

Doris Daymade it on her looks and singing? You've got to be kidding. She is widely acknowledged by respected peers as having natural, innate talent. Believable in many kinds of roles. Whoever curated this video, when I saw you included her, I couldnt believe it. Are you deaf, blind, dumb, ignorant? Sorry but I am amazed. Have you seen her in films like The Man Who Knew Too Much, Midlight Lace, Love Me or Leave Me, and Pillow Talk, just to name a few? She also shows depth and believability in Please Don't Eat the Daisies. Alfred HItchcock didnt correct one thing she did in The Man Who Knew Too Much. He is some "ham" director I suppose? Really, I understand some of your choices for average talent being outweighed by looks and presence and charisma. But not Doris Day. A natural and large talent, you must be the only one who doesnt know.

[@thomasdevine867]

Johnny Weismuller wasn't all that bad. He, like Syl Stallone, could never use his vocal instrument well. But in silent films, he'd have been a great actor. Doris Day singing was great acting. And she delivered impressive non singing roles as well.

[@fredorman2429]

The critics are wrong

[@diane5254]

:33 is not John Payne, it's Gig Young. And they were both good actors.

[@carolirvine7663]

They were good in the roles they played. There was a nitch in films for their presence and specific talent. Not everyone can be a Bet Davis or a Spencer Tracy.

[@PageYuri]

Who cares what others who don't act say.

[@richland1980]

Actually it is currently worse now. Fewer real actors and more looks.

[@ladymary22]

Well they were not asked to do great playwrites such as Shakespeare or Arthur Miller, etc. To be honest many actors now aren't talented actors either. In the end that's entertainment

[@stanthonyofpadua1]

Your script consists of the same sentence repeated hundreds of times with varied wording.

[@cindystrachan8566]

Wow, you really dissed a lot of my favorite actors and actresses. So they weren’t Olivier. But most of those on your list delivered several excellent performances in their careers. And for those performances I thank them. Now if you’re truly interested in finding horrible acting, check out the science fiction movies of that era. Lots of mediocre actors chewing up the cheap scenery. PS: Johnny W. was playing a character raised by apes. So emotional nuances wouldn’t be part of his near-savage persona. Just something to consider!

[@petelutz2967]

Get a human to narrate this and I'll watch and listen. Also, right off the bat you mistakenly showed another actor in 3 or 4 brief scenes who wasn't John Payne. 👎👎👎

[@lindaclarkclark2296]

This list is spot on! I have never understood how many of these ‘actors’ became stars - especially Ann Sheridan and June Allison, who were complete opposites in every way except in the category of talent - both were equally limited!

[@janspeer7924]

How many times can you repeat the same phrases. Almost worse than the subjects.

[@majorneptunejr]

Movies today are dominated be over the top action cgi crap. Good acting is not required. It's not that all the acting is bad , but seeing someone trying to admit emotion wile wearing a rubber suit and cape is just cringe worthy and embarrassing. Arnold's best role was as a cyborg for good reason.

[@williamjones7163]

Who???