I got tagged by Scott over at He Shot Cyrus for this one and I have to tell you, I really had to think hard on this one. No, Scott couldn’t tag me for something a little less easy on my poor convoluted brain, like perhaps Top 20 Hot Old British Dudes or something.
I’m too lazy to collage all these photos, though, so you have to deal with full size. Okay? Okay.
I’m such a softie for Angela Lansbury not only because of Murder, She Wrote but because of her role as Elvis’ mom (!) in Blue Hawaii. CHADWICK!
I don’t really think Bette Davis requires an explanation, but damn, that woman was fierce. Also, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? is really one of my all time favorite movies.
ALL SHALL LOVE CATE BLANCHETT AND DESPAIR!
Poor Catherine Deneuve. “People only die of love in the movies.”
CLAUDETTE EFFING COLBERT. After I compiled my list, I took a gander around the movie blogosphere to see what people had listed and I was shocked – really shocked – that Colbert was nowhere to be found. The Egg and I is a movie my mother and I will watch and love over and over and over again forever.
Deborah Kerr was in more than a few movies I watched continually growing up. I’ve never been able to identify why I like her so much, but I do, and that’s that.
Emma Thompson has done the unthinkable; she made a Jane Austen film adaptation (er, wrote the screenplay, rather, and starred in it) that I found not only watchable but enjoyable. There’s something very familiar and persuasive about her. I erased Junior from my brain and don’t even bring it up with regard to Schwarzenegger primarily because of her.
If you have not seen Sur Mes Lèvres (Read My Lips), please kindly do yourself a favor and watch it. Emmanuelle Devos is crazytastic good in it. I’ll put it this way: She made me forget that Vincent Cassel was in this movie. That’s right. A certified Hot Old Man and I was all like, “Whatever! Let’s get back to the chick who can’t hear!” I love her in that movie and I’ve loved the follow-up stuff she’s done.
Yes, there was a time when I wanted to grow up to be Jennifer Saunders.
I really was kind of afraid that if I didn’t put Judi Dench on this list, she would hunt me down, beat the shit out of me and then sternly reprimand me for not adding her in. Don’t kill me, Dame Judi. Please.
I know Kate Winslet gets a lot of acclaim for whatever whosit-whatsit she’s doing these days, but for my money she just knocked everyone’s socks off in Branagh’s version of Hamlet. She’s worth sitting through that ungodly long ass damn movie just to see her as Ophelia, no lie. I know she’s only gotten better but she actually made me cry in that one, and the last time I cried was realizing that my copy of Aliens is scratched and unplayable. I don’t really cry about much else, really.
How can Kathy Bates be terrifying, awesome and wonderful simultaneously?
LINNEA QUIGLEY.
Enough said.
Maureen O’Hara is like…supernova-sized awesome. The Quiet Man and McLintock! are my earliest and fondest memories of her. That and that damnable red hair, but you know. I think out of all the women in John Wayne movies, she held her own against John Wayne the best and sometimes way outdid John freakin’ Wayne. She is also in one of my favorite Jimmy Stewart movies of all time – Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation.
I always feel partially awed and partially amazed by Milla Jovovich and I get cranky in the worst way that she’s never given as much credit as she deserves.
Four words for you: Rosalind Russell, Auntie Mame.
Sigourney Weaver was in two of my favorite film franchises of all time: the Alien franchise and the Ghostbusters franchise. AND SHE IS ALL THE MORE AWESOME FOR IT.
Susan Sarandon once made me cry in front of people – in public no less. I was in school and we were watching Lorenzo’s Oil, and ohhhh, the humanity. She’s fantabulous in everything she does – including Rescue Me.
I loved Beetlejuice when I was a kid and by proxy, Winona Ryder. I wanted to look like her so badly. I also was envious of the fact that she got to date Johnny Depp. Then I came to two startling realizations: one, I was never going to be a tiny, waif-like thing like Ms. Ryder and would have to settle for being tall and awkward; two, I was never going to get to date Johnny Depp but she sure was.
It should’ve made me dislike her in my 10 year old or so brain, but instead I just adored her and kept right on, even through crap like Alien: Resurrection and whatnot. Her cameo in Zoolander is one of my favorite things about that movie. No, for serious!
I love lists like this! For your consideration here’s my top 3 “old-time” actresses:
Ingrid Bergman: Can you tell Casablanca is my numero uno film?
Myrna Loy: Completely underated. She shined in both comedy and drama, and yet never makes people’s lists.
Grace Kelly: My first crush for a dead lady.
Ingrid Bergman for the win, Morgan! And I would have put Myrna Loy on here, but I’ve only seen her in one of the Thin Man movies and I wanted to refresh my memory and then maybe figure out a way to squeeze her in.
Grace Kelly: My first crush for a dead lady.
Rear Window is amazing. I think the only reason she didn’t get thrown on the list is because I love her so much in Rear Window that I just blank on the rest of her career.
Nice list. Overall I think you’ve got some fantastic women in here. Linnea Quigley (of course) is rad, great sleeper pick. Parker Posey should be on everyone’s list. Kate Winslet has really grown on me. I used to not like her much, but I think Beautiful Creatures made me see her in a whole new light. Now I like her more and more whenever I see her.
The only changes I think I would have made for my list would be Audrey Hepburn, Asia Argento, and for enitrely shallow reasons, Salma Hayek (I know, I know…but I just can’t not put her on).
Also, sadly…Bettie Page died today. It’s a shame, but I guess the greats all have to go sometime.
NOOOOOOO NOT BETTIE PAGE WHAT THE HELL.
I love that even when she got all heavily into Jesus and became a born-again Christian that she was still alright and not ashamed of her past.
Linnea Quigley (of course) is rad
I agree. Someone who reads and comments on this blog today told me that he had no idea who she was and didn’t want to see her movies, because they were all gross and gory and torture porn! Can you believe that? I think we should go beat him with sticks.
The only changes I think I would have made for my list would be Audrey Hepburn, Asia Argento, and for enitrely shallow reasons, Salma Hayek
Yeah, that was the hard thing. There’s so many I like that I really had to make some tough decisions.
I will always love Salma Hayek for Dogma and Audrey Hepburn is fantastic but I couldn’t decide between Kate Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn, so I just left ’em both off. Sigh.
…he had no idea who she was and didn’t want to see her movies, because they were all gross and gory and torture porn! Can you believe that?
No. No I can not. A world without Linnea Quigley is a world that I don’t want to know about. Really? Torture porn? That’s not a term to be thrown around all willy-nilly.
I will always love Salma Hayek for Dogma and Audrey Hepburn is fantastic but I couldn’t decide between Kate Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn, so I just left ‘em both off.
I would go with Audrey on the strength alone of Wait Until Dark. It’s got Alan Arkin!
Salma Hayek is pretty funny. She only gets roles for her looks, but she’s got some talent hidden away there.
Milla!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU. Ugh. She’s so fucking awesome in The Fifth Element.
A world without Linnea Quigley is a world that I don’t want to know about. Really?
I know! My life is so much better for having Trash in it that I cannot even describe it. I tried to convince him that Return of the Living Dead is NOT gross and is awesome and is hilarious, and he does not believe me.
I’m going to get the ninja beating sticks now. :p
Milla!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU. Ugh. She’s so fucking awesome in The Fifth Element.
I KNOW RIGHT?! Not just that, you should see The Claim; she was excellent in that.
Ooh, doesn’t that also have Sarah Polley?
…
*queues*
Yes sir, it does!
Ooh, doesn’t that also have Sarah Polley?
Oh shit! How could I forget Sarah Polley?
Caitlin. Your list should totally have Sarah Polley on it.
Caitlin. Your list should totally have Sarah Polley on it.
She’s number 21. She’s just hiding at the moment.
:D
She’s number 21. She’s just hiding at the moment.
Word.
Now I’m gonna be sitting here all day thinking of movies and going, “Oh! Wait a minute? What about (actresses name)?!?!?”
This list must have been difficult to compile.
It took me a long time to compile in my head. A long time. Not so much on the execution, but I was practically banging my head against the steering wheel last night in rush hour traffic trying to pick and choose mentally. Heh.
Dude, Sarah’s like my #3. And I included her in mine. So I win. :P
Dude, Sarah’s like my #3. And I included her in mine. So I win. :P
You win at life, J.D. Have a (virgin) margarita.
*sobs*
A How To Guide for Making Scott Feel Uncomfortable:
1. Find an photograph of an attractive actress
2. Post it online
3. Have him look at it and think “Wow, who’s that? She’s hot.”
4. Reveal to Scott that the picture is of Angela Lansbury.
Aww, Scott, I’m sorry! I hope you didn’t feel scarred for life. :D
She’s rather slutty-hot in Gaslight.
Mmhmm.
I agree with everyone except for Posey, Jovovich, Bates, Quigley & Winslet. Sorry, I know everyone just drools over Ms. Winslet, but I really don’t see the hype. She’s okay, but nothing which ever really impresses me or makes me cry. Anyway, I just have a different reaction to her than most. She was okay in Hamlet but I personally feel Helena Bonham Carter owns that role. I liked Branagh’s more honest to Shakespeare version than that of Gibson’s abridged version but MUCH preferred Carter’s brilliant Ophelia.
Posey I haven’t really seen much worth talking about and her voice is grates on my nerves.
Jovovich I just don’t really care about. She hasn’t done anything yet to grab my attention so that’s my justification. Everyone else is a thumbsup from me though! Great selection, love the classics like Lansbury, O’Hara, Russell, & Bergman. thumbsup!
Quigley-who in the heck is she??
Bates to me is one of the most flat at delivering her lines, she’s usually the worst actor in a pic. Everything is so forced sounding as if she’s directly reading off a teleprompter. hmmm…I guess everyone has their own individual impressions.
mujeres estrñas
But HOW could you leave out the awe inspiring Vivien Leigh? She amazed me as Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, and actually broke my heart as Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. She was a true actress. She could make you forget she was acting–you could really feel the emotion she put into her roles. It was as if her characters were not characters at all but REAL women living out very real lives. In short, she rocked!!
i’m so glad you included Winona Ryder. i know, i know, she had the theft thing going on, but there’s just something about her……. also i’d love one of Ava Gardner– i know she definitely got roles for her looks, but when you look like she did in her heydey……WOW! absolutely gorgeous! and kudos for including Parker Posey– she does small parts, but they all come out amazing, somehow. love her.
Your site seems to be giving me issues in google chrome, is it just me?