Name a cooler dude than Cary Grant?

[lucas80]

I've been on a tear watching Grant's films lately. I watched The Awful Truth which paired Grant up with Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, and Holiday which featured an electric combination of Grant and Katherine Hepburn.
The guy was suave as can be, witty... He lived the high life in the golden age of Hollywood.
I am willing to entertain suggestions as to who was a cooler dude.
And, CSB, he died in Davenport. I did not know that until I was doing some research on those movies. Grant was in his 80s and doing some one man shows, and while in Davenport he suffered a stroke. He refused treatment, and passed away several hours later. Many believe he'd grown despondent over the death of so many contemporaries in the previous years, and that is why he refused advanced care the day he suffered the stroke.

 

[ft254]

Gregory Peck. Super cool in every role. William Holden didn't always get premium roles, but he could act.

 

[TheCainer]

Gregory Peck. Super cool in every role. William Holden didn't always get premium roles, but he could act.

CG vs GP would be on my MUST SEE TV list.

 

[mnole03]

William Powell, Clark Gable, and Paul Newman.

 

[Moral]

David Davidson

 

[General Tso]

He died in Davenport. Should be on a Davenport welcome sign.

 

[shank hawk]

Steve McQueen

 

[SigMaintHawk]

Anthony Bourdain

 

[SoProudNole]

Dustin Diamond

 

[bagdropper]

William Powell is a good one. All one has to do is watch The Thin Man movies (especially the first two) to see how Hollywood stole from them ever since. Part mystery, part romantic comedy, outstanding dialogue - Hollywood has borrowed from that movie thousands of times over.

My favorite was the second one, "After The Thin Man" was the best. Better supporting cast (Jimmy Stewart in a very rare role for him career-wise), better cinematography, Oscar nominated screenplay...outstanding movie all around.

Of course, they're "dated", and won't be for everybody - but Powell is absolutely fantastic in them all. I've always thought they were the true first "modern comedies" Hollywood put out, and you can see how movies even today borrow from them from a dialogue aspect.


I've always thought the best stars (not necessarily best actors...best "stars") ever had a voice cadence and tone to them that set themselves apart from the rest. Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, etc...William Powell has a great stern/serious tone and "beat" to his speech that when you combine the comedic timing he had, that is the cincher for me with him because he wasn't what I'd call a handsome leading man like Grant. He spoke "cool" and his cadence had excellent timing is the best way to term it.

 

[BubsFinn]

Father Goose and Mr. Lucky are two of his movies that I always watch when they're on AMC.

 

[bagdropper]

Father Goose.

He and Leslie Caron are outstanding in it. One of my favorites of his.

It is amazing, he has movies like this and Operation Petticoat (my favorite movie of his) and then there's North By Northwest. One of my favorite actors ever.

 

[h-hawk]

Great choices - I will add Jack Lemon and James Stewart.

 

[Monzon]

I've been on a tear watching Grant's films lately. I watched The Awful Truth which paired Grant up with Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, and Holiday which featured an electric combination of Grant and Katherine Hepburn.
The guy was suave as can be, witty... He lived the high life in the golden age of Hollywood.
I am willing to entertain suggestions as to who was a cooler dude.
And, CSB, he died in Davenport. I did not know that until I was doing some research on those movies. Grant was in his 80s and doing some one man shows, and while in Davenport he suffered a stroke. He refused treatment, and passed away several hours later. Many believe he'd grown despondent over the death of so many contemporaries in the previous years, and that is why he refused advanced care the day he suffered the stroke.

People Magazine wrote (and I'm paraphrasing here) that Grant died in the unglamorous burg known as Davenport. That criticism stuck with those from the Dirty D for many years.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Steve McQueen

My very first thought. He was the Cooler King, after all.

 

[83Hawk]

Dean Martin.

I’ll throw one out that nobody ever mentions….James Garner.

 

[SSG T]

They may not top him, but Steve McQueen and Paul Newman are right there with him. Maybe a different kind of cool, but they are on equal footing.

 

[ping72]

Why is everyone being listed born like 100 years ago?

 

[tumorboy]

James Dean, The Rock , Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brock Samson, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford

 

[strummingram]

Jeff Bridges!

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Dean Martin.

I’ll throw one out that nobody ever mentions….James Garner.

Garner strikes me as more of an "everyman" kind of guy. He's who we all think we are while Grant or McQueen are the guys we'd like to be.

 

[ping72]

Doesn’t look very manly to me.

I’m 40 years old... I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of his movies. Looks like his last one was made 55 years ago. You guys are freaking old.

 

[QChawks]

 

[LuteHawk]

Cary Grant will be remembered as a suave
and debonair leading man in his films:

An Affair To Remember (Deborah Kerr)
Houseboat (Sophia Loren)
North By Northwest (Eva Marie Saint)
Indiscreet (Ingrid Bergman)
Charade ( Audrey Hepburn)
Touch of Mink (Doris Day)
To Catch A Thief ( Grace Kelly)

Yes, Cary Grant had some beautiful co-stars.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Doesn’t look very manly to me.

I’m 40 years old... I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of his movies. Looks like his last one was made 55 years ago. You guys are freaking old.

His movies didn't disappear when he died, you know.

 

[ping72]

His movies didn't disappear when he died, you know.

Its brutal to go back and watch an 80s movie, let alone one from the 50s or 60s. No thanks.

They’re so hokie and the acting is rigid and terrible. I just can’t do it. If you have no nostalgic connection, it’s brutal to sit through. It’s like nobody reads the entire script... they memorize one or two lines, then go out like they’re on a theater stage and over act them, trying to say them “cool” without any real human emotion or natural delivery. Then rinse and repeat.

 

[TheCainer]

James Dean, The Rock , Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brock Samson, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is the one that came to me first.

A couple of his earlier films were American Graffiti and Apocalypse Now where he played lesser roles but was still good.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Its brutal to go back and watch an 80s movie, let alone one from the 50s or 60s. No thanks.

They’re so hokie and the acting is rigid and terrible. I just can’t do it. If you have no nostalgic connection, it’s brutal to sit through. It’s like nobody reads the entire script... they memorize one or two lines, then go out like they’re on a theater stage and over act them, trying to say them “cool” without any real human emotion or natural delivery. Then rinse and repeat.

You just said you've never seen any of his movies. You're missing out on some great stuff. I assume you hate live plays, as well.

 

[OrlandNole]

I'm beginning to think that 80 is a reference to OP's age.

 

[83Hawk]

Garner strikes me as more of an "everyman" kind of guy. He's who we all think we are while Grant or McQueen are the guys we'd like to be.

That’s why he is so cool.

 

[DrVenkman]

Marlon Brando.

Before he became a behemoth and a weirdo, he was the man in Hollywood

Would also add Warren Beatty. Not many cooler than him and he ran ass like no other.

 

[UNIowaHawk]

Iowa’s own Marion Robert Morrison (better known as John Wayne).

 

[joelbc1]

Wm. Powell, Paul Newman, Dean Martin and James Garner are some “pretty cool” old school guys...

 

[ping72]

You just said you've never seen any of his movies. You're missing out on some great stuff. I assume you hate live plays, as well.

I actually love live theater. Back when we lived in La Jolla (San Diego) for several years we had season tickets to the La Jolla playhouse. We saw several shows that went onto Broadway and to win Tony awards like jersey boys, cry-baby, and Memphis.

On the stage you have to speak and move differently since most of the audience cannot see much in the way of facial expressions. But that just looks weird in film.

 

[Red Hills Nole]

James Coburn for me. His role in "The Magnificent Seven" was great.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

I actually love live theater. Back when we lived in La Jolla (San Diego) for several years we had season tickets to the La Jolla playhouse. We saw several shows that went onto Broadway and to win Tony awards like jersey boys, cry-baby, and Memphis.

On the stage you have to speak and move differently since most of the audience cannot see much in the way of facial expressions. But that just looks weird in film.

Many...most?...all?...of the early actors and directors were originally stage artists so the carry-over in style is understandable.

 

[ping72]

Many...most?...all?...of the early actors and directors were originally stage artists so the carry-over in style is understandable.

I completely agree.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

I completely agree.

So watch those old movies like they're stage plays and you get a seat right up there on the stage.

 

[GES4]

I've been on a tear watching Grant's films lately. I watched The Awful Truth which paired Grant up with Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, and Holiday which featured an electric combination of Grant and Katherine Hepburn.
The guy was suave as can be, witty... He lived the high life in the golden age of Hollywood.
I am willing to entertain suggestions as to who was a cooler dude.
And, CSB, he died in Davenport. I did not know that until I was doing some research on those movies. Grant was in his 80s and doing some one man shows, and while in Davenport he suffered a stroke. He refused treatment, and passed away several hours later. Many believe he'd grown despondent over the death of so many contemporaries in the previous years, and that is why he refused advanced care the day he suffered the stroke.

Paul Newman. All day.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

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