MovieStars are some of the greatest movie actors and actresses of all time. The list includes such names as Marlon Brando, George Arliss, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift.
John Barrymore
The name John Barrymore was very familiar to moviegoers. He appeared on stage and in films, and was a major player in the motion picture industry. But his personal life was also tumultuous. In fact, he was a chronic alcoholic.
After making his Broadway debut in 1909, he became an A-lister. By the time he was in his early 40s, he had married Blanche Oelrichs and had a daughter, Diana. They tried to keep the relationship together, but when they were filming Sherlock Holmes, they were separated.
When he arrived back in the U.S. after World War I, he was offered more films but he wanted to stay with Elaine Barrie. She kept his bed warm.
Then one day, there was an earthquake in San Francisco. Barrymore woke up and checked on the hotel room. It was a disaster.
George Arliss
George Arliss was an actor and playwright. He began his career as a stage performer, but moved to America to pursue a career in films. During the next twenty years, he would be a major player in the film industry.
In 1929, Arliss received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Disraeli, a play about the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli. His performance earned him the Photoplay Gold Medal. The 1929 film was a great success and established Arliss as a major motion picture star.
After Disraeli, Arliss appeared on screen in several silent films. In his early silent films, he played a number of supporting roles, including one as an absent-minded inventor.
George Arliss made a number of biopics about historical figures. He portrayed Alexander Hamilton, Voltaire, Benjamin Disraeli, the House of Rothschild, and Cardinal Richelieu. As well, he made a number of domestic comedies.
Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift is a MovieStars icon who paved the way for other actors. Although his career was short, Clift was an early pioneer of the Method acting movement. His acting style was more naturalistic and less theatrical, often revealing his own pain and suffering.
Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the son of William Brooks Clift (1886-1964) and Ethel Anderson Fogg (1888-1988).
As a child, Clift showed interest in theatrics. When he lived in France and Switzerland, Clift developed a keen interest in the performing arts.
As a teenager, Clift began to perform on and off Broadway. Clift participated in the first television broadcast in the United States.
After Clift made his film debut in 1948 with Red River, he was soon cast as a leading man. The film became one of the most popular and best-known westerns of all time.
James Dean
James Dean’s iconic persona has stood the test of time. His portrayal of the volatile misfit embodied the youthful spirit of the 1950s. And despite a short and tragic life, he is a cult icon of pop culture.
The actor was born in Marion, Indiana, and grew up in a small Midwest town. He moved to California with his family when he was five. From there, he went on to study acting at the University of California at Los Angeles.
After graduating, he pursued an education at UCLA and Santa Monica College. He was drawn to the Hollywood studios and the cinema industry.
In addition to acting, he was also a sports car racer. He won several amateur races. He also appeared in some Pepsi Cola commercials in the 1950s.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando was one of the most popular American film stars of the 1950s and 1970s. He won two Academy Awards and was nominated for another three.
He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1924. After a short stint in the military, he moved to New York City where he studied acting. In the 1950s, he appeared in several films including “The Wild One,” “The Fugitive Kind,” and “The Young Lions.” The last of these, “The Wild One,” starred him as a motorcycle gang leader who took over a small town.
Brando began his career in the New York theater, appearing in a play by Tennessee Williams. He was later signed by Warner Bros. and worked with director Elia Kazan on a number of films.
Marlon Brando was an advocate for Native Americans and the American Indian Movement. His films included “On the Waterfront,” which won eight Academy Awards.
