The Rat Pack

James Garcia50 said:Perry Mason and Della Street are among the best dressed characters 🙏

Cary Grant ☕

The most elegant actor ever. That’s why one of his films is my all-time favorite. Not just because of him, but you can't deny that effortless elegance he carries.

You've started a decent debate here, so I pulled out the relevant bits. If anyone else has examples or a sudden fashion epiphany, keep it going right here.

That blue—wait, was it blue-gray?—suit, MY GOD... absolute perfection... I mean, I don't even wear suits myself, but you just have to respect that look

bluenomad2 said:You know, I haven't really noticed a truly beautiful dress in a modern movie for quite some time. 😁

I only ever found myself obsessing over details like that when I was watching classic Hollywood cinema. It’s actually pretty fascinating how they... When you look back at the heavy hitters from classic Hollywood, there’s no question that some of the most powerhouse female characters ever written came from that era. I'm talking specifically about film noir—where the women weren't just background noise, they were often the ones driving the entire plot through sheer force of will. And don't even get me started on the Westerns; it feels like every truly great Western absolutely required one formidable woman to ground the story and give it some real teeth.It’s just not there anymore. You see movies nowadays where you can tell the filmmakers are really putting in the effort, but they just can't seem to reach that level of excellence established by classic Hollywood.

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When I think about the absolute peak of men's style, James Stewart is my definitive pick. There’s just something about that level of elegance and pure charm he brought to the screen. It's unmatched. 😍(Sorry, I have to use this hated little smiley face again.) 😁 )

bluenomad2 said:Cary Grant ☕

The most elegant actor ever. That’s why one of his films is my all-time favorite. Not just because of him, but you can't deny that effortless elegance he carries.

You've started a decent debate here, so I pulled out the relevant bits. If anyone else has examples or a sudden fashion epiphany, keep it going right here.

🙂

Man, listen... you can't even talk about that kind of effortless charm without bringing up James Stewart. It’s just different, you know? Like, some guys try too hard, they're all flash and no substance, but he had that thing. That quiet, steady vibe that just works. It's like comparing a cheap knockoff to the real deal. You just don't see it anymore. ☕

It's a shame. I actually enjoy it when things go over the top with the acting or the plot, provided it serves a purpose. Right now, I can still see those head movements and stares of his 🤣

The one classic I couldn't stand was the >. The cast was mediocre at best. It just didn't grab me. Too ordinary.

Patrick Martin said:🙂

Man, listen... you can't even talk about that kind of effortless charm without bringing up James Stewart. It’s just different, you know? Like, some guys try too hard, they're all flash and no substance, but he had that thing. That quiet, steady vibe that just works. It's like comparing a cheap knockoff to the real deal. You just don't see it anymore. ☕

Man, give me James Stewart for Westerns any day. He’s the only one I’d rank alongside John Wayne in that genre. Eastwood is fine, sure, but he’s too much of a "cool guy." These two feel real. They actually make me smile.

Reminded me of that scene from The Sopranos where Tony Soprano talks about James Stewart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvjYuIBy-oQ.

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne are absolute legends. I lean toward Clint myself, obviously, but Wayne definitely feels more like a true icon of the people.
When you look at the greats of the Western genre, it really gave us heavyweights like Lee Van Cleef, Gregory Peck, Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance, and Henry Fonda.

James Garcia50 said:Perry Mason and Della Street are easily among the best-dressed characters on screen...🙏

Della is still around, actually, she’s 92 years old now. And whether it’s this year or next, we’re going to see new Perry Masons starring Robert Downey Jr.

As far as pure style goes, I suppose I always remember Grace Kelly for those stunning dresses of hers. I have a vivid memory of her in Rear Window. I also recently sat down to watch Top Hat, and Ginger Rogers was just so incredibly graceful. But it’s really that high-end, luxury fashion that sticks with you...

Man, those Golden Age Hollywood actors just don't quit... I feel like Burt Lahr only passed away recently, and he was already pushing 90 when he took on that role in some comedy flick.

They really lived the dream—not gonna lie, I'm pretty jealous. Must've been such a sweet era, you know?

Cary Grant looks absolutely sharp in North by Northwest—it's peak style, honestly. But maybe the biggest shocker is that he's actually 55 years old in that movie.

Fifty-five. :/

Look, listen up, because I'm telling you right now—James Stewart is the absolute king of style and pure acting chops ☕

just pure art vandelay

Patrick Martin said:Look, listen up, because I'm telling you right now—James Stewart is the absolute king of style and pure acting chops ☕

Cary Grant, indeed. 🎉

Steve McQueen was easily The Rat Pack's finest, and quite possibly the best-dressed actor to ever grace the screen...

Steve McQueen was definitely a legend, but let’s be real—there is only one true "Rat Pack" when it comes to pure coolness, and that’s Michael Caine.
He takes the top spot, with maybe Charles Bronson sitting just a few steps behind him as the second coolest guy to ever do it.🙏

Alain Delon was way more of a real deal than any of those guys—unlike those other actors, he was an actual straight-up delinquent, probably even a criminal if you look at the legal side of things. Total player, too. He was actually out there in the streets during those anti-De Gaulle student riots, getting hands-on with bats and pipes—hitting students and all that. His godfather was a verified mobster in the French government, not to mention that whole crazy love triangle situation... and then you’ve got his bodyguard, that wild guy Stevica Marković, stealing his girl Natalia and somehow getting mixed up with Madame Pompidou too—yeah, the wife of the future French president, Pompidou. Eventually, they found him in some dump, and Delon ended up in court as a potential mastermind behind the murder of 😁

Those guys were real rebels—not like when you just light a cigarette and throw on some Wayfarers in the middle of Universal Pictures 😁 those Hollywood types, they're alright, I guess, but they're just products 😁

^ There’s so much more lurking behind an angelic face than meets the eye. 😁
I think most of us who grew up idolizing certain actors were only focused on their onscreen persona; what they actually did once the cameras stopped rolling is a completely different story.
That being said, Charles Bronson remains one of the coolest actors to ever do it in my book.

analogpanther55 said:Steve McQueen was definitely a legend, but let’s be real—there is only one true "Rat Pack" when it comes to pure coolness, and that’s Michael Caine.
He takes the top spot, with maybe Charles Bronson sitting just a few steps behind him as the second coolest guy to ever do it.🙏

Haha, I'm with you. He’s got style, no doubt about it. I might not go as far as calling him The Rat Pack, but the guy is definitely a legend.🙏

By the way, I just rewatched The Man Who Would Be King. Caine and Connery. Now *that* is real coolness. Compared to those two, everyone else on these lists can just pack it up and go home.😁

To me, Charles Bronson was always the coolest. Those whiskers did a lot for him, though he was untouchable even without them (Hard Times). That era was packed with heavy hitters—Marvin, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner—but Bronson always hit different for me.



There’s a great nod to him in True Romance 😁

analogpanther55 said:^ There’s so much more lurking behind an angelic face than meets the eye. 😁
I think most of us who grew up idolizing certain actors were only focused on their onscreen persona; what they actually did once the cameras stopped rolling is a completely different story.
That being said, Charles Bronson remains one of the coolest actors to ever do it in my book.

Alain Delon was just way too good-looking—honestly, it almost felt wrong, like he was some kind of designer model... and I guess that actually helped his acting a ton behind the scenes. It’s not even acting when they yell cut, you know? His whole life was basically one big, continuous theater performance. 😁

Look, Morgan said it pretty clearly—knowledge gets passed down from one generation to the next, so I'm just doing the same by passing along what was drilled into me.
The gist is that Gary Cooper was the absolute gold standard for class, right up there with guys like James Stewart, John Wayne, or Cary Grant.





And don't even get me started on Steve McQueen or Alain Delon; those guys were definitely in that top-tier category of legendary leading men.