Sexiest actors in black-and-white movies?

Does anyone else here get a bit of a crush on certain actors from those old black-and-white classics? I’m talking about the era up through the 60s, if you're into that sort of thing.
Who was your absolute favorite back when they were in their prime? (I mean, let’s be honest—Marlon Brando was a total knockout, even if his look has changed quite a bit since then)
Feel free to vent, too—who did you find absolutely terrible?

For me, the heavy hitters were: Montgomery Clift, Laurence Olivier (especially in Hurricane), and Gregory Peck.
The absolute worst: Fred Astaire

Marlon Brando 👍
Charlton Heston in Ben Hur (and everywhere else) 🙏

John Wayne 😲 👎

Can't really recall the others...

Maureen O'Hara - Jane, a Tarzan piece
Bette Davis

The men are just ugly to me...😁 ...

Dead Man - Johnny Depp😁 😁

Haha, alright... I’m bored out of my mind, so I figured I’d dig up some old topics from the archives. There’s certainly more interesting stuff worth discussing than whatever garbage is currently cluttering up the front page! 😉 Pardon my French. 🙂

This one is actually pretty charming. 🙂 Personally, my absolute favorite actor in black-and-white films would have to be Johnny Depp in "Ed Wood." Just kidding. In all seriousness, it's Laurence Olivier in "Carrie" and Joseph Cotten in Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt." And honestly? Paul Henreid in just about every black-and-white movie ever made. 😍

Yes, an interesting topic.😁

I was just watching until the very end and found myself stunned by the incredible beauty and charm of Jean Seberg. A true beauty. To be fair, I wouldn't necessarily label her one of those "sex symbols" this thread seems to crave, but she belongs in that category of ethereal beauties.
Sex symbols? The classics: Ava Gardner—the one and only. Rita Hayworth.

The men? Sure, Marlon Brando is good. But Steve McQueen is better.

It just hit me—Paul Newman was such an absolute devil (bless his soul), but I don't recall ever seeing him in anything black and white. It would’ve been a crime to miss those blue eyes in monochrome.

I didn't think of any specific actresses at first, but honestly, why not? My personal icons are Bette Davis and Rita Hayworth. There's just something about a woman with a wicked streak that I can't resist! 😁

Chloe Reed37 said:but Steve McQueen is just better.

Steve McQueen is the absolute GOAT!!! 🙂

I have to say, Cary Grant is totally incredible too! 😍

Chloe Reed37 said:It’s an interesting topic.😁

Hey, I was just watching something a moment ago. Do the last one. I’m honestly just stunned by how incredibly beautiful and charming Jean Seberg was. A total stunner. To be fair, I wouldn't exactly put her in that "sex kitten" category this thread is looking for, but she definitely belongs in that group of unconventional beauties.
Sex appeal? It’s all classics: Ava Gardner was one of a kind, and then there's Rita Hayworth.

Yeah, she's gorgeous. Especially when you consider Godardian muse Anna Karina. 😍

Maria Clark said:I also think Cary Grant is great 😍

ooooooooooooooooo...

Oh, absolutely. Cary Grant has enough charm to power the entire West Coast, but his acting can be just as incredibly dull as his looks are captivating. It’s a real shame, because if he actually had some range, I might have actually fallen for him.

Cary Grant is the ultimate example of a wooden actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The guy is just mediocre.

Brenda Lee50 said:It just occurred to me—Paul Newman was absolutely divine, damn him, but I don't recall seeing him in anything black and white. Those blue eyes... what a waste.

Ah, Newman... yes. Absolutely.

Staying on theme with the topic, here is one in black and white:

Joseph Cotten is just stunning 🙂
not as a psychopath, though—more like in The Third Man and Portrait of Jenny.

And I mean, don't get me wrong, John Wayne is such a legend when he shows up in Stagecoach looking all cool and collected—man, that charisma and that cheeky grin? Unbeatable.

I’ve also got a huge soft spot for Clark Gable... honestly, I think he beats Cary Grant when it comes to that whole "charming rogue" vibe. Plus, there's just something about those strong, chiseled faces; take James Mason, for instance—he is incredibly sexy. He really has that voice, you know?

And Jean Gabin. A total classic man.

Rebecca Brown28 said:so, Marlon Brando was a total knockout—whatever the hell he looks like these days is a completely different story

I can't tell if this is just pure ignorance or just a weird way of phrasing things.
Forgive me for the cute topic, 😉

On topic: Gregory Peck

Kevin Lopez43 said:Cary Grant is actually the ultimate example of a wooden actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood. I mean, the guy is just totally average.

Oh, come on! That’s basically the biggest part of his sex appeal—aside from that gorgeous face, he’s just such a cool guy 😎
!
Honestly, even James Cagney has that same kind of sexy vibe 🙂for me!

Gregory Peck was such a sweetheart! 😍

It just crossed my mind that when Ian Fleming was dreaming up James Bond, he actually had Cary Grant in mind as his ultimate pick once the film adaptations started rolling. Imagine that! He would have been absolutely perfect—nobody could have out-spied him. But Cary stuck to his guns about retiring and turned down the chance to be the first James Bond on screen, claiming he simply wasn't up to the task. 🙂

Young Elizabeth Taylor was an absolute knockout. It’s such a shame she kind of lost her edge later in life and started leaning into that tranny look.

Ingrid Bergman was just breathtaking in that Flemingesque adaptation of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Like, seriously... pure magnetism. 🙂

I've always thought Judi Dench was sweet—honestly, even now, I'd probably put her in the MILF category, right alongside Helen Mirren, who's a bit younger.

Kimberly Hyde is another one who doesn't really fit into that specific age bracket—and I haven't seen a ton of her work—but there's this one scene from The Last Picture Show (it's black and white!) that just stuck with me. 😁

Auntie Sophia Loren was always a total babe, though I wasn't ever obsessed with her.

But Claudia Cardinale? Now she was something else. 🙂

And obviously, I can't leave out the ultimate sweetheart, Audrey Hepburn.

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/im...is-Posters.jpg

So, we're talking about Jerry Lewis—you know, the guy from those old comedy specials on TV.

Purely 100% Brigitte Bardot herehttp://imagecache.allposters.com/im...ot-Posters.jpg

She’s just... stunning!

Absolutely irresistible...

...Julia Roberts


...Brigitte Bardot


...Sharon Stone