Movie-wise, I've already shared that Now, Voyager has #1 status, with Casablanca, A Place in the Sun, Sunset Boulevard, and Madame X rounding out the top 5.
So far, though, I've never shared with my blog readers which movie characters are my favorites, and I felt it was high-time I did so. As with my actors, though, I can't decide on just one---I have two favorite movie characters.
First there's Marshal Will Kane...my beloved Gary Cooper's role in High Noon. Though High Noon is nowhere near being my favorite Coop film, Will Kane is, without question, my favorite Coop role. While I totally love his characters in Ten North Frederick and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (my 2 favorite Coop movies), I love Marshal Kane even more. Though I'm not a huge fan of Westerns, I have watched several of Coop's, and High Noon is definitely a movie I enjoy. I'll be generous and call it a 4-star film, though if I'm really not in a Western mood, it can become a 3-star. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, though, Will Kane is a 5-star character. His willngness to do the right thing---even if he is the only one doing it---showed him to be a man of honor and integrity. To me, Marshal Kane is THE quintessential Gary Cooper!!
My other favorite movie character, similarly, is a man who is bound and determined to do the right thing, no matter what the cost to himself. That man is Father Michael Logan, Montgomery Clift's character in Alfred Hitchcock's I Confess (my favorite Hitch film). As a priest, he had taken a vow to keep in confidence those things told to him in the confessional, and even if it meant his own arrest, Father Logan wasn't going to break that vow. Again, a man of integrity and commitment.
Though I Confess is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film, it is not my favorite Montgomery Clift film...that would be A Place in the Sun. However, Father Logan IS my favorite Clift character.
Anyhow, although I love many characters in many different movies, when pushed to choose an absolute favorite, these two men are the ones that stand out. What about y'all? Who are some of your favorite classic movie characters? And what is it about them that makes them your favorite?
Thanks for sharing!!
Since I don't have as many old movies under my "belt", my choices are more limited than yours. I love Montgomery Clift and Gregory Peck but there are many others I could be persuaded to adore I'm sure. I don't like westerns so that limits me. Bette Davis is my No. 1 actress. I've only seen Susan Hayward in a few movies.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to think on your question a little more.
Best,
Bonnie
What a neat post! I really enjoyed reading about your two favorite movie characters. I've never seen "I Confess," and I think I need to at some point!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie character is Steve Judd, Joel McCrea's character in "Ride the High Country." I believe you would like him too, as he is very honorable and bound to do the right thing. He can't contemplate otherwise. He's the same type of man as your favorites. He is my all-time favorite character, and the movie characters I respect more than any other.
This is a very enjoyable post as always, and I'm pleased Will Kane was one of your choices Patti because he's the Gary Cooper character I'm most familiar with and he's one of my personal favourites too.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that he was one of your choices, considering that you're not a fan of Westerns!
My favourite male movie character is Junior Bonner who was played by Steve McQueen in the movie of the same name. I'm a similar age to Junior and I really identify with his world weariness.
Gal-wise Meg Ryan and Michelle Pfeiffer are my #1's and I've actually got a post in draft about the characters they play, that are my personal favourites.
You'll have to look out for that in a week or so.
D Koren, I've never seen "Ride the High Country." You will be impressed to know that it IS in my Net Flix queue, though. (Has been for a couple months.) And I do love the sound of Steve Judd. I will look forward to watching that.
ReplyDeletePaul, yes, I'm rather an enigma, I suppose...don't really like Westerns, but one of my favorite movie characters is from a Western. (I also really like Coop's character in another of his Westerns, "They Came to Cordura." Tom Thorne is very similar to Will Kane.)
My daughter tells me that since I adore Coop, I'm not all that objective by choosing one of his characters as my all-time favorite. I tell her I AM objective because I'm not automatically choosing characters from my favorite movies. So, she asks, why don't I feel similarly about Dan Evans, Van Heflin's character in "3:10 to Yuma." She says that the actor portraying the character is influencing my decision. Maybe she's right, but they're still my faves.
I have to admit I'm not all that familiar with Steve McQueen, so I have never seen "Junior Bonner."
I will look forward to your Meg Ryan/Michelle Pfeiffer character post, though I probably won't know most of the films.