Seriously........growing up in the 50's and 60s' and having parents of the age ( father fought in WW2) I got to see and appreciate movies and stars of the 40s' 50s' and 60s'.
One of the greatest years for movies was 1939 when Gone with the Wind and the Wizard of Oz were released. Those two movies today are still regarded as two of the greatest.
In 1969, Gone with the Wind was re-released to Movie Theaters to celebrate its' 30 year anniversary. My date and myself went downtown to see GWTW. At that time there were no Malls, and movie theaters were huge and ostentatious. They were products of the Movie Moguls....Paramount Theater, the Warner Theater etc. Huge Theaters with Crystal lights in the Lobby, double staircases with thick carpeting.....Ushers in uniforms etc.
We were seated and we'd never seen GWTW because it hadn't been on Televison. The Movie started and Clark Gable didn't appear in the picture for a short while. But I'll never forget this for the rest of my life. When Clark Gable first appeared in the Movie...believe standing at bottom or top of staircase, leaning non-chalantly on the bannister the biggest sigh came from the audience in unison. I was suprised. Never heard that before in a Theater. Mr Gable stature as an actor and ww2 participant also, elicited a heartfelt response from the females in the Theater.
I've never heard that since. I miss the Great Actors, like Jimmy Stewart, Mr Smith goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story etc. Spenser Tracy, The Old Man and the Sea, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper etc. Jimmy Stewart flew B24s in WW2 I believe and was an Air Force General during the Cold War.
Don't get me wrong.....I like a lot of todays movies. But most need to see some explicit violence and sex with great special effects to draw a crowd. Hell I'm no prude....I'll cheer on a ganbang But few Actors Today, (there are a few) Sean Connery, James Garner etc. But I really do miss those who I thought showed great talent and class and earned the prestige of millions of the worlds movie goers. OPPPs forgot to mention Henry Fonda, and The Duke!