Who are the 100 greatest male actors of all time? Perusing the internet in preparation for this article, I found a lot of Web sites that tackled this subject basically regurgitated what’s been written before time and time again. Very little original thought was given by any of the author. The problem that exists when trying to list the greatest actors is say unlike in baseball, statistics aren’t available to be analyzed and used to defend your selections. There are, however, several considerations at our disposal that can aid us in our determinations. First, are they a good actor? Obvious, I know, but you have to assure people you aren’t pulling names out of your you-know-what. Thus, I can’t include Marc Singer or Andrew Stevens. Next, and this is probably the biggest key, do they possess repeat watchability? What is that? Well, let’s take the curious cases of John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier. Both are excellent actors but their watchability, especially Gielgud, is not very high. In the case of Laurence Olivier, his performances as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and Richard in Shakespeare’s Richard III are some of the best committed to cinema, but you aren’t going to want to re-watch the films over and over. Watchability, in my view, makes Jack Lemmon a better actor than either of the two. It can’t make up for lack of talent, but it can give one actor an edge over another.

How do you judge the greatest actors? My criteria seems to be a little beyond the norm so I will explain.

Say Joe Nats, not a real person, turns in the greatest performance ever in a film, wins all kind of awards, but largely makes indifferent films the rest of his career, does that make him a good actor? For you sports fans out there, I’ll put it this way, Luis Gonzalez hit 57 home runs one year. Does that warrant him a place among the greatest baseball players of all time, because Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig never approached that total? The answer is quite obviously no.

Why should acting be any different? You aren’t going to win employee of the year at your work if you have one good week and 51 bad ones.

Too often, when lists like the 100 Greatest Actors of All Time are compiled, people are too influenced by the now. The now is fine, but it cannot take precedence because, as the title says, the list is all time. For a good example, I have to turn to baseball and Albert Pujols. At one time, everyone was ready to crown him the greatest hitter ever, better tha Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and what not. The problem? Well, Pujols has been injured and his skills have diminished.

The younger stars get their due, but they just get what is due. Can you really rate Leonardo DiCaprio over Jack Lemmon or Sidney Poitier? Is Russell Crowe better than Fredric March? The words “of all time” mandate a complete portrait.

So, before I begin I want to talk briefly about who will not be on this list. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are not on the 100 Greatest Actors of All Time List. Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, and Denzel Washington are not on this list. In the past, De Niro would have made the list but a reappraisal really needs to be made where De Niro is concerned. More and more as you analyze De Niro’s career, it can be summed up as such, “Oh, look. Travis Bickle CIA agent, Travis Bickle grocery store owner, Travis Bickle married to Barbara Streisand. As for Russell Crowe, he has this habit of growling and considering that a worthwhile performance. Tom Hanks isn’t good enough, simple as that, and Denzel Washington is good but how good is the question.

So, without further ado, the 100 Greatest Actors of All Time 100-51.

100. Timothy Olyphant

Ever miss a young, snarling Clint Eastwood? Well, don’t. Hawaiian-born Olyphant does a pretty good impression of Eastwood. He rose up from co-starring in an Elisha Cuthbert film, no kidding, to starring as Raylan Givens in FX’s masterpiece, by way of Elmore Leonard, Justified.

99. Fredric March

March won the 1932 Academy Award for his portrayal of Dr. Jekyll in a racier version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde than what was to come later with Spencer Tracy. Speaking of Spencer Tracy, if you are interested in seeing a duel of two acting titans going head to head.

98. Lee Marvin

Lee Marvin was a classic 50s actor. He started out on TV and then moved into film. Never the leading man type, he was the surly anti-hero.

97. Lionel Barrymore

A part of the famous Barrymore clan, Lionel’s career, like his brother John, was at the tail end when movies really got going. Still, he carved out a decent career, most at MGM.

96. Paul Scofield

British stage actor primarily, Scofield won the best actor Oscar portraying Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons. It is one of the greatest performances ever put to film.

95. Laurence Harvey

Harvey portrayed the brainwashed Raymond Shaw in The Manchurian Candidate to chilling perfection. He would receive attention and an Oscar nomination for his role as Joe Lampton in Room at the Top.

94. Ray Milland

Welsh actor Ray Milland hit pay dirt in Billy Wilder’s 1945 film The Lost Weekend. As alcoholic writer Don Birnam. Milland won the Oscar best actor. It all won best picture, best director and best screenplay. For good measure, it was a box office hit. At one time Paramount’s highest paid actor, Milland would go on to appear in films alongside such luminaries as Gene Tierney, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Jane Wyman, Loretta Young and Veronica Lake.

93. Vincent Price

Though he is remember most for the horror films he made for Roger Corman’s AIP International, Price was by no means a one trick pony. He had a varied career that saw him do more than just make horror films.

92. Dirk Bogarde

Matinee idol, turned arthouse star, Bogarde’s most famous role came in Joseph Losey’s film The Servant. Based on the Harold Pinter play of the same name, Bogarde played decadent valet Hugo Barrett to perfection.

91. Richard Harris

This Sporting Life was Harris’ first starring role and he never looked back. A big star in the 1970’s, Harris would also find success singing. How, I don’t know. It was the 1970s and everyone was weird.

90. Rod Steiger

Intensity was Steiger’s calling card. He was as committed of an actor as you will find. Starring opposite Sidney Poitier in In The Heat of the Night, Steiger would win the best actor Oscar.

89. Douglas Fairbanks

Silent film stars pose a bigger problem than say foreign actors. How do you honestly judge them? To convey the story they were telling, they had to show it through their facial expressions and gestures. Reading dialogue, what they others will get judged on, they get a pass. In spite of that, it is hard to ignore two silent stars. The first one is Douglas Fairbanks. He was the first action icon of cinema and one of the first, along with wife Mary Pickford, hugely popular stars worldwide. A founding member of United Artists studio, Fairbanks was Errol Flynn before Errol Flynn.

88. Leonardo DiCaprio

DiCaprio continues to work and build as an actor. A child star, DiCaprio has transformed from himself from teen idol to actor and, despite the wealth and fame, he hasn’t lost the desire to work.

87. Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis had his ups and downs as his career progressed in its later stages. He was brilliant in movies like the very underrated Blake Edwards film The Great Race. Then, there were other success like The Defiant Ones, Spartacus, Sweet Smell of Success and Some Like it Hot.

86. Max von Sydow

Mostly known for his turns in the films of Ingmar Bergman, Max von Sydow scored other successes as well in The Exorcist, Pelle the Conquerer and The Greatest Story Ever Told.

85. Chico Marx

Chico Marx a good actor? Sure, Chico only ever played Chico on film but the role of an actor is to convince of something. When you watch a movie, you have to ask yourself, “Could any other actor do what he is doing?” If the answer is no, then what does that tell you?

84. Groucho Marx

The wordsmith, the wit. Sure, Bugs Bunny could do a good Groucho but, just because Groucho made the lunacy look easy, doesn’t mean it was. The other thing to consider is comedy is medium to tackle. A lot of people take comedy for granted and thus do not fully appreciate what goes into a performance.

83. Harpo Marx

Harpo was going to be on this list. Groucho and Chico were question marks, not Harpo however. Why? Harpo was a mime and didn’t talk. In the silent era, his antics would have been taken for granted. In the sound era, it was remarkable that he could make a career of not talking.

82. Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman has had his ups and downs as well. When he wants to be, he can be one of the better actors around, just don’t go into the theater and expect that to happen. You will probably be disappointed.

81. Woody Allen

Woody Allen is a good actor. There, I said it and will say it again. Edward Burns thought he could be the next Woody Allen, and a lot of others have tried, but how did go? Not very good. The thing about Allen is that he is never annoying, in spite of the characters he portrays essentially being so.

80. John Barrymore

Like brother Lionel, we only have John Barrymore in his faded glory. Considered one of the greatest male actors of all time, it is hard to make a true determination. There was 20th Century, with Carole Lombard, but it only tells a partial tale.

79. Bing Crosby

Another underrated actor. Too many get so wrapped up in Bing Crosby the singer that they fail to notice his on-screen abilities. Crosby did win an Academy award for Going My Way and as nominated again for The Bells 0f St. Mary’s.

78. Marcello Mastroianni

The face of Italian cinema in 60s, Mastroianni frequently teamed with Sophia Loren. In films like La Dolce Vita and 81/2, Mastroianni was the alter-ego of Italian director Federico Fellini. Mastroianni had a lengthy and distinguished career and probably deserves to be higher on the list. Lulls in his career weighed him down during consideration.

77. David Niven

Distinguished Brit, David Niven, was very much like Cary Grant in style except he didn’t quite have Grant’s personality. Niven personifies the definition of watchability. From the original Pink Panther, which he, not Peter Sellers, was the star of, to his turn as Phileas Fogg in the 1956 adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, you knew what you were going to get from Niven. He didn’t always electrify the screen but, like I said, he wasn’t quite on Cary Grant’s level.

76. Eli Wallach

Was there a movie in the 1950s and 60s that Eli Wallach wasn’t in? You’d be hard pressed to find one. Probably, if you were to extract one from his massive filmography, it would have to be either his turn as the bad Calvera in The Magnificent Seven or Tuco in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Eli Wallach is one of those type of actors that Hollywood doesn’t produce anymore.

75. Kenneth Branagh

Laurence Olivier for the modern era? Maybe. Branagh has probably been at his best in the BBC series Wallander.

74. Robert Downey, Jr.

Robert Downey, Jr. got a second chance and ran with it. The Iron Man helped to revitalize him and he translated that into another major movie franchise, Sherlock Holmes. He has said that there will be no more Iron Man films, so it will be interesting see where he goes from here in his career.

73. James Caan

In his heyday in the 1970s, there may have been none better. Caan put an impressive number of quality films together. The Godfather, Rollerball, Cinderella Liberty, The Gambler, Funny Lady, The Killer Elite, The Godfather Part II and Thief were all made within a ten-year period.

72. Michel Piccoli

How is this for a list of directors to work with? Luis Bunuel, Christian-Jaque, Jean Aurel, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, Marco Ferreri, Claude Chabrol, Yves Allegret, Jacques Demy, Louis Malle, Jean-Pierre Melville.

71. Toshiro Mifune

Where would Akira Kurosawa be without Toshiro Mifune?

70. Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz will be higher in time. A genius, genius actor who has set Hollywood on fire. Full credit to Quentin Tarantino for utilizing Waltz fully in Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds.

69. Jean Gabin

French actor Jean Gabin is the Godfather of French Cinema. Subsequent French actors like Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Maurice Ronet, on into present day, owe a major debt of gratitude to Mr. Gabin. Until the 1950, he was the biggest star in French cinema.

68. James Cagney

James Cagney was Warner Brothers resident tough guy in the 1930. Films like Scarface, The Public Enemy, Lady Killer and The Mayor of Hell. However, in his soul, Cagney was a song and dance man. Footlight Parade, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Something to Sing About were a few of his musical efforts.

67. Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier was a good stage actor. Problem was he didn’t always know how to reign it in for the camera. Sometimes, he didn’t have to, as was the case with the production of Richard the III that he mounted and directed. Another good film to check out is the 1972 film Sleuth, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, and co-starring Michael Caine.

66. Sean Connery

The problem with Sean Connery is that, besides the Bond films and the 1987 The Untouchables, none of his other films were really that good. Dilemma. I love Sean Connery. He was the best Bond. But…

65. William Holden

William Holden, Sunset Boulevard. It was his best film. He had a good, if not unremarkable career. For Sunset Boulevard, the sun and moon seemed to align just right. Oh, and Billy Wilder.

64. Tyrone Power

Matinee idol good looks and a pretty good actor to boot. In 1939, he was the second biggest box office draw behind Mickey Rooney. In 1940 Power’s career took a dramatic turn when The Mark of Zorro was released. Power played the role of Don Diego Vega/Zorro, fop by day, bandit hero by night. The role had been made famous by Douglas Fairbanks in the 1920 movie of the same title. The film was a hit, and 20th Century Fox often cast him in other swashbucklers in the years that followed. Power was a talented swordsman in real life, and the dueling scene in The Mark of Zorro is highly regarded.

63. Joseph Cotton

Joseph Cotton should be easily recognizable, due to starring in Citizen Kane, one of the most highly regarded films in cinema history. His career didn’t stop there – Shadow of Doubt, Gaslight, The Third Man, Portrait of Jennie, and Shadow of a Doubt.

62. Bob Hope

Sometimes personality and performance mesh. Bob Hope and George Burns are to ones that come to mind immediately. Part of being a great actor is not showing off mad skills, it’s competency, the ability not to cause nausea in the viewer. Bob Hope was a brilliant entertainer and, to be a brilliant entertainer, you have to be a pretty darn good actor.

61. Maurice Ronet

Maurice Ronet is one of those quiet, unsung actors that appears in film after film. He is very good and yet not known by a lot of people outside of his home country of France.

60. Johnny Depp

The Dilemma of Johnny Depp. Frankly, he makes a lot of bad films. Blame the director and writers all you want but, as with The Tourist, Depp can be very indifferent in some roles.

59. Karl Malden

Another omni-present actor throughout the 1950s and 60s like Eli Wallach. Malden made his mark in A Streetcar Named Desire. Marlon Brando played Stanley Kowalski but Malden took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor. He would be nominated for another Best Supporting Oscar in another Brando vehicle On the Waterfront. Fans of 1970s cop shows will remember Malden for his portrayal of Lt. Michael Stone in the Quinn Martin produced The Streets of San Francisco.

58. Roger Moore

Sean Connery was the better Bond but Roger Moore was the better actor. Consistency of work plays a big part of this. One of the lesser known facts about more is that from 1962-1969 he starred in the British television series The Saint, based on a series of novels by Leslie Charteris. A lot of what he did in that series would provide the basis for his interpretation of James Bond. Two years after ending The Saint, Moore returned to television to star opposite Tony Curtis in the brilliant show The Persuaders. It was a one off but of the highest quality

57. Tom Cruise

The problem with Tom Cruise is his personality obscures his acting talent. He is a hard working actor who doesn’t let fame or recognition get in the way of the movies he creates. Watch Collateral and you’ll see what I mean. Now, if he could only quit creeping everyone out.

56. Jean-Louis Trintignant

If it is a famous French film from the 50s or 60s, it most likely starred Tringtignant. A Man and a Woman, The Conformist are just to name a few. FlickSided, however, enthusiastically recommends the 1972 The Outside Man.

55. Clint Eastwood

A lot of people remember Clint Eastwood for his turn as Dirty Harry or the Spaghetti westerns he made with Sergio Leone. Eastwood, however, has had a long and varied career. As difficult as it is to fathom, one could easily make the case that he is one of the most underrated film stars ever.

54. Walter Matthau

Frequently paired with Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau is one of the actors that gets frequently gets ignored when these lists are made. Give me Matthau over Tom Hanks any day. To pick out even five films to single out does not do justice to this extremely talented man.

53. Warren Beatty

Warren Beatty is the only person to ever been nominated for Oscars for Producer, Writer, Screenplay, and Actor for the same film. It should say something about Beatty’s talent that this has happened not once but twice, Reds and Heaven Can Wait. The 1966 film What’s New, Pussycat? got its name from Beatty and how he would greet women he was interested in. Originally, the film was to star Beatty but a falling out with producer Charles Feldman nixed that from happening.

52. Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford could have been overshadowed by his iconic role as Han Solo in Star Wars but that, of course, did not happen. His career is filled with a litany of defining film roles. Some actors only get one but Ford has gotten several. He must be pretty talented. His films have grossed $3.5 billion dollars.

51. Charles Boyer

Like Jean Gabin, French actors down the line owe Charles Boyer a major debt of gratitude. His influence is still evident all these years later. In 1938, he landed his most famous role as Pepe le Moko in the film Algiers, an English-language remake of the French film Pepe le Moko with Jean Gabin. Boyer’s vocal style would be parodied on the Tom and Jerry cartoons, most notably whenever Tom was trying to woo a female cat.