Bi-Monthly Rant … Charisma and Star Power

Bi-Monthly Rant … Charisma and Star Power.

Yeeee Hawww !!

William S. Hart

About Charisma and Star Power …

Sumpthin’ that Cindy (Cindy Bruchman (https://cindybruchman.wordpress.com/) said got me thinking (and around here thinking is like loco weed – it can send your charging off across the desert – in any direction – looking for the nearest waterhole)

john wayne

Charisma … It’s cruel really.
Can’t invent it .. Can’t bottle it.
It’s like gold.
It’s either there .. or it ain’t.
And it don’t care how talented you are .. how smart you are … or how much experience you’ve got …
It don’t even care if you can act.
Nor if you’re a nice guy … or a jerk.
It’s a gift … sorta … from God. Bestowed upon a chosen few.

young john wayne

In the old days of movie making they used to do what you call ‘Screen Tests’.
(Not sure if they still do or not?)
The purpose of Screen Testing was not to see if you could act (or not) – as most actors thought (or hoped).
It was to see if you ‘had it’: The magic. Charisma.
And all the acting lessons in God’s creation wouldn’t get you a job if the guys in the seats couldn’t see that indefinable magic …

alan ladd shane

Many actors of the 50’s balked at the Star System – the control and power of the old Studios. That’s understandable. BUT … these studios also ensured – to a good degree – that quality people and product got on the screen. Compare the staple and stable of Stardom that we have today with those of yesteryear. Not many Stars of the modern era could stand in that group. Because the Studios also screened – to a degree – the quality of Character, etc. Class … had it’s place. But they also developed, discovered and trained talent – Dance, Song, Stage, Acting … etc. Everything.

james stewart

Today … there’s exceptions of course – like Tom Hanks and uh … uh … I’ll get back to you.

jack palance shane

Yet recently I heard a film critic say that Star Power is less important than it used to be.
That could be true considering some of the crud that crossed my screen recently – which is making money – and some of the people in it.

burt and coop

OK .. I’m going to cut it off here. My thinking is turning into a rant … and a posse is forming.

clint

One Note: If you don’t have Charisma, don’t sweat it. It doesn’t mean that your worthless, evil, useless, bad, or anything like that …

It just means nobody (but your Mom) is gonna watchya.

gary cooper

coop and burro

Author: jcalberta

Howdy! I love Westerns. ... and the intent of MyFavoriteWesterns.com is to celebrate Western Movies/Film - old and new. This site will eventually show my top 30 favorite Westerns - or more. I will have original graphic work with regular updates. All this - and more ... Yee Haw ... !! - jcablerta / Moderator / Administrator

7 thoughts on “Bi-Monthly Rant … Charisma and Star Power”

    1. Sorry … I didn’t mean to post this twice. Was trying to get it onto a few other boards. (Remember what I said about bloopers?)

  1. OH, so to your post….you raise relevant points about the character of an actor somehow merged with the image on the screen. Was there anyone as virtuous as Jimmy Stewart? In the 20s, the “it” girl was the new film star who had the charisma you speak of. For men, there was, to my knowledge, no term for the man who had “it”. Charisma is nice. Great post.

    1. Thanks Cindy … a ton of people I could have put up there … Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Hepburn(s), Heston, Brynner … and on and on. Amazing really.

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