Bi-Monthly Rant … Charisma and Star Power.
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)
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.
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 …
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.
Today … there’s exceptions of course – like Tom Hanks and uh … uh … I’ll get back to you.
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.
OK .. I’m going to cut it off here. My thinking is turning into a rant … and a posse is forming.
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.
I don’t know what IT is, but only a few have it.
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?)
Some of those pictures … the stars are so young I barely recognize them. Great posters.
I held back quite a few too.
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.
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.
Yum, thanks for the eye candy! Wow, John Wayne was adorable as a boy. Look at Gary Cooper! Wow utterly beautiful. Thanks for the sound out, too 😉