Lee Marvin and Bronson had fans of their films back when Arnold was still pumping iron for a living. I used to go to Randolph Scott Westerns just to see Marvin as a hard-ass villain. Marvin was great in Westerns, war movies, and crime films, including film noir, a wider range of better roles than Arnold ever tackled. He also pushed beyond those roles to dramas like Ship of Fools and The Iceman Cometh (playing one of the most unusual characters ever on stage or screen). And then won an Oscar for a role spoofing his Western characters in a Western musical comedy. Go figure! (Did Arnold ever win an Oscar?)

I'm not a big Bronson fan myself--he did some gawd-awful films in his later years. But he had his day and legions of fans and again a bigger range or roles than Arnold.

Each generation assumes the world they know is bigger and better than anything that ever came before--it's only as one ages and develops a sense of history that one begins to see the value of what came before. Meanwhile, some think Arnold hung the moon simply because they saw all of his films as kids, with few previous examples by which to judge him.

Lee Marvin is the best thing in that turgid melodrama Ship of Fools.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

/\ Thank you!!.. finally someone that proved my point..

The only thing Arnold might have done that Marvin & Bronson never got to do was to play a cyborg.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

If we are talking about old time action stars, what about Steve McQueen with the motorcycle chase in The Great Escape and the car chase in Bullitt?

I'm not a big fan, but Burt Reynolds made a fair amount of action movies.

There were second stringers also who made one or two good low budget ones like
Peter Fonda and David Carradine.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

I "liked" Lee Marvin in Ship of Fools talking about not being able to hit a curveball and trying to rape Vivien Leigh, but I didn't think he was any better than Michael Dunn (see the above avatar), Jose Ferrer, Simone Signoret or Oskar Werner. I also didn't find that flick "turgid".

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

Stallone - Rambo and Rocky

Eastwood - Mostly because I'm too young for the Wayne era of Westerns.

Eastwood for westerns;
I like John Wayne too, but always thought of Clint as a little less blustery.

Schwartzeneger for action:
If I gotta choose between an Italian Stallion vs Teutonic Titwillow,
Arnolds' gonna have to win that one.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

At this point in time in my movie-watching career, Arnold and John.

Arnie movies I think are more, um, action-y most of the time while he still gives a good performance. I like Stallone a lot too, but I find his dramatic moments more impressive. Not to mention, Arnie always throws in more comedy, which I prefer.

John Wayne is like the quintessial cowboy. Eastwood I still see more as playing a variety of characters and genres.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

sylvester stallone for action and for Westerns john wayne

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

The Governator & The Preacher over Tango & The Duke any day.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

Schwarzenegger/Eastwood.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

At least Schwarzeneggar has proved himself to be somewhat sentient. Sometimes I see absolutely nothing behind those eyes of Stallone's.

Eastwood is a badass where Wayne is an *******.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

So you guys have seen Wayne in The Quiet Man and Island in the Sky?

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

No.

TQM, yes. And I like that movie but it's not a western. Never seen IITS.

I watched The Searchers last night and didn't like it that much. The occasional comedic scenes just didn't jive with the tone of the rest of the movie -- and weren't very funny either. I don't know. Not even sure why Wayne's character hated Indians so much -- well at least the Comanches.

My favorite John Wayne movie is Donovan's Reef , with Lee Marvin and Jack Warden . It's one of my guilty pleasures. Love the scenery (of course) and the music. A good romantic comedy with a serious moment or two. Elizabeth Allen is a doll too. It's a goofy movie.

Trailer for Donovan's Reef: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8-q498_jI

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

For me the worst John Wayne movie has to be Green Berets.

Favourite John Wayne movie is either Rio Lobo or Rio Bravo?.. I have seen both of them, but can't remember which is the one I liked the most, confused just coz of the similar titles.

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

stalone and eastwood

Re: Who Do You Choose?
 

Stallone and Eastwood

My all time favorite.

Stallone and Eastwood.