譯/文賽
要選出十大西部片明星,難在杰出的演員太多了,他們的演藝生涯都以刻畫西部人物為主。20世紀(jì),尤其是20世紀(jì)上半葉,西部片是占主導(dǎo)地位的電影類型之一。近幾十年,雖然西部片的流行度有所下降,但自默片時(shí)代以降,西部電影明星一直都是好萊塢電影公司巨大的搖錢樹。
無可爭辯之選。韋恩不僅是史上最佳西部片影星,也可以說是史上最受歡迎的影星。
盡管米克斯的大部分作品都集中于默片,但他是第一個(gè)影壇巨星,薪酬不菲。米克斯使西部片更具動(dòng)感,并以動(dòng)作主導(dǎo),由此奠定了西部片未來幾十年的形式。
沒有看過羅杰斯全盛時(shí)期的電影,就很難明白,在20世紀(jì)40年代和50年代,羅杰斯究竟有多紅。他被譽(yù)為“牛仔之王”,也是那個(gè)時(shí)代西部片中最杰出的牛仔歌手之一。羅杰斯的電影深受孩子們的歡迎,他本人是那個(gè)時(shí)代最具票房價(jià)值的明星之一。
伊斯特伍德改變了西部片。在他之前,西部片明星飾演的角色都整潔體面,身著熨燙過的衣服,一塵不染,道德純潔。伊斯特伍德飾演的人物通常蓬頭垢面,不修邊幅,胡子拉碴。就道德來說,他飾演的英雄和他面對(duì)的惡棍大同小異。
庫珀多才多藝。他主演過眾多類型的電影,包括喜劇片、劇情片、傳記片、冒險(xiǎn)片、戰(zhàn)爭片和西部片。他出演的西部片不是很多,但影片質(zhì)量頗高,很多都成為永恒的經(jīng)典,這使他成為電影史上最佳西部片明星之一。
斯科特是20世紀(jì)40年代和50年代的西部片巨星,但直到今天他的演技仍然被低估。他很多制作精良的電影都是在58歲后拍的。斯科特還是好萊塢最富有的演員之一。
奧特里是第一個(gè)“牛仔歌手”。他的演藝生涯和羅伊·羅杰斯很像。奧特里拍的電影大多質(zhì)量不高,他是電影史上最會(huì)掙錢的西部片明星之一。奧特里的電影和唱片事業(yè),加上他明智的投資,讓他腰纏萬貫。
如今,吉布森幾乎被人們遺忘,但他是從成功的默片演員轉(zhuǎn)型為有聲片時(shí)代西部片明星的少數(shù)幾個(gè)演員之一。在現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中,吉布森就是一個(gè)牛仔,還是一個(gè)技術(shù)熟練的特技演員。
哈特并非第一個(gè)西部片明星,但他是第一個(gè)真正的西部片巨星。他讓西部片家喻戶曉,使之成為可為小型制片公司帶來穩(wěn)定利潤的片種。哈特的演藝生涯完全是在默片時(shí)代。
Boyd played Hopalong Cassidy in a series of very lucrative films. Boyd was one of the few “good guy” Western stars to dress in black. ■
博伊德在一系列非常賺錢的電影中扮演了霍帕朗·卡西迪。博伊德是為數(shù)不多身著黑衣的西部片“好漢”明星之一。 □
The dif ficulty in selecting the 10 best Western movie stars is that there have been so many superb actors who primarily portrayed Western characters.The Western was one of the dominant film genres of the twentieth century,particularly the first half of the century.Although its popularity has waned in recent decades, Western stars have been huge money makers for the Hollywood studios from the silent era onward.
An indisputable choice. Wayne is not only the best Western movie star ever,he is arguably the biggest movie star in history.
Although most of his work was done in silent films, Mix was the first movie superstar, and was paid an enormous salary. He established the form of the Western movie for decades to come by making Westerns more flamboyant and action oriented.
For people who did not see his movies during his heyday, it is difficult to comprehend just how big a star Roy Rogers was during the 1940’s and 1950’s. He was known as the “King of the Cowboys” and was also one of the singing cowboys that were prominent in Western movies at that time. His movies were very popular with children, and Rogers was one of the top box office draws of his era.
Eastwood’s Westerns changed the genre. Previously, Western movie stars were clean cut, wore pressed clothing without a speck of dirt, and were morally pure. Eastwood’s characters were usually scruffy, unshaven, and dirty.With regard to morality, his heroes were little different from the villains he faced.
Cooper did it all. He starred in comedies, dramas, biographies, adventures,war movies, and Westerns. He was not a prolific actor in Westerns, but the quality of his films, many of them timeless classics, make him one of the best Western movie stars in film history.
Scott was a huge Western star of the 1940’s and 1950’s whose acting is still underrated today. Many of his finest movies were made after he was 58 years old. Scott also became one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood.
Autry was the first “Singing Cowboy.” His career mirrors that of Roy Rogers in many ways. Autry did mostly B pictures, and was one of the top money making Western stars in film history.Autry’s film and recording careers,along with his wise investments, made him extremely wealthy.
Almost forgotten today, Gibson was one of the few actors to transition from a successful silent film career to become an enormously popular Western movie star during the sound era. Gibson was also a real life cowboy and a skilled stuntman.
Hart was not the first Western movie star, but he was the first really big Western movie star. He popularized the genre and established the Western as a reliably pro fitable staple of the smaller studios. Hart’s career was entirely in silent films.