Giants of the art form who declined precipitously in the latter half of their careers.

Cinema Senility : 10 outstanding directors who lost their touch late in their careers.

Billy Wilder in The Seven Year Itch (1955)

This poll was conducted during the month of July 2011.  Approximately 60 IMDb members partook in the voting process.

Reason for arriving at these five choices.

Garbo and Shearer were as big but ended their careers before WW ll ended.  Loy had a long career but not that much above the title.  Colbert moved away from film to television and back to the theatre in the early 50s leaving these grande dames as the last one's standing.  

Given the power of the studios and the attitude towards women in their times we shall never see the likes of these legendary actresses who had a much harder road to travel but ultimately did it their way.

Ranked in order as voted on by board members.

IMDb Poll ( non-sanctioned) From Sirens to Matriarchs : The long distance career run and rank of pre-code actresses.

The leads in the films mentioned are no worse for wear with their sterling performances standing on their own merits.  But it is to the credit of the people on this list in the face of a larger than life performance that they not only hold their own but insert a magnificent piece of scene stealing into the process not only enhancing the film but also possibly elevating the lead's performance.

Kids, dogs and this person: ten actors who stole scenes in films with the lead giving a career performance.

This poll was conducted in May 2011 inviting members on the board to rate five leading male actors of their era whose careers blossomed after the war and went on to have lengthy careers as leading men. One question dealt with their three best performances and the other rating them against each other in terms of overall film career performances. On average two dozen members partook in each individual poll. Listed in order.

IMDb Poll ( non-sanctioned) Rating post WW2 leading men who had prolific careers.

Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Lost in the shuffle: 10 important under appreciated directors

Forced hot air: 10 of the most overpraised and pretentious directors working today.

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