“…. very interesting book…… if you want to know the biggest movie star in the history, just read this book.” – Laurent
“Bruce Cogerson has written an excellent resource on top movie stars for film lovers. This book is jam packed with statistics on 50 top movie stars on their highest ranked movies by award recognition, top 25 box office hits, critical review scores and overall UMR scores. This takes out bias by personal preference. I have put stars next to my favourite titles and check marks next to other titles I have seen and will use it to keep track of films I love and need to see. This guide will have a treasured spot in my library.” – Flora
Buy The Book On This Amazon Link
Our paperback book is now available for sale. The Amazon link is on the right of the page.
Attention UMR Hall of Fame contributors. We know many of you bought the e-book……we (WoC and I) would like to send you a free copy of this book. Send your address to cogersonmoviescore@gmail.com and we will send you a copy. Thanks for all of your support over the years.
these make great gifts, order now.
Thanks bob cox…..did you want us to send you a free copy? Yesterday was our best day for selling books…..maybe we can break even on this adventure. Thanks for the kind words.
Your book arrived over the weekend. Have been working my through the book over the last few days. Overall, an impressive book. Maybe this is a case of wanting more, but had a hard time crasping that legends like Al Pacino and Laurence Olivier did not make the book, other than a honorable mention. Olivier and Pacino seem to have the stats to merit an inclusion. It would have been nice to see their Top 25 and compare it to others that do not seem worthy of the Top 50. Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington and Gene Kelly come to mind. Still, I really enjoyed the book, glad I bought it. Good job and congrats to you and WoC.
Hey In The Shadows….thank you for peaking out of the darkness and (a) buying the book and (b) sharing your thoughts on the book. Pacino and Olivier almost made the Top 50….they were actually 51st and 52nd. Some of their greatest roles were supporting….I did not really cover it in the book….but supporting roles are calculated in the final rankings.
It is a very complicated and tiresome format….which I did not want to explain….so the book gives a general overview….some small tweaks did not get mentioned. That is my long way of saying it hurt their rankings just enough to bump them from the Top 50.
As for Leo, Denzel and Gene….since the highest rated is 40th….I think you can see their grip on the Top 50 is not too impressive…..I think Leo will move up….not sure about Denzel….but Gene can probably only go down.
Once again, thanks for buying the book….your support is greatly appreciated….glad you like the book.
At long last, we have something factual that refutes the image that TCM has perpetuated, that the big stars were at MGM and Warners, and the rest of them did some acting on the side.
If I sound bitter, it is because Tyrone Power was left off of “50 Greatest Leading Men of the Studio Era” – well, here he’s one of the TOP 50 stars, and that includes the stars of yesterday AND today.
Cogerson using box office adjusted for inflation, how many awards each film won, and various other criteria to create a grid of the REAL 50 top stars – not AFI’s, not TCM’s, but as he puts it “statistically speaking.” The statistics and the way he worked on the book are fascinating and make for fun reading.
Classic film lovers take note – these are the people who put the bodies in the seats.
Hey Kitkatdiva….thanks for the great review of our book. It is greatly appreciated. We have been researching movie box office grosses for awhile now…..two people shocked us when we put all their movies together….one was Judy Garland…the other was “your” Tyrone Power. The man was a box office machine for almost a quarter of a century. So not only did he make our Top 50…but he cracked our Top 25 as well. Once again…thanks for the kind words.
HI BRUCE
Thanks for the response. I wish your family a speedy recovery.
The book is here… in me hands…[laughs maniacally]
Ordered it from Amazon UK a few days ago. I think you chose the best cover for it. Over 300 pages of stats and info. I’m glad you’ve added photos for each actor, makes the book look more professional and attractive.
Charlton Heston is in there too. [woohoo] hmmm I can’t remember which actors I was suggesting you include earlier and isn’t in here. I’ll give it a good look later.
Congrats Bruce and WoC. I have to say the book doesn’t look amateurish which is an achievement considering it’s your first published paperback. Wow!
My name is in there somewhere. Cheers. 🙂
Hey Steve
1. Thanks for buying the book.
2. Thanks for the kind words about the book.
3. Looking back at my first eBook…..I originally liked it….but quickly grew to not like it. I kept updating it…..and updating it….if you look at that now…you see it matches the “new Top 50″….the originally list no longer exists.
4. A week after seeing the “final book” and I am still pleased with how it looks. I give WoC lots of credit for the drastic improvements. The first book was done in secret as a Christmas gift to WoC. The second book was a collarboration between the two of us….together….me and WoC make a great team.
5. Heston has a spot in the book….I think he moved up slightly in the final rankings….I could not figure out a way to include Deanna Durbin in the book…..but I got Bruce Willis in the book many times. I am sure Bob thinks that is unfair…..lol.
Once again….your mini-review of the book is greatly appreciated.