In 1999 the AFI (American Film Insitute) listed their top 50 greatest screen legends in American film history, included 25 male and 25 female stars. The AFI defined an “American screen legend” as an actor or a team of actors during the classic film era with a significant screen presence in American feature-length films whose screen debut occurred in or before 1950, or whose screen debut occurred after 1950 but whose death has marked a completed body of work.  It has been almost 20 years since that list…and we here at UMR.com thought it was time to revisit that list….only this time…looking at the stars that came after 1950.  Due to space concerns…we have decided to have an actor page and an actress page.  We call this one our UMR Screen Legends 1950-2010 Actresses page.

To be considered for our Top 50, an actor/actress needed to become a star between 1950 and 2010.  This is different than the rules the AFI used for their list.  Our rule would take 4 stars off AFI’s “Classic” list and put them in these more logical time frame list.  Those four actresses are Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren.  That would leave 4 spots on the AFI list….and we think Myrna Loy, Irene Dunne, Olivia de Havilland and Deborah Kerr would make excellent and more logical replacements since all 4 of these classic actresses were stars well before 1950.

Factors we used in determining our Top 50 included:  (1) Box office success – namely the number of $100 million adjusted domestic gross movies.  (2) Critical & audience approval – namely the number of movies that were above a 60% approval rating.  (3) The amount of times they appeared on the yearly Quigley’s Top Stars list.  (4) Oscar® love.  Including personal nominations and wins and times they starred in a Best Picture Oscar® nominated movie.  (5) Cultural…very subjective…but needed in picking these stars.

The following actresses were given serious consideration…but in the end they fell just a little bit short:  Ann-Margret, Drew Barrymore, Candice Bergman, Halle Berry, Karen Black, Ellen Burstyn, Jill Clayburgh, Glenn Close, Catherine Deneuve, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Dee, Whoopi Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Glenda Jackson, Nicole Kidman, Ali MacGraw, Liza Minnelli, Demi Moore, Geraldine Page, Vanessa Redgrave, Debbie Reynolds, Gena Rowlands, Maggie Smith, Sissy Spacek, Liv Ullman, Sigourney Weaver, Raquel Welch, Tuesday Weld, Debra Winger, Joanne Woodward. But enough exposition…let’s take a look at our Top 25 Actresses 1950-2010.

25th place Charlize Theron (1975-) Box Office highlights: Theron has starred in 6 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 2 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 14 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Theron has received 2 acting Oscar® nominations…winning a Best Actress Oscar® for Monster. She has starred in 2 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination. Overall she starred in 8 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 2 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, Hancock, The Cider House Rules , North Country, The Devil’s Advocate Our thoughts:  Her incredible performance in Monster is probably enough to get her on this list…..but she has 20 years of being a star to go along with that movie.

24th place Goldie Hawn (1937-) Box Office highlights: Hawn has starred in 11 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office. She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 2 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has 11 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Hawn has received 2 acting Oscar® nominations…winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar® for Cactus Flower.  She has had 8 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 4 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Cactus Flower, Sugarland Express, Shamphoo, Foul Play, Private Benjamin, Overboard, Death Becomes Her  Our thoughts:  Goldie was America’s sweetheart for over 20 years.

23rd place Anne Bancroft (1931-2005) Box Office highlights: Bancroft starred in 5 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office. Her Graduate is still the 22nd biggest hit of all-time. Critic and audience highlights: She had 19 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Bancroft was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar® 5 times…she won for The Miracle Worker.  She starred in 3 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination. Overall she had 8 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 2 movies winning at least one Oscar®.  UMR Must See Movies: The Graduate, The Miracle Worker, The Elephant Man, The Turning Point, Agnes of God  Our thoughts:  Mrs. Robinson had to be on the list. One of our favorite actresses in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

22nd place Susan Sarandon (1946-) Box Office highlights: Sarandon has starred in 12 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office. Critic and audience highlights: She has 36 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Sarandon has been nominated for 5 Best Actress Oscar® winning for Dead Man Walking.  She has starred in 16 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 2 movies winning at least one Oscar®.  UMR Must See Movies: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Atlantic City, Thelma and Louise, Dead Man Walking, Bull Durham, The Witches of Eastwick  Our thoughts:  Since 1970 Sarandon has been starring in quality movie after quality.  Not many actresses have been a star for almost 50 years!

21st place Julie Christie (1941-) Box Office highlights: Christie starred in 5 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  Critic and audience highlights: She has had 19 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Christie was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar® 4 times….she won for Darling.  She starred in 4 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination.  Overall she has had 10 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movies winning at least one Oscar®.  UMR Must See Movies: Doctor Zhivago, Darling, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Heaven Can Wait, Away From Her, Don’t Look Now  Our thoughts:  From the mid 1960s to the late 1970s she was one of the most popular actresses working.  Returned to form in Away From Her…which got her another Oscar® nomination.

20th place Angelina Jolie (1968-) Box Office highlights: Jolie has starred in 13 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office. She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 3 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has had 15 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Jolie has been nominated for a 2 acting Oscars® …she won Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted. She has starred in 10 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 1 movie winning at least one Oscar®.  UMR Must See Movies: Girl, Interrupted, Tomb Raider, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Maleficent, Salt, Changeling Our thoughts:  So far her movie career has been hit and miss….but her cultural impact is incredible.  A movie star without a doubt.

 

19th place Natalie Wood (1938-1983) Box Office highlights: Wood starred in 17 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  Critic and audience highlights: She had 26 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Wood received 3 acting Oscar® nominations.  She starred in 2 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination….West Side Story won.  Overall she had 18 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 4 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: The Searchers, West Side Story, Love with the Proper Stranger, Miracle on 34th Street, Gypsy, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Inside Daisy Clover Our thoughts:  As a child actress, Wood appeared in many movies in the 1940s.  It was not until she got older that she become a star….which was in the mid 1950s and early 1960s.

18th place Faye Dunaway (1941-) Box Office highlights: Dunaway has starred in 11 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  Critic and audience highlights: She has had 20 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Dunaway has received 3 acting Oscar® nominations…she won Best Actress for Network.  She has starred in 4 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination. Overall he has had 11 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Bonnie and Clyde, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Towering Inferno, Chinatown, Network, Mommie Dearest, Three Days of the Condor  Our thoughts:  From 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde to 1976’s Network…she was the Queen of Hollywood.

17th place Kate Winslet (1975-) Box Office highlights: Winslet has starred in 3 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office….with her Titanic being one of the biggest box office hits of all-time.  Critic and audience highlights: She has 18 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Winslet has received 7 acting Oscar® nominations…she won for The Reader. She has starred in 4 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination..Titanic won. Overall she has had 12 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 6 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Heavenly Creatures, Titanic, The Reader, Sense and Sensibility, Finding Neverland, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Steve Jobs, Iris.   Our thoughts:  Winslet Is the 3rd youngest actress (at age 40) to have received 7 Academy Award® nominations, behind Bette Davis (age 36) and Meryl Streep (age 38)….that is good company to keep!

16th place Sophia Loren (1934-) Box Office highlights: Loren starred in 4 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 15 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Loren received 2 acting Oscar® nomination…she won a Best Actress Oscar® for Two Women.  She also received an Honorary Oscar® in 1991. She starred in 9 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 3 movie winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: El Cid, Two Women, The Fall of the Roman Empire, Houseboat, Arabesque, & Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow  Our thoughts:  One of the few movie stars that had a better career overseas than in Hollywood.  Loren is listed as an AFI classic screen legend….but her inclusion in this list seems more logical.

15th place Jodie Foster (1962-) Box Office highlights: Foster has starred in 10 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 2 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 23 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Fosters has received 4 acting Oscar® nominations…winning twice….The Accused and Silence of the Lambs. She has starred in 2 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination…Silence of the Lambs won.  Overall she has starred in 11 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 3 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Taxi Driver, The Accused, Silence of the Lambs, Nell, Contact, Inside Man, Freaky Friday, Maverick  Our thoughts:  Foster is one of the few successful child stars to achieve even greater fame as an adult actress.  40 years today she was making Taxi Driver…..40 years ago!

 

14th place Cate Blanchett (1936-) Box Office highlights: Blanchett has starred in 7 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 25 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Blanchett has received 6 acting Oscar® nominations…she won twice:  The Aviator & Blue Jasmine.  Overall she has starred in 13 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 6 winning movies at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: The Aviator, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Aviator, Blue Jasmine, Carol, The Talented Mr. Ripley , Babel, Elizabeth  Our thoughts:  Blanchett is quickly becoming the Katharine Hepburn of this era….which is fitting….because she won her first Oscar® playing Hepburn in The Aviator.

13th place Sally Field (1946-) Box Office highlights: Field has starred in 14 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 2 times. Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 17 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Fields has received 3 acting Oscar® nominations…winning two Best Actress Oscars®.   She won for Norma Rae &  Places in the Hearts.  Overall she starred in 11 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Norma Rae, Smokey and the Bandit, Places in the Heart, Lincoln, Mrs. Doubtfire, Forrest Gump,  Absence of Malice, Murphy’s Romance, Punchline  Our thoughts:  Yes we really like Sally Field….yes we do!

12th place Sandra Bullock (1964-) Box Office highlights: Bullock has starred in 13 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 7 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 11 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Bullock has received 2 acting Oscar® nominations…winning Best Actress for The Blind Side. She has starred in 4 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination…Crash won. Overall she has starred in 5 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 4 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Speed , The Blind Side, Gravity, Crash, A Time to Kill, While You Were Sleeping, Miss Congeniality Our thoughts:  When Bullock was younger her movies were box office successes but critical failures. As her career has aged her movies have received more critical praise….all the while…maintaining their box office glory.

11th place Diane Keaton (1946-) Box Office highlights: Keaton has starred in 13 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 2 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 25 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Keaton has received 4 acting Oscar® nominations….winning a Best Actress Oscar for Annie Hall. She has starred in 5 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination…The Godfather, The Godfather Part II & Annie Hall won. Overall she has starred in 15 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: The Godfather, Annie Hall, Play It Again Sam, Something’s Gotta Give, Reds, Sleeper, Father of the Bride Our thoughts: Diane Keaton has been a movie star for almost 50 years now.  That sentence alone gets her a spot on our Top 10. 

10th place Barbra Streisand (1942-) Box Office highlights: Streisand has starred in 13 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 10 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 9 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Streisand received 2 acting Oscar® nominations…winning a Best Actress Oscar® for Funny Girl.  She has starred in 3 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination. Overall she has starred in 8 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Funny Girl, What’s Up Doc, The Way We Were, A Star Was Born, Yentl, The Mirror Has Two Faces Our thoughts:  When looking at average adjusted domestic box office….not a single actress has a better average than Barbra Streisand’s $206.2 million per movie.  That is actually only a little behind Harrison Ford’s average.

9th place Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) Box Office highlights: Monroe starred in 8 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.   Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 19 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Monroe is the only actress that did not receive an acting Oscar® nomination.  She did star in 7 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 2 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: The Seven Year Itch, Monkey Business, Some Like It Hot,There’s No Business Like Show Business, How To Marry A Millionaire, Bus Stop, The Misfits  Our thoughts:  The power of Marilyn Monroe….over 50 years after her death….she is still one of the best known actresses.  Yet another AFI selection….that makes more sense on this page.

8th place Jane Fonda (1937-) Box Office highlights: Fonda has starred in 16 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 5 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 28 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Fonda has 7 acting nominations…winning two Best Actress Oscar®: Klute & Coming Home.  Overall she has starred in 16 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 7 movies winning at least one Oscar®.  3 of her movies received a Best Picture Oscar® nomination. UMR Must See Movies: 9 to 5, Klute, On Golden Pond, The China Syndrome, Cat Ballou, Coming Home, Barbarella   Our thoughts:  Henry’s baby girl made dad proud.  Got a Golden Globe® nomination last year for Youth.  Another Oscar® nomination coming?

7th place Grace Kelly (1929-1982) Box Office highlights: Kelly starred in 8 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.   Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 10 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Kelly received 2 acting Oscar® nomination…she won a Best Actress Oscar® for The Country Girl. She starred in 8 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 4 movie winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: High Noon, Dial M For Murder, The Country Girl, To Catch A Thief, Rear Window, High Society, Mogambo Our thoughts:  Her movie career only lasted a little over 5 years….but….she left an awesome collection of movies.  A movie princess that became a real princess.  Another classic AFI pick that actually fits in better with this group of actresses.

6th place Shirley MacLaine (1934-) Box Office highlights: MacLaine has starred in 12 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 1 time. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 29 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  MacLaine has received 6 acting Oscar® nominations….winning a Best Actress Oscar® for Terms of Endearment.  She has starred in 4 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination….3 won: Around The World In Eighty Days, The Apartment & Terms of Endearment. Overall she starred in 18 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Around The World In Eighty Days, The Apartment, Terms of Endearment, The Trouble With Harry, Irma La Douce, Some Came Running, Guarding Tess,Steel Magnolias  Our thoughts:   Not thinking many people can say they were discovered by Alfred Hitchcock and used to hang out with the Rat Pack…but Shirley MacLaine can.  Her first movie was in 1955….61 years later and she is still going strong….she has 5…yes 5 projects in different stages of production listed on IMDb.

5th place Doris Day (1924-) Box Office highlights: Day starred in 20 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 10 times. Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 28 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Day received 1 Best Actress Oscar® nomination…Pillow Talk.  Overall she starred in 13 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 4 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Love Me Or Leave Me, Pillow Talk, Move Over Darling, Send Me No Flowers, Calamity Jane, Romance on the High Seas , The Man Who Knew Too Much, Lover Come Back    Our thoughts:  Doris Day was the Top star of Hollywood 4 out of 5 years: 1960, 1962, 1963 & 1964….no other actress can make that claim.  Heck only Bing Crosby and Burt Reynolds can top that stat when looking at actors.

4th place Julie Andrews (1935-) Box Office highlights: Andrews starred in 13 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 4 times. Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 19 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Andrews received 3 acting Oscar® nominations…she won a Best Actress Oscar for Mary Poppins.   She has starred in 2 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination…The Sound of Music won. Overall she starred in 12 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 4 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria, 10, S.O.B, Throughly Modern Millie, The Princess Diaries, Star!,   Our thoughts:  Andrew’s back to back roles in Mary Poppins & The Sound of Music made her a screen legend for life.

3rd place Julia Roberts (1967-) Box Office highlights: Roberts has starred in 17 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She was named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 11 times. Critic and audience highlights: She has starred in 16 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Roberts has 3 acting Oscar® nomination…winning a Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich.  Overall she has starred in 10 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 1 movie winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias, Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven, Notting Hill, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Pelican Brief  Our thoughts:  She has it all…..beauty and talent…..box office success…..Oscar® love…a true movie star!

2nd place Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) Box Office highlights: Hepburn starred in 7 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 18 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Hepburn received 5 acting Oscar® nomination…she won a Best Actress Oscar® for Roman Holiday.  She also received an Honorary Oscar® in 1993. She starred in 12 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 5 movie winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies: Roman Holiday, Charade, My Fair Lady, Wait Until Dark, How To Steal A Million, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s Our thoughts:  One of the greatest screen personas in the history of movies.

1st place Meryl Streep (1949-) Box Office highlights: Streep has starred in 14 movies that grossed over $100 million in adjusted box office.  She has been named as one of Quigley’s Top Box Office Stars 4 times. Critic and audience highlights: She starred in 38 movies with a 60% or higher rating.  Oscar® love:  Streep has received a record 19 acting Oscar® nominations…she has won 3 times: Kramer vs Kramer, Sophie’s Choice & The Iron Lady.  She has starred in 5 movies that earned a Best Picture nomination…3 won: The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs Kramer & Out of Africa. Overall she starred in 27 movies that got at least one Oscar® nomination….with 10 movies winning at least one Oscar®. UMR Must See Movies:  The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs Kramer, Out Of Africa, The Devil Wears Prada , Sophie’s Choice, Death Becomes Her, Silkwood, Julie & Julia Our thoughts:  Her 19 Oscar® nominations are incredible.  Probably the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)…but we are sure some Katharine Hepburn fans could make strong argument too.  Easily our pick to be ranked in the Top Spot.

So what do you think of our rankings?  Look good? Think we are crazy? Left somebody out?  Look forward to some feedback.

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