The 100 Greatest Stars of All Time: Editor, Alison Gwinn ; Senior Writer, Ty Burr

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Legends
Review: As a regular subscriber to Entertainment Weekly magazine, almost from its first issue, I have seen it go from fledgling upstart to its current vaulted status. One of my favorite things about EW is when the editors decide to publish a "best of" or "greatest of all time" list about a particular area of entertainment. Whether the list be about films, TV, music, books, home video, or the games people play, at some point, it's going to be ranked.

First published as a special issue cover story, The 100 Greatest Stars Of All Time, then in both a hardcover and paperback format, the book is a celebration of actors and actresses who remain icons in their field. The book is divided into catgories like, Tough Guys, Comedians, Godesses, Artists Beauties, Action Heroes and the Everyman--but leading off with The Top 10. All of the biggies featured in the book also include "essential works" and trivia as sidebars. The book has dozens of stunning photos. Like any list of this type, you may not agree with every choice, or some of the ranking--but that makes for a great debate as your reading the 160 page book. Either way you'll be muttering to yourself.

I'm glad some of my favorites made the list, like Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Grace Kelly, Sean Connery, Jodie Foster, Robert De Niro and Gregory Peck. The one glaring omission for me...Gene Hackman. Stallone and Arnold over him--no way!

Rating:
Summary: A Movie Fan's Delight
Review: Every page of this 160 page, hardcover book is filled with black and white and/or full color large photos. Includes: Top 10, Leading Men, Sex Goddesses, Tough Guys, Beauties, Every Guys, Artists, Comedians, Ingenues, Action Heroes, Rebels, Pros. Presents movie posters, and candid shots. Each chapter provides an interesting page highlighting the chapter. A beautiful book worthy of a place in a movie buff's library.

Rating:
Summary: A Movie Fan's Delight
Review: Every page of this 160 page, hardcover book is filled with black and white and/or full color large photos. Includes: Top 10, Leading Men, Sex Goddesses, Tough Guys, Beauties, Every Guys, Artists, Comedians, Ingenues, Action Heroes, Rebels, Pros. Presents movie posters, and candid shots. Each chapter provides an interesting page highlighting the chapter. A beautiful book worthy of a place in a movie buff's library.

Rating:
Summary: Great photography but not all on the list are deserving!
Review: I personally have a hardbound editinon of this book and tresure it as one of the best books of my library if only because of the great photos conatined in it. Otherwise, there is a drop of bitterness regarding the members of the list. Why in God's name are Brigitte Bardot, Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, Stallone and Schwarzengger included? Also, Richard Burton (#78), Peter O'Toole (#91), Anthony Hopkins (#99), Denzel Washington (#98) and Susan Sarandon (#93) belong much, much higher up in the list than there given ranks. Meryl Streep (#37) belongs in the top five, although the top ten are all but two (Kate Hepburn and Brando) departed legends. Why are not Audrey Hepburn (#21), Judy Garland (#23), De Niro (#34), Buster Keaton (#35) and Jack Nicholson (#17) immediately following the top ten? Miss Hepburn should be in Duke's place of #5, actually Marilyn's place (#4)... Marilyn can have #5 and Duke can be #19 or #20. Miss Shirley MacLaine is also unforgiveably missing from this list as well as Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles and Ray Milland. Even actors from the legendary period are not deserving of being on the list... Bob Hope, Ava Gardner, Warren Beatty (the scum of the earth!) and Rock Hudson. I guess the entire public can't be pleased. In my opinion very few contemporaries should've been allowed to compete with the untouchable talent the legendary performers exuded... only Streep, Pacino, De Niro, Nicholson and Washington are in the class of Hepburn (both Kate and Audrey), Cagney, Burton, O'Toole and Cooper (another who belonged in the top ten... Cary Grant's later career can't compare to his work in the 30s and 40s, making him undeserving of his rank at #6). On the whole, this book as an entertainment is a delight but in terms of talent it is somewhat a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed reading, but, not so good reviews of stars by author
Review: I really enjoyed this book and the photographs were spectacular. However, the folks who ranked the 'stars' obviously hadn't seen many of the movies the stars were in. For example....#31 Tom Cruise over #78 Richard Burton...oh come on!! Gregory Peck, Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino should most definitely been ranked in the top ten. Frank Sinatra should have been at least #11. How much did #53 Arnold Schwarzenegger pay the authors to include him in this list?!? He's the butt of many comedian's jokes. How on earth did Bruce Willis make this list?? I've been going to movies for 65years and I consider myself a qualified critic and this list dissappointed me.