Top 10 Actors/Actresses from the Golden Era of Film (1920s-1940s)

The Top Ten
1 Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry.
2 Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, director, producer, writer, and stunt performer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The ...read more.
3 Harold Lloyd
4 Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood" or just simply as "The King". Gable is considered one of the most consistent box-office performers in history, appearing on Quigley Publishing's annual Top Ten Money ...read more.
5 Kay Francis Kay Francis was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was the number one female star at the Warner Brothers studio and the highest-paid American film actress.
6 Vivien Leigh Vivian Mary Hartley, later known as Vivien Leigh and Lady Olivier, was an English stage and film actress.
7 Judy Garland Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. The American Film Institute named her 8th greatest female star of classic American cinema. She's also the mother of actress and singer Liza Minnelli.
8 Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (20 October 1882 – 16 August 1956), better known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian-American actor, famous for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 film and for his roles in various other horror films.
9 Jackie Coogan
10 Greta Garbo Greta Garbo, born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson (18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990), was a Swedish-born American film actress during the 1920s and 1930s. ...read more.
The Contenders
11 Jean Harlow Jean Harlow, born Harlean Harlow Carpenter (March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. ...read more.
12 Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) was a German actress and singer who held both German and American citizenship. This internationally famed actress cum singer was a frontline performer with an amazing long career in the show business. One of the highest paid actresses of her time she reached super stardom and was named the 9th greatest female star of classic Hollywood Cinema by the American Film Institute.
13 Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 - June 10, 1967) was an American actor, noted for his natural style and versatility. During his career, Tracy appeared in 75 films and developed a reputation among his peers as one of the screen's greatest actors.
14 Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress. Known for her fierce independence and spirited personality, Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years.
15 Jimmy Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 - July 2, 1997), also known as Jimmy Stewart (although he seldom used that name in formal credits), was an American actor and military officer, known for his distinctive drawl and down-to-earth persona. He starred in many films that are considered to be classics, and is known for portraying an American middle-class man struggling with a crisis.
16 Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor with a career spanning more than five decades.
17 Fred Astaire Fred Astaire was an American dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and television presenter. He is widely regarded as the most influential dancer in the history of film.
18 Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers, born Virginia Katherine McMath (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is known for her performances in films and RKO's musical films in which she was partnered with Fred Astaire.
19 Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic, sardonic characters and was reputed for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies, although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas.
20 Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996), known as Gene Kelly, was an American dancer, actor of film, stage and television, singer, film director, producer and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks, and the likeable characters that he played on screen. ...read more.
21 Lena Horne
22 Charles Laughton
23 Olivia de Havilland Olivia Mary de Havilland was a British-American actress whose career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in forty-nine feature films, and was one of the leading movie stars during the golden age of Classical Hollywood.
24 Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013) known as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress, best known for her starring roles in classic Hollywood films. Fontaine appeared in over 45 feature films in a career that spanned five decades. She was the sister of actress Olivia de Havilland.
25 Stan Laurel Stan Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson (16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer and film director, who was part of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles.
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