Yeah. Somehow he didn’t make this tome...and it shouldn’t be any surprise, then, to learn that in the leading ladies book, one of the biggest box office stars of all time, Betty Grable, was also wiped off the face of the earth. She too made the mistake of working for 20th Century Fox Studios. I shudder – and I mean this, I shudder – to think what would have happened if Marilyn Monroe hadn’t done films outside of Fox, and therefore, if none of her movies were owned by Turner. A mind-boggler. One wonders if even TCM would have had the nerve to leave her out of a compilation. Why do I think they would have?
For the record, TCM does own one film with Power in it – Marie Antoinette – produced by MGM; it’s the only loan-out that Darryl Zanuck permitted of his biggest star. That’s not enough for the actor be considered important to Turner Classic Movies. It is known for its exclusion of Power. There is a blog page that complains about TCM constantly, even showing a month-by-month grid for the channel that says: “No Tyrone Power” in each month, and criticizing the programming people “for their continued refusal to heed my pleas re: Tyrone Power.”
Not that Power is alone among the great unwashed left out of “the 50 most unforgettable.” He’s in good company since Orson Welles isn’t in this book either. I guess it’s because Orson made all those little films. You know, Citizen Kane, The Third Man, Touch of Evil, Jane Eyre. You can forget Glenn Ford, Tony Curtis, Robert Montgomery and Joseph Cotton too. Richard Widmark – oh, sorry, he was under contract to 20th Century Fox. What was I thinking? At least Tony Curtis and Montgomery are mentioned in Robert Osborne’s disingenuous foreword. Apparently you’re not even allowed to PRINT THE NAMES of 20th Century Fox stars.
TCM had to work damn hard to come up with 50 to meet its very narrow criteria. Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton appear in the book, for instance. Both of these men were tremendous stars. But Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton were comedians. One would think that TCM would extend its list of publications by doing a book of comedians, which would certainly include these brilliant, innovative men at the top of the list. But then that would have left them with 48 unforgettable leading men.
I have sad news for TCM anyway – Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd are not unforgettable. They’re forgotten. Should they be? No. But I asked my mother about them and watched her eyebrows furrow as she thought hard. Then I asked her about Tyrone Power and watched her face light up. My mother has dementia. So now who’s unforgettable?
Article comments
1 - David Christian Hamblin
Thank you Maria Ciaccia for another FABULOUS review- Maria's HOLLYWOOD expertise is legendary!
2 - Scott Carmichael
Interesting article but I would have to disagree with you about Power. I have asked many of my friends about Tyrone Power and all without exception aks...who? Not once have I had to explain who Charlie Chaplin was or Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne etc. Now...if Power was as popular as you say then why has his legacy not lasted beyond his death? I believe TCM did right in leaving Power off the list. Scott
3 - Maria
Scott, thank you for your comments.
Power's legacy has certainly lasted way beyond his death - none of those other actors, besides Valentino, can lay claim to a memorial service every year that is packed to the gills. In fact, I'm unsure if any of the other dead actors have yearly memorial services. I suggest you Google Power to see just how far his legacy goes and take a look at some of the websites devoted to him - his legacy goes pretty darn far after being dead nearly 50 years. Chaplin died 20 years after Power, and Stewart? 40 years after Power.
As far as people not having heard of him in some sectors - I rest my case - mainly because his films aren't shown on Turner Classic Movies, which is where most people are getting their film information today.
This was not a book about people whose legacies have continued beyond their death anyway. Ask your friends about Ronald Colman, Harold Lloyd, and a few of the other people in this book. This book also was titled "THE 50 MOST UNFORGETTABLE ACTORS OF THE STUDIO ERA." I then ask - what is Peter O'Toole doing there, when he never played his first lead until 1960? Why are silent stars in there when they are not technically part of the "studio era." Does this selection fool anyone as far as TCM's agenda?
The point I was making is that this is a skewed book. There isn't any doubt, anywhere, that Tyrone Power was the biggest star of 20th Century Fox Studios in his day, that he kept that studio solvent, that he was much bigger box office than many of the people listed, that he was a true leading man and unforgettable at least as far as his many existing fans are concerned. By the way, he died when I was a little girl. One of the people who runs his website is my age.
A boxed set of some of his films is due out next year and is already available in England (though put together by another division and not containing the same films). Since he made war movies, westerns, comedies, adventure films, and dramas, many of his films have been "lost" to other Fox collections, i.e., the Hemingway collection, the war collection, and many were released separately as Fox couldn't figure out a grouping for his varied types of films. Due to popular demand - and the fact that "The Black Swan" was such a huge seller when it came out on DVD - they finally came up with one.
4 - Chewy
Haven't read one review of this stupid book that has not mentioned the omission of Power...I was planning on buying it for my wife for Xmas...she says now she doesn't want it...I'm stuck...thanks for nothing TCM.
5 - Mary Jo Gormican
I agree with the article. All Turner's books are slanted to showcase their flicks. I want to know how come Robert Taylor is included and Power isn't except now I know.
6 - Diane
Such a star...such an omission! Good article. Informative and entertaining.
7 - Goldy
Thanks for verifying my own thoughts about the reason that Tyrone Power was not included in the book. The moment that I saw the book advertised on TCM, I made a mental note that Tyrone Power would not be included in the book; thus, I was not at all surprised when I browsed the Table of Contents a couple weeks later! TCM is a wonderful source of entertainment for classic movie fans; however, I do think that it is a serious omission to not show the films of Tyrone Power, one of the greatest stars of the golden era. I realize that it is more expensive for them to do so, since they must license 20th Century-Fox films on an individual basis, but not doing so is a disservice to upcoming classic movie fans who should be introduced to all the great stars -- not just those who worked for MGM, RKO, and Warners. I'm grateful to Amazon that they allow a person to check out the contents of this book, prior to purchase.
8 - Scott Carmichael
I don't know how many former stars have memorial services, but I do not see that as an indicator of the stars popularity but perhaps more of some fans unwillingness to let them go. I personally view this type of behavior as a bit odd(no offense intended). I do know that Valentino has had an annual memorial service since 1927, but I don't know how many still attend the event. When you say "packed to the gills" how many people are we actually talking about? Such statements can be very misleading. Are there 50? more than 50? less than a 100? More than a 100? If we are talking less than a 100 I do not see that as a very significant number. Nor do I think you can judge a stars popularity by how many websites exist. Every star has a contingency of fans who are, more or less 'extreme' and perhaps Power has a greater share of extreme admirers who are willing to go to such lengths to create websites. I really have no clue.
I do see where you are coming from about TCM not airing any of the Power films, but I dare say that Henry Fonda and Betty Grable are far far more recognizable names than Power, and both were huge Fox stars. Not to mention Shirley Temple, Don Ameche and Will Rogers. I respect your opinion Maria although I tend to believe, by what you have written, that it may be slightly biased and not too objective. Scott
9 - Maria
Well, Scott, on one hand, you have other comments here that express surprise that Power was not included, and yet according to you, nobody knows who he is. He has a memorial service because fans won't let go; yet according to you, he has no fans. Despite Betty Grable being so well known according to you, TCM didn't include her in the Leading Ladies; and the only reason Shirley Temple gets play from them is because she made her teenage films outside of 20th Century Fox.
I would definitely say both the Power and Valentino get more than 100 at their memorial services - I have covered both for various publications and, as a film historian, I have spoken at the Power memorial twice in the last 48 years.
The prejudiced one is TCM. You won't find Don Ameche whom you think is so well known but in fact was a much, much lesser star than Power, on TCM either. Fonda, of course, had a much longer career and only worked at Fox early on. You're comparing Power to people who lived 40 and 50 years longer than he did and had careers that took them into old age.
I am sure that 20th Century Fox, being as money minded as all studios must be, would not put out a DVD collection if there wasn't a demand for it. I'd like to know, in fact, where their Henry Fonda collection is; they have not been as quick as the other studios to hop on the DVD bandwagon, and that has been the subject of complaint on various message boards. I don't write anything until I have gone through as much as I can on the Net and elsewhere.
TCM has a feature where you can request a film that is not on DVD to be on DVD. Marie Antoinette was #1 until it came out; I'll Never Forget You is currently #10, Son of Fury is #6 as the most requested DVDs. Not bad for someone your friends never heard of, I'd say, and incredible for someone who is never on TCM.
People who are not film buffs have never heard of anyone except Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, etc. Film buffs always know who the big stars are. Whether you want to believe it or not, Tyrone Power was a huge star, he has a fine legacy - granted, Casablanca isn't one of his films, and he remains very popular today not only in the U.S. but in Europe, where his photo still appears on magazine covers and his children still get huge play in magazines like "Hello."
My only point of the whole article to begin with was that TCM skews their books. It wasn't really about how popular Tyrone Power is or was -I was asking, where is Power, people like Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, Glenn Ford, Orson Welles. I used Power as a focal point because it was the most obvious ommission according to the reviews I read. All these lists are arbitrary. TCM's are never arbitrary. They just contain people on TCM. I would like them to state that up front, since they are bringing in a lot of new people interested in classic film.
10 - Aaron F. Weitzman
Clarifying that in other words, if the number of people attending memorial services after 40+ years isn’t an indication of popularity and longevity, the number of websites isn’t an indication of popularity and longevity, top box office rank back in the day wasn’t an indication of popularity, a DVD collection isn’t an indication of popularity and longevity, requests for films on DVD isn’t an indication of popularity and longevity, two published biographies aren’t an indication of popularity and longevity, the number of blogs that mention him are not an indication of popularity or longevity, the reviews on amazon.com regarding Blood and Sand, not yet released on DVD, which refer to Power as the “reigning star of 20th Century Fox” aren’t an indication of popularity and longevity, two versions of Zorro released aren't an indication of popularity and longevity, the prices Power memorabilia fetches on e-bay aren’t an indication of popularity and longevity, that leaves the only indication of popularity and longevity is your friends not knowing who he is. Presumably this is the case even if you tell them he was the guy who played Zorro. They haven't seen THE MARK OF ZORRO? My nephew is 10 years of age and has seen THE MARK OF ZORRO. Your friends know Don Ameche, Harold Lloyd, Alan Ladd, Ronald Colman, Joel McCrea and Betty Grable? I doubt that very much.I have young friends who don’t know who Judy Garland is.I have young friends who don’t know who Barbra Streisand is.I don’t call Streisand or Garland unpopular or unrecognizable or having no longevity.I call my friends what they are, ignorant. Don Ameche was wiped off the screen when Power came to 20th Century Fox and was demoted to second leads whenever he appeared with Power. He was given musicals and Power's hand me downs. Henry Fonda was a big Fox star. Tyrone Power was the biggest Fox star. When he went to war, Betty Grable took over. Before Power, there was Shirley Temple.The biggest grossing film in 1946 was Power's first after returning from the war, THE RAZOR'S EDGE. There is no one today that can come close to the popularity that these legendary stars had. Mr. Cruise had a paltry 1000 people outside the church in Italy. Power and Christian had 10,000. It sounds like you don't like him.Your privilege but if you base your statements on the actions of TCM who included actors who only dreamt of having the popularity of Tyrone Power, you're on shaky ground.
Arnold Weitzman
Fayetteville, NC
11 - LISA
I completely agree with this review. Maria, I don't think it could have been said any better. What a shame that such a talented , handsome man was left out.
He was Fox's biggest star in the late 30's and 40's, also into the 50's. I think that it was petty for TCM to leave him out, if the fact of being an actor who was under contract to Fox was the reason.
If such a book as this one (which has) been written, the biggest actors from all studios should have been included and for Tyrone to be left out with everything that he contributed to films, I'm just at a loss for words.
I do hope that someone will write a book that will include all of the actors (and actresses) who deserve to be in a book with a title such as this one.
I was going to purchase it, along with the Leading Ladies book. But now, sadly, I won't be buying either one.
So here's to Tyrone Power, who from all of the comments and the wonderful review I've read has not been forgotten, but is still regarded as one of the finest actors,handsomest and from interviews that I've seen with people who worked with him, one of the kindest men to ever grace the silver screen. Maybe someday he will get the respect that he so richy deserves.
12 - Maria
Thanks, Lisa. While there always seems to be someone left out of a book, it's normally not Power when it comes to top leading men of the golden age.
From the title it seems like Turner was looking to make money and get people to watch their channel rather than taking any care. The title is Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era...Now, which is it? Leading men or actors, which could include character men? Since when does the studio era include the silent film era or the 1960s, which is when Peter O'Toole got his big break. It's a sloppy book.
13 - Mary
Mary Jo Gormican said: "I want to know how come Robert Taylor is included..." What?????? He was one of the most charming and fine actors of the classic cinema. He deserves to be on the list for his permanent presence on screen during the 30's, 40's and 50's playing all type of characters through different genres.
Sincerely Mary
14 - Maria Ciaccia
Hi Mary -
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on this article. I think Mary Jo's remark was misinterpreted. She wanted to know why Robert Taylor was included when Power wasn't because they were both extremely handsome leading men who basically held the same position within their studios, and she couldn't figure out why one would be featured and not the other. She didn't realize that Turner doesn't own the 20th Century Fox library.
I would certainly expect Taylor to be in any leading man book, as I would Power. I love Taylor and many of his films count among my favorites, including "Escape," "Waterloo Bridge" and "Johnny Eager."
15 - Mary
Hi María Ciaccia
Thank you for responding to my message. I also regret not to find Tyrone Power on the list. As you point out, Turner doesn't own the 20th Century Fox library, that's why I can't see most of Power's movies on TCM' schedule.
Cheers
Mary
16 - Christine
I completely agree that TCM's books are slanted in favour of the stars whose movies they own. It's pretty clear that they only publish the books to promote their channel and the WB/MGM/RKO dvds Turner/Warner release... these aren't really in-depth scholarly books...only done to make money, not to really educate people or paint a fair and accurate picture of movie history. So I guess it's up to true film scholars like Maria Ciaccia to set the record straight.
Anyway, I am grateful to TCM for exposing me to more obscure stars & films I never would've seen otherwise... even if their motives aren't entirely altruistic. :)
One good thing about the exclusion of 20th Century Fox films on TCM... it's made me more curious to get better acquainted with that studio's output. And since I can't discover FOX films on TV... I've gotta blind-buy the DVDs they release, right? :) Once upon a time it never would've occured to me to buy a movie I'd never even seen first. But now I do it all the time and I'm loving it. Tyrone Power's movies are a perfect example... and Betty Grable and Alice Faye... I hadn't seen any of their films, though I knew the names, and I was glad to buy their boxsets and explore this whole new piece of film history. Thanks TCM for making me want to see *every* single film ever made (up 'til the 1950s anyway) :)
17 - Maria
Christine, thanks for writing. I'm a baby boomer, and we grew up with primetime "Saturday Night at the Movies," which was a Fox show where they debuted a lot of their '50s films on television, Many of us became familiar with Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Gene Tierney etc. early on. I feel blessed because I have both TCM and Fox Movie Channel. I'm still finding obscure films on both channels that I haven't seen. I still think that Fox made some of the best film noirs in existence.
It's great that you are adventurous and will buy films you haven't seen on TCM. I hope you pick up the second Tyrone Power boxset, which has some real oldies but goodies on it like "Johnny Apollo," "Love is News," "Cafe Metropole" and "I'll Never Forget You." If you're in the LA area, there will be a three-night tribute to him sponsored by American Cinematheque and held at the Egyptian Theater mid-November.
18 - Christine
Hi Maria, Thanks for replying! I would love to go to all the classic movie screenings & tributes that seem to happen regularly in LA, but I live in Canada and can't afford to travel. (I can't really afford my DVD habit either, but there's no way I'm giving that up :))
No access to the Fox Movie Channel here - and we only got TCM a few years ago! But I grew up in the '80s with my own Saturday Night At The Movies, hosted by Elwy Yost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwy_Yost) I'm so grateful to him for introducing me to Deanna Durbin's musicals and other classics.
Probably the first Fox movie I ever saw was A Letter To Three Wives, which I still love. I'd love to buy a Linda Darnell collection. I am collecting the Fox Film Noir series, and the new Tyrone Power boxset is great. I love that Fox included so many '30s & '40s flms... my favorite period! Warner Bros. seem to favor the '50s-'70s when they assemble their boxsets.
I also have this feeling that if FOX owned the MGM library, we'd see boxsets for June Allyson, Jane Powell, Jean Harlow... all the stars WB are somewhat neglecting. I also love that FOX includes more audio commentaries and featurettes and goes out of their way to interview surviving stars & their family members. Not to mention they're pretty much the only studio left that regulalrly includes inserts/informative booklets with their dvds! I wish I could thank whoever's responsible for this extra effort.
19 - Alex Anisimow
I think it's such a shame that TCM don't show more Deanna Durbin movies. No doubt she is one of the greats of the Golden Age of Hollywood!
Alex (DEANNA DURBIN DEVOTEES)
20 - Alex
What a difference a few years makes - now Turner Classic Movies is celebrating Power's birthday on May 5. They have seen the light.