Who's the best?

[Michael Mallory]

From the total frivolity department (and tough times occasionally call for total frivolity)...

I'm curious to know who y'all think is the premiere fedora wearer of motion pictures. Harrison Ford is automatically eliminated. I'm talking about someone from the Golden Age. Who do you think filled out a fedora better than anyone else on screen during the 30s, 40s or 50s? I have a definite opinion regarding this, but I'm waiting to see some responses before I reveal it, because my choice may be a bit on the maverick side.

 

[Andykev]

My humble opinion

Best Humphrey Bogart
Second James Cagney
Third Edward G. Robinson
Fourth Regis Toomey (look that one up!)
Fifth Clayton Moore (G-Men Never Forget)

 

[Chamorro]

Jimmy Stewart.

 

[STHill]

Humphrey Bogart

 

[Michael Mallory]

Great hat-wearers all, but for me the champ is Bud Abbott. (Told you it was a maverick viewpoint.)

 

[havershaw]

I was going to add Jimmy Stewart.

I'd also like to add Spencer Tracy to the pile, if I may...but Bogie's the top of the heap, in my opinion.

 

[Kwebs]

Bogart

 

[MK]

This is a great question.

I have been thinking of what my answer is for the past couple of days. At first I felt that even though Bogart is one of my favorite actors from the golden age AND that nobody looks better in a trench coat, that perhaps there might be someone who is the poster boy for wearing a fedora.

I thought of Robert Mitchum. His movie Out of the Past is considered by some to be THE best example of film noir. I also considered Alan Ladd. The three films he did with Veronica Lake, This Gun for Hire, The Glass Key and The Blue Dahlia are great noir classics. If you haven't guessed by now, my favorite films with fedoras are mostly of this genre.

At the end of this little analyis I come back to the same conclusion that most have come up with. Nobody beats Bogart for the trench coat look......and the same goes for the lid.

Having said that. I think that just about every guy looks better in a fedora.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Jimmy Stewart

 

[schwammy]

I vote for George Reeves in his Clark Kent fedora.

I think he set the record in the category of "hat worn at the most rakish angle without falling off of head."

 

[Minnesota_Jones]

I'd have to say Bogart with Jimmy Stewart a close second....

 

[Imahomer]

In my humble opinion, for cool... It's Bogart. For "I just look natural in a hat", it's Jimmie Stewart.

 

[Dalexs]

Originally posted by schwammy
I vote for George Reeves in his Clark Kent fedora.

...snip...

I think he set the record in the category of "hat worn at the most rakish angle without falling off of head."

I gotta agree with Schwammy here! I forgot about all about George!
That is a great piece of artwork, where did you get that?

Dalexs

 

[Renderking Fisk]

Originally posted by Yoda
Listen to MK?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ save you he can!

Alan Ladd?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t get enough of some of his early work. Gotta get?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢em on DVD as soon as I can.

I also forgot about George Reeves. Makes me wonder?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ what if Clark Kent wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t from Kryton but just a farm-boy from Kansas who was just wicked smart and became reporter to solve crimes? Then we could dispence with that silly outfit with tights, cape and trunks he wore on the outside.

 

[Andykev]

Originally posted by Renderking Fisk
Then we could dispence with that silly outfit with tights, cape and trunks he wore on the outside.

Say, you aren't talking smack about folks out here in San Francisco, are you?LOL

 

[Renderking Fisk]

When I first went Out West and saw San Fran... it was Halloween night. There were freaks everywhere. The night of November 1st... no diffrence.

Getting back to who wears the best fedoras or who's most noted for wearing them... I'm on the fence between Bogart and Alan Ladd. George Raft also comes to mind.

 

[Michael Mallory]

Here's what I've always wondered about Superman: We all know that his costume is made from the Kryptonian blankets that baby Kal-El was wrapped in when he came to earth, and that, like him, the material is indestructable. So how could Ma Kent cut it and sew it into a uniform?

 

[Renderking Fisk]

She used the tools that were in the rocket ship.

 

[Imahomer]

Originally posted by Michael Mallory
Here's what I've always wondered about Superman: We all know that his costume is made from the Kryptonian blankets that baby Kal-El was wrapped in when he came to earth, and that, like him, the material is indestructable. So how could Ma Kent cut it and sew it into a uniform?

Well, in the comic books (yea I'm that old!), Ma Kent unravelled his blankets and sewed the material into his Superman uniform. The threads weren't cut, but superboy, severed the threads with his heat vision. He used his super strength to mold his boots and belt from rubber like material that was inside his rocket ship.

Mike

 

[schwammy]

Chuckling appreciatively, I note that I have managed to once again steer a thread completely off course.

Don't get me started on the logic of Superman... why don't his friends recognize him without his glasses? Why is he so powerfully built? Muscles come from heavy lifting. But nothing is heavy to Superman, so how does he build his muscles?

To answer your question, Dalexs, I don't remember where I found that picture. I just needed a shot of Clark Kent, so I did a Google image search for "George Reeves" "Clark Kent" or something like that. I couldn't find a photo, so the drawing was the next best thing. Sorry I'm not more help. It is pretty well done, though isn't it?

Oh, I agree with Fisk. To me, Clark Kent was always the more interesting of the two personas. The funny thing about George Reeves, though, was that his Clark Kent wasn't mild-mannered at all. He wasn't clumsy or shy the way Christopher Reeve portrayed him. Reeves as Kent was a pretty cool character, really. He pretty much played him as Superman in a suit.