famous actors of the past -could they adapt to modern movies?

Oh they were good and yup I think they could make movies now I would just hope that they wouldnt go for the language they use it ruins the movies and good ones that I Would like to see but cant stand that 4 letter word throw out every other word or longer. I do beleive they would have held out for JUst they way they talked. I think I watched one with Willam Holden in it old and useing that word but not often. To me it didnt fit him but then probably used it at home . I know somepeople use it like it is going out of style even woman and to me it si just a was of thier breath

There have always been a lot of junk movies around and I am sure some of them have had very talented actors in them. In most actor's lives they are very glad to be able to earn money in their chosen field. Rarely can an actor pick and choose what he plays in if he wants to earn a living.

Very interesting question. The best ones, depending on the roles, could. I can't speak for how they would feel about the movies, but I think they would be fine in the movies that are concentrated on stories and characters and don't pin all their hopes on CGI. They could probably do fine with CGI and might even consider it an interesting challenge. I just personally would prefer to see them in movies where the character comes before any special effects. I don't think there's anything wrong with wondering if they could. After all, even though I love the old movies (people say I should have been born in those days) not all of them were good. And not all the movies made now are bad.

Let’s take a look at what they might have thought of movies these days first. Well I would imagine the likes of such greats as Richard Burton, John Wayne, James Stewart, Gary Cooper and so on would have considered much of what got made now inferior, driven by star names rather than decent storylines. In fact if you read any of the biographies of sadly passed away stars many of mention there loss of interest in movies as things changed into an almost factory line production system. But whilst I believe they would have considered today’s movies inferior I am positive they could have adapted to perform more than adequately in today’s mindless drivel which masquerades as entertainment. For example John Wayne was an action hero, he performed many of his own stunts and I am sure if he was a star now (of the right age) he would have revelled in playing an action role. Also look at the career of Jimmy Stewart, he went from playing naïve moralistic characters through to western heroes and onto senior figures in thrillers, he adapted to what the movie needed. In fact I am more positive that these old style stars would be able to adapt to any sort of movie than I have in modern stars who seem to get stuck in a certain role and that it is. What I am sure of is that none of them would be impressed by the use of CGI, especially say the likes of Avatar and would imagine it would have caused many of them to consider new careers.

To be honest, I think it would be an insult to these people to put them in a modern movie. It's better to pit modern actors against the talent of the past and see if they could match up. Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman and Tim Roth yes. Keanu Reeves - well, maybe as a pot plant. The only modern films I watch are those with real acting ability and a decent plotline and writing - Legend of 1900 is a case in point. I'm not saying all the past Hollywood greats were good actors - Doug McClure being a case in point - but Some Like it Hot still gets my vote as the best comedy movie of all time.Singing in the Rain is another one I can watch over and over.

The actors of the past were just that.....actors. They acted. A lot of those considered "stars" today have no acting ability whatsoever. More often than not, they are playing a part of themselves. No real acting involved. Would Spenser Tracy be able to pull off Al Pacino's role in "The Devil's Advocate"?? Absolutely! It's just the first thing that popped to mind. I agree with the other responder who said you should be pitting today's "stars" (and I do use that term lightly) against those of the past. Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis are shining examples of adaptability. Both acted to the very end. I also agree with the comments about poor scripts, too much CGI, etc. Those actors of the golden screen era did their own stunts 99% of the time. No blue screens. Instead actual studio lots. So much has changed in the industry and not for the better. Today's actors (with a slight handful of exceptions) can't act their way out of a paper bag. Do their own stunts?!?!? lol. Too much insurance risk. The actor has been placed on a pedestal because of bankability, not because they can act.