Your Favorite Heavy (Bad Guy) In Old Movies?

[HiDesertHal]

I'm talking about those films from the 1930's through 1950's, mainly.

These actors portrayed slick, mean, sneering, hateful villians, in both standard and western films. Cagney was one, for example.

My favorite "heavy" was Dan Duryea.

Hal

 

[Camper6]

I'm talking about those films from the 1930's through 1950's, mainly.

These actors portrayed slick, mean, sneering, hateful villians, in both standard and western films. Cagney was one, for example.

My favorite "heavy" was Dan Duryea.

Hal

You are right but he was a British actor was he not.

For Westerns? Randolph Scott.

 

[HiDesertHal]

Dan Duryea was a born in the USA and educated at Cornell University.

Randolph Scott never played a heavy. He was always the arrow-straight good guy, and in many films was the US Marshal.

Hal

 

[Smiling Jane]

Lee van Cleef was always a great stereotypical villain. I also enjoyed Jack Elam, whose face was made for bad Westerns.

Some of my favorite screen villains were actors who were usually known for being heroes, like Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in The West), Robert Mitchum (bone-chilling in both Night of the Hunter and Cape Fear), Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List), Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity), Kevin Spacey (Usual Suspects) and many more. A good actor is a good actor, no matter the role he plays.

 

[HiDesertHal]

Good Choice, Smiling Jane!

Lee van Cleef, of course!

Also Bette Davis in a few films.

Hal

 

[Smiling Jane]

Bette Davis was wonderful in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

Richard Widmark played a scary villain. Surprising enough, so did Fred McMurray, best known for his goofy roles.

 

[MarkinPhx]

My first thought was Sydney Greenstreet but not sure if he would be considered a villain or an arch nemesis. I'll add Burt Lancaster to the list mainly for his role in Sweet Smell of Success.

 

[NancyNGA]

Jack Elam. He was so mean looking he was cute.

 

[Smiling Jane]

He only played villains a few times, but Orson Welles was excellent. His Harry Lime in The Third Man could not have been equaled by anyone else.

 

[applecruncher]

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter

 

[RadishRose]

Terence stamp as General Zod in Superman ll and the other 2 villains Ursa and Non.

 

[Falcon]

Glad Jack Elam was mentioned. (I couldn't think of his name.)

He used to eat in the same restaurant with us, in Santa Monica, as did others from the
motion picture industry.

 

[Smiling Jane]

Terence stamp as General Zod in Superman ll and the other 2 villains Ursa and Non.

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From Billy Budd to Priscilla the Queen of the Desert to General Zod. That's quite an acting range.

 

[Sassycakes]

Katy Bates

 

[applecruncher]

^^ If you mean Annie Wilkes in Misery, yes that was a dandy. :yes:

 

[jujube]

Peter Lorre, with menace greasily oozing from every pore.....

 

[Falcon]

Lon Cheney

 

[Smiling Jane]

I disliked the story Misery and also the movie, but Kathy Bates was very good in it.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Not from old movies, but Rutger Hauer came to mind.

 

[HiDesertHal]

Anthony Hopkins' "Hannibal Lecter" would eat your Liver if he had the chance!

Hal

 

[moviequeen1]

John Malkovich in "In The Line of Fire" '93. Clint Eastwood stars a Secret Service agent protecting the President,JOhn plays a very creepy assassin. He seems to relish playing 'bad guys' making it look so easy,talented actor. Sue

 

[TonyK]

Jack Elam lost his sight in his left eye after being stabbed with a pencil at a boy scout meeting. He played a lot of bad guys.

 

[RadishRose]

Danny Trejo

 

[Pappy]

James Cagney could really play a tough guy. Very talented man.

 

[Smiling Jane]

Robert LaSardo. Scary-looking heavily-inked guy, supposedly a sweetheart.