Memorable performances with swagger

Naphtali · Nov 3, 2008

Occasionally, an actor delivers a memorable performance with what I can only identify as "swagger." Among these, for me, are:

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as Rupert of Hentzau in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937). It is an excellent example of an actor doing more with his portrayal than is actually there. James Mason had the role in 1952's scene-for-scene remake. The difference between their portrayals is enormous.

Another obvious example is Paul Newman as Hud Bannon in "Hud" (1963).

And a third example is Tim Matheson's portrayal of "Otter" in "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978).
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What are your examples of swagger? Is this a "guy thing," or can you identify women who have delivered it? I'm not a Bette Davis person, but she may have done it.

puretxnxt · Nov 4, 2008

The most recent one I can think of is Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight". Just Brilliant.

Sunny · Nov 5, 2008

The most obvious one to me isn't vintage either: Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. The first one, that is.

Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Natalie Wood as Maggie DuBois, both in The Great Race.

Red Diabla · Nov 5, 2008

Cary Grant in Gunga Din.

Cagney in Ladykiller.

RD

carter · Nov 5, 2008

Christopher Walken as the dancing pimp in the film Pennies From Heaven immediately comes to mind.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wnHLsDuleAs

dhermann1 · Nov 5, 2008

How about Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab?
Going further back, you can't top Jimmy Cagney in "Public Enemy" and Edward G Robinson in "Little Caesar". Swagger bordering on psychopathic aggression.
Was John Wayne in "The Searchers" mentioned yet? (And practically everything else he ever did.)

just_me · Nov 5, 2008

carter said:
Christopher Walken as the dancing pimp in the film Pennies From Heaven immediately comes to mind.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wnHLsDuleAs

Thanks for posting that. Great in his underwear, socks, garters, and fedora. lol

He really does like musicals.

Naphtali · Nov 6, 2008

James Coburn in "Charade" and "The Magnificent Seven." In the former he was a thug who I felt was much more intimidating than hulking George Kennedy. In the latter, if you pay attention, his part was tiny.

How could I have forgotten Orson Welles as Harry Lime in "The Third Man?" He was on screen for eight minutes, yet dominated the film.

The Wolf · Nov 6, 2008

I was going to say Coburn in the Flint movies.

William Powell in Jewel Robbery is great.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

Matt Crunk · Nov 6, 2008

How about Elvis Presley in every movie he ever made. He WAS swagger personified.

Diamondback · Nov 7, 2008

One-up you all with George playing George:

WH1 · Nov 7, 2008

Steve McQueen in almost everything he ever did including the blob, but especially in Thomas Crown, the Great Escape and Bullitt.

Everyone in Oceans Eleven but specifically Dean Martin, he is subtle but steals every scene he is in, BTW he was Elvis' hero.

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone

kiltie · Nov 7, 2008

James Coburn in "Charade" and "The Magnificent Seven." In the former he was a thug who I felt was much more intimidating than hulking George Kennedy. In the latter, if you pay attention, his part was tiny.

James Coburn really delivered in every role ( yes, even the cheeseball accent in Great Escape ). For whatever reason, I put him in the same pool as Lee Marvin. So, I second Coburn and nominate Marvin ( The man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Wild One, and of course the obvious Dirty Dozen and Big Red One ).
Too, either one of those guys would have been a dream narrator for a documentary, I think. Very listenable voices...

Naphtali · Nov 8, 2008

The motion picture "Sunset" (1988) nearly aborted the career of Bruce Willis. James Garner delivered a swaggering portrayal of an elderly Wyatt Earp that probably saved Willis from a career as a waiter in a disreputable restaurant.

Wesne · Nov 20, 2008

Toshiro Mifune in any of the samurai films he made with Kurosawa pretty much defines it for me.

Mr. 'H' · Nov 20, 2008

John Payne's perfermance in "Kansas City Confidential". Plenty of swagger.

I said THANKS FOR NOTHIN'!

just_me · Nov 20, 2008

James Cagney in a lot of his films, but definitely Public Enemy.

KY Gentleman · Nov 20, 2008

Both Paul Newman AND George Kennedy in "Cool Hand Luke".
As far as women with swagger I'd vote Lauren Bacall in "The Big Sleep".

Mike in Seattle · Nov 20, 2008

KY Gentleman said:
As far as women with swagger I'd vote Lauren Bacall in "The Big Sleep".

Well...IMHO...anything that Bacall has ever appeared in - she had swagger. Even a couple years ago when she got into the brawl with Christopher, trying to steal her Academy award presenter gift basket on The Sopranos - she still had swagger...and quite frankly, at 80+ years old, she still whupped his butt...

OOOOoooo, I can't believe this one hasn't been mentioned - Bogart, and of course, swagger personified - William Powell.

Elizabeth.F · Dec 6, 2008

My favorite performances with a swagger are Laurel and Hardy in the short "Tit for Tat", Harold Lloyd in "A Sailor Made Man", and William Powell and Myrna Loy in any one of the "Thin Man" movies.

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