What or who’s a classic?

The star system of the classics era of Hollywood made actors appear perfect and audiences saw them through a romantic or idealized lens. Today, we can still see movies, actors and stars through a romantic lens.

Here is what marks some, mostly older, classical guys and girls:

Gregory Peck: Remarkable for his sincerity, we admired him most in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) for standing up for the underdog. In life, people always admire such a trait. The film gave Mr. Peck his first and only Academy Award for Best Actor.

Greer Garson: A true lady of the cinema. She won an Academy Award playing a war heroine in pro-American Mrs. Miniver (1943). Someone making a stand always makes an impression in life, as Ms. Greer did, playing a good woman who stood up for the rights of “illegitimate” babies, in Blossoms in the Dust (1941). We love roles for noble causes.

Alec Guinness: A gentleman in manners and soul, he is most well-known to modern audiences playing the guide in Star Wars (1977). That means he’s also a hero. People admire guides and heroes in life, because they are good.

Henry Fonda:  Genuineness is a quality that makes you trustworthy and reliable in life because people know what they are getting. Henry Fonda portrayed that well in 12 Angry Men and On Golden Pond (1981), though in the latter film he was more crotchety, but underneath genuine and sincere. He played the part convincingly of a jury member taking a stand on a seemingly cut-and-dry case which wasn’t at all, in 12 Angry Men (1957).

Icons of cinema, we idolize them:

Audrey Hepburn: Some may call her angelic, but she certainly stands out in the crowd, according to many captivated by the Audrey Hepburn look. Her first major role landed her an Oscar for Best Actress, in Roman Holiday (1951). A star that is truly untainted, even after her untimely death.  We love our stars in their glory.

Grace Kelly: Glamorous and innocent, a truly seductive combination, that makes audiences accept her unconditionally. Her star took a fall with her untimely death, but the tragedy added to her aura.

George Clooney: A man’s man, who can’t do wrong, almost invincible. We just like him because he can uncannily play down to earth just as well.

Ingrid Bergman: The camera adored her and so did legions of fans, and with her charming delivery, was a powerful combination.