Dan Glaister
What makes a movie star? Not glamorous looks, acting ability or charisma, according to the readers of the film magazine Empire.
In a massive poll to choose the top 100 movie stars of all time, they plumped for the laconic attitude and sloppy charm of Harrison Ford.
The list favours actors who are fresh in the memory. Fords latest film, Air Force One, in which he stars as a United States president whose jet is hijacked by Russian extremists led by Gary Oldman, has just been released.
Christopher Hemblade, assistant editor of Empire, which published the poll to mark its 100th issue, said: Our readers grew up with Harrison Ford and the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. He is an actor who seems to have a certain integrity and honesty and naturalness.
But the list, like all exercises in favouritism, will cause eyebrows to be raised for its omissions and idiosyncracies. Keanu Reeves is at number 23, while Daniel Day-Lewis at 25 is above Gene Kelly, and Kevin Costner pips Charlton Heston. Leonardo Dicaprio is at number 75, four places above Charlie Chaplin.
Hemblade said: I was surprised and disappointed that there were so few women on the list.
The highest placed actresses, after Marilyn Monroe, are Lauren Bacall at number 11, Bette Davis at 15, Jodie Foster at 18 and Meryl Streep at 23.
Top 10 movie actors
1 Harrison Ford
2 Clint Eastwood
3 Tom Cruise
4 Al Pacino
5 Robert De Niro
6 Jack Nicholson
7 Cary Grant
8 Marilyn Monroe
9 Humphrey Bogart
10 James Stewart