Edit: Oops. I've seen him in Superman ;)

Hi,

I'm not sure that it is possible to sit here and decide on which of these is more important to the acting in film and theater.

If one chooses theater over film, a Marlon Brando and Lawrence Olivier share the same room. If one selects film, Marlon Brando wins hands down in a comparison, for example.

But there are some small things that are very important, possibly not considered here. One is that both were massively important to bringing out new writers and listerature for the theater ... with Marlon Brando making a strong case with one scream (STELLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAA!) and Lawrence Olivier so important and valuable to the many writers that were a part of the original "angry young men" ... that eventually help lead into the National Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company, both of which were unreal instruments in the explosion of creativity in the theater that carried on to film for many years, in similar styles and hands like director Ken Russell and others.

America had the Actor's Studio (Lee Strasberg) where so many famous folks came through and are, STILL, favored names in both theater and films ... and these folks made famous so many writers that it is impossible to name them all, but we can start with the one scream from Marlon Brando putting Tennessee Williams on the map, and going from there non-stop for many years.

However, there is a problem here ... it's like saying that Toshiro Miffune had no influence in Japan, Marcello Mastroianni was a nobody in Italy, and in France, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon and many others were just street performers without talent, and that is not the case whatsoever. They also helped bring film to the forefront, in this case a lot more than theater, as these folks were not as well known for their theater work.

So for this poll, I'm abstaining, because it lacks the knowledge to consider the history, and both actors were MASSIVE in the development of their theater and film ... in different countries, and both helped bring out many writers. Choosing one over the other is kind of unfair, as they merely were a part of their social arts ... and not necessarily the main representative. It's hard to leave behind so many writers all the way to Edward Albee, and actors like Jason Robarts, that gave his life to theater, and was not quite a "known" star in film like some of the others, that were so influential ... as to blow these two choices out of the water.

But some credit needs to be changed some ... folks like Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg and Sir Peter Hall, and even Peter Brook, probably deserve more credit for even having the guts and the vision to do something different ... nowadays, a Trump would kill it, because he has no interest in them or money involved!

So much for the arts!

For some interesting things on this subject, do catch as many of the interviews on the one channel on actors and their profession. Some of them have been absolutely massive and revealing in ways that just about surprise you, and make you feel like you just met this person ... and that's the actor/actress? WOW ... and they get to talk to the young actors for several minutes towards the end of the show.

James Lipton and his Actors Studio is very important, and over the years it has had some names in it that defy reason, and ideas. Try this line up ... Anthony Quinn (great!), Jeanne Moreau (amazing), Meryl Streep (out of this world funny!), Robin Williams (fantastic!), Paul Newman, Arthur Miller, Faye Dunaway, Ellen Burstyn, Jessica Lange, Gene Wilder, Stanley Donen, Martin Landau, Mike Nichols, Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Shirley MacLaine, Eli Wallach, Jack Lemmon ...

And that's just in the first 3 or 4 years ... it is, by far, one of the most revealing thing ever about the actors and their craft and how they approach it. Some wonderful surprises and fun moments all over ... and appreciation that goes far beyond just a film, or a play ... it's a real person!