#25 - Jack Nicholson as J.J. Gittes in Chinatown
#24 - Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer in Kramer Vs. Kramer
#23 - Peter O'Toole as Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney in The Ruling Class
#22 - Jon Voight as Luke Martin in Coming Home
#21 - Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry
#20 - Robert Shaw as Sam Quint in Jaws
#19 - Al Pacino as Arthur Kirkland in ...And Justice For All
#18 - Robert De Niro as Michael Vronsky in The Deer Hunter
#17 - Robert Duvall as Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now
#16 - Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange
#15 - Art Carney as Harry Coombes in Harry And Tonto
#14 - Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot in Murder On The Orient Express
#13 - Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce in Lenny
#12 - Al Pacino as Sonyn Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon
#11 - John Hurt as Max in Midnight Express
#10 - George C. Scott as Herbert Bock in The Hospital
#9 - Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle in The French Connection
#8 - Jack Nicholson as Billy Buddusky in The Last Detail
#7 - Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather
#6 - Peter Finch as Howard Beale in Network
#5 - Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II
#4 - Jack Nicholson as R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
#3 - Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in The Conversation
#2 - George C. Scott as George S. Patton in Patton
#1 - Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather
So there you go. I know, there's no surprises on here and at times it just looks like I read off a list of Oscar nominees, but I really think the Oscars did better in the '70s than in any other decade. Until next time -- you stay classy RT. I'll be watching you... Always.
Matt S. on 5/21/11 at 09:09 PM
I would have put Nocholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at number one but still, love the list
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Matt S. on 5/21/11 at 09:10 PM
Oh and Peter Finch, a fantastic performance that I don't here enough of nowadays
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Jeff S.C. on 5/22/11 at 09:21 AM
I dunno, I still hear people talk about it. Of course, I do look at a lot of lists...
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Jeff S.C. on 5/22/11 at 09:19 AM
To me, the top 4 are all interchangeable. Any of them could be #1-4 and it wouldn't make a difference to me. Thanks for the comments :)
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Colm G. on 5/22/11 at 09:51 AM
MARLON BRANDO!!! love the choice, he was so iconic in The Godfather
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Jeff S.C. on 5/22/11 at 11:29 AM
It's pretty hard to top...
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Jericho A. on 5/22/11 at 09:59 AM
This is a damn good list. Great job, Jeff. Really love it! I was quite expecting Brando's Vito on top..but who else can top that performance? And I sure as hell loved De Niro as the young Vito.
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Jeff S.C. on 5/22/11 at 11:32 AM
Thanks! It's hard to beat Brando in The Godfather, especially just counting the '70s. As far as young Vito, that's my favorite De Niro performance.
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Colin C. on 5/23/11 at 09:49 AM
Again.. I cannot give a full opinion, but I've heard good stuff about a lot of these (Godfather, clockwork, cuckoos nest) etc.
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Jeff S.C. on 5/24/11 at 10:11 AM
And again, you really need to watch these movies!
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SteveTellsItHowHeSeesIt on 5/24/11 at 07:08 PM
that's emabrrising that you havent seen those lol
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Jeff S.C. on 5/24/11 at 08:10 PM
'Tis but a child.
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Colin C. on 5/27/11 at 01:17 PM
It's embarrassing that you can't spell embarrassing.
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Jeff S.C. on 5/27/11 at 11:12 PM
Emabrrising = when you are so embarrassed that you can't even focus on your spelling.
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Sparky on 5/24/11 at 10:46 AM
Great remainder to the list, Jeff. You certainly did not disappoint. I love Peter Finch. NETWORK is such a great film. Robert Shaw's speech about the U.S.S. Indianapolis is the high point of that role. Certainly no surprise that Godfather and Godfather II and Pacino and De Niro dominated the list. They were definitely iconic of the 70s.
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Jeff S.C. on 5/24/11 at 08:11 PM
Thanks Sparky!
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Rohit Ramachandran on 5/24/11 at 10:57 AM
Pacino in godfather part 2? No?
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SteveTellsItHowHeSeesIt on 5/24/11 at 07:09 PM
my toguhts exactly not only was he better then in part 1 on that but he was dfintiely better then De Niro in that, yet he's not in the list at all for part 2, wtf
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Jeff S.C. on 5/24/11 at 08:14 PM
It's a dual-purpose entree.
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Lord Naseby on 5/24/11 at 11:26 AM
Don Vito was the only logical choice for #1. I'm pleasantly surprised to see #14 on here.
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SammuelJankis on 5/24/11 at 11:27 AM
excellent blog, and I actually agree with your #1. I would put Howard Beale right about where you put him, Peter Finch was awesome in that role
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MMB on 5/24/11 at 12:48 PM
Great list! And a lot of surprises. I'll have to watch more movies of the 70's era.
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HERESSSSSSJOHNNY on 5/24/11 at 02:26 PM
Spectacular list, I pretty much agree with all of them. #1 is a given.
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Rachel H. on 5/24/11 at 02:56 PM
I haven't seen many of these movies, so again, I can't offer a valid opinion
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SteveTellsItHowHeSeesIt on 5/24/11 at 07:08 PM
Spectaculat list. Allthough i'm suprised you didn't ahve pacino in The Godfather Part 2 i mean he was playing more or less the same character that he devoloped into in part 1 (cleary) but i think whilst the first is better his performence on the second was actually slightly better then in the first. My order would be a bit different but overall you have solid picks however a few that were in your first list would hve actually made my top 25
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CACB on 5/26/11 at 08:56 AM
Great job man. On my list I would have Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy among the top 10
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Jeff S.C. on 5/26/11 at 09:18 AM
Midnight Cowboy was released in 1969 -- not part of the '70s.
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stillkrsfromprp on 11/29/11 at 05:54 PM
Glad to see I'm mot the only one who appreciates George C. Scott. I loved "The Changeling".
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