GREATEST FILM STAR LEGENDS
Introduction
The American Film Institute in Los Angeles, California selected the 50 greatest "American screen legends" (composed of the top 25 women and top 25 men - defined as actors or a team of actors with a significant screen presence in American feature-length films whose screen debut occurred in or before 1950, or whose screen debut occurred after 1950 but whose death marked a completed body of work). Fifty of today's stars paid tribute to the 50 screen legends (hence, 100 stars) during a 3-hour CBS television broadcast in June of 1999.
From an original list of 500 nominees (250 in each gender category), as compiled by AFI historians, the following criteria was used in vote-casting by a jury of film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, etc.), critics, historians, executives and other cultural leaders to select the 25 greatest men and 25 greatest women screen legends of all time:
Star Legends Criteria
Star Quality: An actor's charisma and unique personal characteristics that create a strong on- and off-screen presence which is often embraced by audiences as a separate, mythic persona.
Craft: An actor's ability to embody distinctly different characters through the use of strong acting techniques and other creative methods.
Legacy: An actor's body of work that enriches American film heritage and continues to inspire artists and audiences today.
Popularity: An actor's public following over time.
Historical Context: The role of world events, politics, and changing social mores in shaping, promoting or curtailing a legend's status and career.
