Well, in terms of celebrity deaths, few have been crueler than 2016. We have seen so many classic stars of film, TV, and music pass away, and I thought it was about time that we revisited one of the more popular posts I ever did, recounting the living cast members of the 100 Greatest Films of All-Time. The rule here that we'll try to stick to is simple-we'll be wanting to keep primarily to cast members that had a speaking role (I'll call out people that were technically against that rule). If I miss someone, please correct me in the comments as I'd love to be as accurate as possible.
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
No living cast member of the greatest film ever made is still with us. Sonny Bupp was the final actor to have a speaking role in the film to still be alive-he played Charles Foster Kane III in the movie, and died in 2007 at the age of 79. It’s worth noting that his sister Ann had a non-speaking role in Gone with the Wind, but she died in 2005.
2. Casablanca (1943)
Unfortunately the last living cast member of Casablanca, Madeleine LeBeau who played Rick's beautiful mistress Yvonne, passed away earlier this year at the age of 92. LeBeau's finest scene in the film, the beautiful "La Marseillaise" scene, was genuine-many cast members in the film were in fact French refugees, and the movie was filmed during the heart of World War II.
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| Diane Keaton |
Some of these films are obviously more recent than others, and while the godfather himself is no longer with us (Marlon Brando died in 2004), major stars of the film Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Diane Keaton, and Gianni Russo are still with us. Sadly, though, Abe Vigoda who played Tessio, passed away in January.
4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
We celebrated a major centennial this past year when Olivia de Havilland turned 100 in July. She won an Oscar nomination for her work as Melanie Wilkes, but lost to costar Hattie McDaniel who died in 1952. The only other living actor in the film is the man who played her son Beau, Mickey Kuhn, who is 84.
5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The last major character to still be alive was Omar Sharif, who died in 2015. However, I can still find some living cast members, most significantly Michel Ray, who played the young Farraj in the movie, and is 72.
6. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Dialogue gets tricky here, as the last person with actual dialogue to still be alive was Meinhardt Raabe (he played the coroner), who passed away in 2010. However, Jerry Maren, a member of the Lollipop Guild, did sing in the film and at 96 is still with us.
7. The Graduate (1967)
Mrs. Robinson passed away a few years back, but most of the major players in this film are still alive, including Dustin Hoffman (Ben), Katharine Ross (Elaine), and William Daniels (Mr. Braddock). Hoffman and Ross both won Oscar nominations for their work in the film.
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| Eva Marie Saint |
Karl Malden’s death in 2009 put a hit on a few of these films, but one major character in the film is still alive: Eva Marie Saint, who won an Oscar for her work as Edie. This role was Saint’s debut, and she was pregnant when she won the Oscar.
9. Schindler’s List (1993)
By my count, all major actors in this, one of the newest films on the list, are still alive, including Oscar nominated actors Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson.
10. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
With the passing of Debbie Reynolds this past week, the only major actor who gets screen credit in the film is Rita Moreno, who plays Zelda and is 85 as of a few weeks ago. It's debatable whether or not Jimmy Thompson, who sings the song "Beautiful Girl" is still alive (the internet is not conclusive on that front), but as he gets a full song he'd count. Any ideas people?
11. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
While every major adult actor in the film has passed away, a number of the Bailey children are still alive, including 76-year-old Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu and said the classic line, “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.”
12. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The only major cast member from the film still living is Nancy Olson, who is 88 as of this writing. Ms. Olson won her sole Oscar nomination for the film playing Betty Schaefer, the woman scorned by Joe Gillis. Olson is largely retired from acting but makes occasional appearances, including in the TV show Big Love and the recent film Dumbbells.
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| Geoffrey Horne |
One of the interesting things about researching all of these write-ups is that it seems like most films have one actor that hung on long past the rest. In the case of this David Lean classic, it is Geoffrey Horne, who at 83-years-of-age is the only principle member of the cast still alive. Horne played Lieutenant Joyce in the films, and would go onto a number of character parts before retiring from acting after starring in (of all things) Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy.
14. Some Like It Hot (1959)
With Marilyn long gone, and Tony Curtis recently passing away, the only major character I can find (film fanatatics-take to the comments if I’m missing someone obvious for any of these) is Nehemiah Persoff, who plays Little Bonaparte in the film. Persoff is 97-years-old.
15. Stars Wars (1977)
Of course this past week we lost one of the biggest stars of the film, Carrie Fisher, but there are still a number of cast members in the film, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Denis Lawson, that are still with us.
16. All About Eve (1950)
With the death of Celeste Holm in 2012, I can find no one in this impressive cast still alive.
17. The African Queen (1951)
Theodore Bikel, who won an Oscar nomination in 1958 for The Defiant Ones, made his screen debut opposite Hepburn and Bogie, and played the First Officer in this film. He passed away at age 91 in 2015, becoming the last living cast member in the film.
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| Vera Miles, John Gavin, and the late Janet Leigh |
Though both Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh have passed, a number of smaller characters in this film are still alive, including Vera Miles (Marion’s sister Lila), John Gavin (Marion’s boyfriend Sam) and Pat Hitchcock (Marion’s co-worker, and also Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter).
19. Chinatown (1974)
19. Chinatown (1974)
Most of the cast of Chinatown is still alive, albeit largely retired, with Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, and Diane Ladd all amongst us.
20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Another Nicholson classic, the cast of this film is largely kicking, including Oscar winner Louise Fletcher and Brad Dourif, who received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for his screen debut as Billy Bibbit.
21. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
I’m as amazed as you are that this isn’t our third film with no living cast members, but Darryl Hickman, who played the role of Winfield Joad, is still alive at the grand old age of 85. Hickman, a celebrated child star, at one point was in a monastery and eventually became a television executive.
22. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Douglas Rain (the voice of HAL 9000) is still alive, and would eventually be nominated for a Tony Award for his work in Vivat Regina!. Several other stars including Gary Lockwood (Frank Poole) and Keir Dullea (David Bowman) are also around from the film.
23. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
It always hurts a cast exponentially if there aren’t younger female or child actors in the film, which is the case with The Maltese Falcon. The last living film star I can find from the movie is Elisha Cook, Jr., who died in 1995 and played Wilmer.
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| Cathy Moriarty |
The film won Robert de Niro his Best Actor Oscar and he continues to act in movies (getting nominated four years ago for Silver Linings Playbook). Oscar nominees Cathy Moriarty (Vickie) and Joe Pesci (Joey) are also still alive. Joe Pesci's onscreen wife was played by Theresa Saldana, who died of pneumonia in June.
25. E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
All of the principle human characters in the film are still with us, including Henry Thomas (Elliott), Robert MacNaughton (Michael), Dee Wallace (Mary), and of course Drew Barrymore (Gertie). The primary voice of E.T., Pat Welsh, died at the age of 79 in 1995.
26. Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Tracy Reed (who played Miss Scott, the lover of General Buck Turgidson in the film) died in 2012 (she was the youngest major cast member in the film), though a couple of actors still are alive from the film, including James Earl Jones (who played Lothar Zogg) and Shane Rimmer (who played Ace Owens).
27. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
All five members of the Barrow Gang (Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Estelle Parsons, Michael J. Pollard, and Gene Hackman) were not only Oscar-nominated for the film-they’re also clearly blessed with good genes, as all five are still alive. Gene Wilder, who has a small role in the film, passed away in August.
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| Robert Duvall |
With the exceptions of Brando and Dennis Hopper, most of the cast of this film (including Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, and Laurence Fishburne) are still with us.
29. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Two of the Hopper Boys are still alive (Billy Watson and Garry Watson), though I don’t know if either of them have speaking parts in the film so I’m not sure if this should count (I haven’t seen this movie in a while-any experts know?).
30. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Yet another film that appears to have absolutely no living cast members in speaking parts, the last living cast member appears to be Bruce Bennett, who died in 2007 (he played Cody, and earlier in his career was one of the Tarzans).
31. Annie Hall (1977)
Most of the main cast members, including Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall, and Christopher Walken are all still with us.
32. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Like its predecessor at Number Two, most of these cast members are still with us, including Robert Duvall, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert de Niro, and Talia Shire.
33. High Noon (1952)
From what I can tell, no speaking cast member of this film is still alive. The last one that I know speaks at some point in the film that was still alive appears to be Sheb Wooley, who died in 2003 at the age of 82 (he played Ben Miler).
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| Phillip Alford and Mary Badham |
Gregory Peck has passed, but principle characters Mary Badham (Scout), Phillip Alford (Jem), and Robert Duvall (Boo Radley) are still with us.
35. It Happened One Night (1934)
Another film with no living members, the last living cast member appears to be the Oscar-winning star of the film Claudette Colbert, who was 92 when she died in 1996.
36. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
All three of the Oscar-nominated stars of the film (Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, and Sylvia Miles) as well as multiple supporting cast members (including Bob Balaban and Brenda Vaccaro) are still kicking.
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
In 2005, the last two speaking cast members in the film (Virginia Mayo and Teresa Wright) passed away. I feel like maybe one of the kids might still be alive (particularly Marlene Aames who played Luella), but I can find no evidence to support this fact.
38. Double Indemnity (1944)
Jean Heather, who played Lola Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck’s stepdaughter) was probably the youngest cast member in the film, and lived the longest, dying at the age of 74 in 1995.
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| Julie Christie |
Many cast members of this classic are still alive, including Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, and Tom Courtenay. Zhivago himself, Omar Sharif, passed away in 2015.
40. North by Northwest (1959)
A few cast members in Hitch’s classic thriller are still alive including star Eva Marie Saint and supporting player Martin Landau.
41. West Side Story (1961)
Though Natalie Wood (Maria) died tragically in a drowning accident, most of the other actors including Richard Beymer (Tony), George Chakiris (Bernardo), Rita Moreno (Anita), and Russ Tamblyn (Riff) are still alive.
42. Rear Window (1954)
By my count there are very few speaking parts in this film, but we’ll stretch to characters with names here so that we can give Harry Landers, who was Miss Lonelyhearts guest (he was uncredited) some press as he’s still alive at 95.
43. King Kong (1933)
Fay Wray’s death in 2004 meant that all main characters in this film had passed away. It’s still worth wondering whether she would have won the Oscar had she taken on the role of Rose Dawson Calvert in Titanic (she was offered the role before Gloria Stuart took it, and was more famous than Stuart which likely would have built up her sympathy factor). Also, fate is a cruel mistress, as it would have been so poetic if (as Peter Jackson had originally intended) she would have done the classic “Beauty killed the beast” line at the end of the remake (she died before the scene was shot).
44. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Lillian Gish, the film’s star, seems to have been the longest-lived cast member. 22 when the film came out, she would go on to live seven more decades before dying in 1993 just eight months shy of her 100th birthday.
45. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Wikipedia incorrectly lists Wright King (who plays the collector) as the only living member of this cast, but I do believe that Mickey Kuhn (whom you’ll remember from the Gone with the Wind entry) as a Sailor has a speaking part and is also still living.
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| Malcolm McDowell |
Most of the younger cast members in the film (including Malcolm McDowell) are stil alive. However, Adrienne Corri who plays the harangued Mrs. Alexander, passed away this past March.
47. Taxi Driver (1976)
Almost all of the main stars of the film are still alive, including Robert de Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Jodie Foster, and Albert Brooks.
48. Jaws (1975)
Though only one of the men who went out in search of the beast is still alive (69-year-old Richard Dreyfuss), Lorraine Gary, Carl Gottlieb, and the girl who started it all Susan Backlinie are all still around.
49. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1939)
Adriana Caselotti (the voice of Snow White) appears to have been the longest-lived here (though there’s a big cast-someone might be hiding from me), as she passed away at age 80 in 1997.
50. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Rounding out the Top 50 (like I said-if there’s lots of interest in the comments I’ll take a crack at the next fifty), and though Butch Cassidy is no longer with us both the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) and Etta Place (Katharine Ross) are.
51. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
I figured that Virginia Weidler, who played the young Dinah Lord and was only thirteen when the film was released would be my best bet but she tragically died of a heart attack at the age of 41, being outlived by almost all of her adult costars. By my count Ruth Hussey, who plays Ms. Imbrie made it the longest, passing away in 2005.
52. From Here to Eternity (1953)
Oscar-winning screenwriter Alvin Sargent (89) played a character named Nair. I haven't seen this movie in about ten years I cannot validate if he actually speaks (comments, oh friends). Nair, at least, has a line in the script so I'm assuming that he does speak. If neither of these men have lines, then the recent death of Ernest Borgnine in 2012 was the end of the road for this picture.
53. Amadeus (1984)
Finally, a film that I can vouch for with certainty. Most of the leads of this particular film, including F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, and Jeffrey Jones are still alive.
54. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Arthur Gardner, who played one of the students at the beginning of the film, lived an astoundingly long life, dying at the age of 104 in 2014. He was the last living cast member in the film.
55. The Sound of Music (1965)
The hills are alive with the sound of lots of voices, thankfully, as Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer are both still alive. Charmian Carr, who played Liesl, was yet another icon from one of these films that died earlier this year at the age of 73 (of dementia in September).
56. MASH (1970)
Most of the cast is still alive from this Robert Altman movie so I don't have to research too much here. Almost every lead, including Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, and Robert Duvall is still alive.
57. The Third Man (1949)
With the death of Alida Valli in 2006 at the age of 84 (she played Anna Schmidt) there appears to be no living members of The Third Man cast.
58. Fantasia (1940)
The only people I can find having a part in this film are Leopold Stokowski (the composer, who died in 1977 at the age of 95) and Deems Taylor (the narrator, who died in 1966 at the age of 80).
59. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
The 2010 death of Corey Allen (who played Buzz) meant all principle characters in the film had passed away (odd for a film with so many young actors in the cast). By my count that leaves only Jack Grinnage (aged 85), who played Moose, as the only living cast member in the film.
60. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Though a few of the principle actors in this film have passed away, we certainly haven't hit any dire straits in finding stars that are still with us. Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies are all around and act regularly.
61. Vertigo (1958)
Kim Novak probably won't be doing another awards presentation at the Oscars, but she is thankfully still with us at age 83.
62. Tootsie (1982)
As this is a recent film, most of the main cast (including Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Geena Davis, and Bill Murray) are still alive.
63. Stagecoach (1939)
Louise Platt, who played Lucy Mallory in the movie, was the final living cast member of this classic western. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 88.
64. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Though Francois Truffaut has passed away, most of the rest of the cast (amongst which are Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey) are still living and working.
65. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
We all know that both Clarice and Hannibal are not only still working, but actively working and in the public eye (Jodie Foster in Money Monster, Hopkins in Westworld), but also supporting players Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Diane Baker, and Buffalo Bill himself Ted Levine are all still alive.
66. Network (1976)
Considering the relatively recent release date, Network has a pretty short roster of major characters still alive. Only two of the film's five Oscar nominees are still alive (Faye Dunaway at 75 and Ned Beatty at 79), as well as supporting star Robert Duvall at 85. Random fact about another living member of this cast: Conchata Ferrell, who plays Barbara Schlesinger in the film, is 73 and recently enjoyed the biggest role of her career in Two and a Half Men as Berta (she received two Emmy nominations for her performance).
67. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Everyone knows that Angela Lansbury, who got her third Oscar nomination for this film, is still alive, but you might not know that several minor characters are also still alive, including Henry Silva (Chunjin) and Leslie Parrish (Jocelyn Jordan). We'll have to deal with the sequel to this film when Trump becomes the actual Manchurian Candidate in a few weeks.
68. An American in Paris (1951)
French icon Leslie Caron made her film debut as Lise Bouvier in this iconic Best Picture winner. Now in her eighties, she's still headlining stage work and recently won an Emmy Award.
69. Shane (1953)
Jack Palance, who died in 2006, was the last living member of the cast.
70. The French Connection (1971)
Gene Hackman won his first Oscar for his role as Popeye Doyle in this classic movie. While he doesn't work anymore (he retired after, for some reason, Welcome to Mooseport), he's still alive at the age of 84.
71. Forrest Gump (1994)
The second most recent film on this list, almost every major actor in this film, including Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, and Mykelti Williamson, are still alive.
72. Ben-Hur (1959)
Charlton Heston may no longer be alive, but Ben-Hur still has a couple of speaking characters still alive. From what I can find, at least Claude Heater (who plays Jesus...though I don't know if he actually speaks) and Haya Harareet (who played Esther, and I'm confident she has lines) are both alive. Harareet for some reason didn't work past 1964, and resides in England at the age of 82.
73. Wuthering Heights (1939)
For non-famous actors, it's hard to tell if they actually died or just the public isn't aware of the fact that they are still alive. I have no evidence to the contrary that Sarita Wooten (who played young Cathy) and Rex Downing (young Heathcliff) are still alive, so I'm keeping them on the list.
74. The Gold Rush (1925)
One of the oldest films on this list, this is probably the longest a film on this list has gone without a living cast member. Georgia Hale, who played, conveniently enough, Georgia in the movie, died in 1985 at the age of 79-she appears to be the eldest person in the cast.
75. Dances with Wolves (1990)
Only 24 years old, this film has all of its principle cast members still alive, including Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A. Grant.
78. Rocky (1976)
82. Giant (1956)
88. Easy Rider (1969)
94. GoodFellas (1990)
98. Unforgiven (1992)
51. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
I figured that Virginia Weidler, who played the young Dinah Lord and was only thirteen when the film was released would be my best bet but she tragically died of a heart attack at the age of 41, being outlived by almost all of her adult costars. By my count Ruth Hussey, who plays Ms. Imbrie made it the longest, passing away in 2005.
52. From Here to Eternity (1953)
Oscar-winning screenwriter Alvin Sargent (89) played a character named Nair. I haven't seen this movie in about ten years I cannot validate if he actually speaks (comments, oh friends). Nair, at least, has a line in the script so I'm assuming that he does speak. If neither of these men have lines, then the recent death of Ernest Borgnine in 2012 was the end of the road for this picture.
53. Amadeus (1984)
Finally, a film that I can vouch for with certainty. Most of the leads of this particular film, including F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, and Jeffrey Jones are still alive.
Arthur Gardner, who played one of the students at the beginning of the film, lived an astoundingly long life, dying at the age of 104 in 2014. He was the last living cast member in the film.
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| Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews |
The hills are alive with the sound of lots of voices, thankfully, as Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer are both still alive. Charmian Carr, who played Liesl, was yet another icon from one of these films that died earlier this year at the age of 73 (of dementia in September).
56. MASH (1970)
Most of the cast is still alive from this Robert Altman movie so I don't have to research too much here. Almost every lead, including Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, and Robert Duvall is still alive.
57. The Third Man (1949)
With the death of Alida Valli in 2006 at the age of 84 (she played Anna Schmidt) there appears to be no living members of The Third Man cast.
58. Fantasia (1940)
The only people I can find having a part in this film are Leopold Stokowski (the composer, who died in 1977 at the age of 95) and Deems Taylor (the narrator, who died in 1966 at the age of 80).
The 2010 death of Corey Allen (who played Buzz) meant all principle characters in the film had passed away (odd for a film with so many young actors in the cast). By my count that leaves only Jack Grinnage (aged 85), who played Moose, as the only living cast member in the film.
60. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Though a few of the principle actors in this film have passed away, we certainly haven't hit any dire straits in finding stars that are still with us. Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies are all around and act regularly.
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| Kim Novak |
Kim Novak probably won't be doing another awards presentation at the Oscars, but she is thankfully still with us at age 83.
62. Tootsie (1982)
As this is a recent film, most of the main cast (including Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Geena Davis, and Bill Murray) are still alive.
63. Stagecoach (1939)
Louise Platt, who played Lucy Mallory in the movie, was the final living cast member of this classic western. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 88.
Though Francois Truffaut has passed away, most of the rest of the cast (amongst which are Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey) are still living and working.
65. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
We all know that both Clarice and Hannibal are not only still working, but actively working and in the public eye (Jodie Foster in Money Monster, Hopkins in Westworld), but also supporting players Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Diane Baker, and Buffalo Bill himself Ted Levine are all still alive.
Considering the relatively recent release date, Network has a pretty short roster of major characters still alive. Only two of the film's five Oscar nominees are still alive (Faye Dunaway at 75 and Ned Beatty at 79), as well as supporting star Robert Duvall at 85. Random fact about another living member of this cast: Conchata Ferrell, who plays Barbara Schlesinger in the film, is 73 and recently enjoyed the biggest role of her career in Two and a Half Men as Berta (she received two Emmy nominations for her performance).
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| Leslie Parrish |
Everyone knows that Angela Lansbury, who got her third Oscar nomination for this film, is still alive, but you might not know that several minor characters are also still alive, including Henry Silva (Chunjin) and Leslie Parrish (Jocelyn Jordan). We'll have to deal with the sequel to this film when Trump becomes the actual Manchurian Candidate in a few weeks.
French icon Leslie Caron made her film debut as Lise Bouvier in this iconic Best Picture winner. Now in her eighties, she's still headlining stage work and recently won an Emmy Award.
69. Shane (1953)
Jack Palance, who died in 2006, was the last living member of the cast.
70. The French Connection (1971)
Gene Hackman won his first Oscar for his role as Popeye Doyle in this classic movie. While he doesn't work anymore (he retired after, for some reason, Welcome to Mooseport), he's still alive at the age of 84.
71. Forrest Gump (1994)
The second most recent film on this list, almost every major actor in this film, including Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, and Mykelti Williamson, are still alive.
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| Claude Heater |
Charlton Heston may no longer be alive, but Ben-Hur still has a couple of speaking characters still alive. From what I can find, at least Claude Heater (who plays Jesus...though I don't know if he actually speaks) and Haya Harareet (who played Esther, and I'm confident she has lines) are both alive. Harareet for some reason didn't work past 1964, and resides in England at the age of 82.
73. Wuthering Heights (1939)
For non-famous actors, it's hard to tell if they actually died or just the public isn't aware of the fact that they are still alive. I have no evidence to the contrary that Sarita Wooten (who played young Cathy) and Rex Downing (young Heathcliff) are still alive, so I'm keeping them on the list.
74. The Gold Rush (1925)
One of the oldest films on this list, this is probably the longest a film on this list has gone without a living cast member. Georgia Hale, who played, conveniently enough, Georgia in the movie, died in 1985 at the age of 79-she appears to be the eldest person in the cast.
75. Dances with Wolves (1990)
Only 24 years old, this film has all of its principle cast members still alive, including Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A. Grant.
76. City Lights (1931)
Virginia Cherrill played the blind flower girl in Chaplin’s masterpiece (I’ve seen all three of his films on this list, and this is easily my favorite). She was the longest-lived, dying in 1996 at the age of 88 (outliving paperboy Robert Parrish by one year). Two random facts: Cherrill actually disliked working with Chaplin and was almost recast with Georgia Hale in the role and Robert Parrish, who is uncredited as the Newsboy, went on to be an Oscar-winning film editor.
77. American Graffiti (1973)
Unlike Rebel without a Cause, most of this particular cast went on to not as tragic lives (give or take Mackenzie Phillips, though she is also still alive). Amongst the living cast members are Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, and Candy Clark, who got her sole Oscar nomination for her work as Debbie Dunham in the film.
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| Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire |
Burgess Meredith is the only of the five main characters in this film to have passed away: Sylvester Stallone (70), Talia Shire (70), Burt Young (76), and Carl Weathers (68) are all around. All but Weathers ended up with Academy Award nominations for acting (Stallone was also the writer of the film, and would become a major movie star in the years after this, even though this film would remain his crowning glory).
79. The Deer Hunter (1978)
Veteran character actor John Cazale (who starred in five films…all of which were nominated for Best Picture) is the only major character in this film who is no longer alive. Robert de Niro (73), Meryl Streep (67), Christopher Walken (73), and John Savage (67) are all still kicking, with the former three gaining Oscar nominations for their work in this film.
80. The Wild Bunch (1969)
Though most of the principle members of the cast have long since past (or in the case of Ernest Borgnine, fairly recently past), a few are still alive. Amongst them are Aurora Clavel (80), Jamie Sanchez (78), and prolific character actor Bo Hopkins (74), who is also one of the surviving cast members of American Graffiti.
81. Modern Times (1936)
Yet another classic film who lost their final cast member this year. Gloria DeHaven, who had a bit part in Modern Times, was the last living star of the film and passed away at the age of 91 in July.
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| Jane Withers |
Another film of the 1950's where all of the most famous actors in the film have passed away, but there are still a number of supporting players from the film still alive (again-it's been a while since I've seen this particular film, so correct me if none of these characters actually speak): Jane Withers (90, played Vashti), Fran Bennett (82, played Judy), Noreen Nash (92, played Lona Lane), Elsa Cardenas (81, played Juana), and most famously, Carroll Baker, who is 85 and played Luz in the film, but is best known for another movie that year that won her an Oscar nomination and an enormous amount of scandal: Baby Doll.
83. Platoon (1986)
One of the cast members has probably been on a few death pools through the years due to his erratic behavior, but all of the major cast members of Platoon are still alive as of this writing, including Charlie Sheen (51), Tom Berenger (67), Willem Dafoe (61), John C. McGinley (57), Kevin Dillon (51), and in a bit role, Johnny Depp (53).
84. Fargo (1996)
The newest film on this list, almost every major character in the movie in the film (save Harve Presnell, who died in 2009) is still alive. Amongst them are Steve Buscemi (59), Melissa Peterman (45), Peter Stormare (63), William H. Macy (66), and Frances McDormand (59), the latter two winning Oscar nominations for their work and McDormand of course taking the Best Actress trophy.
85. Duck Soup (1933)
Zeppo was the last of the Marx Brothers to pass away (in 1979), but he was not the last surviving member of this madcap comedy hit. That would be Raquel Toreres, who was only 25 when she was cast as the femme fatale Vera Marcal. She passed away in 1987, at the age of 78.
86. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Movita Castaneda had a very long life, most famously in Hollywood as the second wife of Marlon Brando, but here played Tehani, who ends up married to Franchot Tone in the film. She died in 2015 at the age of 98.
87. Frankenstein (1931)
I assumed that the last surviving cast member in the film would be the woman who played Little Maria (Marilyn Harris), and I was right but unfortunately Ms. Harris passed away in 1999 at the age of 75. Harris would quit acting once she reached adulthood and settled into a domestic life. It's worth noting that Harris not only starred opposite Universal Studios star Boris Karloff, but also the biggest player at Warner Brothers of that era: Rin Tin Tin (she was just a few months old when she was featured in one of his 1924 pictures).
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| Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson |
Moving ahead 38 years, we've got a considerably longer list of living actors in Easy Rider, including two of the film's stars (Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, both of whom received their first Oscar nominations for the movie). Toni Basil and infamous record producer Phil Spector both also appeared in the film and are still alive (though Spector is of course living in prison after being convicted of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson).
89. Patton (1970)
Despite its recent filming, you actually have to go pretty far down the cast list with Patton to find living members of the film's call sheet. Amongst the living cast members are 84-year-old Siegfried Rauch who played Captain Steiger in the film and Stephen Young (85) who played Chester Hansen in the movie. Young also had a small part in a bit film seven years earlier, a little film called Cleopatra.
90. The Jazz Singer (1927)
This movie (which is just awful, by the way, innovation be damned), has no surviving cast members. The last surviving cast member I can find is Robert Gordon (at the time being billed as Bobby) who played Al Jolson's character Jakie as a child. Gordon would largely retire from acting as an adult and would become a television director before dying in 1990 at the age of 77.
91. My Fair Lady (1964)
The last major star of the film was one that wasn't seen onscreen, but behind it. Marni Nixon, who really deserved an Honorary Oscar at some point, passed away in July at the age of 86. If we're counting only onscreen players, we'd have to go with Theodore Bikel, he of African Queen fame, who died last year.
92. A Place in the Sun (1951)
Another film where every obvious cast member has passed away a while ago, I believe every credited cast member has passed away (for those keeping track, I believe this is our most recent film with the entire cast having passed away, but I may be mistaken). It's been a long time since I've seen this, though, and at least a couple of the actresses in the film in uncredited parts were relatively young-my hunch is that at least one of them has both a spoken line and is still alive, but I cannot find any proof, so if there's any fans of this particular movie with some knowledge, let me know!
93. The Apartment (1960)
Thank god for Shirley MacLaine in so many ways, not least of which because as the lead actress of this film she's going strong and an easy answer for this contest. MacLaine received her second Academy Award nomination as Fran Kubelik for this movie. Also alive from the flick is Hope Holiday, who played the hilarious Margie MacDougall.
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| Lorraine Bracco and Ray Liotta |
Two films from the 1990's for our next two slots, so we have a plethora of major stars in these films still alive, including Ray Liotta (62), Robert de Niro (73), Joe Pesci (73), Lorraine Bracco (62), and Paul Sorvino (77). Bracco and Pesci would go on to receive Oscar nominations for their roles in the film, with Pesci winning the trophy.
95. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Again, another very recent film with the bulk of the stars of the film still alive. Amongst them are John Travolta (62), Samuel L. Jackson (68...and, ever prolific, he was also in GoodFellas), Uma Thurman (46), Harvey Keitel (77), and Bruce Willis (61). Travolta, Jackson, and Thurman all were Oscar-nominated for their work in the film, with the latter two earning their only Oscar nominations to date, despite very long careers in the cinema.
96. The Searchers (1956)
First off, let's just admit the obvious here-Jeffrey Hunter is perhaps the most attractive movie star you've never heard of (we've spoken a bit about his wife Barbara Rush over here), and in addition to playing Martin Pawley in this film, he also played the world's sexiest Jesus in King of Kings. Hunter died in a freak accident in 1969, though, so he's not part of this write-up. Instead, we have Vera Miles once again to the rescue (the 87-year-old also starred in Psycho on this list, as well as such classics as The Wrong Man and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance). Other actors in the film (though I cannot vouch for them actually having lines like I know Miles does, though I feel like at least a few of them do) that are still alive are Lana Wood (younger sister of Natalie, who would go on to be Bond Girl Plenty O'Toole in Diamonds are Forever and is 70 now) and 81-year-old Pippa Scott (who plays Lucy).
97. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Even looking into bit parts I am at a loss here, so it looks like Katharine Hepburn, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 96 is the longest-lived member of this particular cast.
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| Morgan Freeman |
We're much better off with this more recent picture, with 75% of the main characters still alive (only Richard Harris as English Bob has passed away). We have of course Clint Eastwood (86), Gene Hackman (86), and Morgan Freeman (79), as well as some younger actors in Frances Fisher (64), Anna Levine (63), Jaimz Woolvett (49), and Shane Meier (39) that are still alive from this classic western.
99. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967)
We thankfully don't have to rely on Ms. Hepburn for this film, as legendary Oscar winner Sidney Poitier (89) is still with us. Also alive from this film is Katharine Houghton (71), who played his fiance in the film (and I never realized the intense age difference between the two until just now-anyone who has seen this film (I haven't) know if the 18 year gap is mentioned in the movie?). Houghton would win a Golden Globe nomination for her performance and go on to star in a sparse amount of films, though one of them for some reason was The Last Airbender (yes, the M. Night Shyamalan movie).
100. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
I can't find any credited cast members that are still living, with the death of Joan Leslie last year at the age of 90. However, Joyce Horne (91) and Joyce Reynolds (92) both appeared in bit roles in the film, and are still with us. Reynolds would eventually become a major star as the lead in Janie, while Horne would play a chorus girl in Singin' in the Rain.
1 comment:
Thank you for this informative list, which is in need of some updating due to several deaths since it was posted. Re #58: Leopold Stokowski was a conductor, not a composer.
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