TCM Survey Reveals How Modern Hollywood Compares to Film Legends

ATLANTA, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Turner Classic Movies (TCM) poll gauges how modern movies, stars and filmmakers stack up against Hollywood icons.  The sometimes surprising results show that Johnny Depp fills Errol Flynn's shoes, and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt capture some of the glamour of power couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  But, when it comes to sex symbols, no one is quite like Marilyn Monroe.  

TCM's survey – conducted during the week of Oct. 18 – is part of the build-up to the Monday, Nov. 1, premiere of the new, seven-part documentary series MOGULS & MOVIE STARS: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD.  TCM's MOGULS & MOVIE STARS survey included 1,000 adults, with 43% who identified themselves as "classic film enjoyers."  The findings include the following:

• 41% said Johnny Depp's performance in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is today's best example of the swashbuckling tradition that was the trademark of stars like Errol Flynn.  

• Denzel Washington is one of today's top box-office draws.  An overwhelming 71% also chose Washington as the contemporary figure who carries on Sidney Poitier's tradition as a pioneering black actor.

• Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were chosen by 36% as the most iconic Hollywood couple in the tradition of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

• When it came to choosing a contemporary counterpart to Marilyn Monroe, 33% chose none of the options.

• Steven Spielberg was the choice of 61% of respondents in terms of directors with the level of influence exercised by Alfred Hitchcock.

• "None of the above" was the #1 or #2 choice on six of the 10 survey questions, indicating that many fans see legendary stars and filmmakers as without compare.

The following is a complete list of TCM's survey results:

Source: Turner Research; based on results from the Synovate e-Nation Omnibus Study; conducted 10/20-10/22/10; total sample represents 1,000 respondents among adults 18+; 43% of the total sample were "classic film enjoyers."

About MOGULS & MOVIE STARS: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD

TCM will tell the comprehensive story of the men and women who built the American film industry in this groundbreaking, seven-part documentary series premiering Monday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. (ET).  MOGULS & MOVIE STARS features rarely seen photographs and film footage; clips from memorable American movies; and interviews with distinguished historians and major Hollywood figures, including Sidney Lumet, Richard Zanuck, Samuel Goldwyn Jr., Peter Bogdanovich, Gore Vidal, Robert Osborne and Molly Haskell.  Spanning from the invention of the first moving pictures to the revolutionary, cutting-edge films of the 1960s, this ambitious production is an epic history of Hollywood, detailing the personalities, inter-personal relationships, collaborations and conflicts that created an industry and an art form.  The series also serves as a history of America, looking at how moviemakers responded to such major events as the Great Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights movement.  MOGULS & MOVIE STARS is executive-produced by Bill Haber (TNT's Rizzoli & Isles; Broadway's The History Boys and Monty Python's Spamalot) and written and produced by Jon Wilkman.

About Turner Classic Movies

Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world.  Currently seen in more than 85 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests.  As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, www.tcm.com. TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

SOURCE Turner Classic Movies