Ever wonder what the greatest movies of all-time are? What about actors and actresses? The Circuit has decided to create our own Hollywood Hall of Fame, where we honor the greatest films, shows, actors, actresses & directors of all-time!
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Sports have a Hall of Fame. Music has a Hall of Fame. Movies don’t. How can an industry that is so prominent in pop culture, and so obsessed with its own history, not have a Hall of Fame? We are changing that here at The Circuit by creating the Hollywood Hall of Fame!
Because we have about a century of movies and television shows to catch up to, we are going to induct a new class to the Hollywood Hall of Fame each month. Each class will include:
Five films
Three television shows
Three actors
Three actresses
One director
Here at The Circuit, we are obsessed with history and context. We like to categorize everything and rank everything. Sports have a Hall of Fame dedicated to celebrating history and enshrining the best of the best.
Here are the 7th ballot entrants to the Hollywood Hall of Fame!
The Sound of Music (1965)
The musical that has spawned countless high school productions, produced some classic songs that everyone knows, even if not everyone loves, and the #3 film all-time in adjusted-for-inflation box office, The Sound of Music deserves to be in the hall of fame. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit this film belongs in the hall.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrik delivered one of the most influential horror films of all-time, even if Stephen King doesn’t think so. Between the way the Overlook was filmed, to the countless creepy inhabitants, to perhaps the most iconic horror performance ever with Jack Nicholson (poor Scatman), The Shining deserves to be one of the first horror movies inducted.
Top Gun (1985)
Given that Top Gun: Maverick releases this weekend, I felt it fitting to induct the original film here. Not only did Tom Cruise give us maybe his most iconic performance with this film, but he created the “dad” movie genre that lives on today; every dad past, present & future has seen/will see every Top Gun film because they, in fact, feel the need for speed.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
This film is here not because I think its quality is hall of fame worthy, but because of the significance of it; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first feature-length film released by Disney, ultimately paving the way for an entertainment dynasty. While it’s not the best, it was the first; do you remember who the second person was to break 4 minutes in a mile? Didn’t think so. But I bet you know Roger Banister did it first.
Star Wars: Force Awakens (2015)
Coming off of the prequels, Star Wars didn’t have a whole lot of cache with the fans. But in 2015, more people in the United States bought a ticket to see episode 7 than any other movie in history! Not Avatar, not Avengers: Endgame, but Force Awakens is the all-time domestic box office king. Plus, it’s a fantastic Star Wars film that is the 2022 Golden State Warriors of movies; a perfect blend of the past that won big, and the future that can help win in the future.
Brady Bunch (1969-74)
What a catchy song! That alone makes it one of the best shows ever. But the show itself has found an extended shelf-life on TV Land, and everyone knows about their famous trip to Hawaii. This is the story of how a family named Brady made the Hollywood Hall of Fame!
Cheers (1982-93)
The show that everyone knows its name, Cheers is one of the most beloved sitcoms ever. It spawned perhaps the most successful spin-off ever in Frasier, and launched the careers of Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson and many more. And they were always glad we came.
Arrow (2012-20)
I must admit, this isn’t my favorite CW superhero show. It might not even be in my top 3. BUT, this is the show that spawned an entire televerse of shows including The Flash (the best CW superhero show), Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and many more. Much like Snow White, the quality isn’t what makes it a hall of famer, but rather the significance of the show.
Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, Rain Man)
I couldn’t resist continuing the Tom Cruise/Top Gun love on Maverick weekend! Cruise may be the biggest true movie star that we have today, he is unquestionably the most dedicated actor ever with his drive to perform all his (outrageous) stunts, and he has truly made classic movies. He owned the 1980’s, launched one of the most successful film franchises ever with Mission: Impossible, and was once married to Nicole Kidman, which is arguably his greatest accomplishment.
Morgan Freeman (Driving Miss Daisy, Seven, Million Dollar Baby)
Freeman is one of the best actors ever, he’s been in incredible films, incredible franchises and has genuinely had a brilliant career. But on top of all that, he is widely credited with having the greatest voice in the history of history; the man has literally voiced God (more than once). In many ways, Freeman is the narrator inside of all of us, and I hope to have him narrate the opening ceremonies of the Hollywood Hall of Fame when it actually gets commissioned in Inglewood.
Will Ferrell (Step Brothers, Anchorman, Elf)
Ferrell is the king of comedies. Some might say Eddie Murphy, some might say Adam Sandler, but they would be wrong. Will Ferrell has had more absolute gems than any other comedic actor of all-time, portraying some of the most iconic characters ever in film. He’s aced Christmas movies, sports movies & family dramedies; he’s the full package.
Helen Mirren (The Queen, Red, Hitchcock)
Who doesn’t love Helen Mirren? She’s been the same age literally my entire life, still doing the same badass stuff she was doing before I was born. She’s an Oscar winner, and now she’s dipped her toe in the franchise world with Fast and Furious. Mirren was a hall of famer long before this post, but now it’s official.
Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Ghostbusters, Working Girl)
To me and people of my ilk, Sigourney Weaver is the Queen of Science Fiction. With both Aliens and Ghostbusters, and not to mention a strong role in Avatar, Weaver is the actress that I think of first when I think science-fiction, and that matters.
Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy)
As you can tell by the 3 famous roles of Lucille Ball, she’s famous for being herself. Scrolling through her IMDb page, at least 50% of her roles were “Lucy Ricardo” aka herself. That’s an impressive amount of star power. Not to mention she has a fantastic (in my opinion) biopic about her in Being the Ricardos.
Stanley Kubrick (The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey)
Kubrick delivered one of the best horror films of all-time, one of the best sci-fi films of all-time, plus Full Metal Jacket & A Clockwork Orange. Kubrick is one of the most underrated directors ever, but earns an early spot in the Hollywood Hall of Fame.
There you have it! The 7th Ballot inductees to the Hollywood Hall of Fame! Here is a comprehensive list of the Hall of Famers, which we will update with each class:
Films:
The Wizard of Oz
The Godfather
Shawshank Redemption
Citizen Kane
Lawrence of Arabia
Jaws
Avatar
Schindler’s List
Casablanca
Star Wars: A New Hope
Silence of the Lambs
Pulp Fiction
Avengers: Endgame
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Gone With the wind
Titanic
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Matrix
Psycho
Toy Story
West Side Story
Rocky
Unforgiven
Ben-Hur
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The Godfather II
The Dark Knight
Back to the Future
The Departed
La La Land
The Sound of Music
The Shining
Top Gun
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Star Wars: the Force Awakens
Shows:
M*A*S*H*
The Simpsons
The Sopranos
F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Saturday Night Live
I Love Lucy
The Office
Lost
Breaking Bad
The Twilight Zone
Grey’s Anatomy
Sesame Street
Game of Thrones
Seinfeld
General Hospital
Stranger Things
Mad Men
Late Night with David Letterman
The Brady Bunch
Cheers
Arrow
Actors:
Tom Hanks
Marlon Brando
Jack Nicholson
Leonardo DiCaprio
Daniel Day-Lewis
Charlie Chaplin
Peter O’Toole
Anthony Hopkins
Paul Newman
Denzel Washington
Sidney Poitier
Robin Williams
Will Smith
Laurence Olivier
Sean Penn
Robert de Niro
Al Pacino
Eddie Murphy
Tom Cruise
Morgan Freeman
Will Ferrell
Actresses:
Katherine Hepburn
Frances McDormand
Meryl Streep
Jennifer Lawerence
Marilyn Monroe
Sally Field
Uma Thurman
Jane Fonda
Ingrid Bregman
Bette Davis
Angelina Jolie
Judy Garland
Judi Dench
Natalie Portman
Halle Berry
Maggie Smith
Cate Blanchett
Viola Davis
Helen Mirren
Sigourney Weaver
Lucille Ball
Directors:
Steven Spielberg
Francis Ford-Coppola
Alfred Hitchcock
James Cameron
Clint Eastwood
Martin Scorcese
Stanley Kubrick