who would you pick now?

Males (Sorry Tracy, Astaire, Stewart, Grant, and Gable - nothing personal)

25. Montgomery Clift (Clift's performance in Place in the Sun is so etched in my psyche)
24. Lionel and John Barrymore (Thespian royalty, these two brothers comprise all that is great about classic film)
23. Douglas Fairbanks (Between him and Valentino, I chose Fairbanks... a stronger body of work, I suppose)
22. Paul Robeson (Fought tirelessly to gain better roles for African Americans, he was way ahead of his time)
21. Charles Laughton (The consumate character actor, he proved that the leading man need not be an adonis)
20. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (The original movie "bromance" - their comedic timing set the precedent for countless comedic teams)
19. Harold Lloyd (Lloyd's unique physicality, situational humor and use of irony distinguishes him from his silent movie counterparts)
18. Gene Kelley (I love Jim Carrey's description of him as the "Blue Collar Astaire"... that's exactly what he was)
17. Anthony Quinn (Like Meryl Streep or Paul Muni, seemed capable of "becoming" whatever character he played, no matter what the background, effortlessly, but like Del Rio, brought dignity to Hispanic-Latinos)
16. Sidney Portier (A milestone in the Civil Right's Movement's legacy via film. It helped that he was also a fantastic actor.)
15. Lon Chaney (This "Man with a Thousand Faces" set the precedent for the stars of the horror film genre)
14. Robert Mitchum (Robert Mitchum rules. Robert Mitchum's the man. Savvy?)
13. Buster Keaton (Underrated (and short) as heck, The General is awesome)
12. James Dean (Icon of the 50s, one can only wonder what he would have done with all of the success he would have achieved)
11. John Wayne (The ultimate star of the American Western, his politics were atrocious, but he's like Bette Davis in that I don't like him but could never get away with excluding him)
10. Orson Welles (Directed and starred in arguably the greatest American film ever made)
9. Laurence Olivier (One of the 20th Century's finest actors, Shakespearian or otherwise)
8. Charlie Chaplin (Continued to make quality silent films into the 1930s)
7. Bob Hope (One of the States's most beloved comedians, who can resist the Crosby-Hope teaming?)
6. William S. Hart (Established the cowboy-film genre as marketable, was the original model for Uncle Sam)
5. Marlon Brando (Arguably the first major method actor in film history)
4. James Cagney (The quintessential American success story, Cagney could do it all, and made it big)
3. Henry Fonda (Gentle, patient, kind, understanding - the embodiment of the legendary American male)
2. Paul Muni (The original American actor with remarkable versatility who set the precedent for the likes of Brando, Quinn, Newman, and De Niro)
1. Tie: Humphrey Bogart (The most obvious choice, perhaps. Its hard to believe that his immense popularity didn't even span two decades before he died)
&
Gary Cooper (The ultimate American hero, forever young at heart and loved by the world, a veteran of silent movies who worked up into the 1950s, was taken from this earth before his time came, as a victim of Carcinoma)

Females (Sorry Kelley, Crawford, Taylor, Garbo, and Monroe - again nothing personal)
25. Lana Turner (The "Sweater Girl" who stayed desirable for three decades)
24. Ethel Barrymore (Made a transition from stage to film in her twilight years)
23. Olivia De Havilland (Name became synonymous with courage, kindness, chastity, and "Melanie")
22. Natalie Wood (Made the transition from cute child star to serious actress)
21. Anna May Wong (To this day remains the most successful Asian-American starlet with world-wide appeal)
20. Clara Bow (With her childlike, yet raw, sexuality, she was the ultimate "flapper" and was the "It Girl" for a reason)
19. Maureen O'Hara (One of the most beautiful actresses from any era of film)
18. Dolores Del Rio (First Lady of the Mexican Screen, she was the first Latina to have world-wide appeal, which she maintained for four decades)
17. Deborah Kerr (graceful and beautiful, stood for perfection, discipline and elegance, nominated for Best Actress six times, and didn't win once)
16. Vivien Leigh (Two words. Scarlett O'Hara. Two more words. Blanche DuBois)
15. Louise Brookes (Arguably the first major sex symbol in the U.S., aside from maybe Theda Bara)
14. Claudette Colbert (The consumate professional who could play just about any type of role with equal zeal)
13. Rita Hayworth (The best example of untamed, tempestuous beauty and, sometimes, innocence)
12. Barbara Stanwyck (The working class woman with the heart of gold)
11. Betty Grable (The ultimate pin-up girl who gave hope to thousands of American GIs)
10. Dorothy Dandridge (The actress who set future African American women on the right track for stardom, she really deserved better)
9. Shelley Winters (Outspoken, unhinged, and uncontrollable, but rich inheart and spirit, and ultimatly was loved by all who knew and watched her)
8. Janet Gaynor (Esther Blodgett, the original Best Actress Oscar Winner, the model for Disney's Snow White, and, once, America's other sweetheart.)
7. Marlene Dietrich (Established herself not just as an entertainer, but as, it seemed, a physical force)
6. Greer Garson (The model for courage, compassion, and composure for the American and British family during WWII)
5. Carole Lombard (The comic actress of unmatched versatility whose life was cut tragically short)
4. Bette Davis (Not my favorite, but how could this list exclude her?)
3. Lillian Gish (One of the finest actresses in the history of the cinema, IMO, maybe even the first real "actress" in the movies)
2. Ingrid Bergman (The radiant beauty with an incredible gift of expression)
1. Tie : Mae West (Like Hepburn, a pioneer in women's lib, and just a handful of her movies saved Paramount Studios from going under)
&
Katharine Hepburn (Everyone's favorite actress, lol)