Greatest Ensemble Cast Ever?

[Kam]

Was talking to a friend about movies (as i often, and pretty much only do) and a bridge too far came up and what a ridiculous collection of talent that was so we got to talking about ensemble movies... and... here ya go (i dont think we've had this topic for quite a while on here...)
Thought of making a poll but realized i couldnt think of that many great ensemble movies that could rival A Bridge too far... anyone think of something that beats this: (although to be fair, can include movies where the stars would later go on to become huge, they didnt have to be huge at the time of making, ala Taps, although that pales in comparison to this one). Although technically The Player would win hands down, but that doesnt count, cuz then so would Forest Gump... mean actual cast members.

A Bridge Too Far: James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan O'Neal, Olivier, Redford, Attenborough, even John Ratzenberger (Cliff from cheers)!

Godfather II: Pacino, DeNeniro, Keaton, Duvall, Talia Shire, James Caan, everyone named Coppola (Sofia, Roman, and Vincent), bruno kirby, abe vigoda, and a few sopranos.

Sleepers: Kevin Bacon, Billy Crudup, DeNiro, Minnie Driver, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Bruno Kirby, Brad Renfro (also is one of the alltime great 6 Degree movies to use along with flatliners).

what else is out there? can anything come close to A Bridge Too Far? I guess Godfather 2 is a close second.

peace
k2

[eisforelectronic]

"Rat Race"

the "Outsiders"

[Worf101]

For me it goes like this...

1. "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" - Every single living comic in the world and Spencer Tracy to boot. It don't get any better.

2. "The Great Race" - Same as above, only funnier. Lemmon is a hoot in this sucka and amazningly funny as Professor Fate.

3. "The Longest Day" - Gritty Black and White telling of the Normandy Invasion during WWII. All this and John Wayne too. Wow.

4. "Around the World in 80 Days" - Same as above but with less yucks.

5. "The Magnificent Seven" - Wow, don't get no better than this.

6. "Tombstone" - Wow it does get much better than this.

7. "In Harms Way" - John Wayne at it again.

8. "Air Force" - The plane was the only true star.

All I can think of off the top of my head.

Da Worfster

[topspeed]

Ocean's Eleven/Twelve: Pitt, Clooney, Damon, Roberts, Zeta-Jones, Garcia, Mac, Cheadle, Reiner, Gould. That's not a bad collection of stars.

Silverado: Klien, Costner, Glenn, Glover, Cleese

Mystic River: Penn, Robbins, Bacon, Fishburne, Gay Harden

Casino: DeNiro, Pesci, Stone, Woods, Kevin Pollack, Alan King

[GMichael]

My first thought was "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" but Worf beat me to it. How about the Canon Ball Run movies? Let me shift gears and throw in the Twilight Zone series while I'm at it. Lots of before they were famous actors there too.

[Smokey]

Bad Day at Black Rock: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis,
Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin.


Dirty Dozen: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes,
George Kennedy, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland

[topspeed]

Oooh, I forgot about all the war movies!

Kelly's Hero's: Eastwood, Savalas, Rickles, Sutherland, O'conner, Harry Dean Stanton

[Woochifer]

Someone mentioned The Outsiders and that was very fortuitous casting by Coppola because so many of those cast members were relative unknowns back in 1983 -- Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, and even ... gasp! ... Leif Garrett!

Another brilliant ensemble cast of relatively unknown actors that would each move onto greater success was Diner -- Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser

The Right Stuff had a well-known leading man in Sam Shepard and popular character actress with Veronica Cartwright, but the rest of this cast also featured relative unknowns that would become better known later on -- Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey, Pamela Reed, and even Lance Henrikson.

One thing that seems to stand out from this list is that very often, you don't know how great an ensemble cast is until many years later.

[JoeE SP9]

How about The Wild Bunch
William Holden
Ernest Borgnine
Robert Ryan
Edmond O'Brien
Warren Oates
Jaime Sanchez
BenJohnson
Emilio Fernandez
Strother Martin

[dean_martin]

True Romance - Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michael Rappaport, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Val Kilmer (as Elvis) and Samuel L. Jackson briefly. (Oh, and Bronson Pinchot.)

[Buffalo Bill]

Make mine A Fish Called Wanda. Cleese, Kline, Jamie Lee, Palin and others. Sure not an Oscar-winner, but dang funny flick!!!

[kelsci]

THE POSIDSON ADVENTURE: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons,Roddy McDowall,Shelley Winters,Stella Stevens, Carol Lynley,Jack Alberson, Arthur O'Connell,Pamela Sue Martin......

All the other posts above mine are all great ensemble cast choices as well.

[superpanavision70mm]

What about CANNONBALL RUN 2?

Burt Reynolds
Telly Savalis
Dom DeLuise
Dean Martin
Sammy Davis Jr.
Jamie Farr
Marilu Henner
Shirley MacLaine
Catherine Bach
Sid Caesar
Jackie Chan
Tony Danza
Tim Conway
Don Knotts
Jim Nabors
Charles Nelson Reilly (COME ON CHARLES NELSON REILLY !!!!)
Frank Sinatra
Joe Theismann


I think i've won this one!!! HAhahahah Ok, maybe CANNONBALL RUN 1 had even better stars, but this movie is awesome...or maybe not.

[Worf101]

What about CANNONBALL RUN 2?

Burt Reynolds
Telly Savalis
Dom DeLuise
Dean Martin
Sammy Davis Jr.
Jamie Farr
Marilu Henner
Shirley MacLaine
Catherine Bach
Sid Caesar
Jackie Chan
Tony Danza
Tim Conway
Don Knotts
Jim Nabors
Charles Nelson Reilly (COME ON CHARLES NELSON REILLY !!!!)
Frank Sinatra
Joe Theismann


I think i've won this one!!! HAhahahah Ok, maybe CANNONBALL RUN 1 had even better stars, but this movie is awesome...or maybe not.

These and the "Smokey and the Bandit" movies are why I'm ashamed to have lived through the 70's. If you throw in Disco I'm ready to hang myself.

Da Weeping Worfster

[SlumpBuster]

These and the "Smokey and the Bandit" movies are why I'm ashamed to have lived through the 70's. If you throw in Disco I'm ready to hang myself.

Da Weeping Worfster

Are you kidding? Cannonball Run and Smokey and the Bandit are like Gen X staples. No accounting for taste I suppose.

And, I can't believe nobody has nominated Boogie Nights. Sure its the same cast as Magnolia if you replace Marky Mark with Tom "Vitamins and Exercise" Cruise, but Boogie Nights is the better movie.

Not only is it a stellar ensamble cast of mainstream hollywood, but lots of porno actors too.