GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Nearly six in 10 Americans say they make a special effort to see movies featuring specific stars, with Julia Roberts easily having the greatest appeal for movie fans, according to a new Gallup poll. Other stars with high "marquee value" include Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford. When asked to name their favorite movie star of all time, Americans give the honor to John Wayne. About two-thirds of Americans say they have attended a movie within the last year, and Americans have watched movies at home on videocassette recorders or DVD players even more frequently. The poll shows that, by a large margin, Americans prefer to watch movies at home rather than going to the theater.
Americans Go to Movies to See Stars
The poll, conducted March 16-18, shows that nearly six out of 10
Americans -- 58% -- say they make a special effort to see movies
starring particular actors or actresses. The results give a good
estimate of a star's "marquee value"-- that is, the impact the
star's name alone can have on movie attendance. Due no doubt in
part to her performance in "Erin Brockovich"-- which many movie
experts predict will win her an Oscar this weekend -- Roberts leads
the list of movie stars that Americans make a special effort to
see, for the second year in a row. More than one in four Americans
who say they make a special effort to see particular film stars
mention Roberts, and both men and women, as well as people of all
age groups, mention her most often.
Following Roberts at some distance is "Cast Away" star and two-time Oscar winner Hanks, with 13%. Hanks finished second on the list as he did last year. Only three percentage points separated Roberts and Hanks in last year's poll, but the gap has widened to 15 points this year. Gibson places third with 11%, followed by Ford (7%), Tom Cruise (7%), Robert De Niro (5%) and Sean Connery (5%).
Roberts is the top star mentioned by both men and women, although women (39%) are more than twice as likely to say they make an effort to see films featuring her than are men (16%). Gibson (14%) and Hanks (11%) are next on the list of movie stars women make a special effort to see. Among men, Roberts edges out Hanks, who has a 15% rating, followed by Ford, with 9%.
Similarly, Roberts has the highest marquee value across all age groups, although older Americans are more likely to mention her than are younger Americans. About a third of people 50 and older, compared with about a quarter of people under 50, are attracted to movies in which Roberts stars. On this measure, no other actor or actress even comes close to Roberts among people in any age group.
|
Actors/Actresses Americans Make Special Effort to See |
||||
|
18- to 29-year-olds |
% |
|||
|
1. |
Julia Roberts |
24 |
||
|
2. (tie) |
Tom Cruise |
9 |
||
|
2. (tie) |
Brad Pitt |
9 |
||
|
30- to 49-year-olds |
% |
|||
|
1. |
Julia Roberts |
26 |
||
|
2. |
Mel Gibson |
16 |
||
|
3. |
Tom Hanks |
15 |
||
|
50- to 64-year-olds |
% |
|||
|
1. |
Julia Roberts |
34 |
||
|
2. |
Tom Hanks |
17 |
||
|
3. (tie) |
Mel Gibson |
9 |
||
|
3. (tie) |
Harrison Ford |
9 |
||
|
Those 65 and older |
% |
|||
|
1. |
Julia Roberts |
32 |
||
|
2. (tie) |
Tom Hanks |
10 |
||
|
2. (tie) |
George Clooney |
10 |
||
Interestingly, Roberts' popularity has increased significantly among older Americans since last year's poll. In March 2000, only 22% of people aged 50-64 said they would make a special effort to see her movies, compared to 34% who say that now. A somewhat larger increase was registered among people aged 65 and older, from 17% who named her last year to 32% this year. Among younger Americans, however, Roberts' popularity has remained essentially unchanged since last year.
Gallup's marquee value measure of movie actors dates back more than half a century. In 1981, Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds won Americans' vote as the actors they would make a special effort to see, while Barbra Streisand and Jane Fonda were the top actresses. Four decades earlier, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Bette Davis and Ginger Rogers were the actors and actresses Americans most wanted to see, according to a 1941 Gallup poll.
Americans Name John Wayne as Their Favorite Movie Star of
All Time
When asked to indicate its favorite movie star of all time, the
American public accords this honor to John Wayne, who starred in
nearly 200 films and won a best actor Oscar for his performance in
the 1969 film "True Grit." Coming in second behind Wayne, who was
favored by 12%, are Roberts and Eastwood, each with 7% naming them
the favorite movie star of all time. Gibson and Hanks rank next,
followed by Connery and Ford.
|
Top Ten Favorite Movie Stars of All Time |
Percent Mentioning |
|
|
1. |
John Wayne |
12 |
|
2. |
Julia Roberts |
7 |
|
3. |
Clint Eastwood |
7 |
|
4. |
Mel Gibson |
5 |
|
5. |
Tom Hanks |
5 |
|
6. |
Sean Connery |
4 |
|
7. |
Harrison Ford |
4 |
|
8. |
Robert De Niro |
3 |
|
9. |
Al Pacino |
3 |
|
10. |
Jimmy Stewart |
3 |
While Wayne wins first place overall, men and women differ in their choice of favorites. In fact, there is no agreement between men and women in terms of their three favorite movie stars of all time. Wayne, at 20%, is the favorite movie star among men, followed by Eastwood (12%) and Connery (6%). Women name Roberts (10%) as their top choice, followed by Gibson (6%) and Hanks (5%).
People of different age groups also list different actors as their all-time favorite movie stars. No single star stands out among Americans aged 18-29 -- Connery (8%) earns top ranking among this age group, followed closely by Nicholas Cage and Roberts. Eastwood (10%) rates the highest among Americans aged 30-49, while Gibson and Wayne trail him, with 9% and 8%, respectively. Among older Americans, Wayne is clearly the favorite by rather large margins, followed by Eastwood and Hanks (for 50- to 64-year-olds) and Roberts, Jimmy Stewart and Bette Davis (for those aged 65 and over).
|
All-Time Favorite Movie Stars Among 18- to
29-year-olds |
% |
|
|
1. |
Sean Connery |
8 |
|
2. |
Nicholas Cage |
7 |
|
3. |
Julia Roberts |
6 |
|
All-Time Favorite Movie Stars Among 30- to
49-year-olds |
% |
|
|
1. |
Clint Eastwood |
10 |
|
2. |
Mel Gibson |
9 |
|
3. |
John Wayne |
8 |
|
All-time Favorite Movie Stars Among 50- to
64-year-olds |
% |
|
|
1. |
John Wayne |
17 |
|
2. |
Clint Eastwood |
9 |
|
3. |
Tom Hanks |
8 |
|
All-time Favorite Movie Stars Among Those 65 Yrs. and
Older |
% |
|
|
1. |
John Wayne |
23 |
|
2. (tie) |
Julia Roberts |
5 |
|
2. (tie) |
Jimmy Stewart |
5 |
|
2. (tie) |
Bette Davis |
5
|
Moviegoing a Common
Activity
According to the latest poll, 66% of Americans have attended a
movie at a theater in the last 12 months. In fact, most Americans
who have attended a movie have done so fairly recently, including
7% who did so within a week of the time they were interviewed, 23%
who did so within the previous month, and 41% who did so within the
previous six months. As is well known in the entertainment
industry, movie attendance is strongly related to age:
|
Age |
Attended Movie in Last 12 Months |
Average Number of Movies Attended |
|
18-29 |
86% |
7.8 |
|
30-49 |
74% |
4.2 |
|
50-64 |
59% |
3.5 |
|
65 and over |
32% |
1.5 |
Nearly 90% of 18- to 29-year-olds have attended a movie in the past 12 months, and 18- to 29-year-olds have seen, on average, nearly 8 movies in the past year. Those between the ages of 30 and 49 are also quite likely to have seen a movie, as nearly three out of four have done so in the past 12 months. Americans aged 65 and older, on the other hand, are very unlikely to have attended a movie in the past year -- only one in three has done so and those 65 and older have seen, on average, just 1.5 movies in the last 12 months.
Differences are also apparent by income and education, as those with lower incomes and less education are less likely to have attended a movie in the past year. Additionally, those who reside in rural areas are less likely to have attended a movie than are those living in urban or suburban areas.
Americans Prefer Small Screen to Big
Screen
More than nine in 10 Americans say they own a home video player
such as a VCR or DVD player, with 70% owning just a VCR, 1% owning
just a DVD player, and 23% owning both. While movie attendance
among Americans is high, Americans are even more likely to watch
movies at home. Eighty-three percent (and 88% of those with a VCR
or DVD player) have seen a movie at home using one of these devices
in the past month. The average American views 6.8 movies at home
per month, while the average number VCR or DVD owners view is 7.2.
The median number of movies viewed at home is slightly less-- four
movies per month-- meaning about half of the public views more than
four movies per month and half views less. The mean is higher
because of a small segment of Americans who said they viewed up to
60 movies on DVD or VCR in the past month.
As with movie attendance, movie viewing at home is strongly related to age:
|
Age |
Watched Movie at Home in Last Month |
Average Number of Movies Watched in Last Month |
|
18-29 |
96% |
12.6 |
|
30-49 |
91% |
6.2 |
|
50-64 |
80% |
5.0 |
|
65 and over |
56% |
2.6 |
More than nine in 10 Americans under the age of 50 have seen at least one movie at home in the past month, including 96% of 18- to 29-year-olds. Those between the ages of 18 and 29 viewed an average of nearly 13 movies per month at home, more than double that of any other age category.
Among all age categories, then, Americans are much more likely to see movies at home than in the movie theater and to see many more movies at home than they do in the movie theater. Gallup estimates that Americans have seen an average of 4.4 movies in the theater in the last 12 months, and (assuming the frequency of viewing in the last month is typical of the entire year), an average of 81.6 movies (or a median of 48 movies) at home in the last 12 months.
Gallup asked those who own either a VCR or a DVD player if they prefer to watch movies at home or at the theater. Given the above data showing how frequently people watch movies at home, it is not surprising that the overwhelming number of VCR/DVD owners say they prefer to watch movies at home (68%) rather than at the theater (23%).
A solid majority of every demographic subgroup prefers to watch movies at home. Younger people are slightly more likely to prefer movie theaters (32%) than are other age groups. Older Americans (aged 65 and older) are much less likely to prefer the theater (only 13% do). Additionally, those who live in rural areas express a much stronger preference for viewing movies at home (78%) than at the theater (18%).
The data also suggest that VCRs and DVD players are more of a supplement to -- rather than a replacement for -- the movie theater. People who attend movies more frequently also watch more movies at home on their VCR or DVD player. Specifically, those who don't attend movies view an average of 5.2 movies per month at home, compared to 7.1 for those who attend movies infrequently (one to four in the past year) and 8.3 for those who attend movies more frequently (five or more times in the past year).
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 800 adults, 18 years and older, conducted March 16-18, 2001. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
First, I have a few questions about your movie viewing habits.
How many movies, if any, have you attended in a movie theater in the past 12 months?
|
None |
1-4 |
5 or more |
No opinion |
||
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
34 |
40 |
26 |
* |
|
|
1995 Apr 10-17 ^ |
34 |
35 |
31 |
-- |
|
|
1994 Mar 11-13 † |
34 |
38 |
28 |
-- |
|
|
1993 Mar 12-14 † |
37 |
35 |
26 |
2 |
|
|
1988 Dec 4-7 † |
45 |
26 |
29 |
-- |
|
|
^ |
U.S. News and World Report/CNN/IBM/Gallup |
||||
|
† |
WORDING: About how many times did you, yourself, go out to a movie theater to see a movie within the past twelve months? |
||||
When did you last go to the movies -- within the last 7 days, within the last 30 days, between 30 days and 6 months ago, or more than 6 months ago?
BASED ON -- 547 -- WHO HAVE SEEN AT LEAST ONE MOVIE IN PAST 12 MONTHS; ±5 PCT. PTS.
|
Within |
Within last 30 days |
30 days and 6 months |
More than 6 months |
No |
|
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
13% |
35 |
41 |
11 |
* |
Does your household have a VCR, or DVD player?
|
Yes |
No |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
94% |
6 |
* |
Do you have only a VCR, only a DVD player, or both?
BASED ON -- 756 -- WHO HAVE A VCR OR DVD PLAYER; ±4 PCT. PTS.
|
VCR only |
DVD only |
Both |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
75% |
1 |
24 |
0 |
How many movies do you view in an average month on your VCR or DVD player? [Open ended]
BASED ON -- 756 -- WHO HAVE A VCR OR DVD PLAYER; ±4 PCT. PTS.
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
|
|
None |
11% |
|
One |
12 |
|
Two |
11 |
|
Three |
10 |
|
Four |
10 |
|
Five |
5 |
|
Six |
7 |
|
Seven |
1 |
|
Eight |
5 |
|
Nine |
* |
|
Ten |
10 |
|
Eleven – twenty |
11 |
|
More than twenty |
6 |
|
No opinion |
1 |
Do you prefer to watch movies -- [ROTATED: at a movie theater (or) at home on your VCR or DVD]?
BASED ON -- 756 -- WHO HAVE A VCR OR DVD PLAYER; ±4 PCT. PTS.
|
At movie theater |
|
BOTH/NEITHER (vol.) |
No |
|
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
23% |
68 |
9 |
* |
Are there any movie stars you always make a special effort to see?
|
Yes |
No |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
58% |
40 |
2 |
|
2000 Mar 17-19 |
52% |
47 |
1 |
What are their names? [Open-ended; allow up to three responses]
BASED ON -- 452 -- WHO MAKE SPECIAL EFFORT TO SEE ACTORS/ACTRESSES; ±5 PCT. PTS.
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
2000 Mar 17-19 |
||
|
First Mention |
Total Mentions |
Total Mentions |
|
|
Julia Roberts |
18% |
28% |
22% |
|
Tom Hanks |
9 |
13 |
19 |
|
Mel Gibson |
4 |
11 |
6 |
|
Harrison Ford |
4 |
7 |
11 |
|
Tom Cruise |
4 |
7 |
3 |
|
Robert De Niro |
4 |
5 |
3 |
|
Sean Connery |
2 |
5 |
4 |
|
Nicholas Cage |
3 |
4 |
3 |
|
Steven Seagal |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
Al Pacino |
2 |
4 |
3 |
|
Sandra Bullock |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
Denzel Washington |
3 |
4 |
7 |
|
Arnold Schwarzenegger |
2 |
4 |
5 |
|
Brad Pitt |
1 |
4 |
-- |
|
Clint Eastwood |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Bruce Willis |
2 |
3 |
9 |
|
Michael Douglas |
2 |
2 |
-- |
|
Meg Ryan |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
Jackie Chan |
* |
2 |
-- |
|
Kevin Costner |
* |
2 |
2 |
|
Whoopi Goldberg |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
Keanu Reeves |
* |
2 |
-- |
|
Jim Carrey |
1 |
2 |
-- |
|
Wesley Snipes |
* |
2 |
-- |
|
Russell Crowe |
1 |
2 |
-- |
|
Meryl Streep |
* |
1 |
3 |
|
Anthony Hopkins |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
George Clooney |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Chuck Norris |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
John Travolta |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Richard Gere |
* |
1 |
2 |
|
Sylvester Stallone |
* |
1 |
-- |
|
John Wayne |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Val Kilmer |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Jack Nicholson |
* |
1 |
2 |
|
Tom Selleck |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Jean-Claude Van Damme |
* |
1 |
2 |
|
Dustin Hoffman |
* |
1 |
-- |
|
Chris Rock |
-- |
1 |
-- |
|
Robert Redford |
* |
1 |
-- |
|
Eddie Murphy |
-- |
1 |
-- |
|
Robin Williams |
1 |
1 |
5 |
|
Barbra Streisand |
* |
1 |
-- |
|
Tommy Lee Jones |
* |
1 |
3 |
|
Johnny Depp |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Patrick Swayze |
-- |
1 |
-- |
|
Paul Newman |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Kevin Spacey |
* |
1 |
2 |
|
Sidney Poitier |
-- |
1 |
-- |
|
Samuel L. Jackson |
1 |
1 |
-- |
|
Morgan Freeman |
* |
1 |
-- |
|
Other |
15 |
24 |
42 |
|
No opinion |
2 |
2 |
4 |
MARQUEE VALUE TREND
|
1981 Apr 10-13 |
|
|
Actors |
Actresses |
|
Clint Eastwood |
Barbra Streisand |
|
Burt Reynolds |
Jane Fonda |
|
John Wayne |
Angie Dickinson |
|
Robert Redford |
Bette Davis |
|
Paul Newman |
Goldie Hawn |
|
Charles Bronson |
Sally Field |
|
Dustin Hoffman |
Katharine Hepburn |
|
Jack Nicholson |
Elizabeth Taylor |
|
Jerry Lewis |
Faye Dunaway |
|
Charlton Heston |
Diana Ross |
|
1941 |
|
|
Actors |
Actresses |
|
Spencer Tracy |
Bette Davis |
|
Clark Gable |
Ginger Rogers |
|
Mickey Rooney |
Myrna Loy |
|
James Stewart |
Deanna Durbin |
|
Gary Cooper |
Judy Garland |
|
Errol Flynn |
Katharine Hepburn |
|
Cary Grant |
Rosalind Russell |
|
Paul Muni |
Claudette Colbert |
|
Bing Crosby |
Vivien Leigh |
|
Charles Boyer |
Norma Shearer |
Who is your favorite movie star of all time? [Open-ended; allow three mentions]
|
2001 Mar 16-18 |
First Mention |
Total Mentions |
|
John Wayne |
10% |
12% |
|
Julia Roberts |
4 |
7 |
|
Clint Eastwood |
5 |
7 |
|
Mel Gibson |
4 |
5 |
|
Tom Hanks |
3 |
5 |
|
Sean Connery |
3 |
4 |
|
Harrison Ford |
3 |
4 |
|
Robert De Niro |
3 |
3 |
|
Al Pacino |
1 |
3 |
|
Jimmy Stewart |
2 |
3 |
|
Tom Cruise |
2 |
3 |
|
Nicholas Cage |
2 |
2 |
|
Arnold Schwarzenegger |
1 |
2 |
|
John Travolta |
2 |
2 |
|
Paul Newman |
2 |
2 |
|
Steven Seagal |
1 |
2 |
|
Denzel Washington |
1 |
2 |
|
Sidney Poitier |
1 |
2 |
|
Meg Ryan |
* |
1 |
|
Kevin Costner |
1 |
1 |
|
Bruce Willis |
1 |
1 |
|
Clark Gable |
1 |
1 |
|
Jack Nicholson |
1 |
1 |
|
Charlton Heston |
1 |
1 |
|
Robert Redford |
1 |
1 |
|
Cary Grant |
1 |
1 |
|
Jackie Chan |
* |
1 |
|
Sandra Bullock |
1 |
1 |
|
Katharine Hepburn |
1 |
1 |
|
George Clooney |
1 |
1 |
|
Patrick Swayze |
1 |
1 |
|
Bette Davis |
1 |
1 |
|
Humphrey Bogart |
1 |
1 |
|
Michael Douglas |
1 |
1 |
|
Richard Gere |
* |
1 |
|
Morgan Freeman |
1 |
1 |
|
Samuel L. Jackson |
1 |
1 |
|
Wesley Snipes |
* |
1 |
|
Kevin Spacey |
* |
1 |
|
Meryl Streep |
* |
1 |
|
Bing Crosby |
* |
1 |
|
Jean-Claude Van Damme |
* |
1 |
|
Jim Carrey |
* |
1 |
|
Elizabeth Taylor |
1 |
1 |
|
Chris Rock |
* |
1 |
|
Shirley Temple |
* |
1 |
|
Barbra Streisand |
* |
1 |
|
Anthony Hopkins |
* |
1 |
|
Robert Mitchum |
* |
1 |
|
Chuck Norris |
* |
1 |
|
Spencer Tracy |
1 |
1 |
|
Russell Crowe |
* |
1 |
|
Tom Selleck |
* |
1 |
|
Marilyn Monroe |
* |
1 |
|
Gary Cooper |
1 |
* |
|
None |
8 |
8 |
|
Other |
14 |
20 |
|
No opinion |
10 |
10 |
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) Volunteered response
