Of legends lost and found

So, Tony Randall died today at 84... and all we will hear for the next few days is what a legend he was. Every year a few more legends die (you can tell they were a legend when their photo comes up at the Oscars montage and the applause gets louder), but are we replenishing the "screen legend" roster? Or is the whole idea a thing of the past? Will my kid even know what a screen legend is?

Is there anyone in Hollywood under 50 who qualifies? Most of the 80s brat pack have slipped into obscurity or television... I suspect Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks could each argue for the title. Possibly Denzel Washington -- though he wouldn't get my vote.

Certainly, the structure of Hollywood has chaged.. without the studio system, we are expected to rely on Oscars and other self-congratulatory awards to judge stardom... I'd be more likely to argue for the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, and Ewan MacGregor for the range of movies they have done just for the love of film. That makes them legends to me.