There is nothing like a good mustache to give a little oomph to a movie is there? A ‘stache says so much, It’s part macho, part fashion statement and part personal hygiene problem. They come in every shape and size, from the wispy “barely trying” look of my number ten slot to the full on “good luck finding my mouth darling” opulence of the seven hole. They’ve been around forever too; our list encompasses a full 68 year spectrum of movie mustache magic. It’s clear that mustaches have stood the test of time and we owe them nothing less than a RopeofSilicon.com top ten.
So who didn’t make the cut? Sadly, with so many glorious forays into facial hair there were bound to be some luminaries who didn’t get in. I’ve always been partial to Phil Seymour Hoffman in Almost Famous and Joe Pantoliano in The Matrix but they aren’t the guys you think of first are they? Less obscure ones include Tom Skerritt from Top Gun (but I couldn’t have two from the same flick) and Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July. I disqualified the mustache as part of a larger facial statement (Matthew Broderick, Glory) and full on beards (any movie with Santa Clause). Cary Elwes from The Princess Bride had to go because no list this manly could feature one of the all time girl movies.
Oh, and lest you think that I’m talking about some small niche phenomenon you should know that these films grossed over a billion dollars domestically (and that’s even before adjusting for inflation). So yeah man, the mustache plays. The mustache plays in a very big way.
