Top Ten Box Office Stars of 1966

1. Julie Andrews--Julie had just debuted at # 4 the year before on the strength of MARY POPPINS and jumped right to # 1 after THE SOUND OF MUSIC. In '66 she did Hitchcock's TORN CURTAIN and HAWAII.
2. Sean Connery--Connery was Bond, pure and simple. At this point no one took him seriously as anything else. THUNDERBALL was released at the end of '65 and kept making money all year. A FINE MADNESS came out in '66.
3. Elizabeth Taylor--No doubt this high more to her continuing public notoriety than her most recent film, THE SANDPIPER. In '66 she scored with WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
4. Jack Lemmon--A light comedy actor who would later prove a powerhouse dramatic lead, also, Lemmon had stolen THE GREAT RACE in '65 and first teamed with Walter Matthau in THE FORTUNE COOKIE in '66.
5. Richard Burton--See "Elizabeth Taylor"
6. Cary Grant--a longtime fixture of the list, Grant even made the list in years when he didn't make a film! His last, WALK, DON'T RUN, came out in '66 and this would be his final appearance on the list.
7. John Wayne--On the list every single year between 1950 and 1970, the Duke's '66 movies were, CAST A LONG SHADOW and EL DORADO.
8. Doris Day--Another fixture of the list--often at # 1--this would be Doris's last appearance also. Her '66 film was THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT.
9. Paul Newman--He'd been around a while and yet somehow seemed to represent the new breed on the list. HARPER and TORN CURTAIN were his '66 hits.
10. Elvis Presley--Critics hated his films but his fans, while complaining they were beneath his talent, flocked to see them--including '66's SPINOUT and FRANKIE & JOHNNY.

Via the Annual Quigley Poll