Top 5 Glasses in the Movies

Top 5 Glasses in the Movies

1.    Clark Kent - OK, we know him better as Superman but probably the single most iconic wear of spectacles has to be his alter-ego. The mild-mannered reporter, most notably played by the late great Christopher Reeve and is soon to be brought to life again by British actor Henry Cavill, uses his glasses primarily as a disguise. Let’s face it - without the glasses and the kiss curl, Clark doesn’t have much to hide behind.

Movie: Superman (1978)

2.    The Terminator - Arnold Schwarzenegger took wearing sunglasses to new levels when he appeared as the robot assassin from the future in James Cameron’s sci-fi classic. All three films starring the Austrian body-builder-turned-actor have featured the now iconic Gargoyle-branded wrap-around sunglasses. Would the movie had the same impact if Arnie had uttered the immortal lines “I’ll be back” without the glasses - we think not? The sunglasses even became a sight gag in subsequent Terminator movies.

Movie: The Terminator (1984)

3.    Woody Allen. The comedy writer turned actor turned director is rarely seen without donning a pair of his trademark frames, but while it is easy to think that he wears the same style glasses in every movie he’s appeared in, the case is of the contrary. In his later films and those set in various time periods he is known to don frames that match the historical milieu.

Movie: What’s New Pussycat? (1965)

4.    Sir Michael Caine. Our very own Sir Michael was synonymous with wearing thick-rimmed tortoiseshell frames during the sixties. The classic Caine look, with him appearing as down-to-earth spy Harry Palmer, is rounded off nicely with a pair of spectacles making him the first action hero to sport them. As Caine was myopic in real life, it wasn’t a fashion statement but a necessity. Depending who you listen to the glasses he wore for the Harry Palmer movies were either “Teviot 74” manufactured by a company called UK Optical or they were made by Curry & Paxton of London.

Movie: The Ipcress File (1965)

5.    Harold Lloyd. No one has brought more thrills and spills to the big screen in a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. OK - Lloyd may have been overshadowed by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, but when it came to genuine acrobatic stunts and clever use of optical trickery, Lloyd was in a league of his own and even though the spectacles had no glass in them, they were an essential part of the on-screen persona with Lloyd himself not requiring corrective lenses until he was well into his sixties.

Movie: Safety Last (1923)

Notable Mention: Ray Bans

The Ray Ban brand of sunglasses have become synonymous with cool characters in movies or those rebels who skirt around the edges of society. The Ray Ban Wayfarer has been adopted by movie stars such as Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise whilst the classic Aviator style of glasses has made appearances in movies such as Top Gun (which increased sales by 40% in the seven months after the film was released) and To Live and Die in L.A.

Darren currently uses direct sight to shop for his glasses direct online.