Movies

Scientists say this is the most influential film of all time

“The Wizard of Oz” has been named the most influential movie of all time by scientists.

It topped a ranking system using algorithms to work out a film’s impact, rather than relying on box office sales.

The 1939 classic got the highest “influence score” based on how many times it was referenced in subsequent movies.

It was followed by “Star Wars,” “Psycho” and the original “King Kong,” made in 1933.

Experts at the University of Turin, Italy, looked at 47,000 films listed in IMDb, the internet movie database.

The “Wizard of Oz” was nominated for four Oscars in 1940, and won two. It was beaten to the Best Picture gong by “Gone With The Wind,” which came 19th on the scientists’ list.

All films in the top 20 were produced before 1980 and mostly in the United States, the scientists said.

When applied to actors, the same analysis ranked Samuel L. Jackson, Clint Eastwood and Tom Cruise as the top three. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford and Johnny Depp also featured in the top 20.

There was only one woman in the top 10 – Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies.

Dr. Livio Bioglio, lead author of the study, said: “The scores of top-ranked actresses tend to be lower compared to their male colleagues.

“The only exceptions were musical movies, where results show moderate gender equality, and movies produced in Sweden, where actresses ranked better when compared to actors.”