I have said that the movies of the 1930s and 1940s, especially westerns and detective movies, are filled with some of the best Bit Actors and Actresses. Here are some suggestions for the next decade.
There were many transitional films being made in the 1950s. Filmmakers were still using a lot of black and white film to help lower the budget. There was a plethora of WWII movies, as the war ended only five years before. Television was really getting started, and some actors were being drawn to it, while others who started in TV were trying their hand on film.
James Garner (b. 1928) has always been one of my favorite actors. Other blogs will cover him, but let's look at his work from the early days.
Garner started on the 95 tiles he has listed on IMDb in the 1955 - 1956 TV series, "Warner Brothers Presents." That show rotated three story lines and had some regular characters for each story. One of those stories was "Cheyenne" which went on to have it's own series.
His first movie was Toward the Unknown also in 1956, starring William Holden (1918 - 1981), about the early test pilot days of the space program. Look for a six year old Jon Provost (b. 1950) in it, before he landed his major role as Timmy Martin on "Lassie." This was Provost's sixth film after starting his career in acting at age two.
Also in 1956 Garner was in The Girl He Left Behind. Listen to this cast...Tab Hunter (b. 1931), Natalie Wood (1938 - 1981), Jim Backus (1913 - 1989), Henry Jones (1912 - 1999), Alan King (1927 - 2004) and David Janssen (1931 - 1980). There must have been some bit actors as well!
The next year, 1957, Garner was in Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend starring Randolph Scott (1898 - 1987); Bombers B-52 with Natalie Wood, Karl Malden (1912 - 2009) and Ephrem Zimbalist Jr. (b. 1918); and then in Sayonara starring Marlon Brando (1924 - 2004).
In 1958 he gets star billing in Darby's Rangers. In that one we also see Edd "Kooky" Byrnes (b. 1933) who worked with Garner in movies and on TV. Byrnes has 82 titles on IMDb and is a worthy Bit Actor.
Two more films wrap up Garner's work in the 1950s, Lafayette Escadrille (1958) also with Tab Hunter, and including a part for Will Hutchins (b. 1930), TV's "Sugarfoot." Garner is uncredited in Lafayette Escadrille, and then he gets top billing again in Up Periscope in 1959. Up Periscope also includes Edmond O'Brien (1915 - 1985), Alan Hale Jr. (1921 - 1990) before he was ship-wrecked on "Gilligan's Island," and football great Frank Gifford (b. 1930).
That's a lot of good work for one decade, and if you can find the movies, they are all good to watch. Just pay attention to the little parts!
Showing posts with label James Garner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Garner. Show all posts
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Cars and Movies
Well, this is a little later than I usually post. I had to fix the car this morning. It is well into the 80's today, so I was a bit tired after that. It's all fixed so now it will pass inspection. Maybe we should talk about car movies?
The Fast and the Furious, Gone in Sixty Seconds, how about any James Bond film? I just heard that one of the four original Aston Martin DB5s used in the first Bond films is going up for sale at auction in London. The owner paid $12,000 for it a while ago and it is expected to sell for $5 million! Who said not to invest in cars?
Of course, to anyone interested in British cars, The Italian Job (from 1969, not 2003) is one of the best choices, simply because of how it celebrated the Mini. That's the tiny car you usually see in the circus, and a hundred clowns climb out! (I guess Italian circuses use Fiats.) The later version of that movie used the new MINI by BMW, but that one is way too big for Brit car purists.
The best car chase ever filmed is found in Bullitt (1968) starring Steve McQueen. McQueen usually did his own stunt driving. He also drove his motorcycle in The Great Escape, when his stunt driver couldn't do a jump as well as McQueen himself.
Paul Newman was also an incredible driver. Paul was a member of the Sports Car Club of America and he would compete in races frequently. Joanne Woodward would come with him sometimes and just sit in the stands and watch. They were apparently just like regular folk at the races, but I never had a chance to meet them. I was told that Paul would be great to talk to, as long as you treated him like one of the guys. As soon as you started to push him about his movies, he would shut down! I can't blame him for having that attitude. It must be difficult to be so famous. He had a chance to do something normal where he could be accepted as a racer, so he did.
If you get the chance to see Grand Prix (1966) with James Garner, it is worth the time, as long as you are a car nut. The racing is superb. When it was restored, it was shown on the American Movie Classics channel without commercials, and with commentary from Garner. If that is available on a DVD special edition, it would be worth owning. Again, IF you are a car nut! This may be it, but no guarantees, Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Hmmm, no bit actors today, or maybe I am wrong. The cars are the stars and the rest are bit actors! Maybe I'll do better tomorrow. I'll hit the grill to make some dinner, then see what's on TCM!
The Fast and the Furious, Gone in Sixty Seconds, how about any James Bond film? I just heard that one of the four original Aston Martin DB5s used in the first Bond films is going up for sale at auction in London. The owner paid $12,000 for it a while ago and it is expected to sell for $5 million! Who said not to invest in cars?
Of course, to anyone interested in British cars, The Italian Job (from 1969, not 2003) is one of the best choices, simply because of how it celebrated the Mini. That's the tiny car you usually see in the circus, and a hundred clowns climb out! (I guess Italian circuses use Fiats.) The later version of that movie used the new MINI by BMW, but that one is way too big for Brit car purists.
The best car chase ever filmed is found in Bullitt (1968) starring Steve McQueen. McQueen usually did his own stunt driving. He also drove his motorcycle in The Great Escape, when his stunt driver couldn't do a jump as well as McQueen himself.
Paul Newman was also an incredible driver. Paul was a member of the Sports Car Club of America and he would compete in races frequently. Joanne Woodward would come with him sometimes and just sit in the stands and watch. They were apparently just like regular folk at the races, but I never had a chance to meet them. I was told that Paul would be great to talk to, as long as you treated him like one of the guys. As soon as you started to push him about his movies, he would shut down! I can't blame him for having that attitude. It must be difficult to be so famous. He had a chance to do something normal where he could be accepted as a racer, so he did.
If you get the chance to see Grand Prix (1966) with James Garner, it is worth the time, as long as you are a car nut. The racing is superb. When it was restored, it was shown on the American Movie Classics channel without commercials, and with commentary from Garner. If that is available on a DVD special edition, it would be worth owning. Again, IF you are a car nut! This may be it, but no guarantees, Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Hmmm, no bit actors today, or maybe I am wrong. The cars are the stars and the rest are bit actors! Maybe I'll do better tomorrow. I'll hit the grill to make some dinner, then see what's on TCM!
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