Stars of other media who didn't quite make it on television

[RicoGregg]

"Blondie" just never measured up to the comic strip (Get the gag over in four panels.) because it wasn't the comic strip. 'Twas a very awkward show that left the viewer uncomfortable.

Maybe if the comic strip was a continuing story.......

I'd disagree with that assessment if you're including the Penny Singleton movies, which consisted of 28 theatrical releases between 1938 and 1950, with a 2 year break during WW2. I discovered them as a kid on TV in the 1960s, and thought they were funny and clever - definitely in the "B" movie genre, but entertaining. I haven't seen them in 40 years, though - perhaps I'd feel differently now.

According to Wikipedia, a number of up-and-coming stars made guest appearances, including Rita Hayworth, Shemp Howard, and Lloyd Bridges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_(film)

As far as I can remember, I've only seen one Blondie film: "Blondie Goes to College", 1942. It's on my personal list of comedies that are NOT funny. In a word, I found it unwatchable. In today's show biz environment, it would not even rate a pitch meeting. I'm just guessing that the other 27 Blondie movies are along those same quality lines.

What was so bad about BGTC? A quick synopsis: (SPOILER ALERT)

Mr. Dithers somehow, and for some reason, convinces Dagwood to go to college. Blondie decides to do likewise. Before enrolling, again for some reason, Blondie & Dagwood decide not to tell anyone that they're married, and Mrs. Bumstead will enroll under her maiden name of Smith.

Once enrolled, Dagwood bumbles & stumbles his way along, and the BMOC, the star football player, played by the capable Larry Parks who deserved better, starts courting Blondie. The rest of the movie is spent with Dagwood trying to win his own wife back! The movie ends with the football star STILL not knowing that they're married, only with some coeds giggling at him and the story intimating that he's about to be told. The producers and writers couldn't even give you the "satisfaction" of seeing the shocked look on Parks' face when he finds out that his heart's desire is already married to his nemesis.

Not exactly Oscar-caliber stuff. This film was the reason I didn't see any other Blondie films. I figured that if you've seen one Blondie film....

 

[trusty]

"Blondie" just never measured up to the comic strip (Get the gag over in four panels.) because it wasn't the comic strip. 'Twas a very awkward show that left the viewer uncomfortable.

Maybe if the comic strip was a continuing story.......

I'd disagree with that assessment if you're including the Penny Singleton movies, which consisted of 28 theatrical releases between 1938 and 1950, with a 2 year break during WW2.

Nope. Just the TV show.

 

[KeithE4]

According to Wikipedia, a number of up-and-coming stars made guest appearances, including Rita Hayworth, Shemp Howard, and Lloyd Bridges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_(film)

Shemp Howard wasn't a big star in the '30s & '40s, prior to rejoining the Three Stooges in 1946, but he wasn't "up-and-coming" either. He was already a successful comic supporting actor by then, and had been since leaving the Stooges (then working for Ted Healy) in 1932.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Just thought of a random example: Dennis Hopper co-starred in the military drama "E-Ring", which IIRC didn't even make a full season on NBC.

 

[LKellerIII]

Just thought of a random example: Dennis Hopper co-starred in the military drama "E-Ring", which IIRC didn't even make a full season on NBC.

While Dennis Hopper had never starred in a TV show until E-Ring, he's hardly been a stranger to the medium. As a young man in the early 60s, he guest-starred on a lot of TV dramas - Gunsmoke and Bonanza, among others. Since the early 90s, he's turned to TV quite a bit again for guest-shots, appearances on talk-shows, and even a few commercials.


http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000454/filmokey

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000454/

 

[mleach]

"Blondie" just never measured up to the comic strip (Get the gag over in four panels.) because it wasn't the comic strip. 'Twas a very awkward show that left the viewer uncomfortable.

Maybe if the comic strip was a continuing story.......

I'd disagree with that assessment if you're including the Penny Singleton movies, which consisted of 28 theatrical releases between 1938 and 1950, with a 2 year break during WW2. I discovered them as a kid on TV in the 1960s, and thought they were funny and clever - definitely in the "B" movie genre, but entertaining. I haven't seen them in 40 years, though - perhaps I'd feel differently now.

According to Wikipedia, a number of up-and-coming stars made guest appearances, including Rita Hayworth, Shemp Howard, and Lloyd Bridges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_(film)

The last time I saw Blondie ( the Singleton/Lake movies ) on TV was back in 1995 ( maybe it was 96 ) when AMC did a Blondie marathon. Shortly after that I do remember AMC did recieve some complaints about the dated content of the flicks such as...

*In one movie Dagwood ( Arthur Lake ) had to get permisson from Dithers to take a vacation. Not so much getting the time off but the fact that Dag had to get his boss' OK on visiting the town he was planning to go as well. Sounds very weird now but back in those days you really were "married" to your employer. If your boss didn't want you to visit New Orleans ( for example ) guess what? You would not be going to New Orleans. That is if you wanted to keep your job. Some old timers over the years have told me abut things like this about the working conditions back in those days and everytime my jaw drops.

and it was the way Blacks were shown in those movies who for many, well they found offensive such as the "broken English" spoken by the Black characters or the one scene from the first batch of flicks that had Dagwood chewing out Baby Dumpling because Baby tried talking to a Black man. Dagwood said "..those people are only good at cleaning houses". I am actually surprised AMC didn't cut out that scene.

 

[Ultimajock]

Just thought of a random example: Dennis Hopper co-starred in the military drama "E-Ring", which IIRC didn't even make a full season on NBC.

While Dennis Hopper had never starred in a TV show until E-Ring, he's hardly been a stranger to the medium. As a young man in the early 60s, he guest-starred on a lot of TV dramas - Gunsmoke and Bonanza, among others.

...in fact, didn't he recieve an Emmy nomination for his appearance on Medic?...

 

[LKellerIII]

Just thought of a random example: Dennis Hopper co-starred in the military drama "E-Ring", which IIRC didn't even make a full season on NBC.

While Dennis Hopper had never starred in a TV show until E-Ring, he's hardly been a stranger to the medium. As a young man in the early 60s, he guest-starred on a lot of TV dramas - Gunsmoke and Bonanza, among others.

...in fact, didn't he recieve an Emmy nomination for his appearance on Medic?...

According to Wikipedia, that Medic episode was his acting debut, though it doesn't mention Emmy. I saw his Bonanza episode a couple of years ago - he played a young cowboy with a hair-trigger temper. It was the kind of "psychological" character portrayal that TV dramas liked to do in those days - rather dated and simplistic by today's standards. The viewer is supposed to wonder if the character will end up being a good guy or a bad guy. After the plot plays out, and the character "learns his lesson" in some way, he ends up being a good guy...and if he's lucky, he gets the girl in the end, too.

Hopper probably played that same basic "angst" ridden character part on TV at least a few times in those days.

 

[Braves2005]

Jack Nicholson guest starred on The Andy Griffith Show twice, once as the father of an infant that Opie and Arnold found and then as a juror in a trial that Aunt Bee presided over.

I remember Dennis Hopper guest starring on The Fugitive and Richard Dreyfuss played a student on Room 222.

And I'll add Kurt Russell to the list of people who became movie actors who failed with a series of his own with The Travels Of Jamie MacPheeters in 1963-1964 on ABC. He also guest starred on The Fugitive as the son of Lieutenant Gerard.

 

[trusty]

Wasn't Jerry Van Dyke a stand-up comic before he got saddled with My Mother the Car?

 

[LKellerIII]

Wasn't Jerry Van Dyke a stand-up comic before he got saddled with My Mother the Car?

Yes, he was, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and similar venues early in his career. If I remember correctly, he played a banjo for awhile - sort of as a prop to accompany his stand up act. But I'm not sure he fits this topic. Despite his rather unexceptional level of talent (IMO), he's made a good living off TV comedy/drama guest appearances, and as a regular on Coach for a few years in the 90s. He apparently appeared in an episode of My Name is Earl this year.

 

[mleach]

Wasn't Jerry Van Dyke a stand-up comic before he got saddled with My Mother the Car?

Yes, he was, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and similar venues early in his career. If I remember correctly, he played a banjo for awhile - sort of as a prop to accompany his stand up act. But I'm not sure he fits this topic. Despite his rather unexceptional level of talent (IMO), he's made a good living off TV comedy/drama guest appearances, and as a regular on Coach for a few years in the 90s. He apparently appeared in an episode of My Name is Earl this year.

Jerry Van Dyke for many years made a darn good living from...Hershey Chocolate ! ! For the longest time he was the spokesman for Hersheypark Amusement Park. One ad featured the line "Hersheypark...more fun than a bucket of Jerrys" with multiple shots of Jerry Van Dyke in buckets. The ads were corny but they worked as Hersheypark is today Pennsylvania's top amusement park. Come to think of it I think Jerry still does shows every once in awhile at Hersheypark.

 

[LKellerIII]

Wasn't Jerry Van Dyke a stand-up comic before he got saddled with My Mother the Car?

Yes, he was, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and similar venues early in his career. If I remember correctly, he played a banjo for awhile - sort of as a prop to accompany his stand up act. But I'm not sure he fits this topic. Despite his rather unexceptional level of talent (IMO), he's made a good living off TV comedy/drama guest appearances, and as a regular on Coach for a few years in the 90s. He apparently appeared in an episode of My Name is Earl this year.

Jerry Van Dyke for many years made a darn good living from...Hershey Chocolate ! ! For the longest time he was the spokesman for Hersheypark Amusement Park. One ad featured the line "Hersheypark...more fun than a bucket of Jerrys" with multiple shots of Jerry Van Dyke in buckets. The ads were corny but they worked as Hersheypark is today Pennsylvania's top amusement park. Come to think of it I think Jerry still does shows every once in awhile at Hersheypark.

Jerry Van Dyke was also the commercial spokesperson for the Big! Lots! chain of stores for a couple of years, recently. I'm not sure if it's a national chain, or just West Coast.

 

[azumanga]

Jerry Van Dyke was also the commercial spokesperson for the Big! Lots! chain of stores for a couple of years, recently. I'm not sure if it's a national chain, or just West Coast.

It's national -- there are locations here in Florida, and noticed some in Michigan and New York State. And yes, I saw the ads too.

 

[mleach]

Jerry Van Dyke was also the commercial spokesperson for the Big! Lots! chain of stores for a couple of years, recently. I'm not sure if it's a national chain, or just West Coast.

It's national -- there are locations here in Florida, and noticed some in Michigan and New York State. And yes, I saw the ads too.

Big Lots is also in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Denver so they are indeed national but I think the chain goes by a different name in a few places. I wonder if Jerry's ads for Big Lots aired in Pennsylvania or at least the markets that aired his Hersheypark ads? Come to think of it I do remember seeing Jerry's Big Lots ads on TV in Baltimore and that city is within Hersheypark's market so maybe both ads did air.

 

[bpatrick]

Not really fair to say that Jerry was a star of
other media. He got his break doing a local
show in Terre Haute, just as brother Dick did
in Atlanta. Jerry may have played the nightclub
circuit, but I'm not sure he was a star. BTW, he
had two flops before "My Mother The Car": the
1963 game show "Picture This" (Jack Benny's
summer replacement that year), and as a regular
on Judy Garland's show that same year. He was
supposed to be her "teacher in TV technique," but
his standard line was, "What's an old lady like you
doing on television?" Needless to say, Judy's fans
didn't like that very much, and he was soon canned.

Jerry's like Tim Conway and a few others who are
no longer with us, like Don Knotts and Tom Poston:
great second banana, lousy star.

 

[Newname]

How close did Jerry Van Dyke really get to playing the deputy/costar on 'The Andy Griffith Show'?
I've read he lost out to Don Knotts before the show started. Then, in '65, with Knotts on the way out, there was the famous 'Banjo-Playing Deputy' episode, ending with Andy seemingly hiring Van Dyke's character. So, was Van Dyke being considered to replace Knotts before 'My Mother, the Car'?(oy! ;D)

 

[mleach]

Jerry's like Tim Conway and a few others who are
no longer with us, like Don Knotts and Tom Poston:
great second banana, lousy star.

More/less the same thing can be said about Larry Storch. The biggest role he ever had was playing second banana to Forrest Tucker on F-Troop ( and to a much lesser degree on the 70s kids show Ghostbusters ). Those and doing voice-overs for cartoons.

Storch back in the early 50's had his own variety show on DuMont (?) but it wasn't a success. I assume being on DuMont didnt help. Storch was in the late 60s sitcom..The Queen and I..but that flopped.

Over the years Storch did a little bit of everything from being a guest star on various shows ( From Car 54 to Married..With Children ), some records, on the stage and even tried his hand at being a star in HORROR flicks in the early 80s. The latter..I bet chances are Storch would like people to forget.