gomarx Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I could not help but notice how many classic movie actors evetually went to TV roles. Most were in TV during the 60s and 70s. But the closest to "A" list movie stars to "A" list TV stars are rare.I say Lucille Ball and Red Skelton were closest. A friend said there could still be a short A list that lasted briefly. Like Ernest Borgnine. Hot for a couple of years in the 50s and A list with Mchales Navy. He also pointed out Grouch Marx and Dean Martin. I guess my question is who do you think made that transition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzcutter Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Gomarx, As their film careers waned, many of the classic era stars found steady employment on television. Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and many others starred on westerns like *The Virginian* . Lee J Cobb and Charles Bickford were both owners of the Shiloh Ranch. Young actors like Lee Marvin, Sheree North, Robert Redford, Strother Martin, LQ Jones and many others cut their acting teeth on the show. Many other A and B list stars guest-starred on *Gunsmoke* and countless other westerns and dramas. Miss Barbara Stanwyck starred as the lead in *Big Valley* Robert Young was *Marcus Welby, MD* EG Marshall starred in *The Bold Ones* Richard Boone was Paladin and *Hec Ramsey*. Everybody tried to do *Hallmark Hall of Fame* plays. Henry Fonda was in the TV-movie *Madigan* with Richard Widmark and then Fonda had his own series for a short while. Bette Davis did a couple of made for television movies including one with Lillian Gish. Television allowed them to keep working at a time when film work was few and far between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molo14 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I'm not sure about the A list part. I mean a lot of people would argue that Lucille Ball wasn't an A list movie star, despite her long career, until after she became an A list TV star. I think maybe Loretta Young who had a long running television show. Also Doris Day. I'm not sure of others maybe Walter Brennan, he had a hit western but he was a supporting actor, although a great one. Boris Karloff hosted the Thriller series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamradio Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Walter Brennan was known as Grandpa Amos McCoy in the TV sitcom, "The Real McCoys" which also starred Richard Crenna who became a very good movie star i.e. in "First Blood". The sitcom is considered country. The last sitcom I remembered Richard Crenna in was in the very short lived 1970's "Alls Fair" which didn't caught on. It also starred Bernadette Peters. It was a type of story that "opposites attract". Richard was an older conservative man and Bernadette was a very young liberated woman. It was good in my opinion but the critics hated it. Bernadette Peters went on to make movies i.e. "The Jerk". Message was edited by: hamradio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Robert Cummings had his own TV show and he was in many other TV shows. Robert Young and Jane Wyatt were in 57 episodes of ?Father Knows Best?. James Arness did better on TV than in the movies. Everett Sloane was in a lot of TV shows. J. Carrol Naish made a lot of movies then he made a lot of TV shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomarx Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Actually I remember a War movie that starred Martin Milner, Jack Webb and Richard Boone that made me think of their shows when I was younger. Have Gun Will Travel, Adam-12 and Dragnet. And how coincidental that was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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