Bill Hopper obviously had all the trademarks to become a genuine "movie star". From what I've heard, though, that was a career he never really took to. Seems like he was a pretty down-to-earth fella.
And Orson Welles -- could we perhaps regard him (in a slightly less expansive way) as the Steven Spielberg of his day? The man truly was a genius.
Yeah, Joe, it's tragic to see how Tierney completely changed in appearance in later years. Watching some of those latter-day and TV shows movies it's difficult to believe the bald, bloated fat man with the growl for a voice could have at one time been handsome movie star Larry Tierney.
Actually, brother Scott didn't fare much better . . . but at least he kept his hair.
Erik, in the 1960s my niece Annie won a spot with other girls to join Troy Donahue for Thanksgiving dinner in New York City. Needless to say she was on cloud 9 and still has memorabilia from the event.
Triangle: Franchot Tone, Barbara Payton and birthday boy Tom Neal
In 1951, in a dispute over the on-again / off-again affections and the wavering allegiance of notorious actress / "party girl" Barbara Payton, he mixed it up with Payton's paramour, the aristocratic actor Franchot Tone. The former college boxer Neal inflicted upon Tone a smashed cheekbone, a broken nose and a brain concussion. Hollywood essentially blackballed Neal thereafter, but he would come to find a livelihood in gardening and landscaping.
I remember this scandal with Barbara playing both guys off each other.
She ended up marrying Franchot Tone but not for long and then ran off with Tom Neal... I think she was being given the 'big build-up' a la Marilyn Monroe; but afrter all this she was dropped fast and never amounted to anything.
Another guy she was involved with was Guy Madison and I think that hurt him too. I felt badly for Guy because I liked him as a film star...
And then in 1951, we had the Walter Wanger / Joan Bennett / Jennings Lang shooting!!!
Yes folks, even the classic scandals were better than todays - stupid Madonnas, repulsive Kanye & Kardasians, Rianna and what's his untalented name, and that little puke, Beiber....
Oh for the good old, bad old days....