A Dud

[moira finnie]

It might be fun for TCM to do a day of films with future stars in early unbilled parts in well-known films. ~markfp

I think that idea would be fun, even though I do vaguely remember TCM doing this for a night once some time ago. I'm not sure if it would be possible to feature future stars in "unbilled parts in well-known films" but certainly it can be fun to see future leads in small parts. Here's a few that I've noticed over time:

Though he'd starred in The Big Trail in 1930, the true trajectory of John Wayne's career path took quite some time to build. Some early, effective appearances in smaller parts are fun to spot:
John Wayne in Baby Face (1933) as one of Barbara Stanwyck's lesser stepping stones. In the Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. boxing film, The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933), Wayne also appears to memorable effect as a very young husband and father trying to box to earn enough cash to get his wife and baby out of the hospital.

Clark Gable is said to be a noticeable extra in silents such as The Plastic Age (1926), and in the early sound era his tough hombre in The Painted Desert (1931) starring William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, and his striking turn as a self-righteous working man who wants nothing to do with bad girl star Constance Bennett in The Easiest Way (1931). The latter film provoked an audience response that may have contributed to his being awarded better parts. His rejection of Bennett is very intense and worth seeing.

Jean Arthur, after first appearing in the John Gilbert movie Cameo Kirby directed by John Ford in 1923, had to wait for the advent of sound, and the polishing of her skills before better parts came her way. Among the more interesting early talkie appearances she made was in The Return of Fu Manchu (1930) and the Great North adventure tale The Silver Horde (1930) before her appeal began to be noticed, especially in another Ford film, The Whole Town's Talking (1935) opposite Edward G. Robinson.

I really like the early appearances of Boris Karloff before Frankenstein made him a star. In retrospect, his performances in supporting roles in the silent starring Lionel Barrymore, The Bells (1926), the Walter Huston vehicle directed by Howard Hawks, The Criminal Code (1931), the marvelous Edward G. Robinson film, Five Star Final (1931) and his memorable early appearance in The Mad Genius (1931), an entertaining if looney pastiche of Svengali with--once again, John Barrymore, were some of the early movies that presaged his exceptional versatility, stamina and talent.

Can anyone else suggest some good early, smaller roles for interesting actors?

[nightwalker]

One film which must surely hold some sort of record for its cast of future stars would be Ensign Pulver (1964). These include Larry Hagman, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, George Lindsey, James Farentino, James Coco, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Dick Gautier, and, according to IMDB, Jerry Orbach (!), which I didn't realize before myself.

Time Limit (1957) for a good, early Martin Balsam role.

Strangler of the Swamp (1946), if you've ever wanted to see Blake Edwards act.

Gone With the Wind and Torrid Zone (1940) for early George Reeves parts.

[pktrekgirl]

Gary Cooper was an unbilled extra in Valentino's The Eagle.

Although it would be hard to spot him unless you knew it was him, because he is wearing a hood that covers his entire face and most of his body.

They ought to do a "Where's Waldo" kind of night for stuff like this where the objective is to spot huge stars in their beginning, early extras roles.