Hank Worden

Here is an actor, or should I say a Bit Actor, who has added a lot to the enjoyment of many over a career that spans 1935 to 1991. Hank Worden (1901 - 1992) has 212 titles listed on IMDb. Have you heard of him?

I recently was channel surfing and bumped in The Searchers (1956) already in progress. John Wayne had just arrived at the cabin and the Rev. Captain Clayton, played by Ward Bond (1903 - 1960), was signing up recruits for the coming Indian battle. Among his group was a fellow who appeared to be just a bit 'touched.' It was Hank, playing Mose Harper. Now do you remember him?

Hank was a real cowboy, raised on a ranch in Montana. He worked in the rodeo with Tex Ritter (1905 - 1974) and handled all sorts of odd jobs before his acting began. He was everything from a taxi driver to a trail hand, with some acting on the side.

In the early part of his career he played in many B westerns, including a dozen with Tex. He was basically an extra, playing henchman, barfly, deputy, or ranch hand.

1939 would be his most important year. Stagecoach would bring Hank a job as a cavalryman in the movie, but it would also be the start of a friendship with John Wayne and director John Ford.

Hank worked with Gene Autry in several 1940 films, but up until the early 1940s, his roles were almost all uncredited. Of course, in the era before actor's rights, most of the smaller parts did not receive screen credit.

All of his work wasn't in westerns. As the 1940s progressed, he got parts in So Proudly We Hail (1943), Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945), The Bullfighters (1945 with Laurel and Hardy) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947). But that was just work.

During the same period, he shows up in A Lady Takes a Chance (1943), Angel and the Badman (1947), 3 Godfathers (1948), Fort Apache (1948), Red River (1948) and The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) all with John Wayne.

After The Searchers in 1956, look for Hank in a much more important role as the town simpleton in The Quiet Gun (1957) starring Forrest Tucker (1919 - 1986) and Lee Van Cleef (1925 - 1989). This is the kind of film to watch for in Encore Westerns.

The 1950s also brought television and all those wonderful TV western series'. Hank took advantage of them, appearing first in "The Lone Ranger" and then in many other shows. He was seen an a few Walt Disney productions on TV and also in Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).

Worden plays the parson in The Alamo (1960) again with The Duke, the doc in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) with Marlon Brando, and an undertaker in The Music Man (1962). He does more work with Wayne in McLintock! (1963), True Grit (1969), Rio Lobo and Chisum in 1970, Big Jake (1971), and Cahill U.S. Marshal (1972). In all, he made 17 films with Wayne and eight with John Ford.

John Wayne only made four more films after Cahill. Hank had appeared in a couple episodes of "Rawhide" so he must have hooked up with Clint Eastwood (b. 1930) that way. Worden was in Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and Bronco Billy (1980) with Eastwood.

For a change of pace, try Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978). Hank was one of the Old band members. Some of Hank's final movies are not worth talking about. Please Don't Eat the Babies (1983) and Space Rage (1985) lead the list of Worden films to avoid.

Hank finishes his acting on television in "Cop Rock" and "Twin Peaks" in 1990 - 1991. He had won no awards during his long career, but remember him for his westerns. I am sure he would have wanted it that way.

Denis Lawson - Star Wars and Other Stuff

Do you remember Denis Lawson (b. 1947)? He is a Scot who appeared in the first three releases of the original Star Wars trilogy, episodes IV, V and VI, where his name was misspelled as Dennis in the first two.

Acting must run in his family. His sister is producer Carol McGregor, who is the mother of Ewan McGregor (b. 1971) who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first three episodes of the Star Wars story.

Lawson does not have many movies in his filmography, which is a shame. He is talented and handsome, and would do well in America if he had more exposure. But, perhaps that is not what he is after. He is very well known in Great Britain, as a stage and television actor, and a comedian.

Of course, I first saw him as Wedge Antilles in Star Wars, Episode IV (1977). He was the leader of the Red Squadron that helped destroy the Death Star. He would play the same part in the next three S.W. releases, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Later, in 2001, he voiced Wedge for a video game.

His first film, Providence, was released the same year as Star Wars and starred Sir John Gielgud (1904 - 2000). It also included Ellen Burstyn (b. 1931), Dirk Bogarde (1921 - 1999) and David Warner (b. 1941).

I first noticed Denis in Local Hero (1983), which starred Burt Lancaster (1913 - 1994) and Peter Riegert (b. 1947). That was an interesting film, made in Scotland about a rich oil man, Lancaster, who wants to buy an entire town. Riegert is sent to Scotland to handle the negotiations. Lawson plays the hotel/pub owner who acts as the spokesperson for the town and authors a good deal for everyone. The magic happens as Riegert is taken in by the quaint location and the quirky nature of everyone he meets.

The Star Wars Trilogy was by far the biggest thing Lawson was a part of, but his part was so small, he was difficult to notice. There was just too much going on. You become aware of these details after viewing the films three or more times, unless you are specifically looking for someone and know where to look.

Most of Denis' work has been on British television and in films made specifically for British or European audiences. If you have access to BBC America on cable or FiOS, you can probably catch him in some of the series' such as "Robin Hood" or "Bleak House." It seems that BBC America isn't showing much other than "Top Gear" these days, but they throw other things in from time to time.

In 2011, Denis got to work with nephew Ewan McGregor in a British movie called Perfect Sense. I haven't seen it, but from all the movies listed on Denis Lawson's filmography, this one seems to be most interesting. In fact, every movie Lawson was in has received very good ratings on IMDb. That's a tribute to his skill, not only in acting, but in choosing quality projects.

Perfect Sense also stars Eva Green (b. 1980) who has only 13 titles listed, but one of them was a prime role in Casino Royale (2006).

Denis Lawson may only be a Bit Actor in Hollywood, but he is one more reason to wish I were British!

Rance and Clint Howard

Here is a father and son team of Bit Actors with a huge combined filmography. Rance Howard (b. 1928) has 247 titles on IMDb, and son Clint Howard (b. 1959) has 215. Of course they worked together many times. Let's take a look.

Rance's first movie was Frontier Woman (1956) about Polly Crockett, daughter of Davy Crockett. Not a movie to rush out and buy. He makes a few appearances on television and then has an uncredited role in The Music Man (1962). More television work followed, including a few appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show" which is good for any career. Then he makes a truly terrible movie, Village of the Giants (1965) starring Tommy Kirk (b. 1941) and Johnny Crawford (b. 1946). 


1967 was a good year for Rance. He appeared in Cool Hand Luke (uncredited), but he also had a role in Gentle Giant starring Dennis Weaver and Clint Howard. It was the story of a huge bear and a little boy, which would be the inspiration for "Gentle Ben" on TV. That series starred Weaver and Clint, and Rance had a recurring role. 

Rance has a few roles on "Rod Serling's Night Gallery," "Bonanza," "Kung Fu," "Gunsmoke," and the like, and a small role in Chinatown (1974) with Jack Nicholson. In that same period he appears a few times on "The Waltons" as Dr. McIvers. In 1976 and 1977 he makes a brace of car movies, Eat My Dust and Grand Theft Auto.

Rance's career is mixed with television and movies. Some hits and some misses, but usually working. He shows up in Splash (1984), Cocoon (1985), The 'Burbs and Parenthood both in 1989. Some of his better films, though not big parts, were Apollo 13 (1995), Independence Day (1996) and A Beautiful Mind (2001). He continues to work now, well into his 80s.

Clint started as a child actor at age 4 on television. He also appeared in a few "The Andy Griffith Show" episodes, and quickly found a regular gig on "The Baileys of Balboa" with a quirky cast including John Dehner (1915 - 1992), Paul Ford (1901 - 1976) and Sterling Holloway (1905 - 1992).

Many "Star Trek" fans will recognize him as Balok from a 1966 (1st year) episode called "The Corbomite Maneuver." He was 7 at the time and had his voice dubbed. After Gentle Giant and "Gentle Ben" he continued on many TV shows until his next series, "The Cowboys" based on the 1972 John Wayne film by the same name.

Clint appeared with dad in Eat My Dust and Grand Theft Auto. As he got older, he gravitated toward parts in horror films. Well, somebody has to make them.

After appearing in Gung Ho (1986) with Michael Keaton, he gets a spot in "Gung Ho" on TV for it's only season of nine episodes. Small roles follow in Tango & Cash (1989), The Rocketeer (1991) and Far and Away (1992).

In 1995 he stars in a comedy/horror film Ice Cream Man, and has roles in a rom/com Forget Paris with Billy Crystal and Debra Winger, a gangster film Dillinger and Capone with Martin Sheen, a Tom Hanks drama Apollo 13, and a thriller called Twisted Love that nobody remembers. In 1998 he has a small role in the Paul Newman film Twilight, and in 2002 he plays Whobris in How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Quite a varied career.

There is quite a bit more work to see from Clint and Rance. Clint has only won a single award so far, for Lifetime Achievement at the MTV Movie Awards. Rance also won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asheville Film Festival in 2004, and was nominated for one Emmy Award in 1982. And that's it.

Oh, and one more fact about this family. Super celebrity director/actor Ron Howard (b. 1954) is Rance's other son and Clint's older brother. That would make an acting career with what amounts to very little recognition, a little easier to handle. Don't they all look alike?

B4 They Were Stars - Leonard Nimoy

I am hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew today. I have chosen to write about the early career of one of the most well known actors in Trekdom. Leonard Nimoy (b. 1931) was, at one time, a Bit Actor.

Nimoy started acting in children's theater in Boston. His first screen appearance, according to the all-knowing IMDb, was in Queen for a Day (1951). Queen was a movie based on a radio program called "Queen for Today" and would eventually become television's "Queen for a Day" that ran from 1956 to 1964, hosted by Jack Bailey (1907 - 1980). I know I was a weird kid, but I used to watch it. They would pick a woman (usually an older woman) out of the audience and honor her with wonderful gifts like a new washer and dryer. She got to sit on a throne with a cape, tiara and a bunch of roses...tears of happiness flowing! What fun!

Also in 1951, you can find Nimoy in Rhubarb, a movie about a cat that inherits a baseball team. I haven't seen Rhubarb, but with Ray Milland, Gene Lockhart and William Frawley in it, it can't be too bad. The next year we see Nimoy in the title role of Kid Monk Baroni, another movie I haven't seen. This one includes Bruce Cabot (1904 - 1972), veteran Bit Actor and star of King Kong (1933).

No one could argue that 1965 wasn't THE golden year for Leonard Nimoy (when he became Mr. Spock in the pilot for "Star Trek"), but 1952 was a good one as well. After he played Kid Monk, he was cast in the serial, Zombies of the Stratosphere. What a cool title. And it was 12 chapters, ample time to hone your career as a space traveler/actor.

Next look for Nimoy in the third installment with the famous talking mule called Francis Goes to West Point (1952) with Donald O'Connor. In Old Overland Trail (1953), Nimoy plays a Native American chief, and a bad guy. This was a Rex Allen (1920 - 1999) film and the first time we see Nimoy in the red man's makeup.

Let's stick with his movies before we talk about television. Nimoy plays a military man in Them! (1954). I don't remember what happens to him, but I hope the ants didn't kill him. From zombies to giant ants, and in his next film he gets to work with parasites from the center of the Earth. The Brain Eaters (1958) was not as good as Them! 


Leonard only made two more films before reaching the stars in 1966. The artsy Shelley Winters, Peter Falk film, The Balcony (1963), and the forgettable Deathwatch (1966). Both were adaptations from Jean Genet (1910 - 1986) plays, so I suspect it was Nimoy's intellect that caused him to take the parts. Or perhaps he was connected to the author in some way. I don't really know. These films are a far cry from zombies, ants and brain eaters.

In the early 1950s, Leonard started working on the small screen in a big way, first appearing in teleplays like "Four Star Playhouse" and "Fireside Theatre." You can find him in many of the early series' such as "Navy Log," "Broken Arrow," "West Point," " and "Highway Patrol." He worked in many westerns as well, "Cimarron City," "The Rough Riders," "Colt .45," and "Tombstone Territory," sometimes as a Native American.

I wonder if he knew Lloyd Bridges well. He appeared at least eight times on "Sea Hunt" but not in a regular role or as the same character. He also shows up multiple times on "Wagon Train" as Hispanic and Native American characters. Could it be the ears?

He has a single appearance on "The Twilight Zone" and shows up on "The Untouchables," "Perry Mason," "Dr. Kildare," and two episodes of "The Outer Limits." Multiple appearances on "Kraft Suspense Theatre," "The Virginian," "Combat," and "Gunsmoke" made him ready to take on the galaxy in "Star Trek."

I suspect that his television work did more than his movie experience to help prepare him for the variety of situations he had to portray as Mr. Spock. When you throw alien worlds into your everyday life, almost anything can happen.

Leonard is now 81 years old, and he is still working to some extent. He does some voice work, and I am sure he would still take the right part for TV or a movie if it came along. I was 16 years old when "Star Trek" debuted, and Mr. Spock affected me as he did so many others at that time. I have been a lifelong Trekker, mostly because of Leonard Nimoy rather than William Shatner. So Mr. Spock...live long and prosper.

Cheerio Meredith

Now there's a name for a Bit Actress...Cheerio Meredith (1890 - 1964). Cheerio started acting on the stage, but moved into film in 1944. Her career on the screen lasted 20 more years.

Of her 51 titles on IMDb, only ten were motion pictures, the rest of her work on the screen was in television, which she did well. Her first two movies, A Fig Leaf for Eve (1944) and The Fat Man (1951) were forgettable films where she had small roles. But in 1955 she became a regular on "The Ames Brothers Show" and that would have been enough to start a TV career. You will recognize her because she was almost always the 'old lady,' the 'landlady,' or aunt something.

Cheerio had appearances on many of the early shows in the 1950s. She was on "Studio 57," "Father Knows Best," "The Millionaire," and even had a guest spot on "The Johnny Carson Show" in 1955, long before he reinvented "The Tonight Show" in 1962.

She continued working through the late 1950s in -
"The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin"
"The Adventures of Jim Bowie"
"The Gale Storm Show"
"December Bride"
"77 Sunset Strip"
"The Jack Benny Program"
"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet"

Plus, she appeared in a small role in Gidget (1959) as the nosy woman.

And into the 1960s in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" and "Pete and Gladys." Finally, another regular spot on "One Happy Family" that only lasted one happy season. She also had a recurring role as Emma (either Emma Brand or Emma Watson) on "The Andy Griffith Show."


In 1962 she plays an old maid in a toothpaste commercial in The Three Stooges in Orbit. Sorry, but after  Moe Howard (1897 - 1975) hit 65 years old, the Three Stooges went downhill fast. Larry Fine (1902 - 1975) was also 60 years old, and we won't talk about Joe DiRita (1909 - 1993).


More wonderful TV guests spots for Cheerio in the mid 1960s -
"The Donna Reed Show"
"Hawaiian Eye"
"McHale's Navy"
"Petticoat Junction"
"Burke's Law"
"The Dick Van Dyke Show"

In fact, she was on both of my all time favorite television shows with Andy Griffith (b. 1926) and Dick Van Dyke (b. 1925). It doesn't get any better than that.

The final film for Cheerio Meredith was Sex and the Single Girl in 1964. Look for her near the end of the film, in the chase scene. She is seated next to Burt Mustin (1884 - 1977) in an antique car. Cheerio died the same day Sex and the Single Girl was released, December 25, 1964.

Spring Byington

One of my favorite early TV actresses was Spring Byington (1886 - 1971). I have no idea why, but I watched "December Bride" on TV as a child. That show was on from 1954 to 1959. Like Eve Arden, maybe it was Spring's voice and mannerism that attracted me.

I shan't (there's a word I don't use very often) give you her complete biography or details of her early career. She has a very good biography on IMDb if you are interested. But Spring wanted to be an actress starting in high school, and she made her dream come true.

After some success on Broadway, she was signed by RKO to play Marmee in Little Women (1933), starring Katharine Hepburn. Early on, she was cast into roles that would focus on her maternal character. But she showed strength and a great sense of humor, not to mention her comedic talent, in whatever she did.

In 1935 she has parts in the Charles Laughton, Clark Gable version of Mutiny on the Bounty, and for a change of pace, Ah, Wilderness! starring Wallace Beery and Lionel Barrymore. She would make five films with Barrymore.

Ah, Wilderness! was also the start of her work with Jed Prouty (1879 - 1956). Jed only had a small part in that film, but in 1936 Back to Nature was made. It was the start of 16 films about the adventures of the Jones Family. In that era, a whole series could be made about the most mundane happenings, and the movie going public ate it up. Here is the story line for Back to Nature from IMDb -

The Jones family goes to a convention traveling in a trailer. The oldest daughter gets involved with a convict, the oldest son has a love affair, and the youngest son gets into photography. Written by Ed Stephan  

Not exactly a film you would see Angelina Jolie in these days. The Jones series lasted until 1940, and it helped Spring become a minor star, and certainly a known commodity in Hollywood. I know nothing about Jed Prouty, but he may become a topic for a later post.

In 1936 Spring made her only Busby Berkeley film, Stage Struck, starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell. She also worked in two Errol Flynn films, The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) and Green Light (1937).

In 1938 she has a part in Jezebel, a film dominated by Bette Davis and Henry Fonda, and also in You Can't Take it With You, a film not dominated by any one cast member, but by the ensemble. Jezebel was directed by William Wyler, a great director by all accounts, but You Can't Take it With You is a Frank Capra film and it shows.

Here are a few highlight films from Spring's career -

• The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)
• The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)
• Meet John Doe (1941)
• Heaven Can Wait (1943)
• In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
• Angels in the Outfield (1951)

And just as her career on the big screen seems to be winding down (she was 64 years old in 1950), she was discovered for the small screen.

Of course "December Bride" was her most famous TV role. Being the type of person she always was, she made a perfect Daisy Cooper on "Laramie" as well. In fact, Spring Byington is on many of the major television series' from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" to her final appearance on "The Flying Nun" in 1968.

She was even Doris Day's mom in her final motion picture, Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960). It was a wonderful career for a Bit Actress who was also a star.

Clara Blandick

Everyone knows Clara Blandick (1880 - 1962). Maybe not by her screen name, but I know that if you are reading this blog, you have seen her.

Clara has over 120 film roles over a span of 50 years. She started on the stage, and appeared to prefer that. She had a few small parts in silent films from 1911 to 1917, then left the screen until 1929. In 1930, after making half a dozen movies, she was in Romance, starring Greta Garbo, and in those early years she worked with Franklin Pangborn, Myrna Loy and others with less familiar names. Also in 1930, Jackie Coogan made Tom Sawyer, and Clara became Aunt Polly.

1931 was Clara's busiest year. She repeated her Aunt Polly role in Huckleberry Finn (1931), again with Coogan. She also worked with Garbo again in Inspiration that year. In the horror film The Drums of Jeopardy, Clara played opposite Warner Oland, who played a character named Dr. Boris Karlov! She was also in Laughing Sinners, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, with the great Bit Actor, Neil Hamilton. She worked with Gable and Crawford again that year in Possessed. Also in 1931, she teamed up with Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard in I Take This Woman. In The New Adventures of Get Rick Quick Wallingford, she worked with Jimmy Durante (1893 - 1908). It was Durante's second film. Clara made 13 movies in 1931 alone. No wonder this was called the Golden Age.

Continuing on, look for her in Three on a Match (1932), with Joan Blondell, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. She also had a small role in the Janet Gaynor 1937 version of A Star is Born.

1939 was the banner year for Clara. She starts out in the Mickey Rooney version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Then, the role that would engrave her name in Hollywood history, as Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz. (See? Everyone here has seen Clara Blandick.) Her next film that year was The Star Maker starring Bing Crosby, and then Drums Along the Mohawk with Claudette Colbert and Henry Fonda.

While she never worked with Judy Garland again, she did make other films with Oz alumni. She worked four times with Charley Grapewin (Uncle Henry), three with Frank Morgan (The Wizard) and Maggie Hamilton (WWW), and twice with Jack Haley (The Tin Man).

Other good post-Oz films featuring Clara Blandick include Northwest Mounted Police (1940), The Wagons Roll at Night (1941), The Big Store (1941), Du Barry was a Lady (1943), Heaven Can Wait (1943), and Life with Father (1947). Her final film was Love that Brute (1950) starring Paul Douglas, with Cesar Romero and Keenan Wynn.

Sadly, Clara decided to end her own life in 1962 at age 81. She was in constant pain from arthritis and also facing blindness. But there will only be one Auntie Em.

Julia Roberts' Brother, Eric

First of all, Happy Anniversary to the Drive-In Movie! It was 79 years ago today that the first drive-in opened in New Jersey. Where are they now?

Eric Roberts (b. 1956) is a very experienced actor, but I had never taken notice of him before. He is also Julia's older brother. Eric sports 245 titles on IMDb, compared to his sister's 50 roles, but I bet she made money money! That alone probably makes him a Bit Actor. Julia won an Oscar and has 39 other awards. Eric was nominated for an Oscar and won 3 other awards.

Eric started his career on the stage and moved into television work in 1974. His first movie was King of the Gypsies (1978) starring Susan Sarandon and Judd Hirsch. Next came Raggedy Man (1981), starring Sissy Spacek (b. 1949) and it was a big opportunity. He would go on the star in several movies, but his career never fully carried him to real stardom. His next movie, Star 80 (1983) would bring him some notice among casting directors. Star 80 also brought his first award as Best Actor by the Boston Society of Film Critics.

In 1984 he starred with Mickey Rourke and Daryl Hannah in The Pope of Greenwich Village. By this time, his character was becoming known as the brooding young man with a gravelly voice. It worked well for him.

In 1985 he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in Runaway Train, starring Jon Voight. He was also in Nobody's Fool (1986) co-starring Rosanna Arquette (b. 1959). Not long after these good parts, he made more movies like Rude Awakening (1989) with Cheech Marin. Definitely a step down.

By the late 1980s, Eric had fallen from popularity and was taking roles that didn't do him any good. He was fighting with drug addiction, but he managed to get himself straightened out. He married Eliza Garrett, now Eliza Roberts, and they have appeared on screen together at least 20 times. Eric also worked once with Julia in Blood Red (1989), which was also not very good.

Some better roles started coming Eric's way. He played a dark character, well within his grasp, in Final Analysis (1992) starring Richard Gere, Kim Basinger and Uma Thurman. Not bad, and also a pretty good movie! He also appeared in The Specialist (1994) with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone, though this is not one of my favorites.

Eric has now started pouring on the work. Previously making 4 or 5 movies a year, he turns out 14 movie and TV titles in 1996, including the role of Perry Smith in the mini series "In Cold Blood" from Truman Capote. 14 titles a year would repeat in 1999 and 2001. He does some fine television series work in "C-16: FBI," "Falcone," "Less Than Perfect," and "Heroes." Most recently you can find Eric in "The Young and the Restless."

Eric was also making many, many movies, but no real hits, and no real big roles in blockbusters. But does that really matter? He is working, and working very hard. For an actor who loves his work, that is all that matters. For movie and TV fans, it presents a challenge to see how many times you can recognize Eric Roberts when you see him. Maybe you can start a notebook.

We just recently saw Eric and his wife, Eliza, in a great kid's movie, First Dog (2010). Eric and Eliza played the president and first lady, but he still came across as the brooding character he used to play so well. I doubt that I would have voted for him, and when he first appeared on the screen I thought, 'That's the president? He looks like trouble.' He turned out to love kids and dogs, so I will give him a chance.

Most of Eric's awards and nominations came between 1979 and 1986, his best years. He is now starting to gather a few new ones, with a 2012 win in the L.A. Indie Awards for Silver Case (2011). On IMDb he lists 34 projects that are not yet released, including Lovelace, the bio pic about Linda Lovelace that was originally to go to Lindsay Lohan, but will star Amanda Seyfried. Keep up the good work, Eric! Maybe stardom can still be yours.

B4 They Were Stars - Marion (The Duke) Morrison

Everyone knows that John Wayne's (1907 - 1979) breakthrough movie was Stagecoach (1939), but he did a lot of work before that. His real name was Marion Morrison. and he was once billed as Duke Morrison in Words and Music (1929). Duke, of course, was his dog when he was a child.

Morrison was working as a prop man, part time, and he became friends with John Ford (1894 - 1973). His first few films were as an extra. Since he played football in high school and college, he made quite a few movies as a football player, including his very first screen appearance in Brown of Harvard (1926).

His next small job was in a King Vidor film, Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) starring John Gilbert (1897 - 1936). Of course these were not speaking parts, the films were silent, so no one knew John Wayne's voice yet.

It was Tom Mix (1880 - 1940) who got Wayne his studio job, in return for some football tickets. Wayne's only film with Mix was The Great K&A Train Robbery in 1926. By this time, Tony the Horse had made 17 films, and Duke only three.

Those early days would see Wayne in many films starring the big names of the silent era and early talkies. Lillian Gish, Victor McLaglen, Noah Beery, Myrna Loy, and even Stepin Fetchit. In 1928 Wayne made his first of 23 films with director John Ford, but still as an extra. It was around 1931, in Girls Demand Excitement that he started getting meatier roles with real billing.

The 1931 film, The Range Feud, starring Buck Jones (1881 - 1942) would be the first western in which John Wayne was a leading man. I wonder if he knew that would be his real claim to fame for the rest of his life. Do you think it was better to be a star in B westerns, or a Bit Actor in the A movies?

The first western I can find with John Wayne in top billing was Ride Him Cowboy (1932). In that film, Duke was the horse. Duke would go on to make six films with The Duke in 1932 and 1933.

Also in 1933 Wayne starred in Riders of Destiny as Singin' Sandy Saunders. Yes, the Duke was a signing cowboy, and one of the first. Only his singing was dubbed! Riders was also the first of 15 films that Wayne made with George 'Gabby' Hayes (1885 - 1969).

Mixed in with the westerns, sports films and action movies were still some dramas and comedies...where Wayne had to wear a suit. Look for him in Baby Face (1933) starring Barbara Stanwyck. But his real early success was just starting as he moved into making one B western after another. He made 46 films between 1933 and Stagecoach.

Stagecoach is #79 in Wayne's list of 172 titles on IMDb. Almost half of his screen career was over by the time he was really recognized as a star worthy of the best films. The Bit Actor was gone.

For all his fame, John Wayne only won a single Oscar, for True Grit (1969), plus two more nominations. His earliest nominations for any award came in 1950 for Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). But he had the lead in more films than any other actor and was one of the biggest money makers in film history. Seek out some of Wayne's early (Bit Actor) roles to see how he made his career a success.

Twelve Monkeys

What is a classic movie? I know that the Classic Movie Blog Association has tried to address that question. I don't think there is a definitive answer. It's like asking which movies are good and which are bad. It all really comes down to which movies you like and which you don't. I am sure that Twelve Monkeys (1995) fits into all of the above categories. Some people like it, some hate it, and some think its a classic.

What I like about Twelve Monkeys is that it was filmed in Philadelphia, so I recognize most of the locations used. These include Eastern State Penitentiary, the derelict Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia's City Hall, the Philadelphia Convention Center, and Wanamaker's department store which is now a Lord and Taylor. I have said that a Bit Actor adds color, information and atmosphere to a film, and these locations do just that.

I also like Madeleine Stowe (b. 1958), Bruce Willis (b. 1955) and Brad Pitt (b. 1963) in this film. Pitt was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and won several other awards including a Golden Globe. Director Terry Gilliam (b. 1940 and the only American Monty Python) is a favorite as well, and did a fine job here. Lastly, there are loads of Bit Actors employed in this large film, so what's not to like?

This film is over 15 years old now. That means that many of the actors were not well known at the time of filming. Brad Pitt had just come off some of his early hits, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Legends of the Fall, and Se7en, all in 1994 or 1995. He was just becoming a star.

Monkeys also has a number of well known stars in Bit Parts. Frank Gorshin, David Morse and Christopher Plummer all appear in less than large parts. But they bring great performances to their roles and help to create that surreal feeling that Gilliam must have wanted.

Jon Seda (b. 1970) who played Jose in this movie, went on to play some major roles, including the great WWII mini-series "The Pacific" on HBO, and several other TV series'.

Christopher Meloni (b. 1961) plays one of the scientists. With 60 titles listed on IMDb, he has worked on several TV series, but not many major motion pictures. Look for him with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride (1999), and Gere with Diane Lane in Nights in Rodanthe (2008).

Simon Jones (b. 1950), is a Brit who appears on several British television series, including "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Brideshead Revisited." He was in Brazil (1985) which was Terry Gilliam's first movie as director without the cast of Monte Python. He also appears in The Devil's Own (1997) with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt. All small parts. He later goes uncredited in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.

And Bill Raymond who plays a microbiologist, has 62 titles on IMDb. Look for him in The Crow (1994), Autumn in New York (2000) and Dogville (2003). Pure Bit Acting.

Is Twelve Monkeys a classic? Is it a good movie or bad? It is a complex story that requires your full attention as our hero travels from the future to be wounded in WWI, and then bounced to our era twice. The acting is first rate, even though it may not appeal to every taste. The truth is, there are no bad movies, just the ones you may not like. I like this one.

One last note. I am sorry I was absent last week but we were vacationing in San Diego! A lovely, historic city. Have a great Memorial Day weekend, and I'll be back next week.