Mulling an entry to deal with some girls gone wild lately, but for now here's to those who were sort of famous, but should have absolutely dominated their times. Here are some people who achieved some measure of greatness, but for various reasons never realized their full potential. No real order here.
1. Cyd Charisse. Stunning leggy brunnette from Planet Babe (actually she's from Amarillo, another Texas girl). Pretty much stole whatever parts of Singin' In the Rain that Donald O'Connor hadn't already lifted, without uttering a word of dialogue. Every bit as attractive as the much more celebrated Ava Gardner, but with actual talent. Astaire's best ever dancing partner.
2. The Kinks. Songwriting skills that exceeded probably every British Invasion band but the Beatles, and a great showman/leader in Ray Davies. Good musicianship, and they had some spectacular songs, but never really hit the big time like some of their lesser peers.
3. Gene Wilder. Pretty much wrote the funniest parts of Young Frankenstein, was spot on as Willy Wonka, yet was a fantastic straight man in The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Silver Streak. Then kind of vanished. I suppose Gilda Radner's death may be responsible for that. Always thought him capable of a lot more.
4. Robert Mitchum. A "real" tough guy. Sinatra always wanted to be what Mitchum actually was. Yet Mitchum could play a variety of roles and handled each deftly. Drug busts and a thirst for booze probably didn't help. See next...
5. Montgomery Clift. Brilliant and understated in From Here to Eternity, and carried A Place in the Sun. Troubled by the usual "Behind the Music" type ills.
6. Jill Clayburgh. Loved her in Silver Streak, then she apparently spent the rest of her career doing crap. Sadly relegated to TV show guest starring roles.
7. The Band. Absolutely solid group, connected to everyone in the 60s scene through their stint with Dylan. Probably if the Byrds hadn't hit The Band would have. Ironically, their "final performance" made into a movie by Scorcese (The Last Waltz) was probably their high-water mark. Although its weird now to see Neil Young stumbling around on stage with coke smeared on his nose.
8. Bob Hoskins. Great in Cotton Club, then Roger Rabbit, and managed not to get upstaged by National Treasure Cher in Mermaids. Pulled off the role of Nikita Krushchev in Enemy at the Gates. Yet never really seemed to hit big like he deserved. Probably too often confused for Danny DeVito.
9. Nick Drake/Townes VanZandt/Gram Parsons. Nothing like dying before your time to cement your reputation. Signed James Dean. All three excellent singer-songwriters. All three with substance abuse demons. All three tragically underappreciated, but inspirational to generations of future musicians.
10. And finally, Dean Martin. I know, he was famous, hung out with Sinatra, sold millions of records, blah, blah, blah. But Jerry Lewis would have been nothing without Dean Martin, the greatest straight man ever. Martin never got any credit for his acting ability, probably because he went the Vegas/Rat Pack/Dean Martin Show route instead. Anyone who doubts Dino's acting chops should watch The Young Lions, Some Came Running, or Rio Bravo. Terrible that he didn't focus more on acting.
1. Cyd Charisse. Stunning leggy brunnette from Planet Babe (actually she's from Amarillo, another Texas girl). Pretty much stole whatever parts of Singin' In the Rain that Donald O'Connor hadn't already lifted, without uttering a word of dialogue. Every bit as attractive as the much more celebrated Ava Gardner, but with actual talent. Astaire's best ever dancing partner.
2. The Kinks. Songwriting skills that exceeded probably every British Invasion band but the Beatles, and a great showman/leader in Ray Davies. Good musicianship, and they had some spectacular songs, but never really hit the big time like some of their lesser peers.
3. Gene Wilder. Pretty much wrote the funniest parts of Young Frankenstein, was spot on as Willy Wonka, yet was a fantastic straight man in The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Silver Streak. Then kind of vanished. I suppose Gilda Radner's death may be responsible for that. Always thought him capable of a lot more.
4. Robert Mitchum. A "real" tough guy. Sinatra always wanted to be what Mitchum actually was. Yet Mitchum could play a variety of roles and handled each deftly. Drug busts and a thirst for booze probably didn't help. See next...
5. Montgomery Clift. Brilliant and understated in From Here to Eternity, and carried A Place in the Sun. Troubled by the usual "Behind the Music" type ills.
6. Jill Clayburgh. Loved her in Silver Streak, then she apparently spent the rest of her career doing crap. Sadly relegated to TV show guest starring roles.
7. The Band. Absolutely solid group, connected to everyone in the 60s scene through their stint with Dylan. Probably if the Byrds hadn't hit The Band would have. Ironically, their "final performance" made into a movie by Scorcese (The Last Waltz) was probably their high-water mark. Although its weird now to see Neil Young stumbling around on stage with coke smeared on his nose.
8. Bob Hoskins. Great in Cotton Club, then Roger Rabbit, and managed not to get upstaged by National Treasure Cher in Mermaids. Pulled off the role of Nikita Krushchev in Enemy at the Gates. Yet never really seemed to hit big like he deserved. Probably too often confused for Danny DeVito.
9. Nick Drake/Townes VanZandt/Gram Parsons. Nothing like dying before your time to cement your reputation. Signed James Dean. All three excellent singer-songwriters. All three with substance abuse demons. All three tragically underappreciated, but inspirational to generations of future musicians.
10. And finally, Dean Martin. I know, he was famous, hung out with Sinatra, sold millions of records, blah, blah, blah. But Jerry Lewis would have been nothing without Dean Martin, the greatest straight man ever. Martin never got any credit for his acting ability, probably because he went the Vegas/Rat Pack/Dean Martin Show route instead. Anyone who doubts Dino's acting chops should watch The Young Lions, Some Came Running, or Rio Bravo. Terrible that he didn't focus more on acting.
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