cougar14
US Veteran
My first is a tie:
Glen Campbell in True Grit
Howie Long as Travolta's sidekick in Broken Arrow
Glen Campbell in True Grit
Howie Long as Travolta's sidekick in Broken Arrow
Worst acting debut attempt
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OutAtTheEdge
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Ben Davidson in Behind the Green Door
Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan
Back on topic:
Sofia Coppola in The Godfather Part 3. Generally regarded as one of the worst performances, ever.
Sofia Coppola in The Godfather Part 3. Generally regarded as one of the worst performances, ever.
mckenney99
Member
I know I might get tarred and feathered for this but: R. Lee Ermey in "The Siege Of Firebase Gloria" it had to be one of Gunny's early attempts at acting. His bad acting was only surpassed by the whole incredibly bad movie.
quikdraw67
Member
She filled in for Winona Ryder after WR had a nervous breakdown or some other mental event.
She had never acted before, and was trying to help her Dad out.
It wasn't great, but she tried. Sofia has had a good career as a director.
Alpo
Member
He was not in Rio Lobo. Duke's young sidekick was some French guy that was supposed to be half French half Spanish from New Orleans. The old man with a shotgun was Jack Elam and the girl was Jennifer O'Neill.
Ricky Nelson was in Rio Bravo. Old man was Walter Brennan, the girl was Angie Dickinson.
Also by this time Ricky had many hundred hours in front of a camera.
Eric300
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Thank you! I ALWAYS get those two movies mixed up.
rockquarry
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Glen Campbell did no harm to True Grit; a bad film with or without him. The second True Grit wasn't any better and Glen Campbell was no where around.
Rio Bravo - good movie that would only have been better without Ricky Nelson. Ricky Nelson's role, however, was far better that of James Caan in El Dorado. I don't know what he was supposed to be but his goofy part was the only blemish on an otherwise good film.
Rio Bravo - good movie that would only have been better without Ricky Nelson. Ricky Nelson's role, however, was far better that of James Caan in El Dorado. I don't know what he was supposed to be but his goofy part was the only blemish on an otherwise good film.
Alpo
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Brian Bosworth in Stone Cold.
Nicolas Cage. In any movie, let alone his debut.
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William Shatner in White Comanche...or whatever came before.
DWalt
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Glen Campbell was not made for the silver screen. After all these years I still remember his performance in True Grit. And not in a good way. He was much better as the host on his TV variety show “Goodtime Hour” in the late 60s-early 70s. Everybody who was anybody in show business appeared on it.
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rockquarry
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One of the very best guitar guys ever. Who cares about his acting ability...
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Reminds me of this:
- Bo Catlett: Only this time it ain't no John Wayne and Dean Martin shooting bad guys in "El Dorado."
- Chili Palmer: That was "Rio Bravo." Robert Mitchum played the drunk in "El Dorado." Dean Martin played the drunk in "Rio Bravo." Basically, it was the same part. Now John Wayne, he did the same in both. He played John Wayne.
LVSteve
Member
It wasn't a film debut, but a young Bruce Boxleitner was hysterically bad in an episode of the original Hawaii Five-O.
And I think Ricky Nelson was passable in that movie. A bit wooden but I always thought that was the way his character was supposed to be.
George Strait in True Country. But his singing in the movie made up for it.
Alpo
Member
I read that when Hawks got in touch with Duke about El Dorado, Wayne immediately saw that it was a remake of Rio Bravo, and said that he wanted to be the drunk this time. But Hawks told him that nobody would accept John Wayne as a drunk that needed to be rescued by a friend. He had to play the hero.
It wasn’t the actors so much as the studio system that made movies with intent to showcase the talent they had under contract - no matter what their talent was.
Studio exec’s were more interested in making money for their studios than anyone’s acting abilities. I consider a lot of the roles given to people like Glen Campbell and Ricky Nelson “cameos”. They were there to sell tickets. If they sold tickets they were put into more movies.
Young actors like James Caan, and all the rest, have to start somewhere. Some, like fine wine, mature and improve over time. Others were discarded like last weeks trash.
It’s a tough biz. Everyone’s a critic. Movie goers and “critics” - in the papers and with their own TV shows, etc, etc. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert liked more careers than most.
Studio exec’s were more interested in making money for their studios than anyone’s acting abilities. I consider a lot of the roles given to people like Glen Campbell and Ricky Nelson “cameos”. They were there to sell tickets. If they sold tickets they were put into more movies.
Young actors like James Caan, and all the rest, have to start somewhere. Some, like fine wine, mature and improve over time. Others were discarded like last weeks trash.
It’s a tough biz. Everyone’s a critic. Movie goers and “critics” - in the papers and with their own TV shows, etc, etc. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert liked more careers than most.
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