Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Heretofore Unmentioned #2

Every person on this list was once a household name, better known in his or her day than Shia LaBeouf or Katherine Heigl is now. Harry Langdon, for example, briefly rivaled Charlie Chaplin as the most popular film comedian in America; and Constance Talmadge was the star of one of D.W. Griffith's biggest films. And yet if you walked down the street today and talked to a thousand people, unless you chanced to bump into a film historian, not one of these faces is recognizable today.

Something to keep in mind as you sacrifice everything to bed the bitch goddess, Fame ...

Mae Marsh

Charley Chase

Colleen Moore

William Haines

Mabel Normand

Harry Langdon

Constance Talmadge

9 comments:

Maggie said...

There's just so many things we can store in the noggin.

You are my portal to another era, so I'll just have to keep stopping by the Myth place.

Shia LeBeouf and Katherine Heigl? Are they new?

Mythical Monkey said...

Shia LeBeouf and Katherine Heigl? Are they new?

See? At the height of their fame and forgotten already. LaBeouf, star of the Transformer movies, was in the news recently for trashing Steven Spielberg. Heigl, star of the rom-com 27 Dresses and this week's Killers, had several much-publicized tussles with the producers of television's Grey's Anatomy when she felt they had underutilized her ginormous talents.

I like Heigl, by the way, who I think could do well in a well-written rom-com part. LaBeouf is a hair-do.

Maggie said...

Oh, my. I just looked at Dr. Heckle. LOL.

Mythical Monkey said...

Yeah, I've been following Dr. Heckle for a couple of weeks now. Very funny stuff!

mister muleboy said...

I'm Charley Chase, and you're not. . . .

I disagree with you about Shia Lebeouf. I think he's a talented young actor who is screwed by the machine. He's hot enough to cast in these big, awful vehicles that Hollywood feels impelled to create and market [and that Hollywood may be compelled by the market, esp. the non-US market, to create and market]. Lebeouf. Hard to turn huge dollars/distribution down when you're coming up.

If he could get a break and go back to an indie vehicle [e.g. the lousy, but smart, Operation Green Zone movie the Battle of Shaker Heights] to redisplay and reestablish his chops, I think your opinion might change.

Robert Downey Jr. was a horrible pile of crap himself for many a year. . . .

You know, the Great Robert Downey Jr. . . . .

Mythical Monkey said...

I disagree with you about Shia Lebeouf. I think he's a talented young actor who is screwed by the machine.

I confess, I did not see The Battle of Shaker Heights, and he did win a daytime Emmy ten years ago, plus you're the trained actor who can see things I can't, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Unlike Robert Downey Jr, though, his ability to project talent in crap projects is limited. So I can't say I've actually seen evidence of what you describe. But it could be there.

I promise to keep an open mind ...

Black Puss said...

his ability to project talent in crap projects is limited.


Um -- he's in an awkward stage. . . .

I kid.

Have you perchance caught an Indiana Jones pic and a TRansformers horrorshow?

Maybe a bad Rear Window ripoff?

These would bring bile to m'throat. . . .

Mythical Monkey said...

Yeah, those are exactly the films I've seen him in. Perhaps if I were to branch out, my opinion of him would change? It wouldn't be the first time. My take on several actors has changed since I started writing this blog -- for example, seeing Gary Cooper in the context of his times and in a wider range of material has given me an appreciation for the things he could do as opposed to concentrating on what he couldn't. Maybe there'll be a similar reevaluation of Mr. LaBeouf in the distant future ...

Ginger Ingenue said...

The Forgottens: this fascinates me...

"I'm fascinated too! Right on the arm."

Not only am I into Charley Chase right now, but just stumbled across Mable Normand the other night, and thought, Now who is this woman??

I figured she was some big famous actress I just hadn't heard of yet. Didn't know she was forgotten...

Colleen Moore looks like some modern chick, trying to dress like a flapper.

Ha. Will have to google her...