CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD CLONES: THE REMAKING OF A MOVIE STAR (Ep. 36)

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. That may not be the case when it came to the star system of old Hollywood. When an actor like CLARK GABLE or GRETA GARBO or ROCK HUDSON emerged as a star, every studio in town tried to capitalize and create their own version. For every MARILYN MONROE, there’s a dozen CLEO MOOREs. Often studios would groom an actor with similar looks and skills to be a “threat” to bigger stars who become difficult to work with, or get older and less appealing, or refuse to appear in assigned films. Most of the stars groomed as a threat to a bigger star usually faded into obscurity, but others learned to get out of the looming shadow of the big star and carve out a career of their own. So this week, we pay tribute to the stars who got their starts by being groomed to replace another star.
Sources:
Jayne Mansfield: A Biography (1973), by May Mann;
Clark Gable: A Biography (2005), by Warren G. Harris;
Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon (2018), by Charles Casillo;
Ingrid Bergman: My Story (1980), by Ingrid Bergman;
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly (2017), by Jay Jorgensen and Manoah Bowman;
IMDBPro.com;
Wikipedia.com

[@Nightgaunt-zr7mj]

My gosh I love this podcast so much! ❤

[@DavidN369]

oh. Ma. GAH. A shout-out! I feel like Mary Richards when she got booked on "The Ted and Georgette Show." We have arrived. Note: Hitch discovered "Tippi" in a Sego commercial. Just saying. Oh, such a delicious podcast, Steve and Nan, more, please, thank you. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@FromBeneathTheHollywoodSign]

LOL! Glad you liked the shout out!! THANK YOU for your incredible support!! 🙂❤🙂❤

[@KerryLockhart-ho6jf]

Another excellent addition to a consistently excellent series.

[@stevecubine4717]

Thank you so much, Kerry! 😊😊😊

[@mariestoeberl9373]

Love you guys. Enjoying your show so much! 💕

[@FromBeneathTheHollywoodSign]

Thank you so much, Marie!! We appreciate you! 🙂

[@annclawson7009]

I always considered Kim Novak a possible remake of Grace Kelly. She was the height of cool in Bell Book and Candle. And I remember the first time I saw the Yellow Rolls Royce. They could certainly write a compelling script back in the day.

[@slc2466]

John Lund also had a chance to shine in a change-of-pace comedic role via 1948's "Miss Tatlock's Millions," which is a little-seen and vastly underrated comedy, IMO. In the film Lund predates Jerry Lewis in some respects, a year before working in Martin and Lewis' debut, "My Friend Irma."

[@DavidWalensa-n5o]

I remember a lot of these actors dave w.

[@AngelaGoodwin-fh6fw]

So disappointed Eva Marie Saint wasn't mentioned as a Grace Kelly type. "North by Northwest" anybody?

[@stache1954]

Barbara Payton destroyed herself.

[@FromBeneathTheHollywoodSign]

She certainly did! So tragic.