Old Hollywood Biographies: Episode One - Roddy McDowall

[@liro814]

So many actors like him didn't even recognized his achievements and contribution in film industry. GOOD JOB AND JOB WELL DONE Sir Roddy McDowell.

[@jeffking4176]

One of my all time FAVORITE Actors, whether a child Actor, or adult Actor. 📻🙂

[@NashaDean]

Mine as well!😊

[@WGARVA]

He was such an original and always came across so warm on the screen.

[@NashaDean]

Agreed! He was absolutely amazing!

[@rubengarcia4218]

I love his voice so much.With his impeccable British accent,warmth,and charm.He was a natural and singular talent in everything he worked on from photos,voice overs,and feature film work on both stage & screen.Roddy was a sheer delight and he is sorely missed by many fans including me.RIP Dr.Cornelius 😮

[@curtiswood2013]

Roddy McDowall was a great actor and definitely deserved to get not just one Oscar but one for his role in Cleopatra and one for The planet of the apes. That's just two of his movies that should have been Oscar winning for his performance in them.

[@NashaDean]

I completely and vehemently agree! One could even argue that he deserved Oscars for his performances in How Green Was My Valley Confirm or Deny Lassie Come Home My Friend Flicka The White Cliffs of Dover Lord Love a Duck 5 Card Stud The Legend of Hell House And Sixth and Main. I feel that he was so deeply deserving of so much more recognition and appreciation than Hollywood ever bothered to give him. Sure, he did some really silly movies, but that could be said of everyone from the golden age of hollywood. But Roddy was so important to Hollywood's survival and history; his career and impact is the reason why we have DVDS of films from the 1920s and beyond. He was so passionate about preservation and he fought hard for it. And because of his existence, persistence, and influence, Hollywood history thrived and more is being found every day that was once considered lost; and that includes films that Roddy himself appeared in. He definitely deserved more appreciation than he got, and it's a shame Hollywood could have cared less about him, despite how deeply he loved and preserved Hollywood. It's truly shameful. He was an international treasure and there is not one single life in Hollywood that remains alive today who wasnt touched by him, whether personally or professionally. So many actors knew him, loved him and still remember and miss him. Its mind blowing to think of. Truly.

[@mkvampire88]

​@NashaDean so true he was wonderful and will never be forgotten by us who ❤ loved him!

[@NashaDean]

Agreed!

[@SARISS80]

He was so handsome and talented.

[@NashaDean]

Yes, indeed!😊

[@Loveoldies50]

I have always been a huge fan of Roddy. He was a wonderful actor, and from all report, a terrific person and friend. IMHO, he is one of the most underrated actors. Mostly billed as a costar, he often stole every scene he was in. I still enjoy his movies, and will watch any film, or TV show he's in! RIP, Roddy! You will live forever in your films!

[@NashaDean]

Ditto! And I agree completely! Thank you for your remembrance of him. He was an amazing person and is deeply missed by many.❤❤❤❤

[@dinottosaur]

i downloaded this to watch on an airplane... so well-researched and put together! thank you :)

[@NashaDean]

You are so welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!😁

[@arnesahlen2704]

Dignity, insight, respect for a man criminally sidelined in our collective long-term memory. Thank you.

[@NashaDean]

You're very welcome and thank you as well ❤

[@lamp8112]

Great biography. I am 61 and grew up watching Rodey McDowell. So much I didn't know about him. Thank you for such an informative biography!

[@NashaDean]

You’re very welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it ☺️

[@The-Malibu-Wolf]

Wow. Great presentation. I loved that he wanted to be a character actor. What a talent.🎥📸📺

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so much! Yes he was a truly amazing talent, indeed!

[@paulaswanson13]

Your presentations are so well done!! Looking forward to the next release 👍🏻😊

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so much!😊❤

[@lukeasacher]

Hey Nat- watching it right now- BRAVA! This is one hell of a debut!

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so much, Lukee!!!❤❤❤

[@paddymac6245]

Oh my GOODNESS! One of the most extensive bios of Roddy McDowell I have ever seen!! Thank you so much Natasha! This was absolutely wonderful !!! Roddy definitely deserves this !!! Thank you! ♥️

[@NashaDean]

You're so welcome!❤❤❤thank you doll!!!🥰🥰

[@gfoyle69]

I wish Fright Night had been mentioned, Roddy was great in the film and really carried it with Chris Sarandon.

[@NashaDean]

I completely agree! When the extended edition of Roddy's bio is made, I'll be sure to include it. But that won't be until sometime well into the future. 🙂

[@gallery7596]

Was just about to say that. "Fright Night" was so successful it inspired a sequel with Roddy reprising his role.

[@NashaDean]

I am planning to do a video in the future that is just on fright night parts 1 and 2. I already have audio recorded for it. Just need to compile usable materials for the video. But that’s a ways out as yet.

[@gallery7596]

@@NashaDean Was just watching "Shock Treatment" with Roddy and Lauren Bacall. He was lucky enough in his career to be able to play both villains and good guys.

[@NashaDean]

@gallery7596 yes he was very lucky to be able to do both, and he did them both so well! What a career he had! Shock treatment is excellent!

[@laserbender2773]

Thanks for a very nice video of one of my favorite actors of all time. No one who knew him seems to have ever had a bad word to say about him, which is amazing and speaks volumes about him as a person. I'm a big fan of the musical Camelot and Roddy's portrayal of Modred is so briliantly evil and mirthful at the same time. He's done so many wonderful unforgettable characters over the years. I also love that there is a YT channel that released some of his personal videos of the beach parties of the 60's with he filmed with his actor friends.

[@NashaDean]

I wholeheartedly agree! And thank you I'm so glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@gerrytaylor]

Just watched it, and have to say Thank You. Extensive, interesting and holds the attention from start to end. Bravo!. (Gerry in the UK).

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so very much! I'm so glad you've enjoyed it. 😊

[@Spiderman7Bob7]

Roddy was a true movie star in his youth and became a wonderful character actor . He was a true friend of Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Taylor . He kept many secrets in Hollywood . And he was a trusted true friend . They don't make them OUT there like Roddy anymore .

[@NashaDean]

They certainly don't! He was a very special person!💖💖💖

[@johnbroadway4196]

Fabulous Actor and Human. He's unique voice and stage presents is always in the forefront of any production.

[@NashaDean]

Agreed!😊❤

[@pierre-yveslebel1390]

Thank you so much !!! great biographie of Roddy That is a GREAT JOB !!!

[@NashaDean]

Aww, Wow! You are indeed most welcome; and thank you so much!! Your kindness has left me speechless!❤ I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much; it was made with immense love. 😊

[@blairperry6399]

Awesome biography, this is very well-researched and engaging! Side note, where did you happen to find his appearance on the Danny Kaye Show, I have been trying to look for it everywhere!

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your kind words! As for the Danny Kaye show, 40 of the episodes are on dailymotion! Or at least they were a few years ago. That's where I got the episode from. They may still be up there 😊 I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I hope you find the episode!😊

[@liro814]

You forgot to mentioned FRIGHT NIGHT as Peter Vincent. He was so funny in those films

[@NashaDean]

Fright night is the best, and certainly wasn't forgotten; but sadly I didn't have time to add it into the biography, as the audio used for it was recorded for a podcast I guest appeared on several years ago. I was given only 30 minutes for my bio spot and I couldn't fit everything in. I do hope to do an extended version of this bio for Roddy sometime in the future where I can include all the important films and tv shows that were left out of this bio. But that may be years down the line as the research has been done and audio recordings have been made for the Roddy McDowall podcast, but I lack materials to put into the bio at this time. So we shall see. But yes, I agree. Fright Night is a masterpiece!

[@voyaristika5673]

Well done. Thank you!

[@NashaDean]

Thank you too! My pleasure 😁

[@janelle7668]

My favorite actor since I was a child of 7 years old. I was taken in by his boyish looks even in the adult role I saw him first. I’ve seen every movie he made and watched all the TV shows as well. I own many of his films on DVD and watch them often. Roddy was very intellectual and grew up fast having to leave London at an early age and became a successful child star. Then Roddy went on to stage and television and transitioned near perfectly but not easily into an adult actor. Not many were able to succeed from child to adult star. ⭐️ I wrote to Roddy in 1976. He sent me a personal postcard from Universal Studios and I still cherish that today. Roddy was in the short lived Sci-fi series Fantastic Voyage and my cousin called the studio where he was filming. I had the phone numbers for him to try and reach him on the phone. Whomever answered the phone put him on hold and Roddy was not working at the moment between takes so Tony (my cousin) said Hello, this is Tony Garofolo (KDKA Pittsburgh) Radio host. Then put me on the phone and I was so shocked to hear his voice on the other side. I cried “I have been watching you for years and just love everything you do”. Roddy was very nice and seemed easy to just say hello to. It was the thrill of a lifetime for a 14 year old girl. 💜 Then, years go by, it’s February 26, 1996 and I finally got to see Roddy McDowall on stage. It was Dial M For Murder in Philadelphia. My family and I went to see the play and when he came on the stage the applause was loud enough and long enough for him to take a quick bow. I was in awe when I saw him on stage and it was a very memorable show. I enjoyed this mini biography of Roddy McDowall very much. Rest in Peace 9/17/28-10/3/98 🩷🙏🩷

[@NashaDean]

Wow what a sweet memory! Thank you so much for sharing that! I can relate to your story so deeply, tho I never met Roddy or saw him in person in anything, (I was only 10 when he died and lived on the other side of the country). I grew up watching Roddy’s movies and I too have every single movie he ever made with a couple of exceptions. I’ve been seeing Roddy‘s films and TV shows since I was two years old. He’s literally been part of my life since infancy, and I just adore him so deeply. You were so fortunate to be able to speak to him and to see him in dial m for murder. What a treat that must have been! I’m so glad you enjoyed this bio. It was a delight to make 😊❤️❤️❤️

[@janelle7668]

@@NashaDean Thank you. I am 61 years old and still watch Roddy all the time. He was such a talented actor in various character types he could play anything convincingly. I love his role in Fright Night 1985. The name of his character is Peter Vincent. To pay homage to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. I recently watched a Fright Night convention and was wondering if someone would ask how it was working with Roddy. They all had nice things to say about him. Most had said his professionalism and friendliness to everyone being he was such a distinguished actor by 1984/1985. The young actors in the movie learned a great deal from Mr. McDowall and Mr. Sarandon. Chris Sarandon became very emotional when the question was asked because he and his wife were very close to Roddy even before they made Fright Night. He was close to Roddy in his final days and saw him not long before he died October 3, 1998. I could talk about Roddy all day. 💜✨

[@NashaDean]

I absolutely know how you feel, I could talk about him all day too, and frequently do!😊 thank you for sharing these memories with me ❤

[@Pdjohnners]

Excellent video.

[@CeciliaStern]

It made me cry, to have to go thru what he did, thank you mr McDowell

[@NashaDean]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@a.jlondon9039]

Loved Roddy. He was so talented and versatile. You have really done your research and have a great voice for narration.

[@NashaDean]

Thank you very much!😊 I agree wholeheartedly about Roddy. Hes always been my favorite actor. It was a joy doing this bio on him. Even tho it wasnt as long as I wanted it to be 😊

[@fabriziofinetti9364]

ATTORE ECCEZIONALE, INSUPERABILE !!!!!!

[@NashaDean]

Sono completamente d'accordo! Grazie per aver guardato! 💜💜💜

[@fabriziofinetti9364]

BRAVISSIMO ATTORE, HA FATTO DEI FILMS INSUPERABILI, AVREBBE DOVUTO FARE ANCHE ALTRE PUNTATE DEL TELEFILM DELLE SCIMMIE DEL 1974 , 14 EPISODI TROPPO POCHI, ALTRI 14 NEL 1975 AVREBBE DOVUTO FARE !!!!!!

[@NashaDean]

sono completamente d'accordo! ho adorato la serie tv Planet of the Apes ed ero molto dispiaciuto che ci fossero solo 14 episodi. penso davvero che se gli sceneggiatori della serie si fossero impegnati un po' di più e non si fossero lasciati andare alla routine di perdere la trama, la serie sarebbe durata di più. davvero ingiusto. per quanto riguarda i film e la carriera di Roddy sono anch'io pienamente d'accordo. i suoi film erano insuperabili, come dici tu. alcuni veri classici che non saranno mai dimenticati! grazie per il tuo commento.

[@mkvampire88]

I have ❤ loved Roddy McDowell and will always ❤ love him.he was so good in everything he appeared in. ❤😘❤️

[@NashaDean]

Same here! He truly was❤️

[@user-ct3mu4xk5v]

Merci beaucoup pour votre impecable narration sur une pepite du cinema.

[@NashaDean]

Merci beaucoup pour votre aimable commentaire ! Vous êtes la première personne à me dire quelque chose de gentil depuis très longtemps et cela signifie beaucoup. Je suis tellement ravi que vous ayez apprécié la biographie. ☺️💜

[@Grumpy-Fallboy]

Best video, you forgot (Roddy McDowall) Night Gallery episode , "The Cemetery", he is a black sheep nephew who murders his rich uncle to inherit his fortune - both much to the detriment of the uncle's butler (Ossie Davis) - only to find that vengeance extends beyond the grave.

[@NashaDean]

Thank you for your lovely comment! Indeed there were many things I left out of the bio which I would have loved to have touched on, including night gallery, which is one of my absolute favorites of his tv appearances. I do plan to do an extended version of this bio sometime in future where I will have the chance to add some more fabulous things that got left out of this one. But had to pick and choose which films and tv shows I featured due to the 30 minute length of the bio. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video!😊

[@Grumpy-Fallboy]

@@NashaDean thanks. You did awesome work on his Bio, i´m waiting for your future updates.

[@NashaDean]

Oh thank you so much! Keep an eye out, Cary Grant is in production and almost completed. Should have a new upload before the end of next week. 😊

[@Jannie-]

Thank you so much for putting this great documentary together, I thoroughly enjoyed it. What a great man! I had no idea he has achieved so much during his lifetime. Did he ever marry and have children?

[@NashaDean]

You're very welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! No roddy never married or had children. In my research over the years I've found he commented occasionally that he considered himself married to his work. He was absolutely in love with acting. Though he did confide to Lauren Bacall later in his life, that he was often lonely. But over all he seemed very contented with his life, and I think he was deeply happy. He was able to live life on his terms. And after the childhood he had, that must have meant a great deal to him. 😊❤

[@misteriodomonasterio3306]

Don't forget "The Fantastic Journey" 1977.

[@NashaDean]

Indeed! One of my favorites!

[@catherinecarella2928]

Good presentation, Nasha. Keep it up!

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so much! I shall!

[@paolazuffinetti]

Thanks a LOT for this very interesting bio on such a great actor. I think it is one of the few biographies of him. I looked for books on Roddy, but found none. If you have episodes two, three... Please.

[@NashaDean]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And you’re very welcome! I do have plans to do a feature length biography on Roddy in the future. But probably won’t be for a couple of years with everything else I’ve got going on. But I periodically post Roddy content so keep your eye out ☺️

[@paolazuffinetti]

Thanks for Your precious reply. I understand perfectly!

[@marisaelenenadiejamusiccom3974]

Wow!

[@NashaDean]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@christianhoffman7407]

I came here after watching Fright Night again for the first time in decades. He made 2 of those movies and those movies were successful enough to be remade. That being said it is odd those movies got no mention here. In any case I really enjoyed this. A feature length documentary would be sweet. He definitely came off as interesting and we'll read person.

[@NashaDean]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Fright night 1 and 2 were not mentioned because the audio for this biography was originally part of a podcast highlight on Roddy's life, and the completed audio had to be under 30 minutes long. There simply wasn't time allowed for it due to the time constraints. However, I do plan to do a feature length bio on Roddy with more detailed coverage on his career sometime in the future, and definitely plan to include fright night in that bio. I'll be sure to announce it when it's in the workings. But it will be a while before that happens due to other projects being on the table for this year and next. 😊

[@bobsnotyouruncle33]

I ❤❤❤ him in Overboard. He is a treasure, indeed.

[@NashaDean]

Yes! Overboard is the best! ❤❤❤❤

[@juliebarks3195]

The legend of Hill House. In 1973. Scary film.

[@NashaDean]

Legend of Hell house is a classic! And yes it’s very scary, and it’s very good. I enjoyed that film very much.

[@WillScarlet16]

I would rather have lunch with Roddy than with someone like Olivier, Guinness or Richard Burton. He had no pretensions or snobbery about him. He was equally at home doing Shakespeare, historic drama, Planet of the Apes, or even cartoons. And he always seemed to be having the time of his life.

[@NashaDean]

Right? Always so enthusiastic about all aspects of life and always happy. He was a gem!

[@TheCynthiahawkins]

I will always him.

[@joannestinson5760]

❤❤❤

[@beverlyturner4965]

Thy 4 got Fright Night and Fright Night 2 vampire movies.

[@NashaDean]

I promise I didn’t forget them. ❤️☺️They are slated to have their own documentary in the future. But there wasn’t time to discuss every single movie he ever made on the podcast, so I had to neglect some. But fear not, they will be covered in the future. ☺️❤️

[@rty1955]

FYI academy leaders only count down to 2, not zero

[@NashaDean]

Oh that's very interesting! I wasn't aware of that. Thank you for the info.

[@liro814]

He's 95 today

[@NashaDean]

Actually, he would have been 95 on September 17th. His death anniversary was 3 days ago. 🙂

[@rossmartenak5517]

His birth name was Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall. Was it really necessary to have such a long moniker?

[@NashaDean]

In regards to necessity, perhaps it was and perhaps it wasn't. His parents were the only people to decide whether it was necessary or not; but it certainly did make him unique! Culturally, it was fairly common at that time for middle to upper class english families to give their children anywhere from 3 to 5 middle names, depending on their status in society. Perhaps Roddy's mother simply wanted him to appear posh?

[@arnesahlen2704]

Why not? Often they were names of older relatives or ancestors.

[@kasz8730]

WHAT A WONDERFUL VIDEO!! i never expected to find such a heartfelt and well-researched biography on someone as (unfortunately) niche as Roddy McDowall, but i'm so glad i did!! I became a fan of his around a year ago now and have been slowly chipping away at that enormous filmography of his, and my motivation's exceeded tenfold with this video!! Thank you so much for such a comprehensive video on his life... he truly was underrated and underappreciated during his time AND now, so i'm glad there's still love for him even nowadays! He may be an 'unusual' actor for someone my age to like, but i think that's just what makes him all the more special to me. Great video once again!! 🤩🫶

[@NashaDean]

Wow thank you so much for your extremely kind words! I’m bowled over with gratitude! I truly am! I’m so glad my video accomplished what I had hoped for in making it. I’ve loved Roddy deeply since 2017, and at the time that I fell into his work and discovered him, there was very little of his filmography available online. It was so difficult to find his films, and mentioning his name almost always brought responses that consisted of “who?” Or “what’s a Roddy McDowall movie?!” Broke my heart. I wanted people to know how amazing he was and how important he was and still is in regards to his influence in the film preservation movement. We wouldn’t have half the movies on dvd today that we have if it weren’t for him. He was a titan of his time and I deeply miss him! I love meeting and talking to other people who are his fans. He truly left an indelible positive mark on the world, and everyone I know who was touched by him in their lives, be it in person or through his films turn out to be truly beautiful and warm people! I love how he brings so many people together! Thank you so much for watching my video, I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it. It meant the world to me to make it and put it out there for people to enjoy. The responses have all been so positive and I’m just so happy that so many have enjoyed it. Thank you again so much! 🌹🌹🌹🌹