# Movie people whose oldest credit was a hit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749 "2009-03-25T15:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/1 "2009-03-25T15:56:52Z")
Although I personally have yet to see [A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/) where Johnny Depp played Glen Lantz, I’ll have to concede that that role was memorable for Johnny. At least if the buzz about that movie is correct. Now, the task in this thread is to locate IMDB credits for movie people (actors, writers, directors, crew types, you name it) who got into a hit (or at least a memorable movie) right out of the gate. Even though [Marlon Brando](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000008/) has one older credit than _The Men_, the [Plot summary for “Actor’s Studio” (1948)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040021/plotsummary) suggests that even it was an acknowledgement of Brando’s stage work before he got into movies. Whether that constitutes a hit or not is debatable, so I’ll leave Brando in that fuzzy zone so his IMDB entry can be seen as a “close but no cigar” type of thing. And just to have some guidelines for the thread, let’s have a minimum of five credits before we call somebody eligible for consideration. And let’s exclude “Self” credits, too. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/2 "2009-03-25T16:27:19Z")
Do bit parts count? Jeff Goldblum’s first credit was like “Hoodlum #4” or something in **Death Wish**. Whether or not that film was a “hit,” one can’t argue that it was influential. I’ll try to think of a better example, where the person actually had a good, speaking part. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/3 "2009-03-25T16:29:46Z")
Another example of the “fuzzy zone” (at least for the sake of this thread) would be where [Tommy Lee Jones](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000169/) fits into _Love Story_. There’s little doubt that the movie itself was a hit, but it would be hard to say that Tommy Lee had hit the big time as a result of his part in it. So TLJ is not a candidate for recognition in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/4 "2009-03-25T16:30:38Z")
Sydney Greenstreet (_The Maltese Falcon_), Gene Kelly (_For Me and My Gal_), and Jane Russell (_The Outlaw_) all fit. But do you mean oldest credit, or oldest film credit? Because if you mean the latter, then Robert Duvall (_To Kill a Mockingbird_), Warren Beatty (_Splendor in the Grass_), and Haley Joel Osment (_Forrest Gump_) also qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/5 "2009-03-25T16:32:24Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > Do bit parts count? Jeff Goldblum’s first credit was like “Hoodlum #4” or something in **Death Wish**. Whether or not that film was a “hit,” one can’t argue that it was influential. > > I’ll try to think of a better example, where the person actually had a good, speaking part. I’m sorry I missed your post on preview. Jeff’s role is like Tommy Lee’s, in my opinion, so he’s not to the level of Johnny Depp (who himself could be debated as having “made it”) as far as this thread is concerned. Good example of the “fuzzy zone” though. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/6 "2009-03-25T16:37:56Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Sydney Greenstreet (_The Maltese Falcon_), Gene Kelly (_For Me and My Gal_), and Jane Russell (_The Outlaw_) all fit. > > But do you mean oldest credit, or oldest film credit? > > Because if you mean the latter, then Robert Duvall (_To Kill a Mockingbird_), Warren Beatty (_Splendor in the Grass_), and Haley Joel Osment (_Forrest Gump_) also qualify. Yes, it’s movie credits. But the oldest movie credit needs to be more than a bit part or extra, and should be seen as a “recognizable” role as opposed to Tommy Lee Jones, Jeff Goldblum and so many others who cause the reaction, “Wow! There’s so-and-so before he/she got to be so-and-so.” I’m willing to go with Duvall and Beatty, and if I could remember his part in Gump, even Osment. Judgment will play a large part in selections, and I’m just another vote for the relevance others assign. ETA: James Dean had some early movie work that, for me at least, disqualifies him from this thread. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/7 "2009-03-25T16:44:05Z")
[Harold Russell](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751174/) in The Best Years of Our Lives. Not only was his first credit a massive hit, he also won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/8 "2009-03-25T16:47:33Z")
Here’s a weird one. Most people think that John Houseman’s first role was in _The Paper Chase_ in 1975. And most people think that Joseph Cotton’s first role was in _Citizen Kane_ in 1941. But in fact they both debued in a comedy short called _Too Much Johnson_ in 1938. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/9 "2009-03-25T16:49:54Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Yes, it’s movie credits. But the oldest movie credit needs to be more than a bit part or extra, and should be seen as a “recognizable” role as opposed to Tommy Lee Jones, Jeff Goldblum and so many others who cause the reaction, “Wow! There’s so-and-so before he/she got to be so-and-so.” > > I’m willing to go with Duvall and Beatty, and if I could remember his part in Gump, even Osment. > > Judgment will play a large part in selections, and I’m just another vote for the relevance others assign. > > ETA: James Dean had some early movie work that, for me at least, disqualifies him from this thread. Well, Kelly & Russell were the leads of their films, and Greenstreet got an Oscar nomination. Osment played Forrest Gump Jr., a brief part but not an insignificant one. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/10 "2009-03-25T16:55:59Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Here’s a weird one. Most people think that John Houseman’s first role was in _The Paper Chase_ in 1975. And most people think that Joseph Cotton’s first role was in _Citizen Kane_ in 1941. But in fact they both debued in a comedy short called _Too Much Johnson_ in 1938. Was it a gay porno? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/11 "2009-03-25T16:56:39Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Well, Kelly & Russell were the leads of their films, and Greenstreet got an Oscar nomination. > > Osment played Forrest Gump Jr., a brief part but not an insignificant one. Great. I had just forgotten Osment’s part. All of these are ideal examples of what I hope we can unearth at IMDB. What’s evident is how many of the Big Stars like Hackman, Hoffman, Streep, Pacino, DeNiro, and so many others, had to take the shit roles before their talents and screen magic could emerge. Only a blessed few hit the ground running, and maybe we can find who some of those Instant Stars have been. That’s the goal anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/12 "2009-03-25T16:58:38Z")
[Angela Lansbury](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001450/) in [Gaslight.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/) 7 Oscar nominations (she was nominated for best supporting actress), 2 wins (best leading actress and art direction). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/13 "2009-03-25T17:07:07Z")
Mercedes McCambridge (_All the King’s Men_), Supporting Actress Oscar winner Jose Ferrer (_Joan of Arc_), Oscar nomination Richard Widmark (_Kiss of Death_), Oscar nomination Jack Palance (_Panic in the Streets_), Oscar-winning film ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/14 "2009-03-25T17:12:27Z")
Another batch of “close but no cigar” occupants of the “fuzzy zone” would include: Jodie Foster, Elizabeth Taylor, Brooke Shields and Natalie Wood. You people are finding some real winners, though! ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/15 "2009-03-25T17:16:28Z")
Drew Barrymore in **E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial**. Definitely a hit movie, and Drew had a definite role to play - she wasn’t just a walk-on or extra. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/16 "2009-03-25T17:21:23Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Drew Barrymore in **E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial**. Definitely a hit movie, and Drew had a definite role to play - she wasn’t just a walk-on or extra. Agreed! ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/17 "2009-03-25T17:22:29Z")
John Cazale, **The Godfather** ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/18 "2009-03-25T17:27:07Z")
Although he’d already done television work, Ben Kingsley’s first movie was _Gandhi_. It got Best Picture and he got Best Actor. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/19 "2009-03-25T17:33:36Z")
I’m pretty sure that Julie Andrews’ film debut was in **Mary Poppins**. Granted, she’d been doing stage and tv for years, but that’s a pretty big start in movies. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/20 "2009-03-25T17:35:52Z")
Many of the actors in **Citizen Kane** had their first credit there. These include Agnes Moorhead, Ruth Warrick, Everett Sloane, and William Alland. Of course, Kane wasn’t really a hit when it came out (nor was it a flop – it broke even). Mae West in **Night After Night** (with the famous line “Are you packing a rod or are you just glad to see me.”) Buster Keaton’s first role in **The Butcher Boy** was in a very successful short subject. Cathy Moriarty got an Oscar nomination for **Raging Bull** Millie Perkins in **Diary of Anne Frank**. Much of the cast of **Bugsy Malone** , most notably Scott Baio. Zach Ward in **A Christmas Story** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749.md?page=2)