So I caught
On TV today while tread-milling, a movie I did not know existed until I was watching it. Which at first made me think about how many movies now exist entirely of Comic book movie actors, playing “their character” in a non IP infringing role in a non IP infringing movie.
And within those line made me realize how effectively Jeffrey Dean Morgan has become a poor mans Robert Downey.
Born Losers…how Tom Loughlin (Billy Jack) becomes a poormans version of Bruce Lee.
In the 1970s, after Star Trek was cancelled, but before it became a hit in re-runs, Gene Roddenberry put out:
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Genesis II
Planet Earth
The Questor Tapes
Spectre
He was a poor man’s George Pal.
I’ve always thought of cartoon voice actor Daws Butler as “The Poor Man’s Mel Blanc”.
That’s probably unfair to the guy. He was the voice of Huckleberry Hound, Astro (from The Jetsons) and Scooby-Doo, among a great many other voices. The go-to guy for MGM cartoons and, later, Hanna-Barbera.
You may be confusing Daws Butler with Don Messick (the poor man’s Daws Butler?). Messick did Astro and Scooby-Doo (but Butler did do Huckleberry Hound). Butler’s most famous character might be Yogi Bear. Both did many voices for Hanna-Barbera.
Yes – sorry about that. Probably the “D” name that connects them. Daws did the voice of Elroy and Cogswell in The Jetsons
Also in Warner Bros. cartoons, though he was uncredited. At the time, only Mel Blanc had it written into his contract that he be given credit for his voice characterizations.
Dean Koontz is sorta the poor man’s Stephen King.
Paul Reiser is the poor mans Richard Lewis
Huey Lewis is the poor mans John Lennon
Neil Lennon is the poor mans Martin O’Neill
and for SoCalians of a certain age…Poorman (Jim Trenton - Wikipedia) is the poor mans…
Breaking Bad had the poor man’s Bruce Willis in Dean Norris and the poor man’s Matt Damon Jesse Plemmons.
“The Munsters” is the poor man’s “The Addams Family.”
Daws Butler and Don Messick often worked together on the Hanna-Barbera short cartoons. Butler was Dixie and Mr. Jinks, Messick was Pixie. Butler was Yogi Bear, Messick was Boo Boo and Ranger Smith. Butler was Snagglepuss, Messick was Major Minor. They weren’t exactly a permanent team, but they did a lot of cartoons together, and were lifelong friends.
Butler also ran a voice acting workshop, and mentored a number of voice actors who are still working today, including Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson), Corey Burton (the current voice of Ludwig Von Drake), and Bill Farmer (the current voice of Goofy).
Blanc may be better known, but I honestly believe that Butler was at least as versatile, maybe more so.
Breaking Bad is the poor mans Sopranos.
For some reason, my late brother intensely disliked Al Pacino and constantly referred to him as “a poor man’s Dustin Hoffman.”
If we can extend this conversation to TV shows, this one was a poor man’s Sea Hunt:
The pilot is on YouTube, along some some other samples.
Dustin Hoffman was great at taking roles and losing himself in them. Pacino, for the last 40 years, turns every role into some obvious form of Al Pacino. Thank God he didnt use this style of acting in the Godfathers.
A previous thread on the poorman’s this or that: _____, the poor man's _____ - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
Barclay James Harvest are the poor man’s Moody Blues.
Skeet Ulrich is the poor man’s Johnny Depp.
Shia LaBoeuf is the poor man’s John Cusack.
Jim Belushi is the poor man’s John Belushi.
Donald Trump is the poor mans version of Richard Cory.
Barney is the poor man’s H.R. Pufnstuf