# What's the worst final movie of an actor's career? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089 "2002-08-22T15:50:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/41 "2002-08-23T00:07:13Z")
He will do (alot) of TV appearences and voices for movies and appears as self in achival footage in major movies later. But IIRC the last time Frank Sinatra actually _acts_ in a movie is Cannonball II ---
**Author:** ![Seraphim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Seraphim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seraphim)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/42 "2002-08-23T00:25:20Z")
I believe Chris Farley died shortly after filming **Almost Heroes** (1998), not exactly his finest work. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/43 "2002-08-23T00:32:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erictelevision \* > Vic Morrow died making “Twilight Zone: The Movie” But does that really count since the part of the movie he was in was cut out? My nomination for this thread would have to be [_Manos, The Hands of Fate_](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0060666), which is #5 on [IMDb’s worst 100 films of all time](http://us.imdb.com/bottom_100_films) and saw 3 of its stars commit suicide shortly after shooting ended. Barring that, I would have said [_Valley of the Dolls_](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0062430), but I see from closer investigation that that was not Sharon Tate’s last film. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/44 "2002-08-23T00:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > saw 3 of its stars commit suicide shortly after shooting ended That’s not _exactly_ what I meant to say. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/45 "2002-08-23T01:07:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jimmmy \* > \*\*But IIRC the last time Frank Sinatra actually _acts_ in a movie is Cannonball II \*\* Nah, last time he acted was **The First Deadly Sin**. In **Cannonball** he was just playing himself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/46 "2002-08-23T01:33:59Z")
> [@](#): > > But does that really count since the part of the movie he was in was cut out? Vic Morrow’s role wasn’t cut from the _Twilight Zone_ movie, only the helicopter scene. His segment is, in fact, the best part of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/47 "2002-08-23T01:39:16Z")
> [@](#): > > But does that really count since the part of the movie he was in was cut out? Vic Morrow’s role wasn’t cut from the _Twilight Zone_ movie, only the helicopter scene. His segment is, in fact, the best part of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/48 "2002-08-23T06:36:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Seraphim \* > \*\*I believe Chris Farley died shortly after filming **Almost Heroes** (1998), not exactly his finest work. \*\* What _was_ his finest work then? **Tommy Boy**?? 😛 > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by dantheman_\*\* > Robert Mitchum was also in Dead Man, an excellent existentialist Western by Jim Jarmusch that was released in 1995, I think after he made Backfire!, that crappy Police Academy ripoff.\*\* I stand corrected. I wonder why he made that POS though. Surely he didn’t need the money? Maybe he was just bored. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/49 "2002-08-23T07:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \ ***Flesh Feast** (1969) - Veronica Lake. She coproduced it, too; she hadn’t acted since the late 1940s. Not quite true. Television: 1. **Lux Video Theatre** , episode: “Shadow On the Heart” 10/16/1950. 2. [BYour Show of Shows\*\* 11/18/1950. 3. **Lights Out** , episode: “Beware This Woman” 12/4/1950. 4. **Somerset Maugham TV Theatre**", episode: “Facts of Life, The” 5/14/1951. 5. **Tales of Tomorrow** , episode: “Flight Overdue” 3/28/1952 6. [BGoodyear Television Playhouse[/Bi], episode: “Better than Walking” 10/26/1952. 7. **Lux Video Theatre** , episode: “Thanks For a Lovely Evening” 1/12/1953. Movies: **Stronghold** (1951) **Footsteps in the Snow** (1966) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/50 "2002-08-23T09:33:01Z")
**Walloon** - I meant movies, but I didn’t realize she’d done those two. Thanks. **Manduck** , my guess is that he wanted to work with Shelley Winters again - they had done **Night of the Hunter** together back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/51 "2002-08-23T11:51:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\* > > Nah, last time he acted was **The First Deadly Sin**. In **Cannonball** he was just playing himself. 😉 \*\* I hear you man – your thread your rules. He WAS playing himslef, but I’d add he WAS acting just as fast as he could: During the Cameo Frank Sinatra sits in an office supposedly talking to Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise but it is obvious that Frank filmed his scenes separately and Burt and Dom were added later. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/52 "2002-08-23T11:53:48Z")
IIRC, he played “The Chairman of the Board” and was referred to as “Frank” - but either way, it was a bad movie. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/53 "2002-08-23T17:50:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\* > **Manduck** , my guess is that he wanted to work with Shelley Winters again - they had done **Night of the Hunter** together back in the day. \*\* Makes sense. I didn’t notice that Shelley Winters was in that movie, but then I didn’t watch the whole thing (which would be just about impossible). BIG contrast between the two movies, I hafta say. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/54 "2002-08-23T18:05:47Z")
Richard Burton’s last movie was **1984**. He played O’Brien. And Edward G. Robinson’s last movie was **Soylent Green**. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/55 "2002-08-23T18:10:04Z")
Oh, my mistake. I thought the topic was “What’s the last movie of an actor’s career?” not “the worst”. ---
**Author:** ![Kreekurmudgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@Kreekurmudgeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kreekurmudgeon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/56 "2002-08-23T20:25:11Z")
Nobody has mentioned John Wayne’s last and probably his worst: The Shootist. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/57 "2002-08-23T21:20:14Z")
> [@](#): > > But IIRC the last time Frank Sinatra actually acts in a movie is Cannonball II After my last error filled post, I should probably stay out of this thread. But I read that Sinatra’s “part” in this movie was filmed totally seperate from the rest of the movie; Sinatra read his lines in a studio with no other actors present, Reynolds and the other cast members read their lines in another studio, and the two pieces of film were edited together. Having come so close to not being in this movie, it’s just unfortunate for Sinatra that he couldn’t have stayed out of it all together. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/58 "2002-08-23T22:41:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kreekurmudgeon \* > \*\*Nobody has mentioned John Wayne’s last and probably his worst: The Shootist. \*\* Well… I didn’t mention it because there’s no way it was his worst. 🙂 I mean, he did zillions of grade-Z movies, and that wasn’t one of them (try The Green Berets, or Chism, or any number of cheapies). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/59 "2002-08-23T23:14:41Z")
I’ll second that about **The Shootist**. It is far from John Wayne’s worst movie. Leonard Maltin gives it three out of four stars. And the average User Rating for **The Shootist** on the Internet Movie Database is 7.4 out of 10. The Writers Guild of America nominated the screenplay for the WGA Screen Award. If you want bad John Wayne movies, I direct you to **The Conqueror** (1956), with JW as Genghis Khan; or **The Green Berets** (1968). ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089/60 "2002-08-24T04:59:05Z")
Bruce Lee quit filming in the middle of _Game of Death_, having filmed a few action sequences, including the finale with Kareem Abdul Jabaar, when he was finally given a chance at a Hollywood movie. That movie was _Enter the Dragon_, his most famous and most popular, though not his best, movie. Upon its completion, he returned to Hong Kong to finish _Game_. He was dubbing dialog when a confluence of heat exhaustion and a costar’s prescription cold medicine led to the cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) that killed him. Following his death, which became big news due to a bunch of nonsense conspiracy theories, _Enter the Dragon_ became a huge hit, and the producers rushed to finish _Game of Death_ to capitilize on this new popularity. The problem was they had less than half a movie, and worse yet, they had the wrong half–mostly action scenes. The hired a “look-a-like”, who looked about as much like Bruce as the average 30 year old Chinese man on the street, to finish Bruce’s scenes, filming him from the back or oblique angles, and at some points using a cardboard publicity display as a stand in. The results are laughably bad, even worse than the mediocre _The Big Boss_ (US title “Fists of Fury”). Not content to finish _Game of Death_, the producers took the roughly 38 seconds of unused footage of Bruce and built an entirely new movie out it called _Tower of Death_, giving him first billing, then showing one brief shot of him before killing his character in the first few minutes. Even so, it’s not as bad as _Game of Death_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-final-movie-of-an-actors-career/125089.md?page=2)