# Who's left from early TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218 "2014-02-13T03:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/161 "2014-02-21T20:42:42Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > There’s always Polly Bergen, who I mention not because of her pre-'58 appearances on _The Ed Sullivan Show_ and _The Jonathan Winters Show_ and _The Jimmy Durante Show_ and _The George Jessel Show_ and _The Alan Young Show_ and _The Jackie Gleason Show_ and _Max Liebman Presents: The Maurice Chevalier Show_, but for – well, just hosting _The Polly Bergen Show_ starting in '57. > > You know, after acting on _Playhouse 90_ and _General Electric Theater_ and et cetera. Which makes me think of Candice Bergen. Has she been mentioned yet? [She appeared in a 1958 episode of _You Bet Your Life_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candice_Bergen#Television). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/162 "2014-02-22T03:16:14Z")
Speaking of folks who bring folks to mind, Eunice Gayson did a TV movie in '50, and another in '51, and more in '52, and after more TV work in '53 and '54 and '55 and '56 was the first woman seen speaking to/gambling against/sleeping with Sean Connery as James Bond in _Dr No_. After that, she was up for episode after episode after episode of TV as you’d expect: with _Secret Agent_ Patrick McGoohan, and Roger _The Saint_ Moore, and Patrick Macnee of _The Avengers_ fame – the last of whom was doing TV movies of _Wuthering Heights_ and _Hamlet_ and _Macbeth_ back in the '40s, and who kept at it in 1950 with television productions of _Othello_ and _The Strange Case Of Doctor Jekyll And Mister Hyde_ before making the rounds on _Schlitz Playhouse_ and _Kraft Theatre_ and et cetera pre-'58. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/163 "2014-02-22T03:35:02Z")
**Michael Constantine** (best known for \*\*\*My Big Greek Wedding \*\*\*and _ **Room 222** _) had a television credit from 1949 (_ **The Big Story** _) and from 1959 (_ **The Last Mile** _) Not sure if anyone got him but **Clint Walker** is still with us (which is very odd given that he is such a large man). He was famous for his role 1950s cowboy role _ **Cheyenne** _ **James Drury** (most famous for his eponymous role as _ **The Virginian** _) is still around. He’ll be 80 this year making him one of the "younger members of the 1950s television crowd. He does promos for Encore networks Western channel. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/164 "2014-02-22T04:02:34Z")
Nita Talbot apparently made her television debut in '49 – with her recurring role on the **Man Against Crime** series – and was a regular on **Search For Tomorrow** before she was cast as, well, _Mabel_ on **Joe & Mabel** in '56, after getting plenty of other TV work along the way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/165 "2014-02-22T20:44:33Z")
Tab Hunter appeared on _I’ve Got A Secret_ and _What’s My Line?_ in '57, after appearing on _Playhouse 90_ and _The Jimmy Durante Show_ in '56, and _The Ford Television Theatre_ and _Lux Video Theatre_ in '55, and et cetera. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/166 "2014-02-23T13:08:23Z")
**Joanna Barnes** is maybe best known as The Other Woman targeted by Hayley Mills (and, well, Hayley Mills) in _The Parent Trap_ back in '61 – but before that, she had plenty of pre-'58 TV credits: on _Maverick_ and _Cheyenne_ in '57 after appearing on _Playhouse 90_ after making her screen debut on _Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/167 "2014-02-23T16:59:46Z")
**Debra Paget** and her kid sister **Lisa Gaye** each got a healthy amount of Golden Age TV work as twentysomethings in the 1950s: the former on _The Milton Berle Show_ and _The Tony Bennett Show_ after debuting on _The Colgate Comedy Hour_, the latter on _The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show_ after appearing on _Passport to Danger_ and _Frontier_, and so on between the two of 'em for _Matinee Theatre_ and _Science Fiction Theatre_ and _Annie Oakley_ and _The Adventures Of Jim Bowie_ and et cetera before '58. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/168 "2014-02-23T17:56:50Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > He was also a paperboy in the classic _Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ (with Humprey Bogart). Paper in the mob sense - he was selling lottery tickets, wasn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/169 "2014-02-23T20:49:59Z")
Decades before playing Edna Garrett on _The Facts of Life_ and _Diff’rent Strokes_, Charlotte Rae made her TV debut in '54 by acting on _Armstrong Circle Theatre_ and _The United States Steel Hour_; pre-'58, you could also see her on _The Phil Silvers Show_ and _The Ed Sullivan Show_ and _The Martha Raye Show_ and et cetera. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/170 "2014-02-24T16:56:36Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Paper in the mob sense - he was selling lottery tickets, wasn’t he? You are correct. Robert Blake was selling lottery tickets in _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/171 "2014-02-24T20:29:46Z")
Happy 93[sup]rd[/sup], Mr. Vigoda. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/172 "2014-02-24T21:38:17Z")
The Mickey Rooney discussion got me thinking of \*Evil Roy Slade \*(of course) which made me think of John Astin. Just barely squeaks in with an uncredited 1957 part. BTW: The Mickster just did some filming in Toronto for _Night at the Museum 3_. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/173 "2014-02-24T23:36:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Both Shatner and Nimoy got started in television in the '50s, as did George Takei. I’m afeared that Nimoy’s number is coming up. He did not live a life in which he treated his body like a temple. He smoked and indulged in other vices and now his chickens appear to be coming home to roost. I just wish that more celebs would leave a message to their fans like the one that Yul Brynner left for his fans. That was a truly impressive and responsible thing to do. Did you see that? It was a very fine message. Great job, Yul! In his messsage he pointed the finger (the middle finger) at the tobacco corporations and he put the blame squarely on them for his lung problems (he had lung cancer or emphasema). I forget exactly what diseases he had. But he left a very fine message for his fans explaining that his impending death was mostly due to his lung problems that came from shmoking. What a great man! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/174 "2014-02-25T02:07:43Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I’m afeared that Nimoy’s number is coming up. He did not live a life in which he treated his body like a temple. He smoked and indulged in other vices and now his chickens appear to be coming home to roost. > > I just wish that more celebs would leave a message to their fans like the one that Yul Brynner left for his fans. That was a truly impressive and responsible thing to do. > > Did you see that? It was a very fine message. Great job, Yul! > > In his messsage he pointed the finger (the middle finger) at the tobacco corporations and he put the blame squarely on them for his lung problems (he had lung cancer or emphasema). I forget exactly what diseases he had. But he left a very fine message for his fans explaining that his impending death was mostly due to his lung problems that came from shmoking. What a great man! Sad to hear ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/175 "2014-02-25T02:25:13Z")
Carol Channing has been appearing on TV since the '40s, singing on everything from **The Milton Berle Show** to **The Colgate Comedy Hour** and acting on everything from **Playhouse 90** to **The Red Skelton Hour** before '58 – after which, three Tony Awards. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/176 "2014-02-25T03:00:13Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I’m afeared that Nimoy’s number is coming up. He did not live a life in which he treated his body like a temple. He smoked and indulged in other vices and now his chickens appear to be coming home to roost. I’m afraid the same is true of Shatner; plus, he and Nimoy were born within days of each other. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/177 "2014-02-26T16:06:08Z")
Robert Wagner was on \*The 20th Century Fox Hour \*in 1955. Dina Merrill was on \*Four Star Playhouse \* in 1955. Dick Van Patten was on _Mama_ from 1949 to 1957. Debbie Reynolds appeared on \*The Affairs of Dobie Gilllis _in 1953. Jimmy “Tommy Bailey” Hawkins appeared on \* The Ruggles_ from 1949 to 1952, followed by _Annie Oakley_ and _The Donna Reed Show._ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/178 "2014-02-26T17:41:22Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Debbie Reynolds appeared on \*The Affairs of Dobie Gilllis \*in 1953. That was a movie, not a TV show. She didn’t have a regular appearance as an actor in a TV show until the late 60s. You have to dip into TV appearances as herself to qualify her in the 1950s. Though she might have done some acting in sketches on _The Eddie Fisher Show_ and such. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/179 "2014-02-27T12:20:05Z")
Barbara Rush acted on _Lux Video Theatre_ in '54 and '55 and '56 before playing Cathy in a 1957 made-for-television version of _Wuthering Heights_. She also got work on _Playhouse 90_, both before and after '58. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218/180 "2014-02-28T01:36:08Z")
Rhonda Fleming was a sketch performer on _The Bob Hope Show_ in 1957 after hosting an episode of _The Colgate Comedy Hour_ with Abbott and Costello – and she’d already been credited as a singer in an episode with Martin and Lewis, after being credited as an actress in an episode with Errol Flynn – and in 1955, she’d played Jean Maitland on _The Best Of Broadway_ and Connie Crawford on _The Ford Television Theatre_, stopping off in between to appear on _The Name’s The Same_ and _What’s My Line?_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-left-from-early-tv/681218.md?page=10)