Author Archives: robin
Before They Were Stars: Jerry Springer Runs for Governor of Ohio!
It always takes people by surprise when they learn that another lifetime ago, Jerry Springer was once a fairly successful politician. In the early 1970s, he was elected mayor of Cincinnati, but (appropriately enough) found himself in a major scandal … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: M. Night Shyamalan in a Homemade Short Film
For a special feature on the DVD release of Unbreakable, the one and only M. Night Shyamalan decided to include a clip of a short film he made with his friends when he was a kid, where he gets involved … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Mike Myers on “The Littlest Hobo”
Given Mike Myers’ Canadian roots, I guess it’s only natural that he would have started out his career by appearing in an episode of The Littlest Hobo. The 16-year old Myers plays the friend of a wheelchair-bound boy who is … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars (3-for-1 Special): James Woods, Fred Willard and Peter Boyle in a Pork & Beans Commercial
Wow, talk about a “Before They Were Stars” goldmine! This old commercial for Campbell’s Home Style Pork & Beans is from about 1970 or so and features a bunch of people sitting around a table eating. Well, three of them … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Tom Selleck in an Chaz Aftershave and Cologne Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_lLYIjmRD8 In 1980, an unknown Tom Selleck was the spokesmodel for Chaz Aftershave and Cologne For Men and appeared in what may be the manliest commercial ever made. In the span of 30 seconds, Selleck is shown riding a horse, … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: 29-Year Old Alfred Hitchcock Tells a Dirty Joke
Yesterday, we did a Shouts From the Back Row podcast about Sir Alfred Hitchcock and discussed what an iconic, larger-than-life figure he was. So it may surprise you to see that I’ve actually uncovered footage of him from when he … Continue reading
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Robin’s Underrated Gems: Frenzy (1972)
In this week’s Shouts From the Back Row podcast, we covered the long, storied career of Sir Alfred Hitchcock, so it s only appropriate that I put the spotlight on one of his most underrated films. The 1960s started off … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Dean Norris in “Total Recall”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUxeAl7RlyE In this past summer’s mediocre remake of Total Recall, Bryan Cranston played the role of the villainous Cohaagen, but in a neat coincidence, Dean Norris, who plays the role of Cranston’s brother-in-law Hank on Breaking Bad, had an early … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: 10-Year Old Jessica Pare on “The Baby-Sitters Club”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMuaqGlfdg It was Jessica Pare’s birthday yesterday, so here’s some footage of her acting debut at the age of 10 on the Disney Channel show, The Baby-Sitters Club, which in spite of being a short-lived series, also happened to feature … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Marisa Tomei in an Afterschool Special
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS1BlugDnoA You know I always love to showcase stars who appeared in those cheesy editions of ABC Afterschool Special in the 1980s. To add to my ever-growing collection, here’s Marisa Tomei appearing in a 1987 episode entitled Supermom’s Daughter as … Continue reading
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