# Most famous actors in a single movie?



## Tom Young (Dec 24, 2013)

What single movie had the most famous actors and actresses in it?

I think I know, but will watch for good answers.  We can check on IMDB.


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## rkunsaw (Dec 24, 2013)

They weren't famous at the time but they became famous after starring in the Lords Of Flatbush. Henry Winkler, Sylvester Stallone and I can't recall others at the moment but there were several more.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 24, 2013)

The Mag 7 had a fair roll call but some got more famous for being in the movie  than the other way round so it's a toss up. e.g. Horst Bucholtz, Eli Wallach.  All had impressive careers though, except Brad Dexter. (who?)


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## SifuPhil (Dec 24, 2013)

"_It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_" ?


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## dbeyat45 (Dec 24, 2013)

Just beat me to it Phil .... Spencer Tracy and crew must be up there.


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## Tom Young (Dec 24, 2013)

Hmmm... Mad, mad, mad.... yeah... forgot about that...  Good one... 

I remembered "Around the World in Eighty Days" 1954, but old as I am didn't recognize some of the stars of that era... 

I'm thinking "How the West was Won".... 1968 ... 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056085/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

but you may well be right... still open for other movies...

edit.... hmmm... think you *ARE* right... at least, so far.... 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057193/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

sheesh... the names in the cast sure bring back memories... imagine.... Arnold Stang... Jimmy Durante, Zasu Pitts, Joe E. Brown, Buster Keaton , Ben Blue, Jerry Lewis... My whole:love_heart: life just passed before my eyes...


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## Pappy (Dec 24, 2013)

I'm thinking American Graffiti.....Lots of young actors in that movie.


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## dbeyat45 (Dec 24, 2013)

Catch 22? had a few too . .... from Orson Wells down to Art Garfunkel.  

Apologies to Robert Duvall, _I love the sound of radial engines in the morning_:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYoeqUs2KI


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## Tom Young (Dec 24, 2013)

Pappy said:


> I'm thinking American Graffiti.....Lots of young actors in that movie.



OMG... I looked... Suzanne Somers was the only one I recognized... :lofl:
Am  older than dirt... So....




http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069704/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast


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## Diwundrin (Dec 24, 2013)

dbeyat45 said:


> Catch 22? had a few too . .... from Orson Wells down to Art Garfunkel.
> 
> Apologies to Robert Duvall, _I love the sound of radial engines in the morning_:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYoeqUs2KI



You're twisted enough to count that a classic too eh?  



------------

... Are we comparing apples and oranges with these movies?  Most famous in genuine plot character roles,  or just as cameos?  

Mad Mad... had *everybody* in it but most were really just 'extras' in the scheme of things.
I'm still thinking Mag 7,  as of the 8 major roles 7 were filled by 'famous' actors.  That's a pretty good ratio.

Brynner, McQueen, Coburn, Bronson, Vaughan, Bucholtz and the sole survivor, Wallach, and not a ham among them! 




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## SifuPhil (Dec 24, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> ... Are we comparing apples and oranges with these movies?  Most famous in genuine plot character roles,  or just as cameos?
> 
> Mad Mad... had *everybody* in it but most were really just 'extras' in the scheme of things.



Since Tom's original question didn't specify, I'm still going with Mad ...

Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman,  Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Jonathan Winters,  Edie Adams, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Jim Backus, Joe E. Brown,  William Demarest, Andy Devine, Peter Falk, Norman Fell, Sterling  Holloway, Buster Keaton, Edward Everett Horton, Don Knotts, Zasu Pitts,  Carl Reiner, The Three Stooges, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny and Jerry Lewis. 

You can't beat THAT with a slapstick! layful:


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## drifter (Dec 24, 2013)

I thought it was Rio Bravo.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 24, 2013)

> Since Tom's original question didn't specify, I'm still going with Mad ...



Well if you prefer quantity over quality..... layful:

A lot of those listed might have been 'famous' in the States but I've never heard of some and vague about a lot more.


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## Tom Young (Dec 24, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> Well if you prefer quantity over quality..... layful:
> 
> A lot of those listed might have been 'famous' in the States but I've never heard of some and vague about a lot more.



Whaaat?
:saywhat:


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## dbeyat45 (Dec 24, 2013)

> You're twisted enough to count that a classic too eh?


but
Nobody mentioned "classic" ..... anyway, some scenes in Catch 22 were classic.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 25, 2013)

Tom Young said:


> Whaaat?
> :saywhat:






> Dick Shawn,   Edie Adams, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson,    William Demarest,  Norman Fell, Sterling   Holloway, Edward Everett Horton,    Carl Reiner,



I would probably recognize the faces but can't attach the names to any so they're not all that 'famous' to me.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 25, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> I would probably recognize the faces but can't attach the names to any so they're not all that 'famous' to me.



Evidently not a hard-core movie buff. 

*Dick Shawn* - lots of movies in the 60's-80's including (of course) _Mad, Mad_ ... 
*Edie Adams* - gorgeous blonde who portrayed Marilyn Monroe on stage, was married to Ernie Kovacs 
*"Rochester"* - Jack Benny's foil ("Yassir, Mr. Benny") and appeared in - guess what?
*William Demarest* - Uncle Charley in "_My Three Sons_" and appeared in a hundred or so films
*Norman Fell* - "Mr. Roper" on _Three's Company_, appeared in _Ocean's 11_, _The Graduate_ and other films
*Sterling Holloway* - the voice of "Winnie the Pooh", appeared in hundreds of movies, short films and TV shows
*Ed. Everett Horton* - appeared in _Arsenic and Old Lace_, did work with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
*Carl Reiner* - perhaps the most famous on the list, starred with Mel Brooks on _The Steve Allen Show_, played Alan Brady on _The Dick van Dyke Show,_ has 12 Emmys and has directed and produced hundreds of TV shows and movies


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## Old Hipster (Dec 25, 2013)

I was going to say *It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World* too!

 Some of the of the biblical epics have a butt load of famous actors in them.


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## JustBonee (Dec 25, 2013)

Two old movies with loads of name-brand actors  ....  The Longest Day  (1962)
and Ocean's Eleven had a bunch too.

The cast from Longest Day ...http://sharetv.com/movies/the_longest_day_1962/cast


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## SifuPhil (Dec 25, 2013)

Old Hipster said:


> Some of the of the biblical epics have a butt load of famous actors in them.



Urban legend has it that if you look REAL hard in the far background of _The Greatest Story Ever Told_ at around 1:04:35 you can see The Three Stooges ... layful:


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## SifuPhil (Dec 25, 2013)

Boo's Mom said:


> The cast from Longest Day ...http://sharetv.com/movies/the_longest_day_1962/cast



Wow - 126 actors listed! _Mad, Mad World_ has only 81 listed in the credits. 

I'm going to grab Di's comment here though and say that I haven't heard of a lot of them in _Longest Day_.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 25, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> Evidently not a hard-core movie buff.
> 
> *Dick Shawn* - lots of movies in the 60's-80's including (of course) _Mad, Mad_ ...
> *Edie Adams* - gorgeous blonde who portrayed Marilyn Monroe on stage, was married to Ernie Kovacs
> ...



Evidently I don't watch 'hard core' movies. 


i'm none the wiser from that list, as I said 'famous' in the States maybe.  I saw as little of Jack Benny as I could manage, '..3 sons' 'n '3's a crowd' were never on my watch list.  Voice of Winnie the Pooh is a claim to 'fame'? Bit parts in old movies likewise?
Didn't watch Steve Allen or Dick van Dyke, neither were or are exponents of what entertains me comedy wise, I call the 'corny' card on 'em, sorry.

Okay: I've Googled them for pictures.

1. Dick Shawn:  Never seen him before that I remember.
2.Edie Adams:   No bells at all.
3.'Rochester':  Yes, remember him, vaguely
4. William Demerest:  Vaguely familiar as a bit player
5. Norman Fell:  Yes, he was a secondary character in just about everything wasn't he? Name never rang a bell though.
6. Sterling Holloway: Nup, no bells rung, but I'm not a devotee of old movies.
 7. Ed. E. Horton:  Vaguely familiar as a bit player.
8.Carl Reiner:  Okay know the face but if it doesn't instantly connect to a name then I don't deem it 'famous'.  Sorry.

Too hard a marker???

Well, here's a Noo Yawker who was a household name and 'famous' for his Tonight Show in OZ that I bet you never heard of.




BornMorton Donald Isaacson
13 November 1933
New York City, New York, USDied22 October 2009 (aged 75)
Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaOccupationTV presenter, actor, singer, sportscasterYears active1965-2001 







No bells yet??

He worked as *Don Lane.*

Still nuthin'??
Well, 'famous' is relative isn't it?

He was recruited to fill in for 3 weeks on a terminally bombing Tonight Show type program when we were still experimenting with the genre. For some reason the TV powerbrokers thought the host had to be American but we detested the couple who hosted it and they fled the country in embarrassment.  Lane filled in until they could find another 'name' but the ratings went skyward from week one so they kept him.  For decades. He was known as the 'lanky yankee' and could sing, dance, do just about anything, a true all rounder entertainer who couldn't get a break in the States.
 He bucked the trend here as we weren't US type humour fans in those days but he 'got' Australian ways and humour somehow and became 2nd only to Graham Kennedy, of whom you also never heard, as royalty of 'Tonight' TV.  He died here a Naturalised Aussie Citizen. 
Yet he doesn't even rate a picture in IMDb.
Point is, had his head appeared in Mad..World, would he count as famous??   Would here, but there?


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## That Guy (Dec 25, 2013)

Plan 9 from Outer Space . . .


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## SifuPhil (Dec 25, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> Well, here's a Noo Yawker who was a household name and 'famous' for his Tonight Show in OZ that I bet you never heard of.
> 
> He worked as *Don Lane.*
> 
> ...



I didn't catch on to his real name, but I actually _have_ heard of _The Don Lane Show_ - had no idea what it was all _about_, but I'd heard of it.




> Point is, had his head appeared in Mad..World, would he count as famous??   Would here, but there?



It's _more_ than just an "appearing head", though - everyone that was in _Mad_ (and many who were asked but couldn't make it, for one reason or another) had already paid their show-biz dues, they'd been in many, many shows and were considered "prime talent". 

Ever hear of Erik Weisz? You should have - he was one of the first men to make a controlled, powered flight in Australia. He was born in Budapest, but he spent the majority of his life in America.

Nothing?

You might know him better as Harry Houdini. 

Yes, fame is relative, but seeing as how Hollywood is known the world over for its films, and Australia has only managed to eke out a few folks that stumbled into L.A. and managed to pick up a few plum roles, probably only because the casting director slept with them, you definitely should learn more about classic American film. :triumphant:


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## Diwundrin (Dec 25, 2013)

Like Dumb and Dumber d'ya mean? 



Haven't done a fact check on it but sure I read that we were producing movies here before Hollywood was.  We just didn't market it as well apparently.

There are quite a lot of Aussies scattered through Hollywood now, mostly behind the cameras but at least 4 US TV   series are headed by Aussie actors that most Americans didn't know weren't their own.  The Mentalist, Simon Baker. Longmire, Robert Taylor,  Without a Trace, Anthony Lapaglia. Unforgetable, Poppy Montgomery. (Who also played Marilyn Monroe)   
Then there was Heath Leger, Rod Taylor, (who?) George Lazenby (who?) and someone else... lemme think.. oh yes, Errol Flynn.layful:


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## SifuPhil (Dec 25, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> Like Dumb and Dumber d'ya mean?



One of the greatest achievements of the 20th century! 



> Haven't done a fact check on it but sure I read that we were producing movies here before Hollywood was.  We just didn't market it as well apparently.



That would be an interesting piece of research ...



> There are quite a lot of Aussies scattered through Hollywood now, mostly behind the cameras but at least 4 US TV   series are headed by Aussie actors that most Americans didn't know weren't their own.  The Mentalist, Simon Baker. Longmire, Robert Taylor,  Without a Trace, Anthony Lapaglia. Unforgetable, Poppy Montgomery. (Who also played Marilyn Monroe)
> Then there was Heath Leger, Rod Taylor, (who?) George Lazenby (who?) and someone else... lemme think.. oh yes, Errol Flynn.layful:



Let's play "First Thing That Comes To Mind" ...

The Mentalist - TV show? 
Longmire - no idea
Without A Trace - one of those crime shows?
Unforgettable - I didn't know it in the first place
Heath Ledger - flash-in-the-pan junkie
Rod Taylor - sang "Tonight's The Night" and collected girls' panties
George Lazenby - has the distinction of being perhaps the worst Bond ever
Errol Flynn - the swashbuckling poofter?


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## Diwundrin (Dec 25, 2013)

Yeah them.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 25, 2013)

Research:

Eureka!!



> _The Story of the Kelly Gang_ (1906) - The world's* first feature-length* film.


 layful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_films


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## SifuPhil (Dec 26, 2013)

Interesting stuff! You beat us by 7 years on the feature films - Cecil B. DeMille's _The Squaw Man_ in 1913. 

Didn't know that - thanks!


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## dbeyat45 (Dec 26, 2013)

That's OK Phil .... we're ahead of the rest of the world in most things.  

The civilian aviation industry's first flight data recorder.
Over the horizon radar.
The rotary clothes hoist.
The rotary mower. 
The Sarich orbital engine.  (Seems we do a lot of going round in circles)
The utility vehicle, based on a sedan (ute) .... you Yanks copied it and called it a pickup.
Network data packet technology.

 ... etc, etc


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## Diwundrin (Dec 26, 2013)

I can't find any definitive answers to which movie had most 'stars' in it, like us I guess there's no hard fast rule for 'famous'. 

 Found a few mentioned though that had a 'star studded cast'.  A Bridge too Far, The Ocean's 11/12/13 franchise, Pulp Fiction (mmm??)  and one I thought of earlier and forgot about again..  The Towering Inferno.
Paul Newman 
Richard Chamberlain 
Jennifer Jones 
Fred Astaire 
Steve McQueen 
Robert Vaughn 
Robert Wagner 
Faye Dunaway 
William Holden 
OJ Simpson 
Mike Lookinland (same kid who played Bobby Brady) 
Susan Blakely 
Dabney Coleman


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## JustBonee (Dec 26, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> Wow - 126 actors listed! _Mad, Mad World_ has only 81 listed in the credits.
> 
> I'm going to grab Di's comment here though and say that I haven't heard of a lot of them in _Longest Day_.



Of the 126 actors in  Longest Day ... 42 were international stars.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 26, 2013)

That one will be hard to toss Bonnie.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 26, 2013)

Bonnie said:


> Of the 126 actors in  Longest Day ... 42 were international stars.



And of _Mad, Mad Worlds_ 81 actors and actresses I recognized roughly 3/4 and knew the names of 1/2. 

What constitutes an "International" star, vs. just "a star"? How do they determine their international appeal? Box office proceeds in Dubai?


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## JustBonee (Dec 26, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> And of _Mad, Mad Worlds_ 81 actors and actresses I recognized roughly 3/4 and knew the names of 1/2.
> 
> What constitutes an "International" star, vs. just "a star"? How do they determine their international appeal? Box office proceeds in Dubai?




Beats me!!!  ....:nothingtoadd:  ..lol


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## SifuPhil (Dec 26, 2013)

Bonnie said:


> Beats me!!!  ....:nothingtoadd:  ..lol



LOL!

Honesty - it's _so_ refreshing! 

I guess I'm part stereotypical American, thinking that everyone in the world knows all the same movie stars as I do. 

I came across a funny article from a few months back that defines "5 of Hollywood's Biggest International Stars" - 

* Bruce Lee
* Jackie Chan
* Marion Cotillard (WHO?!?)
* Zhang Ziyi
* Chow Yun-fat

Now I think everyone has probably heard or seen Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, certainly Bruce.

Marion Cotillard - I had to Google her to find out what she's done. Certainly not my idea of an "international star".

Zhang and Chow - unless you're into the martial arts genre I doubt you'd even recognize these names, so again, "International"?


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## Old Hipster (Dec 26, 2013)

Chow Young-fat has been in loads of movies, he is one of my favorite actors! but I do like chop-socky movies.

He was even in one of the Pirates of The Carribean movies.


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## That Guy (Dec 26, 2013)

What really amazes me is wondering who the heck all of the "new" actors are.  Never heard of 'em and they're fabulously famous. Of course, I haven't been actually paying attention.  Ahhhh, time whizzing by . . .


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## Pappy (Dec 26, 2013)

Here's a pic of two of my hometowns old movie houses programs. These are from my collection. Nothing really to do with thread but a little reminiscing. Smalleys was 14 cents and Colonia was high class, 16 cents.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 26, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> LOL!
> 
> Honesty - it's _so_ refreshing!
> 
> ...




Had to Google Marion Cotillard to.  How embarrassing!. I saw her last night and had no idea of her name.  Coincidentally La Vie en Rose was broadcast here last night and caught the last half hour of it.  I've seen it before,  love Edith Piaf's songs and was knocked out by the portrayal of her in  the movie but never knew the actress' name. 

 

We do tend to judge the world from our own viewpoint, I guess if sheer fan numbers was an indication some Indian or Chinese actors would trump 'ours' hands down for famous.

There was an article here a few years ago which shook us a bit.  "Who is the most recognized/famous Australian?"  
 It was some soccer player who most of us had vaguely heard of in the sports section of the News but had no idea what he even looked like.  
He was big time in the European and Asian Soccer world but relatively few Aussies give a toss about soccer.  That must have shattered a few egos in the political and entertainment games.


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## Old Hipster (Dec 26, 2013)

My favorite Aussies...well except for the forum members from there. 

Guy Pearce (even though he was born in England, he moved to Australia when he was 3)
Geoffrey Rush
Anthony LaPaglia
Hugh Jackman
Hugo Weaving
Chris Hemsworth
Judith Anderson
Nick Cave


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## Diwundrin (Dec 26, 2013)

Judith Anerson is news to me, didn't even know she was born here.
We have a few other girls who have won 'gongs' in Hollywood.  Toni Collette, Cate Blanchette and Rachel Griffiths, I think they all made it for talent rather than looks, they are great actresses.  Wish they'd shut up about politics though, what is it with movie stars and politics?


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## Old Hipster (Dec 26, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> Judith Anerson is news to me, didn't even know she was born here.
> We have a few other girls who have won 'gongs' in Hollywood. Toni Collette, Cate Blanchette and Rachel Griffiths, I think they all made it for talent rather than looks, they are great actresses. Wish they'd shut up about politics though, what is it with movie stars and politics?


Dame Judith Anderson was born Frances Margaret Anderson on February 10, 1897 in Adelaide, South Australia. She began her acting career in Australia before moving to New York in 1918.


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## dbeyat45 (Dec 26, 2013)

Hugh Jackman is a HUGE cricket fan and was interviewed during the lunch break at the Boxing Day test in Melbourne yesterday.  My DIL had me record it because he's he "second favourite" man.  I thought it should have been at least third favourite.


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## Warrigal (Dec 26, 2013)

If extras count I nominate Ghandi and for a short comedy film I nominate the (mostly) silent film _The Plank _for a plethora of well known British comedy faces.

http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/film/the_plank/details/


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