MovieChat Forums > James Cromwell Discussion > Earliest Appearances

Earliest Appearances


The t.v. appearances show him in a 1971 show. The bio for Cromwell indicates that he began acting at a later date. But I'm certain that I saw him in a minor role in an episode of Johnny Staccato that would have been filmed 15 years earlier. He was playing the role of a beat poet reading his poem in the background while Cassavettes carried on a conversation with another actor.

Does anyone know about this or where I might contact him to confirm that appearance?

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My father swears that Cromwell also had guest appearances on "All in the Family" starring as "Stretch" Cunningham. I told him no, that wasn't him, but now I am doubting myself. Any help on this one?

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earliest iv ever seen him was in M*A*S*H

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I, too, swore he played Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family, but this site had me second-guessing myself. However, if you search the Web, you'll find other TV/Cinema sites that say it was him. I think IMDB has erroneous omitted those appearances.

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Also, he didn't begin acting at a later date--he just started doing more tv and movies later. His bio indicates that he was a member of the Black Panther party, and he also worked with the Free Southern Theater, the theater group from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the 60s. So, he has been acting long before his credits showed up on tv; he certainly might have been in a minor role fifteen years earlier than his bio indicates.

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It wasn't his earliest appearance, but I remember him being quite funny as the assistant of a Hercule Poiret-type played by James Coco in the Neil Simon detective spoof "Murder by Death" (1976.) Poiret is famously Belgian, but Cromwell basically did a French accent in this movie. Cromwell then sort of disappeared for awhile, though I see he had credits rather continuously in TV and movies.

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If you look at his bio on IMDB it is mentioned that he played Stretch Cunningham on "All in the Family" . . .so yes you are correct.



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Yes, he played Strech. He worked with Archie. I remember watching him and then thought it was funny he was in "Babe"

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