dmnemaine says > Jack Carson was never given the real stardom his exceptional and versatile talent deserved.
I can't disagree more. I think Jack Carson had a great career and was fairly well known; both by the movie going public and by industry insiders. He was not a lead actor so he may not have had the star status afforded a lead actor but he seemed to work consistently; he was in a lot of good movies; he worked with the best; he got to play a variety a roles; and had longevity.
A lot of other actors, including leading actors, didn't have it as good. Many of them would have loved as many opportunities to work; even those who found success and worked regularly were sometimes limited. They were often typecast and never got a chance to stretch and develop their skills. Their acting, at times, suffered due to the lack of challenges.
Also, while he didn't necessarily have the looks of a leading man, he often played their rivals and did manage to end up with the girl on a few occasions. Carson worked hard throughout his career and seemed to find success in all he did; in Vaudeville, on the radio, on television, in the movies, and even as a clown which, according to his bio, he enjoyed in secret and did as a sideline to his already successful acting career.
Carson died prematurely from cancer and, according to some, drank too much but he apparently lived a good life. I suspect, had he lived longer, he would have continued to work for many more years. No, I won't be shedding any tears for his lack of stardom. Not all actors look for fame and based on his secret circus outings, Carson didn't seem to seek it out. Still, he was known in his time and all these years later, though he's now been dead more years than he lived, we are discussing him here today; in so doing he's getting respect and admiration. He is still known and will continue to live on for as long as people continue to watch his movies, enjoy and discuss them.
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]
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dmnemaine
7 years ago
If you say "Jack Carson" to most people, they'll say "Who?". Say "James Stewart" or "Clark Gable" to the same people, and they'll at least have some idea who you mean.
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