Celebs you wish had appeared on TZ

[DarleneIllyria]

Who are some of your fave celebs that you wished had appeared on TZ? I'm gonna say: DeForest Kelley, Carroll O'Connor, and Hugh Beaumont.

[Barnabas1]

Barbara Billingsley and Lucille Ball.:)

[dawsongirl]

*Jeopardy think music plays*

Dododododododo...dododododododododododo

And the winner is.....

RICHARD DAWSON

I assume you all saw that coming.

[Brian]

I knew you were going to say that!

[DarleneIllyria]

Originally posted by dawsongirl
*Jeopardy think music plays*

Dododododododo...dododododododododododo

And the winner is.....

RICHARD DAWSON

I assume you all saw that coming.

lol

Richard would've been great on TZ.

[ficlopri]

Really Jenny? As what would Dawson been good as on TZ? No no no! Bad choices. all of them except DeForrest Kelly. Maybe just maybe Adam West, he was on Outer Limits in a starship ep. He could have been good as Carter, the young crewman in Death Ship (an hour long TZ).

[bry]

that's a good question. never thought about it. now that i do, i can't think of anyone. the names given already are great choices.

[ficlopri]

Bry, don't be flattering. The only great choice mentioned so far is Adam West (though Deforrest Kelly is as much as a pretty good choice). All the others mentioned would have been lousy and laughable on TZ. LOUSY!

[bry]

i don't know, hugh beaumont makes an interesting idea. carrol o'connor too.
ozzie and harriet nelson were good on night gallery.

[ficlopri]

Hugh Beaumont was not a really leading actor (for those of you not interested in his last name). Some even admitted confusion between him and Fred MacMurray. He rarely had a leading role in a drama. I saw him guest star in fair number of dramas (like Mannix and Racket Squad) but his part was always kinda small. It seems almost pointless to wish him to guest star on TZ when he nearly definitely wouldn't have had a leading role, just a very thankless secondary part, if he had. I also honestly think to avoid confusion with TZ writer Charles Beaumont they would never have let Hugh guest star on the show in the first place. Actors who could and were entrusted with leading parts in serious shows are the ones really worth speculating on to have guest starred on TZ as they most likely would have been leads on dramatic TZ (the show had few comedies). People who only would only be supporting players in the Zone, if they appeared, appear too expendable to be speculating on. Well don't they? I've already covered most of the other choices in my other thread. Thank you for reading my posting.

[ficlopri]

Bry, Night Gallery was really usually cheesy and laughable. Except to kids watching. As a kid watching I was terrified by NG as an adult its funnier than Abbott and Costello. Ozzie and Harriet couldn't hurt that show. TZ was a great (usually) serious anthology. O+H would have only made TZ unintentionally laughable (unless it was one of the show's rare comedies) if only by their already famous-at-the-time comedic reputations. So ONLY if its a rare TZ comedy, and they had gotten the leads, and they most likely would have, then yes Ozzie and Harriet would have been good TZ guest stars.

[TVgen62]

A few comments regarding some criticisms made by "ficlopri":

Carroll O'Connor - He appeared in an episode of The Outer Limits, so I don't see the implausibility of casting him in a Twilight Zone episode. (Also, I assume the wishlist is intended for those suggested to appear in the series during its original run. If this is the case, it easily predates his role of Archie Bunker.)

Lucille Ball - Since Carol Burnett appeared in TZ, once again, I don't see this as a stretch either.

Hugh Beaumont - I guess if we all followed your logic, any actor that played in supporting roles would never rise to a starring role. Gee, that's tough news for people like Penny Marshall, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Billy Crystal...(shall I go on?) And what about Art Carney or Agnes Moorehead? They were in primarily supporting roles, yet they starred in a TZ eepisode.

Now, as for some of my suggestions (in no particular order):

Dick Van Dyke
Mary Tyler Moore
Robert Conrad
Donna Reed
James Darren
Barbara Eden

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[ficlopri]

Carol Burnett's ep was a pilot for a comedy series. And she wasn't that well known yet, so unlike Lucille Ball.

Agnes Moorehead was a rather big celebrity in movies back in 1960, so unlike Hugh Beaumont. She was in many great movies (including Citizen Kane). They were and felt privelaged to get her on TZ and that's why she had the lead in The Invaders. She rather often had the lead when she guest starred on other people's shows (outside of Bewitched).

O'Connor would have made the TZ ep he appeared laughable to many post 1971 audiences. I know several people who found his early and later dramatic roles absolutely hilarious just due to Archie.

[ficlopri]

Actually, I believe Moorehead was a regular on Bewitched from the start. And she was a real film celebrity prior to her guest starring on TZ.

[ficlopri]

There is a big difference between Lucille Ball and Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Ball's physically blunt style comedy was much too harsh and ell known for her to guest star om TZ. Besides everyone would be expecting her to be called Lucy. The Nelsons on the other hand though also comic actors had a much more sensible style of verbal comedy making them better possible TZ guests in a TZ comedy. They were also less popular than she was. So they'd have been easier to accept on TZ.

[ficlopri]

Art Carny had the lead on a dramatic Alfred Hitchcock Presents ep. Besides he was practically a legend (five to 15 times bigger than Hugh Beaumont) thanks to Hooneymoners by 1960. They probably felt privelaged to get Carny on TZ.

[Mr. Bevis]

I think Anthony Perkins would have been good in a TZ, preferably before "Psycho" came out. Besides, at least six actors (in the gender-inclusive sense) from "Psycho" appeared in Twilight Zone episodes, so why not Perkins?

(You wouldn't happen to have an opinion on this, would you, ficlopri?)

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by ficlopri
Actually, I believe Moorehead was a regular on Bewitched from the start. And she was a real film celebrity prior to her guest starring on TZ.

Bewitched premiered in 1964 and, although she was a regular on it, she had a supporting role (like Hugh Beaumont).

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by ficlopri
Agnes Moorehead was a rather big celebrity in movies back in 1960, so unlike Hugh Beaumont. She was in many great movies (including Citizen Kane). They were and felt privelaged to get her on TZ and that's why she had the lead in The Invaders. She rather often had the lead when she guest starred on other people's shows (outside of Bewitched).


Have you seen Citizen Kane? Agnes was in approx. 15-20 minutes of the entire film. (Or close to that. It's been a while since I've watched it. I guess I'll have to drag out the DVD.)

Originally posted by ficlopri
O'Connor would have made the TZ ep he appeared laughable to many post 1971 audiences. I know several people who found his early and later dramatic roles absolutely hilarious just due to Archie.

Seems to me that's their problem, not Carroll's.

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by Mr. Bevis
I think Anthony Perkins would have been good in a TZ, preferably before "Psycho" came out. Besides, at least six actors (in the gender-inclusive sense) from "Psycho" appeared in Twilight Zone episodes, so why not Perkins?

(You wouldn't happen to have an opinion on this, would you, ficlopri?)

When it's posted, it'll be phrased as if it's fact.

(By the way, I think Anthony Perkins would have been outstanding in TZ.)

[bry]

i feel that people like beaumont, ball, billingsly, and all the others would have been good on TZ just for the purpose of them actually doing a role that we are not accustomed to. seeing lucille ball doing anything beside comedy is great. and she could do it. even her short role on a three stooges film was good. and she did other serious roles before "i love lucy".
who said that beaumont would have to have been the lead? archie bunker in the '70's would have nothing to do with carrol o'connor on OL or TZ in the '50's.
on the closed thread the concept of jack benny came up. i never knew that but i wouldn't have minded seeing it have happened.

i totally despised "cavendar is coming". not because it was not a good story, but it was a stupid story. nobody could have saved it. i adore carol burnette and jesse white but this episode was just dumb and was a credit to nothing in my opinion. white played the same character here that i have seen him in everything else. no change.

it seems that the only time we ever got to see so many play different roles that we are used to was on love boat or fantasy island. that is sad.

agnes moorehead was huge star on radio before the '50's.

i just like seeing actors be able to showcase their talents. by doing comedy for 30 years, it is nice to see someone do a drama just to see how good they can do more. i grew up with james best on the dukes of hazzard. i was so glad to see him on his two episode of TZ and the andy griffith show.

[ficlopri]

TV Gen, Moorehead was in Citizen Kane and a whole lot of other hit movies! She was a movie star in 40's and 50's of the supporting kind but a genuine movie star all the same! And when she guest starred on other shows (not Bewitched) she fairly frequently often had the lead guest starring role. She was clearly a far bigger actress than Hugh Beaumont was ever an actor. Getting her on TZ was a privelage for them.

[ficlopri]

Highly sensible comic actors like Ozzie and Harriet Nelson would have been perfect for TZ comedy. But people nothing but legendary slapsticky comedians/comic actors no way. Buster Keaton broke this rule a bit but remember he had been fairly forgotten by the 60's. Ball and Benny were in fashion then. Most likely others rejected Benny for a TZ appearance for that very reason. Burnett was more up and coming at the time. And again the ep Brnett was in was only a pilot. They probably never would have put her in regular TZ ep.

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by ficlopri
TV Gen, Moorehead was in Citizen Kane and a whole lot of other hit movies! She was a movie star in 40's and 50's of the supporting kind but a genuine movie star all the same! And when she guest starred on other shows (not Bewitched) she fairly frequently often had the lead guest starring role. She was clearly a far bigger actress than Hugh Beaumont was ever an actor. Getting her on TZ was a privelage for them.

Please don't misunderstand me. I adore Agnes Moorhead and thought she was a wonderful actress. I do feel, however, that you're being unnecessarily harsh towards other people's suggestions.

The intent of this thread was for to post a "wish list". This does not mean their suggestions are to be held to some arbitrary qualifying standards that you seem to have invoked. Their only requirement is that someone has a desire or curiosity (for whatever reason) to have seen them appear in a TZ episode, presumably during its original run.

Also, I think those who have posted to this thread deserve credit for using some imagination by suggesting actors that others may not have considered. (This, by the way, includes your suggestions, all of which I thought were interesting.)

[ficlopri]

Here's my take on the Psycho-TZ crossover. I only note three actors to have been in both shows (i am not denying there were more I just don't know who thy were.). Here's what I say about them:

1)John Anderson, completely stole the show as the used car dealer in Psycho. Thanks to his part in that movie he was worthy of leads on the Twilight Zone (like The OLd Man In The Cave). And he occasionally got them on other shows like MASH.

2)Simon Oakland, a very outstanding movie actor. Because of his part in PSYCHO and, soon West Side Story, also he was easily worthy of leading roles on TZ. And he got one in the Rip Van Winkle Caper.

3)Martin Balsam, like Agnes Moorehead, a supporting player movie star. Occasionally gven lead roles in a tv show was big in The Time Element (Desilu Playhouse ep that served as TZ"s unofficial pilot). In a way Balsam was responsible for TZ being on the air at all. More than worthy and capable of a lead role on TZ. Got one in The New Exhibit (The Jack the Ripper dummy ep).

[ficlopri]

Robert Culp. After having appeared as a lead in an Outer Limits ep the same season as TZ he should have been on TZ as well.

Maurice Evans, highly distinguished Shakespearean stage and screen actor. Best remembered now as Sammy's father on Bewitched. Was later in Rosemary's Baby and Planet of THe Apes (written by Rod Serling).

Donna Reed. Known for her sensible and major film and tv roles. Even won an academy award!

[Mr. Bevis]

Here are the other three Psycho--Twilight Zone combinations that I know of. I freely admit that I had to look up two of the three on Imdb, as well as Simon Oakland.

1. Vera Miles played the lead role, Millicent Barnes, in "Mirror Image." I thought she was a bit bland in that one.

2. Vaughn Taylor played character roles in five different TZ episodes, the most famous being "Time Enough At Last," in which he played Henry Bemis's (Burgess Meredith's) boss. IMO he was an asset to every episode in which I remember him. (I don't remember his role in "Still Valley"; the others are "I Sing The Body Electric," "The Incredible World Of Horace Ford," and "The Self-Improvement Of Salvadore Ross.")

3. John McIntire played Professor A. Daemon in "The Chaser." Not one of my favorite episodes, but I though he was pretty good.

There may be more. I haven't seen Psycho in a while, so I don't give these actors' roles in that movie (Vera Miles played Janet Leigh's sister, as I recall). BTW, a list of TZ--"To Kill A Mockingbird" combinations I've seen has a dozen or more actors on it. That one may hold the record.

It's tough to tell for sure how a given actor or actress would have done in a Twilight Zone ep. A lot depends on what episode they would have been in, and what role in the episode, as well as other things like direction. Even then, I'm sure different people would have different opinions of their performance, to which they would be entitled.

[ficlopri]

1)Broderick Crawford:The star of Highway Patrol.

2)John Casavettes (sp?):Was the lead on two Alfred Hitchck eps.

[ficlopri]

I forgot all about Vera Miles! She was excellent and beautiful in the TZ ep sh was in. It was just slightly slow as an ep. Miles had the lead in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents ep several years earlier (you should see her in a bathing suit, Bevis) so she absolutely deserved to be the lead in a TZ ep.

[ficlopri]

Agnes Moorehead was sought out specially by the ep's director to be in the TZ ep The Invaders. That's how popular she was. It explains all this in the TZ Companion by Marc Zicree.

BTW yes, I saw Citizen Kane. Once, 20 years ago.

PS The director of The Invaders was Douglas Heyes, not Rod Serling. Serling didn't even write that ep. Wish no confusion on the director issue.

[Zoneboy]

First of all, Cavender Is Coming was a regular TZ episode even though it was a proposed pilot for Jesse white that thank God never worked out. The only TZ episode that wasn't a regular one was An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge.

The actors mentioned by Ficlopri were not given roles on TZ on the basis of their performances in Psycho. All were established actors & actresses long before Psycho was ever released. Both Martin Balsam & Vaughn Taylor had already appeared on TZ before Psycho. Balsam, In the 16mm Shrine on 10-23-59 & Taylor in Time Enough At Last on 11-20-59

Others that appeared in both were:

Virginia Gregg (voice of Norma Bates) Also starred as Emily in The Masks & as Ossie in Jess-Belle

Jeanette Nolan (Mrs. John McEntire) was also the Voice of Norma Bates & played Rachel Simpson in The Hunt & Granny Hart in Jess-Belle

Ted knight was in Psycho in an uncredited role as a cell guard & appeared as Adams in the the episode The Lonely.

[dandelion wine]

Originally posted by Mr. Bevis
I think Anthony Perkins would have been good in a TZ, preferably before "Psycho" came out. Besides, at least six actors (in the gender-inclusive sense) from "Psycho" appeared in Twilight Zone episodes, so why not Perkins?

Anthony Perkins would have been perfect in a Twilight Zone episode!

[ficlopri]

Cavender is coming was an atypical TZ ep because it was a situation comedy pilot. It was ill indicative of the more regular TZ eps.

As for the actors. John Anderson only recived the TZ lead (more or less) after being in Psycho. It could have been based on his role in the ultra-hit movie. Balsam was like royalty on TZ being kinda responsible for the show being on at all. And besides I think he carried at least one Alfred Hitchcock Presents ep before ever doing TZ. Yes I'm sure he did, back in 1957. Simon Oakland was in a number of big pictures (Psycho, West Side Story) no mystery as to his being big on a TZ ep. And lovely Vera Miles was already the lead on AHP ep so there's no mystery either why she carried a TZ ep.

I honestly have no remembrance of Taylor, McIntire, Nolan, or Knight being in Psycho. But hey that's very interesting about Virginia Gregg's voice being that of Norman Bates's mom. I always thought Anthony Perkins supplied the voice. Guess he wasn't as big a talent as I thought.:)

[Zoneboy]

Originally posted by ficlopri
Cavender is coming was an atypical TZ ep because it was a situation comedy pilot. It was ill indicative of the more regular TZ eps.

As for the actors. John Anderson only recived the TZ lead (more or less) after being in Psycho. It could have been based on his role in the ultra-hit movie. Balsam was like royalty on TZ being kinda responsible for the show being on at all. And besides I think he carried at least one Alfred Hitchcock Presents ep before ever doing TZ. Yes I'm sure he did, back in 1957. Simon Oakland was in a number of big pictures (Psycho, West Side Story) no mystery as to his being big on a TZ ep. And lovely Vera Miles was already the lead on AHP ep so there's no mystery either why she carried a TZ ep.

I honestly have no remembrance of Taylor, McIntire, Nolan, or Knight being in Psycho. But hey that's very interesting about Virginia Gregg's voice being that of Norman Bates's mom. I always thought Anthony Perkins supplied the voice. Guess he wasn't as big a talent as I thought.:)

John Anderson was already an established character actor years before Psycho. He appeared in 4 TZ episodes & was most likely given these roles for his acting abilities & not because he was in Psycho. Martin Balsam is not responsible for TZ being on the air, if that were true, the same could be said for William Bendix. You were correct when you said Vera Miles was on AHP but that still had nothing to do with her being on TZ.

[ficlopri]

Redrocker, Vera Miles was not hired for her appearance on TZ because of Psycho. I never said she was! She may have been hired to lead a TZ ep five years after she lead an Alfred Hitchcock Presents ep. Her carrying an AHP ep probably had a lot to do with her getting the lead on TZ. They could trust the beauty to carry an ep.

As for Balsam he and Bendix BOTH were heavily responsible for the TZ getting on the air. It's possible William Bendix was just too busy to ever appear on regular TZ. But he certainly should have too!

As for Anderson, his first TZ ep was a small part (as Gabe in A Passage for Trumpett) probably made just before he did Psycho. When word got out that he appeared in a Hitchcock movie (and realize not only was he in a Hitch film but he probably got really high marks for his outstanding, scenestealing work in Psycho) he may have been elevated up heavily from supporting player to lead on TZ.

[Zoneboy]

Originally posted by ficlopri
Redrocker, Vera Miles was not hired for her appearance on TZ because of Psycho. I never said she was! She may have been hired to lead a TZ ep five years after she lead an Alfred Hitchcock Presents ep. Her carrying an AHP ep probably had a lot to do with her getting the lead on TZ. They could trust the beauty to carry an ep.

As for Balsam he and Bendix BOTH were heavily responsible for the TZ getting on the air. It's possible William Bendix was just too busy to ever appear on regular TZ. But he certainly should have too!

As for Anderson, his first TZ ep was a small part (as Gabe in A Passage for Trumpett) probably made just before he did Psycho. When word got out that he appeared in a Hitchcock movie (and realize not only was he in a Hitch film but he probably got really high marks for his outstanding, scenestealing work in Psycho) he may have been elevated up heavily from supporting player to lead on TZ.

First of, I apologize for the Vera Miles error, Second, I might can see your point regarding Balsam & Bendix but I wouldn't say they were heavily responsible for TZ being on the air. I also know about Anderson's first appeareance as well as the other 3. The only one in which he played the lead in was The Odyssey Of Flight 33, Albert Salmi was the lead in Of Late, I Think Of Cliffordville & James Coburn was in The Old Man In The Cave. I have to agree with you about William Bendix, most definitley should have been on TZ. I've been a TZ fan for over 30 years, I didn't just start watching yesterday.

[Tyler77]

My wish list:

Mary Tyler Moore

Robert Reed ("Mike Brady")

Bruce Dern

Jane Fonda

The actress who was Grandma Walton (can you imagine her as the lead in "The Invaders?!"

Carolyn Jones (Morticia Addams)

Rick Nelson

Leonard Nimoy

The lead actor from "Night of the Living Dead"

[Zoneboy]

Originally posted by Tyler77
My wish list:

The actress who was Grandma Walton (can you imagine her as the lead in "The Invaders?!"

Your thinking of Ellen Corby.


Leonard Nimoy

Nimoy, was on the Twilight Zone in the episode: "A Quality Of Mercy"

[ficlopri]

The black actor from NOTLD? Unlikely to have been on original TZ (though Ivan Dixon was). Bruce Dern's a great choice for TZ. Jane Fonda rarely ever did much tv acting. Unlikely as well.

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by ficlopri
The black actor from NOTLD? Unlikely to have been on original TZ (though Ivan Dixon was)...Jane Fonda rarely ever did much tv acting. Unlikely as well.

That's why it's called a W I S H List!! Sheeesh!!!

[ficlopri]

One might as well been wishing for Britney Spears to be on original TZ.

[Vicki L.]

Actually the complete truth is that no one knows how anyone who never appeared on TZ would have acted on a TZ ep. Many factors could've entered into it. What they thought of the story, how much they were paid, what was going on in their private lives, and so on. That's for everything in life. Never wish anyone had done anything they didn't actually do. You don't know how they would have done in that certain task. Lots of factors enter into it.

[Shine]

Anthony Perkins would have been perfect in a Twilight Zone episode!


I totally agree.

[Best Man]

Actually the complete truth is that no one knows how anyone who never appeared on TZ would have acted on a TZ ep. Many factors could've entered into it. What they thought of the story, how much they were paid, what was going on in their private lives, and so on. That's for everything in life. Never wish anyone had done anything they didn't actually do. You don't know how they would have done in that certain task. Lots of factors enter into it.


Agreed! No way to tell for just those reasons and others! Just for fun I state I very, very strongly wish sexy Judith O'Dea who had been a good lead in Night of The Living Dead had been on the Come Wander with me as Mary Rachel (or the teen babysitter in the ep Long Distance Call (O'Dea was born in 1945 so I'm being realistic in choices for her)). It maybe easier to state who wouldn't be good on TZ though! Co-star Duane Jones was way too odd a choice for nearly any role on TZ! So was Carroll O'Connor (after he was Archie)as it wouldn't be taken on its own terms now---anything with O"Connor in it (and I'm acknowledging his role on Outer Limits)! Back to maybe good choices! DeForrest Kelley was (as it later turned out) an inspired and perhaps great choice if only as he probably felt just like a real fish out of water with TZ vets Shatner, Nimoy, and Doohan and many others on ST:TOS (in one ep, Catspaw, Kelley was surrounded by 6 TZ vets in the very same scene!). Perkins a maybe good choice too (but caution: he was very quirky in real life so I don't even 50% know about him)! Let's now get to some probably really inspired ultra-great ones:

1)Boris Karloff (the scientist in the ep about the android-servants)

2)Vincent Price (taking John Carradine's role in the ep about the devil in jail)

3)Peter Lorre (some TZ role could fit him somewhere-ha!)

4)Curt Jurgens (as Schmidt in Death Heads Revisted)

5)Gary Lockwood (as Mike Ferris in Where is Everybody--the pilot)

6)David Niven (as Booth Templeton)

7)Jack Lord (as Martin Sloan, much slicker than Gig Young he probably would have been)

Again: agreeing with Vicki I can only say probably! I found one of the truly weirdest wishes on this board to be Lucille Ball! I'm sure glad she wasn't on and that Jackie Gleason wasn't Fats Brown (Jonathan Winters was truly fine in that part anyway)!

[Best Man]

I totally agree.
Neither Norton nor Crazy for Blair could be sure of that about Perkins. Depends what was going in his (Perkins's)personal life at the time (if he'd been on TZ that is), was he happy with his pay, his co-stars, everything else too!

[Best Man]

New idea: Raymond Massey as Abraham Lincoln in that James Gregory ep about the Confederates on the road!

[Best Man]

Audrey hepburn as Bunny Blake in the Ring-A-Ding Girl ep! Big difference between her and the lady who did play her huh?

[Zoneboy]

Audrey hepburn as Bunny Blake in the Ring-A-Ding Girl ep! Big difference between her and the lady who did play her huh?

Maggie McNamara did a good job as Bunny Blake but Hepburn might have been an interesting choice if they could've gotten her.

[Best Man]

1)Martin Sheen (Peter Vollmer)

2)Gale Storm (Maya the cat girl; check out Gale Storm at youtube.com to see how very likely she would have been able to play Maya excellently with her very beautiful but still rather devilish face--red hair to boot)