Actors - Then and Now

[Tang Lung in Rome]

"My father , was a very special man. All his life he wore a moustache. When it turned gray he used what women use for their eyes......mascara !"

(Robert , Comfort of strangers)

This role was so creepy even Chris himself was spooked 

[Mirosae]

 Spooky is an understatement

[lynbabs]

Re having back teeth extracted to enhance a screen look:

Lyn, Is this urban myth or truth? Ive never heard or read of this rather drastic measure taken before... or are you referring more to UK actresses, possibly?

The short answer is that I don't know for sure, though seem to remember reading in an (auto)biography about it being done regularly under the old studio system, and very few starlets objected. Marlene Dietrich did deny that she'd had it done at one stage, but then she denied many things that turned out to be true.

But, given the promise of fame and fortune, coupled with the ambition and desperation of young actors, it wouldn't surprise me.

Times have changed, and keeping natural teeth wasn't seen as hugely important in the 1920s/30s/40s when a set of dentures could provide a perfect smile. In the UK at least, dentures were often regarded as a desirable alternative to uneven teeth and toothache. Many perfectly healthy complete sets of teeth were extracted to provide ordinary people with a 'Hollywood smile'.

Indeed it's fairly unusual to find elderly people in the UK with a full set of their own teeth, because at one point dentures were extremely fashionable and many jumped on the bandwagon,  thinking that new plastic gnashers looked great.

I've also read that many of the early male leads were given a studio makeover in the Golden Era which involved a full set of dentures.

[erik1925]

Former child actor, Margaret O'Brien (DOB - 1.15.1937):

[erik1925]

Noir actress, Lizabeth Scott, now aged 91. The later photo is from 2010.



I liked her in this film, from 1946:

[CSM]

Wow had not seen a near contemporary pic of Liz

[erik1925]

This is just plain scary. Mickey Rourke. He says he had some reconstructive surgery to fix things like a broken nose and crushed cheekbone from his boxing days... but this is WAY beyond that!  

[CSM]

[Mirosae]

Scary.

[erik1925]

This is more an actor "then and later shot." And sharing the stage with Karloff is his real Bride of Frankenstein.

[Ari]

Wow had not seen a near contemporary pic of Liz

Have you seen THE STOLEN FACE Chris?

[CSM]

Have you seen THE STOLEN FACE Chris?

That's a noir Hammer I haven't yet watched.  Is it any good Ari?

[Ari]

Yeah, it's a rip snorter.  Give it a whirl if you have it.

[AjTheGreat]

With the discussion in the other thread about Van Damme's cool Volvo commercial, he seemed a next good choice to place here.

He just turned 53 in Oct, but living 'life in the fast lane,' back in the 90's, has made him look so much older than that, imho.

Its all that cocaine he did that made him look old haha.

[Harry Caul]

The father of a friend of mine worked in film distribution in Brazil.  In the mid-late 90s after his movies started going straight to video in the US, he was still very big down in South America.  My friend, still in high school at the time, was super excited as his Dad invited him out to a company dinner with Van Damme.  He said he was star-struck going into the dinner, but it quickly faded when he showed up super strung out with some floozie -- and the 4-5 trips to the bathroom to powder his nose didn't help either.  He said he just sat there in disbelief and couldn't wait for it to be over. 

[boxofficebrian]

That's a shame to hear Harry... and worse I've heard similar stories from folks that had the 'honor' of meeting him when he was filming Sudden Death in Pittsburgh.

Sad all the way around.

[erik1925]

I stopped at the store on the way home from work tonight and saw one of the "people" type magazines on the rack, while waiting in line... I NEVER would have guessed, in a million years, that the actress on the cover was Renee Zellweger!!    

Talk about a complete change! Who would even recognize her, at this point?  

WOW.. is all I can say. I preferred her "before" look.  

An interesting article about the maturing of actresses in Hollywood: http://www.haaretz.com/life/movies-television/.premium-1.624161

[Mirosae]

I saw this a while ago. She must be a very sick person in need of a good shrink. That's all I can say.

[Ari]

So I don't have to read. It's plastic surgery to make her eyes less squinty? She looked fine before.

[stewart boyle]

I think she looks great.

[Neo]

I agree with Stew.

Plastic surgery is a very personal thing, of course.  I say that if it makes someone feel better about him/herself, good for him/her.

[erik1925]

I agree with Stew.

Plastic surgery is a very personal thing, of course.  I say that if it makes someone feel better about him/herself, good for him/her.

I agree with you Brandon, on one feeling better about oneself. I was more meaning someone like this, in the public eye, and recognized and enjoyed by fans and the public as she was. Similar to Jennifer Grey, tho not as overt. Her surgery had a tendency to ruin Grey's career. And people wanting to see the "old" Renee in a new film may not go, or, like Grey, she may no longer be hired as readily.

But it is a personal choice, as you said. Not even a question there.

[Tang Lung in Rome]

Markie Post still looks good at 64.......

[erik1925]

Markie Post still looks good at 64.......

I had the chance to work with her once.. she could barely remember her lines and had trouble reading the cue cards, too. 

[Zorba]

I had the chance to work with her once.. she could barely remember her lines and had trouble reading the cue cards, too. 

Back in the day no one liked her for her acting.