Though many folks associated with these flicks were lifelong losers in the cinematic arts, some had folks that were (or are) fairly respectable. For example, I believe one of the shorts (I can't remember which) had Ron Howard in it. Another was that Moon Zero Two was co-written by fairly respected SF writer Robert Heinlein. Anyone think of others?
Raul Julia played the lead role in "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank." And I believe Clint Eastwood's first role was in a bit part in one of the eighth-season movies -- it may have been "Revenge of the Creature," or whatever that one was called. David Warner played two parts in "Quest of the Delta Knights"...
Let us not forget Pia Zadora and her silver screen debut in "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"...
Oh wait, this is for RESPECTABLE people in MSTK movies...
What about that one Demi Moore was in ("American Ninja"???)
Gregory Peck was in the Season 4 flick Space Travelers.
Doesn't the lawyer brother from 'The Big Valley' (sorry, don't remember the name) appear in 'The Crawling Hand'?
And according to a friend, Ronny 'Opie' Howard is one of the kids in the 'Junior Rodeo Daredevils' short. (Come to think of it, the 'Date With Your Family' short is narrated by Beaver's dad, Hugh Beaumont...adding an extra-goofy dimension to an already fairly surreal experience).
Does Peter Graves ('Beginning of the End') count? How about John Carradine ('The Unearthly', etc.)?
Here's a few more:
James Earl Jones narrated City Limits.
Basil Rathbone played the villian in The Magic Sword.
Paul Frees directed The Beatniks.
What about tommy Kirk (oops, not respecible), Joe Don Baker? (Not him either) What about Mike Landon of Bonanza fame? Bela Lugosi was also respecible until he fell into the Ed Wood trap. Jack Palance was half way respectible. And wasn't Hugh Beaumont on the Mole People?
Wasn't Endora in a film, as Crow's love intrest.
That's Agnes Moorhead, not Endora.
In addition to Gregory Peck, "Space Travellers" also featured Gene Hackman and David Janssen.
What's MSTK???????????? Mystery Science Theater Thousand?
A typo I didn't notice until it was too late.
Does Gary Lockwood count as respectable, since he was in 2001?
Yeah...he also did a pretty good turn in the last Classic Trek pilot, 'Where No Man Has Gone Before'.
I believe that David Carradine (Kung Fu) had a very small part in "The Crappin--uh, Creeping Terror". I consider him respectable.
Teenage Caveman would not have been the same without Robert Vaughn!
Hmm...respectable people.
Well, "The Sidehackers" has Mike Pataki, who was once called "the best actor in America." Yet he was so...bad...in "Sidehackers."
Hoke Howell is also in this stinker--Howell was (briefly) one of the Darling clan on "The Andy Griffith Show" before being replaced by Bob Denver.
Richard Kiel had some roles in good films (Silver Streak, the two Bond movies as Jaws), but he always played Eegah-like parts, didn't he?
John Carradine was respectable until "Red Zone Cuba."
Beverly Garland is one of those half-way respectable actresses. She did a good job in "Gunslinger" (well, as good as possible in a Roger Corman film). Also in that film is Oscar-nominated John Ireland and future "King of Nick at Nite Guest Appearances" William Schallert.
What was John Ireland nominated for?! Watching 'Gunslinger', his acting gives the impression that if you shot him, wood chips would fly off.
And I'm sorry, but John Carradine's career had bought the proverbial farm WAY before 'Red Zone Cuba'. The man acted with Tor Johnson, for pete's sake!
Ireland was nominated for "All the King's Men", which featured Broderick Crawford ("Highway Patrol") WINNING the Oscar as well.
Hmmmm. Maybe we should start a subcategory for actors like Ireland and Carradine...the 'How the Mighty Have Fallen' wing. (We could probably include Bela Lugosi and Tommy Kirk, too.)
I saw Ireland again in the respectable film "The Fall of the Roman Empire." Filled with excellent, literate parts for fine actors like Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, and James Mason, Ireland plays...the barbarian chief. And he's about as good as he was in "Gunslinger."
Tommy Kirk, eh? Mystery Science... oh, I see. MSTK.
Okaaaay, maybe he wasn't all that mighty, but c'mon - let's not kick the kid from 'Old Yeller' while he's down.
According to the This Day in MSTory email I got today, the soundtrack of Daddy-o was composed by John Williams.
Anyone wanna bet that John Williams has an EXTREMELY large shrine to George Lucas in his living room?
After a recent second viewing of 'Gunslinger', I'm nominating Beverly Garland in this category...for having talent above and beyond the call of B-movie duty.