There is No Fault in our Stars: Guest Stars on Remington Steele

[BkWurm1]

“Long before I met you,
don't ask me how I knew,
ever since I can remember,
I remember you.”

(How Can I remember? 1995)

 

 

I’ve spent the last thirty-some years of my life pointing to my TV and saying, (I’m sure to the delight of all those around me) “Hey, that person was on Remington Steele!”

 

 

From big names of the silver screen (Virginia Mayo, Lloyd Nolan, and Dorothy Lamour), to most of the cast of Designing Women (Delta Burke, Annie Potts, Jean Smart), to undiscovered future stars (Sharon Stone, Michael Constantine), and the familiar faces of character actors of which I never quite learned the names - but still love, this thread is dedicated to all of the wonderful (and occasionally not so wonderful) guest stars that helped make Remington Steele the memorable experience it remains.

Edited December 7, 2015 by BkWurm1

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh, thanks for creating this thread, BkWurm!

 

Since this was my favorite show, followed closely by Scarecrow & Mrs. King, I noticed that there were a good number of actors who appeared on this show, who also made appearances on the latter. Some appeared here first, and then on Scarecrow and some vice versa.

 

There was one from Scarecrow, who Amanda called "The Weasel-Faced Man" in "Magic Bus". This same guy was on "Cornfed Steele"--he played the guy who stole the pigs and had been framed for murdering the banker.

 

And then there's the henchman in "Steele Knuckles and Glass Jaws"--he showed up as the guy Amanda whacked with a tree branch in its second season "Burn Out."

 

And then there was William Westfield, played by James Houghton, who was on Knots Landing.

 

And since we don't have a thread for our cast that were in other roles, I suddenly remembered that James Read (Murphy) actually played Cary Grant in some tv movie starring Farrah Fawcett as someone famous. The name of the movie was Poor Little Rich Girl.  I'm too lazy to look up who she was supposed to have been. I just recall Read showing up when she was near death or something, because they had been lovers or something.

 

It made me think, I wonder, why they didn't try to get Grant to make a guest appearance since Remington Steele was so clearly based on Cary Grant. Well, if not on him, then certainly his characteristics. He passed away in 1986. Unless he was too ill?

 

I know I would have gotten a kick out of it, as would Pierce, because he was a huge fan of Grant.

[BkWurm1]

It made me think, I wonder, why they didn't try to get Grant to make a guest appearance since Remington Steele was so clearly based on Cary Grant. Well, if not on him, then certainly his characteristics. He passed away in 1986. Unless he was too ill?

 

At least part of it had to be that he considered himself retired from acting.  Also when he went back for some honorary Oscar (I think) he was quoted as telling a story about how some said they didn't recognize him as Cary Grant and Grant agreed and said neither did he, which implied to me that he felt like he'd aged out of being that guy, so that could also have put guest shots in the no category.

 

My mom was a big fan of the Doris Day movies so I'd have stumbled across Cary Grant eventually but watching Remington Steele is what prompted my mom to tell me that Brosnan reminded her of this person named Cary Grant and my interest is why she steered me to them when they popped up on TV.  When video stores became a thing I rented anything with Grant in it. 

 

Cary Grant may never officially have been on Remington Steele but his influence is there from beginning to end. 

Edited December 8, 2015 by BkWurm1

[Bastet]

Cary Grant hadn't been ill; he was doing his one-man show at the time of his unexpected death.

 

I think his presence on the show might have been almost, I don't know, distracting, since Steele is rather reminiscent of him.  Just like I'd have loved for Myrna Loy to appear, but having "Nora Charles" on the show when they had already outright acknowledged their dinner party allusion by having Steele say, "You make a splendid Myrna Loy" in the second episode would probably have been a bit much. 

Edited December 8, 2015 by Bastet

[GHScorpiosRule]

I didn't even think about how having Grant appear, might be distracting. And it wasn't until this recent rewatch, also watching all the interviews, that I learned that Remington Steele was based on Cary Grant. Actually watching these episodes again, just made me think, oh, if only JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts) had started her In Death Series around the 80s instead of a decade later. Because I swear, Pierce Brosnan had to have been in her mind when she created Roarke. Former Criminal; shady and mysterious past, down to the physical description which is Pierce Brosnan to a T. 

 

Ah yes, "Tempered Steele" which was supposed to be the pilot but ended up being the second episode.

 

And a couple more of sharing guest stars: the mustached bad guy in the pilot, was also in Scarecrow as one of the guys that kidnapped Amanda when they thought she was Scarecrow.

 

And now I'm going to have to get all those Cary Grant movies to watch that I haven't in years. What I do remember is how very versatile he was as an actor: he could be funny; menacing; dangerous, romantic, a jerk. Of course I only have Notorious.  And Netflix, dammit, doesn't have any Classic movies!

 

And how could I forget about Phillip Casnoff in the pilot? Also known as Bent! That dastardly, sadistic bastard from North and South. Of course, he appeared on this show first.

 

And as has been mentioned in other threads, Beverly Garland playing Laura's mom here and Amanda's mother on Scarecrow.

 

Okay. I'll stop now.

Edited December 8, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[BkWurm1]

Notorious is great all on it's own but I love it just a little more for how much Steele loves it. 

 

For some obscure fun look for Every Girl Should be Married.  It's hilarious (and not always intentionally) and fun fact, he married his co-star.  Another fun one that's not super well know is  Holiday.   My all time favorite though is Charade. The opening is just a bit odd and there is a fight scene on top of a building that is endless but Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant are ridiculously perfect.  Bonus, trivia, Henry Mancini did the theme song for both Charade and Remington Steele.  :D

Edited December 8, 2015 by BkWurm1

[Bastet]

Not a Charade fan (because I'm not a fan of Audrey Hepburn, or the double standard when it comes to age differences between heterosexual romantic leads), but Holiday is one of my favorite movies.  Katharine Hepburn is, hands down, my favorite of Grant's on-screen partners, and with Bringing Up Baby (tied with The Thin Man as my all-time favorite film) and The Philadelphia Story in the mix (we can leave out Sylvia Scarlett), it's near impossible to pick their best pairing.  But that is one great picture.  I watch it every New Year's Eve.

 

Going back to actors who actually did appear on the show, Geena Davis is one of my favorites - more for her off-screen work than her acting roles, although "Thelma" will always have a special place in my heart as half of my third-favorite film.  So it's nice seeing her in Steele in the Chips.  It's a bit disconcerting that Pierce was emasculated by the fact she was "towering" over him and Michael Gleason was ready to fire her, but nice that Pierce got over himself and turned in a delightful performance traipsing after Miss Dalrymple.

 

I adore Annie Potts in just about anything, and she's fun in Steele Crazy After All These Years.  It's also fun to see Allyce Beasley before she became "Miss DiPesto" (Moonlighting).  Then-husband Vincent Schiavelli shows up later in the series (as the talent agent); it's sad that he's been gone so long.

 

One of my favorite guest stars is Judith Light, as she's one of my favorite actors and an underrated gem.  Her husband, Robert Desiderio, also appeared, in Rocky Sullivan's second episode (blech).

 

I like James Tolkan, and liked Norman Keyes in spite of himself until he was turned into a cartoon villain.

 

I also like Conrad Janis, including as "Atomic Man."

 

The late, great Beverlee McKinsey ("Alex Spaulding" from my Guiding Light days) was wonderful in my beloved Vintage Steele.

 

And Paul Reiser was delightful in another favorite, A Good Night's Steele.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Bastet

[BkWurm1]

Not a Charade fan (because I'm not a fan of Audrey Hepburn, or the double standard when it comes to age differences between heterosexual romantic leads),

 

Grant didn't want to take the part because of the age difference if it makes you feel better, but that's why they filmed it the way they did, with her character being the one more interested.  It worked for me because they didn't shy away from the age difference and her dead husband was also older (so clearly she had a type) and personally I found it very believable for someone to throw themselves at Cary Grant no matter what the age. 

 

I adore Annie Potts in just about anything, and she's fun in Steele Crazy After All These Years.

 

She had not only some of the best lines, but some of the best line delivery. 

 

And as has been mentioned in other threads, Beverly Garland playing Laura's mom here and Amanda's mother on Scarecrow.

 

 

The trifecta for me was when she was also cast as Lois Lane's mom on Lois & Clark.  There was a time when I would have listed them as my three favorite shows ever.   Somewhere out there, someone must have done one hell of a crossover fan fic.

 

Oddly enough, our man Murphy also showed up on Lois & Clark cast as Jimmy Olsen's father (I can't remember if he was a real spy or just pretending to be - either way it cracked me up to see him playing the man with a mysterious past this time).  If I recall correctly, Clarissa the happy hooker also was on Lois &Clark as a rival of Lois's.  And I think Francine, Laura's sister also showed up at some point though it's been so long that I can't remember when. 

 

Now that I think about it, I shouldn't be so surprised since Michael Gleason was behind both Remington Steele and L&C.  Probably had the same casting person. 

Edited December 8, 2015 by BkWurm1

[Bastet]

Yeah, I appreciate Grant's objections to the Charade casting, because so many of the men of the studio era thought absolutely nothing of the fact their former co-stars were suddenly not working or relegated to non-romantic roles, and their romantic interests were now being played by the next generation ... probably because many of them, including Grant, were replicating this in their personal lives.  I still don't like the film, though.

 

I suddenly remembered that James Read (Murphy) actually played Cary Grant in some tv movie starring Farrah Fawcett as someone famous. The name of the movie was Poor Little Rich Girl.  I'm too lazy to look up who she was supposed to have been.

 

I somehow glossed over this last night.  "Murphy" as Cary Grant?  I cannot picture that.  Poor Little Rich Girl makes me think of one of Edie Sedgwick's Andy Warhol films, and I think that's also the title of one of little Shirley Temple's many films, so I had to go look up this project.  It was a Barbara Hutton biopic, and, sure enough, Read played Cary Grant to Farrah Fawcett's Barbara Hutton (Grant was one of Hutton's many husbands/Hutton was one of Grant's many wives -- the whole "Cash and Cary" thing, even though he was not after her money and was doing quite well by the time they wed).  Interesting.  Was he remotely believable as Cary Grant?

 

I forgot to mention Gary Frank (Det. Jarvis) in my round-up of favored guest stars.  I always like him.  He has a nice Actor's Studio background.  And it's fun to see him with Stephanie, since they'd already worked together (and then went on to do so again).

Edited December 8, 2015 by Bastet

[GHScorpiosRule]

I somehow glossed over this last night.  "Murphy" as Cary Grant?  I cannot picture that.  Poor Little Rich Girl makes me think of one of Edie Sedgwick's Andy Warhol films, and I think that's also the name of one of little Shirley Temple's many films, so I had to go look up this project.  It was a Barbara Hutton biopic, and, sure enough, Read played Cary Grant to Farrah Fawcett's Barbara Hutton (Grant was one of Hutton's many husbands/Hutton was one of Grant's many wives -- the whole "Cash and Cary" thing, even though he was not after her money and was doing quite well by the time they wed).  Interesting.  Was he remotely believable as Cary Grant?

To be honest, I don't remember if he was believable as Cary Grant. All I remember is Farrah's Hutton on her deathbed, and Read's Grant visiting her. His hair was all white and I think he was wearing glasses.

[WendyCR72]

If you have a DVR, Me-TV is showing an old 1950s TV series every morning at 4:00 a.m. called 77 Sunset Strip. One of the leads is a young Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. 

[Rinaldo]

77 Sunset Strip ran from 1958 to 1964 and was one of those "revolving star" suspense series popular for a while in that era that alternated 2 or 3 actors in their own stories from week to week, though they all supposedly worked together. Zimbalist alternated with Roger Smith, and the comic relief character, the parking valet "Kookie" played by Edd Byrnes, broke out as a third star.

The real mystery, as has come up for me before, is that Me TV seems to have different schedules in different markets. I see no sight of 77 Sunset Strip at any time in the Philadelphia area schedule, and though I've set a series recording on my DVR, I don't expect it to result in anything.

[WendyCR72]

Well, I did misspeak (mistype?) one thing: It doesn't air every night, but Monday through Friday. (Technically, it is actually Tuesday through Saturday, as early Monday is still Sunday/Weekend shows, etc.) I checked the Me-TV site (it looks like it is one schedule for all, so I don't get the discrepancy!), and its site also says 4:00 a.m.! Hmm. (Scroll down to the end for late night.)

For reference, I live in the Albany, NY area. So, at the very least, it is the same time zone as Philly.

[Rinaldo]

It's certainly not one schedule for all; as I said, I've been through this disappointment before. On your schedule page, type my zip code (19702) into the Where To Watch box at the upper right, then click on Schedule again, and you'll my local Me TV schedule. At 4 a.m., we get two half-hours of Peter Gunn, as we have for years now.

Yes, it's perplexing and frustrating for what is supposed to be a national network (its Wikipedia page mentions that some affiliates alter the programming to include local news, but I didn't see anything on this scale). But there it is. Me TV requires "check your local listings" just as much as PBS does.

[Maverick]

You'll see 'on most MeTV stations' caveated on their ads.  They're not allowed to air some shows in certain markets due to pre-existing contractual obligations. For example, not everyone get The Andy Griffith Show.  They get Gomer Pyle instead. 

[Rinaldo]

That makes sense, though it's hard to imagine another local station having a prior claim on 77 Sunset Strip.

[WendyCR72]

Huh. Like Rinaldo, I can't imagine who would have a prior claim on such an obscure (now, anyway!) show like 77 Sunset Strip. But I guess so? The site really should make the region/changes issue more known.

Edit: @Rinaldo, I put in your zip code out of curiosity and Peter Gunn is listed for this coming 4:00 a.m. But when I changed to tomorrow's date (11/27 prime time/going into 11/28), 77 Sunset Strip was in the slot! Guessing maybe it's an error - or maybe you'll get lucky and it'll pop up on your DVR someday.  :-)

[GHScorpiosRule]

I may not be able to see him any longer, but Efrem is forever memorialized as Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series.