Earl Holliman’s path to Hollywood is a compelling story of ambition and aspiration. At the age of 14 in 1943, he was resolute in his desire to become a movie star.
Raised in Oil City and Mooringsport, often mistakenly identified as Shreveport, he embarked on his journey to Hollywood through several stops along the way. His adventure began with a trip to visit relatives in Camden, Arkansas, followed by a bus ride to Texarkana, Texas. From there, he hitchhiked to Hollywood.
Having saved some money working as a theater usher and during the night shift at a café near Barksdale Air Force Base, Holliman had also connected with a serviceman who offered a lead on a place to stay. However, this turned out to be in El Monte, California, a significant distance from Hollywood. Looking back, Holliman acknowledges that it was a risky decision, one that wouldn’t be advisable in today’s world.
His initial foray into Hollywood didn’t pan out, prompting him to return home briefly before enlisting in the Navy. Nevertheless, his dream of becoming an actor remained alive. He eventually made his way back to Los Angeles, where he honed his craft at the Pasadena Playhouse and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Holliman’s determination paid off, leading to an impressive film career with notable roles in classics like “Giant” (1956), “Forbidden Planet”, “The Rainmaker”, and “The Sons of Katie Elder”. He also became well-known on television, especially for his work alongside Angie Dickinson in “Police Woman” and with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward in “The Thorn Birds”.
He fondly reminisces about his early days in Hollywood, particularly his first morning in El Monte, when he wore a short-sleeved silk shirt and dark glasses while walking in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, fantasizing about being mistaken for a star. It was a moment filled with youthful dreams and innocence.
See below how Earl Holliman looks today at 96.
This Historic Photo Has Never Been Edited.
Natalie Wood looked gorgeous in a bikini at a pool party in the 1960s.
Oh Carol, Carol! At the end of the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which tackled the themes of honesty and faithfulness in marriage, there was a more adventurous couple attempting to trade wives with their more conventional friends. When you find out that the attractive woman in a paisley bikini, Natalie Wood, is involved, the stakes suddenly seem a little greater. Wood played Carol, a lady determined to confess everything, even their illicit affairs, to her husband Bob (Robert Culp). Although Alice (Dyan Cannon) insisted on switching partners in one of those real-life movie-world cerebral exchanges, Ted (Elliott Gould) wasn’t too thrilled of the idea. It functions for a short duration before breaking down.
Leave a Reply