you’re welcome. Some pretty high profile actors Tom Skerritt, David Jansen, Martin Sheen and some that just flew under the radar of fame... Every guest star on Cannon As a video montage it’s almost overwhelming.
This is like a video book of the top "That Guy"/"That Woman" character actors of the 1970s. Well worth sitting though. Also nice- hearing the (correct?) pronunciation of their (sometimes tricky) names. We have to presume the voice-over artist has researched this. I contend there is no modern equivalent of the depth of character actors we had in the past. And it's mentioned in the comments- the "average Joe" looks that are present. Nothing like this today! And I wish there was. Average looking- but they had TALENT!!!
I believe the Cannon pilot had (Star Wars) Mark Hamill in a bit part role playing a farm boy showing Cannon a location that had some type of evidence.
Not all average looking. Lee Purcell, man oh man. The cheekbones with the baby fat... That, and your star and only recurring character is played by William Conrad. Why did anyone ever need to take or look at a picture of the back of Conrad's head and his ear. Everyone was going to look good compared to Conrad. Most of the guest stars were on the same level, going up, going down, or that was their level. Janssen was the big get. That two-parter was the most expensive I'm sure, lot of other actors in smaller parts than they would normally have. Once in a while there would be a prominent part that didn't make the guest stars. Too weak a career or not a good enough agent, I guess.
I just wish Cannon got a restoration along the lines of Mannix which looks gorgeous. The YouTube of Cannon posted here is spot on in how it looks on my HDtv. Soft focus, contrasty with garish color. It looks like it was filmed in 8mm and processed at a one hour photo. Mannix comes on at 1AM and Cannon follows at 2AM on MeTV. Both are pretty well written detective shows.
Cannon was a good detective show. Back when big stars came on weekly tv shows for guest appearances. If you look at the original Hawaii Five-O you'll see another group of famous actors. Some of the same character actors here also appeared there. Btw Joan Van Ark and Stefanie Powers weren't exactly average!
And then from about 5 years earlier, the guest stars for another Quinn-Martin production, The Invaders.
NCIS: Los Angeles (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb I wasn’t totally right. He’s appeared as recently as 2019 on NCIS Los Angeles.
Anybody know the story behind this appearance? I believe this is Janssen's only post-Fugitive guest shot on a series. And I guess I should add I'd love to see one of these for that show.
Never cared for Cannon but I am really enjoying this. About 1/4 of the way through. I've recognized everyone except 5-6 ingenues and 2 child actors Never knew Roy Scheider did a Cannon. I love how Quinn Martin's billing-in-the-opening-credits system made "stars" out of people like Simon Scott and Warren Kemmerling, who might otherwise qualify for the bit player thread. ETA: Simon Scott gets top billing in one episode!
He appeared in very few for sure. I would guess that friendships/ trade offs or favors for someone at each show helped convince him to it. Directly after Cannon, Jannsen played on Harry O and, after its cancellation, did a lot of movies and TV movies. So we are talking about a seven year period after Cannon. He also appeared in the mini-series The Word, made nine TV movies, five theatrical features. My guess is, aside from those favors, he was too busy making these other projects otherwise he might have done more. He was certainly a cut above the average guest star based on his work. Busy guy.
Quinn Martin shows always seemed to have guest stars that were a cut above others part of that, as I recall, was that he paid the guest stars lot more money than most shows.
OK I have to mention this guy: I know him from the MASH episode the above still is from, "The Moose". I've seen him in a few other things. I always remembered him mainly b/c I thought he resembled Jack Nicholson. But I never knew his name. Yet he just got opening credits billing in the Cannon episode "The Prisoner", along with '70s TV mainstays Peter Haskell and Steven Keats*. For one episode at least, Spoiler Paul Jenkins - IMDb was a star. I love Quinn Martin, God help me I do love him so. *A Vietnam veteran whose tragic story is fascinating and hopefully gets discussed sometime, though perhaps in a more somber thread.
Don't underestimate the fact that they would get mentioned in the opening credits. Mentioned, not just writing on a screen
As far as Janssen on Cannon goes, it was indeed his only post Fugitive appearance where he would be considered a "guest star" on a TV show. He did do a Police Story, but he was the lead in that as well. Otherwise, Harry O, TV Movies, some features, miniseries. The episode ("He Who Digs A Grave") was the 3rd season Cannon premiere. That season would be the highest rated for Cannon, 9th overall. It was telecast as a two hour movie, not a two parter. Tim O'Connor, who normally would be the lead guest star, is here in a supporting role. The episode ran against In The Heat Of The Night and another TV movie. I am guessing they just upped the budget to get Janssen.
Let's give some attention to the ladies: Playmate and '70s drive-in queen Claudia Jennings shows up. Corrine Camacho pops up in several; she later appears under the name Corrine Michaels. I know her mainly from her appearance in the classic MASH "L.I.P." as Hawkeye's hot date who turns out to be a racist. But the highlight so far has to be the guest shot by Patty McCormack -- yes, the homicidal brat from The Bad Seed! In the last couple of seasons there've been a few more young actresses I didn't know. Which is surprising, as I'm usually very strong on '70s ingenues. ETA: More ladies: Marianne McAndrew (who IIRC was in Hello Dolly, in the part Ann-Margret wanted and auditioned for, but Babs vetoed her) has been in 3 Diana Douglas, Kirk's first wife, has popped up in 2 ETA 2: Catherine Burns, seen so seldom after her Oscar nom for Last Summer, is in one
I am loving this so much it ought to be illegal Here are two of the guest stars for one episode. Can you name them? Spoiler Mark Gordon - IMDb , best remembered as Chuckles the Clown Spoiler Eddie Barth - IMDb
Come to think of it, wasn't William Conrad the narrator on The Fugitive? And, no, I couldn't name them!
It's Lee Purcell for the win! I can't believe she got better looking as she got older. "Valley Girl" anyone?
One name missing from the guest star roll call is Nick Nolte. Because he wasn't featured in the opening credits. Despite playing the major guest star in his episode, Arena Of Fear, the opening credits feature just John Marley and Jess Walton. Marley got a Supporting Actor nomination for Love Story. Walton has spent 30+ years on The Young and The Restless. I think this was Nolte's first leading role of any sort.
