
I was stunned when I saw Edward Woodward singing on his own variety show from Britain, sometime in the late 1970’s, because I’d only known him via re-runs of the old Callan series where he’d played a very down-at-heel assassin working for the British secret agencies. These people are often more talented, at least in their sphere of art and entertainment, than we give them credit for.
Mind you, we layman aren’t the only ones, as one Hollywood talent scout later discovered after assessing a prospect:
“Can’t act, can’t sing, can dance a little.”
The unknown scribe was writing of Fred Astaire.
Wait … that means that people haven’t seen Paint Your Wagon.
Which should really be a criminal offence.
And who would have guessed that Frank Spencer could sing?
That’s right. Forgot about him.
Actually I had as a kid (parents watching it I guess) but didn’t mention that in the post because it was before I’d seen any of the Clint classics, so I had no preconceptions about him – and by the time I did see him in those roles, Painted Wagon was forgotten.
I didn’t see it until I was an adult and already a Clint Eastwood fan. It made me appreciate him more in its own way.
And Lee Marvin was perfect in it.
This reminds me of when Christopher Walken danced on a Fat Boy Slim video in the ’90s. Blew many minds.