Unjust movie billings

Ummmmmm the most famous people usually receive top billing in any production, even if they aren't the central character.

F&F OP for starting a stupid thread.

Well, considering her co-stars were Indiana Jones and Ripley, it makes sense.

So often it's the supporting actor who's the better.

God, Harrison was attractive back then. That was probably the pinnacle of his hotness. However, what this movie taught us was that he's really not suited for any role where he's required to wear a tie.

Marlon Brando in Superman

Candice Bergen in "The Day the Fish Came Out" - top billed, but appears 68 minutes into the movie.

I wish IMDB would publish the actor's pay as well as the credit billing.

I assume the agents haggle over all this and ask for trade-offs.

Rita Hayworth in "Pal Joey" (1957) - should be Frank Sinatra.

I actually thought Melinda Dillon deserved second billing behind Richard Dreyfus for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" given that their two characters were the primary focus of the alien visitors throughout the film. (IIRC, Dillon's name does not appear until the end credits.)

I guess the consolation prize for Dillon is that hers was the only performance Oscar-nominated from the film.

Dead Again, the Kenneth Branagh/Emma Thompson vehicule, back when people thought they were fresh and brilliant. Yet, the top billing went to Robin Williams and Andy Garcia, who were more famous (in more popular movies)at the time.

OP, don't worry for Melanie Grifith in Working Girls. She got a best actress nom for that film, that year. Sigourney got best supp actress nom. Harrison Ford got zilch.

Didn’t Arnold Schwarzenegger get top billing in the Batman and Robin movie.?

She was third, but she didn't care. She had a mind for business and a bod for sin.

[quote]Marlon Brando in Superman

He and Gene Hackman both got above-title billing in that film, while poor Christopher Reeve got lumped in with the supporting players. But at least he wasn't listed alphabetically.

And how the heck did Michael Crawford get above-title billing with Streisand and Matthau in "Hello, Dolly"?

If I was in a movie called "The Day the Fish Came Out" I would not want any billing at all.

Falcon was always the worst about this! For example, Daniel Montes got the “Starring” credit in addition to being featured on the DVD cover, when he’s only in one scene! It should have been Travis Wade and Colby Taylor sharing the lead credits!!!

The white actors get their names above the black (and main) characters on the end credits of Pose.

Sharon Stone below the title for BASIC INSTINCT.

Michael Douglas is such a putz.

I love both Brando and Gene Hackman is Superman. They were huge stars, they deserved their billing.

John Wayne in The Greatest Story Ever Told had a blink-and-you-miss cameo and exactly one line, and yet he was featured very prominently on the film poster.

Thelma Ritter should have been top billed in "The Model and the Marriage Broker."

R10, Robin Williams was uncredited for “Dead Again” (the billing on the poster was alphabetical, which was convenient for director Branagh, and Robin’s cameo wasn’t included), but he did get top billing over Matt Damon for “Good Will Hunting.”

And Joan Collins As Alexis

Both Harrison and Sigorney were much bigger stars than Melanie...everyone knows she was the "lead", but billing is usually star driven by your agent/manager, alphabetical or in order of appearance.... I could watch this movie over and over. I love how Dakota Johnson pays tribute to movie in 50 shades

Thelma Ritter definitely deserved top billing (or at least equal to Gene Tierney) in "The Mating Season". It's Thelma movie and she has 4th billing. I think she also didn't get any billing in "Letter to Three Wives" or "Miracle on 34th Street". "Miracle" was for a standout scene, but she had a pretty big presence in "Letter to Three Wives".

For dead again, Branagh got top billing and Emma Thompson was listed last of the five...The top five actors are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Robin Williams was not credited (at least on the poster.)

an odd one is Monster's Ball It goes Billy Bob, then Heath Ledger then Halle Berry.

I'd say it was debatable whether Ledger was a bigger star than Halle at that point but his role was so small. It seems like it should be Billy Bob, Halle and then "and Heath Ledger."

Faye Dunaway discusses Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct in her book. (I seem to be quoting this a lot see the Debra Winger thread.)

Faye says that Beatty gave her above the title billing even though she was unknown because it is Bonnie and Clyde....the two of them. (and he thought she would become a star from the film.)

Faye was friends with Stone and the pre-buzz was that Stone was going to get tremendous attention for the film and Stone asked if she could get her name above the title and Faye encouraged her to try but Michael Douglas fought it all the way. Nowadays you say Basic Instinct and Stone is the one who immediately comes to mind.

It was always odd that Oprah didn't get her name on The Color Purple poster. Then Quincy Jones had one drawn up as a gift when he came on the show........and he spelled her name wrong.

Shirley MacLaine has some odd ones. On The Turning Point they did that odd Anne Bancroft lower on the left but Shirley higher on the right.

On Terms of Endearment MacLaine got first billing on the film itself but Winger did in the ads and posters. (Shirley got the better deal. The movie is still around, the ads...not.)

[quote]R27 Faye says that Beatty gave her above the title billing even though she was unknown because it is Bonnie and Clyde....the two of them. (and he thought she would become a star from the film.)

Yes, but Dunaway had to give back $25,000 of her salary before Beatty agreed. It's not like he just did it out of the goodness of his heart.

she didn't mention that part in the book r30. She made it sound like he did it to be nice. Do you have a source for your info?

[quote]And Joan Collins As Alexis

That is considered a prestige billing, not an afterthought. It's along the same lines as "And Special Guest Star" as the final cast member with an opening title credit. Collins' agent probably negotiated it that way.

[quote]R31 she didn't mention that part in the book. She made it sound like he did it to be nice. Do you have a source for your info?

It's been known forever. It's usually mentioned in articles about Dunaway when they discuss her early determination, and that breakout role. I googled "dunaway bonnie and clyde salary billing" but didn't see anything immediately. It's in the imdb trivia section for that title...but you know, anyone can add anything there.

Anyway, it's a known fact. I think her original salary was $60,000. It was a low budget picture, and Beatty was probably glad to use that $25,000 elsewhere.

R31 Some in-depth article about her career, like this one, will probably mention it. You'd have to request it at the library.

R28 At the time, though, Oprah wasn't "Oprah." I think she had either JUST started her show or was about to when she was cast in The Color Purple and the deals were signed.

[quote] Anyway, it a known fact

...that a woman DO carry an evening bag at dinner time! There's no getting AROUNNNNNNNNND that!

Hmmm I didnt know about that billing issue in Basic Instinct. But it hardly matters anyway as anybody who saw it knows who's the real star in it.

[quote]anybody who saw it knows who's the real star in it.

Yes - Sharon Stone's vagina.

[quote]Didn’t Arnold Schwarzenegger get top billing in the Batman and Robin movie.?

Yes, as did Jack Nicholson.

R38 They call me Snatchie!

Salma Hayek got second billing for “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” despite having about 60 seconds of screen time. The movie’s protragonist (Johnny Depp) got third billing.

Gwyneth Paltrow got billed I believe fourth in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” despite only being in one quick scene at the end.

Amanda Seyfried’s gotten screwed a couple of times. She was 7th in “Mamma Mia” despite being essentially the Co-lead. The “Mean Girls” billing order is also effed up; Seyfried is like 14th despite being on screen for most of the movie.

Schwarzenegger getting billed above Batman in “Batman & Robin”

Anna Paquin getting star billing in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” for a cameo. Even in the extended version with all of her scenes back in she still wasn’t the fifth main character in the movie.

I also thought it was random that Judah Friedlander got opening credits billing in “30 Rock” despite being essentially a background character.

Cyn was the STAH! of that flick. They were all great though.

Regardless of billing she got a best Actress nomination. A perfect part for her

Catherine Zeta-Jones getting top billing in “Chicago” over Renee

Age before beauty. Oh, wait.

R44 Fake news! Renne received top billing in the movie's closing credits. But they did use the good ole' diagonal billing in the movie posters:

R46 they say Zeta-Jones’ name first in the trailer and if you look at the credits on the back of the DVD she’s also listed first. Either way she’s not the lead of the movie

That little closet case dyke Jada Pinkett shouldn't have been on the Scream 2 poster.

I'm surprised that Janis Wilson, who played Paul Henreid's daughter in Now Voyager, and had a pretty big role, wasn't even credited.

R38 Not just her vagina - her pubes too!

John Stamos got top billing but his character was not the father, nor any of the daughter and the show was about a widowed father raising daughters.

And for seven seasons, no less R41, even though he added little to the show and storylines rarely involved him.

I don't believe Liz Taylor is billed in JANE EYRE.

Poor little tyke.

[quote]R50 Not just her vagina - her pubes too!

I never saw this on the big screen. It's difficult to see what exactly you're glimpsing on a smaller one.

Still, she looked waxed.

R48, to that end, Deon Richmond shouldn’t have been on the poster for Scream 3. It had more to do with diversity than being a featured player.

[quote]F&F OP for starting a stupid thread.

We're gonna have to be F&Fing a LOT of OPs.

R21 and R25, I'm sure I remember from 1991, they billed Garcia and Williams. I thought it peculiar. Garcia was a bit more famous from the movie The Godfather.

Now I can't find an evidence of it on the internet.

It might have for the poster in another language. But I can't find that either.

Oh well.

Joan van Ark was always at or near the end of the Knots Landing credits.

Lori Petty got shunted behind Madonna to fourth, during billing for League of Their Own despite being the co-lead.

I know it was a glorified cameo in a crowded movie, but for a star of Glenn Close's caliber to be left out of the promotions for Guardians of the Galaxy was a real injustice. I would have appreciated a warning.

[Quote]Joan van Ark was always at or near the end of the Knots Landing credits. —She should've dropped the "van"

She should've changed it to Joan Aardvark.

Surprised with all the Superman The Movie Reeve-Brando-Hackman talk yet no mention that the asshole Salkinds demoted Margot Kidder to 8th billed? The beginning of their punishment against her for publicly speaking up for Donner...

They give top billing to whoever they think will sell the movie at the time. That's how Hollywood works.

Oprah has discussed how she tried to get her name on the poster. She called them and said I have this talk show coming up and I think it might be good to put my name on the poster. They said no. It is odd since Margaret Avery is listed and I don't think she was very well known. Plus Rae Dawn Chong is on it and she is barely in it.

Redford got top billing in Out of Africa even though I am the lead and I didn't even do an accent but Pollack was "fond" of him so......

The only hit that comes out of a Helen Lawson show is Helen Lawson, and that's ME, baby, remember?

HELEN LASWSON

in

[bold]HIT THE SKY!

There are lots of films where the protagonist is a kid or teen, but the adult actors are billed first.

Like "Ordinary People" (1980).

Has anyone mentioned the most unjust billing of all, yet? How did Barrie Youngfellow get an 'and' billing on 'It's a Living' when she had never been heard of before or since?

Crawford's billing above the title in Dolly is bizarre.

And his performance is even more bizarre. Musical comedy 'juvenile' as a mentally challenged Stan Laurel.

Liv Tyler billed 3rd for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

She's only in a handful of scenes and yet she is billed before Viggo Mortensen, who is a major character.

Maybe Peter Jackson had a thing for her.

[quote]How did Barrie Youngfellow get an 'and' billing on 'It's a Living' when she had never been heard of before or since?

I'll have you know she played Joan Crawford in the miniseries MOVIOLA, alongside Sharon Gless as Carole Lombard!

A little RESPECT ! ! !

Are there clips from that??? ^^^

Joanne Woodward and George C Scott have odd billing in They Might Be Giants. She had won an Academy Award so you would assume she would get top billing. It's as it is in the poster.

^ the film was released after his Oscar win for Patton, but then he declined it, remember? Whereas Joanne had accepted hers.

It should've been " ... and Barrie Youngfellow, as the Beaver."

R71, Liv Tyler was a pretty big star at the time thanks to “Armageddon,” as odd as it sounds now. She was probably the only one considered to have any box office appeal circa 1999 when filming began.

I wouldn’t be shocked if casting her was a mandate by the studio, not Jackson’s decision.

You're tellimg me, R76

The Poseidon Adventure.

As a kid it always bugged me that Jack Albertson just got co-starring billing with the kids. He was an Oscar winner like most of the rest of the cast.

oh and i probably should add Manny! Manny! MANNY!"

[quote]R73 Are there clips from that??? ^^^

I've never seen MOVIOLA on youtube or amazon prime or anything. It was a 3-part miniseries in the early 80's (?) with each evening being about a landmark Hollywood incident.

One night was THE SCARLETT O'HARA WARS, in which producer David O. Selznick (Tony Curtis?) considers different stars GONE WITH THE WIND. Some of the stars (the Tallulah Bankhead character, etc) just have 1 scene or so, but I seem to remember more time being spent on the Paulette Goddard character (who in real life was almost cast) and the Crawford character, who's the most driven and dedicated.

None of the three TV movies are very good. The one about Greta Garbo's romance with silent screen star John Gilbert is the best, the one about a young Marilyn Monroe being discovered by agent Johnie Hyde is the worst.

This is a bit of the Garbo segment: Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper!) is playing Laura Hope Crewes (!)

So, r74? She got top billing and he got first billing.

Here is a bit from THE SCARLETT O'HARA WARS....but no Barrie Youngfellow as Crawford in it, sad to say.

Thanks, r85. She kind of resembles younger Crawford in those photos.

[quote]OP, don't worry for Melanie Grifith in Working Girls. She got a best actress nom for that film, that year. Sigourney got best supp actress nom. Harrison Ford got zilch.

Sigourney was also nominated in the same year in the Best Actress category for "Gorillas in the Mist".

Hattie McDaniel's should have had higher billing as a general rule.

Due to protests in '67 when the film was rereleased in 70mm Hattie got marquee billing.

At least in New York.

R89 Really. So Hattie got fake billing while Vivien got fake breasts

[quote]This is a bit of the Garbo segment: Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper!) is playing Laura Hope Crewes (!)

Today that part would be played by Senatrice Lindsey Graham.

Danny DeVito in Ruthless People. He should have been billed third (or even fourth), after Judge Reinhold (1) and Bette (2); and Helen Slater.

Nobody-and I mean nobody-deserves to be billed after Helen Slater.

In the "Judgment at Nuremberg" poster, Maximilian Schell is 5th or 6th billed (depending on how you place Judy, whose name is several notches lower), yet he walked away with all the top acting honors that awards year.

R94 To be honest, Schell's role was flashy as hell but it still felt like more of a supporting role to me.

Janet Leigh billed ahead of Angela Lansbury for 'The Manchurian Candidate'.

Leigh was a minor character who only appeared in a few scenes, whereas Lansbury was a pivotal character who was the main villain.