A favourite actor from the seventies of mine. I remember him playing in some Italian B-movies like L'ULTIMO SQUALO (JAWS Italian style) and IL GATTO A NOVE CODE (directed by Dario Argento) and of course his outstanding role in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES.
Yeah I'm surprised he wasn't a bigger star (or a star even). I liked him as a Mexican in Rio Conchos & was great as a real slimeball in Assault On A Queen (1966). I suppose he did most of his work on the telly.
Really liked his show LONGSTREET where he played the blind investigator. Strange that after seeing him in that, every time I would see him in anything else I would still think he was blind. Great in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES and even liked him as the pseudo President Kennedy in the guilty pleasure THE GREEK TYCOON. He's really cool and hip in and a snazzy dancer in I PASSED FOR WHITE, one of John Williams first film scores.
Interesting that he produced THE RED PONY TV-Movie that was so brilliantly scored and won the Emmy for Jerry Goldsmith.
He looked like a movie star and was always entertaining and believable in his roles. Great actor.
Wiki says that he died of Emphysema. Wondering if he was a heavy smoker then?
Great in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES and even liked him as the pseudo President Kennedy in the guilty pleasure THE GREEK TYCOON.
He also got to play JFK himself in the now laughably out of date biopic "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy" which starred Jaclyn Smith.
His earliest TV starring role was the first season of "Naked City" when the show was a half hour drama. When the show returned after a one year hiatus as an hour long show, Franciscus didn't return and his role was basically assumed by Paul Burke.
.....& I didn't know he was married to Shelley Winters (among others).....
Where did you get this idea, CinemaScope?
Are you, by chance, thinking of Shelley Winters and Anthony Franciosa---who WAS among her husbands?
This is another example of how back in the day it was not uncommon for people to keep mixing up Tony Franciosa, James Franciscus and James Farentino and assume they were all the same person!
Really liked his show LONGSTREET where he played the blind investigator. Strange that after seeing him in that, every time I would see him in anything else I would still think he was blind.
My dad used to watch Longstreet and he told me he had much the same reaction whenever he saw James Franciscus elsewhere! Higher praise an actor in such a role cannot get. (See also UK writer Brian Viner mentioning how he saw Raymond Burr on Michael Parkinson*'s show on the BBC and saying "Mum! Ironside's on with Parkinson and he's all better!")
*Legendary chat show host, now retired (for good this time).
.....& I didn't know he was married to Shelley Winters (among others).....
Where did you get this idea, CinemaScope?
Are you, by chance, thinking of Shelley Winters and Anthony Franciosa---who WAS among her husbands?
This is another example of how back in the day it was not uncommon for people to keep mixing up Tony Franciosa, James Franciscus and James Farentino and assume they were all the same person!
Oh dear, you're right, I totally had the wrong guy. They sound alike & even look alike, but no excuse
Tony Franciosa and James Franciscus neither look nor sound alike.
I was totally unaware that he was one of the producers of the '73 TV version of THE RED PONY. As a producer, he sure had good taste in composers--two by Goldsmith (RED PONY and A GIRL NAMED SOONER) and two by Williams (HEIDI and JANE EYRE.)
Anybody remember his short-lived '74-'75 series DOC ELLIOT and it's terrific "Elmer Bernstein-ish" theme by Marvin Hamlisch? (He must have been still using Shuken and Hayes as his orchestrators at that point.)
The second 'Apes' and the clear headed astronaut from Marooned. His acting characteristics were very specific, particularly the way he stressed his voice while speaking. Saw him in Hell Boats recently. I'm quite horrified at the manner of his passing.
.....& I didn't know he was married to Shelley Winters (among others).....
This is another example of how back in the day it was not uncommon for people to keep mixing up Tony Franciosa, James Franciscus and James Farentino and assume they were all the same person!
Although I never confused those three actors, I too mentally associate those three....weird. Died in 1991 at 57.
Definitely one of those actors you just like and wish had been in more stuff.
