Name Similarities

salus · Post by **salus** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 4:01 pm

Do you think that actors who had the same last name of another famous actor were helped or hindered by the name, examples Gaynor, Janet or Mitzi, Garland Judy or Beverly, etc etc etc ...... any others?

Post by **Mike Gebert** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 4:17 pm

Kate and Audrey seemed to have done fine.

Roseha · Post by **Roseha** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:59 pm

I read that Hedy Lamarr was named by a studio head after Barbara La Marr, didn't seem to hurt her career. And Loretta Lynn's mother named her after Loretta Young (ok that's a first name, but Loretta isn't that common).

Jay Salsberg · Post by **Jay Salsberg** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:49 am

El Brendel/ Elwood Bredell
Margaret Sullavan/ Maureen O'Sullivan/ Maureen O'Hara
J. Farrell McDonald/ Francis McDonald
Arthur S. Byron/ Arthur Q. Bryan
Leo Carrillo/ Leo G. Carroll
Betty Ross Clarke/ Betsy King Ross
Marsha Hunt/ Martita Hunt
Adeline De Walt Reynolds/ Adela Rogers St. John/ Adele St. Maur
Arthur Rankin/ J. Arthur Rank
John Arledge/ John Eldredge
William Pawley/ William Frawley
Jerry Lewis / Jerry Lee Lewis
Little Richard / Rich Little
Lloyd Hughes/ Lloyd Hamilton
Billie Burke/ Binnie Barnes
Marie Dressler / Louise Dresser
Ona Munson/ Osa Massen

Brooksie · Post by **Brooksie** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:35 am

It must have been a concern to some - when the Australian actress Shirley Ann Richards went to Hollywood in the 1940s, they changed her name to Ann Richards so she wouldn't get confused with Anne Shirley. I doubt it would have been a problem myself, but MGM apparently did.

Rollo Treadway · Post by **Rollo Treadway** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:29 pm

Some more cases of performers who changed their names because their original name "was taken":

James Stewart > Stewart Granger
Michael Douglas > Michael Keaton
Albert Einstein > Albert Brooks

mndean · Post by **mndean** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:57 pm

Jay Salsberg wrote:El Brendel/ Elwood Bredell

Aw, it's no fair bringing up other professions. I doubt many outside our confines would ever have heard of Woody Bredell. There are all kinds of people with names similar/same as a known actor or director, but are grips or in some other craft. That of course leads to fun, like seeing Sissy Spacek as a set dresser in Phantom Of The Paradise and wondering if there really could be two.

Richard Finegan · Post by **Richard Finegan** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:45 pm

Jay Salsberg wrote: El Brendel/ Elwood Bredell

There actually was a review of one of El Brendel's two 1939 Universal features on which Elwood Bredell was the cinematographer. The reviewer cluelessly praised the comedian's dual role as actor and cameraman.

Richard Finegan · Post by **Richard Finegan** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:53 pm

Unfortunately in the late 1920's and early 1930's the off-screen antics of William "Stage" Boyd caused problems for William (future "Hoppy") Boyd when the two were confused in news reports covering "Stage" Boyd's activities.

Name Similarities

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What the El!

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