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TROY DONAHUE WAS MOST MAGNETIC STAR OF THE SIXTIES!

posted 17 years ago by jimmars
20 replies | jump to latest

Troy Donahue was truly the most magnetic star of the sixties. The most handsome actor ever. He appeared in three great movies made by Delmar Daves: SUMMER PLACE, PARRISH,& SUSAN SLADE. His life story is now being made by Americana Productions called "THE NIGHT THEY INVENTED TROY DONAHUE". A tribute to the greatest teen idol of all time. He was probably photographed and appeared in more movie magazines than any other actor. We will never forget what a great person he was.

[–] teri51629 15 years ago

AMEN!!! Well said, "jimmars". He was the epitome of the tall, blonde male teen idol. Everyone....I mean everyone LOVED Troy Donahue!

Teri

[–] thehair100 14 years ago

And, he was just about the worst actor, EVER. Just saw "A Summer Place" again, a marvelous movie, but Troy STUNK, out loud. Everybody else was wonderful, but he was wooden, at best.

[–] teri51629 14 years ago

Maybe so, BUT, back then we didn't care about acting. He was so gorgeous that the acting was the least thing we looked at. I remember I was so jealous of Sandra Dee because she was lucky enough to play his lover.

Teri

[–] thehair100 14 years ago

Troy WAS gorgeous, but it still didn't overcome the fact that he was the worst actor, ever. Totally unwatchable in EVERYTHING. Especially compared to all the other great pros in the movie, Egan, McGuire, Kennedy, Ford. Sandra Dee was wonderful too, and it's a shame she was not given more parts like that. She acted her head off, and I actually felt sorry for her trying to kiss a stone wall like Donahue. Although she liked him personally, she later DID describe Troy as a "wall," and Connie Stevens who also liked him personally said he was a "klutz," who continually tripped over his own feet... and hers. Go figure.

[–] teri51629 14 years ago

Well...whatever she thought of Troy, Connie Stevens was one of the few that visited him the night before he died. I believe they remained good friends until the end of his life. I don't believe Troy was the worst actor EVER. I've seen some pretty pitiful excuses for acting in this current group of so-called actors out there.

[–] thehair100 14 years ago

I've seen some pretty pitiful excuses for acting in this current group of so-called actors out there.

You have a very good point, as the "actors" of today are horrible. At least Troy was good-looking, lol. As I said, Connie and Sandra both liked Troy personally, but thought his acting was atrocious.

[–] teri51629 14 years ago

Okay...I'll let this subject rest for a while, BUT, I was just on another movie of Troy's and there's all this talk about him being gay. Does anyone else have reason to believe this was the case? I've been totally blindsided by this statement. I don't want to believe that.

Teri

[–] thehair100 14 years ago

I doubt Troy was gay, but he was represented by the notoriously gay agent Henry Willson, who also represented Rock Hudson, and Tab Hunter. Henry did represent some straight actors, though. Troy was married several times, and had kids, so who knows?

[–] bevjanglad 14 years ago

No, Troy Donahue was definitely NOT gay. He was probably the last most
gorgeous man - tall, blonde, blue eyes, perfect features - that existed
who was straight. As far as I'm concerned, there are no "Hollywood Hunks"
today who can come close to Troy's good looks, and sadly, the few that
do come close are openly gay. Incidentally, Troy's agent, Henry Willson,
named him "Troy Donahue", a name which Troy despised all his life as did
Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter with their names. Troy's real name was Merle
Johnson; a name which he also used in his later life depending on the
situation. It's a shame that stars like Troy and Sandra Dee and many
others didn't take better care of themselves throughout their lives.
They could still be alive today. May they rest in peace.

[–] generalusgrant 14 years ago

Troy Donahue was indeed the worst actor ever to have a major role in a big studio picture. He was abysmal, cringe-worthy and unwatchable.

And not everyone thinks he was handsome. I agree, he had excellent features, but he was almost ridiculously effeminate and feminine. I find him almost repulsive because of this. Give me young Sean Connery any day of the week. He was gorgeous AND a good actor.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ozzieink 12 years ago

After watching him in several movies, it seems he does a better job when the actress ignites some chemistry. Like Suzanne Pleshette, who actually married him after "Rome Adventure," in which he was pretty good. But Connie Stevens & Troy did not seem smitten with each other at all in "Susan Slade." It'll be interesting to see how he does in "Parrish."

[–] hobnob53 12 years ago

It's fascinating to read what some blindly admiring fans think of some favorite performer.

In fact, Troy Donahue was a lousy actor: stiff, monotonous, unemotional. But that wasn't his real problem -- it was his personality. In most of his films (at least when he was big early in his career) he was sullen, unsmiling, goody-two-shoes, self-righteous, grim and resolutely humorless. Think about it -- how often do you see him smile? He was so off-putting with his smug, smarmy naivete that it's almost unfathomable how any girl would find him interesting once he had opened his mouth.

He was probably a nice guy in real life, and he certainly had a lot of problems, but that doesn't make him a good actor...and as far as the OP's googy-eyed description of him as the "most magnetic star of the sixties" goes, well, everybody's entitled to her or his opinion. But to me, I think you have to be pretty far gone to consider Troy "magnetic". "Enigmatic" would be closer.

[–] waldenpond88 12 years ago

"A Summer Place" is one of the best movies of the fifties and I liked Troy Donahue's acting. I don't think he was wooden at all.
He's not a James Dean or Marlon Brando, but he played his part believable.

[–] leader-7 12 years ago

There's a hilarious line in "A Chorus Line" when they're all trying out for the show. If you're unfamiliar w/ the scene, the director, Zach, asks them why they're trying out for a chorus line, and one of them sings, ",,,If Troy Donahue can be a movie star, then I can be a movie star..." clearly, because he had no talent.

Hollywood loved his looks. in front of the camera, he was pure candy.

artistically? about as exciting as watching the test pattern on WCBS-tv in 1958.

[–] hobnob53 12 years ago

C'mon, leader. I thought WCBS's test pattern in 1958 was really neat. Looked like a scene from The Crawling Eye (even though that was on channel 9!).

Anyway, there's no call to diss a perfectly fine test pattern by comparing it with Troy Donahue's electric personality.

[–] leader-7 12 years ago

Well, touche~!

You're right. (I know I'm in the minority -- yes -- it's true he can't act -- but I couldn't see anyone else in Rome Adventure. OR in A Summer Place. We're all too hard on him -- he's a Columbia University Journalism grad... not a Stella Adler protege!)

Mr. Green Jeans was a better actor. <so was Crusader Rabbit.>

[–] hobnob53 12 years ago

Oh, I don't disagree that he was suited to A Summer Place and, no doubt about it, Parrish. There are also plenty of poor actors who nonetheless make a career. It was his stiff, grim, self-righteous screen persona that did him in, and that I find so off-putting.

I don't think we're in the minority at all -- most people realize he was a lousy actor. As to being too hard on him, maybe; on the other hand, if you reap the rewards of your work, you have to take the criticism that goes with it.

Not that I'd brook any criticism of Crusader Rabbit. Or even The Modern Farmer!

[–] shula1010430 9 years ago

But James Dean still has the edge over Troy Donahue, according to most film afficinados. (I don't go along with that view; I enjoyed Donahue's acting much more than Dean's.)

FAS1

[–] Pacer88 (233) 6 years ago

Troy was gorgeous and I can't take my eyes off of him in his movies. He reminds me of a blond, younger, Rock Hudson.