The story of Earl Holliman’s journey to Hollywood is one of aspiration and perseverance. In 1943, Holliman was 14 years old and adamant about wanting to be a movie star.
Raised in Oil City and Mooringsport, rather than Shreveport as is frequently stated, he traveled via a number of locations before arriving in Hollywood.
He first went to see relatives in Camden, Arkansas, and from there he bused himself to Texarkana. He took a rideshare to Hollywood from there.
Holliman had worked the night shift at a diner close to Barksdale Air Force Base and as a theater usher, so he had saved some money. A serviceman he met at the cafe even gave him a lead on a place to stay, which turned out to be in El Monte, California, a good distance from Hollywood. Looking back on his trip, Holliman acknowledges that it was a dangerous decision that wouldn’t be prudent in the modern day.
DAILY LIFE IN HOLLYWOOD
After his initial try in Hollywood failed, Holliman made a quick trip back home before deciding to serve in the Navy. But his desire to be a movie star never went away. Later on, he went back to Los Angeles to continue his education at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Pasadena Playhouse.
Holliman’s perseverance was rewarded. With parts in “Giant” (1956), “Forbidden Planet,” “The Rainmaker,” and “The Sons of Katie Elder,” he amassed an amazing reel of cinematic credits. Additionally, he gained recognition for his television appearances, most notably in “Police Woman” with Angie Dickinson and in “The Thorn Birds” with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward.
Holliman remembers his Hollywood days fondly, especially his first morning there. Wearing dark glasses and a silk shirt with short sleeves, he strutted in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, wondering if anyone thought he was a celebrity. The naive hopes of youth were present in that moment.
Check out the image below to see Earl Holliman’s current age of 95:
20 Times Life Confounded People When They Least Expected It
The best part of being alive is that the strangest things can happen when you least expect them. But even when things get bad, you can always take comfort in knowing you can look back and laugh at yourself.
1. He can always pretend he’s listening to the radio.
2. Let’s hope the school didn’t hire their own students to make this sign.
3. Everything has its limits.
4. You shouldn’t give away your bakery’s secrets so easily…
5. It’s like an endless cycle.
6. To be fair, what better material is there to keep the scissors inside?
7. “This is why you should always hide a spare key…”
8. Headphones break off all the time…but so perfectly?
9. At this point, you’re just throwing money at it.
10. “I almost had a heart attack this morning…”
11. The job is well done, indeed.
12. The common doorbell…the mechanic’s one weakness!
13. If we can put a man on the moon, we can teach snowmen how to drive.
14. This puppy is leaving its schooling days behind.
15. You always hear about people eating wax fruit by accident but never think it could be you.
Do you have any photos of times you or someone you knew was less than lucky? Let us know!
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