There was a time in Hollywood when finding a bankable star to be associated with a new movie was the ultimate priority of the movie studios. In the silent era, films were often propped up by a recognisable face, and getting Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo to place their signature on a dotted line pretty much guaranteed success. Things changed with the advent of sound, and by the 1940s the Golden Age of Hollywood was over. By the 1950s the actor had been replaced by the rock and roll star as the primary object of cultural worship. More than a cultural shift in how movie stars were perceived, however, was a greater emphasis on realism in cinema. It was a gradual process, but eventually directors began seeking out lesser known talents in order to make a more believable film. Famously Alfred Hitchcock killed off Janet Leigh, the star of Psycho, just 40 minutes into the movie, in a decision which manipulated and permanently altered audience expectations. Steven Spielberg requested unknown actors to star in Jaws though Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw were hardly anonymous in Hollywood at the time. Eventually it became both practical and trendy to cast lesser known, or potential, stars in big movies. From the studio's point of view it cost less money, and for the director, it allowed him or her to execute a more realistic story. Here are ten films which really made it big despite a cast of relative unknowns.
10. Mean Streets
Mean Streets has been lauded by audiences since its first release in 1973. Whats more it made six times the $500,000 Warner Bros paid for its production. That said, it was hardly riding a wave of big names on its way to critical and commercial success. Harvey Keitel played the lead role Charlie, a small-time New York gangster. While he is today considered one of the finest actors of his generation, back then hed had just one major movie part (in Scorseses first film, the still unwatched Whos That Knocking At My Door). Remarkably Robert De Niros first film role came just two months earlier, ensuring his part as Jonny Boy came in completely under the radar. To top it all off, this was Martin Scorseses first proper directorial effort on a project of his own choosing. So thats three unknowns - one director and two actors - who would use the success of this minor hit to become some of the most acclaimed and recognisable stars in Hollywood history.
