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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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 OPINION 
11

15 Great Film Careers That Ended With Flops

Talented actors whose final roles weren't quite up to snuff

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(Newser) – One well-placed stinker can mar an otherwise sterling legacy in film. The Onion AV Club gathers some of the saddest swan songs:       1.-2. Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin, Cannonball Run II (1984). The Rat Pack starred in some mediocre movies, but nothing holds a candle to this spectacular bomb, which turned Sinatra off acting for good (Martin’s passing denied him another, more worthy conclusion).

  1. Bela Lugosi, Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959). Lugosi’s fall from Dracula stardom was mainly due to a continued battle with opiates, but it’s still a shame that his final performance is in what many agree to be the worst movie ever made. 
  2. Groucho Marx, Skidoo (1968). It’s sad to see Groucho check out in Otto Preminger’s confused comment on 1960s counterculture—but at least, as legend has it, he was actually high on LSD while making it.
  3. Bruce Lee, Game Of Death (1978). Lee’s untimely death meant that this film, which he wrote and was to direct, was completed with scenes shot using a Bruce Lee stand-in—and footage from Lee’s actual funeral.
Click the link to see the Onion's complete list.

The title sequence of 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'.
The title sequence of 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'.   (YouTube)
This June 1st, 1964 file photo shows Groucho Marx in London.
This June 1st, 1964 file photo shows Groucho Marx in London.   (Getty Images)
"Rat Pack" members Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin (Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop are at right) put an ugly coda on their film careers with "Cannonball Run II."   (AP Photo)
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Cannonball Run II   (DeanMartinForever)

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11 comments
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Thisplacemakesmepuke
Jun 22, 09 7:40 PM CDT
Not Neighbors. "I'm so hungry, I could suck a baby's butt through a park bench'? Fitting swan song even if it wasn't his line. Reply
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drlarrymitchell
Jun 22, 09 7:42 PM CDT
I love that line! I even use it in everyday conversation- leads to some weird looks, of course, but well worth it.
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Thisplacemakesmepuke
Jun 22, 09 8:00 PM CDT
What's your favorite line ever? And thanks for forgiving me.
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drlarrymitchell
Jun 22, 09 11:10 PM CDT
"That's about as funny as a gut full of pin worms."
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2-bits
Jun 22, 09 8:02 PM CDT
Steve Martin's career is shaping up this way, sadly. Seriously how do you go from "The Jerk" to "Cheaper by the Dozen 2"? Apparently he's just happy playing the banjo these days, which is cool. Rock on, steve. :3 Reply
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