What if Charlie had not gone to Europe?

[chaney]

History shows that Charlie was a well-respected character actor in Hollywood who went to Europe in the late 1960's and became a superstar. He took that new worldwide popularity back home and eventually cracked the U.S. market as well with the huge success of DEATH WISH in 1974.

My question is ... What if Charlie had never gone to Europe and achieved that success? What if he had stayed in the U.S. as a working character actor who likely would not have been given leads in the 1970's given his age and past roles? What kind of films and parts would he have played in the 1970's?

I could see him being a regular on a TV series, if not a lead then a solid support. Maybe something along the lines of the police lt. that Anthony Zerbe played in the David Janssen series HARRY O. Maybe his career would have turned out something along the lines of that of a Richard Jaeckel. There would probably have been more TV guest shots, hopefully not along the lines of FANTASY ISLAND or CHARLIE'S ANGELS, but maybe POLICE STORY or something like that. I could see him in filler secondary parts in some of the all-star disaster films that were popular for the era.

What are some other roles he could have done had he not gone to Europe?

[maphillips3]

Probably given alot of the roles, that someone like "AL LETTERI"
got. The roles of goons, that end up getting beat up in the end.

[harmonica]

The fact is that "The Dirty Dozen" was a huge box office succes and Charlie could have got some notice more than what he did with "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape". With a bit of luck and right choices he could have taken some good roles in movies, possibly ensemble-cast movies, like "kelly's Heros" or "The Wild Bunch".Most of the Bronson type of actors had gone to Europe. With Lee Marvin and Steve McQueen who stayed in U.S. it would have been impossible for him to take something more than supporting or co-starring roles.He could have taken supporting roles in war, westerns, McQueen and Marvin's movies or in the best case thrillers like "The French Connection","Seven Ups", "Taking Of Pelham 123" Marathon Man","Jaws" "Sorcerer".Martin Scorsese was a fun of "Crime Wave" so he could maybe have given Charlie a part in "Mean Streets".He could may be in a 007 movie or even in "Godfather" due to his craggy face but always in bit parts. As maphilips said he would have been more or less something like Lettieri.

If hadn't gone to Europe, his career would have been poor.Eurpe made him a star and made his best movies there:"Once Upon A Time In The West", "Adieu L' Ami", ""The Valachi Papers", "Citta Violenta"...

[chaney]

There were a lot of actors who were much bigger stars than Charlie in the 50's and 60's who ended up going the guest star route on TV in the 1970's and 1980's. Somebody like Stuart Whitman, who once had an Oscar nomination, comes to immediate mind.

Can anyone picture Charlie still playing heavies in episodes of BJ AND THE BEAR, THE FALL GUY, DUKES OF HAZZARD, KNIGHT RIDER, or THE A-TEAM?