Earl Holliman’s path to Hollywood is a compelling story of ambition and aspiration. At the age of 14 in 1943, he was resolute in his desire to become a movie star.
Raised in Oil City and Mooringsport, often mistakenly identified as Shreveport, he embarked on his journey to Hollywood through several stops along the way. His adventure began with a trip to visit relatives in Camden, Arkansas, followed by a bus ride to Texarkana, Texas. From there, he hitchhiked to Hollywood.
Having saved some money working as a theater usher and during the night shift at a café near Barksdale Air Force Base, Holliman had also connected with a serviceman who offered a lead on a place to stay. However, this turned out to be in El Monte, California, a significant distance from Hollywood. Looking back, Holliman acknowledges that it was a risky decision, one that wouldn’t be advisable in today’s world.
His initial foray into Hollywood didn’t pan out, prompting him to return home briefly before enlisting in the Navy. Nevertheless, his dream of becoming an actor remained alive. He eventually made his way back to Los Angeles, where he honed his craft at the Pasadena Playhouse and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Holliman’s determination paid off, leading to an impressive film career with notable roles in classics like “Giant” (1956), “Forbidden Planet”, “The Rainmaker”, and “The Sons of Katie Elder”. He also became well-known on television, especially for his work alongside Angie Dickinson in “Police Woman” and with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward in “The Thorn Birds”.
He fondly reminisces about his early days in Hollywood, particularly his first morning in El Monte, when he wore a short-sleeved silk shirt and dark glasses while walking in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, fantasizing about being mistaken for a star. It was a moment filled with youthful dreams and innocence.
See below how Earl Holliman looks today at 96.
Do You Recognize This Old-School Communication Tool?
Times are changing and it seems as if the more we progress, the faster they change. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our need to communicate but the way we communicate has adjusted over the years.
Many of us can probably look back and remember the time when we were tethered to the wall when we wanted to talk to someone on the phone. We wrote letters and put them in the mail and if somebody wasn’t home, we couldn’t talk to them at that moment.
These days, we communicate by sending text messages or messages over social media. We have video calls and if we can get in touch with somebody, it quickly gets on our nerves.
There have also been a number of innovations over the years that were brilliant in their time but these days, they are not used very often. That is especially true in the day when we used to use the Postal Service to deliver letters and packages on a regular basis.
One of the most important things to consider when delivering a letter or package was the weight. It would make a difference in the shipping rate, and that is where this unique invention, the postal scale, comes into play.
Long before we were sending emails and text messages, we were delivering things through the Postal Service. Analog mechanisms that included balances and springs were used to determine how much we would pay in postage. It wasn’t an exact science, but it was close enough.
Postal scales still exist today but they are much more advanced. They are precise instruments that have advanced features and it makes it much less personal when it comes to getting service at the post office.
Aside from the fact that the older postal scales were not 100% accurate, the design and nostalgia are something to consider. These are more than an item that used to weigh the letters we sent, they are collector’s items and some enthusiasts will pay big money for them.
So if you ever see a vintage postal scale, stop to ponder over what it may have done in its lifetime. It’s an item we don’t use as much anymore, but it is an item from time that we should forget.
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