Favorite Character Actors

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

These are just a few of the great actors whose faces I look for in old movies...most of them long gone, but a few still kicking.


Edward Everett Horton
I first fell in love with him as the narrator of Jay Ward's Fractured Fairy Tale cartoons, then as the tall, fey, befuddled sidekick in movies from the 30s and 40s, notably "The Gay Divorcee" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.



Franklin Pangborn
Another wonderful comic actor from the same era, he portrayed fussy, snooty types to great effect. My favorite Pangborn performance is his bank inspector in "The Bank Dick."



Kathleen Freeman
Memorable in "The Blues Brothers" as Sister Mary Stigmata, this hard-working actor's career spanned seven decades. Jerry Lewis cast her in almost every movie he made; my favorite is "The Ladies Man."



Victor Buono
The inimitable Mr. Buono was menacing and funny, often both at the same time. He is fabulous in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"



Reta Shaw
Her stoutly officious characters seemed to appear in every TV show of the 60s. I remember her best in "Pollyanna" and the TV version of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir."



Arnold Stang
Tonight I watched "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" in which he portrays one of the attendants whose gas station is demolished by Jonathan Winters. But I remember him best in old Chunky commercials where he exclaimed, "Whatta chunka chawklit!" (Is this not a fabulous album cover? I found it here: www.danacountryman.com/danacovers/danacovers.html)



Thelma Ritter
That voice. That face. That attitude. From "All About Eve" to "Rear Window" to "Pillow Talk," this cynical, wisecracking little lady was a scene stealer.



Charles Lane
Always an actor but never a star, Mr. Lane has appeared in every movie ever made. Okay, only a couple hundred movies, and half again as many TV appearances; but his hachet face, barking delivery and brusque manner always make him a stand-out. His best-known performance is in "It's a Wonderful Life." His face has never graced the cover of a movie magazine, but he's had the last laugh over all the stars he worked with: he celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Charles Lane, you're my fave!

Here's a great source for finding the character actors whose names elude you:

www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/ks_index_gca.html

[Skittles]

1. OMG THELMA RITTER

one of my favorites.....the epitome of the tough old dame - gawd I just love her

[yorgatron]

2. donald pleasance

http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index_2.php?actor_first=Donald&actor_last=Pleasence

[msanthrope]

6. Me too!!! n/t

[Spinzonner]

7. Also in

Birdman of ALcatraz (as Strounds mother)

[TheCentepedeShoes]

55. "Rear Window" is one

of my favorites. Wasn't she in "The Misfits" too ?

[Crazy Guggenheim]

3. Charles Lane is still alive!

[EstimatedProphet]

4. Frank Nelson II

Mini biography

He had one of those instantly identifiable mugs that made you laugh as soon as you saw him. And then he'd open his mouth. Veteran character actor Frank Nelson was here, there and everywhere in the 50s and 60s, usually playing a pop-eyed, hot-tempered foil to the likes of TV's top comedy stars such as Lucille Ball and Jack Benny. Short, chubbyesque, with a neatly-style mustache and voice that dripped with hilarious disdain, Frank's career lasted over six decades. More in 1911 (the same year as Ms. Ball), Frank started working out at a Denver radio station as an announcer at the age of 15. A strong fixture in "the golden days of radio" with a leading man voice to boot("The Three Musketeers," "Calling All Cars"), he became a charter member (1937) of AFRA (American Federation of Radio Artists) before it became AFTRA (American Federation of Radio and Television Artists). He served as AFTRA's president from 1954 to 1957 and was a guiding force in securing decent pension plans for actors. Such radio shows as "The Great Gildersleeve," "Burns and Allen" and Fibber McGee & Molly" made jolly use of his droll, squealy voice and "slow burn" comic takes. A standout in even the tiniest of roles (clerk, neighbor, announcer), Frank tackled many sitcoms in his time, which culminated in his fifteen-year stay as a regular on "The Jack Benny Show" and as a returning guest artist year after year on "I Love Lucy." Married twice to actresses, both Mary Lansing (whom he met on radio) and Veola Vonn appeared on 'Lucy' and other shows. A well-oiled vocal talent in animation, his voice may be remembered from "The Jetsons" TV series. He died of cancer in 1986

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

12. THAT guy!

Every time a "Simpsons" episode includes the character based on that guy, I'm reminded that I don't know his name. Now I do. Great find!

[progmom]

32. YES!!

I missed this post and was busy searching for him online. {b]Thank you!!!

[Robeson]

5. This guy....

...Strother Martin...

[Spinzonner]

8. But he had a failure to communicate

[WCGreen]

9. Side show Bob.......

[terrya]

10. Past character actors? I always liked Edward Andrews.

I don't know exactly why...but he was a favorite of mine. Appeared in mostly comedies.

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. Slim Pickens

[AlCzervik]

14. My name is Hollis Wood, not hollywood!

he was so funny in 1941

[Crazy Guggenheim]

17. He said wood .............

[Crazy Guggenheim]

13. Lee Strassburg blew my mind as character or not.

[arwalden]

15. Lucille Watson, Marjorie Main, Thelma Ritter

[Richardo]

16. Jack Elam

In the "Support Your Local..." movies.


"Until yesterday I was shovelin' sh... workin' in the stables.":

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

49. That's who I was going to mention

He had one eye that didn't line up with the other (blinded in a childhood fight) and appeared in more than 130 feature films, and about another 150 television episodes. I particularly liked him in Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In The West" in the opening scenes when a fly lands on his face which he can't get rid of.

[48pan]

52. He was my favorite.

Kind of the Marty Feldmen of the 40s and 50s.

[Richardo]

18. Jack Gilford

"I live to grovel"

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

26. A winning pair of Jacks

Jack Gilford is another I first saw in commercials - for CrackerJack.

[progmom]

19. You got me with Kathleen Freeman and Thelma Ritter.

:thumbsup:

[Richardo]

20. Present day: Steve Buscemi

"Keep it down back there lady or I'm gonna have to - you know - shoot you."

[Minstrel Boy]

21. some of mine:

William Demarest


Strother Martin


Sidney Greenstreet

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

41. Mmm, Sidney....and his gunsel

Seeing Greenstreet reminded me of Elisha Cook Jr., a great weasel in so many films.

[Minstrel Boy]

45. oh yeah! excellent weasel n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. William fitchner

On left

[terrya]

23. William Fitchner was, um, "memorable" in "Go"

Man, was he memorable in that. :-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. I haven't seen him in that. Should I see it?

[terrya]

25. Yes. Do see it.

It's very good.

I was specifically referring to a scene where Fitchner's character takes off all his clothes...and you see him from the back. He's quite a good looking man, IMO. :-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

44. Well I admit to having a bit of a crush on him *g* So yeah, I'll try

to see that movie. :woohoo:

[Richardo]

27. I highly recommend 'Go'

I don't remember the scene terrya's referring to, tho. :crazy:

[terrya]

31. Oh, I remember it.

It's towards the end...when Fitcher's character brings Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf's characters to his home...to meet Fitchner's wife.

:-)

[Richardo]

34. Oh yeahhhhhh

Now I remember.

[terrya]

36. He's a good actor.

I just vividly remember that scene. :-)

It's a good movie. Great cast.

[Misunderestimator]

28. Kathy Bates, William H. Macy, and Frances McDormand

[progmom]

33. I was going to say William H. Macy too.

I've suffered through several bad movies just to see him.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

35. exactly...he can make a bad movie good

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

38. My William H. Macy story

In the mid 70s I took a method acting class he led at the St. Nicholas Theatre Company in Chicago. I sucked at method acting (though not nearly as bad as I sucked at improv) but I kept attending just to hang around Bill. He was young, charming, talented, and really really cute. All the girls, and not a few of the guys, swarmed around him like bees to a flower.

[Misunderestimator]

42. I can imagine... that's so cool.

I'd love to hang around him for a while.

[nytemare]

54. Great choices. n/t

[AnnInLa]

29. In the current movie-scene, Robert Duval....don't like his politics, tho

[AnnInLa]

30. Also Ben Johnson

Last Picture Show and so, so many others....which brings to mind Cloris Leachman, also great

[Kathy in Cambridge]

37. JT Walsh, Henry Jones, Pat Hingle

JT Walsh


Henry Jones


Pat Hingle

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

39. Eve Arden! ...and another good actor resource

So funny. So talented.





Another place to search for characters:


http://www.what-a-character.com/cgi-bin/main.cgi

[Obamarama]

40. Marjorie Main

Ma Kettle

[WeRQ4U]

43. Bill Murray's Brother - Brian Doyle Murray

[Jessica]

46. John Turturro.

He's great in everything. Love him.

[youspeakmylanguage]

47. Lee Van Cleef

One of the best.



"Oh, I almost forgot. He payed me a thousand. I think his idea was that I kill you..."

[CBHagman]

48. Great choices, SheWhoMustBeObeyed.

I remember Reta Shaw very well. She was one of the household staff in Mary Poppins. In fact, whenever I saw her, she was playing a servant! :shrug:

And Edward Everett Horton and Thelma Ritter will always be among my favorite supporting players.

I also seem to recall that Charles Lane is still very much alive (in his 90s!).

Don't forget also...

Peter Lorre



Dame May Whitty

S.Z. Sakall



George Tobias

Mary Wickes



Henry Travers


Simon Callow

Ian Holm

I love ensemble casts and would recommend the following films as pure heaven for fans of character actors.

Ball of Fire

The Imposters

Casablanca

The Man Who Came to Dinner

The Big Lebowski

Room with a View

Arsenic and Old Lace

Bringing Up Baby

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

53. You listed some great choices too

I love Peter Lorre. And Mary Wickes - what a trouper.

Dame May Whitty makes me think of Edna May Oliver. And then I think of Zasu Pitts. And then Estelle Winwood. It's like a chain reaction.



Estelle was so wonderful as "Hold me. Touch me!" in "The Producers." There's another great ensemble cast!

Charles Lane is very much alive - he turned 100 this past January. :hi:

[CBHagman]

59. It's official. You are reading my thoughts.

I realized I had left Edna May Oliver out.

But then I also left out...

James Gleason



Melville Cooper



Edmund Gwenn



Charles Bickford



And that doesn't even touch on those working today, such as Brenda Blethyn, Maggie Smith, Conchata Ferrell, Timothy Spall, and Brian Cox. Someone STOP me, please! :-)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

60. Okay I'll stop

As soon as I list a few contemporary favorites...just a few...

Christine Baranski


Tom Poston


Richard Libertini


Wendie Malick


Stephen Root




...and just to dive back into the vault, I give you a writer for The New Yorker and Vanity Fair...an actor later in life best known for his series of "Joe Doakes" shorts...a habitue of the Algonquin Round Table and Dorothy Parker's pal, my man Robert Benchley.

[ceile]

50. David Suchet, Paul Sorvino n/t

[Debbi801]

51. Willem DeFoe. Yummmm.

:-)

[TheCentepedeShoes]

56. Walter Brennan

"Ever been stung by a dead bee?"

[hippywife]

57. I have two

altho for some time they were known as stars in their own right.


Dame Joan Plowright


Colleen Dewhurst

[nytemare]

58. Christopher Walken

Love his roles. He plays a great creepy guy. Would you like some cham pag na??

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

61. A couple more: Burt Young and Stuart Margolin

Burt Young is best known for his role as Adrian's shiftless brother in the Rocky movies.



Stuart Margolin in the role of Angel in the Rockford Files was one of the main reasons I watched that show.