Quite the Character

I'm just going to wait and see what DPirateR has to say about this before I even begin to make any considerations...

Mr. Peterman touches on a particularly interesting story in the history of the Academy Awards, the creation of the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress Oscars.  Gale Sondergaard, today most famous for her silent and forbidding performance as Bette Davis' nemesis in The Letter, was the first winner of the latter award for Anthony Adverse.  Walter Brennan won his first of three Supporting Actor awards for Come and Get It, thus becoming one of only four performers ever to win more than two (the others are Ingrid Bergman, Jack Nicholson, and the record-holding four-time winner, Katharine Hepburn).

But more interesting than the winning statistics themselves is the story of how (or, at least, one of the reasons) the award was provoked into existence in the first place.  In 1935, for the only time in Oscar history, three nominees from the same movie were nominated for Best Actor.  The movie was Mutiny on the Bounty and the nominees were Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, and Franchot Tone.  Everyone remembers the central struggle between Laughton and Gable but what about Tone?  He gave the show stealing performance as Lieutenant Byam, Fletcher Christian's right hand man in the mutiny.  He probably earned his nomination primarily thanks to his spellbinding speech at his court martial, in which he dressed down Captain Bligh for his morale-destroying antics.

Franchot Tone had been a founding member of New York's legendary Group Theatre and was the first artist in the company - which also included Lee J. Cobb, Clifford Odets, and Lee Strasberg - to go west and do movies.  But he wasn't a major star and his character, while show-stealing, didn't have the screen time to attract the votes needed to win the Oscar.  Moreover, it appears that the three nominees split the vote (the movie went on to win Best Picture) and Best Actor went to Victor McLaglen for his melodramatic turn in the John Ford's highly overrated (in my opinion) The Informer.

The following year, the Academy introduced the supporting category for its awards, having recognized that such performances as Laughton's and Tone's should not have to compete with each other.  Alas, Tone was never nominated again.  He did co-star with Laughton one more time in Laughton's last film, Advise and Consent, Otto Preminger's brilliant study of the U.S. Senate.

I realize that there is much more to say on the subject of character actors and character acting in general.  But bed time calls.  More later.

Acting itself is fascinating... We watch people pretending to be other people.  We don't know the actors and we only know the fictional characters as the play or film plays out.   If a person pretends to be a cook or a plumber in real life (and manages not to poison us or ruin our new carpeting) we pay them and promptly forget them.  If we met the pseudo-cook or faux-plumber in the mall we'd pass them by and never recognize them (though they were in our house!)  Not so actors!  

What is stranger yet is that we DO recognize actors that we've seen before.  And large numbers of people read about their 'real lives' (divorces, marriages, issues with illegal substances, illnesses, etc).  In fact, many people know more about these total strangers who they've simply seen act (their profession) than the people they work with on a daily basis.  (Think: how much do I know about the late Paul Newman, and how much do I know about my dentist?)

If you want to try an experiment, when someone mentions a 'famous actor' (Madonna, Peter Lorrie, Gene Hackman) simply say, 'Who?'  It's sort of fun, in a sick way, to see the responses....

Cuddles Sakall, Edward everett Horton...and in the moderns, Chris Cooper and Christopher LLoyd. I can see why Mr. Peterman said...I could go on and on. For his body work, I would have to say Walter Brennan might have been the quintessential character actor. But I could be wrong.

And George Sanders...just for his role in All About Eve

Honorable mention should be given to all those Japanese or Chinese American character actors who died for their country in numerous war movies. Being gunned down in planes, ships, etc. I agree on George Sanders, who always played Oscar Wilde in whatever movie he was in. I would add Charles Durning and J.T. Walsh for the moderns.

The best character of all time goes to my mother, Justie, to be so visually, spiritually, and physically close to an individual ..rest a relationship of adventure and wonderment. She the archietect at the age of 23, she studied television broadcasting; a few commercials in Hollywood; designed backdrops for Lewis movies in the early 50's; lived on Sunset and Pointsetta blvd, she didn't like earthquakes, volunteer for Pittsburgh WQED Neighborhood backdrops and castle design in the 50's; owned a grey Cadillac car with the points;designed the 1956 warm home that I reside; equipped with the cadillac of every feature that would be a 50's Admire; modern fireplaces w/ pitched ceiling hardwood floors; she liked girdles and fancy lacy slips;all built in Dinning Room cabinets ; Bedroom lined cedar cupboards; double pane PPG windows; she loved reading the oversized 50's/60's magazines on a Indian blanket; Bathroom features Crane fixtures just like Kentuck Knob; Frank Llyold ideas; she wore bikini's;built in: stovetop, mixer, milk delivery box built inside of kitchen so you can pull the milk, ice cream out that was delivered on from flagstone front porch; dumb waiter elevator to a seaside stero system bar with built in grill, Terraza kitchen floor ;she had gogo boots adn gogo earings;double GE oven, Pink (father calmess proof) kitchen theme appliances even a pink telephone; I have dial-up internet to this day! Marble tiles,  Doorway knobs placed in the middle of the door! Built in Vacuum system that has been a great toy gadget collector. Mother married at the 25 y.o.a.had 6 children, She told me, "that by the time she was 25 she had traveled the world and done everything, but was happiest having children and raising family,"... the house had a built in intercom system. Father a Entomologist/farmer/ urban and farmland designer laid organic soil for all gardening! My mother was encouraging, loving, and exceptionally kind, and a good caretaker; she was an avid snow skier and believed in recycling at her early age! We had to tie w/ wire tin juice cans in a circle to make stools and saw off 22 gunshot empty shells to use the copper to line table tops; Foremost she was a great equalizer of the distribution of wealth! Yesterday, I just opened a box labeled for me that contained weaved fabric and her silky negligees soft layered pink, blue chiffon and a beautiful nude chiffon floral 50's style, she was fun....and a great artist! Although, I mentioned happy things and postive compliments she had a hard life, too; she idealed that things for individuals that she cared about should be one way and things would fall into place easier - her expectations on family life were exceeded and crushed! So the emotional gladness, and the emotional sadness lead to a passionate life of faith and hope. Just like,  how we have fun on a seasaw; wear a helmet and hang on before you ride it! I love museums and water sports; I am a NAUI diver, Western trail rider trained under Sue Cardell a National Champion,  Downhill Snow Skier; I love the titles of the commentors on this site Neptune, Pirate, my NAUI instructor name was Marvin and Navy Seal at Arizona State University! I direct the Pittsburgh Victorian Gibson Girls and a writer of plays, espcially known for "Bearing Fruit" which showcased at venue at the Aldephi Hotel in Saratoga Springs New York.... way back already......I have three new books out and on ebay, White Buffalo Spirit, Honey For All, & Pittsburgh's Victoria ( will be giving a presentation in December at  a local museum so I have interest in fashion and newsy news... I enjoy reading.I noted in my reading of this Peterman's eye comment listing that someone mentioned Kevin Smith, the new famed director and actor, but let me tell you where I am thinking; I ran down with my son, who was 8 y.o.a. @ the time-down to see this movie take for the film Dogma (they said a movie scene shot was going on downtown); so there I was in a small line with hair stylist from the local beauty school .....and when it came my turn to get an autograph; I asked the actor, I am so sorry, but what is your name ; he replied Kevin Smith and I had my herbal business card for him to sign and aplogized to him that I did not know who he was! So, I do not know everything......In another comment list reading I wanted to comment.....Always remember, Native Americans are comprised of 639 Nations. (generalize) Misnomer to classify all Native Americans as one solitary group; I visited the National Museum of Native American History in Washington D.C., too and Pennsylvania was not mentioned. Our state of Pennsylvania is rich in Native Amercian histoy and many citizens are Native American: Shawnee, Blackfoot, Iroquois, Lenape, Cherokee, and etc.. The Shawnee langauge of our region of southwest Pennsylvania is beautiful ex. Amahqua for Beaver, Alligewi - Allegheny River, Conemaugh River is Guanammochk for Long Beaver there was no word for otter.Also, an ideal of interest, My grandparents owned a Polo farm in Kentucky and my grandmother died at the age of 28 Fench and I need to get to Kentucky to visit her grave site;I enjoyed reading the the news articles and comments of other members, Thank you, Olivia and others for your welcome notes; Thank you for the kind comment, PeterLake. Kindest Regards! Gustina Bigbee!

I am positively stunned that I found this online.  I would have gone through any amount of trouble to acquire the linked file for you all,  my confidants.  As it is, there is a fellow named Jeff for whom I now have a high level of admiration.  Well done, Jeff, my boy!!!

Now to the point.  There is one luminous character actor who will forever reside at the Head Table in Odin's High Hall.  That man is, no surprise, to be found in my favorite movie of all time.  The movie I hope to be watching nigh unto my own passing from this world.  The movie that my children will be able to recite with me as they study the canon of modern ethical study - Python, Izzard, Carlin, and this, the shining gem in the diadem of all morality tales:  Joe vs.  the Volcano.

I offer to you all, the Luggage Man.

http://digitalstevenson.com/jeff/blog/media/2008/04/luggage.mp4

Jonathan Isles, I have 3 words for you...Cake or Death!

My Love for old movies was nurtured while I was in High School & by the time I graduated I was in LOVE with Black & White, Evening gowns & the Supporting Actors that had all the good onliners.  Gia mentions 2 of My Favorites in her First post Cuddles Sakall & Edward Everrett Horton....Eve Arden talking about Alligators eating their young in Mildred Pierce there are many Famous Lead actors that just can't pull those roles off. Some of my favorite Chracter acting Females are Thelma Ritter & Billie Burke (yes Galinda form Oz) You just can't get beat Ritters remarks in Rear Window & The Mating Game. Billie Burke who was quite smart plays the dithering idiot to a T in the Topper Films, Look Who's coming to Dinner & I LOVE her in Merrily We Live.   

My paternal grandfather was a character actor in the early 1930's.  He was usually cast in small rolls as the gangster or villain.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922503/

He was kind of a crap weasel so we don't really talk about him much in our family.

One of my oldest Friends in the world went to school about 3 hours form the Mall of America in MN. I went to visit her & this little shop had in its window this poster, it had EVERYBODY that was anyone in the Classic Films was in this poster. I HAD to HAVE IT.  Walked into the store told the sales guy I wanted that t poster. He looked at me & said you don't know who the half of those people are. GF chuckled & said I Dare you to bet her. I missed 2 people out of the 20 or so that are on it. I'm embarrassed to say the 2 I missed were Claude Raines & Peter Lorre.  (I did know what film they were being portrayed from though)  Sales Guy was impressed enough though to honor the bet though & I bought the poster for 1/2 off.   It was a print of George Bungarda's Play It Again.  I had it framed & it has hung in my home every since. The guy who framed it displayed it in his shop until I got there to pick it up he had customers that offered between $250 -$300 for it. Thankgoodness He knew because of HOW I got it I would NEVER sell it. The women who Really wanted it came in the day I went to pick it up & offered me $300 for it. I couldn't do it I was SO happy that I FINALLY "KNEW" these Hollywood actors that I couldn't & can't part with it. It's kind of my validation of being a REAL FAN. rather than a I watched & own Casablanca because its #1 on the AFI list.  Iwill say that I never realized how much those prints are really worth until a few years ago when I was looking for another one. They are hard to find & when you do find them they seem to be expensive.    

Nachista - Cake please. I do hope you're not out of cake.

You all know how I feel about Nora Ephron. She's so good a dialogue. I really think part of the magic, is that she often gives the most poignant lines to 'character actors.' One of the best lines of dialogue in  her movies, I believe, is  delivered by the man in the photograph above in You've Got Mail.

Tom Hanks is asking (only half-heartedly) Steve Zahn about a vintage children's book for sale in Ryan's Shop Around the Corner. Zahn's character, obviously apathetic and jaded about most things in life, clearly has a passion for children's literature. The character is very charming.

He is trying to express the fine detail of the hand-tipped (I believe) illustrations in the book and all Hanks can look at is the price. The exchange is so quick and subtle, but resonates the theme of the entire movie.

Hanks: (After hearing about the illustrations and looking, shocked, at the price tag) And that's why it costs so much? (Not so much a question—wholly—more of a presumption)

Zahn: (Grabbing it back protectively—which totally makes the scene, btw) No, that's why it's worth so much. 

Beautiful. Like Mr. Peterman said, his timing is perfect. Usually in comedic delivery. But this time it's perfect at nailing the sincerity. Also, his lack of piety. It's just a fact to him. Not a moral.

If you're a purist or a romantic, "a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce," (a Greg Kinnear line, who is also fantastic), this line will get you through the jaded days.  Or it will get your arse in gear and remind you that you should be selling something you think is WORTH the price.

My favorite woman character actress, non-glamour girl, and most memorable female villain, would have to be Margaret Hamilton. You may remember her as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz. To this day, when I watch her releasing those flying monkeys and hear her evil laugh, I still shiver. Didn't she just make that film!?

She also made dozens of other movies, among them: My Little Chickadee starring W. C. Fields and Mae West, You Only Live Once with Henry Fonda, and People Will Talk with Cary Grant. Later in life, she was also in The Addams Family, where she played Morticia's mother, Hester. Her stages performances included productions of Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, and Oklahoma! On television, she acted in daytime soap operas; guest starred on programs, such as Gunsmoke; and, for awhile, she even portrayed a general store owner in Maxwell House coffee commercials.

I doff my pointed witch's hat to her and her broad range of supporting roles.

I think that One of today's BEST Character Actors happens to be John C Reilly ~ He was in Gangs of NY, Chicago, The Good Girl & Hours all basically within the same year.

Yet they weren't really minor roles that he played in any of those films.  It breaks my heart when he sings Celophane in Chicago.... Even if the film is bad he captures the role SO well that you end up liking the parts of the film that he was in regardless.   

Tiberius we are all out of cake, we only had 3 pieces and didn't expect such a rush.  Your choice is now "or Death".

Kindlee, I LUFF "People Will Talk", and Margaret Hamilton was brilliant as the nosey cleaning lady.

Ring!

Reilly rocks. Just saw The Promotion. Thought it was really actually deep. Interesting and dark.

Do you know Brule's Rules? "Sweet Berry Wine?" Am laughing out loud just typing that.

You all MUST see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ORyzAhXzlQ

"Jenny. . . ." 

nachista,

I agree. 

P.S. The cake is a lie.

Cake!  Cake brings people together (track this leap).  You could hate some guy's guts, and hear it's his birthday.  "Oh, I hate that guy," you say.  But there's cake in the conference room.  "I should stop by and say hello..."

Struggling to comment on both topics at once, I humbly submit:

"For me the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake."~Alfred Hitchcock

Jonathan,

You are spot on about the power of cake.

To take your "Cake" theory a step further, I personally blame Cake, with an assist from Krispy Kreme donuts, for the downfall of the telecom industry and the offshore outsourcing of software engineering. These foods have been used as bait to lure once productive software engineers into conference rooms where all good ideas and work ethics are then sucked into a black hole and lost forever.

Perhaps it was just the conference rooms and endless meetings? Probably any free food would accomplish that in an office environment.

But once again, I digress.......

My nominees for my favorite character actors in supporting roles are:

Eli Wallach, Madeline Kahn, Alan Rickman, Michael Caine, Stellan Skarsgard (whose name alone qualifies him), Stanley Tucci, Herbert Lom, William Mac(even though he creeps me out a bit at times), William Hurt, and Chief Dan George and Harvey Kietel.

oh, I forgot Holly Hunter and of course, The Monster from 'Alien' and Peter Boyle.....

William Macey that is

nachista,

He died in a horse polo accident, just shy of 32? Is your pic the dashing Gordon Westcott? Whoever it is looks to be quite the ladies man.

Mention cake around here and everyone suddenly appears ;) 

I'll have the chocolate babka, please. Everyone knows the cinnamon is the "lesser babka".

Meanwhile back in the...

J. PETERMAN LUNCHROOM

Elaine and several co-workers stand around a table which has a cake sitting on it.

ALL (singing): Happy birthday to you.

WALTER: Thanks.

Everyone claps.

FEMALE WORKER: Elaine, cake?

ELAINE: Uh, no, thanks.

FEMALE WORKER: It's Walter's special day.

ELAINE: You know, there are 200 people who work in this office. Every day is somebody's special day.

Elaine takes a piece of cake and makes her way to the door, but is stopped as a male worker carrying a cake enters.

MALE WORKER: Elaine! Where're you going? It's Walter's last day. We have to celebrate.

ELAINE: It's his birthday and it's his last day?

MALE WORKER: This is other-Walter, from returns.

Other-Walter enters followed by more co-workers.

OTHER-WALTER: Hey, what's going on here?

ALL: Surprise!

OTHER-WALTER: Oh guys.

Elaine tries to leave, but other-Walter stops her.

OTHER-WALTER: Elaine, it's my last day. Have a piece.

ELAINE: All right, pile it on.

Kindlee, the profile pic is him.  Unfortunately none of my siblings, or me for that matter, inherited the tall, dark, and handsome genes. 

He was playing polo with Walt Disney and some friends when his horse fell and rolled over him, he was in a coma for a couple days and then died on Halloween, 1935.  It wasn't a big loss, he had only been back to Utah twice since my father was born and he never sent child-support or alimony to my grandmother.  My grandmother paid for their divorce entirely out of her own pocket, because he wouldn't ever send the cash he promised.  He was a crap weasel but grandma would never let us say anything bad about him when she was around.

I need budget-safe christmas gift ideas. 

I'm giving my parents the gift of snow-shovelling all winter, for christmas.  All my siblings are grown and married so we all agreed no gift exchange this year and I'm giving my nieces and nephews a sleep over at my house for their gift, all I have to pay for is 2 large pizzas.  

Now we just have to figure out a free/cheap idea for sir boyscout's parents, sister/bro-in-law/niece, and grandparents.

I hate being a cheap-skate on the holidays, but normally I can think of really good cheap/free gifts, this year...nothing.

I'm selling my motorycle to pay some bills, so if any of you are looking for a used 2000 Yamaha V-Star 650 custom with low miles, let me know.

My vote is a little biased.  Harry Dean Stanton (KY) was almost my Father-in-law.  He is an incredible actor (Cool Hand Luke, The Godfather, and about 200 other films and even more television appearances).  Dean and my Mother-in-law is another story.  Anyway... I also think Alan Covert (Adam Sandler films +) is an awesome character actor.  Have known him since he was a wild child in Palm Beach, FL.  I really think most so-called character actors are extremely talented and don't recieve the kudos they truly deserve, although, I think it may be of their own choosing.  As for Steve Zahn (KY. by marraige) (National Security, Saving Silverman, Daddy Day Care just to name a few)...I understand he is as entertaining in person as he is in films.  Very, very, talented young man.  There are several female character actresses that I enjoy watching but unfortunately can't remember any of their names. I respect and admire all of the characters actors.  I was once an extra in a movie (Bluegrass 1988) and it was HARD work.  15 hour days at $40.00 bucks a day.  The only saving grace was I got to meet Cheryl Ladd, Brian Kerwin, and Anthony Andrews.  They were all very pleasant.  Sorry I can't say the same for a few of the other actors in the movie.  Although, I don't think I am cut out to ever be an actress, my husband claims I could win an award for best actress when I spend too much on the credit cards. 

nachista,

Dying the way he did, I'd say the weasel got his comeuppance.

Caring, thoughtful gifts, that come from the heart, are not cheap. They are the most precious kind!

I'll try to think of something. (Funny, but my daughter-in-law asked me about Christmas gifts just this morning. I didn't have an answer for her, either.)

Nachista ~ Your Grandmother still respected what she had with him. She also respected herself, I can see why she woud not put up with anyone bad mouthing him.

Nachista, I've got a similar "Good, he's dead" story.  My mother married a total SOB when I was young.  Their marriage failed, thankfully.  But for the years after I turned into a grown up, and could competently judge how another "adult" had behaved toward the children in his charge, I learned to nurse a deep and satisfying hatred of the man.  Then, one day, like a gift from the internet gods, I Googled upon his obituary.  Died of protracted lung cancer.  What a surpisingly good and comforting feeling overcame me then, as if I was warming myself before the flaming embers of his damned soul.  

Nachista - I don't want death. I'll have...the chicken.

Tiberius,

Might I suggest a lovely Chardonnay to go with your choice?

Ok Tiberius, lucky for you we're CofE.  Next, welcome to church of England airlines...

Rings I think it was that my grandmother didn't like contention and she knew it upset my father to here about him.  Myrthus left her just a few days after they were married and she didn't hear from him for 2 years after that...when he did write it was to tell her that he was engaged and could she be so kind as to file for divorce and take care of all that.

Such a busy day with Mr. Pitt. Have missed a lot.

Whose cake?

Who died, Nachista?

And mostly, what the feck is a character actor? I feel like all the names listed have played plenty of lead roles? Am not challenging. Genuinely confused. So is it anyone not in a title role? What about an ensemble cast? And what if they're non-title, but 'out of character?' Am I over-thinking this? Have I had too much tea again? Entirely possible.

Basically, I love it when I'm excited about a movie, and then I see that someone not titled, is in it and I think, "Oh, even better!"

I like people who make me laugh even when they're not speaking. Love that. Not because they're funny looking, just because they're that funny in general. Their expressions, their posture, their pauses. . .

John Tuturro, Tim Conway, McLovin' in Superbad, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Parker Posey, Steve Zahn, Rob Reiner, Judy Greer, John C. Reilly. God. So many.

Just watched Something About Mary last night. Remember Magda? Mighty tan girl.

Kindlee,

Picture—stunning. Stunning. Love the colors, too.