Another blogathon! One with character! This summer is proving to be a landmark in the classic film blogosphere. Events are planned covering an array of fabulous classic films, movie stars and topics on all things movies.
Borrowing a catchphrase from our beloved home of the classics, Turner Classic Movies, Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled, Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club, and Aurora of Once Upon a Screen are organizing a tribute to the great character actors that so enhanced our classic movies. To the faces, the laughs, the drama presented by these wonderful actors whose names all too often go unrecognized we dedicate WHAT A CHARACTER!
- Would Casablanca be as great without the laughs provided by S. Z. Sakall?
- Would we want to look out Rear Window if not for the warnings of Thelma Ritter?
- Can you measure how much Edward Everett Horton added to the fabulous Astaire/Rogers pictures?
We think these and so many others deserve their due. So, here we are with a blogathon in their honor.
The details:
If you are interested in contributing, please go to any one of the host sites and submit a comment with your choice. Please include the title and link to your blog. What or whom you choose to write about is open. We’d love to have everyone choose different subjects and topics because there are so many great character actors that deserve attention. But we’ll leave that up to you. As submissions come in, we’ll update the list of entries to give everyone an idea of what’s been chosen. A couple of weeks before the event, we’ll post a submission schedule. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact any of us at any time.
The event banner is the one you see at the top of this post. It wasn’t easy coming up with one face, one character to focus on – so, a myriad of wonderful faces. It would be great if you can post one on your site to help us promote this event.
Who do all these faces belong to? Check out the Who’s Who in the WHAT A CHARACTER graphic page.
Host sites and contact information:
Kellee – @IrishJayHawk66
prattkellee (at) gmail.com
Outspoken and Freckled
Paula – @Paula_Guthat
paula.guthat (at) @gmail.com
Paula’s Cinema Club
Aurora – @CitizenScreen
citizenscreenclassics (at) gmail.com
Once Upon A Screen
Characters already spoken for (as of July 29):
Charles McGraw – Ivan – Thrilling Days of Yesteryear
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson – Terry – A Shroud of Thoughts
Edward Everett Horton – Jill – Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence
Eve Arden – Kellee – Outspoken & Freckled
Eric Blore – Lindsey – The Motion Pictures
Gail Patrick – Laurie – One Gal’s Musings http://onegalsmusings.blogspot.com/
Lee J. Cobb in ““We Raid Calais Tonight” – Ruth – Silver Screenings
Lew Ayres in HOLIDAY — Marya – Cinema Fanatic
Louise Beavers – Margaret – The Great Katharine Hepburn
Lucille Wilson and Maude Eburne – Patricia Nolan – Caftan Woman (9/23)
Marjorie Main – Lucy – Secluded Charm
Mary Wickes – Brandie- True Classics
Richard Jaeckel – Jack Deth
Sam Levene – Duke – Picture Spoilers
S. Z. Sakall – Paula – Paula’s Cinema Club
Thelma Ritter – Aurora – Once Upon A Screen
Una O’Connor – Anthony Strand
Victor Jory – Jacqueline T. Lynch – Another Old Movie Blog (9/24)
Walter Brennan in “To Have and Have Not” and Mercedes McCambridge – Le – Critica Retro
Ward Bond – Tonya – Goosepimply allover
Paula's Cinema Club 
Great idea! Put me down for Edward Everett Horton!
You got it. Thanks Jill.
Not too late at all! The blogathon isn’t until the last week of September. I love her…so good in My Man Godfrey, one of my all-time faves. I will add it to the list 🙂
Hi, Paula:
I’d like to take a crack at Richard Jaeckel as either Sgt. Bowren in, ‘The Dirty Dozen’ or as Paul Newman’s kid brother, Joe Ben in ‘Sometimes A Great Notion’.
Let me know what you think.
I’d put it together and send it you as I did with my Future Classic Blog-A-Thon.
That sounds great, Jack. I’ll be happy to put your post up on PCC.
Hi, Paula.
Check your e-mail. Sent a test letter and my project out earlier today.
Sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you are well.
Got it. I will reply ASAP 🙂
Judith Anderson in Rebecca
Oh yeah, that’s a great one. She’s so mean, I pretty much loathe her. And that’s always a good sign 🙂
Is it too late for me to join in? I’d love to do a tribute to Gail Patrick.
Got it, added to the list. Thanks!
Wow, awesome idea. Hurm, trying to think of who I want to do…OH! Can I have Eli Wallach?
Absolutely, I will add it to the list. Thanks PG 🙂
Hi, PG:
Excellent choice!
Eli Wallach is one of the character actor’s character actor. One of his most slimy, unsavory roles was in ‘Baby Doll’.
Yes, so true…he’s grody in Baby Doll.
Is it too late to take part?? I don’t know if I’ll have time this week as I am late to another blogathon, but I might join in on the fun! 🙂
The actual blogathon isn’t until September 22-24, so no it’s not too late at all 🙂 Who do you want to write about?
I would llllllllove to write about Lew Ayres as Ned in Holiday. I know that later he became a star in his own right, but that is definitely a character/supporting performance and he’s what makes that movie for me.
Oh cool! I’ll add it to the list. Thanks Marya!
awesome!
🙂
I’d like to write about Grady Sutton who pops up everywhere!
Awesome 🙂 I’ll add it to the list. Thanks Jessica!
I call my favorite: John Qualen.
Oh cool, he’s been in a lot of my faves. Thanks Kristen!
Paula, I think I might have mentioned this over at Aurora’s ONCE UPON A SCREEN, so I don’t know if I’m repeating myself (yikes, I’m getting old and addled already! :-)), but I asked for dibs on Frank McHugh. If I’ve already mentioned it, sorry to be a pest! In any case, I know the WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon will be great fun!
You’re definitely on our list for Frank McHugh! And you’re not being a pest. Looking forward to your post 🙂
If no one has taken Porter Hall…I’d like to do a write up on him!
OK, awesome! I will add you to the list. Thanks Joel!
Hey, Can I get in on the fun? I would like to do Una Merkel at my site, The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World. Hopefully she is still available. If not I do have some secondary choices.
Absolutely, you are the first for Una Merkel. I’ve added it to the list. Thanks Kevyn!
I see you have a picture of Ann Miller up there as a character actress…well, I have a perfectly lovely post already written about her…would you care to “revisit” that for your blogathon? Otherwise, I’d love to chat about Billie Burke, Spring Byington, OR Mary Wickes, especially White Christmas and Now, Voyager. Hope I’m not too late. Thanks, Kay
Hi Kay, happy to see your comment 🙂 Posts that are already written are fine. No one has claimed Spring Byington, though someone else is writing about Billie Burke. In this blogathon, that doesn’t mean that you can’t also, so any of those possibilities would work. I added you to the list with Ann Miller, just let me know if you want to change. add or switch it up. Thanks Kay!
Thanks, Paula…I’ll stick with Ann then…she’s an all-star fave of mine and I just love her to bits! Let me know when/how you want to “link” up and I’m all yours. Hugs, K
Will do, thanks Kay 🙂
Hi Paula! I’ve finally decided on a subject for your blogathon. I’m going to write about Elsa Lanchester. It doesn’t look like anyone has picked her yet (Is that true?), and she’s a favorite of mine.
It is true, no one’s chosen Elsa Lanchester yet, I will add you to the list Beth Ann. Thanks 🙂
Great! Thanks, Paula!
Sounds great! I will put the blogathon button on my sidebar. 🙂
– Java
That’s great Java, thanks very much! Have you chosen an actor yet? Or did you possibly sign up under another name? 🙂
I’m not participating this time; I’m just promoting the blogathon by adding it to my sidebar.
Cheers,
Java
Oh my goodness…that’s very kind of you! Much appreciated. Let me know if you change your mind though 🙂
When I think of elegant but simply great mothers, I think of Faye Bainter and Selena Royal.
Absolutely! Bainter from Bill of Divorcement and Royle from The Harvey Girls. they are also perfect for this blogathon because they’re two examples of faces most classic fans know. Thanks for stopping by Martin, do you want to perhaps write about one/both of them? 🙂