When you think about your very favorite classic movies, what makes them your favorites? The films worth watching multiple times, endlessly discussing, or just chilling out with…what makes them the cinematic equivalent of comfort food? Sure, great writing is key, but those lines are just words without the right actors delivering them. Beautiful costumes are great, but without the right actors wearing them, they’re just clothes. Stunning, authentic art direction and set design are wonderful, but empty, without the right actors inhabiting that world. And gorgeous cinematography can only hold your eye for so long, without the right actors being lit. And so on…
Chances are, it’s not just the perfect leads that win your go-to films their place in your heart — it’s their pals and sidekicks as well. The wise-cracking best friend or fellow chorine, cranky boss, sympathetic bartender, confirmed spinster secretary, intrepid cop, jealous girlfriend, second-in-command racketeer or bomber pilot, workaholic director…faces familiar from their appearances in many films over the years, their names — not so much. To take a couple obvious examples, what would Casablanca be without Dooley Wilson, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall, Madeleine LeBeau, John Qualen, and Leonid Kinskey? How about My Man Godfrey without Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette, Gail Patrick, Jean Dixon, Alan Mowbray, and Mischa Auer? Probably pretty good films, but just not the same, not as lovable, not as classic.
Thus the objective of the What A Character! Blogathon has always been to shed the spotlight on these lesser-known but equally talented thespians, whose names usually appeared below the title, but who always elevated any kind of material from Oscar-winning to the most tired, often without saying a word. Please join me here at Paula’s Cinema Club, Aurora at Once Upon A Screen, and Kellee at Outspoken and Freckled for the SIXTH year in a row of paying tribute to the versatility and depth of supporting players.
If a salute to lesser-known but essential Hollywood thespians is right up your movie alley, please review the guidelines below, then leave a comment below.
- Let at least one of the hosts know which character actor is your choice.
- Don’t take it for granted we know exactly who you are or where your blog resides – please include the title and URL of your blog, also your Twitter handle if you have one, in your comment below.
- We will not accept repeats (previously published posts) or duplicate choices since there are so many greats worthy of attention, but your choices are not limited to classics. You can choose any character actor from any era and from the medium of television, which has featured talented regulars since the beginning, and continues to do so.
- Publish your WAC! post for either December 15, 16, or 17, 2017. Let us know if you have a date preference; otherwise, we’ll split publicizing duties equally among the three days.
- Please include the WAC! 2017 event banner included in this post on your blog to help us promote the event. Please also include the banner in your own What A Character! post.
- Please send any of us the direct link to your post once you have published it. Searching on social media sites can lead to missed entries. My email is paula.guthat[at]gmail.com.
- HAVE FUN and spread the word!
Thanks to our friends at TCM for letting us borrow the phrase What A Character!
Participating blogs and their choice of actors:
Caftan Woman – John Alexander
Movie Movie Blog Blog – Bruce Altman
LA Explorer – Eddie Anderson
Taking Up Room – Eve Arden
The Last Drive In – Martin Balsam
Old Hollywood Films – Beulah Bondi
A Person in the Dark – Reginald Denny
Classic Film Obsessions – Brian Donlevy
Wide Screen World – Alan Hale, Sr.
Cinephiled – Fay Holden and Sara Haden
The Old Hollywood Garden – Edward Everett Horton
Blog of the Darned – Charles Lane
Prowler Needs a Jump – Patrick Magee
Real Weegie Midget Reviews – Ian McShane
In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood – Agnes Moorehead
Wolfian Classic Movies Digest – Eugene Pallette
Carole & Co. – Nat Pendleton
Critica Retro – Porky Pig
Outspoken & Freckled – ZaSu Pitts
The William Powell Site – William Powell in Silent Character Roles
The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog – Michael Ripper
The Dream Book Blog – Elizabeth Russell
A Shroud of Thoughts – William Schallert
Jack Deth on Paula’s Cinema Club – Daniel Stern in Breaking Away
Thoughts All Sorts – Mark Strong
Cinematic Scribblings – Haruko Sugimura
Hometowns to Hollywood – Clinton Sundberg
Once Upon a Screen – Mary Wickes
Silver Screenings – European Character Actors in Casablanca (1942)
Paula’s Cinema Club – Supporting Cast of Romance on the High Seas (1948)
The Midnite Drive-In – Cameos in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
Silver Scenes – TBA
Paula's Cinema Club 
This is always such fun– I’ll be looking forward to finding out more about another batch of great character actors!
Thanks Leigh, I learn something from What A Character every year 🙂
Whee! I can’t wait for this one. It’s always a great blogging event.
Me either really 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!
Hey Paula, Is Charles Lane still free?
Chris Sturhann
@ChrisSturhann
Blog of the Darned
Yes, thanks Chris! I commented on this earlier but it didn’t take. You are on the list with Charles Lane 🙂
Hi Paula,
May I do Patrick Magee?
Kerry @echidnabot
Prowler Needs a Jump
Absolutely, that’s a good one! Added you to the list.
Great! Thanks!
Oh man, I LOVE this series Paula. I always learn so much about the various characters I’m not familiar with. What a fun way to introduce films to people through its memorable characters! I look forward to seeing everyone’s posts!
Thanks Ruth, appreciate the support. I always learn a lot about unfamiliar actors and movies as well 🙂
Hi, Paula and Company:
It’s that time of year again.
I’d like to take a crack at the career of character actor, Daniel Stern and his career from playing Cyril in ‘Breaking Away’ through the “Home Alone’ franchise and beyond.
Let me know what you think.
Kevin.
Sounds great, Kevin! I will add you to the list. Looking forward to it as always.
Hi…I’m not sure if Aurora got my comment but if you ladies deem Mark Strong as a suitable candidate, I’ll go for him. No obligation to say Yes though…is a thin line I think…. 😀
Hi, Mark Strong is a great choice…I’ve been watching him for some years and he’s always reliable! I will add this to the list. Thank you!
Awesome.
Here you go: https://thoughtsallsorts.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/a-strong-character/
Test. Test. Test.
Message received! You are using a different email address so I had to go in and approve your comment, but your comments should just appear now.
Thanks, Paula.
Disqus has a Denial of Service attack last week and things are just getting back to normal.
Just wanted to make sure I could answer comments this weekend.
Thw “Test. Test. Test” appears just fine.
This is weird. So maybe something’s going on still. I approved both of your comments right away, which is why it appeared right away, but usually after I approve someone once, their subsequent comments show up without my having to approve them. I will keep an eye out for your comments (and everyone else’s).
Much appreciated, Paula.
Hi Paula, I uploaded my post a little early…
https://silverscreenings.org/2017/12/14/the-beautiful-refugees-of-casablanca/
I always learn so much from this blogathon. 🙂
Got it, thanks! I’ll add it to the list.
Going out of town beginning tomorrow, so I am getting this one up today.
http://midnitedrive-in.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-race-to-madness.html
Got it, thanks!
Here’s my article on Clinton Sundberg: https://home2hollywood.wordpress.com/minnesota/clinton-sundberg/
Thanks, I will add it to the list.
https://wolffianclassicmoviesdigest.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/eugene-pallettewhat-a-character/ i added my post today.
Thank you, got it!
Hi Paula, Just finished my post on Charles Lane at:
https://chrissturhann.blogspot.com/2017/12/what-character-blogathon-charles-lane.html
Thanks, Chris
Thank YOU, Chris. I will add it to the list for Kellee (it’s her day to host) 🙂
Note to Quiggy:
Since I cannot comment on your wonderful dissertation of ‘Cameos In ‘It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World’:
Superb work delightfully executed. About the only notable comics of that day missing are Godfrey Cambridge (‘The President’s Analyst’, ‘Watermelon Man’ and ‘Cotton Comes To Harlem’), Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara who were movng from Stand Up to Television.
Nicely done, indeed!
Great blog I enjoyed reading
Happy to hear this. Thanks for stopping by!