11th Annual What A Character: Evening Edition

Hey night owls and West Coasters, Paula here to close out our 11th Annual What a Character! Blogathon! It always brings me so much joy to see so much love for the backbone of cinema, the supporting players. This year brought new points of view and new faces to these posts, which is always good to see.

Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog starts us off by paying tribute to underrated day player Mary Field‘s “ability to command a scene and entirely lose herself in a character.”

Karen at Shadows and Satin honors Jay C. Flippen, “the burly character actor…a man of fortitude and determination – a veteran of vaudeville, radio, theater, screen, and television.”

Kayla at Whimsically Classic details how “I Love Lucy” introduced her to “instantly recognizable” Allen Jenkins (on the right, with Errol Flynn.)

Taking Up Room recaps the life and career of Dorothy Morris, who “always made a big impression in her own quiet, pretty way.”

Wollfian Classic Movies Digest analyzes several of Peter Lorre‘s greatest performances: Casablanca, Mad Love, M, and The Maltese Falcon.

The Everyday Cinephile illustrates how Ernest Torrence “perfectly exemplifies the unique skill set required to succeed as a character actor.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s WAC! Blogathon, and to our beloved Turner Classic Movies for inspiring it in the first place. It’s been a fun and fascinating 11 years.

See the What A Character! morning posts at Once Upon A Screen here. Afternoon posts are at Outspoken and Freckled here.

Key to the What A Character! 2023 graphic

10th Annual What A Character: Evening Edition

Hey night owls and West Coasters, Paula here to close out our 10th Annual What a Character! Blogathon! It always brings me so much joy to see so much love for the backbone of studio-era Hollywood, the supporting players.

As you may have seen in the announcement post, this tenth year comes with giveaways from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and The University Press of Kentucky, both of which are providing film-related books to ten lucky participants. We will randomly pick the winners toward the end of the weekend. Winners will be notified on social media or by email.

And now, without further ado, this evening’s fabulous entries:

Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog writes that Lillian Randolph “is instantly relatable and somehow more genuine than the stars she supports.”

Toni at Watching Forever profiles a familiar face from the TV series “Gunsmoke” in “Beyond Festus: The Career of Dan Curtis.”

The Classic Movie Muse takes a deep dive into the life and work of Lucille La Verne, whose “bone-chilling” voice made her the first to have a speaking part in an animated feature-length film.

Lesley at Second Sight Cinema investigates the possibly unknowable nature of one of my favorite actors in “Jack Carson, International Man of Mystery.”

Chris at Blog of the Darned profiles the criminally underused Theresa Harris.

Lady Eve’s Reel Life looks into the villainous (and heroic) roles of another of my favorite actors, Conrad Veidt.

Kayla from Whimsically Classic details her favorite roles played by character actor Elisha Cook Jr.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s special 10th Anniversary ‘thon.

What A Character! “Crazy Russian” Leonid Kinskey

Just like everybody goes to Rick’s, everybody knows Leonid Kinskey, whether they know his name or not. Kinskey portrays Sascha, the voluble Russian bartender, in that classic of all classics, Casablanca (1943). We meet him quite early on, when Yvonne, Rick’s latest ex-girlfriend, has had a little too much to drink and needs to be escorted home. But as I learned, there’s more to Kinskey than Sascha. Not that I won’t bask in the glory that is Casablanca first…

Continue reading “What A Character! “Crazy Russian” Leonid Kinskey” →

4th Annual WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon – Day 1 Posts

WE’RE BACK for number 4!

The WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon honors the players who rarely got leading parts, exhibiting instead a versatility and depth many leading actors wished they had. Aurora, Kellee, and I never tire of seeing them show up in films or paying tribute to their talents, and as the previous three installments of this event have proven, neither do you.

And so here I am with Day 1 of the 4th annual WHAT A CHARACTER! I know you can’t wait to read all the fabulous posts. Before you jump in though, we’d like to thank all the participants for their understanding as we re-scheduled the blogathon from last weekend due to world events. We really appreciate your patience.

Continue reading “4th Annual WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon – Day 1 Posts” →