Best-ees 4.1

As promised, I will step away from politics and astronomy this week to give those of you living your lives vicariously through pop-culture icons a chance to catch up.  It has been my intent for some time to address what I believe is one of the most important and enjoyable facets of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

For you tyros who are now titillated at the prospect of learning something about motion pictures (that’s what they called movies before the world decided everything continental was more sophisticated and we adopted the word “film”), you may locate other posts about this subject by searching the index for Best-ees 1.0 et al.

Then we learned earlier this week of the death of William Schallert.  If your initial response is, “Who is William Schallert?” it underscores your need for further schooling on the subject at hand.  William Schallert was the actor, who among many other roles, played the father of my first celebrity crush, Patty Duke (c’mon, I was only nine years old), on a mid-nineteen sixties sitcom, not surprisingly entitled The Patty Duke Show (ABC 1963-1966).  But this is not about that show, it is about actors.  William Schallert is an example of the “working actor” who never graduated to starring roles or celebrity status, but crafted performances of periphery characters that added so much to texture the movie.  IMDb lists 375 acting credits in film and television spanning from 1947 to 2014 (most recently on Two Broke Girls… sorry, I’ve never seen it).

This article is not specifically about him but those of his ilk that I refer to as third tier actors.  The first tier is the starring role (e.g., Cary Grant, or John Wayne). The second tier is filled by actors whose names you should know if you are into movies from the Golden Age; they were generally the sidekicks and villains (e.g., Walter Brennan, or Basil Rathbone).  The third tier is populated by those best known as character actors.  They generally served little purpose for plot development but added a great deal of substance in portrayal of offbeat characters, usually (but not always) with a comic bent, even in the darkest of dramas.  William Schallert was that kind of actor, although his start was relatively late in the evolution of the Golden Age.  And that is what the balance of this missive is about, Dale’s (who else?) pick for the best character actors from the Golden Age.  Now let me warn you, there are more of these people than I could ever begin to list and the selections presented here are based solely on my feelings on the subject… that’s why they call it subjectivity.  If you are offended by someone I excluded, or included, start your own blog.

James Gleason (1882-1959): 163 acting credits from 1922 to 1958 (film and TV)

Gleason set the standard for the overwrought police lieutenant trying to unravel a mystery that to the audience is clear as can be.  He was also frequently cast in military roles, as were most male actors who worked during World War II.  But his range was not limited, his everyman look and demeanor suited him well for any type of role.  Some of my favorite performances were (all righty, get ready to jot this down… wait, you don’t have to, I’ve done it for you.)

Meet John Doe (Warner Bros. 1941) directed by Frank Capra:  Henry

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (Columbia  1941) directed by Alexander Holt:  Max Corkle

Arsenic and Old Lace (Warner Bros. 1944) directed by Frank Capra:  Lt. Rooney

The Bishops Wife (RKO 1947) directed by Henry Koster:  Sylvester

Eugene Pallette (1889-1954): 260 acting credits from 1913 to 1946

Pallette’s most noticeable characteristic was his raspy voice; sounded like an Osterizer^*.  His rotund physique did not stop him from portraying action characters.  He was equally adept at playing good-guy, bad-guy or flustered father; he was always overbearing.  His role as comic relief was buttressed by his aggressive style.

My Man Godfrey (Universal 1937) directed by Gregory La Cava:  Alexander Bullock

Topper (MGM 1937) directed by Norman Z. McLeod:  Casey

The Adventures of Robbin Hood (Warner Bros. 1938) directed by Michael Curtiz:  Friar Tuck

The Mark of Zorro (20^th Century Fox) directed by Rouben Mamoulian:  Frey Felipe

Charles Ruggles (1886-1970): 152 acting credits from 1914 to 1968 (film and TV)

Ruggles was a master of comic expression (think Danny Kaye before Danny Kaye), quite often portraying the good-hearted souse.  His trademark was making funny faces in response to dialogue delivered by other cast members.  If you had a favorite uncle that your mother was trying to shield you from, it would be Charlie Ruggles.  In 1960 he did the voice of Aesop in the Aesop Fables cartoons from Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Ruggles of Red Gap (Paramount 1935) directed by Leo McCarey: Egbert Flound

Anything Goes (Paramount 1936) directed by Lewis Milestone: Moonface Martin

Bringing Up Baby (RKO 1938} directed by Howard Hawks: Major Applegate

No Time for Comedy (Warner Bros. 1940) directed by William Keighley: Philo Swift

Sig Ruman (1884-1967): 128 acting credits from 1922-966 (film and TV):

Rugman played a wide spectrum of characters from bumbling bureaucrat Nazi soldier.  His accent was a benefit of his German birth and held him in good stead during the late 1930s and 1940s when Germans were needed to portray the myriad roles in movies about WWII.  But even in his most malevolent performances, he radiated the aura of a teddy bear.  His career included some of the greatest films Hollywood produced.

A NIght at the Opera (MGM 1935) Directed by Sam Wood:  Gottlieb

Only Angels Have Wings (Columbia 1939) Directed by Howard Hawks:  Dutchy

Comrade X (MGM 1940) Directed by King Vidor:  Emil Von Hofer

Stalag 17 (Paramount 1953) Directed by Billy Wilder:  Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz

Felix Bressart (1892-1949): 66 acting credits from 1928 to 1949:

Bressart was another German emigre; he was invited to leave his country of origin due to his theatrical work in political satire performances.  He is your kindly old grand-uncle and you can see the emotional wounds of the leading lady in his sympathetic body language and facial expression.  His resume is a bit shorter than the others I have included as he died while working in 1949.

Ninotchka (MGM 1940) Directed by Ernst Lubitsch:  Comrade Iranoff

The Shop Around the Corner (MGM 1940) Dir. by Ernst Lubitsch:  Pirovitch

Third Finger, Left Hand (MGM 1940) Dir. by Robtert Leonard:  August Winkel

Above Suspicion (MGM 1943) Directed by Richard Thorpe:  Mr. A. Werner

Edgar Kennedy (1892-1948): 446 acting credits from 1911 to 1949:

Kennedy is known as the king of the slow burn, a pantomime routine in which the actor slowly displays his angry reaction to another character’s behavior or statement, a talent he would have developed while working in silent films.  But gold is gold and you can see that he adapted his trademark move into talkies very naturally.  He was often cast as a police officer, frustrated by the nonsensical actions of the principal characters.  Kennedy had a peerless career, it almost seems that he would have been present for Edison’s unveiling of his new motion picture process.

Duck Soup (Paramount  1933) Directed by Leo McCarey:  Street Vendor

San Francisco (MGM 1936) Directed by W.S. Van Dyke:  Sheriff

In Old California (Republic 1942) Directed by William C. McGann:  Kegs McKeever

Anchors Aweigh (MGM 1945) Directed by George Sidney:  Police Captain

Donald McBride (1889-1957): 162 acting credits from 1914-1956:

McBride was another of the long suffering everyman who just wanted everything to remain calm and orderly.  Unfortunately, the script always called for mayhem and chaos.  As with Edgar Kennedy, he relied on the slow burn but was also master of the double take, the nervous tic and loss of words.

The Great Man Votes (RKO 1939) Directed by Garson Kanin:  Iron Hat McCarthy

Northwest Passage (MGM) Directed by King Vidor:  Sergeant McNott

My Favorite Wife (RKO 1940) Directed by Garson Kanin:  Hotel Clerk

High Sierra (Warner Bros. 1941) Directed by Raoul Walsh:  Big Mac

Okay, I think that’s enough for this week.  You have been very patient.  If you haven't noticed, I have provided you with a list of movies that are among the best of their era.  This is a good primer to start your education on the Golden Age of Hollywood, I hope you enjoy them. Soon I will produce Best-ees 4.2 which will focus on female supporting character actresses of the same period.  I am an equal opportunity plagiarist.

^*And now for the rant, you knew there was going to be one:  If you don’t know what an Osterizer is then take your freakin’ Cuisanart and move to France with the rest of the communists. Just try to make a margarita in a food processor.  That’s why the French were beaten up by the Mexicans so badly at the battle of Puebla (cinco de mayo) … no margaritas.  After all, war is a thirsty business!