Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Don Brodie - Making Movies Without the Fame

I don't think Don Brodie (1904 - 2001) is a name that brings a lot of movies to mind for most folks.  His name didn't mean anything to me, but his movies do.  He has 305 movies and TV shows in his filmography.

From 1931 through 1939 he made over 170 movies, and he worked with most of the big stars of the era.  He made three films at Hal Roach Studios, including one with Charley Chase and one with Laurel and Hardy.  Come to think of it, Charley Chase was also in that film with L&H, Sons of the Desert (1933).

These were bit parts and he played reporters, waiters, photographers, and he was the man waiting in line.  He also did some voice work for Walt Disney, including a part in Pinocchio in 1940. 

He was in The Great Dictator (1940) with Charlie Chaplin, The Pride of the Yankees (1942) with Gary Cooper, Mr. Lucky in 1943, Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House (1948) with Cary Grant, On the Town (1949), Harvey (1950), April in Paris (1952), and he was still working for another 37 years.

He worked with everyone from John Wayne to Elvis Presley.  In 1970 he was a passenger on a stage with Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man.  His last movie was Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989) with Paula Lane and Misty Rowe (b. 1952), which was apparently a stinker.

His TV work included many series' from the very early days.  He started on TV in "Dick Tracy" and then "Boston Blackie."  He was a guest or just a bit player on TV, and appeared mostly in single or two or three episodes.  He was in "Mister Ed" three times according to IMDb.  His last appearances on TV were in "Murder, She Wrote" and "Hotel" in the late 1980s.

You can see Brodie's picture on his Wikipedia entry here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Brodie.

People with careers like Don Brodie should not be forgotten.  They worked hard and gave a lot to make these productions better.  And I am sure they had a lot of fun at the same time.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please add your thoughts, but they will be monitored so keep it on topic.