B4 They Were Stars - Lucille Ball

It has been two years since I first posted about Bit Actors. What have we learned? I know that I have a long way to go before I use up subjects for my posts. There are a lot of great Bit Actors out there, and new ones come along all the time. Also, many big stars began in Bit Parts, so they can be included in my blog.

Take, for example, Lucille Ball (1911 - 1989). She was one of the most talented and influential people in television. But she was once known as the Queen of the B Movie. She had a very small part in Stage Door (1937), a great movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, but that movie was well into her acting career.

Lucy started out as a Ziegfeld Girl on the stage and then progressed to being one of the Goldwyn Girls in film. You can usually find her in the chorus or as an extra in her first coupla dozen films. She was a fashion model in Roberta (1935) and a flower clerk in Top Hat (1935), both with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. By 1936 she had a character name in the Fred and Ginger movie Follow the Fleet. Long after Stage Door, she would have Ginger Rogers to tea on "The Lucy Show" in an episode appropriately called "Ginger Rogers Comes to Tea" (1971).

Her very first big screen appearance was as an extra in The Bowery (1933) starring Wallace Beery, George Raft, Jackie Cooper and Fay Wray. Lucy, more recently known for her red hair, played 'The Blonde.'

It is interesting to note how things were done in the early 1930s, with contract players working for the major studios. You will see Lucille Ball working with the same bigger names over and over. She made several movies with Constance Bennett, Eddie Cantor, and Fay Wray, etc.

I doubt that it was her big break, but in 1934 we see Lucy in Three Little Pigskins with The Three Stooges. During the 1930s she also made quite a few two-reelers with Edgar Kennedy, Leon Errol, Billy Gilbert, Betty Grable, and others. It was a great introduction to comedy.

In 1935 she appeared in Henry Fonda's third film, I Dream Too Much, starring Fonda and Lily Pons, and featuring another wonderful Bit Actor Eric Blore. By 1936 Lucy is starting to receive major roles in some two-reelers, such as One Live Ghost and So and Sew.

In her only movie with The Marx Brothers, Lucy can be found in Room Service (1938). By that time, Lucy is starring in movies, but they are B movies. B movies were shown as an extra attraction along with a bigger budget feature film, plus a cartoon or two, and maybe a two-reeler or a newsreel. The feature always came last. Generally speaking, feature films were about 90 minutes, B movies were 60 minutes, and two-reelers were 20 minutes.

Some of her films during this time were Panama Lady (1939) with Allan Lane. Five Came Back (1939) starring Chester Morris and Wendy Barrie.  Barrie's godfather was Sir J.M. Barrie who wrote Peter Pan that included a character named Wendy. Wendy Barrie went on to become engaged to Bugsy Siegel which created problems for her career.

More Lucy films - Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) with Maureen O'Hara. Look Who's Laughing (1941) with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. The Big Street (1942) with Henry Fonda. Du Barry was a Lady (1943) with Red Skelton and Gene Kelly.

There was even some film-noir mixed in. Look for Lucy in The Dark Corner (1946) with Clifton Webb, and Lured (1947) with George Sanders and Boris Karloff.

She did make some features, such as Without Love (1945) starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and Sorrowful Jones (1949) and Fancy Pants (1950) both with Bob Hope.

All of this was before "I Love Lucy" which would rocket her to full stardom. starting around 1950, she would create and co-own the new Desilu Studio with her husband Desi Arnaz. She was instrumental in creating many of the television innovations needed to efficiently produce a series filmed in front of a live audience. And she always remained loyal to her friends in show business. But that's were my post must end.

We all love Lucy, but try to catch her B4 she became a star, as a great Bit Actress.

James Hong

There are some ethnic actors who make a very long career as Bit Players. James Hong (b. 1929) is one of them, and his career is worth looking at. He lists 368 titles on IMDb from 1955 to the present.

After deciding on an acting career, Hong wasted no time. He has used his ethnicity to his advantage, though he was born in Minnesota. His roles tend to be Asian characters, and he can easily turn on an accent if needed. I doubt that he would ever allow himself to be used in a stereotypical role, as many early ethnic actors did in the 1930s and 1940s.

One of his earliest parts (uncredited) was in Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1955). That movie starred William Holden and Jennifer Jones, with Jones played a Chinese doctor. There must have been plenty of Asian actresses who could have done that part! It's kind of like having 'chocolaty' chip cookies rather than chocolate chip cookies.

In 1956 he was tapped to help with the voiceover dubbing of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! He then started showing up whenever an Asian was needed on a TV show. In 1957-1958 he played No. 1 Son on "The New Adventures of Charlie Chan" to J. Carrol Naish's Charlie. Another non-Asian playing Chan.

He was available for major motion pictures that needed Asians. You will find him in Flower Drum Song (1961) during his extensive television work. Also in The Sand Pebbles (1966), and some not great films like The Bamboo Saucer (1968) about a flying saucer being hidden in a 'Red Chinese' village.

In 1970 he is in The Hawaiians. You tend to see many well known Asian actors in these big budget films, like Mako (1933 - 2006) and Keye Luke (1904 - 1991). Here's another perfect title for Hong, he was in Chinatown (1974) with Jack Nicholson.

Also in the early 1970s we find Hong on quite a few episodes of "Kung Fu." And in 1976 he works with David Carradine again in Bound for Glory, a biography about Woodie Guthrie.

Hong was in Airplane! (1980) as a Japanese General. And by now he is playing the role of older men. In one of his better roles, he plays Lo Pan an ancient sorcerer in Big Trouble in Little China (1986). That's a good Saturday morning flick. And his other great movie from the 1980s, Blade Runner (1982), is a classic where he played the eye maker.

I recently watched Black Widow (1987), a murder mystery that was better than I was expecting. It stars Debra Winger and Theresa Russell. James Hong plays a drug-using private investigator who gets whacked by the 'widow.' So we will forgive him for being in Vice Versa with Judge Reinhold and Hot to Trot with Bobcat Goldthwait in 1988.

He worked with Nicholson again in The Two Jakes (1990), so I guess we also have to overlook all those martial arts films that needed Asian actors. They were the rage in the last few decades of the previous millennium.

I enjoyed The Shadow (1994) starring Alec Baldwin with Hong in a small role. It is a good version of a comic book, with some very good special effects and a gorgeous blonde named Penelope Ann Miller. Of course, Miller was just in The Artist (2011), which won Best Picture. I'll have to watch that one again.

His list is long, so here are some of his more popular titles -
Tank Girl (1995), Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), Bloodsport II (1996), McHale's Navy (1997), Red Corner (1997), and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008, not the good one).

He has also voiced some great animated films like Mulan (1998), Kung Fu Panda (2008), as well as television shows like "Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!,' plus some work with Scooby-Doo.

Over all of those years, Hong has only received one major award. In 2007 he was honored by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was nominated for two Annies, for voicing the animated films Kung Fu Panda (2009) and Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), as well.

With everything James Hong has done, and continues to do, I think he is really a star. But we will honor him here as a wonderful Bit Actor.

Eve Arden

I remember "Our Miss Brooks" on television. I was only 2 years old when it came on, and 6 when the show ended, but I remember. My guess is that Eve Arden (1908 - 1990) had such an unforgettable voice that I didn't forget her. Even though her voice was quite low, she had a lilting quality in it that was wonderful to hear. It also would have helped in her acting career, both on the stage and screen.

TCM just ran Stage Door (1937) which was Eve's fourth movie.  It would be a good start. Stage Door starred Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, and included Ann Miller who was only 14 years old, and Lucille Ball in the main cast. Grady Sutton, Franklin Pangborn and Jack Carson also show up in small parts. It was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture. One biographer on IMDb said that Eve's wise-cracking character would be forged in Stage Door and she would use it throughout her career. The only thing I didn't like about the movie is that whenever Miller and Rogers were dancing, they didn't show their feet!

Eve would make two more films with Ginger. Having Wonderful Time (1938), and We're Not Married! (1952) which also included Marilyn Monroe.

There were a lot of films made in the 1930s. Eve made her share, but most were not noteworthy. The stars were, though. She got to work with Fred MacMurray, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Clark Gable.  In 1939 she worked with the Marx Brothers in At the Circus. She worked with Gable again in Comrade X (1940).

In Ziegfeld Girl (1941) she worked with James Stewart, Judy Garland and Hedy Lamarr. She worked again with Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and Lamarr was in Comrade X.

One of the better movies of the 1940s was Joan Crawford's Mildred Pierce (1945) with Eve in a substantial role. This one got Eve her only Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actress, and Crawford won for Best Actress.

By the end of that decade, television was beginning to take hold. "Our Miss Brooks" came along in 1952 and stayed for four years. Do you remember Gale Gordon as the principal, Mr. Conklin, or the squeeky voiced Walter Denton played by Richard Crenna?

At the end of the final season there was a movie made by the same name. The next year Eve tried another series called "The Eve Arden Show" but it didn't last.

Now we will see Eve and other stars in the same boat making movies together, all while working on TV. Gale Gordon and Eve are featured in a Frankie Avalon film called Sergeant Dead Head (1965). And Eve is with Joe Flynn and Phil Silvers in The Strongest Man in the World (1975).

Also look for Eve playing a charm school teacher in a recurring part on "The Red Skelton Hour." She then gets another series, this time co-starring with Kaye Ballard, called "The Mothers in Law."

Amid the TV movies and other guest spots, Eve gets a great role, fitting the character she used and worked all of her life, as the principal in Grease (1978). She would reprise this role in Grease II (1982) her final movie. Grease was set in the 1950s, and Eve Arden was the perfect choice as Principal McGee. All of the Baby Boomers remembered her as a teacher!

Some of the character names she used over the years show her comedic style.

• Peerless Pauline
• Olive Lashbrooke
• Miss 'Woodie' Woods
• Clara Appleby (with Red Skelton)
• Harriet Crumply
• Clarissa 'Wedgie' Wedge

Her last role, of 97 titles on IMDb, was on "Falcon Crest" in 1987. But I will always remember her as Connie Brooks.

Michael Sarrazin

I am not sure why the name Michael Sarrazin (1940 - 2011) should sound familiar. He was never a big star, but I know I have seen him in several movies and TV shows.  He was nominated for the 1969 Golden Globe award for Most Promising Newcomer, and in 1971 for a BAFTA in the same category, but he only has 68 titles listed on IMDb. Most Bit Actors have many more.

His first few acting efforts were short films and small parts on television, mostly in his native Canada. In 1967 he lands a part in Gunfight at Abilene, a western starring Bobby Darin (1936 - 1973) and Leslie Nielsen (1926 - 2010). And no, it wasn't a comedy.

His next film may actually be his biggest claim to fame. He co-starred with George C. Scott (1927 - 1999) in The Flim-Flam Man (1967). The film also starred Sue Lyon (b. 1946) of Lolita (1962) fame, and Harry Morgan (1915 - 2011) who is a real star.

The next year he co-stars with Tony Franciosa (1928 - 2006) in another western, A Man Called Gannon. Funny, but I can't see Franciosa in westerns. I remember him from "Valentines Day" and "The Name of the Game" as a suave sophisticate opposite people like Susan Saint James (b. 1946).

Also in 1968 Michael works with James Caan (b. 1940) in another western, Journey to Shiloh. This must have been Sarrazin's western phase.

In 1969 he has a large part in They Shoot Horses, Don't They with Jane Fonda (b. 1937) and Gig Young (1913 - 1978). The film attracted many Oscar nominations and one win, to Gig for Best Supporting Actor, but none were to go to Sarrazin.

Here's a test for you. What 1970 film starred Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, Lee Remick, Michael Sarrazin and Richard Jaeckel? I didn't know it either, and I have never seen the movie called Sometimes a Great Notion. It is a story about a family of Oregon loggers...their lives and loves...but it may have been mired down by trying to be a drama, action, adventure, soap opera. Someday I'll look for it. (Maybe.)

In the early 1970s Sarrazin starred in a few movies, but not very good ones. Look for him in Pursuit of Happiness (1971), Believe in Me (1971), and The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972). In 1972 he shows up in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, but he is way down the cast list. That is a Paul Newman movie all the way.

1975 brings another shot at stardom in The Reincarnation of Peter Proud, with Margot Kidder (b. 1948) and Jennifer O-Neill (b. 1948). Sarrazin has top billing and the title role, but it may just be too late. The next year he has another title role in The Loves and Times of Scaramouche, co-starring Aldo Maccione as Napoleon and Ursula Andress (b. 1936) as Josephine. See what I mean?

His films in the 1980s continue the trend of second rate work. Movies such as Double Negative (1980), The Seduction (1982), Viadukt a Hungarian film from 1983, and Mascara (1987).

He does some more television work and even becomes a regular on "Deep in the City" a Canadian two season series. His final films are Arrival II (1998) and FeardotCom (2002). We won't even talk about them.

Even though the work of Michael Sarrazin wasn't stellar, he was a handsome man, who had a way about him that enhanced the films he was in. He was a true Bit Actor. Michael passed away in April 2011 after battling cancer.

Neil Hamilton

I happened to be watching a 1932 Constance Bennett (1904 - 1965) movie the other day. You remember her...Joan's sister? The movie was called What Price Hollywood? and she was the star. Not a bad flick for 1932 which showcased some of the excesses of the Hollywood life, with a love story and a 'girl finds her dream' story mixed in.

The male lead, a polo star, was played by Neil Hamilton (1899 - 1984), a handsome actor with 162 titles on IMDb from 1918 to 1971.

In his early, silent film days, he worked with stars including Mae Marsh (1894 - 1968), Lionel Barrymore (1878 - 1954) and Bessie Love (1898 - 1986), and great directors including D. W. Griffith (1975 - 1948) and William de Mille (1878 - 1955) Cecil's brother.

Perhaps his most famous silent was Beau Geste (1926) starring Ronald Colman (1891 - 1958) and featuring Noah Beery (1882 - 1946) and William Powell (1892 - 1984).

While most of his roles in the early talkies were good roles, and sometimes starring roles, the films were not all top caliber releases. He was in three mysteries with Warner Oland (1879 - 1938), The Studio Murder Mystery, The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (both in 1929) and The Return of Dr. Fu Machu in 1930. Also in 1930 he worked with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1909 - 2000) in The Dawn Patrol.

Hamilton does manage to lead the cast in the first Tarzan film that starred Johnny Weissmuller (1904 - 1984), Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), and he reprises the same role in Tarzan and His Mate (1934).

The 1940s had more films, with only a few famous titles like Father Takes a Wife (1941) starring Adolphe Menjou (1890 - 1963) and Gloria 'I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. de Mille' Swanson (1899 - 1983).

Then in the 1950s, he moves into television. He started as a host on "Hollywood Screen Test" from 1948 to 1953. He made the rounds on many teleplays and all the usual westerns, including "Maverick," "Colt .45," "Tales of Wells Fargo," etc. He also worked in detective shows with spots on "Mike Hammer," "Bourbon Street Beat," "Hawaiian Eye," "Perry Mason," and "77 Sunset Strip." And let's not leave out the comedies, "The Real McCoys," and "Mister Ed." Oh yes, and sci-fi fans saw him in "The Outer Limits."

Then, finally, in 1966 he lands the TV role that really made him famous. He became Commissioner Gordon on "Batman" starring Adam West (b. 1928) and Burt Ward (b. 1945).

Hmmm, Burt Ward...Now there's a Bit Actor to write about! Anyone who would take a role as Mr. Bum in the R rated Beach Babes from Beyond (1993) is worthy of a post!

A Busy Time and Stuff to Not Miss

Firstly, I would like to apologize for less frequently posting to Bit Actors than I would like. The past few weeks have been filled with family stuff and time has been short. I did get my income tax completed this week, so that's out of the way.

My new computer at home has been wonderful so far. I have moved to Windows 7 with a quad-core Intel processor, 16Gb of RAM and a 2Tb hard disk drive. Who would have thought computers would advance this fast. My first computer was a Mac 128 in 1986, with a single floppy drive and no hard drive. And I thought 128Kb of RAM was amazing. I was in Heaven when I bought a second floppy drive.

Here are some reminders of classic film related events in the Philadelphia, PA area. I will be at most of them, so look for me.

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A last reminder that our local Sons of the Desert tent is holding our Spring 2012 Banquet on Friday, April 20, 2012. Our guest for the evening will be Pretty, Perky, Peggy King, the star singer from "The George Gobel Show." Click on the link above or go to the link on the right to find more info on the event, and try to get in if you are in the area. If you do go, please look for me!

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Here is one I just found out about today. On Sunday, April 22, 2012, there will be a lecture with photos and film clips about the Betzwood Studio of Siegmund Lubin. Lubin was the first movie mogul in the USA, and Betzwood was the largest movie studio in the country at the time. It was located across the Schuylkill River from Valley Forge, which wasn't a national park back then.

The lecture in Phoenixville, PA is free and will be given by my friend Joseph Eckhardt of Montgomery County Community College. I am sure there will be info about The Toonerville Trolly for all you fans out there. Click on the flyer below to see a larger copy and get details.

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Prof. Eckhardt will next be hosting the Silent Film Festival at MCCC on May 12, 2012 at 8 p.m. This is a fun evening with very old films from Lubin, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening of his Betzwood Studios. Please buy Prof. Eckhardt's book, The King of the Movies: Film Pioneer Siegmund Lubin and bring it along for an autograph.

The movies will be accompanied on the organ by Don Kinnier who is also worth the trip to Bluebell, PA.

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If you missed Casablanca (1942) on the big screen in March, Turner Classic Films is having an Encore Event. You can see it (or see it again) on April 26, 2012 at a theater near you. Go to this Casablanca Link to get all the info and order your tickets.

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That's about all I have time for today. See you at the movies.

Judy Greer and The Descendants

I finally got to watch The Descendants (2011) this week. It was a Best Picture nominee this year at the Academy Awards so I didn't want to miss it. While it certainly deserved the nomination, I still believe The Artist was a better choice for the honor.

George Clooney (b. 1961) was also nominated for Best Actor in this film. My guess is that, while The Descendants is a very good 'family drama,' it was just not a stand-out film, either in story or innovation. The Artist was.

My pick for Outstanding Bit Actress in this film was Judy Greer (b. 1975). Judy plays the pretty, red-headed wife of the man who was having an affair with Clooney's wife before her accident. As you know, I think Bit Players are much more interesting than stars and Judy has quite a nice career going. Let's take a look.

Judy started out studying Russian ballet, but then turned to acting in college. In just 15 years starting in 1997 she has amassed 80 roles in her filmography, including several recurring parts on television. In 1998 she landed a part in Kissing a Fool starring David Schwimmer (b. 1966).

She has an important role in Jawbreaker (1999) a dark comedy about teenagers starring Rose McGowan (b. 1973). I wonder why none of the teenagers in films like that are actually teenagers. Her first work with George Clooney, also 1999, is in Three Kings, a Gulf War film where she plays a correspondent.

She stars in an independent film called The Big Split in 1999. The next year she is cast with a few big stars in What Planet Are You From, directed by Mike Nichols. What Planet includes a chance to work with Garry Shandling, John Goodman, Ben Kingsley, Annette Bening and Greg Kinnear. Not a bad way to learn acting.

Greer makes a few more movies and is found in a one season sit-com called "Love and Money." She then gets a pivotal role in What Women Want (2000) starring Mel Gibson (b. 1956) and Helen Hunt (b. 1963) playing the file clerk, Erin, who helps Gibson in the movie. Another good film comes along in 2001 when she is in The Wedding Planner, starring Jennifer Lopez (b. 1969) and Matthew McConaughey (b.1969).

Of course you never turn down a change to work with Meryl Streep (b. 1949), so Judy takes a part in the Spike Jonze film called Adaptation. (2002) starring Streep and Nicholas Cage (1964).

In 2004 she had a good year. First she co-stars in 13 Going on 30 with Jennifer Garner (b. 1972) who only has half the titles Judy has in about the same time frame. Then she is in The Village, an M. Night Shyamalan (b. 1970) spooky film with Sigourney Weaver (b. 1949), William Hurt (b. 1950) and Joaquin Phoenix (b. 1974).

Judy gets to work with both Bridges brothers over the years. Beau Bridges (b. 1941) in is The Descendants and Jeff Bridges (b. 1949) works with her in The Amateurs in 2005. That was a movie about making a feature porn film in a small town.

Around this time Judy gets some more regular television work. Look for her in "Arrested Development," "Love Monkey," and "Miss Guided," if you can find them. Her more recent films include Love Happens (2009) when she dyed her hair so she wouldn't look too much like Jennifer Aniston, Barry Munday, Marmaduke, and Love and Other Drugs all in 2010, and The Key Man (2011).

More television after The Descendants keeps her busy and in view of a large audience with regular work in "Mad Love," "Glenn Martin DDS," "Two and a Half Men," and "Archer." She also appeared in a few episodes of "Californication."

I think we will see much more of Judy Greer. She has a career that many movie bloggers would love to live!

Stuart Whitman

The name Stuart Whitman sounds familiar, and the face is familiar, but he was not really a star. Maybe I am connecting with the word Stuart, which could also be Stewart, and then there was James Whitmore, but he isn't Stuart Whitman. Enough babbling....

Our topic today is Stuart Whitman (b. 1929), an actor with 185 titles listed on IMDb. Anyone who played on "Fantasy Island" seven times must have had a good career as a Bit Actor.

Stuart began acting in college and spent some time on stage. His first film was When Worlds Collide (1951) a sci-fi melodrama starring Richard Derr (1918 - 1992). Science Fiction had to start somewhere and this was a prime example of an early attempt at adding some science to the more or less fantasy films that preceded it. Alas, he was uncredited in the film as a 'man by bank during riot instigation.'

His next film was much better, but his part wasn't. He was a sentry in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), the classic sci-fi film starring Michael Rennie (1909 - 1971). It is still one of the best films ever made, but you will be hard pressed to find Whitman in it. There were a lot of sentries.

In the early 1950s Whitman begins working in TV as well as films. There are no real highlights in his career, but I will try to find some!

He played Sergeant Walters on "Highway Patrol" starring Broderick Crawford (1911 - 1986). How's that for a highlight? A small, uncredited role in Bombers B52 (1957) and a slightly better role in Darby's Rangers (1958).

By 1959 or so he was seeing much better roles, though not much better films. In 1960 he starred in The Story of Ruth, with Elana Eden (b. 1940) in the title role. Eden only made four films. He also starred in Murder Inc (1960) and played second fiddle to John Wayne in The Comancheros (1961). You may be able to find him in The Longest Day (1962) if you look for Lt. Sheen, and he co-starred with Richard Boone (1917 - 1981) in the western Rio Conchos in 1964.

His own TV series came in 1967. It was called "Cimarron Strip" and it only lasted one season. He continues to work, but his star is dimming by this point.

He stars in Night of the Lepus (1972), a movie about mutant rabbits terrorizing a town. Not a big hit. And a lot more TV work and lesser movies continue to make some income for Stuart. He makes his way to "Fantasy Island" in the late 1970s, and in the late 1980s and early 1990s he appears on "Murder, She Wrote," "Knots Landing," and "The Adventures of Superboy."

Stuart Whitman's final appearance was in a TV movie called "The President's Man" (2000) starring Chuck Norris. Whitman's career may not have been stellar, but he did well, and apparently invested his money wisely. As with most Bit Actors, he did a lot for the movies he did not star in, bringing color and background to the story. Another true, Bit Actor.

Bill Cobbs...Who?

Here's another name you may not know. But he is a talented, hard working Bit Actor. Bill Cobbs (b. 1934) has almost 150 titles on his list on IMDb. And the variety of movies was a surprise to me as I looked through the list.

After beginning his acting career in the theater, his first film was The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). That was the good one. He played a man on the platform, but it was a start. He plays small parts for years, and shows up as a bartender in Trading Places (1983) with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. The same year he is a man in the lunchroom in Meryl Streep's Silkwood.

Also in the 1980s he is in The Cotton Club (1984) and The Color of Money (1986). Both good titles, along with a sleeper, Suspect (1987), a courtroom drama starring Cher. Suspect was a surprisingly good film.

There is a good bit of television work interspersed with Cobb's movies. He does get his own series in 1989's "Homeroom" but it only lasts one season. In fact, every regular TV role for him was on single season shows. Most of his TV work consist of Bit Parts, but he also gets some meaty roles, such as "Decoration Day" a Hallmark production starring James Garner.

Cobb is close to 60 years old in the 1990s, and he starts doing action films! New Jack City (1991) and Demolition Man (1993). He plays 'old man' in both, but he was still younger than I am now! His aging brings him even more charisma. He is totally believable as a jazz musician in Tom Hanks' film That Thing You Do (1996), which was still just a Bit Part.

In the late 1990s he appears in Hope Floats (1998), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) and a story about a talking parrot called Paulie (1998). Some good, some not so good. It is curious that his talent didn't land him better movies over the course of his career, but we see him in films called Ed (1996), Sunshine State (2002), A Mighty Wind (2003), Special Ed, The Final Patient and Duck in 2005, and none had much in the way of stars. He even gets top billing in The Derby Stallion (2005), but it was not much good.

You may remember him as a guard in Night at the Museum (2006), but do you remember Three Days to Vegas the next year, or The Morgue in 2008? He is also in a touching story in 2006 called The Ultimate Gift. It shows off Cobbs' acting talent as he plays a corporate lawyer to James Garner.

In Cobbs' latest release, The Muppets (2011) he plays the grandfather. That's a role he can certainly warm up to in a film that received some recognition. It is nice that every photo you see of Bill Cobbs shows his big smile indicating satisfaction with a great career.

In my opinion, Cobbs is right up there with Ossie Davis and Morgan Freeman in the talent department. It is a shame that he has only one film award to his name. He won the Best Actor award at the Trenton Film Festival in 2006 for The Final Patient.

Upcoming Stuff!

Lots of great events are coming up this spring in the Southeast Pennsylvania area. Here is a quick look at some, and also additional thoughts for the day.

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2012 is the 70th anniversary of the release of Casablanca (1942), one of the greatest films ever made, and THE greatest romance film. Turner Classic Films has put together a screening of Casablanca at theaters around the country to celebrate the event. There will be one (sometimes two) showings on March 21, 2012 at a theater near you, but only on that date.

Robert Osborne will present a behind the scenes look at the film, which promises to be well worth seeing. This is your chance to see Casablanca on the big screen. More info can be found here and you can also pre-order tickets at that link. I already have mine! I hope Victor Laszlo and his wife Ilsa make it to Lisbon this time.

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The Two Tars Tent of the Sons of the Desert will hold their next banquet on Friday, April 20, 2012. We will have as our guest Pretty, Perky Peggy King, which is what George Gobel used to call her.  Peggy was a singing star on Gobel's TV show, and also appeared in such great films as Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) and Zero Hour (1957).

George Gobel and Peggy King

Two Tars banquets are held at The Cannstatter Club in Northeast Philadelphia, and event details can be found at the Two Tars Oasis 14 web site. The food is great, the entertainment is fun, and the bar is close by.

Peggy will talk about her career and maybe sing a few songs for us. She has some stories about her friends, Liberace, George Gobel, and Abbott and Costello to share.

We will also be showing Blotto (1930), one of the funniest Laurel and Hardy shorts ever made. Blotto also features Anita Garvin as Stan's wife. This event is an intimate gathering of movie buffs, not fans, and a great opportunity to learn about the movies, while having a good time.

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Then, on May 12, 2012, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Betzwood Studio and ranch of silent movie mogul Siegmund Lubin. Come to Montgomery County Community College in Bluebell, PA for the Betzwood Silent Film Festival. The Betzwood Ranch was the largest movie studio in the country in 1912. Lubin created some great westerns and other movies here, and the story of his rise and decline is interesting to any film buff.

Betzwood Glass Studio c. 1915

A few years ago, Betzwood was featured on the PBS program, "History Detectives," to find info about some photos of the studio. The show is available on the PBS web site, and offers some great background on Lubin and Betzwood if you want to attend the festival. Click this link to go to that show.

Professor Joseph Eckhardt is the driving force behind the festival and will introduce the films. Talented organist Don Kinnier is amazing as he accompanies the films. And once again, the theater at the college allows an intimate experience where you can approach Prof. Eckhardt and Mr. Kinnier for a chat.

The Betzwood Studio was sold by Lubin in 1917 and later produced the Toonerville Trolley series before closing forever in 1923.

The Toonerville Trolley

The Philadelphia area was not only the starting point for the USA, but also one of the starting points for the movie industry. If you are interested in this kind of history, I suggest you look for Prof. Eckhardt's book, King of the Movies: Film Pioneer Siegmund Lubin. And bring it to the festival for an autograph!

I'll be at all three events. Look for me at a table near Sam, the pianist. I'll be drinking a Cointreau.