I was thinking about how big the cast has become on most newer movies, after looking at the cast of National Treasure and Sleepless in Seattle. I went back to 1963 and looked at Lilies of the Field with Sidney Poitier and Lilia Skala. What an incredibly good movie, and the cast only includes nine people. It won an Oscar for best actor and had four other nominations. It was even filmed in black and white. Sometimes simplicity is better, and probably a lot less expensive. The entire filming only took two weeks.
An uncredited bit part went to Ralph Nelson as the construction company owner, Mr. Ashton. He owned more than the construction company...he directed the picture!
The priest was played by Dan Frazer who you will recognize instantly in so many TV and movie roles. Most notably as Capt. Frank McNeil on "Kojak." I can still hear Telly Savalas yelling, "Oh c'mon, Frank!" He was also in Deconstructing Harry (1997) with Woody Allen. Now in his eighties, he appears to be still acting as of 2009.
Of course, everybody loved Juan the short order cook. Juan was played by Stanley Adams who has 189 roles to his credit on IMBD. Stanley played in all of my favorite TV shows as a guest star. He was in "Cheyenne," "Maverick," "Peter Gunn," "The Rifleman," "Have Gun Will Travel," "The Red Skelton Show," "Bonanza," "The Addams Family," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Gunsmoke," and the most popular episode on the original "Star Trek" series, "The Trouble with Tribbles," where he played Cyrano Jones. I told you I watched a lot of TV!
Adams played Rusty Trawler in Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn. I thought that was a good movie, but a lot is missing from the short story. He also appeared in "Death of a Salesman" on TV with Lee J. Cobb.
It is funny that the four nuns never amounted to much in their acting careers. Three of them only had 3 or 4 roles, and Francesca Jarvis had about 20. Only Mother Maria, played by Lilia Scala, had a successful acting life.
When a simple movie like this can be so inspiring and enjoyable, I sometimes wonder if we have lost the ability to make them like this. Maybe there is too much reliance on computers now. But then again, blockbusters like Avatar and the Star Wars series will always be hits.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
A Rom Com!
I know, just the other day I said that bit part actors were few and far between in romantic movies. Then I watched Sleepless in Seattle again. Maybe I was wrong.
Of course, I love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Put them together and they really click. I believe they were in three films together, Joe vs. the Volcano, Sleepless and You've Got Mail. Joe wasn't great but the other two were, and I think Sleepless in Seattle is destined to become a classic.
Who else was in it? Rob Reiner had a relatively small role as one of Tom Hanks' friends. I would consider it a bit part, but of course, Reiner is no bit actor. He divides his time between acting, writing, producing and directing. I wonder how he keeps track of what he is doing in each project?
The two young stars in the film are interesting to watch as they develop. Jonah was played by Ross Malinger and Jessica was Gaby Hoffman. It is usually very hard to break out of child acting roles, and many have failed, becoming depressed later in life. I hate seeing some very good young entertainers wreck their lives by resorting to an alternative, or even destructive lifestyle in an effort to get some publicity.
Hoffman's career was off to a good start with Field of Dreams starring Kevin Kostner when she was seven. She made Sleepless when she was eleven, and later was in Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones at the age of fifteen. She worked with a lot of great stars and I wish her well.
Malinger was nine when he made Sleepless and since then has spent most of his time on TV and doing voice overs for animation.
An interesting portrayal of a babysitter was presented by Amanda Maher as Clarise. She had maybe two words in the film and looked pretty spaced out every time you see her. Her part was so obvious and noticeable, that I had to look her up. This was her only film. I wonder why?
Of course, I love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Put them together and they really click. I believe they were in three films together, Joe vs. the Volcano, Sleepless and You've Got Mail. Joe wasn't great but the other two were, and I think Sleepless in Seattle is destined to become a classic.
Who else was in it? Rob Reiner had a relatively small role as one of Tom Hanks' friends. I would consider it a bit part, but of course, Reiner is no bit actor. He divides his time between acting, writing, producing and directing. I wonder how he keeps track of what he is doing in each project?
The two young stars in the film are interesting to watch as they develop. Jonah was played by Ross Malinger and Jessica was Gaby Hoffman. It is usually very hard to break out of child acting roles, and many have failed, becoming depressed later in life. I hate seeing some very good young entertainers wreck their lives by resorting to an alternative, or even destructive lifestyle in an effort to get some publicity.
Hoffman's career was off to a good start with Field of Dreams starring Kevin Kostner when she was seven. She made Sleepless when she was eleven, and later was in Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones at the age of fifteen. She worked with a lot of great stars and I wish her well.
Malinger was nine when he made Sleepless and since then has spent most of his time on TV and doing voice overs for animation.
An interesting portrayal of a babysitter was presented by Amanda Maher as Clarise. She had maybe two words in the film and looked pretty spaced out every time you see her. Her part was so obvious and noticeable, that I had to look her up. This was her only film. I wonder why?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
National Treasure
From 2004, National Treasure with Nicholas Cage is a fun movie that was filmed partially in Philadelphia. I am intimately familiar with all the streets used in the movie, and I have spent a lot of time in the historic area of Independence National Historical Park. It always makes a movie more fun if you've been to the location.
Of course, that also opens up to scrutiny the artistic license taken by the film makers. After Cage and his troupe are sighted by the bad guys at Independence Hall, they split up and run. Two of them, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha, run west and almost instantly enter the Reading Terminal Market from 12th St. That is actually a distance of eight city blocks, through heavy traffic and a lot of street lights. Then, all of a sudden, they are another six blocks away, running north on Broad St. toward City Hall. I still love the movie!
The full cast is interesting, probably because most big budget films can afford an interesting cast. I saw Tony Luke, Jr listed as a sweeper in the strip club. I must not be paying attention...I not only missed Tony, I missed the strip club. I'll have to watch it again. Anyway, Tony is the owner of Tony Lukes restaurant, a fixture in South Philly and one of the best places to get a cheese steak in the city. I guess he also likes acting because he has been in 16 films and is working on 17.
A surprise was seeing Christopher Plummer listed as John Adams Gates, appearing in the beginning of the film. It was a small role, but his voice played a big part in setting the mood of the film. He is amazing. He has had 180 roles in 57 years, playing everything from The Sound of Music to becoming a Klingon in two Star Trek movies. He will take any role, and always do well.
Here's a list of movies. What do they have in common?
Days of Thunder
Con Air
Enemy of the State
Gone in Sixty Seconds
Coyote Ugly
National Treasure
You are right! All of them include Alexandra Balahoutis in the cast. She has been in eight films total, so six of them were very good movies with great stars. Way to pick scripts, Alexandra! BTW, in National Treasure she played the clothing store clerk where Cage and Kruger bought new clothes in Philly. Good luck in your acting career, Alex.
Of course, that also opens up to scrutiny the artistic license taken by the film makers. After Cage and his troupe are sighted by the bad guys at Independence Hall, they split up and run. Two of them, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha, run west and almost instantly enter the Reading Terminal Market from 12th St. That is actually a distance of eight city blocks, through heavy traffic and a lot of street lights. Then, all of a sudden, they are another six blocks away, running north on Broad St. toward City Hall. I still love the movie!
The full cast is interesting, probably because most big budget films can afford an interesting cast. I saw Tony Luke, Jr listed as a sweeper in the strip club. I must not be paying attention...I not only missed Tony, I missed the strip club. I'll have to watch it again. Anyway, Tony is the owner of Tony Lukes restaurant, a fixture in South Philly and one of the best places to get a cheese steak in the city. I guess he also likes acting because he has been in 16 films and is working on 17.
A surprise was seeing Christopher Plummer listed as John Adams Gates, appearing in the beginning of the film. It was a small role, but his voice played a big part in setting the mood of the film. He is amazing. He has had 180 roles in 57 years, playing everything from The Sound of Music to becoming a Klingon in two Star Trek movies. He will take any role, and always do well.
Here's a list of movies. What do they have in common?
Days of Thunder
Con Air
Enemy of the State
Gone in Sixty Seconds
Coyote Ugly
National Treasure
You are right! All of them include Alexandra Balahoutis in the cast. She has been in eight films total, so six of them were very good movies with great stars. Way to pick scripts, Alexandra! BTW, in National Treasure she played the clothing store clerk where Cage and Kruger bought new clothes in Philly. Good luck in your acting career, Alex.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Questions Without Answers
The experience of writing about bit actors, or actors, or movies in general, brings some questions to mind. Who is your favorite bit part actor or actress? You might as well ask a car nut what is your favorite car, or a movie buff what is your favorite movie. Too many choices are blowin' in the wind.
I suppose it depends a lot on the mood you are in. Sometimes I just want to see a great western. It may be easy to pick a great western bit part actor, like Yakima Canutt, but wait...what about the era? Let's say you are in the mood for Dances with Wolves. Yakima was gone by then, but you may like Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who played Smiles A Lot in that movie. A young Native American, just starting out in acting. I thought his part in Dances added a lot to our sympathy for the natives who were ultimately going to be forced out of their homeland. It could be a good subject for a blog, just talking about Native American actors.
It is more difficult to find a favorite bit actor in the context of silent films. The reality is, other than the few real standout stars, most of the people involved in front of the camera in silent films were bit actors. They moved from set to set making several movies every week. I may say they are all my favorites!
War films fall into the same category as westerns. A good detective movie from the 1930's or 1940's, they would be ripe with candidates for a great bit actor. Think of The Maltese Falcon and all the small parts populated with actors like William Hopper (134 acting credits), Charles Drake (137 roles), Creighton Hale (284!), and even Walter Huston had a bit part that was uncredited.
The pickings may be smaller in romantic films because they tend to focus on the lead characters. Comedies may be tough, especially the big ones with Bob Hope or Jerry Lewis. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World had almost every bit comic actor that was alive at the time. Stan Laurel was alive but not in the film, although he was asked. After Ollie died, he said he wouldn't work with anyone else.
Then there are the big musicals. Warner Brothers and Busby Berkeley hired hundreds for each film. MGM made The Wizard of Oz with hundreds of short people. I met Meinhardt Raabe once. He played the coroner in Wizard. A nice fellow and very appreciative of his fame from such a small part with no screen credit. According to IMDB, Wizard was his only screen credit. He worked for Oscar Mayer for 30 years, though. He just passed away in April.
That should get you thinking. Watch something good tonight and see who makes an impression on you. Try to stay away from old black and white TV shows. Too much bit part fodder to think about!
I suppose it depends a lot on the mood you are in. Sometimes I just want to see a great western. It may be easy to pick a great western bit part actor, like Yakima Canutt, but wait...what about the era? Let's say you are in the mood for Dances with Wolves. Yakima was gone by then, but you may like Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who played Smiles A Lot in that movie. A young Native American, just starting out in acting. I thought his part in Dances added a lot to our sympathy for the natives who were ultimately going to be forced out of their homeland. It could be a good subject for a blog, just talking about Native American actors.
It is more difficult to find a favorite bit actor in the context of silent films. The reality is, other than the few real standout stars, most of the people involved in front of the camera in silent films were bit actors. They moved from set to set making several movies every week. I may say they are all my favorites!
War films fall into the same category as westerns. A good detective movie from the 1930's or 1940's, they would be ripe with candidates for a great bit actor. Think of The Maltese Falcon and all the small parts populated with actors like William Hopper (134 acting credits), Charles Drake (137 roles), Creighton Hale (284!), and even Walter Huston had a bit part that was uncredited.
The pickings may be smaller in romantic films because they tend to focus on the lead characters. Comedies may be tough, especially the big ones with Bob Hope or Jerry Lewis. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World had almost every bit comic actor that was alive at the time. Stan Laurel was alive but not in the film, although he was asked. After Ollie died, he said he wouldn't work with anyone else.
Then there are the big musicals. Warner Brothers and Busby Berkeley hired hundreds for each film. MGM made The Wizard of Oz with hundreds of short people. I met Meinhardt Raabe once. He played the coroner in Wizard. A nice fellow and very appreciative of his fame from such a small part with no screen credit. According to IMDB, Wizard was his only screen credit. He worked for Oscar Mayer for 30 years, though. He just passed away in April.
That should get you thinking. Watch something good tonight and see who makes an impression on you. Try to stay away from old black and white TV shows. Too much bit part fodder to think about!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
20,000 Leagues
I found the 1954 classic Disney film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on-demand last weekend, so I started watching it. I have seen it several times in my youth, but not recently, and even this time I didn't quite finish it. I remember the display at Walt Disney World where they have one of the Nautilus models used to make the movie.
A quick look at IMDB reveals there were three silent versions of the story. They were released in 1905, 1907 (by Georges Melies), and 1916. I haven't seen any of them, but the 1915 release apparently had underwater photography that was groundbreaking. I will have to look for that one.
Back to 1954. The ticket agent shown in the beginning of 20K was played by Harry Harvey. He is credited with 417 roles on the IMDB web site, starting with the Tom Mix Destry Rides Again in 1932. How do I always keep coming back to Destry?!?
Harvey was in Gold Diggers of 1937 with Dick Powell, the 1939 Blondie Takes a Vacation with my friend Penny Singleton, a whole bunch of B westerns, 1942 The Pride of the Yankees, 1942 A Night to Remember (but a different Night to Remember than the 1958 Night to Remember that we talked about a few days ago), a small part in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Danny Kaye in 1947, more B westerns, he was June Alyson's doctor in The Glenn Miller Story, and of course, the list is practically endless.
The sign of a great bit actor is to remain a viable commodity for small parts. If you become too famous, you may have a difficult time getting parts because you will be recognized.
Harvey lived from 1901 to 1985 and he was still doing TV parts in the 1970s on "Mannix," "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," "Ironside," and "Adam-12." He appeared in the 1970 hit film Airport as a passenger.
I thought I would have trouble finding well exposed bit actors in a Disney film. Disney keeps stars on contract so they don't have the opportunity to do much work elsewhere. It seems like Harry Harvey filled the bill!
A quick look at IMDB reveals there were three silent versions of the story. They were released in 1905, 1907 (by Georges Melies), and 1916. I haven't seen any of them, but the 1915 release apparently had underwater photography that was groundbreaking. I will have to look for that one.
Back to 1954. The ticket agent shown in the beginning of 20K was played by Harry Harvey. He is credited with 417 roles on the IMDB web site, starting with the Tom Mix Destry Rides Again in 1932. How do I always keep coming back to Destry?!?
Harvey was in Gold Diggers of 1937 with Dick Powell, the 1939 Blondie Takes a Vacation with my friend Penny Singleton, a whole bunch of B westerns, 1942 The Pride of the Yankees, 1942 A Night to Remember (but a different Night to Remember than the 1958 Night to Remember that we talked about a few days ago), a small part in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Danny Kaye in 1947, more B westerns, he was June Alyson's doctor in The Glenn Miller Story, and of course, the list is practically endless.
The sign of a great bit actor is to remain a viable commodity for small parts. If you become too famous, you may have a difficult time getting parts because you will be recognized.
Harvey lived from 1901 to 1985 and he was still doing TV parts in the 1970s on "Mannix," "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," "Ironside," and "Adam-12." He appeared in the 1970 hit film Airport as a passenger.
I thought I would have trouble finding well exposed bit actors in a Disney film. Disney keeps stars on contract so they don't have the opportunity to do much work elsewhere. It seems like Harry Harvey filled the bill!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Judy Holliday
A few months ago we rented Born Yesterday (1950) from Netflix. This was Judy Holliday's first leading role in a movie, and she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. I had never seen the film before, so it was a treat.
Broderick Crawford plays Harry Brock. I loved him in "Highway Patrol" on TV, but it was easy to hate him in this film for his treatment of Holliday's character, Billie Dawn. At the same time, he was able to evoke pity in the audience because he was so pathetically inept at being human.
Holliday truly deserved the Oscar for this performance. She was happy in her role as Crawford's girl until he hired William Holden to give her some lessons in how to be more refined. One of Crawford's lines is, "Shut up! You ain't gonna be tellin' nobody nothin' pretty soon!" ...and he wants to teach Billie how to be refined? How would he know?
She does become more educated during the course of the movie, and that would be good enough, but she brings so much more to the screen. Every look and every action is brilliant. Watch her playing gin. The cards do magic things in her hands. I couldn't concentrate on the game with her dealing.
I looked over the rest of the cast from Born, and there aren't many names that stand out. Of interest is Larry Oliver who played Congressman Norval Hedges, the one Brock is trying to bribe. Oliver only had one other acting role listed at IMDB, and that was the TV version of the same story on "Hallmark Hall of Fame," playing Senator Norval Hedges. His real career was on Broadway where he was in, you guessed it, "Born Yesterday" among other roles.
What a shame that Judy didn't live long enough to make more films. She was only in 13, as I count on IMDB, plus a few appearances on TV. I was too young to catch her on Broadway. Her finest roles, Born Yesterday and Bells are Ringing were both from plays in which she starred.
Judy was also wonderful in Adams Rib, with Tracy and Hepburn, but that was their film, not hers. That role may have been helpful in getting her into Born Yesterday.
I have Bells are Ringing at home right now, from Netflix. I saw the film when it was released in 1960 at Radio City Music Hall in NY. That is the way to premier a film! I was only ten years old, but I remember the day.
My wife hasn't seen it yet, so after we screen it, I will add comments in another blog. So many movies, so little time!
Broderick Crawford plays Harry Brock. I loved him in "Highway Patrol" on TV, but it was easy to hate him in this film for his treatment of Holliday's character, Billie Dawn. At the same time, he was able to evoke pity in the audience because he was so pathetically inept at being human.
Holliday truly deserved the Oscar for this performance. She was happy in her role as Crawford's girl until he hired William Holden to give her some lessons in how to be more refined. One of Crawford's lines is, "Shut up! You ain't gonna be tellin' nobody nothin' pretty soon!" ...and he wants to teach Billie how to be refined? How would he know?
She does become more educated during the course of the movie, and that would be good enough, but she brings so much more to the screen. Every look and every action is brilliant. Watch her playing gin. The cards do magic things in her hands. I couldn't concentrate on the game with her dealing.
I looked over the rest of the cast from Born, and there aren't many names that stand out. Of interest is Larry Oliver who played Congressman Norval Hedges, the one Brock is trying to bribe. Oliver only had one other acting role listed at IMDB, and that was the TV version of the same story on "Hallmark Hall of Fame," playing Senator Norval Hedges. His real career was on Broadway where he was in, you guessed it, "Born Yesterday" among other roles.
What a shame that Judy didn't live long enough to make more films. She was only in 13, as I count on IMDB, plus a few appearances on TV. I was too young to catch her on Broadway. Her finest roles, Born Yesterday and Bells are Ringing were both from plays in which she starred.
Judy was also wonderful in Adams Rib, with Tracy and Hepburn, but that was their film, not hers. That role may have been helpful in getting her into Born Yesterday.
I have Bells are Ringing at home right now, from Netflix. I saw the film when it was released in 1960 at Radio City Music Hall in NY. That is the way to premier a film! I was only ten years old, but I remember the day.
My wife hasn't seen it yet, so after we screen it, I will add comments in another blog. So many movies, so little time!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
My Name is Bond
It's Sunday. We visited my son and his family this morning, and now I am sitting here with License to Kill (1989) on the TV. I think, next to Moonraker from 1979, this is the worst of the Bond films. Timothy Dalton isn't a bad actor in the right role, but for some reason in this film (License), he overacts in his zeal to avenge the attack on his American friend Felix Leiter. Even James Bond shouldn't overact.
Dalton played King Phillip of France in the 1969 film The Lion in Winter, which was an outstanding movie that won three Oscars. License to Kill, no Oscars, but it was nominated for one Edgar Allen Poe award...whatever that is.
I haven't seen any bit acting roles in License that stand out. The small parts are mostly thugs that get shot, or blown up, or drown, or fall out of airplanes, or beat up in a bar, or...you get the picture. You may consider the part played so well by Desmond Llewelyn as Q to be rather small, so he gets my vote for best bit actor in this one.
Desmond was born in 1914 and appeared in 83 roles in film and TV starting out as a headless coachman! His first Bond film was 1963's From Russia with Love, which was the second Bond film. In that film he wasn't called Q, he played Boothroyd, and that was the name used before they started calling him Q. Llewelyn as Q shows up in the next Bond flick, Goldfinger from 1964, when they started using the initial from the Quartermaster Branch that supplies Bond with all the goodies.
Llewelyn continued playing Q in 17 films (including Moonraker) until The World is Not Enough in 1999, the year he died.
He had a small part in the 1958 movie about the Titanic called A Night to Remember. Honor Blackman was also in that film, before she became Pussy Galore in Goldfinger.
He played a senator in Cleopatra in 1963 with Elizabeth Taylor. It is interesting that he was in these films but managed to stay pretty much invisible, then he got the break and was cast in the Bond series, and the rest is history.
I once tried to make a list of all the Bond films so I could start a collection, but it seemed to get away from me. I finally decided to only buy the best ones, but that was after I bought License to Kill on VHS. It won't be replaced on disc.
The tanker truck scene is now on TV, getting ready to lose control down the mountain. My favorite part is when the air brake line gets cut and the truck speeds up! When you lose air pressure in truck brakes, the brakes lock and stop the truck. Don't special effects people know that?
Dalton played King Phillip of France in the 1969 film The Lion in Winter, which was an outstanding movie that won three Oscars. License to Kill, no Oscars, but it was nominated for one Edgar Allen Poe award...whatever that is.
I haven't seen any bit acting roles in License that stand out. The small parts are mostly thugs that get shot, or blown up, or drown, or fall out of airplanes, or beat up in a bar, or...you get the picture. You may consider the part played so well by Desmond Llewelyn as Q to be rather small, so he gets my vote for best bit actor in this one.
Desmond was born in 1914 and appeared in 83 roles in film and TV starting out as a headless coachman! His first Bond film was 1963's From Russia with Love, which was the second Bond film. In that film he wasn't called Q, he played Boothroyd, and that was the name used before they started calling him Q. Llewelyn as Q shows up in the next Bond flick, Goldfinger from 1964, when they started using the initial from the Quartermaster Branch that supplies Bond with all the goodies.
Llewelyn continued playing Q in 17 films (including Moonraker) until The World is Not Enough in 1999, the year he died.
He had a small part in the 1958 movie about the Titanic called A Night to Remember. Honor Blackman was also in that film, before she became Pussy Galore in Goldfinger.
He played a senator in Cleopatra in 1963 with Elizabeth Taylor. It is interesting that he was in these films but managed to stay pretty much invisible, then he got the break and was cast in the Bond series, and the rest is history.
I once tried to make a list of all the Bond films so I could start a collection, but it seemed to get away from me. I finally decided to only buy the best ones, but that was after I bought License to Kill on VHS. It won't be replaced on disc.
The tanker truck scene is now on TV, getting ready to lose control down the mountain. My favorite part is when the air brake line gets cut and the truck speeds up! When you lose air pressure in truck brakes, the brakes lock and stop the truck. Don't special effects people know that?
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Last Holiday
Two movies...The Last Holiday - 1950 and 2006. 1950 starring Alec Guinness and 2006 starring Queen Latifah. I have both films on DVD and they both have their good points. The newer version has a happy ending, which is fine if you are in the mood.
The 1950 version has a screenplay by J. B. Priestley. The ending is dark...you will not see it coming...and if you haven't seen the film, I will not spoil it for you. It is certainly a film worth looking for.
The story is about a common working man, George Bird played by Guinness, who is diagnosed with a fatal disease and, having no family, how he spends his life savings on a last holiday fling. George is a farm implement salesman when he goes to the doctor for a checkup and hears the bad news. The acting is superb and I consider this one of the great classic British films. Think of Basil Rathbone quality.
Once again we see that movies are held together by the small parts adding character to the overall mood of the film. Of course, Guinness is wonderful in the lead, but look at the rest of the cast.
Bernard Lee, who later starred in many James Bond films; Wilfred Hyde-White, from My Fair Lady and too many other films (156 total) to list; and David McCallum's father as the "blind" fiddler, who in real life was the concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Even the names you don't recognize had outstanding parts. Muriel George (61 acting roles) as Lady Oswington, and her maid-servant Miss Fox played by Esma Cannon (73 roles). Small parts but what atmosphere they bring! They help to clarify what the others are thinking about why George is at the resort.
Sid James plays another regular guy at the posh resort where George is staying, so they hit it off right away. James was in the "Carry On" series of British comedies. I counted 36 Carry Ons, in his 143 roles from 1947 to 1976, the year he died.
Lastly let's mention Ernest Thesiger as Sir Travor Lampington, the doctor who named the deadly disease George has. Born in 1879, he started acting in 1916. Thesiger played Dr. Pretorius in The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935. He made The Last Holiday when he was 71 years old, then went on to make another 29 films until 1961.
The legacy collection of Frankenstein films pictured at left is in my film library and is a great bargain. It includes LOADS of extra materials.
Classic British films are wonderful to watch because of the all important bit parts and the great actors who bring them life.
The 1950 version has a screenplay by J. B. Priestley. The ending is dark...you will not see it coming...and if you haven't seen the film, I will not spoil it for you. It is certainly a film worth looking for.
The story is about a common working man, George Bird played by Guinness, who is diagnosed with a fatal disease and, having no family, how he spends his life savings on a last holiday fling. George is a farm implement salesman when he goes to the doctor for a checkup and hears the bad news. The acting is superb and I consider this one of the great classic British films. Think of Basil Rathbone quality.
Once again we see that movies are held together by the small parts adding character to the overall mood of the film. Of course, Guinness is wonderful in the lead, but look at the rest of the cast.
Bernard Lee, who later starred in many James Bond films; Wilfred Hyde-White, from My Fair Lady and too many other films (156 total) to list; and David McCallum's father as the "blind" fiddler, who in real life was the concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Even the names you don't recognize had outstanding parts. Muriel George (61 acting roles) as Lady Oswington, and her maid-servant Miss Fox played by Esma Cannon (73 roles). Small parts but what atmosphere they bring! They help to clarify what the others are thinking about why George is at the resort.
Sid James plays another regular guy at the posh resort where George is staying, so they hit it off right away. James was in the "Carry On" series of British comedies. I counted 36 Carry Ons, in his 143 roles from 1947 to 1976, the year he died.
Lastly let's mention Ernest Thesiger as Sir Travor Lampington, the doctor who named the deadly disease George has. Born in 1879, he started acting in 1916. Thesiger played Dr. Pretorius in The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935. He made The Last Holiday when he was 71 years old, then went on to make another 29 films until 1961.
The legacy collection of Frankenstein films pictured at left is in my film library and is a great bargain. It includes LOADS of extra materials.
Classic British films are wonderful to watch because of the all important bit parts and the great actors who bring them life.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Kathleen Freeman
Yes, Kathleen Freeman (1919 - 2001). She had 274 appearances from 1948 through 2002, of course her last few parts must have been released after her death. Here was an actress you would recognize instantly because she was in everything! When I wasn't at the Keswick Theatre, I grew up in front of a TV, so many of the actors I am writing about were always there.
Ms. Freeman had a larger-than-life voice. She was rather large, too. I was looking over the cast of the James Garner film, Support your Local Sheriff from 1969, looking for a likely candidate for a posting here, and I knew instantly she would be the one. It was a small role, but in that off-beat western, she fit in perfectly as the neighbor who couldn't help laughing at the female lead, Joan Hackett.
You may remember seeing her in Singin' in the Rain (1952) as the grammar coach for Lena LaMont. She was in ten episodes of "Topper" on TV in 1954 (a show I always watched, even though I was only four). It's been quite a while since I've seen the 1958 Vincent Price film, The Fly, but she was in it.
How about Hook, Line and Sinker from 1969, Which Way to the Front? from 1970, or another ELEVEN movies with Jerry Lewis? All these roles call for a character actress, and she fit them perfectly. You had to be good to be on six episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies."
Maybe we should stay away from the bombs she was in. I won't mention the 1953 movie, The Magnetic Monster with Richard Carlson. I was never much of a fan of Carlson. He put the "B" in B-movies, although Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) wasn't bad.
So go out and pick up The Blues Brothers (1980) and watch for Kathleen Freeman as Sister Mary Stigmata. She was a treasure.
Ms. Freeman had a larger-than-life voice. She was rather large, too. I was looking over the cast of the James Garner film, Support your Local Sheriff from 1969, looking for a likely candidate for a posting here, and I knew instantly she would be the one. It was a small role, but in that off-beat western, she fit in perfectly as the neighbor who couldn't help laughing at the female lead, Joan Hackett.
You may remember seeing her in Singin' in the Rain (1952) as the grammar coach for Lena LaMont. She was in ten episodes of "Topper" on TV in 1954 (a show I always watched, even though I was only four). It's been quite a while since I've seen the 1958 Vincent Price film, The Fly, but she was in it.
How about Hook, Line and Sinker from 1969, Which Way to the Front? from 1970, or another ELEVEN movies with Jerry Lewis? All these roles call for a character actress, and she fit them perfectly. You had to be good to be on six episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies."
Maybe we should stay away from the bombs she was in. I won't mention the 1953 movie, The Magnetic Monster with Richard Carlson. I was never much of a fan of Carlson. He put the "B" in B-movies, although Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) wasn't bad.
So go out and pick up The Blues Brothers (1980) and watch for Kathleen Freeman as Sister Mary Stigmata. She was a treasure.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Cars and Movies
Well, this is a little later than I usually post. I had to fix the car this morning. It is well into the 80's today, so I was a bit tired after that. It's all fixed so now it will pass inspection. Maybe we should talk about car movies?
The Fast and the Furious, Gone in Sixty Seconds, how about any James Bond film? I just heard that one of the four original Aston Martin DB5s used in the first Bond films is going up for sale at auction in London. The owner paid $12,000 for it a while ago and it is expected to sell for $5 million! Who said not to invest in cars?
Of course, to anyone interested in British cars, The Italian Job (from 1969, not 2003) is one of the best choices, simply because of how it celebrated the Mini. That's the tiny car you usually see in the circus, and a hundred clowns climb out! (I guess Italian circuses use Fiats.) The later version of that movie used the new MINI by BMW, but that one is way too big for Brit car purists.
The best car chase ever filmed is found in Bullitt (1968) starring Steve McQueen. McQueen usually did his own stunt driving. He also drove his motorcycle in The Great Escape, when his stunt driver couldn't do a jump as well as McQueen himself.
Paul Newman was also an incredible driver. Paul was a member of the Sports Car Club of America and he would compete in races frequently. Joanne Woodward would come with him sometimes and just sit in the stands and watch. They were apparently just like regular folk at the races, but I never had a chance to meet them. I was told that Paul would be great to talk to, as long as you treated him like one of the guys. As soon as you started to push him about his movies, he would shut down! I can't blame him for having that attitude. It must be difficult to be so famous. He had a chance to do something normal where he could be accepted as a racer, so he did.
If you get the chance to see Grand Prix (1966) with James Garner, it is worth the time, as long as you are a car nut. The racing is superb. When it was restored, it was shown on the American Movie Classics channel without commercials, and with commentary from Garner. If that is available on a DVD special edition, it would be worth owning. Again, IF you are a car nut! This may be it, but no guarantees, Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
.
Hmmm, no bit actors today, or maybe I am wrong. The cars are the stars and the rest are bit actors! Maybe I'll do better tomorrow. I'll hit the grill to make some dinner, then see what's on TCM!
The Fast and the Furious, Gone in Sixty Seconds, how about any James Bond film? I just heard that one of the four original Aston Martin DB5s used in the first Bond films is going up for sale at auction in London. The owner paid $12,000 for it a while ago and it is expected to sell for $5 million! Who said not to invest in cars?
Of course, to anyone interested in British cars, The Italian Job (from 1969, not 2003) is one of the best choices, simply because of how it celebrated the Mini. That's the tiny car you usually see in the circus, and a hundred clowns climb out! (I guess Italian circuses use Fiats.) The later version of that movie used the new MINI by BMW, but that one is way too big for Brit car purists.
The best car chase ever filmed is found in Bullitt (1968) starring Steve McQueen. McQueen usually did his own stunt driving. He also drove his motorcycle in The Great Escape, when his stunt driver couldn't do a jump as well as McQueen himself.
Paul Newman was also an incredible driver. Paul was a member of the Sports Car Club of America and he would compete in races frequently. Joanne Woodward would come with him sometimes and just sit in the stands and watch. They were apparently just like regular folk at the races, but I never had a chance to meet them. I was told that Paul would be great to talk to, as long as you treated him like one of the guys. As soon as you started to push him about his movies, he would shut down! I can't blame him for having that attitude. It must be difficult to be so famous. He had a chance to do something normal where he could be accepted as a racer, so he did.
If you get the chance to see Grand Prix (1966) with James Garner, it is worth the time, as long as you are a car nut. The racing is superb. When it was restored, it was shown on the American Movie Classics channel without commercials, and with commentary from Garner. If that is available on a DVD special edition, it would be worth owning. Again, IF you are a car nut! This may be it, but no guarantees, Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
.Hmmm, no bit actors today, or maybe I am wrong. The cars are the stars and the rest are bit actors! Maybe I'll do better tomorrow. I'll hit the grill to make some dinner, then see what's on TCM!
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