Boomers remember him as the Mad Hatter on TV’s Batman, but David Wayne wore many hats in a robust career that covered Broadway and Hollywood. We’re marking the 100th anniversary of his birth with this appreciation.
Read more →Character Actors
Herbert Mundin: Much Ado About Much
On the screen he befriended David Copperfield, was part of the Mutiny on the Bounty, and joined in the Adventures of Robin Hood, but fate cut his career short. English-born actor Herbert Mundin is our latest Scene Stealer.
Read more →Kickstarting Edgar Kennedy
Guest writer Rob Hall looks at a project to restore the over 100 two-reel films funnyman Edgar Kennedy made for RKO in the 1930s and ’40s and bring the genius of the “slow-burn” comedic actor to new generations of fans.
Read more →A James Gleason Tribute? Is Zat So?
Whether he was trying to keep up with a crime-solving teacher or in the corner of a reincarnated boxer, character actor James Gleason entertained film fans with his gruff but lovable attitude for three decades. Movie FanFare salutes the Brooklyn-born Oscar nominee and classic Scene Stealer.
Read more →Animal Magnetism: Reflections on Robert Strauss
His screen reprisal of his comic stage triumph as the aptly-named Sgt. “Animal” Kuzawa in Stalag 17 landed him an Oscar nomination and launched a prolific, generation-long career in film and TV. We’re looking back at the life and performances of the ubiquitous and unforgettable Robert Strauss.
Read more →Jack Cassidy: A One of a Kind Character
In today’s guest post, Nell Musolf writes about the life and career of Tony Award winning character actor Jack Cassidy remembered for his role in the Broadway musicals Alive and Kicking, and Wish You Were Here. Cassidy also starred opposite Clint Eastwood in the Eiger Sanction
Read more →Viva Vigoda!
He’s immediately recognizable to fans of The Godfather, Barney Miller, and Conan O’Brien, and he’s had thirty years practice at letting us know he’s still around. We didn’t have to “Fish” for compliments to iconic character player Abe Vigoda.
Read more →Elisha Cook, Jr.: Hollywood’s Lightest Heavy
This installment of “Scene Stealers” spotlights diminutive supporting actor Elisha Cook, Jr., who portrayed hot-tempered gunmen, petty crooks, and shady lowlifes in such films as The Maltese Falcon, Shane and The Killing…and usually wound up slapped, beaten or shot before the picture ended.
Read more →Margaret Hamilton: Wickedly Wonderful
There was more to the world of Margaret Hamilton than her iconic turn as the aquaphobic Wicked Witch of the West in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. Learn about the life of the sharp-featured character actress who, when not frightening young moviegoers, was educating them as a kindergarten teacher!
Read more →Donald Meek: Meek by Name, Meek (Mostly) on the Screen
In more than 100 films in the 1930s and ’40s, character actor Donald Meek lived up his surname as mild-mannered clerks, doctors and other roles. Learn about the Stageocach and You Can’t Take It with You co-star’s life and career here.
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