If there’s one thing classic movie fans share without question it’s a love and appreciation for character actors. This is why I’ve no doubt there’s a lot of excitement in the air about TCM’s April schedule when the Star of the Month will be actors who delight in supporting roles.

Robert Osborne wrote his last column for TCM’s Now Playing Guide for April and if that had to be the case then I’m glad it’s an homage to character actors. These working people, as I often think of them, go unheralded far too often. Having Robert send out the initial call to arms is appropriate.

You should know that the featured players scheduled on TCM every Tuesday and Thursday throughout April are some of the better known names among character actors. Still, I think spotlighting their work will allow for discussion about other favorites among the legion of actors who made movies better simply…