It’s difficult to say what role I first discovered Paul Lynde. I was born in the winter of 1966, and throughout my childhood in the late sixties and seventies, he was everywhere. Never a leading man, yet he was a standout in small roles in the most popular films, tv shows, and game shows. For a comedic actor who always got the minor roles, he … Continue reading PAUL LYNDE: Sardonic Clown
Eleven years ago, it began with a spark of inspiration. What practically every film fan can agree upon… what do we all look forward in our cinematic fandom? What is the celluloid glue that holds us all so dearly? Our love of character actors. From the earliest years of Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the network has broadcast interstitial shorts honoring various character actors. Many of … Continue reading Announcement: 11th Annual What A Character! Blogathon
HOORAY! The moment has finally arrived. As we detailed in our announcement post with our fun banners created by co-host Paula, we are here to give tribute to our beloved character actors. As I tell my kiddos, “buckle up, buttercups!” because here comes the blogging event of the year! The tenth What a Character! Blogathon brings you an incredible array of supporting players, each bringing their own magic to … Continue reading 10th Annual What A Character! Blogathon: Afternoon Edition
“I don’t think “comedy” or “serious”. I always brought seriousness to comedy and comedic things to serious roles.” … Cloris Leachman At the beginning of this year (January 27, 2021) we lost an extraordinary actress. Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedienne who spent seven decades making indelible impressions with every role, no matter how small. Depending upon your age/generation, you may have been … Continue reading Cloris Leachman: What a Character!
A shy little man, with a twinkle in his eye that left a big impression on screen. If there was a classic Hollywood version of a leprechaun, Barry Fitzgerald was it. As campy and stereotypical as that depiction sounds, Fitzgerald was indeed funny, but there’s no doubt this was a supremely skilled dramatic actor. Small in stature perhaps, but his performances in minor roles left … Continue reading Barry Fitzgerald
Borrowing a catch-phrase from our favorite home of the classics, Turner Classic Movies, Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled / @IrishJayHawk66), Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club / @Paula_Guthat) and Aurora, of Once Upon a Screen / @CitizenScreen) dedicate a blogathon to character actors for the ninth consecutive year. To the faces, the laughs, the drama presented by these wonderful actors whose names all too often go unrecognized we dedicate WHAT A CHARACTER! 2020. The hosts extend … Continue reading Announcement: 9th annual WHAT A CHARACTER! BLOGATHON
Seeing Donald Pleasence As a (slightly rusty) artist, I’m always people watching. I don’t sketch as much as I used to, and now it’s mostly dogs, but I still find myself looking deeply at people features, their body language, attitude, smile, and gate… but mostly I look at their eyes. And it’s for that reason why my entry for the What A Character! Blogathon is … Continue reading Seeing Donald Pleasence
Today we bring you the first day of the 8th annual WHAT A CHARACTER! BLOGATHON, hosted by yours truly and my fellow co-hosts, your ambassadors of classic film: Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club @Paula_Guthat and Aurora of Once Upon A Screen @CitizenScreen. In celebrating this annual event, this weekend we honor the unsung heroes of big and small screens everywhere, the unforgettable character actors. Who are those familiar faces … Continue reading WHAT A CHARACTER! BLOGATHON: Day 1
It’s hard to believe we’ve been hosting this blogathon for eight years now. But perhaps not that shocking considering that discussing those scene-stealing character actors is a crowd-pleasing pastime amongst cinephiles. Wise-cracking Eve Arden, nurturing Louise Beavers, sassy Thelma Ritter, double-take pro Edward Everett Horton, tart-tongued Edna May Oliver, gravelly-voiced Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, fatherly Charles Coburn, frazzled Franklin Pangborn, bull frog voiced, barrel-chested Eugene Pallette, … Continue reading Announcement: It’s the 8th Annual WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon
A crazy-eyed neurotic. A nervous noir thug. A sell-out weasel. These are not exactly the most flattering depictions of a character. But these are just a few of the characters Elisha Cook Jr. was best known. “Cookie” was a true working actor with over 200 credits across stage, film, and television for a career that lasted nearly sixty years. Starting as young as 14 years … Continue reading Elisha Cook Jr
Outspoken & Freckled 