So thrilled was I upon completing my first-ever blogathon event as a co-host – with intuitive social media talents, Kellee of  Outspoken & Freckled and Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club - that I couldn’t just close the book on it once the three-day extravaganza concluded.  We hope to make this, WHAT A CHARACTER! blogathon a yearly happening.  But our first foray into the world of those fabulous faces, unforgettable voices and unique talents was supreme.  Entries that warm your heart and make you laugh by great bloggers who simply love these actors.  It was a pleasure to be inspired over and over again.

How it began…

Blogathon introduction

This summer is proving to be a landmark in the classic film blogosphere.  Events are planned covering an array of fabulous classic films, movie stars and topics on all things movies.

Borrowing a catch-phrase from our beloved, home of the classics, Turner Classic Movies, Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled and (@IrishJayHawk66), Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club and (@Paula_Guthat) and Aurora, of Once Upon a Screen and (@CitizenScreen) are dedicating an event to the great character actors that so enhanced our classic movies.  To the faces, the laughs, the drama presented by these wonderful actors whose names all too often go unrecognized we dedicate WHAT A CHARACTER!

  • Would Casablanca be as great without the laughs provided by S. K. Sakall?
  • Would we want to look out Rear Window if not for the warnings of Thelma Ritter?
  • Can you measure how much Edward Everett Horton added to the fabulous Astaire / Rogers pictures?

We think these and so many others deserve their due.  So, here we are with a blogathon in their honor.

The results…

What a Character! entries

Alan Hale Annmarie Classic Movie Hub

Anne Miller   Kay  Movie Star Makeover

Bert Lahr Debbie  Debra Ann Pawlak

Beulah Bondi  – Janet  Handknit Pants

Charles McGraw – Ivan  Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

David Landau — Cliff  Immortal Ephemera

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson  – Terry A Shroud of Thoughts

Eli Wallach Eli  PG Cooper’s Movie Reviews

Elsa Lanchester Beth Ann  Spellbound By Movies

Eric Blore – Lindsey The Motion Pictures

Erik Rhodes Annmarie Classic Movie Hub

Eve Arden — Kellee  Outspoken & Freckled

Felix Bessart Kristina Speakeasy

Frank McHugh – Dorian  Tales of the Easily Distracted

Gail Patrick – Laurie - One Gal’s Musings

Hume Cronyn in “Shadow of a Doubt” – Jackie - Jaxbra Tumblr

Lee J. Cobb in “We Raid Calais Tonight” – Ruth - Silver Screenings

Lew Ayres in “Holiday” — Marya  Cinema Fanatic

Louise Beavers – Margaret  The Great Katharine Hepburn

Lucille Wilson – Patricia Caftan Woman

Lupe Velez — Will  cinematically insane

Margaret Dumont – Manish via Once Upon a Screen

Marjorie Main – Lucy  Secluded Charm

Mary Wickes- Brandie True Classics

Maude Eburne – Patricia Nolan  Caftan Woman

Mercedes McCambridge — Lê  Critica Retro

Porter Hall — Joel   Joel’s Classic Film Passion

Richard Jaeckel in The Dirty Dozen — Jack Deth via Paula’s Cinema Club

Sam Levene – Duke - Picture Spoilers

S. Z. Sakall – Paula – Paula’s Cinema Club @Paula_Guthat

Thelma Ritter — Aurora Once Upon A Screen

Una Merkel — Kevyn The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World

Victor Jory — Jacqueline  Another Old Movie Blog

Victor Moore — Kari What Happened to Hollywood?

Virginia Weidler — Nikki  All Things Classic

Walter Brennan – Le  Critica Retro

Ward Bond — Tonya  goosepimply allover

William Demarest and Preston Sturges — Sean The Joy and Agony of Movies

Tell me that’s not impressive!

I know I speak for Kellee and Paula in saying that we could not be more grateful to all the amazing bloggers who made this event such a success.  I hope you do yourself the favor of reading what they’ve written, the careers they’ve discussed, the pictures they’ve featured – an impressive showing of passion for film and those characters we can’t get enough of.

 

The faces on the banner:

Row 1: (L-R) Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Margaret Dumont, Edward Arnold, Albert Dekker, Ann Miller, Leon Errol

Row 2: (L-R) Dan Duryea, Eugene Palette, Aline MacMahon, Charles Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Billie Burke

Row 3: (L-R) Spring Byington, Walter Brennan, Hattie McDaniel, Gene Lockhart, Margaret O’Brien, Edgar Kennedy

Row 4: (L-R) Eric Blore, Franklin Pangborn, Frank Morgan, Guy Kibbee, Gloria Grahame, Jane Darwell

Row 5: (L-R) Judith Anderson, Edward Everett Horton, Eve Arden, S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall, Thelma Ritter, Louis Calhern

Row 6: (L-R) Charles Lane, Kim Hunter, David Wayne, Louise Beavers, Cecil Kellaway, Shemp Howard