Announcing The 5th Annual WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon

“What’s great about being a character actor is you know that you can survive forever. It’s not about the gloss of your eyebrows.” – Martin Short

 

We’re back for a fifth consecutive year to honor the versatility and depth of supporting players with the WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon.  Based on a phrase borrowed from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) the WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon is an event that many look forward to each year.  Your enthusiasm for paying tribute to the oft nameless faces that appear in countless beloved classic movies is admirable.  Kellee, Paula and I extend a sincere thanks to all the bloggers who have joined us in the previous four years and invite you all to help us make the fifth anniversary extra special.

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By now you know the drill.  This is for the Louise Beavers and Eddie Andersons of the world, the names that never appeared above the title.  If this is right up your movie alley then give us a shout out…

Kellee at Outspoken & Freckled and (@IrishJayHawk66) and Kellee Pratt

Paula at Paula’s Cinema Club and (@Paula_Guthat) and Paula Guthat

Aurora at Once Upon a Screen and (@CitizenScreen) and Citizen Screen

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And please adhere to the following:

  • Let one of the hosts know which character actor is your choice.
  • We will not accept repeats since there are so many greats worthy of attention, but your choices are not limited to classics.  You can choose any character actor from any era and from the medium of television, which featured a number of talented regulars.  Scroll down to see the list of chosen characters.
  • Don’t take it for granted we know exactly who you are or where your blog resides – please include the title and url to your blog.
  • Publish the post for either December 16, 17 & 18.  Let us know if you have a date preference, otherwise we’ll split publicizing duties equally among the three days.
  • Please include one of Paula’s beautiful event banners on your blog to help us promote the event and include it in your post.
  • It would be really helpful if you can send any of us the direct link to your post.  Searching on social media sites can lead to missed entries.
  • HAVE FUN and spread the word! 

 

A big thank you – HAPPY BLOGGING!

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#WhatACharacter Roll Call

Alphabetized by Character Actor (More or less)

Joan Blondell – Outspoken & Freckled

Eileen Brennan – Cindy Bruchman

John Carradine – Blogferatu

Elisha Cook, Jr. – Film Noir Archive

Margaret Dumont – Critica Retro

Hope Emerson – Shadows and Satin

Stanley Fields – Immortal Ephemera

Ruth Gordon – The Last Drive-In

Sidney Greenstreet – Old Hollywood Films

Edmund Gwenn – Once Upon a Screen

John Hillerman – The Midnite Drive-In

Edward Everett Horton – Movies Silently

Arthur Kennedy – The Wonderful World of Cinema

Paula’s Cinema Club – Leonid Kinskey

Charles Lane – A Shroud of Thoughts

Victor McLaglen – Gary Pratt on Outspoken & Freckled

Ben Mendelsohn – Anna, Look!

Agnes Moorehead – In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood

Mildred Natwick – Phyllis Loves Classic Movies

Una O’Connor – Wolffian Classic Movies Digest

Alan Rickman – Realweegiemidget Reviews

Ruth Roman – CineMaven’s Essays From the Couch

Margaret Rutherford – Life’s Daily Lessons

J. K. Simmons – Movie Movie Blog Blog

E. Emmet Walsh – Jack Deth on Paula’s Cinema Club

David Wayne – Blog of the Darned

Michael Wincott – Thoughts All Sorts

Cora Witherspoon – Caftan Woman

 

78 thoughts

      1. Hi! I was wondering if I could save Tobias for next year. I haven’t had the time to find any sources on him and December is such a busy month Blogathon wise I’m afraid I won’t be able to give both of these fantastic actors their due. I’d like to just focus on Natwick if that’s ok 🙂

        Thanks!

        Reply

      2. PS: Would it be ok for me to do the 16th please? That is a holiday here and I’m taking a long weekend away so would only be able to publish and link the banner to your blog on that morning before heading out.

        Reply

          2. Hi Aurora, I’m just about done with my entry and will schedule it for the 16th when I am away (I’ll send you the link shortly). I always like linking back to the “live” Blogathon page of the host but obviously can’t do that before the time. So, I will link to your “home” page in the meantime (which should show the Blogathon on Friday) and at the earliest possible chance I will update the link to the Blogathon page. Does that work for you? (Unless you already have the URL for the Blogathan as it will appear on Friday?)

      1. I thought yesterday I was going to be able to write my post on Shimura, but some things have come up unexpectedly and I’ve been unable to do so. I’m very sorry! Will still be reading posts this week, though. Wishing you all a marvelous blogathon!

        Reply

  9. Hot dog! The best event in November is always the What a Character Blogathon! Let me think of some choices ( there will be at least two entries ) but first I must say that those new banners are amazing. The last ones were beautiful but these are equally great, if not better. – Constance Metzinger

    Reply

  17. Is there a deadline for this? I posted an interest in John Hillerman on Kellee’s page but it hasn’t been added. Or is John Hillerman not an acceptable entry, maybe?

    Reply

    1. Kellee’s away and maybe she couldn’t get to add it yet. No worries we’ll add it as soon as possible. Coincidentally I’m on on the road all day today with no computer. Will add it first thing tomorrow morning.

      Reply

  18. What a great idea for a blogathon! May I cover Ben Mendelsohn, please?
    (I hope this comment posts, it’s not showing on the other two sites when I try to post it…)

    Reply

    1. That was strange! Saw your comment in alerts, but couldn’t get it to show up here. Finally did and added you and Mr. Mendelsohn to the list! Thanks for playing along. 🙂

      Aurora

      Reply
  22. Pingback: All *kinds* of observable differences: The world of Ruth Gordon – The Last Drive In
  29. Pingback: WHAT A CHARACTER! 2016 – Day Two – Once upon a screen…

  31. We wrote a last-minute post on Thurston Hall, if you have room to squeeze in the pompous gentleman:

    https://silverscenesblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/thurston-hall-great-senator.html

    Wow Aurora, if you haven’t of posted that announcement on Facebook yesterday I would have missed the boat completely……and then I really would have kicked myself because this is the blogathon I look forward to the most every year! So glad this is an annual event. I love it! ( Next time we’ll be sure to cover TWO people instead of just one ).

    Reply
  32. Pingback: Character Actors Spotlighted on TCM in April! #WhatACharacter – Once upon a screen…

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