I’m thrilled to be hosting Day Two of the 2016 What A Character! Blogathon. This is the fifth consecutive year that I co-host this tribute to the lesser known players that enriched so many movies. As you probably know my co-hosts are the fabulous Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled who kicked things off with Day One and Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club who hosts the third and final day tomorrow. As always, I’m honored to be in cahoots with these two ladies.

If you want a refresher on the back story for the What a Character! Blogathon take a look at the Announcement post, which includes the entire list of participants and chosen character actors. Otherwise I’m getting to the main course of this entry, the tributes to memorable supporting players. Let me just say one more thing – as I read the submissions from the first two days of this event it occurred to me that the journey of the character actor is often much more interesting than that of the star. I’ll let you be the judge. Here they are…

What a Character!

I kick things off with Shadows and Satin and a discussion about the uniquely versatile talent of Hope Emerson who “played in everything from Greek classics to musical comedy.”

At Film Noir Archive you’ll see “a craftsman clocking in at the Dream Factory” – It’s the ever memorable Elisha Cook, Jr.: Born to Lose.

Critica Retro looks at the Fifth Marx Brother, Margaret Dumont, the “normal” who balanced the craziness. (And who I think deserved to be sainted)

Caftan Woman tells the story of a rag doll maker turned stage and screen actor, the great Cora Witherspoon.

Anna, Look! takes on Ben Mendelsohn, a contemporary actor who steals the show.

There ain’t nothing like a Dame. Margaret Rutherford gets the treatment appropriate for an icon by Life’s Daily Lessons Blog.

Old Hollywood Films discusses the career of Sidney Greenstreet, a late bloomer who left an indelible mark in the movies.

A Shroud of Thoughts spotlights a staple of film and television with Charles Lane: Always the Clerk, or the Manager, or the Rent Collector…

The Blog of the Darned looks at the career of David Wayne, “a skilled, capable and powerful second banana.”

To end Day 2 visit with “Crazy Russian” Leonid Kinskey at Paula’s Cinema Club.

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The entries for this year’s What a Character! Blogathon are as entertaining as ever. These are heartwarming stories of the admirable journeys of working people whose work we happen to adore. I get all verklempt thinking about how different our movies would be without them. Thank you so much to all of the bloggers who are participating in this year’s event for telling us those stories.

Don’t forget to visit Paula’s Cinema Club tomorrow for more posts with character.