jdb1

Have you tried any Debbie Reynolds websites? The lady herself may very well be hawking copies - she's quite the entrepreneuse.

Yes to both Ms. PrimaDonna, Dressler won an Oscar for "Min & Bill," and Brown came from vaudeville and circuses. I think he had a background similar to that of Buster Keaton, starting out as an acrobat. I have described Brown elsewhere as "a cheerful Buster Keaton." I don't think I've ever seen "Min & Bill" either, although I've certainly read and heard about it, and I think I've seen scenes from it at some point. When you're as old as I am, they start to run together in your head!

"THE CLOCK" -- Judy Garland and Robert Walker at breakfast in a hotel room, the morning after their wedding night, making shy and sly little smiles at each other. It spoke volumes about what happened the night before.

Yes - very true. Does anyone else get the impression that Moe was just a tad controlling in this regard? Maybe no one else wanted to work with him.

GM - you make a good point here. There were certain character players who were used over and over by a director or a studio - as repertory players. The group in the Astaire/Rogers series was one, and of course Preston Sturges relied heavily on his characters to give chacter to his movies. An entity like the Hal Roach studio was made up almost entirely of character players, especially in the comedies. Even my favorite Georgian, Oliver Hardy, had a turn as a character player in talkies without Stanley, and aquitted himself well. I liked him as John Wayne's sidekick in "The Fighting Kentuckian." Has anyone seen "Zenobia?" Hardy had the starring role in that one - but it's essentially an exercise in character acting. Even Harry Langdon has a speaking part in it. It's very cute - a sort of Disney-type, family fare movie. Does anyone have any thoughts on my previous posting about characters in un-character-istic roles?

No doubt, given the right role and strong direction, you get gold. I thought Joe E. Brown was just lovely as Cap'n Andy in the 1950s "Showboat." He was very restrained and sweet, and was also quite effective as a loving father. This brings to mind the great Walter Brennan in "Come and Get It," as the decent schook who marries the Frances Farmer chacter on the rebound. Who'd have thought of Brennan as a romantic character? He certainly was here - it was almost painful to see how much he loved his wife, knowing she'd never really love him back.

Not surprised to hear about Moe's injuries. He was absolutely dedicated to the Stooge franchise, and probably would have done anything for its cause. It's too bad that they never found anyone who really came close to accurately replacing either Curly or Shemp. It always seemed to me that without them, the rhythm was somehow off. I think I remember Jock Mahoney in one of their shorts as well. I remember him being about twice the height and girth (but all muscle) of the Stooges.

Ah, Frank Faylen. I love that guy! And how about his performance as the icky male nurse in "The Lost Weekend?" (Definitely WITHOUT the Good Conduct Medal. WWII - the Big One!) All named immediately below are worth talking about. And as for my comment above - how about considering those character players who stepped out of their stereotypes to play something new and interesting? I mentioned a while back Edna May Oliver as a sassy New Woman. And we read about James Gleason's terrific performance as an alcoholic in "Come Fill the Cup." And Keenan Wynn's dramatic turn as Shelley Duvall's pathetic, tragic uncle in "Nashville." There were many more like that. Opinions?

Jack, now that you mention it, I do remember reading Jane Withers mysteries when I was about 10 or 11 (hey - they were old books then!) They were just Nancy Drew knock-offs, and I suppose the whole exercise was similar to the Olsen Twins and other book series for kids featuring 'real' celebrities. I don't know anything about these older ones, though. I think I found the Withers books in my local public library, which seem to have only the oldest and most delapited books for children, which were good reads, nonetheless.

Was it MY SIX LOVES with Debbie Reynolds (about 1962/3)? She's a movie star who takes in six orphans. The men in the movie were Cliff Robertson and David Janssen.

I'd give James Stewart one for just about anything, but I think I'd single out his sly, touching, amusing and unassuming performance in "Harvey." I think about his delivery of the line "I recommend pleasant," every time my temper is tested.

I am not a man. And I don't whine -- I glow. Radiantly, JDB

There will probably be more information if you dig deeper into dance history. IMDB has only that one movie listed, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the only movie he was in. However, we digress, and we should get back to naming some more favorites. We need some more depth on the distaff side. Who likes the lady characters? My very favorite is, I think, Elsa Lanchester. Very unusual face, that could be alternately homely or pretty, depending on the part and, I suppose the way she was lit and filmed. Although she played many of the same type characters in many movies, her readings were diverse enough to keep us interested. I loved her in "The Big Clock." Second favorite is Eve Arden - we could write reams about her, her good looks, and her scathing delivery. "Our Miss Brooks" was a staple of my early TV diet. Dear Thelma Ritter - like our lunch ladies in public school, but probably a lot smarter. Spring Byington - always so sweet, but never obnoxiously so. I thought she was the perfect choice for Marmee in "Little Women," although she was probably the same age as the actresses who were playing her daughters. She seemed to have been born middle-aged. I've also liked Rosemary DeCamp, who was the kind of woman you'd like for a Mommy. Mary Boland - with that supercilious way of talking, yet she was generally pleasant and likeable. And you???

Everyone talks about Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson, and all of their numbers together are great. But I am partial to Shirley's dance with Buddy Ebsen in "Captain January." He was so tall and she was so small, yet she matched him step for step. I did like his dancing - he was all leg and rather awkward looking, and yet so graceful. I always found great humor communicated in his dancing. He made quite a few films, but I think I've seen only two or three, not counting the "Davy Crockett" series.

Take a look at this website. http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3novlt1.htm Apparently, Chiles and a dance partner introduced a dance called "The Novelette" in 1927 at the Biltmore Hotel in New York. He appears to have been a night club and speciality act dancer. Probably vaudeville as well, although I haven't found anything yet. I hope I get to see the segment you mentioned - is that a Bing Crosby movie?

IMDB has virtually no information. I tried Google, but got nothing that looks like it would be him. I wonder if he danced on Broadway?

I think it's about time attention was paid to Hollywood's child stars. (And not this scandal-mongering nonsense about drug-addled TV child stars on E, either.) Most were prodigiously talented. The Hickman and Stockwell brothers have been among my favorites my entire life. I will be delighted to see that segment.

I have indeed seen it, and it shows a young and slim Lorre. He was perfectly cast as the troubled, shadowy and murderous protagonist. His speech at the end of the film, a cry for mercy on a disturbed soul, is justifiably lauded. Hundreds of actors since have tried for the same effect with twitches, ticks and grimaces, but his performance remains a model of restraint and technique. He seems to have spent most of his career amplifying that role in various genres and situations, and there are very few who were better at it. "M" is actually a rather disturbing film in theme and execution, which certainly seems to have been its intent. In a way it strikes me as a silent, with sound. Some scenes are rather stiffly done and boxy looking, but when Lorre is on screen, you are in a completely different realm. There's no doubt, even at that early stage in his screen career, that you are looking at a star. Lucky for us someone in Hollywood recognized it as well. You are correct, he was always instantly identifiable to me, even as a child, and I've never lost my affection for him. I have a postcard that I purchased in Greenwich Village years ago that shows him and Lotte Lenya (both looking impossibly young) entwined in a sort of romantic pose from some German Expressionist something-or-other they were in long, long ago. It's one of my favorite iconic photos. I would have loved to have met him, even just to say hello, to see if the charisma existed off the screen. From what I have read about him, it certainly did. Message was edited by: jdb1

Just goes to show how you can't trust the Internet. I was searching the wrong name, through no fault of my own, except for an unquestioning belief that if it's in writing, even on a balefully glowing screen, it must be true! Sorry, Metry. In the olden days, I recall that besides a large number of excellent movies, they had these things called "libraries." JDB

I don't know the first two you've mentioned, or the second lady, but George Chiles' name and face are familiar. What else have they been in that we might know?

Metry, you confused me a little with your clues -- are you sure the character Dana Andrews played in BOOMERANG! became AG of the United States and not AG of New York State, DA of New York City? An - Oh, you meant THAT mailman!

THE BIG CIRCUS (1959) Aaron Chwatt (or Chwast?) is Red Buttons Laszlo Lowenstein is Peter Lorre Marilyn Louis is Rhonda Fleming Gilbert Roland is Luis Alonzo Kathryn Grant is Olive Granstaff Adele Mara is Adelaide Delgado Message was edited by: jdb1

Larry, today (6/26) is the birthday of the unique and talented Peter Lorre, one of my favorites, and one who could be considered, like Walter Brennan, Edw. G. Robinson, Thelma Ritter and some others, a "leading character." Do you have any inside info on him? I understand he was quite the ladies' man, and I'm not surprised. I (I hope I'm a lady) find him quite attractive, in a quirky way. Message was edited by: jdb1

APOCALYPSE NOW?

GM, how could we have forgotten our friend James Gleason as "The Moke?" It's coming back to me now. We had lots of "mokes" in Brooklyn! TCM, please get a copy of this one and show it. It's a real "genre piece" - life in the slums of 1944 - a sort of precursor to "Guys and Dolls."