blonderbbt Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Since I'm a newbie, please forgive me if this topic has been exhausted. If not, here's my question. Which TCM featured performers do you consider underrated? I'll cast the first three votes: Paul Henreid, Robert Ryan and Franchot Tone. Please share your thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansi4 Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I just listed an underrated actor yesterday in my Happy Birthday thread and his name is Joel McCrea. Also Fred MacMurray, Van Heflin, Edmond O'Brien and Richard Widmark. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blonderbbt Posted November 7, 2004 Author Share Posted November 7, 2004 Hi Mongo. Your choices are all terrific. Van Heflin won an Oscar as did Edmond O'Brien, but when pundits mention world -class actors, these fine performers get left out. Why?! Joel McCrea made it look too easy as did Fred MacMurray. And subtle low-key acting is not easy. The fact that Mr. Widmark is still among the living and has not yet been voted a lifetime achievement award from AFI or an honorary Oscar is a disgrace. Blonde Rabbit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venerados Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Hume Cronyn, William Bendix, Joseph Cotten and Vincent Price and Bela Lugosi, who had cult followings but never got due credit as legitimate actors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviespud Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I completely agree about Joseph Cotten who is one of my all time favorite actors. A remarkably talented actor who never got enough credit for his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie71664 Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 Definitely Paul Henreid. Every time I bring him up to most people, they say "who's Paul Henry?" Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evh55 Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 My two choices are Fred MacMurray and Jack Carson. They could do it all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenwal34 Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 George Bancroft for a memorable role as the lawman in STAGECOACH and lead in I COVER THE WATERFRONT, and Lon Chaney jr. in HIGH NOON,NOT AS A STRANGER,OF MICE AND MEN, and many more.Unfortunately Chaney,like Lugosi,became type casted, and both had troubled careers.Their potential were,in my opinion,never fully realized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I always watch a film if it has Everett Sloane in it. I had read once, that he had his nose surgically altered after his screen career began, and could never get used to it. If you look at the footage from Citizen Kane, and then compare his genial countenance to that in some later films of the 1950's, there seems to be a different person playing the part. Regardless, he is always real and true to the role. I think Laurence Harvey was highly underrated, and always enjoy his take. He was kind of Peter Lawford with a perverse twist. I think Alan Arkin is a marvelous actor, and was so fine in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blonderbbt Posted November 8, 2004 Author Share Posted November 8, 2004 While all the performers listed below are a talented bunch, notice what's missing here? Women! Could it be that most of the gals got their "due" while the guys as a group were the most overlooked? For the females, Jean Arthur. Irene Dunne. Joan Blondell. Glenda Farrell. Ann Sothern. All beautiful, fine comediennes who could handle drama too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venerados Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I was going to mention women, but thought the word "Actors" in the subject was chosen intentionally to suggest men. Ladies: Elsa Lanchester, Martha Raye, Betty Compson, and my favorite of all-time, Virginia O'Brien. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 a bunch of my favorites with "Jean Arthur. Irene Dunne. Joan Blondell. Glenda Farrell. Ann Sothern" I could add Claire Trevor, though she is not known for her comedy, but if she had to I bet she could do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 in some film, when I was little. He just got such a big kick out of her deadpan singing approach. Now when I see her in any film, it takes me back as if I were alive during WWII, as she did add such charm to many films of those days. Venerados, you have an interesting list there with Elsa Lanchester, Martha Raye, and Betty Compson. I have always admired the talents of the distaff half of Laughton, in so many parts including Bell, Book and Candle and Martha Raye showed some talent beyond the comedic as Chaplin's foil in Monsieur Verdoux. I have not seen enough films with Betty Compson, but as the B's are what I look for mostly now, I do hope to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blonderbbt Posted November 8, 2004 Author Share Posted November 8, 2004 Venerados, my bad. I used "actor" in a gender neutral sense and should have been more specific. Apologies! Therealfuster, Claire Trevor and Virginia O'Brien were both wonderful also. I think today's audience would enjoy Ms. O'Brien for her bluesy voice and her deadpan, sly delivery. Blonde Rabbit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venerados Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I've said before Virginia doing Salome in "DuBarry was a Lady" is my favorite musical number. It's a very simple song and production and it makes her every gesture and inflection jump out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviespud Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 James Whitmore Ray Milland Tim Holt I think Errol Flynn gets credit and recognition for his swashbuckling roles (Robin Hood, Captian Blood, etc) but not enough for his more dramatic roles(They Died With Their Boots On, Gentleman Jim etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie71664 Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I have always considered both men and women "Actors" and most {if not all} of the people that I have worked with in the past has considered the the title a non-gendered one. Every time that I watch "Inside The Actors Studio" everybody is an actor, never an Actress. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetdogy Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 John (Jack) R. Reilly Memorable roles: "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" and "The Story Of G.I. Joe" Find out about him here. http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/the_john_r_reilly_fan_club/ Actually only photos are what I have gathered on John. The internet has literally "nothing" whatsoever about him and can't figure out why. He was (is?) a great actor from watching these 2 movies. Shame he didn't make it big. If anyone finds anything about him please email me at jetdogy@aol.com Thanks! Another actor who's a bit on the underrated side - Guy Madison http://www.geocities.com/gmadisongirl1961/guymadison.html --------- Georgette Below are a few other website I made on my favorite actors (not underrated ones) http://www.geocities.com/mitchumgirl3/MYMITCHUMPAGE.html http://www.geocities.com/tracygirl1961a/SPENCERTRACY.html http://www.geocities.com/jdean1961a/JAMESDEAN.html http://www.geocities.com/lemmongirl1961/JACKLEMMON.html http://www.geocities.com/creeves1961/CHRISREEVE.html A cool Gene Hackman Online website. I didn't bother to create a page because no one can beat this one. http://www.angelfire.com/celeb2/genehackman/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 James Whitmore: He always gave his all in any type of movie Battleground (1949) All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953) Them! (1954) Battle Cry (1955) "The Twilight Zone" - On Thursday We Leave for Home (1963) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilmBuffRich Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Although most people remember him from just WIZARD OF OZ and to a lesser extent SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and GREAT ZIEGFELD, FRank Morgan has been good in every film I've seen him in. (HULLABALOO, WILD MAN OF BORNEO, THE GHOST COMES HOME, WASHINGTON MELODRAMA, etc...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThinMan15 Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Joseph Cotten and William Powell don't seem to get much mention, outside of Citizen Kane and The Thin Man. Dana Andrews is very good in everything I've seen him in, though there's not much attention paid of his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeanddaisy666 Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 FRank Morgan has been good in every film I've seen him in. Wasn't he though? As were the actors who played Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. I've caught their performances in quite a few films and they were good, solid performers. I imagine that is why they were chosen. A counterpart to modern day is the character actor Stephen something or other, who was on a talking head show last night. He was the insurance guy that Bill Murray kept meeting in Groundhog Day, and he has been in 170 films!!!!!! He is now in an indie type film, and so is advertising it, but meanwhile, here is a current actor whose name I STILL don't know but who is getting lots of work! And this is why I like character actors and hate Tom Cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzcutter Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 I believe his name is Stephen Tobolowsky. Sat next to him once on a Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 "A counterpart to modern day is the character actor Stephen something or other..." Do you mean Stephen Tobolowsky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdb1 Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 > FRank Morgan has been good in every film I've seen > him in. > > Wasn't he though? As were the actors who played > Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. I've caught their > performances in quite a few films and they were good, > solid performers. I imagine that is why they were > chosen. > > A counterpart to modern day is the character actor > Stephen something or other, who was on a talking head > show last night. He was the insurance guy that Bill > Murray kept meeting in Groundhog Day, and he > has been in 170 films!!!!!! He is now in an indie > type film, and so is advertising it, but meanwhile, > here is a current actor whose name I STILL don't know > but who is getting lots of work! > > And this is why I like character actors and hate Tom > Cruise. Hey, Stoneyburke - come over to our "It Takes Character" thread in Your Favorites. We are lovers of character actors. Tell us what you know - we'd love to hear it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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