That's a good start, but here's just a few who are missing: Gabby Hayes, Andy Devine, Walter Brennan, Jack Elam, John Carradine, Burl Ives, and many others.
My papa Luis Alberni was the first ethnic and greatest talented character actor in US films. He pioneered Latino character actors in the US and around the world. He is also #36 A (which equals 1) founding father of The Screen actors guild, as well as the founding father of Alcoholics Anonymous for actors and is sole responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives. As wonderful as he was, and as extremely talented, he is so easily often overlooked as people pay more attention to the bigger less talented names they think are the most important to follow. In his time the world knew what a treasure and force of nature he truly was.
Great list!!! There are waaay to many to compile 1 list. Henry Hull Walter Brennan Gabby Hayes Peter Ustinov Victor McLaughlin Eugene Pallette Frank Mchugh Hank Worden Sydney Greenstreet Gilbert Roland Jester Hairston Chill Willis Just to name a few
Keenan Wynn was in a funny little short feature called “ Number please” ; it’s hilarious! It’s on RUclips. It was one of the Zigfield Follies clips from the mid 40s.
With all of these and many more, one can truly say we will not see their like again. Too many of today's "character actors" are really co-stars or second string players. In the "Golden Age" as it is often referred to the character actors were just that.They usuually played the same sort of role in each different film but added immensely to the whole tone of the film.
Wonderful tribute to the men who actually made the movies enjoyable. I would have added the following: Sydney Greenstreet George Tobias Barry Fitzgerald Charles Bickford Arthur Shields Dan Duryea Neville Brand The list is endless...
3:42 - 3:58/ Fans of classic animated shows might appreciate this fact. Our dear Mr. Horton ( shown here but not heard ) had such a stentorian voice, he was hired by Jay Ward back in 1959 to be the narrator for FRACTURED FAIRY TALES. Those were the offbeat fairy tale segments that used to air in the middle of The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show!
Thank you for a moment's walk down memory lane I have seen evert on of these and knew well over half their names. Even those instances you didn't feature, like Magaret Hamilton. C Aubrey and Edward Everett Horton on bullwinkle even.
Fabulous collection, thanks for putting it together. I just saw one of the other comments….. you did miss Barton MacLane, who fits into this collection perfectly. Allen Jenkins is sorta my favorite, but there are so many other great characters in that list.
I’m 18 but i love to watch old movies cause i think old things are interesting and the actors too i would love to see interviews with them to see how they were like in real life
William Frawley Gale Gordon Charles Lane Edgar Buchanan Regis Toomey Smiley Burnette Charles Ruggles Edgar Kennedy Eddie Albert Maureen O Sullivan Jack Oakie George Kennedy Slvia Sydney Marian Marsh Bonita Granville Thurston Hall
Ward Bond was renowned for being a bone-headed, fascist prick. Charles Coburn, besides being as politically reactionary as Bond, was also a virulent racist. Edward Everett Horton was, toward the end of his life, the narrator of the 1960s Bullwinkle Show's hilarious "Fractured Fairy Tales." Anyone who loves movies should see Peter Lorre in "M." George Sanders committed suicide. He left a note that merely read "I am bored." My favorite old time character actor is Slim Pickens, as much a character in real life as he was on the screen. Elisha Cook, Jr. is a close second.
You've got a valid point. See, there were some actors who were technically character actors but achieved a special kind of star status in their own right. Case in point: the great Lionel Barrymore.
These are subjective terms, aren't they? All were great talents but I think the term supporting actor fits those three best. Peter Lorre and George Sanders were the leads only in those B-grade serials (Mr. Moto and The Falcon), whereas Claude Rains did star in a few movies where he was the lead. The rest of the time he was, just like Peter Lorre and George Sanders, relegated to supporting roles. Ronald Reagan was like that too, supporting roles in big movies, a lead in minor pictures.
Great list, although, as others have said, Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, John Carradine, and Sydney Greenstreet all deserve to be included. James Gleason and Henry Travers are two of my favorite character actors.
That's a good start, but here's just a few who are missing:
Gabby Hayes,
Andy Devine,
Walter Brennan,
Jack Elam,
John Carradine,
Burl Ives,
and many others.
Ward Bond, one of me Grandad's favourites, along with Barton MacLane..
My papa Luis Alberni was the first ethnic and greatest talented character actor in US films. He pioneered Latino character actors in the US and around the world. He is also #36 A (which equals 1) founding father of The Screen actors guild, as well as the founding father of Alcoholics Anonymous for actors and is sole responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives. As wonderful as he was, and as extremely talented, he is so easily often overlooked as people pay more attention to the bigger less talented names they think are the most important to follow. In his time the world knew what a treasure and force of nature he truly was.
Great list!!! There are waaay to many to compile 1 list.
Henry Hull
Walter Brennan
Gabby Hayes
Peter Ustinov
Victor McLaughlin
Eugene Pallette
Frank Mchugh
Hank Worden
Sydney Greenstreet
Gilbert Roland
Jester Hairston
Chill Willis
Just to name a few
George Tobias
I deeply appreciate character actors. Hollywood would not be Hollywood without them. For me, the top character actor of all time is Keenan Wynn.
Keenan Wynn was in a funny little short feature called “ Number please” ; it’s hilarious! It’s on RUclips. It was one of the Zigfield Follies clips from the mid 40s.
With all of these and many more, one can truly say we will not see their like again. Too many of today's "character actors" are really co-stars or second string players. In the "Golden Age" as it is often referred to the character actors were just that.They usuually played the same sort of role in each different film but added immensely to the whole tone of the film.
How can you pick a favorite? They were all wonderful.
Walter Brennan would have been a good one to have on this list.
There are so many lovely character actors. Thanks be to God for them
Wonderful tribute to the men who actually made the movies enjoyable. I would have added the following:
Sydney Greenstreet
George Tobias
Barry Fitzgerald
Charles Bickford
Arthur Shields
Dan Duryea
Neville Brand
The list is endless...
yes
3:42 - 3:58/ Fans of classic animated shows might appreciate this fact. Our dear Mr. Horton ( shown here but not heard ) had such a stentorian voice, he was hired by Jay Ward back in 1959 to be the narrator for FRACTURED FAIRY TALES. Those were the offbeat fairy tale segments that used to air in the middle of The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show!
YES ! YES ! YES ! I remember him doing Fractured Fairy Tales and he was WONDERFUL at it !
I LOVED all these dear men.
They really MADE the movie with their real life antics.
No good character actors about these days.
very well done,you hit on a lot..thank you so much for doing this
Oh man Doctor Watson Nigel Bruce and Topper /Mr Waverly Leo G what fine actors
Done with taste and excellence. They were real Actors. And how about a longer version for the Actresses??
As others have said they ALL were wonderful, but my favorite has always been Ward BOND, thank you.
Thank you for a moment's walk down memory lane I have seen evert on of these and knew well over half their names. Even those instances you didn't feature, like Magaret Hamilton. C Aubrey and Edward Everett Horton on bullwinkle even.
this was awesome.....of course there were so many more,by the way loved the music
Character actors are what makes the movie believable
Fabulous collection, thanks for putting it together. I just saw one of the other comments….. you did miss Barton MacLane, who fits into this collection perfectly. Allen Jenkins is sorta my favorite, but there are so many other great characters in that list.
Love character actors, they are what make a film
thank you for this. i think it is wonderful.
Ward Bond....a great actor IMHO.....58 YEARS OLD ....my grandfather looked like him
Charles Ruggles is my favorite. The flustered gentleman. NOT SHOWN
Faces. We had faces
Sunset Boulevard!
@@track1219 ahhhh yessss!!!!!!!!!
I’m 18 but i love to watch old movies cause i think old things are interesting and the actors too i would love to see interviews with them to see how they were like in real life
Frank Morgan; prolific roles.
Am I to assume that there has not been a great one in the past 75 years?
C. Aubrey Smith was the model/prototype for the fabulous “Commander McBragg” cartoons.
Guess what character actors were called back in the day....ACTORS!
William Frawley
Gale Gordon
Charles Lane
Edgar Buchanan
Regis Toomey
Smiley Burnette
Charles Ruggles
Edgar Kennedy
Eddie Albert
Maureen O Sullivan
Jack Oakie
George Kennedy
Slvia Sydney
Marian Marsh
Bonita Granville
Thurston Hall
NO John Carradine ?
So many of those were from Hitchcock movies.
Alan Jenkins should of made the list
He was the first one.
All was great actors
Lionel Barrymore
YES. The king of character actors, and unquestionably my #1 favorite. Greatest actor who ever lived.
thomas mitchell leo g carroll donald crisp sorry we cant give you the respect you deserve since most dont have graves to do so thanks
My favorite classic film character actor not shown here: J. Carroll Nash. He was the best. The second not shown here: Frank McHugh.
All of them !
Some of the actors you have shown were major stars and should not be classified as charactor actors.
Thank you
My favorite is Ward Bond
May have been a rights clearance problem. But, many, many of these actors much more famous on their TV shows.
I keep getting George Saunders mixed up with Walter Pigeon
Ward Bond was renowned for being a bone-headed, fascist prick. Charles Coburn, besides being as politically reactionary as Bond, was also a virulent racist. Edward Everett Horton was, toward the end of his life, the narrator of the 1960s Bullwinkle Show's hilarious "Fractured Fairy Tales." Anyone who loves movies should see Peter Lorre in "M." George Sanders committed suicide. He left a note that merely read "I am bored." My favorite old time character actor is Slim Pickens, as much a character in real life as he was on the screen. Elisha Cook, Jr. is a close second.
Sorry, Peter Lorre, Claude Raines and George Sanders are not character actors. They were starring actors in their own rights.
You've got a valid point. See, there were some actors who were technically character actors but achieved a special kind of star status in their own right. Case in point: the great Lionel Barrymore.
These are subjective terms, aren't they? All were great talents but I think the term supporting actor fits those three best. Peter Lorre and George Sanders were the leads only in those B-grade serials (Mr. Moto and The Falcon), whereas Claude Rains did star in a few movies where he was the lead. The rest of the time he was, just like Peter Lorre and George Sanders, relegated to supporting roles. Ronald Reagan was like that too, supporting roles in big movies, a lead in minor pictures.
Great list, although, as others have said, Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, John Carradine, and Sydney Greenstreet all deserve to be included. James Gleason and Henry Travers are two of my favorite character actors.