Character Actors in Film and Television - Introduction

I’ve always had a fascination with character actors. Those men and women who usually play a minor supporting role in a motion picture or television show. It’s often said, “I know the face, but I can’t place the name.” Perhaps you never knew their name because it was far down in the credits or in the case of older movies, noted only at the beginning. In the days before video and DVD you couldn’t simply rewind or chapter hop to check. By the time you saw the show or film again, you’d forgotten, until you saw that face...

Many began their careers in radio because of distinctive voices. In film and television these character actors often had very small parts with just a few lines, or a single scene, but essential lines to move the story along or give the main character someone to play off of. Often not the second banana, but certainly the third or fourth in the bunch. Occasionally, on a television series such as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, they may have one episode with top billing, but usually they had smaller, supporting parts.

Take for instance, Elisha Cook Jr. He played everything from a sailor in the 1963 The Fugitive episode “The Witch” to a lawyer in the 1967 Star Trek episode “Court Martial” to Polly the Snitch in the 1975 Starsky and Hutch episode “Lady Blue.” He once said of the character Samuel T. Cogley in “Court Martial”, “Well, the part was interesting in that it wasn’t the usual Elisha Cook part.” [1]

The character actors I fondly remember worked with some of the greatest directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and Frank Capra, often multiple times. They held their own with such stars as Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, John Wayne... Beulah Bondi once said, “I played Jimmy Stewart’s mother five times.” [2]

Now, I’m going to date myself here, but I think it’s important, because I want to primarily focus on character actors before 1980. Some of these folks may have worked on into the next few decades and I might mention those roles from time to time. But my recollections and favorites for this series are from my early years of watching movies and television. I had the good fortune of living in a small mid-America hometown, next door to the family who owned both the movie theater and the drive-in. I went to a lot of movies, sometimes riding with my neighbor and doing odd jobs until the ticket booth opened. I’d sit in my favorite seat (half-way down, half-way across) with popcorn and Lemon Lime soft drink in hand waiting for the theater to go dark. The Saturday matinee, Sunday matinee, Wednesday evening special showings – unless it was rated “M” I was probably there. In those days instead of advertisements they ran coming attractions and a cartoon. Often on Saturday there might also be a chapter from an old serial which always ended in a cliffhanger to get you to come back the next week. I did sit on the front row once, for Batman with Adam West, but that was a special occasion and as far as I was concerned it might have well been the World Premier. I hope mom doesn’t read this.

My fascination with character actors also springs from too many hours in front of the television. I enjoyed the old shows and still watch them. The Andy Griffith Show, Dragnet, I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone....

Now, through DVD and on-demand channels, I’m catching up on the ones I missed, like Adam-12. One day I’m watching the episode titled, “The Chaser” and there is the guy we used to call “Old Burt” because we didn’t know his full name. Dad would say, “There’s “Old Burt” again.” “Old Burt” seemed to have been born a senior citizen. If you’re a fan of the classic stuff, you know I’m talking about Burt Mustin. One of the greats.

Some character actors were often typecast in the same role because they just seemed to look the part. Guys like Olan Soule would turn up as a lab technician, a scientist, or doctor. That girl with the distinctive smile would be a waitress, a hatcheck girl, or selling tickets at the Bijou. Another guy would always be a thug, a bouncer, or mobster. Once a military type, always a military type, but at any rank or any branch of service where they needed to serve.

Let’s take a quick quiz. How many of the following ten actors and actresses can you picture in your mind? If you’re a fan of the old movies and classic television, you’ve seen every one of them more than once. Click on the name to see if you’re right.

• Parley Baer
• Jack Elam
• M. Emmet Walsh
• Henry Jones
• Kathleen Freeman
• Woodrow Parfrey
• Virginia Gregg
• Joe Flynn
• Maudie Prickett
• Roscoe Lee Browne

Now there are some character actors who rose above just a passing one episode or one scene part, such as Joe Flynn who played Captain Wallace B. Binghamton on McHale’s Navy or Harry/Henry Morgan who played Officer Bill Gannon on Dragnet and Col. Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H. He even directed episodes of some classic shows.

There are hundreds of these folks who week in and week out did yeomen’s work. This doesn’t count the thousands who only did a few films or television episodes. Someone who you might have seen only once or twice. Perhaps someone else might gather the facts on them one day. My goal is to acquaint us with some of those who caught my eye, made a significant contribution, most without the awards or adoration that the stars received, to entertain us over the years.

Stay tuned...

[1] Star Trek 25^th Anniversary Special, 1991

[2] Young, Jordan R., Reel Characters (Beverley Hills, Moonstone Press, 1986)