ADSactly Cinema - Supporting actors - the unsung heroes of the film industry

When I was young, I used to go to the theater a lot - you just had to see a famous actor playing Hamlet, everyone talked about the superb cast of ‘The Glass Menagerie’. No one ever went to see the guy playing the butler or the maid. Most of the times the actor playing the butler is on older gentleman, who’s done similar parts for most of his life. Often ignored, but essential to the play. Somebody has to hold the door or pour the tea while the main characters are busy with their oh-so-important parts.

The same goes for movies, you go to see your favorite actors, but many times you’ll see a familiar face in the background, someone you’ve probably seen in dozens of films before, but their name escapes you. Sometimes, it can be quite irritating, but nowadays there’s an easy solution to it, just go on the IMDB site and you’ll find out the name and the films you’ve seen that actor before.
From time to time, one of these unknown heroes, just as dedicated to their profession as the stars in the picture, manages to win recognition as supporting actors, but that’s rare. And since their name are largely unknown to the great public, even their passing goes unnoticed. Another unknown face will take on the butler parts.

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If I were to mention ’Gone with the Wind’, I’m sure many will remember Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. If you try hard, you might recall Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon also being in the movie. The name of the black slave, always by Scarlett’s side? You might remember her face and her formidable temper, but I’m afraid the name Hattie McDaniel won’t ring many bells. To be honest, I only know the name because I’ve been doing a lot of research for this Hollywood series and her name came up on several occasions. It’s the first African American to win an Oscar ever. If you love old movies, chances are you might have seen her playing the maid to such movie stars as Bette Davis, Jean Harlow or Ginger Rogers. Technically, this is typecasting, but the film industry calls them character actors.
Hattie McDaniel was also a talented singer. According to film lore, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wanted her own maid to be given the part of Mammy, but McDaniel won by going to the audition in an authentic maid’s costume.

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I’m sure this next face is also familiar to you - the police chief in ’Casablanca’, the one Bogart turns to and says the famous line "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship". With a career spanning over four decades, Claude Rains won four Academy nominations for Best Supporting Actor, but did not win even once. Actually, Humphrey Bogart didn’t win either for his part in ‘Casablanca’.
Here’s how fellow actor Richard Chamberlain described him:

”Claude Rains has to be considered one of the finest actors of the 20th century. As soon as you hear that marvelous, unmistakable voice of honey mixed with gravel, he becomes instantly recognizable. And that scornful right eyebrow which could freeze an adversary faster than and more effectively than any physical threat.”

Yet, when the role called for it he could be the nice guy, he could be that as well. Take, for instance, the good-natured effective doctor Jacquith in ’Now Voyager’, starring Bette Davis, who considered him one of her favorite actors to work with.

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How about this funny face? Billy Gilbert appeared in over 200 films and TV shows, supporting such comedy stars as Laurel and Hardy, in his early years. He played many butlers, waiters, small shop owners, some of his parts even uncredited. In the image above, Billy Gilbert plays the part of Herring (Hermann Goering) in Charlie Chaplin’s satire ’The Great Dictator’. Oh, and he was the voice of Sneezy in Disney’s ’Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, not to mention he was one of the original ’Three Stooges’.

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Gale Sondergaard is another typical example of a perpetual supporting actress. She made dozens of movies with Hollywood’s greatest stars and even managed to get two Oscar nominations. In 1936, she was awarded the inaugural Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in ’Anthony Adverse’.

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If a female part required a working-class character with a comedic overtone, chances were that Thelma Ritter would be called upon. In more than 40 years of acting career, Ritter appeared in a supporting role in such great movies as ’All About Eve’ or ’Birdman of Alcatraz’. She received six Oscar nominations as Supporting Actress, more than any other actress in this category.

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If there ever was a need for a shady character, a slightly dishonest salesman, Jesse White was just the guy. He made a career for himself playing small parts in dozens of movies. In a strange twist of fate, he is best remembered for an ad campaign as the lonely Maytag repairman. His last TV appearance was on a 1996 ’Seinfeld’ episode.

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Moving forward to modern times, I’m sure the face above is quite familiar, too. You must have seen John C. Reilly in some of the dozens of movies he’s made. Many times he was offered the part of a cop or a soldier, but he’s also appeared in ’Guardians of the Galaxy’ or in last year’s ’Stan & Ollie’, where he played the part of the great Oliver Hardy.
Of all of the above, Claude Rains is my favorite by far? Do you have an actor you know well, but whose name you keep forgetting as he’s not an A-lister?

Post authored by @ladyrebecca.
References: 1, 2, 3.