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Can anyone recommend to me a really good book on those great supporting actors that gave so much spice to old Hollywood? I'd like to find a book that is more than just a mere listing of their films, but offers some insight into their lives and attitude toward being the support, not the star.

I think one would have to rule out actors like Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Gloria Graham or Mary Astor, as they both starred and supported over long careers.

My favorites would include: Walter Brennan, Thomas Mitchell, Charles Coburn, C Aubrey Smith, Donald Meek, John Carridine, Sydney Greenstreet, Edward Everett Horton, S Z Sakall, Alan Hale, and Sam Jaffe.

Phillyrich wrote: My favorites would include: Walter Brennan, Thomas Mitchell, Charles Coburn, C Aubrey Smith, Donald Meek, John Carridine, Sydney Greenstreet, Edward Everett Horton, S Z Sakall, Alan Hale, and Sam Jaffe.

Three of the best: Alan Mowbray, John Halliday, John Miljan. One of my favorites has a name so bland & forgettable that I can never remember it, but he was a regular in pre-Code pictures.

I can't bear Walter Brennan, except when on rare occasions he plays some thoroughly nasty character.

Quite a few books on this topic. To hand are three volumes of THE REAL STARS by Leonard Maltin. Volume One is on AbeBooks from £4.50 (about $7) incl. postage (to UK, may be less in the States). I have at least one large format one in my shop which I use for reference and there was one (will try to find details) which I lent and never saw again...

There is also at least one book by David Quinlan as well as one solely on British character actors. If you'd like to list a few favorites, I can let you know if any of them are in the Maltins. My viewing of these films started over 40 years ago, when most of these actors were long dead, and folk like Donald Meek and Thomas Mitchell were always a pleasure to spot in the opening credits. Not forgetting Charles Halton, Russell Simpson, etc., etc. And of course many of them turned up in the same film which was an extra bonus.

One recalls with fondness the radio announcer at the end of 1945's STATE FAIR informing Ma and Pa that Donald Meek's pickles / preserves judge was in hospital suffering from the DTs after over-indulging in the alcoholic mincemeat...

I have 3 books in my collection-all devoted to supporting actors.
1. Hollywood Character Actors by James Robert Parish
2. Character People by Ken D. Jones, Arthur F. McClure and Alfred E. Twomey
3. The Versatiles by Alfred E. Twomey and Arthur E. McClure

donwc-- can you give a little info on each of the three books you mention? I had heard the Parish book is mostly pictures and lists of films--I'd prefer a page or more of background on each actor.

All 3 books that I mentioned on character actors are good. Hollywood Character Actors is a big book--about 540 pages--and you are right-the author lists all the films made by each actor and anywhere from 2-10 lines of bio--along with a quote from a film of each actor. Now, with IMBD, a list of all films is unnecessary! James Parish,however, is a good writer.
I think The Versatiles is probably the most interesting as its more into a short bio and only naming a handful of films for each character actor.

The other one is THEY HAD FACES THEN, by John Springer and Jack Hamilton. A handsome, interesting large format book with plenty of entries, tho' a bit thin on information. Admittedly it is difficult when one considers films where details are unavailable and uncredited appearances. Also the smallness of some of these roles would mean some actors only worked briefly on one film and for several days or longer on another (to use Donald Meek again, his telling, but minor role in JESSE JAMES (1939) and his vindictive prosecutor in YOUNG MR LINCOLN (1939)).

In addition there are players such as Francis Ford, a bigger name than his brother in the 1910s, then doing smaller speaking parts (KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN, 1930), before his tiny, but memorable roles over the next twenty years. His lazy, drunken, but honest juror Sam Boone in YOUNG MR LINCOLN consists chiefly of a nodding and shaking of the head plus the odd hiccup and never fails to amuse.

[quote="Phillyrich"]Can anyone recommend to me a really good book on those great supporting actors that gave so much spice to old Hollywood? I'd like to find a book that is more than just a mere listing of their films, but offers some insight into their lives and attitude toward being the support, not the star.

I think one would have to rule out actors like Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Gloria Graham or Mary Astor, as they both starred and supported over long careers.

My favorites would include: Walter Brennan, Thomas Mitchell, Charles Coburn, C Aubrey Smith, Donald Meek, John Carridine,
Sydney Greenstreet, Edward Everett Horton, S Z Sakall, Alan Hale, and Sam Jaffe.[/quo



Good character actors actually had great job security in Hollywood. They supported stars who they saw come and
go and were probably horrified when asked to star in a movie for thought of losing job security.

syd wrote:
Good character actors actually had great job security in Hollywood. They supported stars who they saw come and
go and were probably horrified when asked to star in a movie for thought of losing job security.

A lot of supporting and character actors made starring appearances in shorts, or feature films at small studios.

Eric Blore, Alison Skipworth, Reginald Gardiner, Margaret Hamilton, Franklin Pangborn, Florence Bates.....oh, sooooo many. I'll have to think of some more.

I am currently on a Maude Eburne kick, watching several of her films on the last few days. I think she's terrific as a sort of "low rent" Marie Dressler (she actually looks more like an older, hung-over Shirley Booth); most of her roles were small and even bits so it's been great to see her in a few featured parts.

How could I forget Jane Darwell, and Hattie McDaniel-- several hundred film appearances between them.
They proved that you didn't have to be young, thin and blonde to get regular work in Hollywood. (: ).

I've been thinking about Elisha Cook since TCM will be running THE BIG SLEEP as part of their Lauren Bacall tribute. He was great in that film ("Nothing's funny"). Also of course in THE MALTESE FALCON and PHANTOM LADY, and he lived so long that he turns up in enjoyable TV appearances in Perry Mason, Star Trek and The Odd Couple.