Which Golden Age Actors/Actresses Can You Watch In Whatever Movie They Are In?

[rjb1]

Second the motion on Spencer Tracy (up to 1950). Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Barbara Stanwyck, Alan Ladd. These are all "big stars" - I need to think more about some of the high-quality but lesser known actors, especially the character people. (Adding one of those right now, I'll say Frank Faylen. He always seemed to really be whatever character he was playing.)

 

[tridentine]

Or I forgot, William Frawley.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Wow, what a variety of names. Stymie Beard? Hmmm. I think I'd go with Willie Best...

Stymie was The Man. "Them ham an' eggs' sayin' hello to my stomach riiiiiiiight now!"

 

[rjb1]

Three cheers for Stymie Beard! I think you could write a self-help book based on what I call the "Stymie Principle".
In one of the "Our Gang" episodes Stymie and Spanky (as quite small kids) go up to an old-time lunch counter and start ordering fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, apple pie, ice cream, etc.
The lunch counter man asks, "Have you kids got any money?" Stymie says, "Naw...". The the lunch counter man says, "Then how do you expect to get all that stuff?".
Stymie says (wistfully), "Oh, we don't expect to, we just want to..."
Being able to distinguish between what you want to get, and what you expect to get, is a valuable ability in life.
(I know this is a bit of a digression, but you don't get a chance to talk about Stymie Beard every day.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

"It might choke Artie but it won't choke Stymie!" is another one to live by -- you don't have to take what the world puts in front of you just because everyone else does. The more you look at him, the more you see Stymie as one of the most transgressive figures on the Golden Era screen.

 

[Widebrim]

^^Well, well...Stymie the non-conformist. Any support out there for Buckwheat?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I was a Farina fan myself -- a very clever, expressive actor.

 

[rjb1]

To keep a bit of the original thread, I'll add the collective "Our Gang" actors as those whose films (short subjects) I'll watch every time. In fact, I saw one of the early ones with Chubby and Weezer and Pete the Pup just last night.
(And I'll stick with Stymie as my favorite one of all - I was at least a bit serious about writing a book about "The Wit and Wisdom of Stymie Beard". You could do a lot worse for life advice.)
Maybe a separate "Our Gang" thread would be a good idea.

 

[Lily Powers]

Didn't even need to think twice about this: Warren William and Kay Francis.

 

[HadleyH]

Many.

But I would watch anything with Robert Mitchum, mmm the girl can't help it [huh]

 

[Blackthorn]

Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, two of the most charismatic stars ever.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Anything and Everything. Of course, she does not have a very large body of work, but I love her and have seen almost every movie where she's had a substantial role. Even the stinky ones I sat through just to see Jeannie!

 

[Stormy]

Bogie and Lana Turner

 

[J.B.]

• Jean Harlow :first:
• Joan Blondell
• Myrna Loy

 

[Bernie Zack]

Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford. Bogie, of course!

 

[C44Antelope]

Stars: William Powell, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Myrna Loy, jean Arthur
Supporting: Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Brennan, Guinn Big Boy Williams

Widebrim, I've always liked Tex Ritter, too.

 

[Widebrim]

Stars: William Powell, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Myrna Loy, jean Arthur
Supporting: Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Brennan, Guinn Big Boy Williams

Widebrim, I've always liked Tex Ritter, too.

Tex definitely had a certain appeal to him.

 

[C44Antelope]

I saw a biography piece on Tex Ritter a few years ago. They told how he took a little boy to an Angels game and while at the game the boy saw a crowd milling around Gene Autry. The boy turned to Tex and asked "who are they crowding around down there?" To which Tex said, "why, that's Gene Autry" the story goes that Tex laughed and laughed when the boy replied "who's that?"

 

[AmateisGal]

Cary Grant, Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney

 

[Widebrim]

Cary Grant, Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney

I could see Andrews in just about anything. A great minimalist actor, as seen in Where the Sidewalk Ends and Fallen Angel.