Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures By: Dr. Roger L. Gordon Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures is a compilation of biographies of supporting actors that spans from the advent of sound through the present day. Supporting actors, known also as character actors, often play in roles that complement the lead with comedy, drama, or other means, and are the backbone of any good film, television program, or stage performance. This book contains over 300 biographies that highlight the careers of the many talented actors and actresses that have appeared on the big screen throughout the past 100 years.

A study of supporting character actors and actresses in the American motion picture, 1930-1955.

A companion volume to Quinlan's illus. directory of film stars. B/W photos.

"During the golden age of American cinema, the character actor’s contribution often goes unacknowledged or, though perhaps not forgotten, underappreciated; the unsung heroes. Hollywood studios had large stables of contract and stock players from all walks of life and in all shapes, sizes and ages. This great population of personalities formed the league of character actors. They played the sidekicks and best friends of the stars who headlined the movies in which they appeared. They also portrayed parents, grandparents, oddball relatives, wise-cracking neighbors, smart-aleck store clerks and loveable barkeeps. Lest we forget the sinister side of this society, villains also claimed a stake in this assembly of saints, sinners and every type in between. These colorful personalities were usually one-dimensional, someone to whom the star could confide secrets or vent frustrations. In many cases they carried the same persona over from one film to the next, perfecting their stereotype so that audiences knew what to expect from them in a positive and affectionate way, collecting their beloved favorites over the years. The Name Below the Title features 20 of the best and most fun examples of the Hollywood character actor during Hollywood's most famous era from the 1930s through the 1950s"--Amazon.com.

Saluting the unsung heroes of the entertainment industry, this guide identifies "famous" character actors and actresses. It includes a full-color photo section for easy identification and an informative--and irreverent--biography.

Combining classic and recent essays and examining key issues such Movie Acting, the Film Reader explores one of the most central but often overlooked aspects of cinema: film acting.

(Applause Books). A master actor who's appeared in an enormous number of films, starring with everyone from Nicholson to Kermit the Frog, Michael Caine is uniquely qualified to provide his view of making movies. This revised and expanded edition features great photos, with chapters on: Preparation, In Front of the Camera Before You Shoot, The Take, Characters, Directors, On Being a Star, and much more. "Remarkable material ... A treasure ... I'm not going to be looking at performances quite the same way ... FASCINATING!" Gene Siskel

Names compiles ten years' worth of interviews with as many character actors. These are the supporting players who have made generations of moviegoers blurt out "I know that actor- Who is that? I've seen him a million times!" These actors' identities have continually eluded most moviegoers. But their unforgettable faces and personalities are another story. Included are exhaustive interviews with: - R. G. Armstrong- Burly, prolific western star-- A perennial movie sheriff, Sam Peckinpah regular, and, unrecognizably, Dick Tracy's arch-nemesis, Pruneface! - Dick Bakalyan- The pugnacious Crown Prince of the Juvenile Delinquent film, familiar Disney movie player, and co-star of films as disparate as Ray Milland's Panic in Year Zero! and Roman Polanski's Chinatown. - Don Pedro Colley- Imposing, regal co-star of Beneath the Planet of the Apes (as the telepathic mutant inquisitor), THX-1138 (as a hologram), and Sugar Hill (as Baron Samedi, king of the zombies). - Royal Dano- In his last interview, Dano recalls his extensive career, working with Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Nicholas Ray, Jack Arnold, and dozens of other Hollywood notables. - Jonathan Haze- As part of director Roger Corman's stock company, Haze achieved cinematic immortality as the luckless "Seymour" in Corman's original The Little Shop of Horrors. Besides his multifarious work with Corman, Haze wrote AIP's manic Invasion of the Star Creatures, and worked behind the cameras with the likes of John Wayne. - Bo Hopkins- A cinematic stalwart of the '70s, whose credits include The Wild Bunch (his debut), The Getaway, Monte Walsh, American Graffiti, and The Day of the Locust. Another perennial movie sheriff! - L. Q. Jones- A western, war, and Peckinpah film staple, and director of the cult science fiction classic, A Boy and His Dog. His recent credits include Casino, The Edge, and The Mask of Zorro. (Also, quite possibly, the funniest character actor alive.) - Buck Kartalian- Diminutive former wrestler and body-builder, best remembered as "Julius," the ape jailer of Planet of the Apes. Kartalian's film work ranges from major Hollywood fare (Mr. Roberts, Cool Hand Luke) to some of the wackiest exploitation films ever (The Acid Eaters, Please Don't Eat My Mother!, and Devil's Angels.) - Paul Koslo- Laconic action star of the '70s into the '90s: The Omega Man, Mr. Majestyk, The Losers, Cleopatra Jones, Joe Kidd, ad infinitum. - Marc Lawrence- One of the screen's greatest gangsters, with a career spanning well over 150 feature films and eight decades! Illustrated with over 100 photographs, Names. chronicles the lives of the unsung character men who often outshone the stars that surrounded them. Includes never-before-published interview material.