These guys were in EVERYTHING

[bigmtnman]

Character actors are a bit of a hobby for me. Going to the movies and watching TV while growing up in the '50s, I kept seeing the same familiar faces. I have picked these five as some of the most prolific character actors during that time. Most will not know their names, but their faces will surely be familiar. Who would you add to this list ?

Morris Ankrum
Nestor Paiva
Walter Sande
William Schallert
Whit Bissell

Note ... I should clarify that prolific lesser known name character actors are a hobby. Those whose face you see a lot and you recognize as "Oh ..THAT guy (or gal) but aren't a big name like Ward Bond or Walter Brennan.

 

[swsig]

Keenan Wynn may be too famous to be considered a character actor, but he was in seemingly every movie in the '40s and '50s. James Whitmore was pretty ubiquitous himself. Here they are together, improbably doing a song and dance number, "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" from the musical Kiss Me Kate. Audiences in 1953 must have been amazed to see these two tough guy character actors in this scene.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Zzl_HH4XQ[/ame]

 

[mckenney99]

Royal Dano. He seemed to show up everywhere and usually on the same shows, playing different characters. The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rawhide and many many others. He had a very active career. To me, he epitomized the term character actor.

He even provided the voice for Abe Lincoln in the Disneyland animatronic Hall Of Presidents.

 

[Grayfox]

Struther Martin. Nuff said.

 

[Rudi]

There was a cadre of these actors. Some ladies as well. Nita Talbot comes to mind.

 

[bigmtnman]

There was a cadre of these actors. Some ladies as well. Nita Talbot comes to mind.

Jeanette Nolan was one of the MOST prolific females especially on TV ...... Everything from society matron to old hag (when she took out her dentures)

 

[Bald1]

Amazon Prime and Netflix seem to have their own home grown character actors. You see them over and over all the time. Also it was fun to watch The Rifleman. This weeks villain is Lucas McCains best friend next week.

 

[turnerriver]

Seeing Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore tap dancing was a treat.
Ted De Corsia, in a million movies.

 

[bigmtnman]

Royal Dano. He seemed to show up everywhere and usually on the same shows, playing different characters. The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rawhide and many many others. He had a very active career. To me, he epitomized the term character actor.

He even provided the voice for Abe Lincoln in the Disneyland animatronic Hall Of Presidents.

He probably portrayed Lincoln more times than any other actor. And yes, he is Lincoln's voice at Disneyland.

 

[sceva]

I always thought Jack Elam was THE character actor.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

John Carradine is quoted as saying "Be a character actor-you'll work more."
Roy Barcroft was the "brains" villain in many of the Republic serials and B-movies.
When making the serials and westerns he took his roles seriously and insisted the other actors do do because he knew how much it meant to the kids.

 

[RetCapt]

Years ago we were at a function related to the (then) Tuolumne Co Film Festival. Jack Elam was there, on one side of the room, holding forth with stories. He was a great raconteur (understatement!) so everyone was fascinated. Ben Johnson, an old friend, had just recently passed. During dinner Jack stood up to do a eulogy about his old friend. Jack obviously had prepared this eulogy in advance, but he used no notes. Jack went beyond being articulate; he was eloquent. The entire house was moved. It was a most fitting send off for a man of Ben Johnson's stature and character. As an actor he was known as 'the face that wrecked a thousand stage coaches", but he was much more than that. Besides his obvious intellect, he was a class act and a true gentleman.

 

[rockquarry]

Character actors are a bit of a hobby for me. Going to the movies and watching TV while growing up in the '50s, I kept seeing the same familiar faces. I have picked these five as some of the most prolific character actors during that time. Most will not know their names, but their faces will surely be familiar. Who would you add to this list ?

Morris Ankrum
Nestor Paiva
Walter Sande
William Schallert
Whit Bissell

To make a list of character actors who appeared in as many films as the guys you listed would be a long and tedious chore. But those you named is certainly a good start. I always wondered what salary those "B" guys made in a picture.

 

[quikdraw67]

Character actors are a bit of a hobby for me. Going to the movies and watching TV while growing up in the '50s, I kept seeing the same familiar faces. I have picked these five as some of the most prolific character actors during that time. Most will not know their names, but their faces will surely be familiar. Who would you add to this list ?

Morris Ankrum
Nestor Paiva
Walter Sande
William Schallert
Whit Bissell

Whit Bissell, the undertaker in "The Magnificent Seven"

One of my all time favorite movies.

 

[sheepdawg]

Kenneth McDonald.

Usually a con man and shyster especially with the Three Stooges until he became a judge in quite a few Perry Masons.

 

[GaryS]

Walter Brennan was the quintisential character actor. He literally was in everything and won three Oscars as Best Supporting Actor.
Harry Morgan was another guy who was in lots and lots of movies.
George Tobias was an extremelt versatile actor who played a lot of different characters. He is perhaps best known as Mr. Cravitz on "Bewitched."
John Ford had a whole crew of actors and actresses that were in his movies in minor, but crucial roles. Hank Worden, Jack Pennick, and Mildred Natwick.
No list of character actors would be complete without including Burt Mustin.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

John Carradine is quoted as saying "Be a character actor-you'll work more."
Roy Barcroft was the "brains" villain in many of the Republic serials and B-movies.
When making the serials and westerns he took his roles seriously and insisted the other actors do do because he knew how much it meant to the kids.

Actors such as Roy Rogers, Clayton Moore (THE Lone Ranger) and William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy) all knew the influence they had on kids and endeavored to live in a way that would not look hypocritical or disappoint their fans. Clayton Moore had been a circus performer prior to acting and he understood the image he had as the Lone Ranger and changed his lifestyle for the kids.

Back in the ‘70s a Roy Roger’s restaurant opened in the town I lived at the time. Roy Rogers himself came in the grand opening. I was working close by at the time and was unable to go but the place was swamped with fans. Lots of kids but they were taken there by their dads who were the ones who wanted to see Roy.

But in college I did get to see Buffalo Bob when he was touring college campuses. Howdy Doody was not with him.

 

[Golddollar]

Two long time character actors immediately come to mind. One is John Saxon. I don't remember him ever having any starring roles, but sometimes he would appear on 3 different TV shows in the same month.

The other eventually ended up with a long running starring role in a popular TV show, but he certainly bounced around a lot as a character actor in westerns and on Perry Mason. Who was it? Denver Pyle, "Uncle Jesse" on the "Dukes of Hazzard."

 

[rockquarry]

Then there were the three "Gordons": Don, Frank, and Bruce. They were character actors in many films and TV roles. Everyone from the '50s and '60s era will recognize them.

 

[Golddollar]

Then there were the three "Gordons": Don, Frank, and Bruce. They were character actors in many films and TV roles. Everyone from the '50s and '60s era will recognize them.

I remember Bruce Gordon had a recurring role in "The Untouchables" as Frank Nitti.