I am breaking from my
usual comments on low budget movies to address five high budget
actors and actresses for the “Five Stars Blogathon” hosted by http://www.classicfilmtvcafe.com/. There were some solid performances
in the B-movie genre in spite of being saddled with a poor production
or a bad agent. A few of those seemingly forgotten actors might
appear on anyone's expanded list. But my candidates stand the test of
time and are universally accepted as some of the best of Hollywood
regardless of the era. Despite starring in a few less than successful
films, their performances were not at fault. Each is impossible to
ignore on-screen and in their best films, the running time is not
quite long enough.
Edward G. Robinson
Except for the ubiquitous
carnival funhouse distortion mirror, your average mirror never
confused Edward G. Robinson with Errol Flynn of the Thirties. With
handsome leading men being hand-picked by studios, it may be hard to
figure how E.G. made it onto a soundstage at all. Not hard to figure
is the polished performances of this tremendously dedicated,
classically trained actor. His talent resuscitated many a script,
transforming the movie into a memorable encounter. There have been
those who seem fully aware or intimidated by camera and crew a few
feet away. Their acting is turned on and off by their presence,
perhaps trying too hard to make a good impression. There was never
any hint of this in Robinson's acting. He inhabited his characters to
become one of the most famous actors of any era. His distinctive
voice and small stature was a polarizing magnet to audiences. From
light comedy to heartfelt dramas or a crime story, he made it look so
easy. His funny asides in “Larceny, Inc” to his amusing character
in “The Whole Town’s Talking,” to his performance in “The
Stranger,” each illustrated an actor of great versatility. He
returned to his criminal roots in a believable role for, “Key Largo.”
In his book, “The Actor's Life: Journal 1956-1976,” Charlton
Heston wrote about Robinson’s last screen appearance in “Soylent
Green.” Though E.G. was terminally ill, "He never missed an
hour of work, nor was late to a call. He never was less than the
consummate professional he had been all his life.” Yet, to go
throughout his entire career without an Oscar nomination after
appearing in nineteen academy nominated films is a bit mind-boggling.
He did receive a Cleo award which included a self-parody ending line
for a 1964 Maxwell House television commercial. Finally, a career
fulfilled! “Listen here, Hollywood. May a pox be cast on ya', see!”
Gregory Peck
With his commanding voice,
female-weakening smile, angular good looks, and stature, he was
definitely someone to watch in the Forties. Peck was destined for
screen immortality almost out of the gate and his fifty-four years of
excellent performances catapult him to the top of any actor’s
list. He will forever endure as one of the best representatives of
Hollywood’s Golden Age. “Spellbound” may have solidified his
career but he was just getting started. From his interpretation of a
good-natured father in, “The Yearling,” the undercover reporter
in, “Gentleman’s Agreement,” to the stressed-out combat pilot
in, “Twelve O'Clock High,” each role fit him perfectly. His Oscar
performance as the wise father and patient lawyer in, “To Kill a
Mockingbird,” stands singularly alone. Critics complained about his
stiffness in certain roles or in general. Maybe stoicism was a more
positive moniker. Most thought he was miscast in “Moby Dick.”
Though Peck apparently agreed, I find his Captain Ahab scary,
commanding and appropriately stiff. The versatile actor rolled on.
Who would have figured the western star of such classics as, “Yellow
Sky” and “The Gunfighter,” or an Army lieutenant in “Pork
Chop Hill,” as the unassuming professor with spy, Sofia Loren, in
“Arabesque,” Peck's last outing for light comedy. When one
considers Peck's entire body of work, comedy does not readily come to
mind. But his first meeting with Loren’s character is funny because
of his authentic delivery and charm. She enters the room and says
hello. Peck, without looking up responds with a short, unconcerned,
“Hello.” He does a double-take, and astounded by her beauty,
cannot compose a sentence, only excitedly repeating, “Hel-lo,
Hello! Hel-l-l-o Hello!” Few actors could make such effective
use of a single word.
Jean Arthur
The list of genuine
comediennes with as many classics gets very narrow after considering
Arthur at her nearly “ten-year zenith.” Adorable, thy name is
Jean Arthur. Her characters of strength may be one reason her movies
seem so relevant some seventy-five years later. Her silent films are
now forgotten because she had no voice. A voice distinctly suited for
comedy, wacky or not. Her child-like voice doubled her charm as if
part tomboy and dainty ingenue. That voice gave her an “everyday
girl” appeal, someone smart but still a bit confused about
relationships yet always talking to men on equal terms. There were
moments her voice sounded like her impression of an octogenarian as
her voice crackled with her pitch squeezed to new heights. She
interpreted her roles with a unique delivery that remains singularly
endearing. Arthur was delightful as the savvy reporter when “Mr.
Deeds goes to Town,” and is hilarious as the out-of-work secretary
mistaken for a millionaire's mistress in, “Easy Living.” For “The
Talk of The Town,” she again plays a single, well-educated female
amid two male suitors with a few hilarious twists. For, “The More
the Merrier,” her legendary voice and subtle facial nuances were
both funny and alluring, especially to McCrea who was powerless to
resist. Their scenes are innocent and pure yet may have set new
standards for screen chemistry. She was worthy of the Oscar
nomination. Other females of the Golden Age handled comedy well
enough, which may have as much due to a great script than anything
else. But to be flummoxed, smart, sassy, sympathetic, empathetic,
resourceful, sad and funny in a single character, you need to be Jean
Arthur.
Spencer Tracy
Tracy always elevated a
film several floors simply by showing up. Adept at comedy or drama,
with his natural style he seemed to walk through his roles as if he
knew his part from birth. That he was destined to do one thing
perfectly in his life. Act. His early Thirties films helped jump-start his career but by the end of that decade, his Hollywood stardom
was planted firmly for ions with excellent films too numerous to
mention. I have always defended his performance as Jekyll and Hyde.
Coming off his first Oscar performance and the enjoyable, “San
Francisco” or “Boom Town,” maybe it was a shock for Tracy fans
and critics. Tracy's Hyde was not a physically grotesque creature, in the likes of John Barrymore or Frederic March, but a disgusting, psychological
menace of terrifying proportions. His constant threatening of
Bergman —” I am such a tease,
aren’t I?”— as he calmly
eats fruit, spitting the seeds on her apartment floor. All the while
planning another “fun” evening together purely for selfish
desires and ego. His performance, sometimes subtle, is a beautiful
thing to watch. He would later team up with March for, “Inherit the
Wind,” where Tracy wins the audience and court case over his costar
in their respective roles. If his private life was not joy-filled,
his comic timing is of course, legendary. Especially with Hepburn.
Tracy could be the favorite father, a saintly priest or a despicable
criminal. One can almost imagine him listening to his fellow costars
deliver their lines, as if he just dropped by, then recite the
appropriate lines in response in the most natural way. As his stocky
stature seemed to allude, his acting was solid year after year.
Claudette Colbert
Though at times her high
cheekbones and big wide-set round eyes gave a slight quirkiness to
her face, there is no denying her appeal. Her slender body was much
simpler to reason with and her skin was the envy of every porcelain
doll. Her charm and sophistication were unequaled as was her
insistence to be fashionable at all times on screen. All of which may
account for her appearing taller than her rather short stature.
Colbert’s silky, alto vocal range was another of her engaging
qualities that could melt through any script. Her comedies are
legendary and rank as some of the best of the Golden Age. Even if
critics neglect it, “It’s a Wonderful World” is one of my
favorites which includes her most memorable and charming line, “I
swear by my eyes!” Keeping her sophistication intact, she held back
on pure physical comedy. But she fit right in responding to it.
“The Egg and I” came close with her character tackling the
unknowns of farm living. Sort of a “Green Acres” predecessor, you
might say. After World War II her success continued with a mix of
highly regarded dramatic roles and comedies, culminating her career
with a Golden Globe for the television miniseries, “The Two Mrs.
Grenvilles.” Colbert was a smart businesswoman. She stood firm on
her professional demands, of which there were many. She was shrewd
enough to choose roles to maintain her Hollywood image. But what
really mattered to audiences at the time was her flowing charm,
self-assured characters, effortless acting and the uncanny ability to
personify the expression of revelation. If Clark Gable was a man’s
man, Colbert was, indeed, a woman’s woman.
