"No small roles, only small actors" - Great Bit Players

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by JozefK, Jun 26, 2017.

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  1. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Dixie
    He plays the "Water Brennan" role in El Dorado, and isn't he the uncle in Moonrunners?

    His career declined w/westerns, but he didn't end up in bits.
     
  2. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dixie
    Good

    Don't mention Jack Gilford again
     
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  3. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    Anthony James. Great at playing villains, although was an ultimately sympathetic character in an episode of BUCK ROGERS.
     
  4. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    Michael Ripper was always good in whatever part Hammer Films put him in; from inn-keepers to befuddled assistants to small-town cops, he excelled at doing a lot with a little.
    You'll see him listed in any number of the better-known horror films the studio made.

    Can't forget Arthur Housman, the eternal drunk in so many 30s US films.
    The smashed best friend, the sozzled convention-goer, the random alcoholic at the bar...that was his specialty and he was always a welcome funny sight when he staggered into view.
     
  5. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
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    He was in The Twilight Zone episode The Hunt. Great one.
     
  6. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dixie
    Re-up:

     
  7. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dixie
    Here's somebody I remember from reruns of sixties sitcoms:

    [​IMG]

    I never knew his name, but he was a very memorable presence. A voice similar to Phil Silvers, if perhaps somewhat more effete. You always noticed him, no matter the size of his role. I sometimes wondered why he didn't have a bigger career. Well it seems he did, just not as an actor.

    [​IMG]

    He was also a writer, and eventually devoted himslef solely to writing. He wrote around half of F Troop, and many Hogan's Heroes episodes. His greatest achievement, at least that I'm aware of, is probably his sole MASH script, "Love & Marriage".

    He also wrote a funny Odd Couple, where Felix coaches his son's football team. In the '80s he became a producer on Gimme a Break and Amen. He died in 1995 at age 71.

    Arthur Julian - IMDb
     
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  8. Greg Gee

    Greg Gee "I tried to change but I changed my mind..."

    Location:
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    Kim Coates has been in many films, most memorably as Butler in Open Range.
     
  9. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia

    he reminds me of the phone repairman in Barefoot in the Park, but I think that's someone different....



    nahhh its all in good fun
     
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  10. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    There's a lot of 'old-school' character-actors, so far...
    Let me presents to you, for your consideration.....
    Mr. PETER STORMARE!
    [​IMG]
     
  11. Luvtemps

    Luvtemps Forum Resident

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    P.G.County,Md.
    How bout-Jack Elam[one of the best TV villains ever]L.Q. Jones.
     
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  12. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    Does Dan Hedaya count?
    [​IMG]
     
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  13. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

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    California
  14. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
  15. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    yea I guess...: )
     
  16. halfjapanese

    halfjapanese Gifs moider!

    William John Bertanzetti
    [​IMG]
     
  17. neo123

    neo123 Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern Kentucky
    Yep. See his face in a lot of movies and TV. But I think he is considered more of a character actor than a bit actor. His supporting roles were bigger than just bit parts. I put him in the same category as Vincent Schiavelli, who played such roles as the subway ghost in Ghost, Mr. Vargas in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Fredrickson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and other eccentric roles.

    I also used to get Stormare mixed up with Brion James, another character actor who played similar roles.
     
  18. Valkenburg

    Valkenburg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hawaii
    Fans of b-movies of the 50s and 60s love Dick Miller. The video below is OK but focuses too much on his later work and doesn't include his best lines from The Terminator, "You know your weapons, buddy. Any one of these is ideal for home defense".

     
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  19. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia


    i was thinking the same thing, he had a decent role in minority report too
     
  20. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Innocent Bystander

    Absolutely. Best remembered these days as Nick Tortelli, Carla's ex-husband on "Cheers", but forever in my brain for his phone rant as Tom Hanks' boss in Joe vs. The Volcano.

    "I'm not AHGUING with that witchoo!"
     
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  21. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    the guy in the middle!
    [​IMG]


    played the murray the cop in the film version of the off couple and the telephone repairman in barefoot in the park...and a million others
     
  22. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Innocent Bystander

    ^^^^ Herb Edelman. Been in a gazillion smallish roles in film and TV for years. He was Bea Arthur's ex-husband on Golden Girls, and frequent appearances on St. Elsewhere.
     
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  23. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dixie
    Absolutely not
     
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  24. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dixie
    And he wasn't a bit player

    People are naming supporting actors.

    I guess most people can't name bit players because they don't know the names of bit players.
     
  25. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Innocent Bystander

    An invaluable resource for those interested is the book "Who Is That?", though it mostly deals with bit players from older movies.

    There's also "
    Illustrated Encyclopedia of Movie Characters"
     
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