Do You Know Me?
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jdb1
You are correct, and I posted ten minutes ago to tell you so, but it seems to have disappeared.srowley75 wrote:Well, after stewing over this one for most of the day, I'm gonna take a guess and say that you're Alan Napier.
Napier had a long career on stage and screen in Britain and the US.
The films I mentioned were The Uninvited and Song of Bernardette. Even if Napier's roles as a soldier, doctor, professor or scientist were small, he stood out literally, because he was 6'6" tall.
In the US, he is best known as the imperturbable Alfred the Butler in the TV series Batman. Michael Caine took over the role in the Batman movies.
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
It's been so long since I've been here --- but two of the three attorneys I take care of are out (one is at the Yankees' opener at the new stadium!). So I need to amuse myself. Care to try this one?
Do you know me?
The marriage of my parents was considered somewhat remarkable in its time because of their very different backgrounds. I dismayed them both when I quit school to try my hand at acting. I worked steadily in various Midwestern theaters, and did fairly well when I went to Broadway.
I went to Hollywood, and the advent of sound gave me an opportunity for success. I was co-starring and starring pretty early on in my movie career. I played all sorts of roles, but mostly "aristocrats" of one sort or other: rich, or titled, or distinguished professional, or otherwise.
I was very active politically in Hollywood, and so was my spouse. One of my very closest friends was also one of my political allies, but his views changed starkly over the years, and our friendship did not last the change. He became much more influential in politics than he ever was in the movies. I maintained my political position, which cost me work during the time in Hollywood when one's politics mattered.
Even so, I managed to work, in films and on the stage. I am one of those who holds a "triple crown" in acting awards. In fact, I don't have just one Oscar, I have two.
Who am I?
Do you know me?
The marriage of my parents was considered somewhat remarkable in its time because of their very different backgrounds. I dismayed them both when I quit school to try my hand at acting. I worked steadily in various Midwestern theaters, and did fairly well when I went to Broadway.
I went to Hollywood, and the advent of sound gave me an opportunity for success. I was co-starring and starring pretty early on in my movie career. I played all sorts of roles, but mostly "aristocrats" of one sort or other: rich, or titled, or distinguished professional, or otherwise.
I was very active politically in Hollywood, and so was my spouse. One of my very closest friends was also one of my political allies, but his views changed starkly over the years, and our friendship did not last the change. He became much more influential in politics than he ever was in the movies. I maintained my political position, which cost me work during the time in Hollywood when one's politics mattered.
Even so, I managed to work, in films and on the stage. I am one of those who holds a "triple crown" in acting awards. In fact, I don't have just one Oscar, I have two.
Who am I?
Re: Do You Know Me?
Welcome back, Judith.
Fredric March?
Fredric March?
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
No, but you are in that brand new gazillion-dollar ballpark that NYC taxpayers paid for, but can't afford tickets to, and the Yankees had the ill grace to lose in yesterday.ChiO wrote:Welcome back, Judith.
Fredric March?
Our Mystery Guest won Oscars for supporting roles, and also has a Tony and an Emmy. March was nominated for, but never won an Emmy, and his Oscars were for lead roles. However, both of these actors are of the same generation. Our MG got his Oscars rather late in his career. Our MG was also much more active politically than was March, but he was not the political star of the family.
Our MG was in many more comedies than was March, and was quite good in them. But he also had many dramatic co-starring roles, almost all of them opposite Very Big Female Stars.
One of our MG's descendants is a minor star herself.
Re: Do You Know Me?
Rats...beaten by 5 minutes...Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
You are both right: the gentleman is one and the same.
Douglas's parents were a Russian-Jewish musician and professor, and a Georgia-born (USA, that is) Mayflower decendant. Douglas was born in 1901.
Douglas became a lead player in films very early in his career, but did not win peer recognition until his supporting actor Oscar wins for Hud (1963) and and Being There (1979). He won a Tony as best actor in The Best Man in 1960, and an Emmy as best actor for Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night (1967).
Douglas was very liberal in his politics, and was married to the former actress Helen Gahagan, who was active in Democratic politics and public service in the 1940s, and who became a Congresswoman in the early 1950s. Mrs. Douglas was the subject of a notorious smear campaign in her race for a US Senate seat from California. Her opponent was Richard Nixon, who accused Mrs. D of being a communist, and called her "pink right down to her underwear." Mrs. D countered by dubbing Nixon "Tricky Dick," a name he never lived down. Mrs. D was subsequently appointed United States Treasurer (a largely ceremonial position, different from Secretary of the Treasury) in the Kennedy administration.
Ronald Reagan was a very close friend of Melvyn Douglas throughout the 1930s and 40s, but as their political views began to diverge, their friendship disintegrated. In the 1950s, Douglas was considered "gray listed" because of his and his wife's liberal leanings; he was not denied work completely, but he didn't get as much as before. Mrs. D's appointment to the Kennedy cabinet in 1961 helped Mr. D to ease back into the public eye, and he began to work steadily. The actress Illeana Douglas is the granddaughter of Melvyn Douglas.
Douglas's parents were a Russian-Jewish musician and professor, and a Georgia-born (USA, that is) Mayflower decendant. Douglas was born in 1901.
Douglas became a lead player in films very early in his career, but did not win peer recognition until his supporting actor Oscar wins for Hud (1963) and and Being There (1979). He won a Tony as best actor in The Best Man in 1960, and an Emmy as best actor for Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night (1967).
Douglas was very liberal in his politics, and was married to the former actress Helen Gahagan, who was active in Democratic politics and public service in the 1940s, and who became a Congresswoman in the early 1950s. Mrs. Douglas was the subject of a notorious smear campaign in her race for a US Senate seat from California. Her opponent was Richard Nixon, who accused Mrs. D of being a communist, and called her "pink right down to her underwear." Mrs. D countered by dubbing Nixon "Tricky Dick," a name he never lived down. Mrs. D was subsequently appointed United States Treasurer (a largely ceremonial position, different from Secretary of the Treasury) in the Kennedy administration.
Ronald Reagan was a very close friend of Melvyn Douglas throughout the 1930s and 40s, but as their political views began to diverge, their friendship disintegrated. In the 1950s, Douglas was considered "gray listed" because of his and his wife's liberal leanings; he was not denied work completely, but he didn't get as much as before. Mrs. D's appointment to the Kennedy cabinet in 1961 helped Mr. D to ease back into the public eye, and he began to work steadily. The actress Illeana Douglas is the granddaughter of Melvyn Douglas.
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
Here comes a new Mystery Guest:
There isn't too much biographical information about me, but I'll share with you what has been written. I was born in the Midwest, and as a teen had a part-time job leading sing-alongs in movie theaters. I had been married when I was very young, but my marriage didn't survive my trip East. I went to Broadway as a young man, and started out as a playwright. My first play was a modest success, and I supplemented my income by acting as well. I married a popular and successful young stage actress, who is forgotten today. I met with some pretty good success on Broadway, writing one more play, and appearing in many others, and I returned there throughout my career.
I made some silent films, and my young son appeared in a few of them. He went on to become a minor star in his own right, and is probably better known than I am, since he appeared in many films in roles bigger than mine, and did a lot of TV work, including some successful series. On one of my Broadway outings, I played a role in a very successful and very long-running military comedy/drama, whose star brought it to the screen, but I didn't get to play my part in the movie; a much bigger leading man of my generation did. My son was a member of the ensemble in that play, using my name with "Jr." He later changed his first name.
I am one of those character actors whose face is known by classic film fans, but not necessarily his name. My face was very distinctive. I must have played dozens of police detectives, lieutenants, captains, and the like, and also many military commanders. Playing cops, I faced off against Marlon Brando in two films. I played the father of a famous runaway in a TV series, and the father of a suicidal young man in a feature film. There was irony in that role, since my third wife was herself a famous suicide, and the circumstances were similar. I was also featured in one of the Twilight Zone episodes that is generally run on TV during TZ "marathons."
Who am I?
There isn't too much biographical information about me, but I'll share with you what has been written. I was born in the Midwest, and as a teen had a part-time job leading sing-alongs in movie theaters. I had been married when I was very young, but my marriage didn't survive my trip East. I went to Broadway as a young man, and started out as a playwright. My first play was a modest success, and I supplemented my income by acting as well. I married a popular and successful young stage actress, who is forgotten today. I met with some pretty good success on Broadway, writing one more play, and appearing in many others, and I returned there throughout my career.
I made some silent films, and my young son appeared in a few of them. He went on to become a minor star in his own right, and is probably better known than I am, since he appeared in many films in roles bigger than mine, and did a lot of TV work, including some successful series. On one of my Broadway outings, I played a role in a very successful and very long-running military comedy/drama, whose star brought it to the screen, but I didn't get to play my part in the movie; a much bigger leading man of my generation did. My son was a member of the ensemble in that play, using my name with "Jr." He later changed his first name.
I am one of those character actors whose face is known by classic film fans, but not necessarily his name. My face was very distinctive. I must have played dozens of police detectives, lieutenants, captains, and the like, and also many military commanders. Playing cops, I faced off against Marlon Brando in two films. I played the father of a famous runaway in a TV series, and the father of a suicidal young man in a feature film. There was irony in that role, since my third wife was herself a famous suicide, and the circumstances were similar. I was also featured in one of the Twilight Zone episodes that is generally run on TV during TZ "marathons."
Who am I?
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
Excellent, mon amie! You are correct.knitwit45 wrote:would you be Robert Keith?
Keith wrote the play "The Tightwad" in 1927, and it met with some success on Broadway. He married the then-popular Broadway actress Helen Shipman, who is the mother of Robert Keith, Jr., a/k/a actor Brian Keith. Besides a fairly busy Broadway acting career, Keith Sr. also penned a second play, called "Singapore" in 1932.
Keith Sr. was in several successful Broadway plays, most notably as the ship's doctor in Mr. Roberts, which starred Henry Fonda, and which ran for over 1,000 performances. Because of other committments, Keith was unable to play the role in the movie, and it went to William Powell.
Keith made many movies and did a lot of TV work. He had a distinctive, grizzled, rather hang-dog kind of face, with big pouches under his eyes. He played the sheriff in The Wild One and the NYPD detective in Guys and Dolls, both of which starred Brando. Keith was the hapless father of Richard Basehart in Fourteen Hours, where he spent some time trying to talk the suicidal Basehart charater off a window ledge. In real life, Keith's ex-wife Peg Entwhistle was the unfortunate starlet who killed herself by jumping off the big "H" of the HOLLYWOODLAND sign in the early 1930s.
Keith played Richard Kimball's father in the TV series The Fugitive, and was the malevolent patriarch in the Twilight Zone episode about the spoiled, nasty family of people who put on masks during Mardi Gras in New Orleans and were unable to take them off.
Re: Do You Know Me?
When you said "Brando", I immediately thought of Robert Keith. If you watch very closely, he is in the diner that's Open All Night as the lead in to the late movies on TCM. It's just a really short clip from a movie I can't name, and he's sitting at the counter, as a cop talking to a runaway (or some other hapless fellow) while another great character actor pours him a cup of coffee. Robert Keith is a name I am always happy to see. Who's behind the curtain now, J?
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
Seems a bit moribund around SSO today. Here's a brain teaser for you:
Do you know me?
I was born in Brooklyn, and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. I had some small success on Broadway. Besides my acting, I took classes at the Art Students' League in New York. There, I modeled for a portrait which was chosen to appear on the cover of a magazine. That got me noticed, and I was asked to join a Chicago theater company, where I starred in a version of a very famous American novel of the 1920s. When sound came to Hollywood, I was one of the young actors recruited to replace some of the established silent stars who the studios decided couldn't "talk."
I made a lot of movies in the late 20s and early 30s, and was voted a WAMPAS Baby Star. I was popular, although my acting technique was often panned by critics. They thought I laid it on too thick, but fans didn't agree, and my movies, which were generally of the "wronged woman" type, did fairly well.
However, I gained a reputation of being "difficult," and I went from leading parts to supporting parts. After I had made about 20 movies, the studio brought in a very distinctive, younger stage actress from back East who became the leading player. The new star's career lasted for more than 50 years; my career, unfortunately, went nowhere after that. I thought the newcomer was getting all the parts I should have been getting, so I left and became a freelancer. At one point, I even took the drastic step of traveling to Australia to make a movie, something very uncommon for a Hollywood star at that time.
I worked very little after that, and not much is known of my life. I did occasional regional theater, but was considered emotionally fragile and hard to work with. My private life was turbulent: I had two very difficult marriages, and lots of trouble from both ex-husbands. I settled in a small town with a third husband, but was not very content. My rather early death was attributed to an overdose of pills.
Who am I?
Do you know me?
I was born in Brooklyn, and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. I had some small success on Broadway. Besides my acting, I took classes at the Art Students' League in New York. There, I modeled for a portrait which was chosen to appear on the cover of a magazine. That got me noticed, and I was asked to join a Chicago theater company, where I starred in a version of a very famous American novel of the 1920s. When sound came to Hollywood, I was one of the young actors recruited to replace some of the established silent stars who the studios decided couldn't "talk."
I made a lot of movies in the late 20s and early 30s, and was voted a WAMPAS Baby Star. I was popular, although my acting technique was often panned by critics. They thought I laid it on too thick, but fans didn't agree, and my movies, which were generally of the "wronged woman" type, did fairly well.
However, I gained a reputation of being "difficult," and I went from leading parts to supporting parts. After I had made about 20 movies, the studio brought in a very distinctive, younger stage actress from back East who became the leading player. The new star's career lasted for more than 50 years; my career, unfortunately, went nowhere after that. I thought the newcomer was getting all the parts I should have been getting, so I left and became a freelancer. At one point, I even took the drastic step of traveling to Australia to make a movie, something very uncommon for a Hollywood star at that time.
I worked very little after that, and not much is known of my life. I did occasional regional theater, but was considered emotionally fragile and hard to work with. My private life was turbulent: I had two very difficult marriages, and lots of trouble from both ex-husbands. I settled in a small town with a third husband, but was not very content. My rather early death was attributed to an overdose of pills.
Who am I?
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jdb1
Re: Do You Know Me?
Excellent, Nando! You are correct.feaito wrote:Are you Miss Helen Twelvetrees?
There isn't a lot of biographical information about Twelvetrees online. What I wrote is just about all I could find. Twelvetrees was starring in "An American Tragedy" in Chicago when she was called to Hollywood. Her career was short, and she disappeared from public notice after making about 30 films. After two contentious marriages, Twelvetrees married an Air Force officer, and lived with him in Pennsyvlania, where she died at 49, apparently a suicide.
When I first got cable TV, there was a network called "The Romance Network" -- did it become Lifetime, or WE, maybe? It showed romance-type films, and in the early mornings it seemed to me that every film broadcast was a real antique from the earliest days of sound, and starred Helen Twelvetrees, with whom I was not very familiar. I liked her, even if the films themselves weren't very good.
But I did find something interesting on the Internet: in a blog called "Here in The Hills," the blogger tells of her experience appearing in a regional theater production of Streetcar Named Desire, which starred Twelvetrees as Blanche. Here's a link:
http://sitteninthehills64.blogspot.com/ ... welvetrees
I also came across a poem by John Ashbery called "Pavane pour Helen Twelvetrees." Here's an excerpt:
Abrasive chores were a specialty.
Then, suicide at fifty.
Not a back street that didn't reflect
meanness, and somehow, candor.
To be clasped by the awkwardly handsome Phillips Holmes
in an open carriage in Havana:
"St. Patrick's Day, don't it make you feel grand?"
There were fiery landladies to cope with
and the usual drunks. Otherwise
time passes, assuring vulnerability.
I was saying, you never get over
some of these lumps, that's what they're for.
Otherwise, you can abide in discretion,
or just plain bawl.