As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I love watching old movies and series, because you keep seeing the same stars, and in all honesty, character actors are some of the greatest stars to ever perform, because for a few moments they steal a movie from the big stars.
The above actor is Robert Donner. I know most of you have seen his work, and you never knew his name like so many of these background actors like Hal Needham or Dean Smith, and then when you look them up, you usually exclaim, "I never knew that was him!"
I had that moment with Donner when I saw a photo of him as Whitey on the John Wayne move, Rio Lobo, which is one of my favorite movies. It is allot like Dean Smith in Big Jake, who plays a sniper rifle assassin. You know these actors, as he appears in Rio Lobo too.
The transformation of Donner from the above to what we normally recognize him, just astounds me.
Then of course his transformation to a modern role, makes a fan just wonder if this is the same man.
I really like Val Kilmer as an actor. I have favorites like you do, but when you see these minor actors and the things they pull off, they are the ones who should be winning Oscars for their minor roles, as to be an actor and you have no idea who they are from one movie to the next is what a real professional is.
I love Strother Martin and L Q Jones, two very southern sounding actors from long ago, but you can pick them out in just hearing them or seeing them. Robert Donner in most of his western roles stands out, but when you see his ability to lose you from realizing who he is, that is what amazes me.....and he did it all without piles of make up.
I could go on, but when you see Hal Needham, which I began noticing in Have Gun Will Travel, by knowing his name, I was delighted as once I figured out who he was in the back cast, that you can not miss him, no matter what part he plays. He played an Indian once with his head down, and I immediately said, "That is Hal Needham!"
It is a miracle of God in some actors can not hide and others are so chameleon you are amazed it is the same person.
The worst crime of Hollywood's many crimes is they ignored the actors who transformed roles. There was only the "supporting actor" nomination, which is like saying, "sands on the beach" as there are so many, but so many are so good, but they only get one category.
The fact is that our beloved John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O'Hara would not have been stars if the supporting casts were not so great in the movies they were in. The fact is that John Wayne featured most of these supporting actors as the best, always attracted the best. Robert Donner is one of the best.
Nuff Said
agtG
