A VISIT TO HOLLYWOOD VIA PALM BEACH

Continuing the tribute to Hollywood Character Actors, and the writers who provided them with great dialogue, we have Charles R Moore (120 credits), born 23 April 1893 in Chicago, died 20 July 1947 (age 54) Los Angeles. He was mainly uncredited and played a variety of porters, elevator operators, cooks, janitors, waiters, bootblacks and various servants. He appeared in over 60 films in the 1930’s alone, 6 films a year, including Million Dollar Legs (1932) with W.C. Fields and Jack Okie, Blonde Venue (1932) with Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant and Herbert Marshall, directed by Joseph von Sternberg, The Constant Woman (1933) from a play by Eugene O’Neil, with Conrad Nagel, Manhattan Melodrama (1934) with Clark Gable, William Powell and Myrna Loy, He was Her Man (1934) with James Cagney and Joan Blondell, Front Page Woman (1935) with Bette Davis and George Brent, directed by Michael Curtiz,  Saratoga (1937 with Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939) with James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains directed by Frank Capra, Sullivan’s Travels (1941), with Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, written and directed by Preston Sturges. He worked with a number of Hollywood legends.

One of his best scene stealing appearances was in The Palm Beach Story (1942) also written and Directed by Preston Sturges, with Joel McCrea, Rudy Vallee, Claudette Colbert and Mary Astor. 

Porter: Yes, I know who you’re talking about, you mean, the young lady who lost all her clothes.

Tom Jeffers:  She lost all her clothes?

Porter: Yes sir, but we fixed her up with a blanket when she got off at Jacksonville.

Tom Jeffers: She got off at Jacksonville?

Porter: Yes sir

Tom Jeffers: Alone?

Porter: Well you might practically say she’s alone, the gentleman that got off with her gave me 10 cents from New York to Jacksonville -Watch your step lady- she’s alone but she don’t know it.

Tom Jeffers: Well, never mind the philosophy, then she’s at Jacksonville...

 

The film is on YouTube. The scene is at 56.13 into the film.

 It is well worth an hour and a half of your time.

Siegfried 'Sig' Arno

You will also spot the excellent Sig Arno (156 credits) Born 27^th December 1895 in Hamburg Germany, died 17 August 1975 (age 79) in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. He left his acting career in Germany in 1933. As a Jew, Arno had to go into exile. In the following six years he travelled through Belgium - there he directed the movie "La gloire du regiment" (1937) - Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands - here he acted again in different plays. Finally, he went to America in 1939.

 

Amongst his films are It Started with Eve (1941)) with Deanna Durbin and Charles Laughton, Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) with Lucille Ball and Gene Kelly, Thousands Cheer (1943) with Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly and Mary Astor, Up in Arms (1944) with Danny Kaye and Dana Andrews.

 

Also in the film were the wonderful William Demarest (165 credits), Roscoe Ates (152 credits), Robert Greig (107 credits), and of course, the great Franklyn Pangborn (238 credits).

It must be remembered that these actors were all born in the last quarter of the 19^th Century and sound films only began in 1929, by which time they all had theatrical careers. Enjoy the film.