A Reappraisal of Three Character Actors from Hollywood’S Golden Age

University of the Incarnate Word The Athenaeum Theses & Dissertations 12-2015 Second-Billed but not Second-Rate: A Reappraisal of Three Character Actors From Hollywood’s Golden Age Candace M. Graham University of the Incarnate Word, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://athenaeum.uiw.edu/uiw_etds Part of the Communication Commons, and the Film and Media Studies Commons Recommended Citation Graham, Candace M., "Second-Billed but not Second-Rate: A Reappraisal of Three Character Actors From Hollywood’s Golden Age" (2015). Theses & Dissertations. 70. https://athenaeum.uiw.edu/uiw_etds/70 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by The Athenaeum. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Athenaeum. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SECOND-BILLED BUT NOT SECOND-RATE: A REAPPRAISAL OF THREE CHARACTER ACTORS FROM HOLLYWOOD’S GOLDEN AGE by Candace M. Graham A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the University of the Incarnate Word in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS University of the Incarnate Word December 2015 ii Copyright 2015 by Candace M. Graham iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank Dr. Hsin-I (Steve) Liu for challenging me to produce a quality thesis worthy of contribution to scholarly literature. In addition, thank you for the encouragement to enjoy writing. To Robert Darden, Baylor University communications professor, friend, and mentor whose example in humility, good spirit, and devotion to one’s passion continues to guide my pursuit as a classic film scholar. Thank you. To Dr. Valerie Greenberg, who selflessly spent countless hours with me discussing classic film, continually challenging me to dig deeper, I extend my gratitude. A very special thanks to Dr. David Ortiz of the Graduate Support Center for the priceless opportunities, which made my graduate studies experience exceptional. A wealth of thanks goes to my research interviewees for their time and contributions. To Dr. Kevin Lord: thank you for your support and encouragement. A heartfelt thanks to Sr. Walter Maher – thank you for your compassion. To my husband…I will now cook again. And to my mother: we will continue our evening calls on classic film. To my father in heaven: thank you for shining your light on me. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to: my husband, Bruce Graham, and to the character actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. v SECOND-BILLED BUT NOT SECOND-RATE: A REAPPRAISAL OF THREE CHARACTER ACTORS OF HOLLYWOOD’S GOLDEN AGE Candace M. Graham, MA University of the Incarnate Word, 2015 Seventy-six years ago Hollywood experienced something never before nor since seen. The year, 1939, was Hollywood’s “Dream Year” for production of some of the most memorable films of all time. Today, the term used to describe films of this success level is blockbuster. Film scholars and fans call them classics. It was the culmination of films of Hollywood’s Golden Age starring every one of Hollywood’s A-Listers of this Golden Age of film, from Don Ameche to Loretta Young. However, lost in this maze of the top-billed or leading actors were the character actors who were also known as supporting cast members or B-stars. What the performances of these character actors communicate to the world is the focus of this thesis. First, a reappraisal of three character actors, Eve Arden, Charles Coburn, and Thomas Mitchell was conducted through research of existing literature. Second, interviews were conducted with classic film experts, publicists, and those possessing unique knowledge and/or experience on the topic, to establish grounded theory. Analysis and findings of these interview responses provided insight into the contributions of classic film character actors – these three and at-large – as second-billed but not second- rate. Finally, findings supported the hypothesis of the deficiency in scholarly literature on this research topic and how character actors contributed to the overall and lasting success of their films. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix DEFINITION OF TERMS ..............................................................................................................x CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 Background—American Cinema .........................................................................................1 Background—Character Actors ...........................................................................................2 Background—Directors .......................................................................................................2 Background—Music Composer...........................................................................................3 Background—Film Studios and Studio Publicity Machines ...............................................4 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................5 Eve Arden ............................................................................................................................6 Charles Coburn ....................................................................................................................6 Thomas Mitchell ..................................................................................................................7 Summary ............................................................................................................................11 Research Question .............................................................................................................11 Limitations of the Study.....................................................................................................12 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................13 Introduction ........................................................................................................................13 Scholarly Articles...............................................................................................................13 vii Table of Contents—Continued Chapter II: Literature Review Books .................................................................................................................................16 Magazines ..........................................................................................................................19 Newspaper..........................................................................................................................21 Online .................................................................................................................................21 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................24 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................26 Methodology and World View ..........................................................................................26 Interviewees .......................................................................................................................26 Procedure ...........................................................................................................................29 Instrument ..........................................................................................................................30 Interviewees’ Responses ....................................................................................................31 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS ...........................................................................................................52 Analysis..............................................................................................................................82 CHAPTER V: SIGNIFICANCE....................................................................................................91 CHAPTER VI: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................94 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................94 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................96 WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................................99 WORKS CONSULTED ..............................................................................................................107 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................108 viii LIST OF TABLES 1. Books About Clark Gable ........................................................................................................70 2. A-List Actors, Films and/or Directors Without Character Actors Per Interviewees ...............83

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