Remembering Arthur O'Connell On His Birthday

[Arthur O'Connell and James Stewart in
Anatomy of a Murder, 1959]

The year 1955 was very good for Arthur O'Connell (29 March 1908 - 18 May 1981). He appeared in Picnic, for which he received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also had parts in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and Bus Stop.

He was one of those great character actors who always turned in a stellar performance. My favorite was as Parnell Emmett McCarthy, the washed up, alcoholic attorney who saved the day for Jimmy Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder (1959) for which he received his second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Happy Birthday, Arthur O'Connell.

Arthur O'Connell's Obituary, The New York Times, 19 May 1981


Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email • And don't forget to respond to the verification email!

Remembering Thelma Ritter On Her Birthday

[Thelma Ritter, 1955]

To me, Thelma Ritter (14 February 1902 - 5 February 1969) was the best character actor ever to appear on film. I loved her and believed everything she ever said. Co-incidentally, or is it, Ritter appeared in all my favorite films:

• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• Call Northside 777 (1948)
• All About Eve (1950) - Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• The Mating Season (1951) - Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• Rear Window (1954)
• Pillow Talk (1959) - Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• How the West Was Won (1962)
• Move Over, Darling (1963)
• Boeing Boeing (1965)

Just to name a few.

Ritter also delivered what I believe is the best comeback line ever to be uttered on film. In All About Eve when Gary Merrill asks Ritter on his way out of town to direct a movie in Hollywood, "What do you want me to tell Tyrone Power," Ritter responds, "Just give him my phone number. I'll tell him myself."

Oh, how I love you Thelma Ritter. Happy Birthday.

Programming Note

[Leslie Howard and Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind (1939)]

Gone With The Wind to air on TCM Thursday, February 9, at 9:00 PM PST [Please check your local listings]

Leslie Howard: On & Off Screen

Leslie Howard: On & Off Screen

Recently, Tom Hamilton, Writer, Producer and Director of the documentary films Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn and The Mystery of Flight 777, the story of the ill-fated flight of the IBIS in which Leslie Howard met his death, made some of his Leslie Howard memorabilia available for purchase online at LeslieHowardMemories. [Items are still available for sale.] Of course, I had to purchase a few items—more than a few really—and Tom was kind enough to forward me a copy of Leslie Howard: On & Off Screen. [To see a write up of the original screening of the film by The Cinema Museum, click here.]

Programming Note

[Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer in A Free Soul (1931)]

A Free Soul to air on TCM Sunday, January 15, 2017, at 9:00 AM PST [Please check your local listings]