Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Character Actor Thomas Mitchell, born July 11, 1892!
Veteran Character Actor Thomas Mitchell has appeared in such a wonderful array of iconic films — and has portrayed such a diverse palette of characters — that it’s almost hard to know where to begin! That said, I will do my best to do him justice here by highlighting some of his more famous roles!
Whoops, before I start, I also want to mention that Thomas Mitchell was the first person to win the ‘Triple Crown’ of acting – an Oscar in 1940 for Best Supporting Actor in Stagecoach, an Emmy in 1953 for Best Actor (comedy), and a Tony Award in 1953 for Best Performance by an Actor for the musical Hazel Flagg.
Now on with the ‘show’…
Thomas Mitchell as Gerald O’Hara (Scarlet’s father) and Vivien Leigh as Scarlet in Gone with the Wind (1939, director Victor Fleming)
“Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O’Hara, that Tara, that land, doesn’t mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin’ for, worth fightin’ for, worth dyin’ for, because it’s the only thing that lasts.” -Thomas Mitchell as Gerald O’Hara in Gone with the Wind
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Thomas Mitchell as lovable but absent-minded Uncle Billy and James Stewart as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, director Frank Capra)
“After all, Potter (Lionel Barrymore), some people like George HAD to stay at home.”
–Thomas Mitchell as Uncle Billy Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life
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Cary Grant as pilot Geoff Carter and Thomas Mitchell as his right-hand-man Kid Dabb in Only Angels Have Wings (1939, director Howard Hawks)
“The only thing I can tell you about him, he’s a good guy for gals to stay away from.”
-Thomas Mitchell as Kid Dabb in Only Angels Have Wings
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Thomas Mitchell as philosophical drunk Doc Boone in Stagecoach (1939, director John Ford)
“Is this the face that wrecked 1000 ships and burned the towerless tops of Illium? Farewell, fair Helen.”
– Thomas Mitchell as Dr. Josiah Boone in Stagecoach
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Thomas Mitchell as reporter Diz Moore with Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders and Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939, director Frank Capra)
“This is the most titanic battle of modern times. A David without even a slingshot rises to do battle against the mighty Goliath, the Taylor machine, allegedly crooked inside and out. Yeah, and for my money, you can cut out the allegedly‘”
-Thomas Mitchell as Diz Moore in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
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Thomas Mitchell as Mayor Jonas Henderson in High Noon (1952, director Fred Zinnemann)
“What this town owes Will Kane here it can never repay with money – and don’t ever forget it. He’s the best marshal we ever had. Maybe the best marshal we’ll ever have.”
-Thomas Mitchell as Mayor Jonas Henderson in High Noon
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AND LAST but certainly not least :)…
Thomas Mitchell as Tyrone Power’s side-kick Tommy Blue in The Black Swan (1942, director Henry King)
“By land or by sea, you can always rely on Tom Blue for wrong doin’ of any nature!”
-Thomas Mitchell as Tommy Blue in The Black Swan
AVA GARDNER: The Secret Conversations — This Week’s Qualifying Entry Task:
In order to qualify for this week’s Ava Gardner Book Giveaway, you must complete the following task by Friday, July 12 at 5PM EST (i.e. any time between now and Friday, July 12 at 5PM EST):
In the book, author Peter Evans recounts his conversations with Ava, many late at night, when Ava speaks candidly about her loves, life and career — from her hardscrabble upbringing in rural North Carolina to starring alongside Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and Humphrey Bogart, as well as her marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra.
2) TWEET (not DM) the Link to the Ava Gardner Page where you rated the films TO@classicmoviehub WITH the two hashtags #QualifyingTask #Rated10AvaGardnerFilms BYFriday, July 12, 5PM EST
NEXT STEP: Once you have successfully completed the above Qualifying Entry Task, you will be eligible to win a copy of the book. Your next step will be to wait for my Trivia Question Tweet* which will be sent on Friday evening, April 12, at exactly 10PM EST — and correctly tweet the answer to the Trivia Question. The FIRST PERSON to correctly Tweet the Answer to that Trivia Question wins the book (assuming they’re already eligible because they’ve successfully completed the above-referenced Qualifying Entry Task).
In other words, the first person who successfully completes this Qualifying Entry Task AND correctly answers the Friday night 10PM EST Trivia Question wins the book.
They’re almost here. The perilous, precarious and/or personable pairs.
As the Dynamic Duos in Classic Film blogathon, co-hosted with the fabulous Once Upon a Screen(@CitizenScreen) draws near, it’s time to share the planned schedule. I can hardly contain my excitement at the incredible list of bloggers and topics that will be featured. As you see below, it’s an impressive list – one that far exceeded my expectations in number, artist, genre and participant. I’m so excited, in fact, that I want to look up, into the clouds as if John Gilbert were nibbling on my neck….oh.
Before I go I must express my thanks to all of you fabulous bloggers for making this event so special so borrowing the words of George M. Cohan I say…“My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.”
Um…OK. I guess that’s corny. Let me instead offer some advice…“Plastics.” Or a wistful thought, “Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.”
Don’t tell me I never gave you anything!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
If you’d like to take part and haven’t signed up, it’s not too late. Here are the details:
Or in the comment section of this post make note of the following:
The Name and URL of your blog
Your email address
Your Twitter tag if you have one
Your choice of film/characters/personalities, etc. (Although all entries are welcome, there are so many wonderful Duos to be discussed, we prefer no repeats)
Your post date preference if you have one (either July 13 or 14)
AND, please help us promote the event by placing one of the banners included in this post on your site along with a link to the host sites.
Banners:
One more thing – there are many more classic film events planned this summer. For details visit the new Events Calendar featured at Classic Movie Hub.
In the book, Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations, Ava describes the first time she met Mickey Rooney, who would soon become her first husband. In her own words: “I can remember that first meeting with Mick clearly — probably because he was wearing a bowl of fruit on his head.”Who was Mickey Rooney dressed up as when he met Ava for the first time? (TWEET your answer to @classicmoviehub) [if you need a hint scroll below]
The FIRST person (who already completed this week’s Qualifying Entry Task) to correctly TWEET the answer to the above question — wins!
Marty Piletti in Marty, played by Ernest Borgnine (Academy Award for Best Actor)
There are certain movies that I love to watch over and over. Marty is one of them.
Marty is the story of a sweet, but socially-awkward man whose family is constantly hounding him to get married. A 34-year-old butcher from the Bronx in the 1950s, Marty sees himself as a fat, ugly and unlovable man resigned to life as a lonely bachelor.
However, at a dance, he meets Clara, who is a kindred spirit: plain, unglamorous, and still living at home with her parents. Marty and Clara share their dreams and their stories, tenderly transforming their loneliness into encouragement.
It is so joyous to see the scene where Marty, exuberant after taking Clara home, almost dances down the street. The success of the date has given him a type of confidence he has never known before.
But what gives Marty true kickass confidence is his own ability to rise above all the objections he hears from his family and friends who think Clara is a “dog” and a “nothing” girl, and that he can do better. He is almost persuaded to never see her again, but listens to his heart instead, which tells him he’s finally found true happiness.
Michelle Kerrigan is an expert in workplace performance who helps clients achieve success by developing the skills they need to increase their confidence. She shares “Classic Movie Characters with Kickass Confidence” because each of them has inspired her. She hopes that they inspire you too. For more about Michelle, visit www.workplaceconfidence.com.
AVA GARDNER: The Secret Conversations — This Week’s Qualifying Entry Task:
In order to qualify for this week’s Ava Gardner Book Giveaway, you must complete the following task by Friday, July 5 at 5PM EST (i.e. any time between now and Friday, July 5 at 5PM EST):
In the book’s first chapter, author Peter Evans describes his reaction when ‘cold called’ by Gardner to ghost write her memoirs. Evans was swamped, working 15 hours a day trying to finish his third novel. The last thing he needed at this point was a distraction. “But,” as Evans goes on to say “this was Ava Gardner calling me. Only a fool would say he wasn’t interested. Or not tempted.” That said, we, as Classic Movie fans, can understand Evans’ predicament. Busy or not, how could anyone turn down such a once-in-a-lifetime offer? Ava Gardner was a star, a big star, a legend…
2) TWEET (not DM) the Link to your“Five Fav Ava Gardner Films” List: TO@classicmoviehub WITH the two hashtags #AvaGardner #QualifyingTask BYFriday, July 5, 5PM EST
NEXT STEP: Once you have successfully completed the above Qualifying Entry Task, you will be eligible to win a copy of the book. Your next step will be to wait for my Trivia Question Tweet* which will be sent on Friday evening, July 5, at exactly 10PM EST — and correctly tweet the answer to the Trivia Question. The FIRST PERSON to correctly Tweet the Answer to that Trivia Question wins the book (assuming they’re already eligible because they’ve successfully completed the above-referenced Qualifying Entry Task).
In other words, the first person who successfully completes this Qualifying Entry Task AND correctly answers the Friday night 10PM EST Trivia Question wins the book.
We have a total of FOUR BOOKS to give away — so we will give away one book a week for the next four weeks (now through Friday July 26).
Here’s how the contest will work…
Each week during the 4-week contest period:
1) I will tweet a Qualifying Entry Task on Monday, with some re-tweets of that same Qualifying Entry Task throughout the week. I will include the hashtags #AvaGardner #Giveway #EntryTask on the Qualifying Entry Task tweets.
You will need to successfully complete the Qualifying Entry Task before Friday afternoon at 5PM EST of that week. The Entry Task will be EASY and you can do it at your convenience, but you must complete it by Friday 5PM EST of that week in order to be eligible to win the book (see #3).
3) Then, on Friday night of that week at 10PM EST, I will post a Special Trivia Question. The FIRST PERSON (who already successfully completed the Qualifying Entry Task for that week) to tweet the correct answer to the Special Trivia Question will win the book!
In other words, the first person to successfully complete the Qualifying Entry Task AND correctly answer the Friday night Special Trivia Question wins the book!
I am so excited to be participating in the Funny Lady Blogathon. I just adore comedy, so I was really excited about writing this post! A Big Thank You to the marvelous Movies Silently for hosting this event!
It’s interesting; I thought I’d be torn when trying to decide who to cover for this blogathon — but for whatever reason, the fabulous Kathleen Howard immediately came to mind; I didn’t even have to think twice about it. Perhaps it’s because I ‘grew up’ on W.C. Fields films and so fondly remember her as Fields’ wonderfully shrewish wife, or perhaps it’s simply because of her impeccable comic timing and inimitable cadential voice — so grandly theatrical — as she reprimands, admonishes, and complains. Gosh, I can almost hear her now!
Kathleen Howard (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)
Now I will admit that I didn’t know much about Howard’s background, so this was an excellent learning experience for me. And, I’m happy to say that I dug up some very interesting information about her. Here goes…
Kathleen Howard standing on South Michigan Avenue, between Congress and Van Buren, in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinoisca. 1914 Nov. 24. (Courtesy of Chicago History Museum)
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Phase One of Kathleen Howard’s Career — opera singer…
Kathleen Howard was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on July 17, 1880. She wanted to be a singer ever since she was a young girl, and although she was told she would never ‘make it’, she managed to work her way up through London’s Covent Garden and New York’s Century Opera to finally debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Third Lady in The Magic Flute (Nov 20, 1916). She quickly became the MET’s most popular character contralto, and created the role of Zita for the World Premier of Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the MET in 1918.
Kathleen Howard as Carmen (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)
Being a popular vocalist, Howard recorded numerous arias and songs (for the American branch of Pathé Frères) and also wrote a book about her experiences called “Confessions of an Opera Singer” (published in 1918).
You can hear Kathleen Howard sing via these links:
Phase Two of Kathleen Howard’s Career — fashion editor…
After she retired from her operatic career in 1928, Kathleen Howard moved on to become a fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar — again, quite famous in her own right.
During her 17-year acting career which spanned from 1934 to 1951, she appeared in 53 roles but is probably best known for her role as W. C. Field’s nagging wife in It’s a Gift (1934) and Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935). She also appeared in a third W.C. Fields film called You’re Telling Me (1934, as Mrs. Murchison). Other notable appearances include Ball of Fire (1941, as Miss Bragg), Deanna Durbin’s First Love (1939; as schoolmistress Wiggins) and One Night in the Tropics (1940, as Judge McCracken).
On a bit of a tangent, but nonetheless… Here’s an interesting piece of news about Ball of Fire that I never knew about…
So now that we covered her basic (but quite phenomenal) background, let’s get to my favorite part — clips and quotes! But before we start, I just have to say:
I just LOVE Howard’s grand ‘operatic’ vocal style 🙂 she’s so dramatic yet I believe every word she says in her frustration with husband W.C. Fields!
Now, for the fun stuff…
First, the Opening Scene from Man on the Flying Trapeze, with Kathleen Howard as Leona Wolfinger (wife of Ambrose/Fields):
And now the infamous Porch Scene from It’s a Gift, with Kathleen Howard as Amelia Bissonette (that’s Bis-son-naye) (wife of Harold/Fields). [Please know that this scene is not ideal for showcasing Howard, but I had a hard time finding suitable clips]:
It’s a Gift with Kathleen Howard as Fields’ wife Amelia…
“Harold, will you pleeeeease keep quiet and let me get some sleeeeep!”
“Who were those women you were talking to?”
“Seems to me you’re getting pretty FAMILIAR with Mrs. Dunk UPSTAIRS.”
And some more Kathleen Howard It’s a Gift quotes from various other scenes…
“I don’t know WHERE you get the idea you could make money raising ORANGES when you can’t even run a corner grocery store.”
“You’re CONSTANTLY doing things behind my back and I know NOTHING about them til you’re in some sort of a SCRAPE and I have to get you out.”
“I don’t know why it is that eveeeeeery time I want to talk to you, you’re off in some other part of the house. I have to SHOUT, SHOUT, SHOUT. No wooooonder the neighbors know all about our private affairs. I get little enough opportunity as it IS to find out what’s going on — without you running away as if I have the smallpox or something eveeeery time I open my mouth…”
“Are you listening to me?!? Wake up! Wake up and go and sleep!”
“I don’t know how you expect anybody to get any sleep, hopping in and out of bed all night, tinkering ‘roooound the house, waiting up for telephone calls. You have absolutely nooooo consideration for anybody but yourself. I have to get up in the morning, get breakfast for you and the children… I have no maid you know, probably never shaaaall have one…”
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Just love it! Pitch Perfect Nagging at its Best! In my humble opinion…
And last but not least, Kathleen Howard’s book is on kindle for FREE 🙂
Hope you enjoyed the post! And please don’t forget to read the other fun Funny Lady Blogathon posts at Movies Silently.
Thomas Mitchell as Gerald O’Hara (Scarlet’s father) and Vivien Leigh as Scarlet in Gone with the Wind (1939, director Victor Fleming)
Thomas Mitchell as lovable but absent-minded Uncle Billy and James Stewart as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, director Frank Capra)
Cary Grant as pilot Geoff Carter and Thomas Mitchell as his right-hand-man Kid Dabb in Only Angels Have Wings (1939, director Howard Hawks)
Thomas Mitchell as philosophical drunk Doc Boone in Stagecoach (1939, director John Ford)
Thomas Mitchell as reporter Diz Moore with Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders and Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939, director Frank Capra)
Thomas Mitchell as Mayor Jonas Henderson in High Noon (1952, director Fred Zinnemann)
Thomas Mitchell as Tyrone Power’s side-kick Tommy Blue in The Black Swan (1942, director Henry King)
, courtesy of 
! (remember, in order to win, you must have already pre-qualified via the 
