Citizen's Top 62, 1930s Actors & Actresses

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whoosh, that's over my head again, I have no clue?
You must know Ms. Beavers

A BIG thanks Chyp for following the thread! and yes you need to see more Claudette
Still a few weeks to go, I ain't done watching yet



You must know Ms. Beavers


Still a few weeks to go, I ain't done watching yet
Got it. I though it was one of your jokes with the last name being Beavers... But yes I've seen her, she was real good in Imitation of Life as Claudette Colbert's friend and business partner in their pancake shop. She was paired with Joan Blondel in Bullets or Ballots, which I haven't seen for 15 years.

I was going to do some honorable mentions of actors and actresses that did smaller roles and aren't well known today, but I ran out of steam. This countdown was time consuming



Got it. I though it was one of your jokes with the last name being Beavers... But yes I've seen her, she was real good in Imitation of Life as Claudette Colbert's friend and business partner in their pancake shop. She was paired with Joan Blondel in Bullets or Ballots, which I haven't seen for 15 years.

I was going to do some honorable mentions of actors and actresses that did smaller roles and aren't well known today, but I ran out of steam. This countdown was time consuming
Knew you'd know her well, she's often popping up in the 30s films I've been watching and always brings a smile to my face when she does so. Funny you should mention those two as I rewatched Imitation Of Life this very morning and Bullets Or Ballots just a few days ago.

I've given Louise her very own honourable mention in this thread now anyway



Great list, Citizen! I wish I'd followed and commented along the way. There's plenty of names I don't recognize in the early part of the list, but almost all the faces look familiar. James Cagney is a great choice for #1. My admiration for the man has really grown after diving into some of his 30's roles. He could bust a move just as well as he could fire a tommy gun. Despite regularly being the shortest person on screen, he towers over everyone else. He's always likeable even when playing the most despicable characters. Whether he's starring in a comedy or a drama or a musical, whether he's bootlegging or producing stage shows, singing or shooting, charming women or shoving grapefruits in their faces, he's always a natural on screen. He's rising fast on my own list of favorite actors.

Your actors list features a ton of legends and personal favorites, but several of them had their best, most memorable roles in other decades. In terms of actual 1930's performances, I think your actress list is more impressive. Maybe it's because pre-code films allowed them to be more flirtatious and flaunt their sexuality, but I've been falling in love with a ton of 1930's actresses lately, and they've been the selling point over their male counterparts when deciding which films to watch. Lately I've been diving into the films of Jean Harlot -- er, I mean, Harlow -- and she's impressing me more with each film. She may not be the most talented actress, but she had a great screen presence, even with those hideous eyebrows. I'm also working on a time machine to go back and marry Ginger Rogers; and if she won't have me, I'm proposing to Joan Blondell. I love how sassy, quick-witted, spunky and outright hilarious many of those actresses were without sacrificing any of their sexuality.
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@Captain Spaulding
Thanks Captain, glad you liked the countdown...Yup the pre-code era, as you said, did allow women to shine in ways that wouldn't come again until the later 1950s. I always loved pre-code films just for that reason. There were so many more actors & actresses that were originally on my list. At first I thought I'd do 100 each, but quickly figured out that was plain nuts! I hated to cut so many off my list, but oh well they're actors and are use to it!

Good luck on your time machine and say hi to Alice White for me, she's just one of many that I had to cut. If you ever see her in the Cagney film Picture Snatcher, you'll see what I mean



Just because she's on the Top Ten List and she's been mentioned a few times here, I thought I'd share this picture:

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryDail...type=3&theater

EDIT: and another interesting picture of three stars, especially for you, CR:

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryDail...type=3&theater
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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."



Good luck on your time machine and say hi to Alice White for me, she's just one of many that I had to cut. If you ever see her in the Cagney film Picture Snatcher, you'll see what I mean
I actually just watched Picture Snatcher a few days ago. Good movie. Story-wise, it reminded me of Nightcrawler, even though the films are complete opposites in every other facet. I loved Alice White in Picture Snatcher, especially when she was molesting Cagney. I didn't think much of Patricia Ellis and thought her chemistry with Cagney was lacking and held back the movie's potential, so I was actually rooting for Cagney to succumb to White's constant come-ons. Looking over White's filmography, the only other movie I've seen her in is Flamingo Road.



Just because she's on the Top Ten List and she's been mentioned a few times here, I thought I'd share this picture:

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryDail...type=3&theater

EDIT: and another interesting picture of three stars, especially for you, CR:

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryDail...type=3&theater
Thanks Dadgum, you know Mrs Orson was going to be on my list but she didn't have much in the way of great performances in the 1930s, at least from the one film of hers I know I seen, Only Angels Have Wings



I actually just watched Picture Snatcher a few days ago. Good movie. Story-wise, it reminded me of Nightcrawler, even though the films are complete opposites in every other facet. I loved Alice White in Picture Snatcher, especially when she was molesting Cagney. I didn't think much of Patricia Ellis and thought her chemistry with Cagney was lacking and held back the movie's potential, so I was actually rooting for Cagney to succumb to White's constant come-ons. Looking over White's filmography, the only other movie I've seen her in is Flamingo Road.
Agreed, Patricia Ellis was a bore. She was Cagney's girlfriend right? I don't actually remember that name and I'm too lazy to look it up I always thought Cagney was nuts for not pursing Alice White in the film, she was a little fire-brand and seemed to be his soul mate. Supposedly the studios thought Alice White would be the next Clara Bow type, but then she got herself into a rather sorted affair and that killed her career. I have seen her in other films, but she never really stood out in them.