The Silver Screen Oasis

Ah! I knew something good was coming our way when I saw this thread pop up! LOVE Joe Sawyer, he just turned up today in Brewster`s Millions. Maybe it`s just me but do movies automatically get better when he shows up on screen? I wonder if he found it funny that he got cast as big Irish lugs all the time....

Thanks so much for posting that fascinating background on Joe Sawyer, an actor I always enjoy seeing yet knew little about offscreen.

Who'da thunk proletarian Joe would pal around with the aristocratic Lugosi? Man, would have loved to be at one of those gatherings.

You all my know that my heart belongs "Sammykins." ( Samuel S. Hinds for those who aren't keeping track of my cinema lovelife. ) I love his silver hair and steely voice and elfin little ears. << Sigh! >> And his Authority. He’s in countless movies and when I hear his voice, I stop what I’m doing and stare; even if he’s just a judge in a five-minute scene. ( Just saw him in "Son of Dracula." )

But my love for Hinds is being compromised...BEEN compromised by one WALTER CONNOLLY.



Yep. With Lombard and Wm. Powell having their turns as Star of the Day on TCM, I’ve run across Connelly a few times these past few days with “Libeled Lady” “Twentieth Century” “Nothing Sacred” “Lady By Choice.” Then I thought back to Stanwyck and Colbert where I saw this roly poly cutie pie in “The Bitter Tea of General Yen” ( oooh...he wasn’t very nice in this one ) and “It Happened One Night.”

Don’t ask me why. I cannot make sense of it. I think he’s cute, with his heavy eyebrows. He has a sense of fun if he has to and he can be serious. I love him when he gets exasperated, his voice goes into high pitch mode. Look, WHO can explain love. If you explain it...it goes “POOF!” I can’t explain it to you. I can’t explain it to myself.

The worst of it is...how do I explain it to my Sammykins?

OMG! OMG! OMG!


I am SOOOOO excited by this, your newfound love, Tee! though I have no idea how your Sammykins will take the news....I picture him sinking dramatically into a deep 1930's style leather armchair, resting his head in his hands wearily.... then waiting patiently for your passion to cool down so you'll return to him. I'm sure he'll take you back with open arms...complete with cherry blossoms and the perfect In Name Only/Random Harvest cottage setting in the background.

I've always liked Walter Connolly, but then I saw him in No MORE ORCHIDS with Carole Lombard and I just fell head over heels for the dapper little man and his tragic character in that movie. Now I'm crazy about him... so much so that I looked him up a few months ago while trying to find a new avatar photo and found these pics from his earlier stage career:


with Lillian Gish in Uncle Vanya



One of the great things about Summer Under the Stars is getting to see certain supporting players over and over again....when you get a certain star in a certain studio, thankfully you get the same troupe of actors too. Sadly, Connolly didn't make many movies, but the ones he did make are cherce. He never wears out his welcome, in fact, it's a delight to see his name in the credits! You always know he's going to elevate the proceedings to something a little better than usual. I love his exasperation in so many roles - It Happened One Night, Lady By Choice, Twentieth Century and Nothing Sacred. But I also am so glad we get to see him in one quietly dramatic turn - as Carole Lombard's wastrel dad in No More Orchids. He breaks my heart in that one.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, maybe we can SHARE Walter? He's just such a grand fellow... and I see something elegant and deep in him, even when he's blowing his top at Fredric March or Carole Lombard.

[u][color=#FF0000]JackFavell[/color][/u] wrote:OMG! OMG! OMG!

What? Huh?!!! YOU TOO?!

I am SOOOOO excited by this, your newfound love, Tee! though I have no idea how your Sammykins will take the news....I picture him sinking dramatically into a deep 1930's style leather armchair, resting his head in his hands wearily.... then waiting patiently for your passion to cool down so you'll return to him. I'm sure he'll take you back with open arms...complete with cherry blossoms and the perfect In Name Only/Random Harvest cottage setting in the background.

LOL! What a rosy picture you’ve painted Jaxxxon. If Sammy can just let me get this out of my system, I’ll meet him at That Cottage. But as cottages go, uh...it already seems like a pretty full house already.



What luck that you like him too. We can laugh and giggle and admire him together. I like those pictures you posted of him. Funny, I kind of like him as a mature man better. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his work. I tried to access "No More Orchids" via that danged, dad-blasted 'Watch TCM' app (( ) but it just keeps telling me I've just watched the movie, when all I've watched is Mayhem cause more mayhem in an AllState commercial! Grrr! )

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, maybe we can SHARE Walter? He's just such a grand fellow... and I see something elegant and deep in him, even when he's blowing his top at Fredric March or Carole Lombard.

Sure. Sure we can share, Wren. I guess there's enough of Walter Connolly to go around for the both of us. Just write me a note to take to Sammy.

CineMaven,I love Samuel S. Hinds' screen persona. He looks as if he will be utterly kind and fair - about everybody and everything. One of those wonderful band of skilled character actors we musnt take for granted.

I totally agree about Samuel S. Hinds. An actor who exudes a quiet dignity and intelligence and makes any movie in which he appears that much better. Even MAN-MADE MONSTER.

When I was younger I used to get him confused with Henry O'Neill, who also presented that same dignified persona.

[u][color=#FF0000]Vienna[/color][/u] wrote:CineMaven,I love Samuel S. Hinds' screen persona. He looks as if he will be utterly kind and fair - about everybody and everything. One of those wonderful band of skilled character actors we musnt take for granted.

I hear ya Vienna. I can't tell you when he appeared in my movie-consciousness, but it probably started with his Voice first. I always liked his quiet scene as Hepburn's father in "Stagedoor" when they have lunch and she tells him if she fails, she'll give up acting.

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[u][color=#FF0000]Western Guy[/color][/u] wrote:I totally agree about Samuel S. Hinds. An actor who exudes a quiet dignity and intelligence and makes any movie in which he appears that much better. Even MAN-MADE MONSTER.

"MAN-MADE MONSTER." << Sigh! >> I love it so.

When I was younger I used to get him confused with Henry O'Neill, who also presented that same dignified persona.

Western Guy, I can see how that could happen:

Harry Davenport is one of my favorites. From his little role as the judge in "You Can't Take It With You" to Jean Arthur's father in "Too Many Husbands" and so many other roles I thought he was always thoughtful and kind and somebody you'd want in the family.

Don't know a thing about him but that is the way he comes across.

It's not that I dislike MAN-MADE MONSTER, Cinemaven. In fact, it's quite an enjoyable little horror/sci-fi romp with a sympathetic Lon as Dynamo Dan presaging his tragic but equally sympathetic Larry Talbot. But the dignified Mr. Hinds deserves better than his electrocution at the hands of a near-zombified Chaney Jr. His mere presence, in fact, demands it!!

Big Harry Davenport fan. This, in spite of the fact that I was 50 years old before I knew his name. He was just...THAT GUY I LIKE! He often (not always) plays a likeable type. But it's more than that. He has sincerity. Soul. When Harry Davenport says it, I believe it. Look into those expressive eyes.

Mr. Hinds deserves better than his electrocution at the hands of a near-zombified Chaney Jr.

Is there a greater honor?

Well . . . yeah, I reckon. But once the mind-of-reason Hinds was disposed of, all we had left was the crazed Atwill and his electrified "Lennie" Chaney and the film became a routine monster-on-the-loose story -- with not very interesting heroes. I kinda felt the same once I learned of Hinds' death by stroke in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Granted, the rest of the film is utterly entertaining, but once news of his death was announced, I admit I took a momentary pause (and still do) because his character (as usual) possessed such interest and compassion that I knew I would miss his presence.

BTW: Another actor close in that league with Hinds and O'Neill but without the same significance is John Litel.

[u][color=#FF0000]movieman1957[/color][/u] wrote:Harry Davenport is one of my favorites. From his little role as the judge in "You Can't Take It With You" to Jean Arthur's father in "Too Many Husbands" and so many other roles I thought he was always thoughtful and kind and somebody you'd want in the family.

Don't know a thing about him but that is the way he comes across.

I like him too. He was good as the doctor in "GWTW" and I just saw him on Cary Grant's SUTS' day as Myrna Loy's great-uncle in "The Bachelor & the Bobby Soxer." I like his screen persona.
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[u][color=#FF0000]Western Guy[/color][/u] wrote:It's not that I dislike MAN-MADE MONSTER, Cinemaven. In fact, it's quite an enjoyable little horror/sci-fi romp with a sympathetic Lon as Dynamo Dan presaging his tragic but equally sympathetic Larry Talbot. But the dignified Mr. Hinds deserves better than his electrocution at the hands of a near-zombified Chaney Jr. His mere presence, in fact, demands it!!

...BTW: Another actor close in that league with Hinds and O'Neill but without the same significance is John Litel.

I hear you W.G.. Your writing: 'Lennie' Chaney made me laugh. John Litel? Big fan. He's in every movie ever made. No wait, that wasn't him...that was John Ridgely. In fact, I bet I was one of two people in the entire crowd that gathered at the park last week to see an open air screening of "Lover Come Back" that recognized John Litel as one of the old gents on the Advertising Council. There he was...STILL working.

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[u][color=#FF0000]RedRiver[/color][/u] wrote:Big Harry Davenport fan. This, in spite of the fact that I was 50 years old before I knew his name. He was just...THAT GUY I LIKE! He often (not always) plays a likeable type. But it's more than that. He has sincerity. Soul. When Harry Davenport says it, I believe it. Look into those expressive eyes.

A nice testimonial for a great character actor. I love these guys. We won't see their like again.

Boy, you said a mouthful, CineMaven: Indeed, we'll never see their likes again. Granted, there certainly are good actors out there today, but as a proud and committed "anachronism" I much prefer the players of yesteryear . . . and more and more I find myself breaking into a wide grin when I'm watching an oldie on TCM and recognize a perhaps not widely-known supporting player like Samuel Hinds, Henry O'Neill, Willard Robertson, Stanley Fields, Stanley Ridges, Joseph Downing, etc. appearing onscreen (however briefly). In many instances, these are the actors who make the film, oft-times overshadowing the stars.

I reckon that's why I enjoy this site so much. Sharing my fondness for the classics . . . and even learning new stuff.

Hinds is outstanding as Peter Bailey, of The Bailey Building and Loan. I didn't know his name either. Until today!

Hinds' death by stroke in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Of course, in those days, everything was a stroke! He could have been trampled by wild boar. "George! Your father's had a stroke!" In GRAPES OF WRATH, Tom Joad writes on his grandfather's grave marker, "Nobody kilt him. Just a stroke and he died." Thank you, Dr. Joad. And what medical school did you attend?