He started in Silents:
And, was part of the comedic troupe of Preston Sturges:
And, all references to heads of lettuce aside, one of the finest:
A fabulous character actor and familiar to a particular generation as Uncle Charlie in “My Three Sons”…
In 1939 the Motion Picture Mother’s Club organized. Their work was for charity and in 1970 they published the “Cookbook of the Stars”. There’s plenty of Jello salad in these pages but you’ll also find some recipes like this – which are magical.
I love William Demerest! My favortie performance of his was as Trudy Kockinlocker’s flustered father in Preston Sturges’ “Miracle at Morgan’s Creek”. On my second cup of coffee now.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HkFz-LDdOA&w=640&h=480%5D
I’m glad to know that even the stars of yesterday appreciated a good jello salad like the ladies at the Lutheran Auxiliary! 🙂 Just please no carrots in the jello!
What about tomato aspic? 😉
Question: in a fight, who would win: William Demerest or William Frawley (Fred from “I Love Lucy”)?
Willy D. because he’s wilier, even though Willy F. is in a different weight class. 😉
Dear V
What a recipe – I love this gentleman’s style!
Mind you don;t wash that beater though…
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I don’t know if it was a generational thing, but my father made the most wonderful Sunday breakfasts… And, I have to replace my waffle iron. It got lost in the shuffle when I remodeled the kitchen this past October.
In a moment I will head over and see what’s cooking on your site.
In anticipation,
V
Bill Demarest another of those valuable supporting players without whom movies would be much the drabber. My favourite of Demarest’s names from the Sturges pictures was Edmund Kockenlocker, so wonderfully absurd yet plausible! (apologies to any old or young Kockenlockers out there :)) I couldn’t remember any of Mr D’s late roles so I had a look on IMDB, apparently one of his last films was Won Ton Ton The Dog Who Saved Hollywood for Michael Winner which is just Wron-Wron-Wrong! Surely William hadn’t done anything bad enough to deserve such a fate?! (one shouldn’t speak ill of the dead I suppose but Winner was just too, too terrible and tasteless a director for the most part. Ugh)
Imagine cinema without the likes of frog-eyed, dyspeptic Eugene Pallette; Charles Coburn; Sig Rumann; unlucky in love likeable dolt Ralph Bellamy; Joan Shawlee; Charlie Ruggles; Kathleen Byron; Henry Gibson; Lionel Atwill (before the fall); Tony Randall; Margaret Rutherford; Basil Rathbone, to name but a few, some played leads occasionally yet even in support they brought colour and life to the films they graced with their presence (just watch Lionel or Basil or Henry as villains!), and were indispensable. Pardon my peroration!
Your peroration has me thinking of Sydney Greenstreet, S.Z. Sakall, Franklin Pangborn…
All three who I missed from my list because it was getting looong! “Cuddles” Sakall was one who I only just left off… You’re a wonder 🙂