NEVER THE BRIDE, ALWAYS THE SCENE-STEALER (Ep. 165)

They may not always have gotten top billing, but they certainly knew how to steal a scene! This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, Steve and Nan celebrate some of their favorite character actresses—the wonderfully talented women who could turn even the smallest role into something unforgettable. From the sharp-tongued, no-nonsense Marjorie Main to the meek, careworn Dorothy Adams, we're shining the spotlight on six marvelous performers who helped make Hollywood's Golden Age so memorable. We’ll share favorite performances, fascinating stories, and a few surprises along the way. They played mothers, maids, busybodies, society matrons, and just about everything in between—and sometimes walked away with the entire picture! Join us as we give these unsung heroines of classic Hollywood a little of the star treatment they so richly deserve! SHOW NOTES: Sources: Actresses of a Certain Character: Familiar Hollywood Faces from the Thirties to the Forties (2007), by Axel Nissan; Whatever Became of . . . ? (1989), by Richard Lamparski; “Almira Sessions: Movie Matron á la Mode,” September 16, 2017, Travalanche.com; “Ann Doran; Veteran Character Actress (Obit),” October 1, 2000, by Myrna Oliver, Los Angeles Times; “Norma Varden; Played Variety of Characters,” January 21, 1989, Los Angeles Times; “Marjorie Main, Actress Does; Ma Kettle of the Movies Was 85,” April 11, 1975, by William Freeman, New York Times; “Actress Dies at 85,” August 8, 1974, Albuquerque Journal; wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies: Robin Hood (1922) Derelict (1930) A Night Like This (1932) Wayward (1932) Turkey Time (1933) Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) Dead End (1937) Stella Dallas (1937) Rio Grande (1938) You Can't Take It with You (1938) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Ninotchka (1939) The Women (1939) Little Nellie Kelly (1940) Wyoming (1940) Barnacle Bill (1941) Meet John Doe (1941) Penny Serenade (1941) The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) Sullivan's Travels (1941) Casablanca (1942) Jackass Mail (1942) The Lady Gangster (1942) The Palm Beach Story (1942) Random Harvest (1942) We Were Dancing (1942) Heaven Can Wait (1943) The Heat's On (1943) Johnny Come Lately (1943) My Kingdom for a Cook (1943) The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) So Proudly We Hail! (1943) Laura (1944) Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) National Velvet (1944) The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) Fallen Angel (1945) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946) The Harvey Girls (1946) It's a Wonderful Life (1946) The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) The Bishop's Wife (1947) The Egg and I (1947) The Snake Pit (1948) Ma and Pa Kettle (1949) Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949) All About Eve (1950) Summer Stock (1950) The Mating Season (1951) Strangers on a Train (1951) Carrie (1952) With a Song in My Heart (1952) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Pickup on South Street (1953) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) To Catch a Thief (1955) Friendly Persuasion (1956) The Killing (1956) The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) The Swan (1956) The Ten Commandments (1956) My Man Godfrey (1957) The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm (1957) Witness for the Prosecution (1957) The Big Country (1958) North by Northwest (1959) Pillow Talk (1959) Boys' Night Out (1962) Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) Goodbye Again (1961) Summer and Smoke (1961) The Sound of Music (1965) The Boston Strangler (1968) Rosemary's Baby (1968) Airport (1970) Willard (1971) Peeper (1975)