Small Parts, Memorable Performances

Great thread, Roberta. Thanks!

Haven't read all the responses yet, so perhaps I'm repating what's already been said. If so, so sorry,

For me, Dennis Hopper redeems whatever is wrong with "Apocalypse Now." Hell with Robert Duval (who is a great actor and very fine in his role here); double hell with Marlon Brando (who just mumbles his way through the script, much as he did in "Godfather"). Dennis Hopper as the photojournalist is worth the price of admission.

eoe, I agree re: Thelma Ritter. For me, she is the star of Hitchcock's "Rear Window."

'Boita, this thread rcoks.

Thelma did it again in "A Hole in the Head," a Sinatra vehicle with her presence a crucial pivot in the plot.

Gary Oldman as Drexel in True Romance... "He musta thought it was Whiteboy Day".(Honorable mentions for both Hopper and Walken as well).
Donald Sutherland as the old spy in JFK...
Frederic Forrest as the Nazi/biggot/racist in Falling Down.
David O'Hara as Stephen in Braveheart "My Island!"... hell, practically everybody in Braveheart...
Lucy Liu in Payback...
Morgan Freeman as "God" in Bruce Allmighty...
Robbie Gee and Lennie James as Vincent and Sol made me laugh as hard as I ever have in "Snatch" (Perhaps the most underrated comedy in history)... honorable mentions for Rade Serbedzija (always cool) and Vinnie Jones

Another great Thelma Ritter role: The Misfits, last movie for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.

Also a good one for her in "Pickup on South Street" with Jeam Peters and Richard Widmark.

One of my favorite Donald Sutherland performances is the twitchy arsonist in Backdraft.

Glad youse guys like the thread. Thanks for telling me.

Andy, I am grateful beyond words (almost) for the Thelma Ritter-Rear Window connection. I have been wracking my pathetically disintegrating brain trying to place the scene with her folding a sheet. The talk she gives to Jimmy Stewart while she gives him his treatment was perfect Ritter.

Also I believe that Duvall and Hopper were mentioned for Apocalypse Now. Fact is, if it weren't for Hopper, I thought they coulda tossed out the whole final third of the movie. Of course that would have left Sheen and company without a mission, but that's another discussion.

LW, Thanks for the additional Ritter mention. I had forgotten about Hole in the Head. Glad to rememer it.

Bill, Oldman was fine in True Romance, but the scene between Walken and Hopper was priceless. Priceless, I tell ya.

Sutherland again (JFK). That guy is truly brilliant. And Forrest was wonderfully meshuga in Falling Down. Great performance. I didn't see the last three movies you mentioned, Bill. I have some catching up to do. I'll look for them.

Ritter mentioned twice more. Is it possible that this woman never gave a bad performance? How about mediocre?

Well, speaking of Rear Window, when I was barely sentient I remember my parents talking about Bobby Driscoll, a kid in the movie. I fear he came to a no good end...
As I remember it, he did well at the time.

Osso, Couldn't for the life of me remember a kid in Rear Window (I've seen it many times). Did some checking. Driscoll was in a movie called "The Window." His bio is kinda sad.

Oh, yeah, he was in Rear Window, for sure.

I suppose I'll have to go a google-ing. Sheesh.

Yack, it's looking like I'm wrongo. That's ok, I'm used to it.

wiki on b. driscoll -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Driscoll

oh, and 1949 made sense, that was just around when I remember his name, despite my being seven or eight.

There was Slim Pickens, in Dr Strangelove, The Getaway and countless other great parts.

Forgot how good Sutherland was as the arsonist. He really is special.

If you only do one; make it Snatch. If you're not good with accents; it's even funnier the second time, but that one blind-sided me. Brad Pit on the sign outside the theater, so I figured I got talked into a chick-flick. NOT. Brilliantly funny.

Giving in, Driscoll was in The Window. I probably saw it once, if that. Maybe my parents thought he was a good actor... Given that was 1949, that was quite a year...

Mac, Missed your post on Sutherland. Yeah, he was supoib in Backdraft. A true master.

Edgar, Loved Pickens in Strangelove. Lauging as I write and remember.

Bill, Not sure what you mean by "If you're not good with accents." I can do a few. I'm especially good sounding Italian. That's not what you had in mind, is it? Don't understand the relationship to the movie. Do the characters in Snatch have accents? Speaking of Brad Pitt, I'm remembering him in True Romance. He was damned good in that.

Osso, I saw Rear Window many times. No kids. Knew instantly it had to be another movie. I googled Driscoll and found "The Window."

What about Jonathan Winters in The Russians Are Coming and It's a Mad, Mad etc. World.

Mostly light British accents as the setting is London (except Dennis Farina plays the only guy he knows how and at one point quips " I thought this country spawned the f***ing language, and so far nobody seems to speak it"... "Yes, London. You know: fish, chips, cup 'o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary f***ing Poppins... LONDON." I'd have given him an honorable mention, if he was ever not the same guy. Pitt plays a gibberish talking gypsy (Pikey?) that's a bit tougher to follow. I'm not sure he wasn't really baked in True Romance. If that was acting; he's good at it.

Okay, so you're not impressed with my mimicry ability. I can live with that.

I'll look for Snatch. And I truly believe that Pitt was acting in True Romance. He wouldn't have been able to remember a line if he really was that stoned. Come to think of it, everyone in True Romance was good. Just remembered, of all people, Bronson Pinchot. He did a good job. And James Gandolfini was also tres good as the hit man.

Alfre Woodard as the Judge in Primal Fear. Human, strong, great authority. She's always dead on. Always.