Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Minor Watson, 1889-1965

Minor Watson in a production still from Mister 880 (1950)

Today marks the birth anniversary of Minor Watson, one of those character actors whose name you've probably seen in the credits of a bunch of movies even if you couldn't recognize the face. Watson was born on this day in 1889.

In looking through Watson's list of credits, there are a lot of movies that I've mentioned in the past, and some relatively big ones, such as Dead End and Boys' Town in the 1930s; Yankee Doodle Dandy or Courage of Lassie in the 1940s; and Mister 880 or The Star in the 1950s, part of a career that lasted two dozen years if you don't count a brief foray into silent cinema in the 1910s.

Of his appearances, I think I currently have Princess O'Rourke on the DVR from when TCM did their Olivia de Havilland tribute as part of Summer Under the Stars, and They Died With Their Boots On on DVD as part of an Errol Flynn box set. In any case, watch TCM long enough and you're certain to come across one of those many small roles.

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