Book Review - "Character People" by Ken D. Jones

Authors Ken D. Jones, Arthur F. McClure and Alfred E. Twomey assembled a nice selection of short bios of some of the lesser-known character actors from Hollywood and British films for "Character People", published by The Citadel Press in 1976. 

Each encyclopedia-style entry includes a photo of the actor followed by a brief biography and a listing of some of their memorable films. McClure and Twomey had previously published "The Versatiles" which covered more of the popular character actors such as Mary Wickes, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, etc., so "Character People" was published as a follow-up. 

It's a quick read and a fun book to flip through. You'll find yourself continually saying, "Oh, I know him!" or "So that's her name!" 

Remember this fellow? His name is James Westerfield. In addition to acting, he was also a director of stage productions. On film he usually played policeman. The authors neglected to mention that he was featured in numerous Disney films, again often as a policeman. 

Did you know that William Conrad starred in over five thousand radio shows? He should have been named Mr. Radio. 

Did you know that Henry Kulky became the judo champion of South America in the 1940s? These are just a few of the tidbits Jones, McClure, and Twomey share. Other actors featured in the book include Pert Kelton, Millard Mitchell, Bill Goodwin, Frank Cady, Hayden Rorke, Hope Summers and Bryant Washborne. 

Used copies of "Character People" are available on eBay and through Abebooks.com, but see if your library has it - it's worth a look see!