CHARACTER ACTORS PART 7: HAVE A PO-TA-TO, ERNEST THESIGER!
Here are some of the reasons why I love him:
The Old Dark House (1932) w/ Boris Karloff
The Ghoul (1933) w/ Boris Karloff
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) w/ Boris Karloff
The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) w/ Roland Young
They Drive By Night (1938) w/ Emlyn Williams
The Man in the White Suit (1951) w/ Alec Guinness
Scrooge (1951) w/ Alastair Sim
The Robe (1953) w/ Richard Burton
Who Done It? (1956) w/ Benny Hill
There was probably never a character actor who was a bigger character than ole Ern! He's literally stolen every scene he's ever been in. I mean, can you imagine having to act alongside 
Thesiger and hope that the audience would notice you AT ALL?!?!? Director James Whale (seen here with his daffy diva on the set of "Bride") was so fond of Thesiger that he used him in both his classics "The Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Old Dark House" (Ernest is seen here with future "Titanic" actress Gloria Stuart). 
James Whale insisted on Thesiger's casting as the dotty Dr. Pretorius in "Bride of Frankenstein": undoubtedly one of the most memorable performances in the history of horror films. Pretorius' toast of "Here's to a world of gods and monsters" even provided the title for the recent James Whale biopic starring Sir Ian McKellen. As the archly fey Horace Femm in "The Old Dark House", almost every line spoken by Thesiger is a bona fide classic of cutting wit. Only Thesiger could deliver a line like "Have a potato" in such a way as to reduce a viewer to howls of laughter.
Thesiger and hope that the audience would notice you AT ALL?!?!? Director James Whale (seen here with his daffy diva on the set of "Bride") was so fond of Thesiger that he used him in both his classics "The Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Old Dark House" (Ernest is seen here with future "Titanic" actress Gloria Stuart). 
James Whale insisted on Thesiger's casting as the dotty Dr. Pretorius in "Bride of Frankenstein": undoubtedly one of the most memorable performances in the history of horror films. Pretorius' toast of "Here's to a world of gods and monsters" even provided the title for the recent James Whale biopic starring Sir Ian McKellen. As the archly fey Horace Femm in "The Old Dark House", almost every line spoken by Thesiger is a bona fide classic of cutting wit. Only Thesiger could deliver a line like "Have a potato" in such a way as to reduce a viewer to howls of laughter. The actor also appeared in the little seen (on this side of the Atlantic) movie "They Drive By Night" 
(not to be confused with the Humphrey Bogart picture of the same name) which stars Emlyn Williams as a recently released convict who becomes a suspect in a strangulation murder he didn't commit. The first half of this wonderful movie is pure "innocent man on the run"; however, about halfway into the film it veers sharply into all-out horror with an absolutely stunning "face at the window" zoom shot you have to see to believe. Ernest Thesiger was as arch as his nostrils and that's why cinema fans like me love him. So have a potato, Ern. It's my ONLY weakness!
(not to be confused with the Humphrey Bogart picture of the same name) which stars Emlyn Williams as a recently released convict who becomes a suspect in a strangulation murder he didn't commit. The first half of this wonderful movie is pure "innocent man on the run"; however, about halfway into the film it veers sharply into all-out horror with an absolutely stunning "face at the window" zoom shot you have to see to believe. Ernest Thesiger was as arch as his nostrils and that's why cinema fans like me love him. So have a potato, Ern. It's my ONLY weakness!
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