The Versatiles: Supporting Character Players in the Cinema 1930-1955 By: Alfred E. Twomey & Arthur F. McClure

As someone who's been performing as a character actor for 40+ years, I couldn't wait to dig in to this one.  What a joy it was to see character actors getting their due in this delightful encyclopedia.  Not only that, it was great fun to learn little tidbits about people I've been watching for years; like how Zasu Pitts got her first name; the irony of Margaret Hamilton-the woman who will forever be remembered as the Wicked Witch of the West and scaring the wits out of children for almost 80 year, was a trained Kindergarten teacher and spent her post movie life working with children and for children's charities!  This book was written in the late 60's so a great deal of the people featured where actually born prior to 1900, and by reading their bios you get a sense of how the world was back then, what kinds of jobs folks gave up to work as an actor (conversely what jobs they went into when they left acting), and how they put their individual quirks and characteristics to work for them!  Loved reading this book!