Perpetually middle-aged, tart-tongued, and pragmatic, New York-born character actress, Thelma Ritter was the voice of reason in many movies of the 40s and 50s. Whatever the genre, be it comedy, film noir or melodrama, Ritter was always a breath of fresh air and enjoyable to watch. I’m sharing a few clips of her work in honor of her birthday on Valentine’s Day.
Vertigo – (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
Pickup on South Street – (dir. Sam Fuller, 1953)
All About Eve – (dir. Joseph Mankiewicz, 1950)
I couldn’t find a Youtube clip of Thelma’s performance in this classic movie, but I did find an interesting essay. http://stinkylulu.blogspot.com/2007/05/thelma-ritter-in-all-about-eve-1950.html
Do you have a favorite Thelma Ritter role?