Who is your favorite "incidential character"?

[Osi Osgood]

What's an incidental character? It's a character that doesn't matter at all to the story, doesn't move the story along, but is incredibly memorable and in many cases, more memorable than the starring cast. As an example, I turn to "Earthquake" (1974). My personal pick? Walter Mathau. He plays a drunk in a bar. All through the film, he keeps reappearing, so blitzed out of his mind, that he appears oblivious to everything that is happening around him. The earthquake is happening, and he's annoyed that he can't bring his drink to his lips, as people are dying left and right around him. He somehow staggers out of the bar and ends up in the underground shelter ( a parking lot ) and there he is, drunkenly dancing around on a table in the background, (as the stars ramble on about the plot in the foreground), eventually falling off the car or table he's on. Definitely an incidental character, but funnier than hell and it makes the film extremely watchable for me! What is your pick?

[Ed Gordon]

If you look for Walter Matthau in the credits, you won't find him.

The producer, Jennings Lang, offered a cameo role to his friend Walter Matthau. Matthau accepted, without compensation, on the condition that he be billed under the name "Walter Matuschanskayasky," the last name being a long-standing "inside joke" that he had used for decades. The role was originally scripted as "a drunk sits at the end of the bar", which was expanded by writer George Fox, giving the character lines of dialogue (involving toasts to celebrities). When the film was completed - as agreed to by Lang and Matthau - "The Drunk" was credited as "Walter Matuschanskayasky." This led to a long-standing (and false) rumor that "Matuschanskayasky" was Matthau's real last name.

[Ed Gordon]

My favorite cameo was by Tom Cruise as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. There is a video on Youtube, Les Grossman (BEST MOMENTS) - Tropic Thunder. Be advised that Les uses language you would not expect from Tom Cruise, which makes it all the more hilarious.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Johnny in Airplane!


Stephen Stucker steals the movie.

[Osi Osgood]

Great pick, Doug! I'd forgotten about him. Every moment he appears in the film, he's a scene stealer.

[Chip Gelmini]

Visit to a small planet

the bar scene featuring Buddy Rich on the drums

In real life, buddy and Jerry were very good friends

I am a jazz drummer, a fan of Buddy Rich and the scene in the movie is a very funny one

[Chip Gelmini]

2nd choice

Elmer Fudd

imagine this guy in today's society so angry, dropping the F bomb. Simply put a W after the F and you'll get the idea how funny it would be........

[Melvin England]

Doug - Good choice. I was thinking in terms of the inflatable autopilot !

[Steve Klare]

Johnny almost HAD to be there. With everybody else in Airplane! being so deadpan, it needed someone to be completely unhinged!

"Rapunzellll!!!"

[Osi Osgood]

Chip, can you say "George Liquor" from the Ren and Stimpy cartoons? Definitely a new millennium Elmer!

[Melvin England]

Steve - Surely you can't be serious ?

[Mark Silvester]

Hi, interesting topic.👍

Michael Ripper - a very well known part of all the “ Hammer movies”… often as a barman or some other sort . Although in the case I’m thinking of a 1960’ish UK teen movie called “ What a Crazy World” starring Marty Wilde - a UK pop sensation and Joe Brown. Harry H. Corbett was also on it.
Rippers character would pop up in various guises at the end of some scene and utter..” bloomin kids!”

incidentally, that same famous singer Marty Wilde is still touring in his late 86!!!
My buddy and I will be going to see him next January at a 3 night festival of the 60’s
show… at 64 I’ll be probably one of the youngest there - my mate though who is going with me is 78.
Long live the 60’s music.
Mark

[Douglas Meltzer]

Mark,

I'm sure Michael Ripper also showed up as a gravedigger from time to time.

[Mike Newell]

Mark,

I'm sure Michael Ripper also showed up as a gravedigger from time to time.

I think Michael Ripper made the most appearances in Hammer movies from substantial roles to blink and you miss him cameos.

[Steve Klare]

I dunno!

Wouldn't Elmer Fudd rank more as the antagonist to Bugs Bunny's protagonist? It could even be the other way around since Elmer wants to Kill the Wabbit! (-and Bugs just wanted to be "weft awone!") Elmer drives the story, Bugs just fights back.

-maybe Daffy Duck is the incidental character!

Airplane! is all about the very serous world of commercial aviation sinking in this sea of surreal lunacy. Johnny is pretty much the shark that swims in this sea. You take him away and drain that sea, you start to get back to Zero Hour!, which is where Airplane! started out!

I got a great compliment from a friend at work after Airplane! came out. He said "I saw that movie Airplane! last weekend: I thought you could have written it!".

(Don't I WISH!)