Herbert who?

It seems like hardly anyone has heard of Herbert Marshall anymore. It's a shame really, as he was one of the Golden Era's top leading men in the 1930's, starring opposite actresses such as Garbo, Dietrich, Norma Shearer, Jean Arthur, and - perhaps most notably - Bette Davis.

For another thing, he was never even nominated for an Oscar, even though he gave many wonderful performances, his most Oscar-worthy ones, in my opinion, being as Horace Giddens opposite Bette Davis in The Little Foxes, and as Gaston Monescu in Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise. As W. Somerset Maugham in The Razor's Edge, he should have at least been considered for Best Supporting Actor, having some of the best and wittiest lines in the film.

His acting style was smooth and subtle, much like his beautiful, mellow voice. He lost a leg in WWI, but in most of his films, you really couldn't tell he had an artificial leg. At least until the 1950's and '60's, when he was getting up in years and his limp became more apparent.

His brand of humor was more dry wit, and at times he seemed out of place in some zany comedies. However, he was a great dramatic actor who, due in part to the kind of roles he often played, was very good at making you feel sorry for him.

Herbert Marshall deserves to be remembered.