Discuss Erik Rhodes
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Wonderfully talented and hilarious character actor
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on August 23, 2019 at 1:18 PM
As I think all viewers of the classic Golden Age musicals The Gay Divorcee (1934) and Top Hat (1935) will readily agree, marvelously talented and delightful one of a kind Erik Rhodes (1906-1990) truly is a lasting treasure for the ages. His charmingly endearing and unique characterizations of Tonetti (The Gay Divorcee) and Beddini (Top Hat) are absolute cinematic gems.
It's hard to believe that Mr. Rhodes (born Ernest Sharpe) was Oklahoma born and raised as he certainly was 100% convincing portraying continental types with a genuine sounding foreign accent.
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Reply by QuitePleasant
on August 24, 2019 at 12:30 AM
Yes, we all agree on Erik's fine, charming and delightful contributions to Gay Divorcee and Top Hat.
Yes, it's very hard to believe that he hails from Oklahoma. Remember reading one of those "Whatever Happened to" booklets about former Hollywood celebrities a couple of years before Internet, and his birth place seemed rather surprising even then.
And also hard to believe how few his film performances number. Thought that I saw Erik in more than five RKO's, but do recall Gay Divorcee, Top Hat and....
Smartest Girl in Town (1936) ... Here, Erik re-teams with Helen Broderick and Eric Blore, in support of one of five vehicles for Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond.
Chatterbox (1936) This time, Erik teams with Margaret Hamilton and Edward Ellis, to support rising stars Anne Shirley and Phillips Holmes in a soft nostalgic picture.
Woman Chases Man (1937) Erik, Ella Logan and Charles Winninger play supporting roles for one of Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea's five screen teamings.
In each of these, Erik plays down his assertive brassiness, seen in the earlier RKO musicals, but he still knows how to command the screen amid a host of great talent and glamorous star performances.
Reply by genplant29
on August 24, 2019 at 11:02 AM
If I'm not mistaken, Chatterbox is Rhodes' only film, beyond The Gay Divorcee and Top Hat, that I've seen. He seemed truly born to play the Tonetti and Beddini roles in those latter two movies.