1937 – Thomas Mitchell
The Hurricane
I have never seen Thomas Mitchell turn in a bad performance. No matter what film in his prolific career, he was always fantastic. He just had natural skill as an actor. He was in sixty films between 1923 and 1961, as well as numerous television, appearances all through the 1950s and early 60s, and around 43 years of live stage work between 1916 and 1960. This guy just never quit, and he was always good.
In The Hurricane, he played Dr. Kersaint, a physician with French Colonizers on the Island of Manakoora in the South Seas. He longs to return to his home in France, but is also content with the easy lifestyle on the peaceful Island with its happy natives. Though he is a heavy drinker, he takes his job seriously. He knows the people for whom he cares, knows that the liberties of freedom are essential to their simple natures, and it breaks his heart when an islander is imprisoned unjustly for sixteen years.
Mitchel was, as usual, perfect for the role. He knew how to play drunk without going over-the-top. He got to display a bit of barely suppressed anger towards the cold-hearted Governor who refuses to lift a finger to help the unfortunate Islander. And I particularly liked him in his final scene, where he is one of the few survivors of the disastrous hurricane. You can see the desolation in his eyes. The blank stare born of shock and grief. Mitchell was wonderful. He just had a way of making his performance so real and believable. It was a supporting role, but there was subtlety, as well as a certain amount of gravitas. And it was all brought across by the incredible actor.
And I think that is what I have always liked about Thomas Mitchell. He was a natural in front of the camera. He played a likeable character and did so without being sappy or forced. He almost just seemed to be playing himself, and yet when you watch him, you can tell that his performances are practiced and finely tuned. I have rarely seen him in a lead role, but he was such a great character actor that he never lacked work in Hollywood. He was just that good. Whenever I see Thomas Mitchell’s name in the credits, I know I’m in for a great performance.