TY, Thel

Featuring 280 curated photographs, this definitive archive celebrates the unforgettable career of a brilliant Hollywood character actor.More than just a tribute, this book is a rallying cry to award Thelma Ritter the Academy Honorary Award she deserves-57 years after she died. Thelma Ritter was in her mid-forties when she appeared in her first film, the perennial Christmas favourite Miracle on 34th Street 1947. Ritter was 'Every Mother,' and she crafted a career playing working-class women, usually speaking in the vernacular of her beloved New York borough of Brooklyn.In an extraordinary career, Ritter received a record six Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress. And she won . . .. . . None. Award-winning film noir cultural analyst Bernie Dowling is campaigning to set the record straight. TY, Thel is the campaign documentation. What you’ll find inside: 280+ Eye-catching Photographs: A stunning collection of Thel, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and the creators of classic Hollywood. Deep-Dive Film History: Reviews of eighteen seminal films, including: All About Eve 1950: This noir satire does for theater what Sunset Boulevard did for film. Pickup on South Street 1953: A travesty that Ritter did not win the Oscar for one of the greatest character roles in the history of film noir. Rear Window 1954: Ritter plays a nurse and budget philosopher in this Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Pillow Talk 1959: Doris Day trades naughty banter with Rock Hudson and Ritter. The Misfits 1961: The cowboy neo-noir featuring a sparkling duo of Ritter and Marilyn Monroe. Birdman of Alcatraz 1962: Ritter’s character arc as the mother of the never-to-be-released Birdman is as fine a piece of acting as you will see. How the West Was Won 1962: This blockbuster Western had some of the biggest stars in the business, and Ritter held her head high with the best of them. The Forgotten Period Piece: A look at Thelma’s second-to-last film-a 1960s social-issues neo-noir about a New York train ride from hell. Throughout, Dowling’s sly humor and sharp cultural analysis make this campaign for a Ritter Academy Honorary Award a fitting tribute to a legendary support player.Essential reading for cinephiles and film students who understand that the heart of cinema beats in the work of the character actor. Book Two in the Classic Hollywood Snapshots series.  6