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Eric Blore

Precise in speech and manner in every way, but possessed of a smarmy nature that lent a tone of acidic irony to every line he uttered, Eric Blore was a character actor well-loved by movie fans for his comic turns in such popular features as "The Gay Divorcée" (1934), "The Lady Eve" (1941) and "The Road to Zanzibar" (1941), among numerous other films. Blore was best used as a valet or managerial type whose professionalism and poise masked a genuine contempt for those around him, borne out by an extraordinarily inflated ego; in this capacity, he lent memorable support to stars like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in five films, beginning in 1933 with "Flying Down to Rio" (1933), as well as Laurel and Hardy in "Swiss Miss" (1938) and the Marx Brothers in "Love Happy" (1950). After voicing Mr. Toad in the Disney feature "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1948), Blore's career was reduced to roles in B-pictures before his death in 1959, but his flawless comic timing made him an instantly recognizable favorite for generations of classic movie fans.