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| Dean Jagger, above, in "Twelve O'Clock High". |
I believe a solid supporting cast can be the difference between a good movie and a great film, and the late Dean Jagger is a fine example of what a strong supporting actor can add to a production.
Jagger died in 1991 at the age of 87. His first movie appearance was in 1929, and his last acting credit was a 1985 appearance on TV’s “St. Elsewhere”, according to IMDB.com. During the years in between, Jagger appeared in a variety of movies, receiving his first major role in “Brigham Young”, a 1940 bio-pic. He frequently portrayed quiet men, ones struggling with a moral challenge. He often portrayed characters older than his real age and seemed to be in his senior years for most of his acting career.
He won the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance as Major Stovall in director Henry King’s 1949 production of “Twelve O’Clock High". Jagger’s Stovall is the efficient, but good-hearted executive officer of a hard-luck B-17 bomber group being whipped back into fighting shape by the relentless Gen. Savage (Gregory Peck). The film stands the test of time, I think, because of Jagger’s work and the film’s supporting cast, which included Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Robert Arthur, John Kellogg, and Millard Mitchell.
Jagger delivered impressive performances in movie roles and in TV appearances. Here are a few of my favorites:
White Christmas (1954) - The popular singing duo of Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) plan a surprise reunion and show to help retired Major Gen. Thomas Waverly (Jagger), their commander during World War II. The movie is a Christmas classic, and Jagger is engaging as the grouchy old man.
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) - Spencer Tracy leads a talented cast in director John Sturges’ stark tale about a small town with a dark secret. In addition to Jagger, the supporting cast includes Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Anne Francis, and Walter Brennan. The film runs less than 90 minutes, but Sturges manages to pack more drama and grit into his production than many of today’s directors work into a cable TV series. And it’s great fun watching Tracy’s character beat hell out of Borgnine’s brutish Coley Trimble.
Elmer Gantry (1960) - Jagger joins Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Shirley Jones, Hugh Marlowe, Patti Page and Edward Andrews in director Richard Brooks’ robust tale about a traveling salesman who becomes a fiery preacher. The supporting cast provides nice balance to Lancaster’s domineering performance in the lead role.
Denver and Rio Grande (1952) - Westerns were reliable productions for Hollywood for more than 40 years and were popular with audiences. The productions featured actors of diverse backgrounds and skills. Jagger appeared in several westerns, some good, some bad. “Denver and Rio Grande is one of his better westerns, and he fills another supporting role. Edmond O’Brien and Sterling Hayden lead a cast that also includes J. Carrol Naish, Kasey Roger and Lyle Bettger.
Jagger also performed in many TV shows, including Mr. Novak, The Twilight Zone, the Partridge Family, Columbo, and Hunter.
--Thanks for reading. Email questions and comments to kbotterman@gmail.com.
