Cotten

Today is a multi-hero day, and it is also a day that I REALLY need to do a ton of yard work. However, since I LOATHE yard work, I figured I would crown multiple heroes in order to give myself an excuse not to do any work. I hope I am a better writer than I am yard worker, and therefore can say I made the right choice, but I am not so sure. I will just still with being lazy, and continue my assault on Mother Nature on another day.

Our first hero of this day is the fellow above. His name is Joseph Cotten, and he was born this day 1905 in Petersburg, Virginia. After graduating high school, he got a gig with an advertising agency, but eventually became a theatre critic. That work led to him decided to walk the boards himself, and he made his Broadway debut in 1930. During this time, he met and became friends with another hero of ours, Orson Welles. He joined Welles' theatre company, and eventually got the role as the main character's best friend in Welles' masterpiece, Citizen Kane. That role was superbly done, and he did other films with Welles, the best of which, in my opinion, was "The Third Man." His character drives the film, and his performance is wonderful. He was never nominated for an Academy Award, which is a damn shame, but he has one of the best quotes of all time when describing his career he said, "Orson Welles list "Citizen Kane" as his best film, Alfred Hitchcock opts for "Shadow of a Doubt", and Sir Carol Reed chose "The Third Man", and I am in all of them." That pretty much sums it up. All three of those men have graced this blog on the appropriate day, and today I would be remiss if I did not pick M. Cotten. He also had a pretty good role opposite Charles Boyer, and Ingrid Bergman in "Gaslight." Clearly, a man that walked amongst heroes, and is a hero in his own right. So, for all those wonderful roles played to perfection Joseph Cotten (May 15th, 1905-February 6th, 1994, at the age of 88), you are my (262nd) hero of the day.