Topic: Famous characters in poetry and prose - Solved by Carnut, Tom_I, barrett, Oswald and OP

[Ray B.]

And another one:

Character #13 is John Gavin, who played agent OSS 117 (Jonathan Roberts) in "Niente Rose per OSS 117" (also known as "Murder For Sale"), who drove Ride #5, a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL.

That's almost it. But I'll accept your reply when you will correct the identity of the character. Who is ths "Jonathan Roberts"?
Since the film is a french-italian production, let's stick to the original titles (Pas de roses pour OSS 117), instead of an english or chinese one, for this gem of french culture.

[Carnut]

And another one:

Character #13 is John Gavin, who played agent OSS 117 (Jonathan Roberts) in "Niente Rose per OSS 117" (also known as "Murder For Sale"), who drove Ride #5, a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL.

That's almost it. But I'll accept your reply when you will correct the identity of the character. Who is ths "Jonathan Roberts"?
Since the film is a french-italian production, let's stick to the original titles (Pas de roses pour OSS 117), instead of an english or chinese one, for this gem of french culture.

All right, his name was Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath.  He was called Jonathan Roberts in the dubbed English version 'Murder For Sale', so we'll ignore that!

[Carnut]

Let's try another one:

Character #15 is William Powell playing the eponymous Godfrey in "My Man Godfrey", driving Car #12 the Packard 12 Phaeton.

Here is the complete picture from the film, including his then real wife Carole Lombard, for whom he was chauffering in the film:

This is William Powell indeed, and maybe he goes with the Packard, but your link, film and wharacter are wrong. Locked for you and your second chance.

OK, so the film must be "After the Thin Man", in which William Powell played Nick Charles driving a '36 Packard Super 8, Ride #12.
I was fooled by the fact your still was from the film I said, but as you said earlier it didn't have to be the film featured!

[Ray B.]

All right, his name was Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath.  He was called Jonathan Roberts in the dubbed English version 'Murder For Sale', so we'll ignore that!

Right. With a name like Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, I understand that the british felt an urge to rename him. But that silly name is part of the legend. I watch movies in the original version as often as I can, and I go nuts these days because in France, for the DVD's, thay always use the french title.

[Carnut]

So if my Reply #77 is correct that just leaves the one?
Trying to tie in Char #2 with Ride #1 (which appears in lots of films but so far not making much progress...)

[Ray B.]

Your Thin Man reply is totally correct.

Abot the last one, Character#2. To be honest I must make it  clear: it is his "celluloid avatar" who rides in the remaining car. But it's not his "celuloid avatar" that is shown on the picture.
If you see what I mean...

[Carnut]

Abot the last one, Character#2. To be honest I must make it  clear: it is his "celluloid avatar" who rides in the remaining car. But it's not his "celuloid" avatar that is shown on the picture.
If you see what I mean...

So is the film "Teenagers from Outer Space"? And is the Character Tom Graeff (who changed his name to Tom Lockyear for his acting part in the film) who played Joe and drove the '51 Chevrolet Fleetline?  Or am I way off..?

[Ray B.]

No.
I' m afraid my explanations aren't very clear. Let me wait until tomorrow to clear up this mess.

[Carnut]

No.
I' m afraid my explanations aren't very clear. Let me wait until tomorrow to clear up this mess.

It's back to the drawing board tomorrow then...!

[Ray B.]

The picture for Character #2 is Character #2. But it's not an actor.

[Carnut]

The picture for Character #2 is Character #2. But it's not an actor.

It's not football player and later TV presenter Merlin Olsen is it?
Anything to do with 'Speed Racer'?

[Ray B.]

The beard, maybe? Nope.
This one is tough. Two things that might help you:
- I showed on ly half of the picture. It would be much easier if you saw the  other half.

- With the exception of The Falcon films, which were original screenplays, all these characters, as I wrote, started their life on paper (novels or comics). But this one is the only one who appeared in a single book, whils others, as the term character might imply, appeared in several of them before they were adapted for the screen.

[Tom_I]

After a lot of searching, Character 2 is real-life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson, who had a long career catching over 5,000 criminals and bail-jumpers. Thorson's exploits had already featured in a book by Christopher Keane, and this formed the basis for the 1980 film "The Hunter".

In the film, Thorson is played by Steve McQueen, in his last film role before he died. He drives a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe (Ride 1).

Ralph "Papa" Thorson appears in the film himself as a bartender. Here he appears with himself being played by Steve McQueen.

[Carnut]

Again you are cleverer than I am Tom!
I had identified that film too as the best possibility but just couldn't tie that bearded guy behind the bar with any actor in the film...  I had Googled endlessly for stills from the film but mainly it would only give me pictures of Robert Mitchum in "Night of the Hunter"!  Of course now when I try again it comes up with the actual picture Ray used (see below)!
Well done!

[Ray B.]

Amazing, Tom!
Especially as I hadn't  been too generous with clues . I avoided telling that the Chevrolet was a convertible.
Nice sympathetic film where McQueen plays the worst driver you've ever seen. He can't park his Chevy without bumping it against other cars, and he totally destroys a rented Pontiac TransAm (with the help of a combine)

[Carnut]

Excellent puzzle Ray.
Great fun!

[Tom_I]

I agree. Thanks, Ray, and well done indeed!

[Ray B.]

You guys sure didn't leave a chance for this puzzle to outlive summer!

Now as I said, there is a bonus point to win for this

Which is the actor, already identified here as one of the 15 characters, who also played another one and a half?
So, who, where and why?

The count, so far/
Carnut: 8 points
Tom_I: 4 points
barrett, Oswald, Otto Puzzell: 1 point

[Carnut]

I think that might be Tom Conway, because not only did he play The Falcon as identified in this puzzle, but he also played the Saint on NBC radio.  In "The Falcon's Brother" his real-life brother George Sanders (also featured in this puzzle for playing The Saint) was bumped off half way through the film having got bored with the part of the Falcon and the role was taken on by Tom Conway who had been in the film playing his celluloid brother!

So that's another one and a half: The Saint and the Falcon's brother for half a film!

Odd that brothers George Sanders and Tom Conway both played both the Falcon and the Saint.

[Carnut]

Just thinking about it this could equally apply to George Sanders, because not only did he play The Saint as identified in this puzzle but he also played The Falcon (Gay Lawrence) in a series of films and in half a film before being bumped off to be replaced by his real-life and celluloid brother Tom (Conway/Lawrence). 

So he could also be said to feature another one and a half times!

[Ray B.]

I hadn't noticed that Tom Conway had played The Saint too.

Anyway  in both cases that totals one and a half., when I spoke of two and a half ( one plus one and a hal), if you read me correctly. "Half being a manner of speaking, but I can't find a better way to say it.

[Carnut]

I hadn't noticed that Tom Conway had played The Saint too.

Anyway  in both cases that totals one and a half., when I spoke of two and a half ( one plus one and a hal), if you read me correctly. "Half being a manner of speaking, but I can't find a better way to say it.

Not quite with you there.
The Saint plus The Falcon plus half of the Falcon in a film would be two and a half, or one which we already had identified plus another one and a half.  Isn't that what you asked for?

Do you mean I'm wrong?

[Carnut]

Is the answer car-related?

Maybe it's James Garner then, who had another career as racing car team owner after he fell in love with fast cars whilst filming "Grand Prix"?
He actually had a Lola T-70 which he used for a time as his everyday car for going to the supermarket etc!!

The half might be that he was one half of a public advertisement entitled "Don't be fuelish" at the time of one of the fuel crises, exhorting people to save petrol (maybe he didn't take his T-70 beyond 30 mph to save fuel...).  The other half was George C. Scott.

[Carnut]

Not car-related but it could even be John Gavin, because he also went on to have a second career, in politics, being appointed by his big buddy Ronald Reagan to be the US Ambassador to Mexico, a post he filled for some years.

And the half could be the fact that he had been signed up to play James Bond 007 in 'Diamonds are Forever' to replace George Lazenby but was dropped when Sean Connery agreed to play the part once more; nevertheless the contract was honoured and he received payment in full...

[Otto Puzzell]

Live and Let Die was a Roger Moore Bond flick. He was coaxed back for the dreadful Diamonds Are Forever, and, a dozen years later, for the almost as bad, thinly disguised Thunderball rehash, Never Say Never Again.