Mr. Belvedere is a fastidious, egotistical character portrayed by actor Clifton Webb in a series of 3 comedies in the late forties-early fifties. Although he had quite a wide range, Webb was already known for playing similar, if less sympathetic, characters before, probably most notably his Waldo Lydecker in the Noir classic LAURA. He would go on to still more similar roles in movies such as MR. SCOUTMASTER and DREAMBOAT.
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I remember seeing "Sitting Pretty" on TV in my youth, and when I saw Richard Haydn playing the eccentric neighbor who hand-pollinated his flowers, I said: "that's Clyde Crashcup!" I guess it was Haydn's character who inspired Clyde.
ReplyDeleteMr, Belvedere returned in the person of Christopher Hewitt (best known as cross-dressing director Roger Debris in Mel Brooks' "The Producers") in the '80s sitcom which also starred Bob "Mr. Baseball" Uecker.