Emlyn Williams Tribute Video

Emlyn Williams is one of those character actors you've probably seen, but he hides himself so well behind the characters he plays, if you're like me, you might never have thought to find out his name. But if you've seen Alfred Hitchcock's 1939 film "Jamaica Inn," I'll bet you remember the scene-stealing "dirty little blackguard" Harry the Pedlar. Since no one else seems to have done one yet, I felt he deserved a fan video commemorating his long and varied career. I wracked my brain for weeks trying to come up with a song to go with the clips (which as you know if you've ever done one of these videos, is the often hardest part!). But then my favorite group, The Who, came to the rescue yet a second time (this being my second video) with their classic "Behind Blue Eyes." Since Williams has played so many unsavory characters, the lyrics "No one knows what it's like to be the bad man ..." seemed really fitting ... but, hmm, "blue eyes"? That might not be your first impression of him after seeing Harry or some of his other "darker" roles, but take a closer look. I first "discovered" Emlyn Williams through the films of another great actor, Robert Newton, who continues to influence pop culture through his definitive performances as Long John Silver and Blackbeard in the 1950s. He and Williams were pitted against each other in four different films, so you'll see lots of them duking it out together here. Some other classic stars you may recognize are Michael Redgrave (who also ...