Announcing The Mystery Character Blogathon!

Young Barbara Stanwyck is curious.

Do you like movies which have a central unseen character? Perhaps one of the most famous film of this category is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940), whose title character dies before the film begins. However, her presence haunts the whole plot. There are other unseen title characters, like Edward, My Son (1949). Other movies have unseen narrators, like Addie Ross in A Letter to Three Wives (1949). Still other films feature minor characters who are discussed but never seen. If you’re like us, you’ve probably fell to wondering what those people look like and who would have played them if they were cast as onscreen presences.

Perhaps some characters, like Mrs. Rochester in Jane Eyre (1943), are better left unseen.

We are planning on hosting a different blogathon in each month of 2021. Now, allow us to introduce our blogathon for May, The Mystery Character Blogathon! So far, the blogathon dates have always coincided with holidays. Keeping with this schedule, we are hosting The Mystery Character Blogathon on Memorial Day weekend, May 28-31, 2021. This theme has nothing in particular to do with Memorial Day or the month of May, but I’ve been wanting to host this blogathon for a while, so it seemed like a good opportunity, what with the alliteration of mystery and May. Also, participants may have more free time on a holiday weekend, so it’s a good time for some writing!

The only image of Rebecca is her painting.

Possible topics in this blogathon are quite broad. Basically, you can write about any film which features an unseen character. Tell us why you love that the character is never seen, or tell us why you wish the character were revealed at least once! Reveal which actor or actress you think would have or should have played the part. Explain how you imagine showing the mystery character would have changed the whole film. Would it have been an improvement, or would it have ruined the movie?

In this shot, the portrait of Aunt Roberta could be of Ethel Barrymore.

The possibilities are endless! Let your imagination run wild. To give you a few ideas, I’ll tell you some of my mystery character castings. If Aunt Roberta were an onscreen role in Lovely to Look At (1952), as she is in the original, Roberta (1935), she would surely have been played by Ethel Barrymore. If Tracy Lord’s (Katherine Hepburn) brother, Julius, were seen rather than just discussed in The Philadelphia Story (1940), Lew Ayres would have been perfect in the role, reprising his brother role from Holiday (1938). While these are all classic, Code films, you can write about a movie from any era!

If you would like to join this celebration of secretive cinema, please scroll down to review the rules:

1. There is no limit on duplicates, since we are interested in different opinions.
2. Writers can contribute as many articles as they choose.
3. If you are interested in joining, please leave a comment below and specify your topic.
4. If you want to join this blogathon but don’t have a website, you can still join! Email us your article, and we will publish it here on PEPS for you.
5. Please use the beautiful banners below, which Rebekah made, to help us promote this blogathon!
6. Don’t forget to include a poster and the link to the roster in your posts!

The Roster so Far:

1. Tiffany Brannan of PEPS – Charles Morgan in Three Daring Daughters (1948)

We’ll see you (or perhaps not see you) in May!

To be seen or not to be seen. That is the question!

Please join our other upcoming blogathon!

The Faith in Film Blogathon

Follow us to bring back the Code and save the arts in America!

We are lifting our voices in classical song to help the sun rise on a new day of pure entertainment!

Only the Code can make the sun rise on a new day of pure entertainment!