Drexel Spivey – True Romance. That’s just an excellent name. Funny too when Christian Slater says, “What’s a Drexel”?
Clide Wynne-Candy- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Mason Storm – Hard To Kill
I have always loved the name Elisabet Vogler. I know Vogler means something that makes the name even more significant but no matter how hard I try I can’t find where I read that. If anyone knows I would appreciate the info.
I also have to mention Antoine Doinel. That name is just fantastic.
Cissie Colpitts is a damn interesting character name, enough to watch Greenaway’s Drowning by Numbers
Antoine Doinel yes….
McLovin, funny name for a fake ID
I like Allegra Geller because I like alliterative names and she’s played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.
I like the early Woody Allen names
Virgil Starkwell
Miles Monroe
Fiedling Melish
and of course Jasper Larmarr Crabbe
Edward Souse, with an accent grave.
all from the Bond films…
Pussy Galore
Dr. Holly Goodhead
Xenia Onatopp
Plenty O’Toole
Bambi and Thumper
Chew Mee
Great ones Prudence..Tiffany Case from Diamonds are Forever as well.
Rorschach – Watchmen
McLovin – Superbad
Oh Dae-Su – OldBoy
Oh yeah…
Travis Bickle (and his fake name Arthur Krinkle)
&
Rupert Pupkin
@ <‘,))( 寿司
I came onto this thread just to point out how consistently great Cronenberg’s character names are:
Nicholas Tudor, Merrick, Dr. Dan Keloid, Candice Carveth, Darryl Revok, Arno Crostic, Max Renn, Brian Oblivion, Barry Convex, Seth Brundle, Elliot and Beverly Mantle, Claire Niveau, Anders Wolleck, etc, etc, etc.
Those Cronenberg names are excellent…what about the hospital name in the Brood (Somafree?) eeewww!
Chauncey Gardener
HAL-9000
Lacombe, Lucien
Ratso Rizzo and Joe Buck
Charles Foster Kane
and the Knights who say ‘Nee’
Trudy Kockenlocker.
“Miracle of Morgan’s Creek”. Preston Sturges.
Hands down for me.
Christopher Guest has a good time with his character’s names:
Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)
Corky St. Clair (Waiting for Guffman)
Harlan Pepper (Best in Show)
and he played a variation of Corky (named Chip Dimentebella) in an old HBO/Billy Crystal special “Don’t Get me Started”
J.J. Gittes
Billy “Badass” Buddusky
Sam Spade
Ulysses Everett McGill
Daniel Plainview
Harry Lime
Rooster Cogburn
Johnny Guitar
H. Kurtzmann (Brazil)
… and I can’t believe no one’s mentioned Pootie Tang.
@Filmy Andy There’s also Madgett and Smut from Drowning by Numbers. Loves it.
Oswald and Oliver Deuce
Amélie Poulain and Nino Quincampoix
Howl Jenkins Pendragon
Jeliza-Rose
Brundlefly
Lux Lisbon
Mr. Macintosh
Kazaam, lulz.
I going to say it. Thurman Merman from “Bad Santa.”
“Adenoid Hynkel” is still pretty ridiculous. It parodies one of the more famous characters in modern history, sure, but it also sounds like a health condition with, to my ear at least, a little Jewish pizazz layered in. It fits the persona so damn well.
Eli Cash
That has to be my favourite character name of all time.. and of course Royal Tenenbaum, Raleigh St. Clair, Henry Sherman, Ari and Uzi Tenenbaum.. okay you get the point – the film is filled with ace names. Obvious, yes. Classic, definitely.
Rupert Pupkin.
Dignan is the greatest character name in film. It’s Shakespearean.
What’s in a name? Meaning, what makes a good character name for you? I find that in modern fiction writers get really weird with their characters names: Eli Drinkwater, Nathan Zuckerman, Abraham Ebdus etc.
Groucho Marx and W.C. Fields have the most consistently great character names though: Rufus T. Firefly, Otis B. Driftwood, Egbert Souse, etc.
Antonius Block
The Coen brothers should rule this thread. Of theirs, I’d pick Bernie Bernbaum and Barton Fink (and maybe throw in Jesus Quintana to name another Turturro role). Or any name from Fargo.
Besides the Coens and ones already mentioned, I’d add Lemmy Caution (although Godard stole that from some crime novelist).
Jeff Costello – Le Samouraï
Parky Zezman
So, some writers say a name is just a name. But aren’t there those character names that just stick with you? Mrs. Robinson, Antonius Block, Atticus Finch, George Bailey, Mr. Potter, Scarlett O’Hara – well, you get the point. Either there’s a deeper meaning behind the name, some kind of emotional sensation the name brings, or it just fits perfectly with the actor/character.
What are your favorite character names, and why?