Udo Kier Okay Udo isn't strictly an also ran but he's odd and turns up in the wierdest places he had to go in.

I first clocked him as a punter in My Own Private Idaho and then in an Ace Ventura film.

Eventually I found out he was in an Andy Warhol film (yes I am easily impressed) and has a long and impressive CV in various european films.

Udo was also on screen at the point when I realised that Barb Wire was a remake of Casablanca. Seriously, I didn't know... 'This seems familiar... no, it isn't surely... bloody hell it is!'

This creeping realisation is about the best bit of the film. He's kind of been there during strange filmic points and so is one of the mainstays of the collection

Introducing the collection...

Oh yeah? Whats "The Collection" then Ball m' boy?

Simple, its my meandering, occasional list of film actors who for some reason stick out in my memory.

Membership of the collection is very random and encompasses the greats and the not so greats... Actors whose careers didn't always take off are often included in this wierd club but usually its just me grandstanding an obscure knowledge of cinema's byways and back alleys...

Number one has got to be the late great Gunter Meisner. Fantastic, in his native Germany, a list of credits as long as your arm but sadly he tended to be typecast as a sinister Nazi in English language movies. He played Kreutzman in Funeral in Berlin and best of all, Slugworth/Wordsworth in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Which latter was on the other night which is probably why he's first.

Who next? You gotta dig actors who seemed to make a small but worthwhile career out of one trademark schtick.

What?! I hear you ask, well S.Z. Sakall is a good start. How can a man make a career out of slapping his jowly cheeks with one or both hands in exasperated suprise, often exclaming "Oooosh!" in humble mittleeuropean befuddlement?

More power to him he did it though, turning up as the maitre d' in Casablanca, chops and all.

Joe E. Ross played Ritzig in Bilko and again was able to carve a niche as the man with the throaty "Oooh!" eventually showing up shouting "Ooh! Ooh! Mr Peevley Mr Peevley" in the hairbear bunch.

The king of this kind of thing has got to be James Finlayson. He's always in Laurel and Hardy films as a jealous father-in-aw. Trademark: "A double take followed by a long slow burn" (imdb quote). He also came out with, "Doh!" made famous again by Homer Simpson.

Vernon Wells. I think between Gunter, Udo (more of him later) and Vernon lies the responsibility for The Collection. He first came to light in the 2nd Mad Max film as a road warrior.

Then he rolled up in Wierd Science in almost the same wardrobe as another road warrior and its there I noticed the psychotic eye roll and quiet menacing voice; "A ha! A schtick" I thought to myself.

After that, Commando, with more of the eye roll and menace. Unfortunately by this time our Vern had a bit of a gut, a very camp moustache and a very bad black string vest so the menace had passed into farce. Fortunately this guaranteed Vernon's place at the top table in The Collection. I don't know what he's upto now but rest assured these cinematic morsels have earned him a temporary immortaliy with me at least

Who else?...More members soon