This article attempts a definition at what constitutes “character acting” in mainstream cinema in the United States and argues that throughout the peak of his film career—roughly, 1957 through 1976--Martin Balsam refined the definition of male character acting in American film, a parameter previously established by such skilled practitioners as Eugene Pallette and Claude Rains. Balsam did this through his ability to portray what can be termed “a man in a hat” portrayals: tartly humorous, reliable, and sometimes authoritative supporting characters, usually wearing a chapeau . This is clearly seen in such performances as the private investigator in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and most interestingly, a partner in an unusual subway hijacking in Joseph Sargent’s The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three (1974).

中文翻译：

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戴帽子的人：马丁·鲍尔萨姆和美国电影中男性角色的精炼，1957-1976

本文试图定义美国主流电影中“角色表演”的构成，并认为在他电影生涯的整个高峰期——大约从 1957 年到 1976 年——马丁·鲍尔萨姆完善了美国电影中男性角色表演的定义，先前由 Eugene Pallette 和 Claude Rains 等熟练从业者建立的参数。Balsam 通过他描绘可称为“戴帽子的男人”的形象的能力做到了这一点：尖刻幽默、可靠，有时还具有权威性的配角，通常戴着帽子。这在阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克的《惊魂记》（1960 年）中的私家侦探以及最有趣的是约瑟夫·萨金特（Joseph Sargent）的《劫持佩勒姆一、二、三》（1974 年）中的一次不寻常的地铁劫持中的合作伙伴等表演中清晰可见。