The Oscar Quest: Best Actor – 1973
I love 1973 so much. Sandwiched between the two Godfathers, I consider this a year that’s that as strong as those two. The Sting wins Best Picture, which I think is a perfect choice (even though, I know, some people like The Exorcist and American Graffiti). George Roy Hill wins Best Director for the film as well, which, as I said here, needed to happen, since, between The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he earned an Oscar.
Best Actress this year was Glenda Jackson for A Touch of Class (talked about here), which I don’t like, but only because Jackson won in 1970 in what I consider the worst Oscar decision of all time. So the spite from her winning there, along with the fact that, if Ellen Burstyn had won here for The Exorcist, it would have taken her out of the running the year after this and Gena Rowlands could have won for her brilliant performance in A Woman Under the Influence, overshadows what is actually a good performance by Glenda Jackson. Then Best Supporting Actor was John Houseman for The Paper Chase (talked about here), which I understand, even though I’d have voted for Jason Miller (or Vincent Gardenia) there. And Best Supporting Actress was Tatum O’Neal for Paper Moon (talked about here), which I’m over the — well, I love it very much. I think she was perfect in that film.
And then, this category — it had to happen. I know it’s one of (if not the) the strongest Best Actor categories of all time, but, this result had to be the one that happened here. The consolation is that the rest of the actors in the category all won Oscars (7, in fact, bringing the total number of Oscars won by the men in this category to 9. Which is pretty amazing).
BEST ACTOR – 1973
And the nominees were…
Marlon Brando, Last Tango in Paris
Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger
Jack Nicholson, The Last Detail
Al Pacino, Serpico
Robert Redford, The Sting (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actress – 1980
Oh, 1980. A prime example of how badly the Academy can fuck up because of their — preoccupations.
Ordinary People wins Best Picture and Best Director (for Robert Redford, talked about here) over Raging Bull. What can you do except shake your head? What terrible decisions.
Timothy Hutton also won Best Supporting Actor for Ordinary People, which, as I said here, is actually a good decision. Robert De Niro won Best Actor for Raging Bull, which, at least they didn’t fuck up there, and gave a deserving performance its due. And Sissy Spacek won Best Actress for Coal Miner’s Daughter, which — the category was between her and Mary Tyler Moore for Ordinary People, and either one would have been acceptable. Some may have their own personal opinion on the matter, but both were good choices.
Which brings us to this category. I don’t like it. But on the other hand, I don’t give a shit. So, there’s that.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – 1980
And the nominees were…
Eileen Brennan, Private Benjamin
Eve Le Gallienne, Resurrection
Cathy Moriarty, Raging Bull
Diana Scarwid, Inside Moves
Mary Steenburgen, Melvin and Howard (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actor – 1948
I am very on the record about despising 1948 and calling it the single worst Best Picture choice in the history of the Academy. I have, and will always, stand by that statement (even against Chariots of Fire). Out of a list that includes: The Snake Pit, Johnny Belinda, The Red Shoes and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the Academy chose, as its Best Picture of the year for 1948 — Hamlet. Fucking Hamlet!
Best Picture choice aside, the rest of 1948 isn’t bad at all. I might go so far as to say Best Picture is really the only mistake they made. Almost. Best Actor was Laurence Olivier for Hamlet, which makes perfect sense, since Olivier deserved a statue, was known as a Shakespearean actor, gave a terrific performance, and the category sucked (no Bogie. Don’t ask me why). So that worked out. Best Actress was Jane Wyman for Johnny Belinda (talked about here), which I feel is one of the top five Best Actress decisions of all time. Best Supporting Actress was Claire Trevor for Key Largo, which is the other decision I don’t like. While Trevor is an actress who should have an Oscar, Agnes Moorehead should have won one more so. And she was terrific in Johnny Belinda. Trevor’s performance was just okay. And Best Director this year was John Huston for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which (as I said here), of course I love, because I feel the film should have won Best Picture.
This category, though — this one was one of those where, finally a deserving actor got his recognition. Walter Huston, to me, was worth voting for every other time he was nominated for an Oscar. Every other time. Dodsworth — I voted for him. The Devil and Daniel Webster — I’d have voted for him over Gary Cooper, who won that year (even though Orson Welles ultimately was the vote there). Yankee Doodle Dandy — he was probably the best actor in the bunch to vote for. So, to me, finally, he gets his due here. And that makes me happy.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – 1948
And the nominees were…
Charles Bickford, Johnny Belinda
José Ferrer, Joan of Arc
Oskar Homolka, I Remember Mama
Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Cecil Kellaway, The Luck of the Irish (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Director – 1961
I love 1961. Mostly due to the strength of the year. I also love the Best Picture decision, but, I have a sentimental favorite that didn’t win, and I’m not really sure which I’d vote for, so in a way, it’s tough to think about, because I don’t know what to do, but in another way, I know the decision stands on its own as a strong one, so it’s nice.
West Side Story wins Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for George Chakiris (talked about here) and Best Supporting Actress for Rita Moreno (talked about here). I love all of the decisions, even though I might not necessarily have voted for all of them. Best Actor was Maximilian Schell for Judgment at Nuremberg, which I hate, hate, hate as a decision (gee, you think he hates it?). Paul Newman really should have won for The Hustler here, and even the Academy knew it, because when they finally gave him his Oscar in 1986, they gave it to him for the sequel to The Hustler. And Best Actress was Sophia Loren for Two Women (talked about here), which I’m very open about hating as a decision.
So that leaves only this category, which is pretty cut and dry and makes perfect sense.
BEST DIRECTOR – 1961
And the nominees were…
Federico Fellini, La Dolce Vita
Stanley Kramer, Judgment at Nuremberg
Robert Rossen, The Hustler
J. Lee Thompson, The Guns of Navarone
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins, West Side Story (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Actress – 1946
I love 1946. Because not only does it have a slam dunk Best Picture winner, but it also has the sentimental favorite (kind of like 1939, with Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. Only 1939 has several more sentimental favorites). The Best Years of Our Lives is, given the year it was made, an absolute no-brainer perfect decision for Best Picture. William Wyler wins Best Director for the film as well, which makes perfect sense. Frederic March also wins Best Actor for the film, which was also a great choice.
Now, Harold Russell winning Best Supporting Actor for the film, however, was not a great choice. At least by my standards. I know he was an actual veteran who actually lost his hands during the war, but it doesn’t change the fact that the performance just isn’t very good. At least, as compared to Charles Coburn in the Green Years and Claude Rains in Notorious. Coburn gave my favorite performance in the category, but given that he beat Rains for it in 1943, I don’t see how they don’t immediately give the award to Claude Rains I know there’s the sweep thing, but — it’s Claude Rains. The whole affair just baffles me.
The other awards that didn’t go to The Best Years of Our Lives were Best Supporting Actress, which went to Anne Baxter for The Razor’s Edge, which not only was a great decision in the category, but also a great one historically, since Baxter earned an Oscar for her performance in All About Eve alone, and then this award, which was several years in the making.
BEST ACTRESS – 1946
And the nominees were…
Olivia de Havilland, To Each His Own
Celia Johnson, Brief Encounter
Jennifer Jones, Duel in the Sun
Rosalind Russell, Sister Kenny
Jane Wyman, The Yearling (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actress – 1984
Okay, let’s quickly recap 1984. I got some stuff to talk about.
First, Amadeus wins Best Picture, Best Director for Milos Forman (taked about here) and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham (talked about here). All perfect decisions, and, on a side note, the fact that it won Best Picture, for me, is one of the very few bright spots the 80s have. Which I am grateful for. Best Actress this year was Sally Field for Places in the Heart (talked about here), which, to put it simply, I understand. And Best Supporting Actor was Haing S. Ngor for The Killing Fields (talked about here), which, while I wouldn’t have voted for it, I also understand. Fortunately, I’ve covered all these categories, so we can mercifully be done with this year after this category. Which —
This might be the single worst Best Supporting Actress category of all time. Might be — I know it is. You know why? Because none of these performances would rate higher than 4th for a vote in any other year. That’s how weak it is. It’s really, really bad. As for alternate nominees — I don’t really see anyone. I was mostly looking for someone who I could vote for. I don’t have anyone I can vote for. God, I hate this category.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – 1984
And the nominees were…
Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India
Glenn Close, The Natural
Lindsay Crouse, Places in the Heart
Christine Lahti, Swing Shift
Geraldine Page, The Pope of Greenwich Village (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Actor – 1956
I don’t know what to do with 1956. I don’t hate it, but I don’t really like it either. I just end up shaking my head, going, “What can you do?”
Around the World in 80 Days wins Best Picture, and, again — what can you do? I understand that it’s big and expansive and a greatly entertaining film. But did it need to win Best Picture just because it was the biggest thing out there? (Note: This same argument would be had with Titanic.) Best Actress was Ingrid Bergman for Anastasia (talked about here), which I consider one of the worst single Best Actress decisions ever made, just because she had one already, and all of the other nominees gave much better performances than she did. Best Supporting Actor was Anthony Quinn for Lust for Life, which I’m not the biggest fan of, but he’s Anthony Quinn, so, meh. Best Supporting Actress was Dorothy Malone for Written on the Wind (talked about here), which I love as a decision. And Best Director was George Stevens for Giant (talked about here), which — thank god they didn’t fuck that one up. That’s one of the best directorial efforts ever put to film.
Which brings us to this category. I don’t like this. I love Yul Brynner, but I don’t like this decision.
BEST ACTOR – 1956
And the nominees were…
Yul Brynner, The King and I
James Dean, Giant
Kirk Douglas, Lust for Life
Rocky Hudson, Giant
Laurence Olivier, Richard III (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Actress – 1937
What happened with 1937? It’s just a train wreck. Not a single good decision. Well, one good decision, but even that was for the wrong film.
The Life of Emile Zola wins Best Picture, and it’s one of the weakest Best Picture winners of all time. Definitely one of the ten worst. Joseph Schildkraut also won Best Supporting Actor for the film (talked about here), which, while it is a weak choice and he shouldn’t have won because he’s barely in the film, you can’t really call it unacceptable because the category was so bad. Picking it was just like, “I guess…”
Best Actor was Spencer Tracy for Captains Courageous (talked about here), which, while I don’t like the performance as a Best Actor-winner, I do like the fact that he won here, since it was a perfect year for him to win, and lord knows he was goinna win. (It’s his 1938 win I despise.) Best Supporting Actress this year was Alice Brady for In Old Chicago (talked about here), which I don’t much understand. It seems like a makeup Oscar for them not giving it to her the year prior. Andrea Leeds totally should have won there. She definitely gave the best performance. And Best Director this year was Leo McCarey for The Awful Truth, which, while I love the film and love that he won (because he totally should have won), the film he should have won for was Make Way for Tomorrow, which he himself said as he accepted his Oscar. Which is really just the bow on this messed up year that was 1937.
Which brings us to this category, which — given the talent that’s in this category, how — how — can they give it to the actress that won this the year before?! For a performance that was a supporting part! It’s mind-boggling how they could fuck this up. You could say — I’m not, but one could — that this single category is the reason that Irene Dunne, Greta Garbo and Barbara Stanwyck don’t have Oscars. That’s fucked up.
BEST ACTRESS – 1937
And the nominees were…
Irene Dunne, The Awful Truth
Janet Gaynor, A Star is Born
Greta Garbo, Camille
Luise Rainer, The Good Earth
Barbara Stanwyck, Stella Dallas (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actress – 1986
1986 is like a buoy to me. It’s what keeps me afloat in the vast sea of shit that is the Academy Awards in the 80s. Almost all the Best Picture choices from the decade were either bad (Ordinary People, Chariots of Fire, Out of Africa, Driving Miss Daisy), boring (Gandhi, The Last Emperor), or good, but a little on the weak side as Best Picture choices (Terms of Endearment, Rain Man). Only Amadeus and Platoon (which won Best Picture this year), are the lone strong choices of the 80s. And I’m glad, because they’re what keep me from disowning the decade completely.
Platoon also won Best Director for Oliver Stone, which — of course that was gonna happen. Talk about Blue Velvet all you want, but, you know why that didn’t win. There is no way you can’t understand the Academy going the way they did there. Paul Newman finally wins his 25-years overdue (though, for my money, 28 years) Best Actor Oscar for The Color of Money, which, as I said here, is a perfect decision and oddly fitting as well, given that he should have won it the first time he played that character. Best Actress was Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God (talked about here), which I love as a decision, since I really can’t buy into Sigourney Weaver winning for Aliens.
Best Supporting Actor was Michael Caine for Hannah and Her Sisters (talked about here), and that, along with this category, are really the only two weak links I find for 1986. And since they’re the least of the major categories, it’s really not that bad.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – 1986
And the nominees were…
Tess Harper, Crimes of the Heart
Piper Laurie, Children of a Lesser God
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, The Color of Money
Maggie Smith, A Room with a View
Diane Wiest, Hannah and Her Sisters (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Director – 1947
1947 is a pretty weak year, I feel. Gentleman’s Agreement was the obvious choice for Best Picture, but the nominees felt really weak. The Bishop’s Wife is weak, Crossfire is a B movie, and, in a stronger year, it would be more awesome that it got nominated. Here, it brings the rest of the nominees down. Great Expectations also doesn’t help make the nominees any stronger, even though it’s a great film. And Miracle on 34th Street also doesn’t help make things stronger. So, while they made the right choice, I can’t help but feel the year is a blank in history. The other categories don’t help matters much.
Ronald Colman wins Best Actor for A Double Life, which is a career achievement award. The category was really weak. Gregory Peck gave the best performance, but he won one later, so the Colman win works. Though, again, it doesn’t help this year seem stronger. Best Actress went to Loretta Young for The Farmer’s Daughter, which is considered by many (but not me. You know my preoccupation with 1970) to be the worst Best Actress decision of all time. Rosalind Russell really should have won that for Mourning Becomes Electra. Then Best Supporting Actor was Edmund Gwenn for Miracle on 34th Street (talked about here), which makes perfect sense, since he played Santa Claus. The lone strong decision of this this year (outside of this category). And Best Supporting Actress was Celeste Holm for Gentleman’s Agreement (talked about here), which is a good decision, but the category was really shitty. It doesn’t help the year any.
And the year is capped off by this decision, which — what the hell did you think they were gonna do?
BEST DIRECTOR – 1947
And the nominees are…
George Cukor, A Double Life
Edward Dmytryk, Crossfire
Elia Kazan, Gentleman’s Agreement
Henry Koster, The Bishop’s Wife
David Lean, Great Expectations (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Actor – 1979
Oh, this is tough. This may be my favorite Best Actor category of all time. They’re all really good in this category. They all either gave awards-worthy performances or were terribly overdue. And also gave awards-worthy performances. Just — wow. Before we get into it, let’s recap.
I’m not a fan of the the overall 1979 at all. Kramer vs. Kramer wins Best Picture over Apocalypse Now, All That Jazz, Norma Rae and Breaking Away. Those last two, I can abide. The first two, I cannot. Same goes for Best Director. Robert Benton (for Kramer) beats Francis Ford Coppola and Bob Fosse (talked about here). That’s the worst offense of all. The direction didn’t carry that film, writing did. That’s what makes me unable to abide the Best Picture decision. The weak, “Here you go,” of giving it Best Director too. Meryl Streep also won Best Supporting Actress for the film, which, as I said here, is a perfect decision. When Meryl wins a category, she really wins a category.
Sally Field as Best Actress for Norma Rae, which, as I said here, is a great decision. And Best Supporting Actor was the biggest offense of them all. The worst decision in the history of the that category. Melvyn Douglas wins for Being There, beating Robert Duvall for Apocalypse Now. Even Dustin Hoffman, upon accepting his award for Best Actor, after saying he refused to believe he beat “Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Peter Sellers,” said, “I refuse to believe Robert Duvall lost.” That’s how bad it was.
Which brings us into this category — it’s a great one.
BEST ACTOR – 1979
And the nominees are…
Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer
Jack Lemmon, The China Syndrome
Al Pacino, …And Justice for All
Roy Scheider, All That Jazz
Peter Sellers, Being There (more…)
The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actor – 1954
1954. On the Waterfront. Case closed. It wins Best Picture, Best Director for Elia Kazan (talked about here), Best Actor for Marlon Brando and Best Supporting Actress for Eva Marie Saint (talked about here). All four perfect decisions for all time.
The other decision that wasn’t this category was Grace Kelly for Best Actress for The Country Girl. This is perhaps the single most contested decision in Academy history, as a lot of people feel Judy Garland should have won for A Star is Born. I, personally feel the category is too close to call, and the fact that Grace Kelly also made Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, Green Fire and The Bridges at Tokyo-Ri, decidedly tips the scale solely in her favor. That’s just an incredible list there for a single calendar year.
Which brings us to this category. Also, look how short this synopsis was. That’s called restraint. It doesn’t happen often with me. Anyway, this category — the Waterfront log jam led to Edmond O’Brien winning, which, I’m glad happened. Because Edmond O’Brien is the fucking man.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – 1954
And the nominees were…
Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront
Karl Malden, On the Waterfront
Edmund O’Brien, The Barefoot Contessa
Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront
Tom Tully, The Caine Mutiny (more…)
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