Wednesday 7 January 2015

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1965: Results

7. Jack Lemmon in The Great Race - I decided not to review Lemmon here for a few reasons. The first being after watching the film I felt he was definitely lead along side Tony Curtis and in no way supporting him. Then I did not really feel it was quite a good enough performance worthy for his own separate lead review. Also no reason to ruin the perfect streak of the previous six performances reviewed. It is amusing to note that the previous collaboration between Lemmon and director Blake Edwards was The Days of Wine Roses so Lemmon went from a harrowing depiction of alcoholism to playing a live action Saturday morning cartoon villain right down to his name of Professor Fate. The film itself I felt was too bloated as you can probably only have so many slapstick gags before they wear a bit thin which is unfortunately the case for this film. Lemmon is quite the energetic presence and his over the top performance is actually fitting for the film. He does his best to sell every gag and his whole portrayal is amusing enough though it can't quite sustain the running time of the film. It's hardly a great performance from Lemmon, but he is indeed the best part of the film. 
6. Ian Bannen in The Hill - Well this was in no way a pleasure to even place the seventh spot in my ranking since I love all of these performances. Bannen merely gives another great performance of one man's own clever ways of survival as military prison guard while never losing his frustrations underneath.

Best Scene: The final confrontation.
5. Ian Hendry in The Hill - Hendry is also great in his uncompromising depiction of his character's sadism. What makes him standout though are the very human weaknesses he also brings to the character particularly in his portrayal of his character's attempt to be the proper military man. 

Best Scene: The final confrontation as well.
4. Oskar Werner in A Spy Who Came In From The Cold - Werner actually does not have too much material but has to make a whole lot of it. Well he does so giving so much life and genuine passion to his character Fiedler that he makes it heartbreaking when it turns out that Fielder has been used all along.

Best Scene: Fiedler realizes he's been had.
3. Toshiro Mifune in Red Beard - The last great performance to be found from the collaboration between Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. Mifune takes a rather unorthodox somewhat colder approach with the character of the wise mentor but succeeds wholly in earning the palatable emotions of every scene he is in, and effortlessly becoming a personification of compassion.

Best Scene: Red Beard goes to retrieve the patient from the Brothel.
2. Rod Steiger in Doctor Zhivago - Steiger has a great character and brilliantly realizes his complexity. He's a perfect smiling devil yet Steiger importantly shows that there still a bit of humanity to be found.

Best Scene: Komoravosky tells Zhivago what happened to Pasha.
  1. Harry Andrews in The Hill - Andrews gives an outstanding performance as he carefully differs himself from the other two men playing guards by showing a man utterly devoted to the mindset of the military. Andrews never allows himself to be one note though using every moment to fully realize his character as man who tries to conduct things as a machine. It's hard enough ranking these six but becomes even harder having to consider Tom Courtenay's work in Doctor Zhivago as well, which only improved all the more on re-watch. I really hate to have to leave the Ians out of the top five. Now I do feel I could give any one of these men the win and they would be more than deserving. My choice goes to Courtenay as it's a performance that only gets better the more I think about it, plus if I want to cheat in my reasoning he was also great in King Rat.

Best Scene: Wilson deals with the potential riot.
Overall Rank:
  1. Tom Courtenay in Doctor Zhivago
  2. Harry Andrews in The Hill
  3. Robert Shaw in Battle of the Bulge
  4. Rod Steiger in Doctor Zhivago
  5. Richard Harris in Major Dundee
  6. Toshiro Mifune in Red Beard
  7. Oskar Werner in The Spy Who Came in From The Cold
  8. Ian Hendry in The Hill
  9. Ian Bannen in The Hill
  10. Tsutomu Yamazaki in Red Beard
  11. Ossie Davis in The Hill
  12. Gian Maria Volonté in For A Few Dollars More 
  13. Charlton Heston in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  14. Claude Rains in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  15. Donald Pleasence in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  16. Tom Courtenay in King Rat
  17. Roy Kinnear in The Hill
  18. Cyril Cusack in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
  19. Michael Redgrave in The Hill 
  20. Junzaburō Ban in A Fugitive From the Past
  21. Tom Courtenay in Operation Crossbow
  22. John Gielgud in Chimes at Midnight
  23. Hans Christian Blech in Battle of the Bulge 
  24. James Mason in Lord Jim
  25. Edward G. Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid
  26. Trevor Howard in Von Ryan's Express
  27. Klaus Kinski in Doctor Zhivago
  28. Noel Coward in Bunny Lake is Missing 
  29. Telly Savalas in Battle of the Bulge
  30. Alec Guinness in Doctor Zhivago
  31. Leo McKern in Help!
  32. Nigel Green in The Ipcress File
  33. Richard Attenborough in The Flight of the Phoenix
  34. Jack Watson in The Hill
  35. Terry Thomas in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines 
  36. Roy Kinnear in Help! 
  37. Peter van Eyck in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold 
  38. Warren Oates in Major Dundee 
  39. Burgess Meredith in In Harm's Way
  40. Hardy Kruger in The Flight of the Phoenix
  41. Alfred Lynch in The Hill 
  42. Charles Bronson in Battle of the Bulge
  43. Van Heflin in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  44. James Coburn in Major Dundee
  45. Dean Martin in The Sons of Katie Elder
  46. Eijiro Tono in Samurai Assassin
  47. Alberto Sordi in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines 
  48. Wallace Ford in A Patch of Blue 
  49. Richard Harris in The Heroes of Telemark 
  50. Christopher Lee in in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
  51. Jose Ferrer in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  52. Michael Hordern in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold 
  53. Anthony Quayle in Operation Crossbow
  54. Ralph Richardson in Doctor Zhivago 
  55. Peter Sellers in What's New Pussycat?
  56. Eli Wallach in Lord Jim
  57. Dirk Bogarde in Darling
  58. Keenan Wynn in The Great Race
  59. Ronald Fraser in The Flight of the Phoenix
  60. Victor Spinetti in Help!
  61. Peter Falk in The Great Race
  62. Sergio Fantoni in Von Ryan's Express
  63. Geoffrey Keen in Doctor Zhivago
  64. Vladimir Mensik in Loves a Blonde
  65. Woody Allen in What's New Pussycat?
  66. Michael Craig in Sandra
  67. Karl Malden in The Cincinnati Kid
  68. Denholm Elliot in King Rat 
  69. Michael Redgrave in The Heroes of Telemark
  70. Robert Morley in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
  71. James Donald in King Rat
  72. Ken Takakura in A Fugitive From the Past
  73. David McCallum in The Greatest Story Ever Told 
  74. Peter Finch in The Flight of the Phoenix 
  75. Patrick Cargill in Help!
  76. John Mills in King Rat  
  77. Jean-Claude Brialy in I Knew Her Well
  78. Marino Mase in Fists in the Pocket
  79. Sal Mineo in The Greatest Story Ever Told 
  80. Patrick Wymark in Repulsion
  81. Jack Weston in The Cincinnati Kid 
  82. Joseph Schildkraut in The Greatest Story Ever Told 
  83. Paul Lukas in Lord Jim
  84. Arthur O'Connell in The Great Race
  85. Telly Savalas in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  86. Norman Bird in The Hill 
  87. Ben Johnson in Major Dundee 
  88. Donald Sutherland in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
  89. Ed Wynn in The Greatest Story Ever Told
  90. Jaime Sanchez in The Pawnbroker 
  91. Klaus Kinski in For A Few Dollars More
  92. Bernard Lee in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
  93. Derek Jacobi in Othello
  94. Ernest Borgnine in The Flight of the Phoenix
  95. Richard Haydn in The Sound of Music  
  96. Mario Adorf in I Knew Her Well
  97. Williams Daniels in A Thousand Clowns
  98. Mario Brega in For A Few Dollars More
  99. Brandon De Wilde in In Harm's Way
  100. Henry Fonda in Battle of the Bulge
  101. Dennis Hopper in The Sons of Katie Elder
  102. Michael Gough in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
  103. Desmond Llewelyn in Thunderball 
  104. Jeremy Kemp in Operation Crossbow
  105. Finlay Currie in Bunny Lake is Missing 
  106. Peter Cushing in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
  107. Laurence Harvey in Darling
  108. Trevor Howard in Operation Crossbow
  109. Robert Ryan in Battle of the Bulge
  110. Guy Doleman in The Ipcress File 
  111. Dana Andrews in Battle of the Bulge 
  112. Jim Hutton in Major Dundee
  113. Kirk Douglas in In Harm's Way
  114. Harry Andrews in The Agony and the Ecstasy
  115. Christopher Plummer in Inside Daisy Clover
  116. Adolfi Celi in Thunderball 
  117. Gene Saks in A Thousand Clowns
  118. James Gregory in The Sons of Katie Elder
  119. Tom Tryon in In Harm's Way 
  120. James Fox in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
  121. Bernard Lee in Thunderball
  122. Rip Torn in The Cincinnati Kid  
  123. Hardy Kruger in Lord Jim
  124. Maurice Dallimore in The Collector  
  125. Martin Landau in The Greatest Story Ever Told 
  126. Charles Bronson in The Sandpiper 
  127. Michael Anderson Jr. in Major Dundee
  128. Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns
  129. Michael Dunn in Ship of Fools
  130. George Segal in Ship of Fools 
  131. Robert Redford in Inside Daisy Clover
  132. Lee Marvin in Ship of Fools
  133. Ian Bannen in Flight of the Phoenix
  134. Brock Peters in The Pawnbroker
  135. José Ferrer in Ship of Fools
  136. Barry Gordon in A Thousand Clowns
Next Year: 1957 Supporting

17 comments:

RatedRStar said...

I am very happy Courtenay won I think you made the right decision Louis =D.

Burt Lancaster - Sweet Smell Of Success
Lee J Cobb - 12 Angry Men
Jack Hawkins - Bridge On The River Kwai
Ralph Meeker - Paths Of Glory
Bengt Ekerot - The Seventh Seal

Scott Gingold said...

Lee J. Cobb, 12 Angry Men
Joseph Sweeney, 12 Angry Men
Bengt Ekerot, The Seventh Seal
George Macready, Paths of Glory
Lee J. Cobb, Three Faces of Eve

RatedRStar said...

Louis even though these aren't actors films I highly recommend you watch some of these films from 1957 that are well, quite fun lol.

Night Of The Demon
The Incredible Shrinking Man

Michael McCarthy said...

Shit my original predictions were right!!!! Gahhh why did I switch...

RatedRStar said...

I actually think, that the most powerful scene in Doctor Zhivago is in fact the scene when Steiger tells Sharif that Courtenay is dead, because it is a massive WHAT moment that I didnt see coming.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Gunnar Bjornstrand in The Seventh Seal (YOU MUST REVIEW HIM DAMMIT)
Bengt Ekerot in The Seventh Seal

You really don't need anyone other than those two.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your ratings & thoughts on Courtenay in King Rat.

Jack Hawkins in Bridge of the River Kwai
Ralph Meeker in Paths of Glory
Kerot & Bjornstrand in The Seventh Seal
Lee J. Cobb in 12 Angry Men

I've seen The Imitation Game & Selma,
Cumberbatch is a 4.5, but might get a 5 on rewatch and Oyelowo is a 5.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I can basically promise you, Louis, Bjornstand is RGHT up your alley.

Anonymous said...

I know this is very off-topic, but is there someone here who likes How I Met Your Mother? I've just finished the whole series and I think it's great, so funny sometimes and so moving at others. The actors are great, particularly Alyson Hannigan is hilarious, but my two favorites are easily Cobie Smulders, who's terrific, and Neil Patrick Harris, simply amazing, and I think that they're both the funniest and the most affecting at times.

GM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GM said...

Gunnar Björnstrand - The Seventh Seal
Gunnar Björnstrand - Wild Strawberries
Maurice Chevalier - Love in the Afternoon
Lee J. Cobb - 12 Angry Men
Burt Lancaster - Sweet Smell of Success
Sidney Poitier - Edge of the City

Matt Mustin said...

Gunnar Bjornstrand in The Seventh Seal
Bengt Ekerot in The Seventh Seal
Jack Hawkins in The Bridge on the River Kwai
Lee J. Cobb in 12 Angry Men

Maciej said...

Louis, I'd love you to review a couple of Angry Men, you know, like 7 Psychopaths.

Apart from that:

Burt Lancaster - Sweet Smell of Success

Luke Higham said...

American Sniper Ratings:
Cooper - 4.5 (leaning towards a 5)
Miller - 3.5

Robert MacFarlane said...

Ratings and thoughts on Ferrer in Ship of Fools?

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Courtenay - 4.5(Courtenay has yet to disappoint me and once again gives a good performance as the technical moral center of the film, but the moral center no one likes. Courtenay's very moving though showing the passion of his character that stays even as he wains as a man both due to physical degradations and the fact that no one seems to care but him. My favorite scene of is his sad realization that many of those in the high command have been cheating the troops)

Robert:

Ferrer - 1(A terrible performance as Ferrer seems to suggest a true Nazi was a guy who made the most absurd gestures possible not only in every facial gesture, but just every movement. Someone he makes playing ping pong seemed forced here. It's an outstandingly bad performance that Ferrer delivers here as there is not a scene where he does not stand out in a bad way, and the thing is there's only two people really giving good performances in this film and they don't share many scenes with Ferrer. I guess you can say one thing positive it does make you notice that the bland performances of much of the cast do come off at least a little better when Ferrer's around)

Robert MacFarlane said...

Can you give thoughts and ratings on Garner and Sandler in Men, Women, and Children? I'm sorry to bring up performances you hate again, but I'm curious.