Thursday 10 March 2016

Alternate Best Actor 1939: Results

5. Henry Fonda in Young Mr. Lincoln - Fonda gives an atypical performance as Lincoln, but an effective one finding the right charisma within an unassuming personality.

Best Scene: Lincoln stops a Lynching.
4. Conrad Veidt in The Spy in Black - Veidt effectively humanizes his character making his German spy far more than just a villain who needs to be stopped.

Best Scene: The ending. 
3. Basil Rathbone in The Hound of Baskervilles - Rathbone earns his place as the most iconic Sherlock Holmes by giving a well rounded portrayal of the character. As he delivers the right command in the role, but also finds a certain humor which never undercuts the gravity of the situation.

Best Scene: Holmes's introduction
2. James Cagney in The Roaring Twenties - As per usual Cagney gives a strong portrait of an intimidating gangster, but also as per usual he ends up being surprisingly moving as well.

Best Scene: Eddie's final confrontation with George. 
1. Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Laughton gives a downright brilliant performance capturing the physicality needed for Quasimodo, and the emotional core of the character in heartbreaking detail.

Best Scene: "why was i not made of stone like thee"
Overall Ranking:
  1. Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  2. Clark Gable in Gone With The Wind
  3. James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
  4. Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights
  5. Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips
  6. James Cagney in The Roaring Twenties
  7. Basil Rathbone in The Hound of Baskervilles
  8. Conrad Veidt in The Spy in Black
  9. William Powell in Another Thin Man 
  10. John Wayne in Stagecoach
  11. Cary Grant in Only Angels Have Wings 
  12. Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
  13. Henry Fonda in Young Mr. Lincoln
  14. Edmond O'Brien in The Hunchback of Notre Dame 
  15. William Holden in Golden Boy
  16. Stan Laurel in The Flying Deuces
  17. Oliver Hardy in The Flying Deuces
  18. Brian Aherne in Juarez
  19. Gary Cooper in Beau Geste
  20. Ray Milland in Beau Geste 
  21. John Clements in The Four Feathers
  22. Melvyn Douglas in Ninotchka
  23. Victor McLaglen in Gunga Din
  24. Nigel Bruce in The Hound of Baskervilles 
  25. Paul Muni in Juarez 
  26. Cary Grant in Gunga Din
  27. George Brent in Dark Victory
  28. Charles Boyer in Love Affair
  29. Henry Fonda in Drums Along the Mohawk
  30. Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms
  31. Tyrone Power in Jesse James
  32. Robert Kent in Convict's Code
Next Year: 1939 Supporting

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I kind of had a feeling that Laughton would win overall. He's my 3#, with Gable as first and Stewart second.
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on:
Cary Grant in Only Angels Have Wings (Best dramatic performance from him)
Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
William Powell in Another Thin Man
Melvyn Douglas in Ninotchka
Charles Boyer in Love Affair
Tyrone Power in Jesse James

Anonymous said...

Oh, and for Alternate Supporting:
Lee J. Cobb in Golden Boy
Ralph Richardson in The Four Feathers
Cedric Hardwicke in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Ray Bolger and Frank Morgan in The Wizard Of Oz

Luke Higham said...

Lee J. Cobb in Golden Boy
Ralph Richardson in The Four Feathers
Cedric Hardwicke in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Ray Bolger and Frank Morgan in The Wizard Of Oz
Thomas Mitchell in Gone With The Wind

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I've heard that John Goodman has given some of his very best work in 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I suggest the Oz 3 + Morgan. For my money, I'm partial to Lahr.

RatedRStar said...

Lee J. Cobb in Golden Boy
Ralph Richardson in The Four Feathers
Cedric Hardwicke in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Ray Bolger and Frank Morgan in The Wizard Of Oz
Leslie Howard and Thomas Mitchell in Gone With The Wind

Robert MacFarlane said...

Okay, is NO ONE going to suggest Lahr but me?

RatedRStar said...

=D its not like he hasnt seen it lol so im not really bovered who out of TWOZ gets reviewed lol.

RatedRStar said...

Lee J Cobb is the curious one for me, a hidden gem perhaps?

Louis: Your thoughts and rating on Only Angels Have Wings and Gunga Din?

Anonymous said...

Louis what would you say had the scariest hound, the 39 version or the 59 version of Hound Of The Baskervilles?

GM said...

Jean Renoir - The Rules of the Game
Cedric Hardwicke - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Claude Rains - They Made Me a Criminal
Frank Morgan - The Wizard of Oz
Lee J. Cobb - Golden Boy
Lon Chaney Jr. - Of Mice and Men
John Barrymore - Midnight
Thomas Mitchell - Gone With the Wind
Ray Bolger - The Wizard of Oz
Bert Lahr - The Wizard of Oz
Ralph Richardson - The Four Feathers

RatedRStar said...

I am definitely saving Renoir and Chaney for bonus, seems they would fit perfectly there.

Alex Marqués said...

Surprising, I thought Gable was going to win

Anonymous said...

Louis is Another Thin Man any good and in the same league as the first 2?

Louis Morgan said...

I should note of seen parts of the 39 Mice and Men, and I can't see how Chaney would be supporting.

Anonymous:

Grant - 4.5(A very good combination for him as there are some pseudo screwball elements within the part, which he does well with, but they are only part of the performance. He does very well with the more dramatic elements of his character too by basically threading them through his usual charm in quite the effective way to suggest the mentality that a pilot must take)

Rathbone - 4.5(A more than fine reprise for him)

Powell - 4.5(The magic between him and Loy is still to be found, and he's as enjoyably sardonic as ever)

Douglas - 3.5(I do think he's overshadowed a bit by Garbo's hilariously deadpan performance but he does facilitate that well through his sort of haphazard bumbling routine he does. He's charming enough that he works, though again Garbo's the film really.)

Boyer - 3(Always find him a bit strange as a romantic lead I'll admit to begin with, he seems a better fit when he has a few alternative motives. Again he does seem a little cold here, and is overshadowed greatly by Dunne. I don't think he's genuinely bad as he does have some good moments with her in there)

Power - 2.5(He has one really good moment near the end were James seems to reflect on his shortcomings for a moment. Unfortunately that's a brief moment where the rest of it is Power being his usual bland self that feels particularly underwhelming since the film is trying to establish some sort of personal descent)

Anonymous:

Yes Another Thin Man is good. I would not recommend it as highly as the first two, but it's still pretty entertaining due to Powell and Loy.

Anonymous said...

Louis: If The American was made in the 50's, who would you have chosen for the lead role? I think I'd choose Gable. He would have been interesting, I think.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis, why isn't Jack Reynor in the rankings for Macbeth for 2015? I honestly thought he was surprisingly powerful for a small role.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Thoughts and ratings for Cary Grant and Victor McLaglen in Gunga Din and George Brent in Dark Victory

Anonymous said...

Is Donat now a 5?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Just got back from 10 Cloverfield Lane. Fun B movie. Frankly I found Goodman a tad overhyped. Winstead, however, is a goddamn marvel.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I'd like Gable in that role.

Robert:

Thanks for reminding me since I agree.

ruthiehenshallfan99:

Grant - 3(I feel he goes a little too big at times, but for the most part his screwball energy still works. His best ones though I feel are his more dramatic moments near the end, but I don't quite feel the entirety of his work here is cohesive)

McLaglen - 3.5(He more effectively goes big in playing a brash British soldier as he should. McLaglen measures his performance though in order to make the dramatic moments more naturally find themselves even within his blustery frame. It's an entertaining performance to be sure)

Anonymous:

No.