Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1932: Leslie Howard in Smilin' Through & Results

Leslie Howard did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sir John Carteret in Smilin' Through.

Smilin' Through is your romantic melodrama about lovers Kathleen and Kenneth (Norma Shearer, Fredric March) divided by WWI and the wounds of family history.

Leslie Howard was a little curious of an actor of the period, as typically one was a leading man or not, but he was going from leading to a supporting role from film to film. Here Howard plays the rare substantial supporting role in this film for the period. The substantial supporting role, in that the film actually opens with his character, older, where he is standing watch over the grave of his wife Moonyean (also Shearer). Howard's performance, despite not really adjusting his voice, is surprisingly convincing in his physical manner in the past in presenting just the age of the man. Howard's movements are slower and just his natural manner has this weight about him in age. What is wonderful though is how much hope that Howard brings as he also expresses  the dismay of the character. In his eyes there is this innate sadness about the man, even as when he's called upon to do anything, there's an unquestioned life to him. Howard establishes, without it needing to be said yet, the tragedy of the man, as he always suffers from his loss, but the man's innate being is not to wallow in the pain. Howard creates the sense of a man very much anchored to the past, even if it doesn't fully weigh him into nothingness. And we see what the man still has in him as he's presented with his child niece Kathleen, who is coming to live with him, and well Howard is just so charming. But he's charming in such an easy way as he invites the child to live with him, as there's kind of a somber quality there still, but his expressions are the man living with that however letting his natural warmth be the best of him instead as he goes about making Kathleen feel as welcome as can be.

We jump in time of course as Kathleen grows up to be Shearer, but we continue to see from Howard just such a loving performance from him. He exudes that sense of affection out of every element of his performance, and you are granted the immediate sense of this uncle who seemingly wants only what is best for his niece. Unfortunately things get complicated quickly when an American Kenneth appears in the old house of his father, and makes his way about charming and romancing Kathleen. And there we have the two sides of the man where Howard brings that quiet sense of assurance and love towards Kathleen as a given, until she reveals that the man is Kenneth Wayne, the son of the man who killed Carteret's wife on the day of their wedding. We first flashback where we get Howard to briefly get to be the romantic lead, and he is naturally charming in portraying the unabashed sense of love with his wife. And again Howard shows this loving man is the innate nature, and is moving in the reaction of immediate anguish when Moonyean is murdered in front him. And we understand Carteret's feelings towards the whole Wayne family including this new Wayne, where Carteret is instantly horrified at the prospect of Kathleen having anything to do with him. I think this is where the challenge of the performance truly is, though I was impressed by Howard's quietly warm and charming work before this point. Because it is easy to play into the melodrama in a way that accentuates the less believable aspects of the plot point rather than make it convincing despite being a fairly over the top concept. This is where Howard shines because of the way he presents the bitterness and stubbornness of Cartlett. The dominant emotion Howard presents in his performance is the sorrow within the man, as his expression is always looking inward, usually not facing who is talking to, and almost shows the man always looking to the grave of his wife in a way in this situation. When speaking about Howard is blunt in his delivery in his bitterness, but there is always the sense that it is coming from the pain of the loss of his old love more than even hate for the man who wronged him so deeply. Because of this, Howard is far more dynamic as the "angry old man", by showing very convincingly where he's coming from, granting understanding to it, being less of an obstacle to the central romance, but rather being a character in his own right. Howard by creating this basis for the behavior then wholly earns the change of heart of Carteret when he sees that Kenneth is willing to sacrifice his happiness for Kathleen's, and ends up encouraging the romance. Howard's work again is wonderful in showing less the warmth coming back, but rather just the bitterness fading away so gently to show the warmth was always still there all the time. Creating a moving depiction of the man changing his mind, because the sudden shift feels so natural because of how motivated Howard made every moment of it. And that might've been my favorite moment, if he didn't have his final scene where he's visited by the spirit of his wife, who had also visited him in the opening of the film, where Carteret mentions his mistakes. I love Howard's quiet self-deprecation of the man's uneasiness, but also sense of hope in giving it all up. But more so, as much as it wasn't the focus of the film, he once again has wonderful easy chemistry with Shearer in the moment, and ties such a heartfelt bow at the end of this story.

Updated Overall

Next: Backlog Volume 5 and feel free to give your recommendations. 

Alternate Best Actor 1932: Michel Simon in Boudu Saved from Drowning

Michel Simon did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the titular character of Boudu Saved From Drowning. 

Boudu follows the interactions between a hobo and the family whose patriarch saved the man from drowning. 

Now with that brief synopsis you may be thinking this is some heartwarming story about the rich and poor coming together, and learning from each other. Well you'd be dead wrong, as it is a film by Jean Renoir after all who wasn't typically about the easiest answers. Rather this is a social satire personified most in the character of Boudu, who you may think is one thing in the opening scenes of the film, however again you'd be dead wrong. As the idiosyncratic Michel Simon, who at the very least always stood out as a screen presence no matter where or when he showed up by the sheer one of a kind nature of his face, first appears as a hobo we see lounging around a park. And while there seems the innate sympathy to be created as his dog runs away after he tells the dog to leave him alone while he's eating, even how he reacts isn't quite what you'd expect. It is though the one moment where his character seems even in mild distress as he asks a policeman if he's seen his dog, only to be aggressively scared away lest he be arrested. What speaks more to the character is Simon sitting on a park bench, seemingly somewhat dejected, until a young girl, prompted by his mother, gives him money for a meal. Simon's reaction to this is of a cold confusion and even annoyance and not at all a loving man you might expect. And we see his Boudu almost immediately give away the food to a random mean with a callous sort of anger before going off to jump in the river, seemingly to commit suicide. His attempt is prevented by the wealthy man Edouard Lestingois (Charles Granval) who saves him from drowning and takes him into his home with his wife Emma (Marcelle Hainia) and his maid Chloe (Severine Lerczinska), whom Edouard also is having an affair with. 

The man being taken into the home is where the film begins and Simon's performance becomes the center of the film as this man exists outside of his world now living in the confined space of the rich. And while one might again presume this instead will be about how cruel and careless the rich are, that really isn't the case either as Boudu along with Simon's portrayal, is that of a man of chaos. Simon's physical performance is brilliant because everything he does paints a man essentially out of sorts with everything around him. Although what is so remarkable is how Simon embodies this into every aspect of his work, not just one. His face expresses a constant kind of discomfort, or a nasty sort of dismay. His chest seems always too tight within his now fancier clothes, his way of walking about the house even has an awkwardness as he almost kicks every step, likely a child bored but it doesn't really end there. Simon's constantly doing something physically, and it is captivating because every choice further illustrates the nature of Boudu in this situation. There's weird moments quite frankly of him even sitting between a door frame, which is amazing work by Simon because it feels so natural within his performance, though not natural within the setting. Every glance towards his rich host, every random spit, there is something so uniquely eye-catching about what Simon does, that makes him not just out of place, but actively trying to almost destroy the sense of place. And there really is the key to this performance, and the story as a whole. As this is not the case of the rich mistreating the poor, though there is certainly a disconnect, rather it is this story of a chaotic force being introduced into the tightly ordered constructed society of the house. 

Simon does not make you want to like Boudu, in fact you might find him as deplorable as the rich family does at certain points, though equally so, Simon does make there just something so captivating about the man even in his strangeness. Boudu spits randomly in the house, and scoffs at any redirection. He acts lustful towards both the wife and maid, which only exacerbates after he shaves his large beard. Simon's performance is piercing in its aggressiveness, of the man who constantly pesters and prods rather than enjoys. The man is incapable of existing in this more structured state, and Simon portrays a vicious disregard for all that he sees. There is something very specific within the performance though that makes him not exactly hateful with any sense for cause or passion, he's not some true anarchist or hippie breakdown the confines of society. Boudu is Boudu, who is a man who strives to exist within his world, his way with disregard for anyone or anything that gets in his way. Simon's performance brings to life this sense of the unwieldy, animalistic and callous. He never makes you care about Boudu, but he does make him so idiosyncratic in his state as a man that it becomes difficult to not watch him. In a way what his Boudu is, is like Laurel and Hardy, or Chaplin, as the men who are so unlikely themselves that it causes intense friction if not explosion against the society they are within. The difference though is Boudu's not comical, at least not in an overt charming way, and his behaviors always reeks of intention in his actions and is not accidental in his nonconformity. There isn't some secret that makes him who he is, there is some great change, even as he visually changes throughout, he is who he is and always is that, as this agent of individualistic chaos against everything that isn't his exact existence. A strange idea, that is realized effortlessly by Simon, who doesn't charm you or entertain you really, but rather he just fascinates you. 

Alternate Best Actor 1932: Charles Laughton in Island of Lost Souls

Charles Laughton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Moreau in Island of Lost Souls. 

The Island of Lost Soul tells the tale of a man happening onto the island of a mad doctor who lives in and around a strange hybrid of animals and men. 

As seemed to be the requirement of many of the horror films of the period, it wouldn't be true to the period if the main lead wasn't better named Blandy McBland with a similarly bland love interest, where the film must be saved by a better actor in the juicier part of someone at least responsible for the horror in some way. Charles Laughton obviously was and became known as one of the very best actors of his generation, so naturally he's more than up to the task. Laughton first appears as the man is dumped on a remote stop by an amoral Captain, and Laughton's initial reaction is just quiet frustration of a man who wants nothing to do with outsiders. Unfortunately the man is left and he becomes the doctor's problem. Laughton is working on a whole different level here as well, in portraying such ease in his performance and even more importantly a charisma even in playing obviously a villainous role. Laughton though is charming in his approach, as when he sees he's stuck with the man, Laughton presents himself with a generous enough spirit of the welcoming host, if more than a bit cautious in terms of sharing the whole of the story of his island. An island populated with near feral animal-men who live outside the gates of the Doctor's home, whom the doctor warns his guest against, though with glances by Laughton that immediately share a knowledge of the situation that goes far beyond simple concern. Laughton presents a man who is very much complicit in these creatures, and is just wonderful to watch as he acts out this part. 

Laughton knows how to make exposition in itself natural within his performance, but even more importantly knows how to make it entertaining. Laughton has a wonderful style because he presents his doctor as someone who perhaps was respectable at one time, and in terms of his whole manner treats himself as though everything he is doing is respectable. He speaks with a quiet authority and absolute intelligence as he makes suggestions to his guest, and even convinces his more moral assistant that the man could stay for something that the doctor is working on. The doctor envisioned some experiment to use the new guest as, by introducing him to the Panther Woman, also a beast-human hybrid, however for a greater emphasis on the human side, and essentially wants to test her out via pairing her with the man. Laughton is brilliant in the way he delivers this plan with a complete lack of shame, and even more than that some grand pride in every delivery. A man whose eyes denote this idea with a keen sense of what he thinks should be done. When the attempted experiment begins, Laughton takes it a step further though by showing beneath the veneer of the egotist mixed in with the English charm is obviously just a creepy man living out his fantasies. Laughton brings more than just a glint in his eyes as he watches the two proceed with more than a hint of lust, and Laughton performs the note beautifully in revealing the grand designs of the man that have nothing to do with simple scientific curiosities, let alone noble ones. 

Meanwhile while he enacts his attempts to entice the visitor with the panther woman, Moreau frequently reveals his most obvious nature through his interactions and dismissals of his other "experiments" aka the native populations. A key line that essentially echoes Dr. Frankenstein's line in the 1931 films about feeling what it is like to be God, is more or less spoken by Moreau in this film. Where it was that of mania with Colin Clive's performance, Laughton is that of calm assurance, the insanity is in the glint of his eyes, however Laughton presents it as a man well controlled in his insanity. And we see that as he dictates over his "people" with his calm assurance, yet with an unmistakable internalized intensity for genuine violence. In each instance where the islanders begin to act too animalistic Moreau with a whip, and occasionally some support from Bela Lugosi as one of the creatures, however Laughton presents each as the lion tamer, and the brutal dictator as he insists they follow his rules lest they suffer more pain at his hands. Laughton brings the diabolical sneer of a proper villain who is lording over these creatures as part of an extension of his ego, and portrays the madness of his character even though the man is capable of presenting it all as for the sake of scientific curiosity. But what all this adds up to more importantly than anything, is an entertaining villainous performance, where Laughton simply shines every moment he is on screen. Whenever Moreau is onscreen, the film is working, because Laughton is so engaging. But more than that, while this adaptation purposefully leans closer to the horror aspects of the story than the philosophical, whatever depth can be mined within the screenplay is found by Laughton, as while being enjoyable to watch, he does find an actual character here with greater notions to his evil, even if the film is only slightly interested in that. 

Alternate Best Actor & Best Supporting Actor 1932: Robert Lynen & Harry Baur in Poil de Carotte

Robert Lynen did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Francois Lepic aka Carrottop in Poil de Carotte. 

Poil de Carotte follows a pastoral family through the perspective of the ignored youngest child.

In the time when most child performances were forgettable or terrible, where really the standard for many adult performances in cinema often was that of stiff of overacting, you have a turn here by Robert Lynen, who from his first scene, where he must explain an essay that spoke of the poor nature of his family, we see a performance far flung from that standard. Lynen does the often seemingly impossible for the time, which is merely natural onscreen. Lynen certainly is that as he evokes the boy who's a bit out of sorts, but still seems likable enough as the concerned teacher inquires about his writing. Lynen's performance goes beyond just being natural, as he's natural with a greater depth, as he presents the anxiety of the young boy who just seems a bit lost. When talking about his family he manages to balance within the simple emotions of a boy, however with the complexity in the nature of the emotion. As he delivers his lines with the immediacy of the boy just trying to get the teacher to understand with the blunt anguish of a boy who just doesn't get his love. Where the complexity lies, it isn't a simple sadness, rather he delivers within this sense of confusion within his performance. A confusion that denotes a boy who can't understand why his father ignores him, and his mother constantly forces him to do work without showing any motherly affection towards him. But all the same, when the teacher encourages to give his parents a chance, there is a painful glint of hope on his expression as he decides to give it a chance. 

Unfortunately Carrottop's claims of his family aren't at all false, as when he goes about embracing his father (Harry Baur) with the utmost earnestness, presented by Lynen as a simple yet pure of desire for affection, the father is merely surprised and pushes him off, being more focused on his hunting trips, his political career and any excuse to get away from his wife. His wife, Carrottop's mother, is said to be horrible, and she is in every way as she instantly picks at the poor boy demanding only work from him without anything in return. The initial moments of this are heartbreaking because of Lynen's performance only conveys again that simple desire for any affection, not any. And what is more painful is seeing that hope the teacher put within him, completely crumble in his reactions that show the boy just going back to his old ways all in such short order. Lynen's performance is so effective because what he does is convey bluntly the situation within the boy, and how unassuming in so many ways he is in his attempt to find some sort of comfort at any point. As what Lynen's performance does is always emphasize the difficulty of the youth, but as a youth specifically. There's many wonderful moments between Carrottop and the family's new maid, who gives the boy much more time than was ever granted to him by anyone in the family. Lynen's terrific in presenting the frustrations because it is with the urge and needs of a child, and has a certain petulance in his manner, however in that there is always a blunt truth in his performance. 

Where the film in general excels altogether is through the child's perspective which even includes visual representation of such, such as ghosts haunting the boy when he has to do a chore at night, but more importantly to Lynen's performance we often see the boy haunted by the worst of his thoughts, which often suggest suicide. Lynen's performance as both of the boy's two patterns of thoughts in these scenes is quite moving because at the same time, literally, he represents both the hope of what the child needs and what the pain of what the child feels. There is a bluntness about it that is particularly heartbreaking because when his "other voice" suggests suicide each time, it is with a kind of clarity, where his own thoughts react in a panic at first. And we see how this connects to even the boy being scared of thoughts of ghosts when going about chores at night. Lynen shows the difficulty of dealing with the complex, which often results in the simple reaction, however that simple reaction always feels completely honest and even more hurtful. When he rebels against his mother's constant demanding of work from him, it is as the child having a tantrum, but there is always in his eyes that desire for some recognition of him as more than just a worker. The sequence near the end of the film where he commits to suicide is heart wrenching because Lynen's performance shows in his face just how lost the boy is, and always searching for affection, so the solution becomes his only one. 

Harry Baur did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Monsieur Lepic in Poil de Carotte.

Harry Baur plays the father of Lynen's character and for much of the film is a man of few words towards the boy. Rather Baur, who has a great presence as a performer, just exudes a man who is kind of fed up with his existence with his family, and just is set on other things, such as hunting and his politics. Baur's performance is careful in that while the character is cruel, he isn't purposefully so in his manner towards Carrottop who he treats just as he does with everything in his family, as something he gives a quick passive attention to, before he moves off towards his chosen activity. We see the cause of this through some key moments of interaction with his wife, where you see just his quiet bitterness in every glance, and where everyone else he just exists with you see the history of hate between the two. Baur's performance is made by really pulling off the difficult task of earning the ending, which is when a family friend informs the father, right after he's won his election, that his son is about to kill himself. Baur's performance earns this sudden snap towards paternal concern as he rushes out to find his son, and Baur is extremely moving in managing this single reaction to show the sense of shame in his ignoring, and the immediate real love for the boy that just reveals itself in the moment. That's only part of the earning though as the other half is when he finds the boy in just the nick of time, and both he and Lynen are great together. Because you see in a moment's notice, now that the father is taking time just to earnestly talk to his son, the sense of warmth between the two is overwhelming yet feels completely genuine despite how we got here. The moment in particular of the father finally referring to the boy by his actual name, is filled with so much real affection for a true dad. And contrasting that is Lynen's performance, where he shows just this sincerest discovery of love, and how that is all the boy needed. He too earns this immediate switch, because throughout it, that's all the boy suggested he needed,  and when he finds it the interaction couldn't be more cathartic. Lynen gives a truly moving depiction of the forgotten child, finally finding love, and Baur offering the able assist, as the dad finally snaps out of his haze to see what has been missing this entire time. 

Alternate Best Actor and Supporting Actor 1932: Results

Paul Muni in Scarface - The same year where Muni gave, at least from what I have seen, his best performance in I Am Fugitive From A Chain Gang he also played perhaps one of his best known roles as Tony Camonte best known as Scarface. It's funny in that both this performance and Al Pacino's performance in the remake where perhaps turning points for both actors as they often went for more

over the top characterizations after playing the role of Scarface. Like Pacino, Muni does not give a very subtle or subdued performance here, but it does fit the role of an over the top gangster. Muni's goes big it doesn't ever quite sit right for me, but I did feel it worked better here as it fit in creating the flamboyant nature of the role. He also bothers to bring some subtly in terms of his reactions creating the right intensity, and at least bringing some poignancy to the scenes where Tony is being overprotective of his sister. 3.5/5

Best Actor Ranking:

1. Robert Lynen in Poil de Carotte
2. Michel Simon in Boudu Saved From Drowning 
3. Charles Laughton in Island of Lost Souls
4. Paul Muni in I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang
5. John Gilbert in Downstairs
6. Raimu in Fanny
7. Walter Huston in American Madness
8. Oliver Hardy in Pack Up Your Troubles
9. Stan Laurel in Pack Up Your Troubles
10. William Powell in Jewel Robbery
11. Oliver Hardy in The Music Box
12. Stan Laurel in The Music Box
13. Fredric March in Smilin' Through
14. Paul Muni in Scarface
15. William Powell in One Way Passage
16. Boris Karloff in The Mummy
17. John Barrymore in State's Attorney
18. Herbert Marshall in Trouble in Paradise
19. Maurice Chevalier in Love Me Tonight
20. Pat O'Brien in American Madness
21. Harold Lloyd in Movie Crazy
22. Hideo Sugawara in I was Born But...
23. Tomio Aoki in I was Born But..
24. Gary Cooper in A Farewell to Arms
25. John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement
26. Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers
27. Ureo Egawa in Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth
28. Joel McCrea in The Most Dangerous Game
29. Maurice Chevalier in One Hour With You
30. Bela Lugosi in White Zombie
31. Nicolas de Gunzburg in Vampyr
32. Edward G. Robinson in Two Seconds
33. Herbert Marshall in Blonde Venus
34. Clark Gable in Red Dust
35. Phillips Holmes in Broken Lullaby
36. Clive Brook in Shanghai Express
37. Junior Durkin in Hell's House
38. William Gargan in Rain
39. Harry Earles in Freaks
40. Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan The Ape Man
41. Paul Lukas in Downstairs
42. Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross
43. Fredric March in Merrily We Go To Hell
44. David Manners in The Mummy
45. Richard Arlen in Island of Lost Souls
46. John Harron in White Zombie
47. Warren William in 3 on A Match
48. Chester Morris in Red-Headed Woman

John Barrymore in Grand Hotel - Barrymore is rather good here in creating the outward suaveness of the Baron as he he charms his way into seemingly everyone's heart around him. Barrymore carries himself with a great deal of that old Hollywood style of charisma which works quite well here. Barrymore also does well in portraying the desperate elements found in the Baron, which easily could lead to some ACTING, but actually Barrymore is quite effective by staying fairly toned down in this respect. Instead of showing the Baron constantly having to deal with the thoughts of his financial troubles, Barrymore is quite good instead by subtly showing the slight hesitations and secondary glances of the man that suggest the man's predicament. It's fine work and rather easily my supporting win for the year. 4/5

Best Supporting Actor Top Ten:

1. Leslie Howard in Smilin' Through
2. John Barrymore in Grand Hotel
3. Harry Baur in Poil de Carotte
4. Charles Laughton in The Sign of the Cross
5. Fernard Charpin in Fanny
6. Tatsuo Saitō in I Was Born But...
7. Charles Laughton in The Old Dark House
8. Lionel Barrymore in Grand Hotel 
9. Lionel Barrymore in Broken Lullaby
10. Henry Stephenson in Red-Headed Woman

Next Year: 1998 Lead