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