Friday 21 November 2014

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

22 comments:

Kevin said...

Jim Carrey in The Truman show
Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski
Brendan Gleeson in The General
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Happiness

Amd my winning request is Ethan Hawke in Before Sunrise for 1995 Best Actor.

Matt Mustin said...

Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey in The Truman Show
Brendan Gleeson in The General
Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore

(bonus suggestion: Liam Neeson in Les Miserables)

Anonymous said...

Jim Carrey - Truman Show
Brandon Gleeson - The General

and for kicks/giggles (because I like seeing unconventional/negative reviews from Louis):
Ben Stiller - There's Something About Mary
Joseph Fiennes - Shakespeare in love
Bruce Willis - Armageddon


Anonymous said...

Louis, are there some worth-mentioning female performances from 1932 that you've seen (both leading and supporting)? I know you'd give a 4 to Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel, but I'd like to know if there are some other good performances from the year. I'm particularly interested in what you think of Joan Crawford in Grand Hotel and Helen Hayes in A Farewell to the Arms. Please also give your ratings and thoughts on the performances you'll mention.

Psifonian said...

Jeff Bridges – The Big Lebowski
Brendan Gleeson – The General
Rufus Sewell – Dark City
Ian McKellen – Apt Pupil
Peter Mullan – My Name is Joe

GM said...

Jeff Bridges - The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey - The Truman Show
Peter Mullan - My Name is Joe
Vinícius de Oliveira - Central Station
Bruno Ganz - Eternity and a Day

Michael McCarthy said...

Brendan Gleeson-The General
Jeff Bridges-The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey-The Truman Show
Jason Schwartzman-Rushmore
Vincent Gallo-Buffalo '66

Michael Patison said...

Ratings for:
Oliver Hardy in Pack Up Your Troubles
Stan Laurel in Pack Up Your Troubles
William Powell in Jewel Robbery
Boris Karloff in The Mummy
John Barrymore in State's Attorney
Herbert Marshall in Trouble in Paradise
Gary Cooper in A Farewell to Arms
John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement
Charles Laughton in The Old Dark House
Lionel Barrymore in Grand Hotel
Boris Karloff in The Old Dark House
Leslie Banks in The Most Dangerous Game
Pat O'Brien in Hell's House
Walter Huston in Rain
Melvyn Douglas in The Old Dark House
Edward Ellis in I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
Raymond Massey in The Old Dark House

RatedRStar said...

Anthony Wong - Beast Cops (One of my winning requests)
Tony Leung Chiu Wai - The Longest Nite (One of my winning requests)
Jeff Bridges - The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey - The Truman Show
Brendan Gleeson - The General

JackiBoyz said...

It took a while but my winning request is Marty Feldman - Silent Movie (Alternate Supporting 1976)

Kevin said...

Forgot Rufus Sewell in Dark City (if you don't review him, please add him to the overall rankings)

RatedRStar said...

I am very excited about 1998 Louis, since you get to see...

Your first glimpse of hong kongs most consistent leading man Lau Ching Wan, you also finally get to see the Claude Rains of Hong Kong, Roy Cheung.

You also get to see the man who won the best supporting actor that year at the HK awards, Patrick Tam.

The biggest overactor in Hong Kong, Michael Wong in his best work. Anthony Wong in his best performance, and Tony Leung as one of the few times he played a cold blooded villain.

Sam Lee in a truly lovely performance in Beast Cops, but then as a truly hateful thug in The Longest Summer.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey in The Truman Show
Brendan Gleeson in The General

Luke Higham said...

Jeff Bridges - The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey - The Truman Show
Brendan Gleeson - The General
Anthony Wong - Beast Cops
Tony Leung Chiu Wai - The Longest Nite

By the way Louis, Please see Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett.

Maciej said...

Warren Beatty - Bulworth
Brendan Gleeson - The General
Jeff Bridges - The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey - The Truman Show
Johnny Depp - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

mcofra7 said...

Has anyone seen Foxcatcher?

Scott Gingold said...

Ian McKellen, Apt Pupil
Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski
Vincent Gallo, Buffalo '66
Warren Beatty, Bulworth
Nicolas Cage, City of Angels
Rufus Sewell, Dark City
Johnny Depp, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
Anthony Hopkins, Meet Joe Black
Liam Neeson, Les Miserables
Matthew McConaughey, The Newton Boys
George Clooney, Out of Sight
Sean Gullette, Pi
John Travolta, Primary Colors
Vince Vaughn, Psycho
Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore
Joseph Fiennes, Shakespeare in Love
Bill Paxton, A Simple Plan
Jim Carrey, The Truman Show
Ian Bannen, Waking Ned Devine
Bill Pullman, Zero Effect

Robert MacFarlane said...

Vince Vaughn in Psycho?! Did his publicist bribe you to recommend him?

Anonymous said...

Denzel Washington- He Got Game
Michael Caine- Little Voice

Michael Patison said...

Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski
Jim Carrey in The Truman Show
Billy Crudup in Without Limits
Brendan Gleeson in The General
Ian McKellen in Apt Pupil

RatedRStar said...

I think we should say Louis since there has been so many suggestions, theres a lot of performances that need to be put on the final rankings lol.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Joan Crawford in Rain and Grand Hotel 4(This seems to be before she took on some here less subtle techniques as an actress. In Grand Hotel she's simply a rather charming presence and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. In Rain, despite who ridiculously unsubtle the film is, I thought she was fairly affecting in her depiction of her character's increasingly desperate nature that eventually ends in redemption)

I did not especially care for Hayes but I did care for:

Katharine Hepburn - Bill of Divorcement - 4(Interesting performance as it is probably Hepburn at her least Hepburn like. She brought a considerable confidence and charm to her performance and it is unusual to see her without that intensity of sorts that was usual present in her earlier performances for better or worse. Although I did not find the movie all that good I felt the scenes between her and Barrymore were rather moving)

Michael Patison:

Oliver Hardy in Pack Up Your Troubles - 4

Stan Laurel in Pack Up Your Troubles - 4

Powell - 3.5

Boris Karloff in The Mummy - 3.5

John Barrymore in State's Attorney - 3.5

Herbert Marshall in Trouble in Paradise - 3.5

Gary Cooper in A Farewell to Arms - 3.5

John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement - 3.5

Charles Laughton in The Old Dark House - 3.5

Lionel Barrymore in Grand Hotel - 3.5

Boris Karloff in The Old Dark House - 3.5

Leslie Banks in The Most Dangerous Game - 3.5

Pat O'Brien in Hell's House - 3

Walter Huston in Rain - 3

Melvyn Douglas in The Old Dark House - 3

Edward Ellis in I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang - 3

Raymond Massey in The Old Dark House - 3