Best Scene: Ending
4. Jack Hawkins in The Cruel Sea - Hawkins gives a reliably good performance however his fully lead performance here suggests the possible limitations of his ability as a leading man as a opposed to a character actor.
Best Scene: After the choosing to ignore the men in the sea. 
3. Charles Boyer in The Earrings of Madame de…. - Boyer gives an effective performance in very much playing into his imperious presence in an effective way as essentially presenting his character as above typical human interaction.
Best Scene: Requesting the duel. 
2. James Stewart in The Naked Spur - Stewart gives an effectively raw portrayal of a damaged man and successfully downplays his typical charm and heroic presence.
Best Scene: Making the final choice.
1. Chishū Ryū in Tokyo Story - Good prediction Calvin. Ryū gives a low key but powerful portrayal of the different quiet shades of a father and finding the joy but also painful truths of this man.
Best Scene: Tragedy strikes 
Next: 1953 Supporting Reviews (Not a lineup)
56 comments:
Holden in Supporting, no longer a foregone conclusion with Ryan.
Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the lead performances.
Your Female Lead and Supporting Top 20s with ratings.
I hope you'll re-watch Peter Pan, Conried should be no less than a 4 for that film.
Louis: Thoughts on the Primetime trailer.
Louis, have you settled on Webb in Titanic.
Always love a win on a technicality. Over the moon with Monty taking the win this time.
No diss, Louis, but why do you predict the Oscars as early as May when the information we have is still relatively limited?
Glad I called Holden not retaining his win, though I would've predicted Ryu to take the top spot (this is why I tend not to make specific predictions for the top 10s).
BuscemiFan: Because people ask him to.
BuscemiFan: Analysts tend to make their first Oscar predictions after Cannes. Shot in the dark predictions are always fun to see. Some come to fruition, some don't.
Harris: I think Holden probably has regained his win in the Supporting category.
I had the Lead win in mind specifically, I worded it that way as I know it's possible for him to take Supporting.
Hello Louis!
Tell me from the year 1953 which are your TOP10 best:
- Song
- Score
- Poster
- Editing
- Screenplays (adapted and original)
- Cast
Mizoguchi gets director? HELL yeah.
Luke:
Howard - 4(Howard gives a good performance in a film that’s not great to the point of limiting what he can do. Howard though really does have a raw emotional power that sadly wasn’t called upon frequently enough. He does display it to a degree and in the scenes where he gets to really express his emotional desperation there is a real power to his work. Sadly the film is a little too disjointed at times to really let Howard sink his teeth into every moment. Instead he gets the moments where the film knows what is doing to excel with creating the man just lost in circumstances and grasping to anything he thinks he can hold onto. It’s a good performance and with a better script and direction would’ve been a great one.)
Mason - 4(I wouldn’t say it is him coasting but it is very much just like he’s Mason, he’s cool he brings a natural charm but also sinister quality. He does that with ease with a little bit of emotional nuance in the scenes where he is given the chance to do so. But really this is probably weighing too much on Mason to make this character something and the film itself doesn’t do nearly enough work beyond that. Mason being naturally compelling though makes the role far more than it would’ve been in most hands.)
Ekborg - 4(He is overshadowed by his costar but he is supposed to be overshadowed very much by the woman who pulls him along into his own personal mistakes. Ekborg though is good in bringing a naturalistic quality in his work in playing very much that energy of the young man getting swept up into the youthful indiscretion of their initial choices and getting lost essentially into a fantasy. Before there is the switch where he brings effectively the quiet weight and even sense of boringness to the guy trying to now be the adult and expressing well the frustrations with the woman who rejects such notions.)
Winninger - 4(Brings the right combination between a certain folksy fuddyduddy quality though with the core of genuine determination beneath. Creating the right juxtaposition to the man who can be seen as a joke by many but there’s a strength within his work. Naturally delivering on the moments where his character shows his strength, not a specific inconsistency with the rest of the man but rather just the honest truth of what guides him even in his more relaxed moments.)
Price - 4(Notably fairly subdued as his focus on much of it is portraying himself just as the devoted artist who wants to share everyone with his masterpieces with this sincerity about Price’s performance as such. Creating a degree of the illusion of his intention, until the reveal where we get some fun madness from him as to be expected and enjoyed.)
de Córdova - 4(Although he often needs to play a repetitive note of the man going mad, he at least nicely sets up initially as the calmly self-assured man though with a specific sense of a need just beneath the surface that denotes a weakness. He then goes far into the weakness though manages to play the increasing vicious paranoia of the character where it is believable which is important given as written the character starts at a 9 and goes to a 10.)
Jourdan - 4(The one time I actually found him charming. And that is mainly what is doing here though with comedic frustrations over his situation, but some sense of an actual appeal. And in this instance Jourdan delivers on this note and you can actually see star presence, something I’ve always found quite lacking in his English language work.)
Astaire - 4(It is the Astaire performance, but this was the one where his specific charm came to life the most for me. Probably helped that there’s a certain underdog status about his work and in those moments Astaire quite effectively brings a charm in the humbled moments.)
March - 3.5(I think it would’ve been more interesting if the film had shown a more gradual switch to a tightrope so to speak, but March does well with what he has. Creating just the presence of being beleaguered yet with a certain conviction behind it all of a man who will do what it takes. One of those good starting points is that if the film was better you can see what probably could’ve come from it.)
Olivier - 3.5(Olivier brings mostly just an egotistical presence given the nature of the piece, though the film itself doesn't quite get the tone Olivier is on the right track. Playing very much in the big overtures to create a larger than life quality fitting an over the top opera. Unfortunately I wouldn’t say the film knows quite what to do with that to make it as effective as it might’ve been if say Olivier himself had directed the film.)
Heston - 3.5(Heston always seemed like an obvious fit to play Jackson, unfortunately we really only get a surface tough guy rendition of it. Heston delivers on that and more importantly delivers on his chemistry with Hayward where you do get a real sense of the love, affection and warmth between them. There they do excel even if the film itself limits where they can go with it.)
Guinness - 3.5(I would say on the whole I’m not sure if he was the right person for the role as I just think someone who gives off a bigger ego to begin with would’ve made more sense, Guinness’s innate presence has a certain humble quality. I think Guinness does what he can overall to move things along in the general comedic tone but again the film just isn’t pushing the idea in the right ways to be as funny as it could be.)
Grönberg - 3.5(Completely delivers on the general emotional messiness of the character though I would say maybe somewhat distantly as I never really was pulled into his mental space. He delivered on the surface emotions but not beyond them for me.)
Tallman - 3.5(Delivers on the note of being creepy and menacing via just the hideousness of his manner of someone who clearly only thinks of the most vile of ideas. Unfortunately the film doesn’t really move his character ever out of that note, and I guess neither does Tallman even in maybe the minor moments to try.)
MacGinnis - 3.5(There just mainly to give stoic exposition with some sense of belief. He delivers on that but the film’s overall depiction is so one note it doesn’t really give him the chance to do much else.)
Keel - 3.5(Pretty much the Keel performance from what I can tell, and whether or not the role fits. It fits here well enough though another actor probably would’ve bought a bit more dynamic variation between the actor and the performance of Petruchio.)
Vallone - 3(Delivers on just humorless hunk basically. Overshadowed by all of his co-stars but he’s serviceable.)
Tati - 3(Delivers the performance he delivers.)
O’Brien - 3(Fine in playing the note of generalized fear, shame we basically learn nothing about the guys.)
Granger - 3(Brings a decent swagger to the role though the swings of the character felt a little random due to the lack of nuance between the swagger.)
Power - 3(A better non-scoundrel role though he still is far better with such roles. Here though at least had some presence and was serviceable enough.)
Lovejoy - 2.5(Basically the same as O’Brien he just has less presence.)
Moore - 2.5(Didn’t find his pompous shtick worked as well this time. Kind of forgettable mostly.)
Martin - 2.5(Coasting performance, sometimes works better than other times.)
Showalter - 2.5(Seems deficient to be a lead as his whole performance feels like it would work better as a one scene character just by how thin he plays everything. Then again the character is written as such.)
Gregson - 2.5(Just kind of dull mostly.)
O’Brien - 2.5(Feel like you needed someone with maybe a more empathetic presence innately as O’Brien just has a degree of smarm that makes it hard to buy a second of his sorrowful self-pity.)
Taylor - 2.5(In this instance he’s supposed to be the boring stick in the mud. But he is still boring.)
Grant - 2(Technically he’s not doing anything super specifically different here than many of his performances, but in this instance everything he doesn’t within his typical romcom style just does not have any charm to it.)
Rettig - 2(Bad 50’s child performance. There’s worse, but he can’t lead a film either.)
Barry - 2(Dull sci-fi acting per the period.)
Hirsch - 2(Isn’t overly convincing as himself but there are worse athlete actors.)
Lewis - 2(Occasionally he’s okay, but too often he’s annoying as all hell doing his shtick.)
Wagner - 1.5(He’s always dull early in his career this is no different.)
Taylor - 1.5(Primo Taylor extra extra dull and lifeless.)
Andrusco - 1.5(He certainly sounds and acts like he’s reading off cue cards.)
1. Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday - 4.5
2. Harriet Andersson - Summer With Monika
3. Simone Signoret - Therese Raquin
4. Anne Vernon - Rue de L’estrapade
5. Machiko Kyo - Gate of Hell
6. Delia Garcés - El
7. Geraldine Page - Hondo - 4.5
8. Barbara Stanwyck - All I Desire - 4
9. Maggie McNamara - The Moon is Blue
10. Jean Simmons - Young Bess
11. Michiyo Kogure - A Geisha
12. Ayako Wakao - A Geisha
13. Marilyn Monroe - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
14. Jean Peters - Niagara
15. Deborah Kerr - Dream Wife
16. Cyd Charisee - The Bandwagon - 4
17. Susan Hayward - The President’s Lady - 3.5
18. Danielle Darrieux - The earrings of Madame de…
19. Joan Fontaine - The Bigamist
20. Ida Lupino - The Bigamist - 3.5
Supporting Actress:
1. Setsuko Hara - Tokyo Story
2. Thelma Ritter - Pickup on South Street - 5
3. Gloria Grahame - The Big Heat - 4.5
4. Haruko Sugimura - Tokyo Story
5. Donna Reed - From here to Eternity
6. Deborah Kerr - From Here to Eternity
7. Marilyn Monroe - Niagara
8. Chieko Higashiyama - Tokyo Story
9. Kinuyo Tanaka - Ugetsu
10. Ann Miller - Kiss Me Kate
11. Celia Johnson - The Captain’s Paradise
12. Mitsuko Mito - Ugetsu - 4.5
13. Sylvie - Therese Raquin - 4
14. Machiko Kyo - Ugetsu
15. Kyoko Kagawa - Tokyo Story
16. Harriet Andersson - Sawdust and Tinsel
17. Marilyn Monroe - How to Marry a Millionaire -4
18. Elizabeth Allen - The Heart of the Matter - 3.5
19. Ethel Barrymore - The Story of Three Loves
20. Nanette Fabray - The Bandwagon - 3.5
Louis: Thoughts on the female performances.
Jonathan:
Almost purely vibes but such amazing vibes in that trailer. Also didn’t know Pattinson was literally playing Hansen, and doing the voice is definitely a challenge, however Pattinson has pulled off overt accents before so we could be in for something special.
Anonymous:
No since I've only seen the film once, but probably he’d stay a 4.
Brazinterma:
Song:
6. “The Elegant Captain Hook” - Peter Pan
7. “Secret Love” - Calamity Jane
8. "Dressing Song / Do-Mi-Do Duds" - The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T
9. “The Black Hills of Dakota” - Calamity Jane
10. “Just Blew in From the Windy City” - Calamity Jane
Score:
6. The Robe
7. Ugetsu
8. Stalag 17
9. Lili
10. The Big Heat
Poster:
1. The War of the Worlds (French)
2. Niagara
3. The War of the Worlds (American)
4. The Blue Gardenia
5. Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday
6. House of Wax
7. The Wages of Fear (Russian)
8. Tokyo Story
9. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
10. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Editing:
1. The Wages of Fear
2. From Here to Eternity
3. Stalag 17
4. Shane
5. Ugetsu
6. Tokyo Story
7. The Earrings of Madame de…
8. The Naked Spur
9. The Bandwagon
10. Roman Holiday
Original:
6. Titanic
7. I Vitelloni
8. Mr. Hulot’s Holiday
9. Niagara
10. Calamity Jane
Adapted:
6. Summer With Monika
7. The Earrings of Madame de…
8. Shane
9. Therese Raquin
10. Julius Caesar
Cast:
1. Tokyo Story
2. From Here to Eternity
3. Stalag 17
4. Julius Caesar
5. The Naked Spur
6. Ugetsu
7. Therese Raquin
8. The Wages of Fear
9. The Big Heat
10. Pickup on South Street
Louis: Your 6-10 for Best Director in 1953
Louis before finishing 1953, please watch:
Anatahan
Love Letters
Island in the Sky
Louis do you intend to post of Mason in Charade?
Luke: I mean, I don't really get why pundit types make post or pre-Cannes predictions either (beyond driving up viewership numbers, which is something this blog doesn't concern itself with). But as Quincy Jones once said: "Whatever crumbles your cookie."
Glad to have won the prediction for this and love seeing Mizoguichi win Director, and Harada win Supporting Actress (her, Ritter and Grahame are quite the formidable top three).
My request is for a performance I've just seen - Koji Yakusho in Kamikaze Taxi for Lead Actor 1995 (there's two versions of the film and I can't speak to the shorter one, but the longer cut of 170 minutes is the one I watched).
Louis, thoughts and ratings on Kathryn Beaumont in "Peter Pan"? Is she a lead or supporting role?
Louis: Your thoughts on the opening theme for The Rockford Files.
So is Gardner less than 3.5 for Mogambo? Because whatever my issues with that film, I thought she was a ton of fun in it.
Backrooms has an eerie visceral sense of place and sets up some nice creepy questions…unfortunately falls flat on its face when it starts to answer them. Not only because it loses all its creepiness quite quickly, it also saddles the film with some particularly clunky exposition moments. Additionally its attempt to try to weave this story into some actual human terms sadly seems like lip service to the idea of depth in a horror film rather than actual depth, despite the technically overqualified leads.
Ejiofor - 3
Reinsve - 3.5
Duplass - 2.5
RIP Marcia Lucas
Luke:
Andersson - (Her performance shines throughout the film in managing to capture so effectively this combination between an absolute allure and an immaturity. Balancing the two sides in a way where you see completely why someone would get swept along right with her but then just as much see when there is the point that ends. Andersson played so effectively the more petulant moments because she was able to make from the same cloth as the alluring elements. Creating such an effective gradual change as their situation becomes more faced with reality where Andersson brings such a striking raw emotionality of someone lashing out at every bit in such a convincing fashion. Her scene with the family being fascinating in that she becomes even younger looking just in her manner as a totally lost child. Then back at home Andersson creates a sense of the quiet frustrations that quickly build leading to her revelation scene where her choice to be so blithely speaks the absolute truth of the whole summer as a flight of fancy despite the end result.)
Signoret - (An interesting performance because she’s very much not playing into any kind of manipulative villainous qualities despite technically living within a certain kind of noir plot. Instead she very much plays towards an interesting empathetic note where she shows the quiet penetrating exhaustion and mental strangulation with her initial husband. Contrasting that initially the freedom with her lover, only even that in her reactions to the extremes it is of horror and wanting to come back from those extremes. Leading towards presenting more earnest moments of sorrow as someone who is very much surprised by finding herself in the middle of a noir plotline and in no way excited to be there.)
Vernon - (More than anything just has a super charming naturalistic quality with her work. There’s an innate comedic energy about her performance and just brings this ease in her presence. Although the film as a whole didn’t really work for me, Vernon always elevated things with just how charming she managed to be, and managed to find what comedy could be by her disbelief at the eagerness of others so to speak. She manages to bring this natural grace so wonderfully and wholly delivered on what there was to offer even between the weaknesses of the script.)
Garcés - (Her performance is quite good in very much just playing into the reality of the situation. Playing effectively early on in the combination of being taken aback by the older man’s advances but with that quiet sense of understanding of the opportunity provided by the infatuation. Her performance then is the anchor to reality and does manage to become more than a symbol by just how naturalistically she manages to express her fear and frustrations at dealing with the mad man. Finding variations and showing that growing sense of anxiety in every bit of insanity she faces.)
Stanwyck - (Her best scene is near the end where she speaks the actual truth of her career with this sense of just exhaustion combined with a directness towards presenting the realities of her situation as brutally honestly as possible. The rest of the time she’s good though not great, in just offering her presence as an anchoring quality to the extremes of the melodrama of the film.)
Simmons - (Same she has such a dull plot for her to work with as the scenes where she got to act against Laughton were quite splendid in playing a combination between intensity and naivety. A playfulness but also a determination. Sadly the film becomes a misguided romance; she has to play mostly repetitive notes, though I think Simmons does what she can with it to elevate her moments even if she can’t save the film.)
Kogure & Wakao - (Both are good particularly in their mutual empathy and chemistry with each other. Creating an effective sense of the aggression of one and then the protective spirit of the others in reaction to the potential reaction of others. Each finding a natural quality within their blending together where they create a believable sense of the two finding some solace within less than ideal circumstances.)
Monroe - (Just her charm realized in a particularly charming way. Where she delivers on her main musical number with more than a lot of vivaciousness. But she also just has such an attractive comedic ability in every other scene in playing up the character without a sense of her own immense beauty in a sense and just wonderfully brings that energy consistently throughout the film.)
Peters - (As the less interesting part so to speak I thought she tried her hardest to create genuine tension by presenting effectively this combination between genuine concern along with fear for the couple. Playing well even after the shift the empathy she still has even as she gets in terrible situations. I wish she had a bit more of an honest dynamic beyond that but she’s good with what she has.)
Kerr - (I mean given the terrible material she’s working with maybe I should consider going higher. Because Kerr very much utilizes her more expected regal presence but with a definite sense of comedy excels here in a bad comedy. Managing to do the most in her less than impressed reactions towards Grant throughout and just bringing a dominating presence throughout the film. Shame the film is just so but because Kerr shows where there was potential…potential not particularly well realized for a second outside of her.)
Charisee - (Brings a great deal of energy in this instance and has a splendid low key chemistry with Astaire where the two just work together either beyond their dancing. There’s a nice sincerity she brings throughout that for me even elevated some of the more overly expected romantic musical bits to being tolerable.)
Hayward - (Again mainly just the chemistry with Heston where it does work. Otherwise she mostly needs to be put upon or sickly. Does both more than fine.)
Fontaine & Lupino - (Fontaine has a completely thankless role as the milquetoast other woman but it is due to her talents that she manages to do anything with it. As she does bring an honest vulnerability that consistently elevates the role as simplistic as it is. Lupino has the more interesting part, though I think there were places where they could’ve gone further with the part, and brings an effective enough combination of brassiness and degree of vulnerability.)
Monroe - (The role from her where there’s no “cute” aspect to her utilizing her presence, it is purely in the more lusty qualities and she absolutely owns it for every second she is onscreen. She just has this exuding power in this instance where she very much presents the sinister nature of the character with a quiet overwhelming glee about it and this sadistic sense of determination behind everything that she does in the first half. To the point I do think I’d rather have just seen a film of her and Cotton mentally torturing each other, but I digress. She’s fascinating in her impact that she does leave. The second half sadly uses her less but her reactions though are good still in showing the floor fall out of her, and very much playing into that sense of where she is without that hold on everyone.)
Miller - (She’s just a delight in every way. From playing the ditz in the non-play scenes where I particularly enjoyed her rendition of the Mark Antony speech so randomly. Otherwise though having just so much fun in playing into that note in a way that wholly works and finds the right fun variations within those moments. Against the musical moments where she plays as well into the playful allure of her character in two different ways. The first in a more earthy way and then within the play this slightly more formal yet still as potent way. She’s just wonderful and just finds the right tone for every bit of the material.)
Johnson - (As essentially the comedic version of Fontaine’s performance Johnson does find the most of what she can with it. Just by always playing every scene with just the right witty knowing quality while still playing into the trope set up for her. There’s not a moment that she just lets be forgotten finding something interesting to do in a way that never feels like showing off either. That is until her cathartic final scene where she is wonderful in the modest yet strict power of her dismissal of Guinness’s character.)
Anderrson & Monroe - (Basically supporting variations of their leading turns both good.)
Sylvie - (Playing the overbearing mother in law with the right omnipotent quality of her work where it feels like every delivery has a little bit of a knife twist behind it. Something she manages to carry even to her second half just basically through an expression, and expression though does exactly as it should be. As she manages to still penetrate a scene despite the theoretical limitations of the part at that point.)
Allen - (Manages to at least find some nuance in a role that could be just the boring wife. She doesn’t play it so directly though instead creating something a little more insightful as more so someone too caught up in her ways to notice the obvious around her.)
Barrymore - (A very quick fun bit as a witch essentially, however she manages to find a nice bit of slightly mischievousness in her exposition that leaves a bit of an impact.)
Fabray - (Brings a nice energy in all of her talking through scenes though one where I actually would’ve liked if we got more of her and Lavant and fleshed them out a bit more than just eager sidekicks.)
Anonymous:
I don’t think so, as it wouldn’t be anything I haven’t said before about Mason, though three good examples of his different sides as a performer.
Shaggy:
6. Max Ophüls - The Earrings of Madame de…
7. Hideo Sekigawa - Hiroshima
8. Ingmar Bergman - Summer With Monika
9. Vincente Minnelli - The Band Wagon
10. Anthony Mann - The Naked Spur
J96:
Wait as I was planning on re-watching it.
8000’s:
A really weird blend where the instrumentation of the melody seems just to go in every random direction but it works despite the randomness of it, as the mainly repeated but nicely jaunty motif.
Robert:
Accidentally lost her when making the lists, she’d be #10.
RIP Marcia Lucas
Thoughts and rating for Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?
Harris:
3 - (From what I've seen of her she always seems a bit stiff, this is less than stiff from what else I've seen but still comparatively to Monroe does leave a little wanting. Having said that, she definitely has more than a spark of chemistry with Monroe as they have a genuinely endearing quality where by interacting with Monroe Russell's own performance really comes to life as well.)
Louis: Any updated thoughts on Reed and Kerr in From Here to Eternity (unless I missed them somewhere above)? Love the upgrades for both.
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on:-
Joan Crawford and Marjorie Rambeau in Torch Song
Claire Bloom in The Man Between
Doris Day in Calamity Jane
Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Ann Blyth in All the Brothers Were Valiant
Dinah Sheridan and Kay Kendall in Genevieve
Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam
Louis: Has Grahame gone up to a 5 and is she 2nd or still 3rd.
Louis: What are your ratings and thoughts on Richard Widmark in Take the High Ground and Ed Wood in Glen or Glenda?
Louis: Is 48' lead win between Attenborough and Bogart a very close one for you? Cause I saw an old ranking of yours, probably top 10 lead actor 40s it was, where you ranked Bogart's work in Sierra Madre above Attenborough's in Brighton Rock.... I believe Attenborough was your '47 win before you put him in '48.
Luke, If 1946 is next on the schedule then what are your suggestions.
Lead Actor
Michel Simon in Panique
Charles Boyer in Cluny Brown
Michael Redgrave in The Captive Heart
Franco Interlenghi in Shoeshine
Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre in The Verdict
Supporting Actor
Alastair Sim in Green For Danger
Claude Rains in Deception
Pierre Brasseur in Gates Of The Night
Anonymous: I believe it's 1930 (which should be pretty brief), then 1946.
Louis: Which roles do you think Jeremy Irons would've been a good fit for, assuming that he would've kept on getting good parts in films more consistently after 1980s?
Louis: Thoughts on this cast for a live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Michael Biehn - Duke
Sam Elliott - Hawk
Michelle Pfeiffer - Scarlett
Kurt Russell - Flint
Jamie Lee Curtis - Lady Jaye
Jean Claude Van-Damme - Snake Eyes
Carl Weathers - Stalker
Keith David - Roadblock
Tim Curry - Cobra Commander
Sean Connery - Destro
Isabella Rossellini - Baroness
Gary Oldman - Zartan
Hiroyuki Sanada - Storm Shadow
Before anyone asks, 1 write-up at best for 1930 and I find it very doubtful. I hope Ayres gets an upgrade though.
Happy 96th Birthday Clint Eastwood
Unfortunately, it was announced today that Clint is officially retired, according to his son Kyle.
Luke: What did you think of Stephen Dillane in The Crown? I rewatched his scenes recently and I think I may have underrated him.
Tahmeed:
Reed - (With her performance the key really is the amount of emotion she brings to a moment to illuminate the reality of the character's feelings versus what she is presenting. And this is beyond even the initial state of the “hostess” giving the customer what they want, and her very much changing in manner from herself to the presented version of herself depending on her relationship with Prewitt. But it is actually if you take Reed performance of describing her plan of saving up her money and then actually her final scene where she makes up the lie about Prewitt’s fate, Reed in both delivers it with a hollowness, a hollowness that in itself is her own lie, her lie of constructing the “perfect” life at her hometown and the lie of what she rather constructed for Prewitt then what actually happened. Contrasting though are the moments with Clift where she gets past it all for her honest love for him and that is where Reed reveals the most necessary and real emotions that are the real truths behind it all. Creating really a juxtaposition of the lie to the customer, a lie to herself, but in the painful honesty is where Reed shows the most hurt and in turn gives reason to why her character relies on the lie.)
Kerr - (Unlike the rest of the 53 lineup where the actresses were each essentially all existent in their particular presence, Kerr’s was the subversion of the expected presence. And something she does naturally excel with and in no moment do you think of a moment of her period pieces as Karen. What Kerr’s performance accentuates is trying to take ownership of her own life to the degree that she can even in the affairs she has with men. Kerr speaks of them with a purpose not a regret or shame and fervent decision against the horribleness of her husband. Where we do get some great reactions throughout Kerr's reactions to him with nearly an eyeroll of the same tricks again and again. With Lancaster Kerr creates a certain urgency of the want for some difference, even in pushing him to become an officer, Kerr presents a certain design in her delivery, not entirely of control but creating a believable narrative that the world will accept. Leading her final scene so very differently from Reed, where we see her very honest reaction to Alma’s lie, and her presentation of someone still just going along as the world she knows.)
Anonymous:
Crawford - 3(Essentially the performance that Dunaway seemed to base her performance most off of because everything with Crawford here is to such a ridiculous extreme and very much over the top. I don’t think she’s terrible however as she is playing an over the top diva at the same time, so there is something to be taken from it. I wouldn’t say the whole shtick remains entertaining throughout, but she is fun for a little while.)
Rambeau - 2.5(Just one of those “mother” supporting nominations, where she’s there, she’s okay but also leaves no impact whatsoever.)
Day - 3.5(Very much not convincing as the type she is portraying in a certain sense, in that I don’t buy her as a grungy western woman. But as the musical version of that, she’s more than alright in just bringing a lot of energy to the part. Is it over the top? Sure, and is she less interesting the more serious the film gets? Also sure, but certainly not bad.)
Bacall - 3(Very standard Bacall turn, she’s fine but didn’t really leave that much of an impression for me overall.)
Grable - 2.5(With no disrespect to Robert Strauss, never found her particularly compelling one way or another. I don’t think she’s bad but very much just that certain romcom energy that is pretty generic of the like.)
Blyth - 2.5(Kind of stiff and doesn’t really come to life with other of the brother actors either. Ends up very much playing into the melodrama and not in a way that is particularly captivating.)
Sheridan & Kendall - 3.5(They are more interesting and entertaining than the men here. As at least their frustration was occasionally amusing and had a degree of charm, particularly Kendall who maybe is a particularly extreme could’ve been given she definitely had a striking presence.)
Merman - 3(As far as I can tell this is the Merman presence, no more, no less.)
Luke:
Up to a 5, but still #2.
Lucas:
Widmark - (Just such an uninteresting part and the film is unsure of whether or not it wants to be comedic or serious. So Widmark just is stumbling around her seemingly not sure what way to really go with it either. Just a bad role for him, that could’ve been worse I guess but far from his best work.)
Wood - (Haven’t seen it in awhile, and don’t really wish to change that, but just recall him being the typical Z-movie bland acting from your typical z-movie leads.)
Perfectionist:
This has been previously discussed.
8000’s:
For the 80’s?
Ytrewq:
Kinsey
Denethor
Walsingham
Louis: thoughts on this alternate 2000s Bad Day at Black Rock cast?
John Macreedy: Al Strobel
Reno Smith: Josh Brolin
Liz Wirth: Kate Beckinsale
Sheriff Horn: Bud Cort
Doc Velie: Richard Roundtree
Calvin:
That would be a fantastic role for Strobel, it's such a shame as I feel if he gave the performance he gave in Twin Peaks today he would've broken out at least in the Indie scene. Brolin obviously can do intolerant trash, seeing Cort being bossed around would properly hurt, Roundtree would be a great doc and offer obviously an additional reason why he wants to keep his profile low.
Louis: Late 80's.
Tony: From what I can recall, he was very good in his one episode, his last scene with Lithgow being the standout.
Louis: your present day roles for Tim Curry if he never had his stroke?
Louis: What are your ratings and thoughts on the cast of Ugetsu and Geraldine Page in Hondo? I couldn't find them anywhere
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