Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941: Results

5. Joseph Cotten in Citizen Kane - Aside from his scenes as an old man Cotten gives a considerably more assured performance than most of co-stars, and effectively creates a sympathetic character arc to follow along Kane's own. 

Best Scene: After Kane loses the election.

4. Herbert Marshall in The Little Foxes - Marshall gives a very moving portrayal of the physical and mental decay of a decent man among fiends.

Best Scene: Horace rejects Regina's request.

3. Edward Arnold in The Devil and Daniel Webster - Arnold realizes the assumed greatness of his character through his strong presence and genuine passion.

Best Scene: Daniel Webster addresses the jury.

2. Laird Cregar in I Wake Up Screaming - Cregar gives a brilliantly grim portrayal of his shadowy detective, but also manages to be rather heartbreaking when explaining the underlying motivations of the character.

Best Scene: Ed Cornell reveals his connection to the deceased.

1. Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon - Peter Lorre is superb managing to be both quite humorous and very sinister in his enigmatic portrayal of Joel Cairo. This an amazing year for supporting actor, especially for the 40's, and I really hate to leave Arnold out of the top five.

Best Scene: Cairo's arrival.

Overall Rank:

1. Walter Huston in The Devil and Daniel Webster
2. Van Heflin in Johnny Eager
3. Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon
4. Laird Cregar in I Wake Up Screaming
5. Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon
6. Edward Arnold in The Devil and Daniel Webster
7. Herbert Marshall in The Little Foxes
8. Joseph Cotten in Citizen Kane
9. Claude Rains in The Wolf Man
10. Claude Rains in Here Comes Mr. Jordan
11. Donald Crisp in How Green Was My Valley
12. Barry Fitzgerald in The Sea Wolf
13. William Demarest in The Lady Eve
14. Elisha Cook, Jr. in The Maltese Falcon
15. Leslie Howard in 49th Parallel
16. John Qualen in The Devil and Daniel Webster
17. Anton Walbrook in 49th Parallel
18. Walter Brennan in Meet John Doe
19. Dana Andrews in Ball of Fire
20. Gene Lockhart in The Sea Wolf
21. Niall MacGinnis in 49th Parallel 
22. Richard Haydn in Ball of Fire
23. Henry Travers in Ball of Fire
24. S.Z. Sakall in Ball of Fire
25. Leonard Kinskey in Ball of Fire
26. Tully Marshall in Ball of Fire
27. Aubrey Mather in Ball of Fire
28. Oskar Homolka in Ball of Fire
29. Edmund Gwenn in The Devil and Miss Jones
30. H.B. Warner in The Devil and Daniel Webster
31. Raymond Massey in 49th Parallel
32. Charles Coburn in The Lady Eve
33. S.Z. Sakall in The Devil and Miss Jones
34. Alan Hale in The Strawberry Blonde
35. Elisha Cook, Jr. in I Wake Up Screaming
36. Finlay Currie in 49th Parallel
37. William Demarest in Sullivan's Travels
38. Edward Everett Horton in Here Comes Mr. Jordan
39. Robert Cummings in The Devil and Miss Jones
40. Edward Arnold in Meet John Doe
41. Jack Carson in Love Crazy
42. Donald MacBride in High Sierra
43. Eugene Pallette in The Lady Eve
44. Ward Bond in The Maltese Falcon
45. Jack Carson in The Strawberry Blonde
46. Porter Hall in Sullivan's Travels
47. Jerome Cowan in The Maltese Falcon
48. Edward Arnold in Johnny Eager
49. James Gleason in Meet John Doe
50. Henry Travers in High Sierra
51. Walter Brennan in Sergeant York
52. Laurence Olivier in 49th Parallel
53. Rhys Williams in How Green Was My Valley
54. Richard Carlson in The Little Foxes
55. Dan Duryea in Ball of Fire
56. Barry Fitzgerald in How Green Was My Valley
57. Henry Hull in High Sierra
58. Frances Sullivan in "Pimpernel Smith"
59. Nigel Bruce in Suspicion
60. Dan Duryea in The Little Foxes
61. Bela Lugosi in The Wolf Man
62. Ray Collins in Citizen Kane
63. Vladimir Sokoloff in Love Crazy
64. Barton MacLane in The Maltese Falcon
65. James Barton in The Shepherd of the Hills 
66. Gene Lockhart in The Devil and Daniel Webster
67. Ralph Bellamy in The Wolf Man 
68. Paul Stewart in Citizen Kane
69. Cornel Wilde in High Sierra
70. Charles Dingle in The Little Foxes
71. Arthur Kennedy in High Sierra 
72. Ward Bond in The Shepherd of the Hills
73. Leo G. Carroll in Suspicion 
74. Walter Pidgeon in How Green Was My Valley
75. William Alland in Citizen Kane
76. Ward Bond in Sergeant York
77. Carl Benton Reed in The Little Foxes
78. Alan Mowbray in That Hamilton Woman
79. Sam Levene in Shadow of the Thin Man
80. Walter Abel in Hold Back the Dawn
81. George Tobias in Sergeant York 
82. Allyn Joslyn in I Wake Up Screaming
83. Cy Kendall in Johnny Eager 
84. George Coulouris in Citizen Kane
85. Alan Mowbray in I Wake Up Screaming
86. Everett Sloane in Citizen Kane
87. James Gleason in Here Comes Mr. Jordan
88. Arthur Shields in How Green Was My Valley
89. Paul Stewart in Johnny Eager

Next Year: 1990 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941: Herbert Marshall in The Little Foxes

Herbert Marshall did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Horace Giddens in The Little Foxes.

The Little Foxes is an effective drama about the corrupt inner workings of a greedy family.

Herbert Marshall plays Horace Giddens the man unlucky enough to be married to the cold Regina (Bette Davis), which unfortunately makes him family with the despicable Hubbards. The one thing all the Hubbards hold in common, including Horace's wife, is they seem to prefer money above all else. Horace does not make his first appearance until some time until the film, although he spoken about mainly in the context that he has a terrible heart condition that will likely lead to his death. Herbert Marshall portrays Horace as a man of quiet dignity as he very gently interacts with everyone including his daughter Alexandra (Teresa Wright) or anyone else who has the slightest hint of human decency. Marshall very quickly makes Horace the most likable character the most likable character in the film by only giving off a very honest demeanor while clearly establishing that Horace in no way shares the avaricious nature of his family by law. Marshall exudes an understated compassion as he makes the love of his daughter a simple fact, as it's clearly what he cares about most in life.

Marshall is quite effective as he portrays Horace as no fool in regards to his interactions with his wife and the rest of the greedy Hubbards. Marshall presents it well as essentially that Horace has simply had enough of their behavior. As he interacts with them, and discovers each new plot in which to make themselves even richer than they already are Marshall does not express surprise. He rather bluntly shows the disdain in a boredom of sorts. Marshall makes it quite clear that it is all simply business as usual for them, and that Horace is unable to do much more than almost roll his eyes at the antics of his relatives. Marshall though does distinguish this from Horace's physical state which also leaves him in a certain state. Marshall portrays well clearly the other sort of exhaustion from his heart condition, as he very carefully takes a calm approach in his manner as he shows Horace is clearly trying to avoid any undue stress.

Although Horace is able to avoid his in-laws he cannot completely ignore his wife which is where the problems lie for the character. Marshall is terrific in the scenes with Davis as he continually keeps Horace trying to keep his distance from her, to ignore her pointless bickering. Marshall is rather moving because he does not show this to be a coldness in Horace, but simply Horace's understanding of the coldness in Regina. There are moments where Marshall brings a great deal of poignancy as Horace seems to try to reach out in some way to his wife, to show his past love for her, but he only ever receives a cold response. Horace continuously suffers the ill-will of his wife, and Marshall is especially good in realizing the slow decay of Horace's physical state. In every fight Marshall conveys the increase in the pressure and stress while so sadly showing that Horace obviously wants no part of the pointless drama his wife has created. This is a very good performance by Herbert Marshall as he makes Horace an appropriately tragic figure, bringing such an understated likability to the part while fully realizing the evil inflicted upon him by his shallow wife.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941: Edward Arnold in The Devil and Daniel Webster

Edward Arnold did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Daniel Webster in The Devil and Daniel Webster.

The Devil and Daniel Webster is a film that does not necessarily have the strongest lead in James Craig's Jabez Stone, yet this does not really weaken the film thanks to the supporting players who essentially control film making Stone essentially a pawn in his own story. The first being the embodiment of evil Mr. Scratch, played to perfection by Walter Huston, who temps Jabez Stone into giving away his soul for All That Money Can Buy for seven years. The second being the real life political figure Daniel Webster who is viewed in the story as the greatest politician to ever live, or at least in the view of the people of New England. Webster is played by Edward Arnold who is perhaps best known for playing cold authority figures often times in the films of Frank Capra. Sometimes he'd be given redemption, such as in You Can't Take It With You, but often times he personified the cruelty of authority without compromise. Arnold here plays an authority figure as well, but the complete opposite of those roles as before we see his character he is characterized by every one else as the man of the highest moral order. 

This is supported by his first scene where a shadowy figure, Mr. Scratch, speaks to him tempting him for a deal to ensure that he will one day become president. Arnold is great in these short little scene as treats them in such a matter of fact fashion. The first Arnold suggests to be almost the squashing of bad thoughts as the devil whispers temptation which he ignores as a bad headache until finally has to curse him out the room to put an end to it. That's not the only time though and they have a particularly humorous second encounter where Arnold once again treats him as a fact of life. This time he annoys him in public and I like the way Arnold just shrugs him off as though he's a common pest that just must be dealt with. Of course his ability to reject the offers of Mr. Scratch is not the only that makes Daniel Webster a special man. He's loved by the people as well and Arnold needs to be able to get that across as well. Arnold does this splendidly. Arnold in any role has an imposing screen presence, which he uses particularly artfully here. Arnold as Webster does not insist on his greatness, though he realizes it through still having that strong presence, but in the most gentle of ways. 

Arnold does well to establish Webster in his few scenes early on as he matches the descriptions he receives and is able to create a similar impact that Huston makes. Arnold is able to present Webster as a forceful man in his few moments as we see that which makes him the great man, yet along with it Arnold brings the softness. Not a weakness but rather a natural kindness that he always exudes showing the concern in Webster for others. He's only in a few scenes early on the film though Arnold makes a strong enough of a statement in those scenes that it is known exactly what Webster stands for and that he seems likely to be the only man who will be able to stand up against Mr. Scratch. Webster makes his reappearance back into the film just as Jabez Stone's contract is up and the only thing that Mr. Scratch will take for an extension is Stone's son. This leaves Stone to turn to Webster for help as the final showdown between Scratch and Webster in Stone's barn. The funny thing is in this final sequence that Stone might as well not be in the room since it unquestionably is a face-off between Arnold and Huston.

The final sequence contains what is so great about Arnold's performance as he takes on Mr. Scratch. Arnold importantly builds up the suspense of the scene rather well as he does give some momentary sense of fear as Webster prepares himself to defend Stone in a trial, with a jury picked by the devil. Arnold does not present Webster as an otherworldly figure himself, but rather a man who must overcome his own concerns to take on the devil. The challenge for Arnold comes in the speech he must give to jury, which is the only defense that Webster is allowed, to attempt to give Stone back his soul, the challenge is especially difficult considering that Webster was considered one of the all time great orators. Well Arnold matches the challenge head on, and is outstanding in the scene. He brings the incredible passion needed for the speech as he is brings out the convictions of the man so powerfully. What I love though is that Arnold brings the mediation in his speech. It is not just Webster telling them what is right but convincing them that it is. In this regard Arnold brings such a warmth in his words creating the sense of the palatable love Webster has for his country. He is able to bridge that in a persuasive fashion as Webster tells the damned jury what they missed by turning to the devil. Arnold makes the result of the trial of Stone believable since he makes Webster the great man he needs to be and a truly worthy opponent for Huston's Mr. Scratch.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941: Joseph Cotten in Citizen Kane

Joseph Cotten did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jedediah Leland in Citizen Kane.

Citizen Kane indeed has many qualities that would seem to indicate its status as the greatest film of all time. It is impossible for me to share this view as do have one major reservation regarding the film which is the acting. Much of the cast are stage actors making their film debuts as it shows. Most of them still give performances for the stage even if they eventually become comfortable film actors like Everett Sloane and Agnes Moorehead. Even Orson Welles has a slight theatrical bent in a few scenes, yes the re-watch did not change my view on his performance. One of the most successful film actors to come out of Kane though was Joseph Cotten. It is not surprising to see why as Cotten seems the most comfortable with the medium with his performance here. Cotten plays Jedediah Leland Charles Foster Kane's best friend who joins him in taking over a newspaper as a drama critic. Cotten, unlike many of the other supporting players, actually makes use of the moments where not be the central focus, and even when he is he does not take as his chance to make a scene. Unlike someone like Sloane who pretty much yells most of his lines.

Cotten does something rather interesting with his work in that he makes Jedediah the only character in which we are allowed to connect. Welles leaves Kane as a distant figure even though he is the lead. I would say this is purposeful though order to make us keep looking for the truth of the man just like the reporter we follow trying to find out the meaning of Kane's last words "Rosebud". Cotten fulfills an important need of the film to have the man who is genuine. It won't be found in Kane, or Sloane's Bernstein who's essentially a boot lick, and certainly not the reporter since we only see him from behind or in shadow. Cotten in the earliest scenes in the chronological sense gives an effective depiction of the earnestness of wanting to make a statement in the world, while clearly not having the ego about in that Kane does. Cotten does well to essentially let us in on the world of creating the newspaper through his calmer and less presumptuous portrayal of Jedediah. It's very intriguing that even well hanging on the side of the frame Cotten is able to create the man who's far more easy to relate to than Kane is.

Cotten is very good as he reflects and really amplifies what Welles does with Kane in every step of Kane's downfall as a person. As the paper grows Kane seems to become engulfed into his own success whereas Cotten portrays Jedediah still as the same man as he was when they entered the office, but with perhaps a bit less enthusiasm as he watches Kane become a bit too proud of his accomplishments. Cotten says a great deal in his reactions and quiet comments about what is happening to Kane. He expresses well a genuine concern as he still expresses the optimism of the original thought behind the paper while Welles's Kane seems all the less authentic as a man. Cotten still brings the passion though as Jedediah campaigns for Kane's run for the governor of New York, and makes it all the more affecting when he shows the especially genuine disappointment in Jedediah as he sees Kane fall due to Kane's own vices. Cotten expresses well the lost of the faith of essentially the promise that Kane made to him repeatedly about the work they were going to do together. Cotten portrays this to be a final straw for optimism really as the later set scenes with him, Cotten portrays Jedediah as basically jaded individual who no longer seems to have the passion for much of anything, as even when he fires Cotten shows it to be more of a sigh of resignation than any sort of outrage. Cotten powerfully brings to life the loss of Kane's dream by having Jedediah figure out that it was never possible. Now I should briefly mention the framing the flashback scenes where the reporter interviews Jedediah as an old man. Cotten might to the old man mannerisms a tad too much, but really in terms of unneeded theatricality Cotten really seems pretty subdued compared to some of the other performances. In addition Cotten makes up for it with his very strong work in the flashback scenes as he creates the character arc we connect with that brilliantly echos the colder one presented by Welles.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941: Laird Cregar in I Wake Up Screaming

Laird Cregar did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying detective Ed Cornell in I Wake Up Screaming.

I Wake Up Screaming is an effective film noir, although I say the love story bogs down the second half more than it should, about the unsolved murder of a glamor model Vicky (Carole Landis). 

Well I'm reviewing a supporting performance in a mystery, that's played by Laird Cregar who usually played rather unsavory figures in his tragically brief career, so I guess you know who did it right? Well just wait a moment. Laird Cregar makes his initial appearance being a voice in darkness as the prime suspect for the murder, a promoter Frankie Christopher (Victor Mature), is being interrogated by several detectives. The outline of Cregar as well as his voice certainly makes for an ominous presence in these early scenes. The build up of his character only continues as the first time we are able to see him more fully is still as a shadowy figure in the flashbacks watching Vicky and her sister Jill Lynn (Betty Grable). He makes his dramatic announced entrance as he is told to be detective Ed Cornell the head of the investigation and Jill fingers him as a stalker that must be the murderer. Cornell though has an airtight alibi, and I'm not talking Agatha Christie airtight. So if Cregar is not there to be the murderer what is he there for? Well to steal the show obviously.

Cregar has such a presence that is truly remarkable. Here he even gets to stretch past the psychopath as he plays the detective who will follow our 'hero' no matter the obstacle. These characters usually are portrayed as particularly foolish but that's not the case with Ed thanks in large part due to Cregar's performance. Cregar has such a powerful innate confidence about himself as he actually bothers to realize the method of Ed who is touted as a great detective. Well Cregar earns this in his performance as there is something so incisive about the way he quietly watches Frankie or any other potential subject. There is one particularly striking scene where he forces a couple of the suspects to watch footage of the dead girl and the way he so calmly glances at the men it only seems inevitable that one of them will break down. Cregar, even though he is indeed not the murderer, does carry such a considerable menace here as he makes Cornell almost an unstoppable force. The often calm manner that Cregar brings in Cornell interrogation manner is surprisingly off-putting as he actually shows how it was that Cornell likely solved his other cases.

Every scene he shares with Victor Mature is brilliant for Cregar. Cornell is assured that Frankie is the murderer, and Cregar presents this as he has him in his grip during every scene they share together. There is one especially fantastic scene where they share a car ride together and Cornell talks with Frankie over the case lining out his objective. Cregar is terribly chilling in the scene as we see him almost envisioning the death of Frankie in his eyes. As he states so gently how he will basically achieve his death by hanging while simply playing with a piece of string. Cregar brings such a quietly grim element that creates a palatable sense of dread as Cornell hands off the finished string to Frankie which has formed a noose. The noir I think easily could have fallen into a mediocrity if left purely to the leads and the story but Cregar never lets that happen. In the scenes where he does appear he makes such a threatening atmosphere needed for the film, and when he is not onscreen he is never forgotten. Honestly I think I definitely would have preferred the film if it simply had been a character study focused on Cregar's Cornell, since Cregar is so fascinating in creating the tenebrous detective.

Well as great as Cregar is as the villain who's not the murderer in a murder mystery the film in its final scene does explain why Cornell is so determined to see Frankie hanged. That being because this was not merely just another case for Cornell but rather Cornell dated Vicky when she was a waitress before Frankie discovered her. Cregar is outstanding in the final scene because brings such a genuine loss in Cornell as he speaks. In his voice Cregar conveys the loneliness of the man as well as those past glimpses of happiness of memory that Frankie did in fact take away from him. Cregar is rather heartbreaking because he portrays Cornell as the man who was the most broken by her death. Cregar's is able to realize this final revelation in such a convincing and sympathetic way, even though he was fine with sending Frankie to death row even though he did not actually kill her, that the film feels rather cruel when it still seems to treat the character with disdain. Cregar's performance earns more than that though as he wholly earns the surprisingly moving end note to his character, when he has been such compelling terror beforehand. This is an excellent performance from an actor who deserves to be remembered.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941: Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon

Peter Lorre did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Joel Cairo in The Maltese Falcon.

The character of Joel Cairo could be seen as unnecessary to the story merely since there is already technically the main villain in the form of Kaspar Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) who already has a henchmen in the form of Wilmer (Elisha J. Cook Jr.). Cairo is simply another man in search of the elusive title figure there really for an added bit of character, but with a bland actor he could have seemed truly superfluous. Well Peter Lorre is about as the opposite of bland as an actor can be. Really I think Lorre might have been the only actor from the period to fully earn Humphrey Bogart's reaction as Sam Spade to the appearance of Joel Cairo in his office. Bogart face is almost as if a naked man walked through the door, while Cairo earns such a surprise. Lorre is downright brilliant in the whole manner he carries himself as Cairo with his most peculiar mannerisms which Lorre wears with such a natural ease it's something to watch. Everything that Lorre does in his scenes, every facial movement, creates Joel Cairo as quite the specimen who Lorre makes rather unforgettable just from his first scene.

Lorre is an interesting case here in that he's not exactly menacing, which I doubt was the point since Spade disarms and knocks out Joel Cairo in his very first appearance. What Lorre does so well is personify the lurid world around the search for the Maltese Falcon. Lorre creates such a innately sinister sense in Cairo just as he propositions Spade for a job, before he has even shown any technical evil side on his part. All Cairo is technically saying at first is that he wants Spade to find the object for him, offering him money, not expecting him to break the law, and he even offers Spade some condolences for his dead partner. Of course everything along with that particularly that smile of his that seems to have such pure malevolence within it. There is such a deviousness  in every word that he speaks even the condolence seems two sided in some way. Lorre makes it as though everything about Cairo seems as though he's crawled out a particularly dark place just before he came to enter Spade's office. When he suddenly draws his gun on Spade it would have been far more surprising if he left the office without threatening Spade with death.

Lorre is also just very funny in the part although never does he have a set of punchlines to say. I particularly love after Spade has knocked him out and searched him. Lorre is such a great weasel as he acts though he is apologizing for the whole affair in such a sweet fashion as though everything they had was just a misunderstanding. He even asks for the gun back in such a calm unassuming way with those big eyes of his bringing such a surface earnestness to it he makes you believe that Spade would give him a gun back. This make it all the more hilarious when Lorre switches back to wholly sinister presence as he wants again draws the gun on Spade insisting that he look through his office. Lorre really is a villainous delight any time in which he appears and it is wonderful the dynamic Lorre is able to achieve in the part. He makes Cairo an absolute fiend to be sure, but such an enjoyable fiend to watch. There is another splendid moment where he has a discussion with Spade and Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor). He begins so professionally as he inquires about Brigid's knowledge then he delightfully falls about apart into a mess as gets into a fight with her when Spade leaves for a few seconds.

Of course just about the best of everything comes in the final sequence of the film as all the players get into a single room to receive the Falcon. This final scene is perhaps the best example of what makes Lorre's performance so good here. Technically speaking Joel does not have too much to say in this last scene as most the dialogue is given between Greenstreet's Gutman and Bogart's Spade. Lorre though would never let himself be forgotten in the midst of all that. Every little gesture of his adds at least a little something to the scene. Lorre frankly is not okay with just standing in the back as he just adds just the right bit of extra color to the scene. Lorre's knows exactly how far to go as he keep Cairo a considerable presence within the scene while not going so far as to be a distraction either. Again he makes Cairo such a terrific weasel within the frame just the way he whispers into ear has something so eloquently devious about it. I especially like though is how he gives the sold out Wilmer such a cold stare, after Wilmer realizes his position, but then proceeds to give him a warm pat on his back like he's saying "ah don't feel too bad". When Lorre does get his little moment though it's all the better. His reaction to finding the real nature of the Falcon is marvelous as breaks down to almost a crying baby over not getting the treasure, while blaming Gutman. I'd say he only tops this with his next reaction of true inspired happiness as Gutman asks him to come along to keep searching for it. This is outstanding work from Lorre as he makes Joel Cairo such memorable part of the story, and shows exactly how to give a flamboyant performance which only adds to the strength of his film.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1941

And the Nominees Were Not:

Joseph Cotten in Citizen Kane

Laird Cregar in I Wake Up Screaming

Edward Arnold in The Devil and Daniel Webster

Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon

Herbert Marshall in The Little Foxes