Alternate Best Actor 1957: Results

5. Ben Gazzara in The Strange One - I decided against granting this performance a full review as there is just not much to it. In one part it is a shaky film debut by Gazzara, something he thankfully shook off rather quickly in just a few years, that I would probably ascribe to weak direction. His performance though makes little use of really the cinematic perspective only garnering actions or reactions when absolutely needed for the character. His performance is oddly indifferent for what is as described to be by the other characters this near dictatorial character. There is no sense of charismatic persuasion, nor even a weasel trick in his work. He's mostly just there with the same dour expression until the very end where he gives a fairly standard melodramatic breakdown. This is part the fault of perhaps the adaptation which leaves too much merely stated about the character as the film fails to create a real sense of the cadet's toxic influence within the barracks. Gazzara though doesn't create this in the few instances he has a chance with either, and this is rather underwhelming work from an actor who thankfully quickly improved after this film.

Best Scene: The opening....I guess.

4. Rod Steiger in Across the Bridge - Despite some initial concerns, Steiger gives a rather effective depiction of a cold amorality, that slowly segues to a pained desperation as he naturally discovers the character's morality.

Best Scene: The dog across the bridge.

3. James Cagney - Man of the Thousand Faces - Cagney proves himself once again to be one of the very best actors of his period giving a moving, and more emotionally complex than you might except given the period, portrayal of Lon Chaney's personal struggles, but also a rather remarkable recreations of the man's legendary work that made him an early screen legend.

Best Scene: The handicapped man.

2. Victor Sjöström in Wild Strawberries - Sjöström's performance suggests an understanding of the film's nature giving a moving despite being a largely reactionary turn that grants an even greater power to the imagery and themes presented by the film's notable direction.

Best Scene: The dream of failure.

1. Robert Mitchum in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison - Good prediction John Smith. Robert Mitchum gives one of his most charming performances that makes for a truly endearing action hero of sorts, but he goes even further in his rather effective realization of the changes of his character through his particularly potent and complex chemistry with his co-star.

Best Scene: Allison's apology.

Updated Overall

Updated Supporting Overall

Next Year: 1991 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1957: Results

5. Bengt Ekerot in The Seventh Seal - Although nicely boosted by the film's direction Ekerot does not lose the mystery and intrigue of the character when he speaks.

Best Scene: The end of the game.

4. Jack Hawkins in The Bridge on the River Kwai - Hawkins effectively creates yet another intriguing portrait of a most peculiar sort of madness. 

Best Scene: Warden is injured.

3. Lee J. Cobb in 12 Angry Men - Cobb gives a strong performance by fulfilling his duties as the passionate "villain", but always showing the humanity that propels him.

Best Scene: 3's final breakdown.

2. Gunnar Björnstrand in The Seventh Seal - Björnstrand gives a great depiction of a man confidant of his own world forced to face whatever the next may or may not be.

Best Scene: The squire faces death.

1. Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success - Good prediction Jackiboyz. Lancaster gives a brilliantly and coldly brutal portrayal of a man whose words are his most dangerous weapon.

Best Scene: Sidney goes to see Hunsecker.

Overall Rank:

1. Sessue Hayakawa in The Bridge on the River Kwai
2. Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success
3. Gunnar Björnstrand in The Seventh Seal
4. Lee J. Cobb in 12 Angry Men
5. Jack Hawkins in The Bridge on the River Kwai
6. Toshiro Mifune in The Lower Depths
7. Jack Warden in 12 Angry Men
8. Ralph Meeker in Paths of Glory
9. Walter Matthau in A Face in the Crowd 
10. Jack Klugman in 12 Angry Men 
11. James Donald in The Bridge on the River Kwai 
12. Karl Malden in Fears Strikes Out
13. Bengt Ekerot in The Seventh Seal 
14. Ed Begley in 12 Angry Men
15. Red Buttons in Sayonara 
16. Tyrone Power in Witness for the Prosecution
17. George Macready in Paths of Glory 
18. Chishū Ryū in Tokyo Twilight
    
19. Martin Balsam in 12 Angry Men 
20. Timothy Carey in Paths of Glory
21. Lee Marvin in Raintree County 
22. John McIntire in The Tin Star
23. Lee J. Cobb in The Three Faces of Eve
24. Minoru Chiaki in The Lower Depths
25. Andre Morell in The Bridge on the River Kwai
26. E.G. Marshall in 12 Angry Men  
27. Jack Warden in The Bachelor Party
28. Robert F. Simon in Edge of the City
29. Larry Blyden in The Bachelor Party
30. Minoru Chiaki in Throne of Blood
31. Edward Binns in 12 Angry Men 
32. E.G. Marshall in The Bachelor Party
33. Kamatari Fujiwara in The Lower Depths
34. Maurice Chevalier in Love in the Afternoon 
35. Wayne Morris in Paths of Glory 
36. Amedeo Nazzari in Night of Cabiria
37. Adolphe Menjou in Paths of Glory
38. Niall MacGinnis in Night of the Demon
39. Dennis Hopper in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
40. Philip Abbott in The Bachelor Party
41. Jack Warden in Edge of the City
42. Vasili Merkuryev in The Cranes Are Flying
43. Bill Nagy in Across the Bridge
44. Richard Jaeckel in 3:10 to Yuma
45. Nils Poppe in The Seventh Seal  
46. Aldo Silvani in Nights in Cabiria
47. Gunnar Björnstrand in Wild Strawberries
48. Vittorio De Sica in A Farewell to Arms
49. Paul Newman in Until They Sail 
50. Nigel Patrick in Raintree County
51. Ganjiro Nakamura in The Lower Depths
52. John Williams in Witness for the Prosecution  
53. Aleksey Batalov in The Cranes Are Flying
54. Mickey Shaughnessy in Designing Woman
55. George Voskovec in 12 Angry Men 
56. Leo McKern in Time Without Pity
57. Jim Backus in Man of a Thousand Faces
58. Ake Fridell in The Seventh Seal
59. Emile Meyer in Sweet Smell of Success
60. Sebastain Cabot in Johnny Tremaine
61. Alberto Sordi in A Farewell to Arms 
62. Theodore Bikel in The Enemy Below
63. Robert Webber in 12 Angry Men 
64. Sunil Dutt in Mother India
65. Richard Wattis in The Prince and the Showgirl
66. Takashi Shimura in Throne of Blood
67. John Fiedler in 12 Angry Men 
68. Martin Balsam in Time Limit 
69. Lee Van Cleef in The Tin Star
70. Geoffrey Horne in The Bridge on the River Kwai 
71. Jean Marais in White Nights
72. Joseph Sweeney in 12 Angry Men 
73. Howard Smith in A Face in the Crowd 
74. Neville Brand in The Tin Star
75. Richard Basehart in Time Limit
76. Bernard Lee in Across the Bridge
77. Raaj Kumar in Mother India 
78. Pat Hingle in The Strange One
79. Rajendra Kumar in Mother India 
80. Michel Auclair in Funny Face
81. François Périer in Nights of Cabiria
82. James Garner in Sayonara  
83. Arthur Kennedy in Peyton Place
84. David Wayne in The Three Faces of Eve 
85. Sam Levene in Designing Woman
86. Martin Milner in Sweet Smell of Success 
87. Walter Sande in Johnny Tremaine
88. Robert Emhardt in 3:10 to Yuma
89. Oskar Homolka in A Farewell to Arms 
90. Ricardo Montalban in Sayonara
91. Joseph Calleia in Wild is the Wind
92. Jeremy Spencer in The Prince and the Showgirl
93. Lloyd Nolan in A Hatful of Rain 
94. John Ireland in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
95. George Peppard in The Strange One
96. Russ Tamblyn in Peyton Place
97. John McGiver in Love in the Afternoon
98. Lloyd Nolan in Peyton Place
99. Arthur Storch in The Strange One
100. Richard Beymer in Johnny Tremaine 
101. Leon Ames in Peyton Place 
102. Rip Torn in Time Limit 
103. Paul Langton in The Incredible Shrinking Man
104. David Nelson in Peyton Place
105. Lou Merrill in The Giant Claw
106. Anthony Franciosa in A Face in the Crowd
107. Anthony Franciosa in Wild is the Wind

Next Year: 1937 Supporting if there's time. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1957: Bengt Ekerot and Gunnar Björnstrand in The Seventh Seal

Bengt Ekerot did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Death in The Seventh Seal.

The Seventh Seal is an effective and atmospheric film about a knight (Max von Sydow) seeking existential answers while playing a game of life or death with the grim reaper during the time of the black plague. 

Bengt Ekerot is death who haunts to proceedings while the chess game with the knight. Ekerot's death is certainly the most iconic character from a film by Ingmar Bergman and the look of the character went on to influence such later classic films as Bill and Ted's Bogus journey. Bergman's direction deserves a great deal of the credit for the character as everything around him amplifies the creepiness of Ekerot. The look also of Ekerot here is enough with his long black cold and his excessively white face. Almost all the hard work seems to be done for Ekerot already but that's not to say that Ekerot simply acts a prop. Ekerot's work here is interesting in that he actually kinda plays death in a somewhat comedic way actually. Although his death does act as a villain in the way he appears suddenly reek terror on his eventual victims as well as does really scheme against the Knight during the reprieves of their chess game.

Ekerot is appropriately chilling in his ice cold delivery and his equally chilly expressions that seem lifeless even when he smiles. Ekerot has more fun in the role than you might expect going in to watch the film for the first time. Ekerot in a way treats death as though he is just playing a round of a game he's done so many times so why not have a little fun with it. Ekerot actually plays death as a bit of an easygoing sort who is in no rush about anything since he knows how everything will turn out. This is particularly well seen in a scene where death is sawing a tree away to kill a man whose time is up. Ekerot goes about the task like a lumberjack would and when the man protests Ekerot is quite memorable by playing the scene like he is a technician just informing the man that the job will soon be done. Ekerot in a way makes death inevitable simply because he treats the situation in such a straight forward fashion.

Ekerot's performance is of course a constant throughout the film as there would be no reason for death to change his method and manner at anytime. He's a constant that death should be in the film as he creates the sense that there truly is no escape for the Knight and the game is merely extending his time that is all. Although Ekerot definitely contributes with his performance I would say the most effective moments involving the character are due to Bergman's direction such as found in his sudden appearances and just the doom he represents when he is seen from a distance such as in that final dance at the end of the film. Ekerot does serve a much needed purpose though through his performance. The mystery and terror of sorts represented by death is not lost when we do see him talk and Ekerot most importantly keeps death just as he should be even when we technically get to know him.

Gunnar Björnstrand did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jöns the squire in The Seventh Seal.

Gunnar Björnstrand plays the squire to Max von Sydow's knight and acts his sidekick through the film. Although he's the squire though Jöns is much more the man of action throughout the story because the Knight is caught in his thoughts about life and death during the game. Björnstrand plays his role in a very lively fashion and almost as the comic relief early in the film. Björnstrand treads a fine line here, but his manner here importantly makes Jöns stand out very nicely against von Sydow's more internalized style of performance. Björnstrand is great at being a man of the present life while the Knight is preoccupied with the after life. Björnstrand interestingly makes the early comic moments involving his character seem wholly natural to the feel of the film. It's rather remarkable in that Björnstrand makes the humor in the squire that of a man who seems to understand the world they live in better than any other man that is seen throughout the film.

Björnstrand is brilliant in making the squire a truly worldly man and is almost comforting because the way Björnstrand makes this understanding of the world so strong in Jöns. Björnstrand is striking in his scenes where the squire makes his own philosophy regarding such things as a possible afterlife known. Björnstrand is terrific in these moments by being so wonderfully blunt about it. Where von Sydow presents the Knight's mind as being constantly troubled by these thoughts, Björnstrand cuts through this effectively by showing that Jöns is a man much more comfortable with life as a whole because he is merely able to accept his own sort of faith his own way. There is nothing that weighs on his mind and Björnstrand exudes a certain type of confidence in the squire's demeanor. It is not the confidence of religious man who is constantly a praying as such, but rather the confidence of a man due to being more preoccupied with his current existence he is far more able to simply accept what comes afterwards.

While the Knight is stuck with his game of death being rather inactive in his current life Jöns takes several actions during the course of the story in order to help others. It is a strange thing perhaps to say about this film about existential angst set during the black plague, but I have to say that Björnstrand can be described as "cool" in the role. Björnstrand is great in the scenes where the squire goes about rescuing and helping a few people along the way. He technically might as well be the knight as Björnstrand is the one to portray the true idea of chivalry. What I love about Björnstrand again though is that he once again keep Björnstrand very much down to earth and to the point even when he commits the heroic deeds. He's especially good in the scene where he saves one of the actors from further harassment by thugs in a bar. Björnstrand exudes such a command in the scene as he deals with the men and really you could almost see the squire was the one who perhaps has kept the Knight alive as along as he has, which creates perhaps an irony since it appears by the end that the Knight may be the one causing Jöns's death.

Björnstrand is outstanding by bringing the understanding of the present world through his depiction of Jöns. There's a great moment where he prevents water from being given to a man dying from the plague. Björnstrand does not portray any cruelty in this but rather the needed wisdom of a man who knows how to best survive in the place that he lives in. It's interesting to look at Ekerot's and Björnstrand's performances together since death is obviously the man fit for the other side while Jön is the most adapted to the side he is on. Also Ekerot's performance perhaps benefits the most from the atmosphere created by Bergman whereas Björnstrand's work often stands out on his own. Their meeting together, where you see from Death's view, Björnstrand has one last great moment in the film. Björnstrand presents the fear certainly as the squire sees his end right in front of him, but a man who has adapted so well to the cruel world he lives, Björnstrand powerfully portrays as being able to still stare directly at death even daring to voice his protest. Björnstrand gives a great performance that stands well within the world created by Bergman. He as well though makes Jöns compelling on his own and Björnstrand makes him so much more than just one of the men in the following death at the end.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1957: Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success

Burt Lancaster did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying J.J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success.

I have noticed some have considered Burt Lancaster a co-lead in Sweet Smell of Success even though his screen time is limited to about seven scenes and he actually does not first appear until over twenty minutes into the film, and the film gives the greater focus to the press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis). I understand though because Hunsecker is the puppet master  of the film as he uses Sidney with promise of some sort of success. In addition to that whenever Hunsecker appears it basically becomes his film. Lancaster is playing very much oppose to his heroic leading man type here as the powerful newspaper columnist whose power comes his pen rather than his physical prowess. Alexander Mackendrick's direction does a fantastic job of helping in this transition for Lancaster actually through that unflattering lighting on his face that accentuates any flaws on his face as well as through his glasses giving him cold soulless eyes. This is not to say though that Lancaster allows himself to be overshadowed by the direction, but this nicely amplifies what Lancaster does in the role.

Lancaster is absolutely commanding in his performance, which you might expect from Lancaster as he has that movie star charisma anyways, but Lancaster kinda does this in a whole different style here. Lancaster is very effective as he makes Hunsecker almost like a snake in which you have to watch and listen to his every movement as you never know who or what he might strike. Lancaster is perhaps at his most imposing here despite he seems to purposefully diminish his usual posture on purpose. Lancaster though brings that incisive quality very much needed to Hunsecker's performance in simply the way he almost leans forward and faces his pretty intimidating them while looking for their weakness for which he will exploit. His opening scene is perfectly executed by Lancaster as Hunsecker humiliates and indicates his superiority over all four of the people around him. Lancaster nails every line as he should giving them the vicious sting they should. Hunsecker's power merely comes from his word and Lancaster establishes this as truth through his performance.

What might be most fiendish in a way about Lancaster's portrayal though is he shows the way Hunsecker can influence. He's not there merely to make fun of the people and make them feel poorly about themselves but also to show how he knows what is right. Lancaster is particularly great as Hunsecker points out to the senator at his table that his affair is quite obvious and that if he's to stay as a respectable politician he better be less obvious about his act. Lancaster does not carry only venom in Hunsecker's words, although there is a deadly dose of that there, he has a teaching tone in his voice as though he is educating in his words. Lancaster importantly gets across that Hunsecker is not merely an acerbic critic of those around him, but that he uses that as his tool to control them even further. Hunsecker ends up controlling the plot because he demands Sidney work something out for him. That something ensuring that Hunsecker's sister Suzy not marry a musician, without Suzy finding out that Hunsecker had anything to do with the breakup.

This brings us to the one side of Hunsecker the perhaps brings out the worst of him as Hunsecker will go any way he can to stop Suzy's marriage even if it means getting the musician fired as well as arrested for a false charge. It does not matter really even who the magician is Hunsecker would hate any man who tries to steal his sister from him. Lancaster does reveal perhaps the only real humanity to Hunsecker in his scenes with his sister. I have read some places that it is incestuous thoughts that propel Hunsecker in these scenes, but I disagree as I don't feel that's how Lancaster plays these scenes. Lancaster I think is far more effective by portraying the quiet moments of thinking of his sister where he creates the only possible sympathy for Hunsecker. It is not a lustful man that Lancaster shows although that does mean he's still not quite creepy. It's fear though that Lancaster suggests as he hears about Suzy's marriage, a palatable fear in a man who knows he would be absolute lone in his world of cynicism if he lost his sister. 

Lancaster often is about consistency in the cold brutality that he brings to his performance and the scene where he carefully cuts down the musician, after faking approval, is particularly brilliant. Lancaster is incredibly good here in the later scenes though as he begins to show Hunsecker's reserve to leaves him as he must get more and more involved in Sidney's plan. Lancaster is terrific in portraying a bit of a growing madness in Hunsecker, a quiet yet fervent madness so fitting for Hunsecker, and the intensity grows as he becomes more determined to keep his sister. Lancaster presents Hunsecker as a man who has always been in control, and Suzy perhaps who he has been controlling for the longest time, finally losing his command which is more than he really can comprehend. Lancaster devolves into a mess of sorts though still perfectly as the reserved Hunsecker as everything begins to collapse around him. There are perhaps two Lancasters the wild man, which the best example of is probably Elmer Gantry, and the far more taciturn Lancaster, which best example of may be found here. He gives a great biting portrayal of a villain who does not need to raise a fist to ruin the lives around him.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1957: Lee J. Cobb in 12 Angry Men

Lee J. Cobb did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Juror number 3 in 12 Angry Men.

12 Angry Men obviously has a large ensemble and the story itself does attempt to make use of all 12 jurors. In the number one spot you have Martin Balsam as the jury foreman. Balsam's performance is much like character which is mostly to be functional. The foreman purposefully mostly just calms down discussion and attempts to keep order while leaving his own thoughts to be basically unsaid. Balsam is actually quite good in the role as he shows the slight consternation and difficulty of a guy trying his best to keep everything in order. He also is rather good at establishing the changing mind of the man as the scenes proceeds so you really don't need to know why the foreman changed his mind, it's simply something that is understood. Well that brings us to number 2 played by John "piglet" Fiedler. Well he's suppose to be the meek guy who gets a bit emotional as he's easily pushed around. Fiedler's voice pretty much makes him as meek as you need someone to be, but I don't know Fiedler's whole work is slight exaggerated in a way that makes him sometimes stand out in a bad way.

Skip number 3 for the moment. Onto number 4 the smartest juror well that is until he accepts the demented thinking of the rest (I mean a serial killer wouldn't be found guilty with juror 8 around). Anyway E.G. Marshall plays the juror giving the character enough of a cold and refined command as he states his arguments. Marshall is good enough in the role, but I can't help but feel he could have been even more incisive in the role. It's not that he's even inadequate in any way I just think he could have been more overpowering as the sense of reason for the guilty verdict. That brings us to the number 5 played by Jack Klugman. I really like Klugman in the role as he brings an emotional tension to his performance as though he's been keeping up with some statements about his "kind". Klugman importantly starts this way, as though its been brought up during the trial already, so his early breakdown is well earned and well played. After he calms down he's still good even if his biggest impact is early on.

Number 6 played by Edward Binns is a somewhat simpler role as he's just an average blue collar guy with a code respect. Binns is good in the role in bringing a bit of warmth to the room while still being convincing as a technically tough guy type. Number 7 though comes in the form of Jack Warden who is more interested in a baseball game than the trial. Warden is quite good in the role by bringing just the whole could not care less in his sarcastic line readings throughout. Warden is great at being a jerk here and creating the man's narrow minded view that ignores anything other than his interests. What I like most is Warden actually does not compromise the character when pressured at the vote change. Warden shows a slight understanding but not really to take it seriously, but just rather that its time for him to keep his mouth shut. Number 8 played by Henry Fonda I have covered extensively for the leading reviews for this year.

Number 9 is an old man played by Joseph Sweeney. Sweeney I feel overplays his role a bit as some of those faces he gives just seem to be a bit too much. He still gets across the elements of his character across well enough, but he's somewhat cloying though. I felt Hume Cronyn was much more effective in the same role in the remake. Number 10 is played by Ed Begley. 10 is a loud bigot whose whole attack on the defendant is merely where he is from rather than any evidence. Begley is appropriately one note of an intense bluster as there really is not much more to 10 other than his obvious hatred, and Begley brings across his vicious prejudice as he should. He's particularly good in the scene where he goes on his rant and just kinda retreats to nothing after everyone basically indicates his distaste with him. Number 11 is the foreign guy who is George Voskovec. He's okay but I think his correcting the grammar of 10 is the only scene where he stands out that well. Number 12 is the indecisive ad executive. This is the least of the parts, and Robert Webber in the role does not overcome this fact.

That leaves number 3 played by the reliable Lee J. Cobb. 3 is perhaps the most passionate man in the room but that passion is for seeing the defendant who is accused of murdering his father is found guilty. Lee J. Cobb smartly stays fairly reserved at first even in his opening disbelief at Juror number 8's intention to vote not guilty. Soon though 3 voices his distaste for the boy which Cobb portrays as quite the fervent hatred for the boy. Cobb though importantly brings a greater depth to the character because, unlike 10, Cobb does play 3's hate as something blind. There is a sadness in his hatred and Cobb effectively shows that this comes from somewhere for him. 3's reason being his own troublesome relationship with his own son, and 3 basically imaging himself as the victim in a way. Cobb is actually surprisingly affecting in the role because he so honestly expresses some regret into 3's words. It is not simply that he hates his son and the murderer, but Cobb does suggest that that 3 perhaps does acknowledge his own faults.

Cobb's performance also works well as being basically a verbal sparing partner against Fonda in the film. Where Fonda stays very dignified and proper in his defiance Cobb gets down and dirty in portraying the violent passion in 3. What Cobb does so well once again though is never act as the obvious villain for the film though because his performance always lets on to the deeper meaning this trial has. It is not just the murder, but Cobb expresses just how deeply the idea of a son murdering his father disturbs 3. Cobb also carefully never comes close to one note and is good in showing the way 3 flares up and calms down through different times of the discussion. I particularly love the moment where 3 shows the way the stabbing would have been done against 8. He starts out miming the act causing most of the other jurors to show concern. Cobb though is brilliant in his reaction as 3 diffuses the situation in his reaction showing that although he kinda does hate 8, he would never actually kill someone.

Cobb does great work here and is particularly good in the final scene where everyone else agrees to vote not guilty while 3 still tries to hold onto his conviction. Cobb is surprisingly heartbreaking as he portrays 3's breakdown showing that in the end its his own very sad life and its more despair than malice that motivated him this whole time. Although there are several good performances within the 12 person ensemble Cobb is the best. In lesser hands 3 could have just been an echo of 10 and simply a one note of angry father projecting his anger on someone else. Cobb brings a greater complexity to his performance than that though. Even just in many of his reactions Cobb never allows three just there to be there to be the man 8 is there to prove wrong. Cobb probably lets us know more about 3 as a man than any of the actors do for their characters. Cobb realizes where 3 is coming from and even if you would not agree with him Cobb allows you to understand the man.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1957: Jack Hawkins in The Bridge on the River Kwai

Jack Hawkins did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Major Warden in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Jack Hawkins was the mainstay of just about every English language epic around the late fifties and early sixties. It may have been even a requirement to have him in your film in fact which would explain why he was the Swedish missionary in Zulu (although I happen to still like him a lot in that role despite the miscasting). This may be one of his most substantial roles in one of these films although he does not appear until the second act after "commander" Shears (William Holden) has escaped the Japanese POW camp and successfully made it to hospital. There he is eventually greeted by Major Warden who runs an elite commando unit. There are three main characters in the Bridge on the River Kwai who are mad, yet not in the usual way. There is Alec Guinness's Colonel Nicholson, Sessue Hayakawa's Colonel Saito, and Hawkins's Major Warden is the third of these insane men. Although the reason they are most unusual is that they all three happen to be proper soldiers at the same time.

Hawkins differs his performance nicely from Guinness's and Hayakawa's work by playing Major Warden as perhaps just a little bit more self aware than the other two. Hawkins brings a bit more of a purposeful humor to his performance, although Guinness does that to although he shows it as an accidental element of just how proper Nicholson does. Warden instead brings just a bit of playfulness almost in how he handles the stiff upper lipped manner of Warden, as though Warden is certainly in on his personal style to a certain degree. He's particularly good at this in the scene where he asks Holden character's about going on a mission to destroy the titular bridge. Hawkins plays the scene as though Warden is playing with Shears the whole time as he portrays the refined concern as Shears reveals he lied about his rank, but then this works perfectly as Hawkins suggests a purposeful joke, for Warden's own amusement only, as he keeps the same reserve as he reveals that Warden has been aware of this the whole time intending to use it basically even as blackmail to ensure Shears's participation in the job.

The madness still is quite evident in Warden though as Hawkins brings such a callousness in the way Warden seems to treat all things. Even though Hawkins makes more amiable than Saito and Nicholson, the way he play with lives is still there. Hawkins actually makes the humor of Warden rather dark in nature, because he keeps his humorous British reserve no matter what he is talking about early on. Whether he is talking about plastic explosives, knifing a man, or potentially getting killed in a parachute run Hawkins is effective by showing the madness in the way Warden treats all of his in such a lighthearted way. Now Hawkins is good in again he differs somewhat from the other mad men, but somewhat suggesting that maybe Warden isn't quite as fervent as others in his views. Hawkins mostly alludes this subtly through his reactions suggesting the awareness in Warden, and this slight fault in the armor is important once Warden goes on with the mission and leads them to destroy the titular bridge.  

Once on the mission Hawkins drops all the humor suggesting that Warden does take the mission very seriously. Hawkins does not drop the sense that Warden does still have that madness as he even views the death of one of the men simply a set back in his game. This cracks suddenly though when Warden is injured and this may not have worked but Hawkins's reaction is perfection. His reaction is both a shattering of his facade of his ease, but also almost a moment clarity as he seems to understand where he has gone wrong. For the rest of the film Hawkins plays the injured Warden as an understandably far more sorrowful yet more empathetic man. It's technically a sudden change of heart but one that Warden succeeds by suggesting some doubt in the man before as well as delivering in the pivotal moment. Just like almost everyone else in the film Hawkins is great in the final scene with every powerful reaction as he shows Warden finally feeling the weight of his "game" full force without his sort of madness to blind him. I won't say Warden reaches the great heights of Hayakawa and Guinness, he still succeeds in giving a rather fascinating portrait of a well refined mad man.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1957

And the Nominees Were Not:

Lee J. Cobb in 12 Angry Men

Jack Hawkins in The Bridge on the River Kwai

Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success

Bengt Ekerot in The Seventh Seal 

Gunnar Björnstrand in The Seventh Seal