Alternate Best Actor 1944: Results

 

5. Nikolai Cherkasov in Ivan the Terrible Part I - I decided against a full review, as like with Sergei Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky, his Ivan The Terrible takes the approach, effectively I will say, of almost a documentarian's distance instead focusing on more so the visual spectacle of the historical events than to dive deeply within the nature of the historical figures past a certain point. Nikolia Cherkasov, who previously played the largely symbolic role of Alexander Nevsky, once again takes upon a part that is more so the idea of Ivan The Terrible, than an in-depth careful examination of his personal motivations. His performance largely being used to again symbolize Ivan as this fierce but also potentially troublesome ruler, often with a closer emphasis on how other's react to the man. There are individual moments for Cherkasov within the film, such as his quiet menace he underlines every word as Ivan makes his demands immediately following his coronation, or the made bravado he brings as he throws down a foreign diplomat in order to declare war. In both moments Cherkasov suggests he might've been able to explore more of the character if given the leave. Although then again even when just being the presence of Ivan, which works well enough, he maybe a little to frequently falls upon just the most extreme bug eyes to sell the nature of Ivan's madness. Largely still it is a fine performance, but again one that more so stands as an image of Ivan rather than bearing the actual soul of the man.

Best Scene: Coronation.

4. Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet - Powell gives a fine turn in the premiere version of Philip Marlowe, finding his own path through a certain sardonic almost carefree quality for the private detective. 

Best Scene: Dealing with everything.

3. Errol Flynn in Uncertain Glory - Flynn gives perhaps his best performance excelling in crafting a far more cynical character than usual and slowly earning the transformation of the role to a more noble sort. 

Best Scene: Fake change of heart.

2. Alexander Knox in None Shall Escape - Knox gives an effectively chilling turn in showing a man go from a pathetic bitter man who slowly finds his terrible path through the Nazi regime. 

Best Scene: Final speech.

1. Laird Cregar in The Lodger - Good prediction Anonymous, Tahmeed, Luke, and Michael McCarthy. Cregar delivers a brilliant sinister turn as he grants a certain almost romantic quality of the man who both lusts after his victims and despises them.

Best Scene: Scene with Kitty in his room.

Updated Overall

Updated Supporting Overall

Next: 1994 Lead

Alternate Best Actor 1944: Alexander Knox in None Shall Escape

Alexander Knox did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Wilhelm Grimm in None Shall Escape. 

 

None Shall Escape is an intriguing rarity of the time which examines the then still ongoing World War II through the atrocities in the mainland by showing the rise of a Nazi officer.

At the center of the film is an unlikely lead played by the underrated and very talented Alexander Knox. Knox was nominated in 44 for his effective turn in the extremely positively skewed depiction of Woodrow Wilson in Wilson. I'll say it is no surprise that voters chose that performance, which again is a good one even within the limits of that role, give the old rule, that still stands to a degree, of voters sometimes going for "favorite person" rather than best performance. Where Knox managed to be compelling in the purposefully fluffy portrayal of Wilson, here he is equally compelling though in a far darker role in the depiction of the central character Wilhelm Grimm. A man we first see, once we enter flashbacks, into that of a German school teacher working in Poland. Knox does not immediately raise alarms in his calm dignified demeanor as Grimm returns speaking with a slight bitterness in his tone however seemingly not fundamental at first. This as we do get a brief scene between Grimm and his Polish fiancee Marja (Marsha Hunt). Knox uses the scene well to portray genuine affection towards her showing an important hint in Grimm, though quickly returning to a greater bitterness as he shrugs everyone else in Poland as lowly. 

The humanity quickly wipes itself away in terms of the writing of the piece however Knox is more gradual in his depiction of this. This as Grimm, after breaking the one human relationship we see initially, quickly goes to rape one of his pupils. In the moment of persecution, that leaves Grimm exiled and missing an eye though living, Knox is excellent by portraying  very honest sense of desperation. This in granting a seemingly humanity within it just by showing that this is a man doing all this in Knox's performance. He doesn't show any confidence rather a weak fear of the man as he begs local religious leaders to help him in his escape. Grimm returns home to his brother,an anti-Nazi, where Knox balances well the changes in Grimm. This as the bitterness is stronger than ever in his manner as each line delivery is lined with a venom. Knox though portrays it with an overt desperation of a man barely having escaped with his life now speaking passionately for the Nazi cause as though it is the only thing he can hold onto for himself anymore. This as even speaking to his brother, who is sympathetic by virtue of familial connection, Knox depicts a man defined by his wounds content with becoming truly evil man. This as he rises right along with the Nazi regime. 

Knox graduates this in his performance to a truly chilling point as he becomes a full fledged Nazi officer who condemns his own brother to imprisonment and prepares to return to Poland to reek havoc. Knox now shows a chilling confidence that now defines the bitterness of the man. This with a sense of a killer instinct within himself and a man comfortable in being a monster. Knox being terribly effective by showing the natural transformation of a quietly pathetic man to a thriving terror by the virtue of the power that supports his cruelty. Knox making for a wholly despicable villain by presenting with such an ease in the man's manner, and a distinct sense of satisfaction in speaking every order of his. This as he portrays a man whose become comfortable to abuse his power as he sees fit and almost a sense of jubilation in his new ability to kill without hesitation. Knox doesn't hold back in presenting the evil of the character but also doesn't use it as an excuse to go broad. Knox's calm in the role is remarkable and makes the character all the more vile. This in showing a man who isn't just mad, but rather is calmly and carefully implementing his planned atrocities. Knox's greatest work within the film though comes in the framing device where we see Grimm on trial for his crimes. There Knox again portrays a progression, the bitterness now worn overtly rather hidden by confidence, but no longer that same desperation of the younger Grimm. He rather presents a man whose become one with the hatefulness. This in his stellar final scene where Knox speaks every word with an incisive viciousness fitting per his cruel fiend. Knox excelling in crafting a most unique arc for the time, a man slowly becoming more acquainted with the very worst of himself. His final speech is short but one that Knox makes the most of to mark the end of this journey. This with Knox ending as a man becoming a kind of hatred incarnate.

Alternate Best Actor 1944

And the Nominees Were Not:

Laird Cregar in The Lodger

 

Nikolai Cherkasov in Ivan The Terrible, Part I 

 

Alexander Knox in None Shall Escape

 

Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet

 

Errol Flynn in Uncertain Glory

Best Actor 1944: Results

5. Cary Grant in None But the Lonely Heart- Grant is not able to rise above, or even compensate for his miscasting in this role. Grant should have been nominated many more times than he was but this is not one of them.

4. Bing Crosby in Going My Way- Crosby role is not much of a challenge, it requires him to sing, and to be  charming, which he is, but he really does not do anything in his role that needed to be rewarded.

3. Alexander Knox in Wilson- Knox gives a strong passionate performance as Woodrow Wilson. He makes Wilson a likable and interesting character well keeping with the film's just about portrayal of Wilson as  just about perfect.

2. Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way- Barry Fitzgerald's performance is indeed a supporting performance, but a great supporting performance. His performance, is an honest deeply effective piece of work. I do not mind not giving him the award here since he has his own proper category to win.

1. Charles Boyer in Gaslight- Charles Boyer gives an effectively mysterious performance in Gaslight. Boyer reveals carefully about his character, and his brutal control in the film is brilliantly done by Boyer, as is his terrific final scene where the tables finally turn on his character.

Deserving Performances:
Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity

Best Actor 1944: Alexander Knox in Wilson

Alexander Knox received his only Oscar nomination for portraying President Woodrow Wilson in Wilson.

Wilson is a very old fashioned biography, where the subject of the biography is just about perfect, and this certainly is an enjoyable film of this type.

Alexander Knox must portray the just about perfect Wilson. Wilson is probably not the greatest character, or least displayed in this movie to have to portray. It automatically reduces the actors ability at portraying range, sense Wilson is shown to almost always as a calm controlled man, in fact when he becomes the least like himself it is only stated as such off screen.

Knox therefore has quite a challenge lined out for himself, since it is required to portray Wilson in a fairly restrained fashion, but at the same time he must also make him a compelling character nonetheless. The fascinating thing is Knox does indeed manage to be interesting as Wilson, and finds a colorful way to portray Wilson's properness, to make it actually rather endearing, while still making Wilson a rather upright citizen.

Knox manages to make Wilson a very likable character, when he could have been easily an overly stuffy character. Knox though manages to find the right charm within Wilson, even if it is a rather proper charm for this proper man. Knox always finds the humanity within the character, he never portrays him as just an espouser of principals, but instead a man first of all, but a man with principals.

Knox is able to delve into Wilson's personal life, and he carefully handles these scenes without comprises the whole of the character, but adding the right amount of heart into his performance. He shows Wilson's softer sides in two scenes especially one where he talks about his early days with his first days, where Knox has the perfect honest emotion to make the scene quite heartbreaking. Later Knox once again is able to show Wilson's more personal life with Wilson's courting of his second wife. A lot of time is not devoted to their relationship, but Knox takes what he has and always shows the right underlying warmness he has for his second wife, that really works well.

The most important aspect of his performance though is whether or not he can come off as presidential material, which Knox does with ease. Knox has a whole slew of scenes of speeches, and with each one he holds absolute attention with his precise, and passionate delivery. Knox does a great job in showing how Wilson has to adjust for every different situation, and finds the right tone for each scene, showing the right charisma and passion whether it is a huge crowd, in front of just his cabinet, or facing against the German ambassador.

His best speech though is his closing speech where he is exhausted from trying to promote accepting the league of nations. It is an incredible scene where he struggles to get through to with his ideal he holds so high, and eventually is unable to continue. It is an extremely powerful moment, and probably his best scene. His whole performance is good, Knox shows here that even though a character can be just about perfect, it can most certainly still be an interesting character.

Best Actor 1944

And the Nominees Were:

Alexander Knox in Wilson

Charles Boyer in Gaslight

Bing Crosby in Going My Way

Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Cary Grant in None But the Lonely Heart