Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1945: Mercel Herrand in Children of Paradise and Results

Mercel Herrand did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Pierre Francois Lacenaire in Children of Paradise.

Herrand comes in and out of the film as Pierre Francois Lacenaire an outlaw who passes his time around the theater world acting as a writer, or at least claiming to be but his true calling is that of crime. Lacenaire is a most strange sort of outlaw in that it does not seem to be that he needs to be an outlaw for monetary needs necessarily, but he rather finds that it is his true calling is to eventually be executed for his life of crime. Herrand's performance is quite remarkable in that he makes this very strange thief oddly believable even though he is basically an criminal who seems as though he eventually wants to be caught for his crimes as if it is some sort of destiny for himself.

Herrand's portrayal is an odd yet very compelling combination of things for his performance. He has a very low key yet substantial charm in the role as he is always a suave presence in every scene that he is in. There is even more to it then just that though as in most scenes he comes across as an amiable sort of man who is very easy to like, and he makes it extremely easy to see through Herrand's performance how so many of the character's would allow him to keep company with him even though Lacenaire is not exactly tight lipped about his activities. Herrand keeps this terrific magnetism in his work and he turns Lacenaire's particular method of living always something completely captivating to watch. 

Herrand though does far more than simply act as a charmer though and what makes this performance particularly striking is that he always keeps the criminal well in sight. Herrand even when Lacenaire is being charming carries himself with a very natural menace in every one of his scenes. When he appears in a room it is always a question on whether Lacenaire will treat who is calling upon with an assault or a friendly greeting because Herrand eyes creates a perfect mix of charming glance and a chilling glare. Herrand keeps one guessing at Lacenaire's motives for any moment making him one fascinating figure in the film who you always remember even though the character often takes long absences throughout the long story.  

Herrand makes Lacenaire almost a time bomb in the film up until his very best scene in the film where Lacenaire decided to indulge in a little murder, and even after the murder decides to stay in Paris just because he does not wish to face a country executioner. Herrand is very chilling in the scene because everything that Lacenaire does in the scene from the killing which in itself seems for such a slight reason, to his choosing to stay is made entirely natural to the character through Herrand's performance. Mercel Herrand creates a very interesting portrait of this unique criminal who takes pride in basically creating notoriety as a criminal, something most successful criminals would try to avoid.  

Some Other Performances:

Dan Duryea in Scarlet Street- Duryea played all of Fritz Lang's sleaze balls in the mid forties with his best portrayal of one being his somewhat limited role in The Ministry of Fear. Although that was the most limited character in a Lang film, but he had one great scene. Here he does not have any great scenes as he plays the one side of a sleazy couple who abuses an older man. Duryea is good in the role in just playing up the slime up of the character, and never suggesting that there is anything to the man other than his lack of morality. At the end of the film though his character finds himself in some great trouble. Duryea does makes you feel slightly sorry for the slime ball because he makes so easy to believe that no one would believe his innocence of the crime because well he just looks so guilty. 

Barry Fitzgerald and Walter Huston in And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie's characters are not always the most complex often defined by the broad strokes behind their profession leaving a challenge for the actor to make the character interesting even though there is not a great deal to them. Well this film version has two expert scene stealing actors with Fitzgerald and Huston. Both are quite adept at giving the right energy to the proceedings through their usual lively style of performance. They both give just enough fun and humor in their work while still being able to pull it back for the moments that need a bit more dramatic emphasis. Far from either of their best work, but nevertheless they both do a pretty splendid job.

Overall Rank:

1. James Dunn in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
2. Boris Karloff in The Body Snatcher
   
3. Mercel Herrand in Children of Paradise
4. Michael Redgrave in Dead of Night
5. James Mason in The Wicked Lady
   
6. Michael Chekhov in Spellbound
7. Barry Fitzgerald in And Then There Were None
8. Robert Mitchum in The Story of G.I. Joe
9. Frank Faylen in The Lost Weekend 
10. Ryūnosuke Tsukigata in Sanshiro Sugata Part II
11. Charles Bickford in Fallen Angel
    
12. Walter Huston in And Then There Were None
13. Sydney Greenstreet in Conflict  
14. George Macready in My Name is Julia Ross
15. Mervyn Johns in Dead of Night
    
16. Dan Duryea in Scarlet Street
17. George Sanders in The Picture of Dorian Gray
18. Sydney Greenstreet in Christmas in Connecticut
19. Richard Haydn in And Then There Were Not
20. Freddie Steele in The Story of G.I. Joe
21. S.Z. Sakall in Christmas in Connecticut
22. James Gleason in The Clock
23. Susumu Fujita in The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
24. Pierre Renoir in Children of Paradise
25. Frederick Valk in Dead of NIght
    
26. John Mills in Johnny in The Clouds
    
27. William Demarest in  Salty O'Rourke
    
28. Dane Clark in Pride of the Marines
29. Howard Da Silva in The Lost Weekend 
30. Louis Salou in Children of Paradise
31. J. Carrol Naish in The Southerner  
32. Aubrey Mather in The House of Fear
33. Allan Jeayes in Dead of Night
    
34. Herbert Marshall in The Enchanted Cottage
    
35. Cecil Parker in Caesar and Cleopatra
36. Leo G. Carroll in Spellbound  
37. Ralph Michael in Dead of Night
    
38. Gene Lockhart in The House on 92nd Street
    
39. Roland Young in And Then There Were None 
40. Basil Radford in Dead of Night
41. Naughton Wayne in Dead of Night
    
42. Trevor Howard in Johnny in the Clouds 
43. Masayuki Mori in The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail 
44. Bela Lugosi in The Bodysnatcher 
45. Miles Malleson in Dead of Night
    
46. Ted Donaldson in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 
47. Dennis Hoey in The House of Fear
    
48. Charles Kemper in The Southerner 
49. Stanley Holloway in Johnny in the Clouds
    
50. J. Carrol Naish in A Medal For Benny
51. Frank McHugh in State Fair 
52. Butch Jenkins in Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
    
53. Lloyd Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 
54. Edmund Lowe in Dillinger 
55. S.Z. Sakall in Wonder Man
    
56. Cecil Kellaway in Love Letters
57. Dana Andrews in State Fair
58. Roland Culver in Dead of Night
    
59. George Sanders in Hangover Square
    
60. Keenan Wynn in What's Next, Corporal Hargrove?
    
61. Ernest Thesiger in Caesar and Cleopatra
62. Herbert Lom in The Seventh Veil 
    
63. James Gleason in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 
64. James Craig in Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
    
65. Vito Annicchiarico in Rome, Open City
66. C. Aubrey Smith in And Then There Were None
67. Takash Shimura in The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
68. Vincent Price in Leave Her to Heaven
69. Stanley Holloway in Brief Encounter
70. Mischa Auer in And Then There Were None
71. Kenichi Enomoto in The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
72. Cyril Raymond in Brief Encounter
73. Ray Collins in Leave Her to Heaven 
74. Otto Kruger in Wonder Man
    
75. Hugh McDermott in The Seventh Veil
76. Ward Bond in They Were Expendable 
77. Henry Travers in Bells of Saint Mary's
78. Stephen Bekassy in A Song to Remember 
79. Felix Aylmer in The Wicked Lady
    
80. Frank Sinatra in Anchors Aweigh
81. Stanley Holloway in Caesar and Cleopatra
82. Jack Holt in They Were Expendable
83. Stewart Granger in Caesar and Cleopatra
84. Eduardo Passarelli in Rome, Open City
85. Frank McHugh in A Medal for Benny  
86. Porter Hall in Blood on the Sun
    
87. Charles Drake in Conflict
88. Reginald Gardiner in Christmas in Connecticut 
89. Michael Rennie in The Wicked Lady
    
90. Dean Stockwell in Anchors Aweigh
91. William Gargan in Bells of Saint Mary's
92. Donald Woods in Wonder Man
    
93. John Emery in Spellbound
94. Ivan Triesault in A Song to Remember
95. Phillip Terry in The Lost Weekend
96. John Dall in The Corn is Green
97. Edmund MacDonald in Detour
98. Griffith Jones in The Wicked Lady
    
99. Basil Sydney in Caesar and Cleopatra
100. Robert Armstrong in Blood on the Sun
     
101. John Emery in Blood on the Sun
     

Next Year: 1934 lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1952: Barry Fitzgerald in The Quiet Man and Results

Barry Fitzgerald did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Michaeleen Oge Flynn in The Quiet Man.

I would choose Victor McLaglen as Will Danaher out of the official Oscar nominees for 1952, but actually his performance is not even my favorite performance from this film. The Quiet Man has a strong supporting cast with one of Ford's old favorites Ward Bond giving a very enjoyable performance as the Irish villages priest, as well as Arthur Shields, Barry Fitzgerald's brother, gives a nice warm performance as the one man who knows Sean Thornton's (John Wanye) secret, and all just the small bit parts are nicely chosen in a way in which they create a very unique atmosphere. Then there is Barry Fitzgerald who plays Michaeleen Flynn who is the town's carriage driver, the match maker, and the bookie.

This is actually quite a different performance from Fitzgerald's Oscar winning performance in Going My Way, which was actually fairly understated work as a modest man. Michaeleen is many things, but one thing he is not is modest. Fitzgerald plays the scene stealing performance of the film and knows that fact. I have to say that this actually could have been easily one of those parts that is a little too much, and a little too lively of a character for his own good, but that is not the case because of Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is an extremely endearing presence and he has such a wonderful charm with his rather particular accent as well as just his whole manner in this performance.

Fitzgerald makes Michaeleen the little man who always stands out as well as stands in everyone's business, and Fitzgerald is a great deal of fun as Michaeleen tries to orchestrate the marriage for Sean and Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara) despite the strong objections of her brother. One Fitzgerald's best moments is when he convinces Will Danaher that getting ride of his sister will allow himself to get a wife is perfectly played. Fitzgerald is so gentle in slyness yet has a the right impact to make completely believable that Michaeleen would be able to pull the trick over on Danaher without a hitch to his plan.

Fitzgerald adds so much with his performance, and one of these reasons for this is he has a great dynamic with John Wayne. Where Wayne often is The Quiet Man, Fitzgerald often is not. They both react to one another in a marvelous fashion, and Fitzgerald has some marvelous moments when Michaeleen gently and often in a comedic fashion will correct or inform Sean about something about Ireland. Fitzgerald combines some nice jabs at the Yank as they refer to Sean as, but alone with that Fitzgerald is always very welcoming in his performance showing a genuine friendship as well.

Fitzgerald is excellent in meeting the tone of the film as well as in part creating that tone with his performance. The tone being that it is mostly a comedy, but a comedy that allows some seriousness. Fitzgerald maneuvers this possibly the most as he will go from being entirely amusing to conveying some drama in a single scene. The reason is works in Fitzgerald's performance is he never overplays the comedy even though he is very funny throughout the film. By not overdoing it though and important not becoming just a caricature, when Michaeleen does express some honest grief over the mess that he in part has created Fitzgerald does make it honestly moving without compromising his character.

This is all around just a great example of what a supporting performance should do. Fitzgerald whether it is through just a quick momentary reaction to something like his brilliant one for when Thornton knocks out Danaher, or something more when tells the whole crowd stand neutral for the big fight between Thornton and Danaher he always makes these moments to be properly humorous all the while still making this all fit into the story beautifully. Fitzgerald makes every scene all the better with his terrific work here that creates just a very likable character from Michaeleen Flynn which complements the whole film in simply a wonderful fashion.

Other Performances From This Year:

James Stewart in The Greatest Show On Earth- Stewart has actually a very bizarre role as a clown who never takes off his makeup and the reason is that he actually hiding from the police as he use to be doctor who had to run from the law because he euthanized is wife. Really Stewart's whole story is quite odd in the schemes of things of the film that is pretty light weight otherwise. Stewart though does sell his performance nevertheless and is easily the best part of this otherwise weak film. He is quite good suggesting the underlying secret in his character quite well throughout the film, while seeming just to be a supportive friend the rest of the time. Stewart's performance makes his character seem less pointless because his performance is entirely solid, although his impact is diminished a bit I must say when all the other characters seem to forget that he existed after Buttons is taken away at the end.

Donald O'Connor in Singin' in the Rain- I have to confess I do not really care much for Singin in the Rain. I don't mind that people enjoy it, but I personally don't really like this kind of musical. It also does not help matters that I've never cared for Gene Kelly doing his Gene Kelly thing. O'Connor's performance as Kelly's character's friend Cosmo Brown is very much like Kelly's except his character never has any "dramatic" moments and is most just there to brighten things up. I will definitely give O'Connor credit he does everything to brighten things up, and his seemingly infinite energy particularly the Make Em Laugh number where he is literally running up the walls. He contorts his face, sings gleefully, jumps up and down and all around in this performance. The only problem was this performance just does not entertain me personally, and I can see he definitely is trying very hard to, and I can at least see why people love this performance even if I don't.

Arthur Kennedy in Bend of the River- Arthur Kennedy plays Emerson Cole a mysterious man whose James Stewart's character comes across just before he is about the be hanged. Kennedy actually is pretty good in the role early on having a certain likability even while his character seems like he might be just a little too good with his knife and gun. He finds the right tone for his character early on as he balances that efficiency with killing along with a certain friendly attitude. This goes away unfortunately in the third act of the film when Cole goes full villain is not the highlight of his performance but in fact the low point. He becomes just kind of one note and everything he built on earlier is completely forgotten about. Kennedy overall does give a decent performance but it is a missed opportunity because of the last third.

Toshiro Mifune in The Life of Oharu- This is a rather different character for Mifune. One big difference is it a small supporting part, his part in the Idiot was rather large in comparison, and Mifune exists the picture only twenty five minutes in. This character is also very different in that Mifune plays a meek character. Even when he played the doctor in The Quiet Duel he might have been quiet but he still had a strong will. In this film though Mifune plays a page named Katsunosuke who has an affair with a higher class prostitute and is executed after the affair is discovered. This is a short simple character, but I will give Mifune the credit he deserves for trying to get the most from the character as well as being believable as the page. For once Mifune actually is pretty meek and not all that distinct of a personality here, but doesn't just slip into the background either. Mifune in short screen time does manage to show us a foolish romantic and shows him to basically plead with woman Oharu to have an affair. Mifune although meek makes it believable because he is only genuine in these pleads. Quickly he is caught and executed, but Mifune still has a strong scene as Katsunosuke expresses grief not for himself, but rather the unloved Oharu. He is believable in this selflessness of character, and finds the right power in the man's last action. This obviously is not up there with Mifune's lead performances, but this is a good performance from him nevertheless.

Overall Rank:

1. Barry Fitzgerald in The Quiet Man
2. Ralph Richardson in The Holly and The Ivy
3. Ralph Richardson in The Sound Barrier 
4. James Mason in The Prisoner of Zenda
5. Victor McLaglen in The Quiet Man
6. Anthony Quinn in Viva Zapata!
7. James Stewart in The Greatest Show on Earth
8. Toshiro Mifune in The Life of Oharu
9. Arthur Shields in The Quiet Man
10. Ward Bond in The Quiet Man
11. Millard Mitchell in My Six Convicts
12. Yūnosuke Itō in Ikiru
13. Gunnar Björnstrand in Secrets of Women
14. Arthur Hunnicutt in The Big Sky
15. Jack MacGowran in The Quiet Man  
16. Henry Morgan in My Six Convicts
17. Arthur Kennedy in Bend of the River
18. George Sanders in Ivanhoe 
19. Denholm Elliot in The Holly and the Ivy 
20. Håkan Westergren in Secrets of Women
21. Claude Dauphin in Casque D'or
22. Jack Elam in Kansas City Confidential  
23. Hebert Heyes in Park Row
24. Buster Keaton in Limelight  
25. Preston Foster in Kansas City Confidential  
26. Eddie Albert in Carrie 
27. Joseph Tomelty in The Sound Barrier
28. Donald O'Connor in Singin' in The Rain
29. Hugh Williams in The Holly and the Ivy
30. Brandon De Wilde in Member of the Wedding 
31. Raymond Bussiéres in Casque D'or
32. Lee Van Cleef in  Kansas City Confidential 
33. Neville Brand in Kansas City Confidential 
34. Harou Tanaka in Ikiru
35. Sean McClory in The Quiet Man
36. Nigel Bruce in Limelight
37. Miles Malleson in The Importance of Being Earnest
38. Shinichi Himori in Ikiru
39. Charles FitzSimons in The Quiet Man 
40. Francis Ford in The Quiet Man  
41. Finlay Currie in Ivanhoe
42. Jean Gabin in Le Plaisir
43. Louis Calhern in The Prisoner of Zenda
44. Herbert Marshall in Angel Face
45. Denholm Elliot in The Sound Barrier
46. Lloyd Bridges in High Noon
47. Michael Rennie in 5 Fingers 
48. Felix Aylmer in Ivanhoe
49. Jim Backus in Angel Face
50. Leo G. Carroll in The Snows of Kilimanjaro 
51. Alexander Knox in Europa 51
52. Leon Ames in Angel Face 
53. Henry Morgan in Bend of the River
54. James FitzSimons in The Quiet Man
55. Thomas Mitchell in High Noon  
56. David Wayne in With A Song in My Heart
57. Joseph Wiseman in Viva Zapata!
58. Dick Powell in The Bad and the Beautiful
59. Henry Morgan in High Noon 
60. Rory Calhoun in With A Song in My Heart
61. Gilbert Roland in The Bad and the Beautiful
62. Jay C. Flippen in Bend of the River
63. Lon Chaney in High Noon
64. Ichiro Sugai in The Life of Oharu
65. Barry Sullivan in The Bad and the Beautiful
66. Walter Pidgeon in The Bad and the Beautiful
67. Ray Teal in Carrie
68. Alan Reed in Viva Zapata!
69. Walter Hampden in 5 Fingers
70. Rock Hudson in Bend of the River
71. Jukichi Uno in The Life of Oharu
72. Otto Kruger in High Noon  
73. Farley Granger in Hans Christian Anderson
74. Lloyd Bridges in Plymouth Adventure
75. Bobby Watson in Singin' in The Rain
76. Richard Jaeckel in Come Back, Little Sheba 
77. Van Johnson in Plymouth Adventure 
78. David Clarke in The Narrow Margin
79. Millard Mitchell in Singin' in The Rain
80. Sterling Hayden in The Star
81. Steven Geray in The Big Sky 
82. Leo Genn in Plymouth Adventure
83. Lawrence Tierney in The Greatest Show on Earth
84. Douglas Fowley in Singin' in The Rain
85. Jim Davis in The Big Sky
86. Lyle Bettger in The Greatest Show on Earth
87. Gordon Gebert in The Narrow Margin

Next Year: 1938 Lead

Best Supporting Actor 1944: Results

5. Monty Woolley in Since You Went Away- Woolley although limited by his screentime does gives a nice humorous performance as a stuffy man who becomes less stuffy.

4. Hume Cronyn in The Seventh Cross- Hume Cronyn has a fairly simple role as an average man trying to help his friend, but he makes the most of it. He gives a convincing performance effectively finding the quiet decency of his character.

3. Claude Rains in Mr. Skeffington- Although Rains has to contest with a wildly overacting co-star he does far more than hold his own as he creates a genuinely moving portrait as the titular character.

2. Clifton Webb in Laura- Webb is almost perfect throughout having the perfect superior demeanor throughout the film. He creates a memorable character and even though his final scene could have been even better this is still a strong performance.

1. Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way- After almost winning the lead category for this year I find it very easy to give Fitzgerald his deserved win for the category he belongs. He gives a simply wonderful supporting performance that is a humorous warm performance that could not be better.

Deserving Performances:
Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity
William Bendix in Lifeboat
Peter Lorre in Arsenic and Old Lace

Best Supporting Actor 1944: Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Barry Fitzgerald won his Oscar from his other Oscar nomination for also portraying Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way.

Barry Fitzgerald is the only actor to have been nominated twice for the same role in the same film in two different categories. Because of this I find it rather pointless to entirely re-review him as you can find my thoughts on him here. My thoughts have not changed in regards to his performance after watching the film once again. The only point of my review here is to explain the difference between rating a leading performance and a supporting one. Although I think it is easy enough to say a performance is a performance, but I would say there is a difference when looking at whether they are supporting or leading.

I do feel leading performances receive more expectations and appropriately so. There is a greater impact, and presence in a film that is expected from a leading performance. A supporting performance you still want to be memorable and have a lasting impact, but they don't have to be the most memorable aspect of a film or the most striking still to be a perfect supporting turn. The reason Fitzgerald did not get a five in his leading performance was he could not have this impact expected of the great leading performance simply because he was not a leading performance something he could not help.

As a leading performance I wanted more of Fitzgerald to allow for the appropriate presence in the film, but as a supporting turn Fitzgerald has more than enough time to realize his wonderful performance in a supporting fashion. He gives the perfect supporting performance. He is always enjoyable and heartwarming whenever he is in the film. He is always a joy and makes every moment he is in better that it would be otherwise, and becomes the best part of the film easily. He doesn't control the film as he is a supporting player as written, but in the role he is in he is perfect for it. As a leading role he simply is not given the allowance to realize a perfect lead performance, but he unquestionably does realize a perfect supporting one.

Best Supporting Actor 1944

And the Nominees Were:

Claude Rains in Mr. Skeffington

Clifton Webb in Laura

Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Monty Woolley in Since You Went Away

Hume Cronyn in The Seventh Cross 

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: Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Barry Fitzgerald received his only lead actor nomination, the same year he won his supporting Oscar, he received both of the nominations for portraying Father Fitzgibbon in the same film Going My Way.

Barry Fitzgerald's dual nomination most certainly is an Oscar oddity, the academy must have really liked this performance to nominate him in both categories, but apparently they were confused as well as whether or not he was co-lead with Bing Crosby or was supporting to him. Fitzgerald's character certainly is important to the story, and he does have a good amount of screen time. He still has considerable less screen time than Bing Crosby though. There are many scenes, and storyline that involve him only a little or not at all. Fitzgerald in fact only really interacts with Crosby, although he has some very minor moments with a few other characters, but not very long moments.

Barry Fitzgerald I would say is a supporting actor in the film, despite being a very important supporting player. His part of the story, I also feel is the best part of the film, and his story is most certainly the most interesting, and most effective part of the film. His story concerns the fact that Father Fitzgibbon is getting on in years, he is not as sharp as he use to be, and is having trouble being able to keep his church going due to the church's financial debt. Barry Fitzgerald actually creates quite an interesting and vivid portrait of this nice old priest. This performance may seem less than it is if you have not seen other performances by Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald actually has a whole distinct manner as the modest, quiet priest, that is very distinctly original, and different from Fitzgerald's other performances. Fitzgerald has the manner in the way he walks and talks that really feels like just an authentic old Irish priest.

Fitzgerald's whole performance feels quite natural, in a film that certainly has some artificial feeling sentimentality. This is despite the fact that Fitzgerald "acts" more than one may think in the role, but you can't notice it because Fitzgerald does all of it in such a subtle and honest fashion. He never seems to be acting out in any way, but rather finds just the actual humanity of the character. Fitzgerald's story is the most effective because of Fitzgerald. He makes Fitzgibbon such a likable character, even when he is fighting with Crosby's character, because Fitzgerald portrays the part in his honest way, his whole portrait of Fitzgibbon is just hard to resist not liking.He has his own distinct charm, a quiet charm, but hard to resist one that Fitzgerald perfectly utilizes as Fitzgibbon.

Fitzgerald's story in the film is the most deeply moving in showing how much his character has given up for his parish, and how he feels his betrayal by being replaced by Father O'Malley. Fitzgerald does not show Fitzgibbon's feelings of disappointment in anger, but rather in a just a subtle disappointment, and sadness that shows a deeper effect on Fitzgibbon than if he was more external about his feelings. Fitzgerald though just as well, displays Fitzgibbon's slow coming around to O'Malley quite well. It is not an incredible transformation by any means, but one handled well by Fitzgerald nonetheless. Fitzgerald presents his his eventual friendship with Crosby, well, and Fitzgerald shows it not as a change in character, but more of just an acceptance, and understanding of the situation.

Fitzgerald's best moments come from his reflections about his mother though. Fitzgerald is able to convey a true honest love that Fitzgibbons has for his mother beautifully. He attaches this along with Tura lura Lural, which although the film does not say it, Fitzgerald makes it quite clear that Fitzgibbons attaches the song with his mother who he holds so dear, but has not seen in a very long time. It this honest love that makes his story the only part of the film that is honestly effecting, as that Fitzgerald's final reaction at the end of the film gets me every single time. This is indeed a supporting performance, but that does not all take away from the strength of the performance. It is a delightful performance nonetheless filled with genuine emotion, that succeeds in being a natural authentic performance. This is all despite being amidst some rather forced and sometimes artificial emotion. Fitzgerald manages to rise high above the rest of the film in his wonderful performance.

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