Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1970: Results

5. Klaus Kinski in Count Dracula - Kinski's in an uninspired adaptation, but gives an inspired portrayal of a vampire victim of a different sort.

Best Scene: Going to the window.

4. Christopher Plummer in Waterloo - Plummer gives the right degree of levity and grace to leave a strong impression as Napoleon's opponent, even if his co-star doesn't meet him halfway.

Best Scene: After the battle.

3. Bernard Cribbins in The Railway Children - Cribbins gives a wonderfully charming and funny portrayal that finds just the right tone for the material.

Best Scene: Surprise party.

2. David Warner in The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Warner, easily the best truly supporting turn of this lineup, that wonderfully plays with his usual dignified presence with great comedy as a shameless preacher.

Best Scene: "Consoling" the "widow"

1. Warren Oates in Barquero - Oates gives a great performance here delivering a surprising command in his presence, before slowly peeling that away to show the mad desperate man beneath it all.

Best Scene: Shooting the river.

Updated Overall

 

Next: Unfinished business....(though recommendation period also starts, so please feel free to recommend a film from a year that I've already done, a film from 2020  or a documentary/animated film from any year).

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1970: Bernard Cribbins in The Railway Children

Bernard Cribbins did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a BAFTA, for portraying Albert Perks in The Railway Children. 

The Railway Children is a charming small film about a group of children, who are forced to move to a country home, go on a series adventures around a railway station. 

Bernard Cribbins plays the friendly railroad station master that the now relatively poor children spend time around during the day. Cribbins in his opening scene just bring an endearing energy to make a stamp with the character. This with his enthusiasm, though tempered believably by Cribbins, in describing various parts of the station to the children. Cribbins brings a natural sort of friendliness by not going overboard in the moments, but just bringing the right degree of agreeableness. This is neither wholly showing the man focused upon the children's questions, though definitely taking time for each of them. The children's interest eventually brings the man to call on their home to offer his expertise on an engine they have and in general to grow his friendship with them. Cribbins brings the right comic awkwardness to these moments early on. This is nicely done as it kind of avoid making his scenes overly sweet, while also bringing just a wry kind of energy to them as well. It is a wonderful combination he brings that balances the interaction well. This showing that it is indeed atypical, but still finding just a natural warmth in it. Cribbins's moments throughout the film are much appreciated. This as each make just the right impression, whether this be chatting engines, or a moment of his slight, if still wholly endearing, annoyance when the kids overestimate his age. Cribbins is terrific in that he manages to make the relationship atypical still, but also wholly believable and sweet all the same. This really being tested however when the kids decide to surprise him with gifts on his birthday. As much as Cribbins's brief scenes are little gems, this scene is the best of the film, and the highlight of Cribbins's performance. This as he does so much within it. This in his quick reactions towards his wife and kids where he portrays such a combination of a consternation but also almost fatherly proper-ness, in the moment of dealing with the surprise while also trying to deal with his family. Cribbins instantly granting a sense of who Perks is as a father and husband, while also showing his vulnerabilities as he becomes somewhat perturbed by the children's surprise. This as Perks thinks it will be seen as a handout. Cribbins is delightful in the frustrations that he hits within a comic sense in showing the pride of the man in such a way. This as he balances his work again as he is moving in the sense of real vulnerability in his eyes that shows the pride of the man but also the sense of being moved by the action within it. This still though also still being calmly amusing in showing the man's manner of getting caught up on circumstance rather than just enjoying the gift. Cribbins finding such a sense of life in the moment and wholly making the scene both affecting and funny. This is just a delightful performance that brings such a life to his film and character. Every moment of his being charming in such a low key but undeniable way. Cribbins finding the right sense of heart to it all, and bringing to life the film's merits most admirably. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1970

And the Nominees Were Not:

Bernard Cribbins in The Railway Children

 

Klaus Kinski in Count Dracula 

 

Christopher Plummer in Waterloo

 

Warren Oates in Barquero

 

David Warner in The Ballad of Cable Hogue