Alternate Best Actor 1940: Results

5. Michael Redgrave in The Stars Look Down - Redgrave, despite being somewhat limited by his film, gives an effective depiction of a shy man finding courage for a cause.

Best Scene: His last speech.

4. Laurence Olivier in Pride and Prejudice - Although apparently in the minority I find Olivier gives a charming and rather funny portrayal of an excessively proper gentleman.

Best Scene: His failed proposition.

3. Edward G. Robinson in Brother Orchid - Robinson calls upon his more serious gangster performances then cleverly subverts them to give a comic, and surprisingly moving portrayal.

Best Scene: Brother Orchid is denounced.

2. Cary Grant in His Girl Friday - Grant gives a very entertaining performance that creates the properly dominating and manipulative presence of the character while still being quite charming.

Best Scene: The final sequence.

1. James Stewart in The Shop Around the Corner - Good Predictions Michael Patison, Jackiboyz, ruthiehenshallfan99, and RatedRStar. Stewart gives an immensely likable and sympathetic performance that is a great example of his appeal as a leading man.

Best Scene: Alfred confronts Vadas.

Overall Ranking:

1. Laurence Olivier in Rebecca
2. Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator
3. James Stewart in The Shop Around the Corner
4. Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath
5. Conrad Veidt in Contraband
6. Cary Grant in His Girl Friday 
7. Edward G. Robinson in Brother Orchid
8. Laurence Olivier in Pride and Prejudice
9. James Stewart in The Mortal Storm
10. Michael Redgrave in The Stars Look Down 
11. Brian Donlevy in The Great McGinty 
12. W.C. Fields in The Bank Dick
13. Joel McCrea in Foreign Correspondent 
14. Errol Flynn in The Sea Hawk
15. Henry Fonda in The Return of Frank James
16. Stanley Ridges in Black Friday
17. Cary Grant in My Favorite Wife
18. Raymond Massey in Abe Lincoln in Illinois 
19. Boris Karloff in Black Friday
20. Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story
21. Tyrone Power in The Mark of Zorro
22. Dickie Jones Pinocchio
23. James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story
24. Charles Laughton in They Knew What They Wanted 
25. Frank Craven in Our Town
26. William Holden in Our Town
27. Mickey Rooney in Strike Up The Band
28. Gary Cooper in The Westerner 

Next Year: 1940 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1940: Cary Grant in His Girl Friday

Cary Grant did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Walter Burns in His Girl Friday.

His Girl Friday is an entertaining remake of the Front Page about an editor attempting to get their retiring top writer through various schemes around an up coming state execution.

The major change in this version of the story is that the top writer Hildy has been made into a woman played Rosalind Russell, and that she had been formerly married to the editor played by Grant. Naturally she's attempting to get away from town with her fiancee Bruce played by Ralph Bellamy, because who else would that role be played by? I've covered Grant before in the scheming husband with The Awful Truth where he tried to win back Irene Dunne by tripping up Ralph Bellamy in more ways than one. In that film though Grant portrayed these attempts with a certain meekness about them, and that everything he did was a bit haphazard. Grant with Walter Burns takes a different approach as he makes Walter Burns a much more dominating force in the film as the editor from his earliest scene, as he first hears about Hildy's attempt to leave him and the paper behind permanently, something he obviously intends to put a stop to anyway he can.

Cary Grant is terrific in allowing for a bit of his change from the luckless romantic with an attempt at a scheme brewing. Grant here portrays Walter as a man who absolutely knows his plan from the start, and is technically playing the game every second he's on screen. Grant realizes this within his performance with the sort of ease he always has in a romantic comedy sort of role, but here he does adjust it quite nicely to fit the part of Walter. Grant makes Walter far more active in his methods and Grant does have this certain command about him in any scene, as there is always an underlying confidence as though Walter is already quite sure everything is going to go his way before he even starts his plan. Grant's reactions are great here particularly when Hildy first starts to tell Walter about Bruce. Grant is so hilariously cruel actually in his exceedingly sarcastic manner as he hears every detail about her supposed new life that she's quite happy to start. What's so remarkable is that Grant never loses his innate charm even when he technically is doing some rather reprehensible things to service his plan.

The idea of adding the editor and the writer being romantically involved on paper actually is often the cliche of what someone does in order to ruin an original idea. It's what makes His Girl Friday stand out as a remake, besting the Front Page as a film, and finding new ground in the story through this variation. The variation though is made all the better by having Grant and Rosalind Russell as the divorced team. Russell and Grant are wonderful together. Firstly by just how well both have a grasp on the material, in fact I'd actually say Russell perhaps even bests Grant in this regard. Within that though the two have spectacular chemistry together, but what's so special about it is that they really don't exactly have any romantic scenes in this romantic comedy. The closest it comes is a couple of seconds near the end of the film. The two though to create the idea that the two should be together through their non-romantic interactions throughout the film, as Grant and Russell just make it as though Hildy and Walter seem on the wavelength, particularly in the memorable conclusion of the film.

Grant manages to effortlessly work within the somewhat swift pace of the film and particularly its dialogue which often juggles many things at once. Grant never loses step once as he so well realizes Walter's controlling ways of the whole situation. Whether that is putting on all the supposed charm and a sort of repentant attitude when trying win Hildy again in the early scenes of the film before they sort of join forces but then at a moments notice when dealing with one of his men whose help facilitating everything for him Grant switches perfectly to the fairly cutthroat editor whose eyes show he knows exactly what he's doing. Some of my favorite moments though may be the ones that he shares with Bellamy, as Grant makes Walter on even more of an act than usual as what he says and the way he moves feels so genuine even while he simply comes up with one way after another to imprison the poor guy in order to keep him away from Hildy. Grant is incredibly entertaining here as he makes the most of the dialogue absolutely nailing every one liner he has well making the the dialogue flow beautifully. This is splendid work from Grant and one of his best performances within the genre he was so well known for.

Alternate Best Actor 1940

And the Nominees Were Not:

Edward G. Robinson in Brother Orchid

Cary Grant in His Girl Friday

James Stewart in The Shop Around the Corner

Laurence Olivier in Pride and Prejudice

Michael Redgrave in The Stars Look Down

Alternate Best Actor 1959: Results

5. Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows - Léaud gives an honest depiction of the manner and behavior of a troubled young boy.

Best Scene: Antoine at the psychologist.

4. Alec Guinness in The Scapegoat - Although the film itself under utilizes its own concept Guinness gives a compelling portrayal of two men.

Best Scene: The two's meeting at the end. 

3. Dean Stockwell in Compulsion - Stockwell gives an effective depiction of the various sides of his "superior" killer from the pompous intellectual to the scared psychopath.

Best Scene: The first interrogation.

2. Tatsuya Nakadai in The Human Condition I: No Greater Love - Nakadai gives a great portrayal of one man horrible journey in discovering what it truly means to be human.

Best Scene: The Executions.

1. Cary Grant in North By Northwest - Good Prediction Maciej, Robert MacFarlane, and GM Grant perhaps  the very best wrong man performance through his exceedingly entertaining work in the film.

Best Scene: Thornhill at the auction.

Overall Rank:

1. James Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder
2. Cary Grant in North By Northwest
3. Tatsuya Nakadai in The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
4. Laurence Harvey in Room At the Top
5. Tatsuya Nakadai in The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
6. Albert Sharpe in Darby O'Gill and the Little People
7. Dean Stockwell in Compulsion
8. Alec Guinness in The Scapegoat
9. Alec Guinness in Our Man in Havana
10. James Mason in Journey To the Center of the Earth
11. Eiji Okada in Hiroshima Mon Amour
12. Anthony Franciosa in Career
13. Bradford Dillman in Compulsion
14. Kirk Douglas in The Devil's Disciple
15. Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows
16. John Wayne in Rio Bravo
17. Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur 
18. Burt Lancaster in The Devil's Disciple
19. Rock Hudson in Pillow Talk
20. Cary Grant in Operation Petticoat
21. Richard Widmark in Warlock
22. Peter Cushing in The Hound of the Baskervilles
23. Paul Newman in The Young Philadelphians
24. Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot 
25. Henry Fonda in Warlock
26. Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot
27. Tony Curtis in Operation Petticoat
28. Ian Carmichael in I'm Alright Jack
29. Paul Muni in The Last Angry Man
30. David Wayne in The Last Angry Man
31. Richard Burton in Look Back in Anger 
32. Robert Lansing in 4-D Man
33. Gregory Walcott in Plan 9 From Outer Space 
34. James Congdon in 4-D Man

Next Year: 1959 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1959: Cary Grant in North By Northwest

Cary Grant did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Roger Thornhill in North By Northwest.

North By Northwest is a very entertaining thriller, although I think that early long exposition that puts us ahead of Grant's character is totally unnecessary, about a man mistaken for a spy.

Cary Grant made four films with Alfred Hitchcock. The first two made in the forties were quite atypical Grant with Suspicion where he played a husband possibly planning a murder, and Notorious where he played a very cold government agent. They would re-team again a decade later with To Catch a Thief which likely is more fitting to Grant's usual style, but that film was really just a bit too breezy for its own good with the thriller elements being particular lax in nature. North By Northwest is the only time where Grant collaborated with Hitchcock as one of his wrong man on the run characters. Although he was wrong man of sorts in To Catch a Thief as a thief who just happened to be the thief the police were looking for, he certainly did not seem very worried about getting caught at any point. North By Northwest is a much stronger thriller, and in turn Grant gets a far more interesting role to play in the film. As most wrong man performances though Grant begins the film as a fairly innocuous character, while innocuous in that his biggest concern is to make sure he gets a message to his mother.

Cary Grant is completely in his element in these early scenes as he has such a delicate feather almost feather touch manner towards the proceedings. Grant is his extremely charming self as he is in such a lighter role, although this might be Grant as his most charming. He really does just brighten up the screen with his presence this time, as he makes Thornhill an immensely likable character in just a couple of these early scenes, and by couple I mean two, that by time he is kidnapped, due to a mistake by his captors, we are fully invested into his character's survival. Thornhill realizes he's become the wrong man by being greeted by a group of strange men including a well spoken yet sinister fellow (James Mason). Grant is simply superb in this role as he simply thrives so well in the material he is given. Grant not only fully shows how any average man would react to being confronted with such strange accusations, that being complete confusion, but he also injects so much humor into the proceedings. This scene might not even necessarily have been that funny, but the way Grant plays through it is remarkable. He never takes away the seriousness of the situation yet is marvelous in the way he brings out the joke that's being played on poor Roger.

Of course in perhaps the film's most overt comic scene though where Thornhill attempts to make out where he is exactly after ending up in a police station after narrowly surviving assassination via drunkenness. Well Grant's good at doing a Thomas Mitchell sort of drunk, and is quite enjoyable throughout the sequence. I've particularly loved his surprise while being in a certain daze as he attempts to drive the vehicle that was meant to ensure his demise. Due to not being able to find any exact proof his captors existence this leads Thornhill on a strange chase to try to find out who this person is that those men were so sure he was. This does lead Thornhill any where particularly helpful since one of these places ends up making him another wrong man in a murder investigation. The simple fact of it is Grant is supremely watchable and compelling just to view go through the process of the thriller. The screen could not be more his friend here, because one would be hard pressed to name a performer more at ease than Grant is here, while still keeping one invested in the story. Grant does not slack in this regard in the least and is excellent in the way he reflects every little twist that Thornhill faces in his expression. He's captivating here and flows so well with the style of the film.

Thornhill only gets further into the plot when he runs into a woman Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) on a train who seems to have plenty of secrets of her own since she is perhaps just a little too willing to help Thornhill who by this point is a suspected murderer. Grant's flawlessness in the role only seems to continue in these scenes as maneuvers in these scenes quite adeptly. Although a lot of their talk is Bogie/Bacall sort of innuendos, Grant brings a little more to it then that as he shows the way that Thornhill is swept up a bit by her let's say eagerness. Of course after she leads him into a trap Grant is terrific in the way he projects the coldness and suspicion in Thornhill as starts to figure out she is perhaps another trick being played on him. This brings us to one of my favorite scenes of the film where Thornhill has another face off with Mason's character. Now it needs to be said that Grant has such a wonderful understanding of the tone of the film, and while quite simply the style of the dialogue. There is not a wasted line that Grant delivers that he does not bring something to. This includes Thornhill unorthodox method of getting away from potential assassins by acting as the lout at an auction, and Grant is absolutely hilarious in his realization of Thornhill's plan.

This eventually causes Thornhill to leave his position as the wrong of the film and forces him to become a bit of James Bond figure. It's easy to see why he was approached for the role of James Bond in Dr. No as he certainly shows his chops for that role in the film, particularly in the film's climax. Well Grant already has the charm in spades, and can deliver a line for all its worth. Grant here shows even more than that though in the way he does bring weight to the action sequences, which in a way shows the strength of this performance. You always care about what happens in the action sequences because you care about poor Roger Thornhill throughout, and Grant never depicts Thornhill as some sort of action hero in any of these scenes. In fact he presents him to have plenty of fear of death during these scenes, and helps heighten the tension of each. It actually seems a little odd that it took Hitchcock so long to fully utilize Grant's abilities, but at he finally managed to do so here. Grant could not be a more perfect fit for the role. He is just on top of things throughout the film as he ensures to deliver just about as much entertainment as the film has to offer through his work. Grant here shows that one does not need to bare his soul to give a great performance, since this is a great performance by Cary Grant.

Alternate Best Actor 1959

And the Nominees Were Not:

Tatsuya Nakadai in The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows

Cary Grant in North By Northwest

Alec Guinness in The Scapegoat

Dean Stockwell in Compulsion

And for Some Reason:

Anthony Franciosa in Career

Alternate Best Actor 1938: Results

5. Nikolai Cherkasov in Alexander Nevsky- Cherkasov gives a solid turn in his film, but is held back by his paper thin character.

Best Scene: Nevsky rides victoriously into the city.

4. Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood- Flynn is extremely charming in his role and makes this one fun adventure.

 Best Scene: The climatic fight.

3. Michael Redgrave in The Lady Vanishes- Michael Redgrave gives a very enjoyable performance treading carefully as he stays humorous well never comprising the suspense of the film.

Best Scene: Gilbert and Iris play Holmes and Watson.

2. Cary Grant in Holiday- Grant gives an enjoyable performance that is funny but also conveys his character's personal desires well.

Best Scene: Johnny gives his fiancee an ultimatum.

1. Jean Gabin in The Human Beast- Gabin makes his character a ticking time bomb as a man who is gentle in his heart, but mad in his blood.

Best Scene: The beast comes out for a second time.

Overall Rank:

1. James Cagney in Angels With Dirty Faces
2. Jean Gabin in The Human Beast
3. Jean Gabin in Port of Shadows
4. Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby
5. Robert Donat in The Citadel
6. Leslie Howard in Pygmalion
7. Cary Grant in Holiday
8. Raimu in The Baker's Wife
9. Michael Redgrave in The Lady Vanishes
10. Charles Laughton in Sidewalks of London 
11. Errol Flynn in The Dawn Patrol
12. Edward G. Robinson in A Slight Case of Murder
13. Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood
14. Lionel Barrymore in You Can't Take it With You
15. Ronald Colman in If I Were King 
16. Claude Rains in White Banners
17. Edward G. Robinson in The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
18. Charles Laughton in The Beachcomber
19. Aleksei Lyarsky in The Childhood of Maxim Gorky
20. Stan Laurel in Block Heads
21. Oliver Hardy in Block Heads
22. Nikolai Cherkasov in Alexander Nevsky
23. James Stewart in Vivacious Lady 
24. Walter Huston in Of Human Hearts
25. Brian Aherne in Merrily We Live
26. Laurence Olivier in The Divorce of Lady X 
27. James Stewart in Of Human Hearts  
28. Clark Gable in Test Pilot
29. Charles Boyer in Algiers
30. Serge Grave in  Les Disparus de Saint-Agil
31. Fred Astaire in Carefree 
32. Mieko Takamine in The Masseurs and a Woman
33. Shin Tokudaiji in The Masseurs and a Woman
34. Gary Cooper in Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
35. Groucho Marx in Room Service 
36. Mickey Rooney in Love Finds Andy Hardy
37. Spencer Tracy in Boys Town
38. Henry Fonda in Jezebel
39. Jackie Cooper in White Banners
40. Reginald Owen in A Christmas Carol 
41. Tyrone Power in Alexander's Ragtime Band
42. Tommy Kelly in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
43. Mickey Rooney in Boys Town
44. Tyrone Power in In Old Chicago
45. Robert Taylor in Three Comrades
46. Richard Greene in Kentucky

Next Year: 1938 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1938: Cary Grant in Holiday and Bringing Up Baby

Cary Grant did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Johnny Case in Holiday or Dr. David Huxley in Bringing Up Baby.

Holiday is an enjoyable romantic comedy about a man who goes to meet his rich fiancee family, but some trouble arises when his views about life don't match those found by his fiancee or her father. 

Cary Grant actually found himself in two romantic comedies this year this film and the screwball film Bringing up Baby where he played a paleontologist who is rather nebbish sort. In both films he is paired with Katherine Hepburn. In Bringing Up Baby the film basically is one gag after another, which is just fine. Grant's performance in that film is all about his charm and comedic timing which is pretty much non stop in a similar vein to his performance in the Awful Truth. There is slight alteration though in that nerdish qualities Grant gives his character, which are mainly just to make some of his reactions all the funnier with his sometimes stuttering method of delivery which makes some of the punchlines to the jokes in that film all the better.

Grant is Holiday also is in a comedy, but not a screwball comedy. There is a certain Frank Capra style edge to the material that involves Grant's character Johnny who wants to go on a holiday early in his life then work later on. This does not mean the meat of the film is serious by any means, and there are plenty of comedic moments in this film again. Grant here again is very charming, although in that slightly more serious charming Grant sort of way. There is not that constant flamboyance found in his Baby performance and Grant gives a performance that mixes up some quieter serious moments with more energetic scenes, which actually does quite well although I do believe he is funnier in Baby.

His chemistry with Katherine Hepburn is also very different in both of the films as well. In Baby they pretty much are there to one up one another in terms of their comic energy. In that case they are very enjoyable together as Grant plays his part as someone who only increases in disbelief and their relationship is built on the insanity they get into that results in many mishaps, but by the end they love each other. They really do not have any romantic scenes other than their last one, but what they do works for the film. Holiday it is far more gentle and underplayed as it has to be as Hepburn plays the sister of Grant's fiancee in Holiday. They have great chemistry there to and develop the underlying connection between their characters in an effective fashion that work properly for the conclusion of the film. 

Both performances by Cary Grant are great examples of his on screen abilities whether it is his frantic and very humorous, or calmer and rather humorous. Grant in both cases gives a very charismatic turn that infuses life into each of his pictures with his expert comedic timing. In Holiday's case he handle the character's struggle to support one's own dream well with just a quiet but passionate determination. In terms of what performance I think it is better, well that's a little difficult. On one hand Holiday does require more range from Grant as he has to sell both the funny and the serious scenes which he does. Bringing Up Baby requires him just to be funny, which he is. Well the complexity of the role does not always mean the better performance though, and I do think I slightly prefer his just plain entertaining performance in Bringing Up Baby.

Alternate Best Actor 1938

And the Nominees Were Not:

Nikolai Cherkasov in Alexander Nevsky

Cary Grant in Holiday

Jean Gabin in The Human Beast

Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood

Michael Redgrave in The Lady Vanishes

Alternate Best Actor 1937: Results

5. Claude Rains in They Won't Forget- Rains does his best and puts a great deal of effort in his performance, but his character unfortunately is paper thin.

 Best Scene: Griffin rabble rouses the courtroom.

4. Victor Moore in Make Way For Tomorrow- Moore gives a moving quiet performance of a man who witnesses society pass him by.

Best Scene: "Husband and Wife say goodbye for the last time".

2 . Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in Way Out West- There is no reason to separate them as together they create the greatest comedy duo ever, and show well there unique talent together in this film. ( In the overall rank I merely put them in alphabetical order.)

Best Scene: "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine".

1. Cary Grant in The Awful Truth- Grant gives an entertaining and enjoyable performance that is a terrific example of his abilities as the lead of a romantic comedy.

Best Scene: Jerry finds the other man Lucy is hiding. 

Overall Rank:

1. Robert Montgomery in Night Must Fall
2. Jean Gabin in Pepe Le Moko
3. Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda
4. Cary Grant in The Awful Truth
5. Oliver Hardy in Way Out West
6. Stan Laurel in Way Out West
7. Jean Gabin in Grand Illusion
8. Fredric March in A Star is Born
9. Ronald Colman in Lost Horizon
10. Victor Moore in Make Way For Tomorrow
11. Robert Donat in Knight Without Armour
12. Edward G. Robinson in Kid Galahad 
13. Henry Fonda in You Only Live Once
14. Laurence Olivier in Fire Over England
15. Charles Boyer in Conquest
16. Paul Muni in The Life Emile Zola
17. James Stewart in Seventh Heaven
18. Freddie Bartholomew in Captains Courageous  
19. Claude Rains in They Won't Forget
20. Paul Muni in The Good Earth
21. Fred Astaire in Shall We Dance
22. Claude Rains in Stolen Holiday
23. Groucho Marx in A Day At the Races
24. Peter Lorre in Think Fast Mr. Moto
25. Peter Lorre in Thank You Mr. Moto
26. Fredric March in Nothing Sacred
27. Roland Young in Topper
28. Wayne Morris in Kid Galahad
29. Billy Mauch in The Prince and the Pauper
30. Bobby Mauch in The Prince and the Pauper
31. Cary Grant in Topper
32. Edward Norris in They Won't Forget
33. Spencer Tracy in Captains Courageous 
34. Jon Hall in The Hurricane

Next Year: 1974

Alternate Best Actor 1937: Cary Grant in The Awful Truth

Cary Grant did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jerry Warriner in The Awful Truth.

Cary Grant never received an Oscar nomination for a comedy role not even for this role in this film which won Best Director, and both his leading lady Irene Dunne, and his supporting foil Ralph Bellamy were nominated, but he was not. Interestingly enough when they teamed up again for the weepie Penny Serenade Cary Grant was nominated and Irene Dunne was not. For whatever reason even when the film was as popular with the academy as this one, they never cared for Grant in a comedic role. They only could accept him as a nominee when he was being serious which certainly is too bad.

Cary Grant here is in prime form as the husband of a soon to be divorced couple. It is not that Jerry and Lucy (Irene Dunne) hate each other that brings them to this point but rather odd behavior from both of them leads both to believe there is infidelity going on. They get the divorce that will take place after a grace period during in such the two seek other romantic interests, and the film is pretty much set up as first Jerry sabotaging Lucy's attempt with the simple southerner Dan (Bellamy), than afterwards Lucy sabotages Jerry's attempt with an heiress.

Grant has quite a bit of fun with his role in his half of the sabotage, as he purposefully moves against her rather simple beau. He does this with simple jabs at him, and rather small gestures that always seem to say that Dan simply is not in the same league as Jerry. Grant is extremely good in just being the being the most cunning one in the room as he constantly does his best to humiliate Lucy, and ruin her chances away from him. His timing is always terrific, and his energetic never falls short of bringing to life the humor of any scene.

Grant though is equally good though in the scenes where he forced to be the one who gets the shorter end of the stick, when Lucy gives him an ample taste of his own medicine. His reaction to her behavior that is quite a bit similar to his earlier behavior to her is excellent as the two of them switch places. His reaction of a sort of bemusement as well as sometimes complete surprise at the extent she goes to prevent him. Grant's reactions are always quite amusing as Jerry is taken aback by Lucy's behavior which is only mirroring his own.

I would say though most important aspect of his performance as well as Dunne is of course there chemistry. In that they both bring to life their relationship in just the right fashion. Firstly their divorce, and their game of ruining each other's romantic affairs are always kept lightly comedic by both actors, never in any way making it seem unpleasant. Equally to their credit though they always manage to put just the right degree of weight in their performance. 

This is not that either actor makes the situation at all serious but the two bring about the idea that the two are a married couple that do actually love each other. Both show their reactions to properly betrayal and neither make it as so they are completely heartbroken, but the two do stress the idea that they do care even behind all the humor. It is rather subtly portrayed by both behind their more comedic reactions, the two have just the right emphasis in the scenes together that the two still have a connection with one another.

This connection is the reason why both of their best moments really come in their silent looks they give to one another. They are both terrific in conveying that the two absolutely do know each other far too well, and when one or the other are pulling a trick the two actually are quite genuine in their response, even though they can be quite funny as well. Grant and Dunne simply make the most about the relationship between the two, and really they are able to make the ending properly a forgone conclusion.

I should say Cary Grant's performance on its own is a charming performance that is very enjoyable to watch, but what does make it special is his chemistry with Irene Dunne's terrific performance. The two together make this film the delight that it is because of how well the play off each other in every one of their scenes. Alone though this is not Cary Grant's very best performance in this genre but it is still an entertaining one that shows his great abilities as a romantic comedy leading man.

Alternate Best Actor 1937

And the Nominees Were Not:

Oliver Hardy in Way Out West

Stan Laurel in Way Out West

Cary Grant in The Awful Truth

Claude Rains in They Won't Forget

Victor Moore in Make Way For Tomorrow

Alternate Best Actor 1947: Results

5. Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife- Grant never falters in his portrayal of a just about perfect character. He brings a great deal of charm, and wit to the role that makes it an absolutely winning performance.

Best Scene: Dudley first meets the Bishop.

4. Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past- Mitchum gives a strong commanding performance that perfectly fits his world weary on screen persona.

 Best Scene: Jeff finds out Kathie has come back to Whit.

3. Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir- Harrison is terrific in his role bring both mysterious as well as quite humorous in the role of the titular entity.

Best Scene: The ghost complains about the cause of his death.

2. Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux- Chaplin finds just the right tone to brings the life his cynical but also humorous serial killer who treats his murders as just a normal job.

Best Scene:  Verdoux defends his murders.

1. Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock- There was no question here of who was the very best of year with Attenborough tremendous performance as a young thug. Attenborough gives a striking performance that never strives from the harsh truths of his character.

Best Scene: Pinky's hit goes wrong.

Overall Rank:

1. James Mason in Odd Man Out 
   
2. Pierre Fresnay in Monsieur Vincent
3. Ronald Colman in A Double Life
4. Tyrone Power in Nightmare Alley
5. Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux
6. Takashi Shimura in Snow Trail
7. Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
8. Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past
9. Isao Numasaki in One Wonderful Sunday
10. Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife
11. Claude Rains in The Unsuspected 
12. Bernard Blier in Quai des Orfèvres
13. Robert Montgomery in Ride The Pink Horse 
14. Cary Grant in The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer
15. James Cagney in 13 Rue Madeleine
16. Robert Mitchum in Pursued
17. Edward G. Robinson in The Red House
18. Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street
19. David Niven in The Bishop's Wife
20. William Powell in Life With Father
21. Burt Lancaster in Brute Force
22. John Garfield in Body and Soul
23. Orson Welles in the Lady From Shanghai
24. John Payne in Miracle on 34th Street
25. Humphrey Bogart in Dark Passage 
26. William Powell in The Song of the Thin Man
27. Danny Kaye in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
28. Michael Redgrave in Mourning Becomes Electra  
29. Joseph Cotten in The Farmer's Daughter 
30. Lawrence Tierney in Born to Kill
31. Dana Andrews in Boomerang! 
32. Fred MacMurray in The Egg and I
33. Victor Mature in Kiss of Death
34. Dick Powell in Johnny O'Clock
35. Robert Young in Crossfire 
36. Robert Ryan in The Woman on the Beach
37. Gregory Peck in The Paradine Case
38. Lon McCallister in The Red House
39. Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement

Next Year: 1965

Alternate Best Actor 1947: Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife

Cary Grant did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dudley in The Bishop's Wife. 

The Bishop's wife is an enjoyable and heartwarming tale about an angle who helps a Bishop (David Niven) who has become distant from his wife (Loretta Young) while attempting to get a Cathedral built.

I must say one great joy of doing these alternates is getting to revisit performances by actors who were constantly snubbed by the academy. Cary Grant is the biggest who was nominated only twice, was not nominated for this performance despite this film received five nominations tied for the second most of the year, including picture and director. I suppose Grant just never was the Oscars cup of tea after all Grant was only nominated for an decidedly non Cary Grant role in None But the Lonely Heart, I suppose they figured they rewarded enough of Grant for his performance in the weepie Penny Serenade.

Cary Grant here portrays the angle who helps the titular character finds his way, and bring him back to properly appreciating what he has. In a way you could actually say that his role is an expanded version of Clarence from It's A Wonderful Life, although Dudley here is far more confidant of an angle. In fact he is quite sure of himself as he should be as he absolutely knows how to handle the situation. He knows exactly what to do at every point of time, never failing to fulfill what needs to be done for the good of the bishop or anyone else he happens to simply pass by.

Grant really does portray his character on basically one note. Now this is not in the negative of being a one note performance since Dudley would be portrayed incorrectly if he showed a very wide range of emotion he is practically a perfect character therefore he should be portrayed in a very much contained fashion.The funny thing was originally Niven was going to be Dudley and Grant the Bishop, well that in a way shows what works so well about Grant's performance, Niven would perhaps seemed a bit devious in the role, whereas Grant finds the perfect tone for his character.

Grant uses just the right degree of his unique and quite remarkable charm. It is in a low key style for Grant and does not use it to the almost controlling fashion, here though Grant uses his charisma to make Dudley properly otherworldly. There is something truly special in Grant's little smile, and twinkle in his eye that effectively conveys the wondrous quality of this angle. He does not overplay the perfection of Dudley too much, because he shows in such a quiet way. His performance never makes Dudley boastful or prideful but in a way appropriately meek and quite likable in his style of just being so helpful.

It is not the most complex of roles but Grant is absolutely spot on with his performance all the time making Dudley the likable presence he should be. Dudley never seems like a phony or saccharine character either, Grant always manages to make every one of his character appropriately heartwarming without every overplaying him or underplaying him. He fulfills his role all the way through. Now by the nature of the character he is not an especially complex character, even his later scenes where he shows that he may be in love with Young's character, Grant plays that as genuine but still part of Dudley plan to make the Bishop realize what he has been missing. Nevertheless Grant makes the absolute most of his role, and achieves something quite special with the role that could fallen quite short in lesser hands.

Alternate Best Actor 1947

And the Nominees Were Not:

Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife

Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock

Robert Mitchum in Out Of The Past

Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux

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