Alternate Best Actor 1945: Results

5. Danny Kaye in Wonder Man - Somewhat disposable Kaye work, not bad, but he's been much better.

Best Scene: Police station.

4. Errol Flynn in Objective, Burma! - Flynn is almost entirely onto something as the more casual approach to playing a military commander, even if the execution isn't quite perfect. 

Best Scene: The death of the correspondent.

3. Roger Livesey in I Know Where I'm Going - Livesey's presence offers a very unique and effectively off-beat take on the romantic stranger type.

Best Scene: Boat ride home.

2. Pierre Brasseur in Children of Paradise - Brasseur brings such potent charisma portraying so effectively one man in the film not weighed down by anything rather elevated by it all.

Best Scene: Ad-libbing.

1. Laird Cregar in Hangover Square - Good predictions Tim, Omar, 8000's, Calvin, Matt & Tahmeed. Cregar delivers one final dynamite portrayal of insanity, this time though with a passionate edge that offers a sense of avenues he may have been able to explore had his career not been tragically cut short.

Best Scene: Final concert.

Updated Overall

Next: Reviews of Redgrave & Karloff.

Alternate Best Actor 1945: Errol Flynn in Objective, Burma!

Errol Flynn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Captain Nelson in Objective, Burma!.

Objective Burma depicts a platoon being sent on a mission to destroy a Japanese radar station. 

A performance by Errol Flynn I typically see is how much he relaxes in a part. As the more relaxed Flynn is typically the more his charisma comes out and the more you just believe him. When he's trying to actively sell something then that is where it comes off as the most phony and forced out of his performances. Flynn's performance here is notable then because it is perhaps his most relaxed in a way, though in a way that you might not expect either. In the early scenes it adds up enough where Flynn gives kind of an unknown accent, but regardless he stays with it, so I never minded it regardless. But what more so he brings is this ease about his whole performance that is remarkable in creating this innate sense of leadership in his Captain with his platoon by portraying the way the man always seems to be calming within his troops. What is surprising is that the calm is brought out by being this superman, rather Flynn plays the part as normal guy but a normal guy who just takes everything in stride. There's little comic asides that he doesn't sell like big one liners, but rather purposefully easing away at the tension of the obvious life or death situation they're all in. Flynn's performance is reassuring in the right way as you see how his Captain is commanding his men's spirit in a way by compelling them into going into the mission with a reserve that understands the stakes but is not overwhelmed by them. His work surprised me in that Flynn is often the leader and in this instance he did it with even greater ease, then the ease I expect from his better performances. 

 

When the mission actually begins is where I actually was all the more taken aback by what Flynn is doing in this performance, particularly within the war genre at this time. The platoon leader, or really any soldier at this time was usually within a certain kind of performance of the stoic leader, the fierce warrior, that sort of thing, where Flynn very much instead here plays him just like a guy on a mission, which is kind of fascinating in a way, and perhaps more pioneering than I imagine perhaps he even intended. With Flynn very much playing moments as casually as can be considered appropriate per the war setting, as he's not going into these big emotional swings rather he paints this portrait of consistency that is rather remarkable at times. Because it isn't that Flynn is playing it without thought or connection to what is going on in the situation, rather he is entirely is, but what is going on, is it is woven within his performance in this way that creates the sense of reality. There are moments where men die, even men are brutally killed in one sequence, and the Captain is always the man of calm. Flynn's performance though isn't as though he doesn't care, rather what Flynn does with some fairly modest reactions and internalized moments in his eyes, conveys that all that hardship is going through the Captain, he's just insisting on being strong for the men no matter what happens. His delivery here tends to keep that calm we had at the start, but he does change throughout, in that it is a bit more stressed within it, yet Flynn's performance conveys the intensity as pressure however not something that ever breaks him. Flynn's performance punctuates moments impressively with that subdued emotion, which consistently realizes the real horror of the situation, but without overtures. However, having said all this, I wouldn't say this is flawlessly executed as such, even if intriguing in its imperfect infancy of a concept. Perhaps part of that is the material which is close to something special, but not *quite* there, and even Flynn as well, who has tendency to stiffness if he doesn't fully believe himself, which is mostly avoided here, though not entirely. Regardless, a good performance on its own terms and worth taking a look at this performer.

Alternate Best Actor 1945

 And the Nominees Were Not:

Danny Kaye in Wonder Man

Roger Livesey in I Know Where I Am Going

Laird Cregar in Hangover Square

Errol Flynn in Objective, Burma!

Pierre Brasseur in Children of Paradise

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: Errol Flynn in Uncertain Glory

 Errol Flynn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jean Picard in Uncertain Glory. 

Uncertain Glory is a better than average patriotic piece, which were so common in this period, here about a career criminal who decides to take the fall for a French saboteur during world war 2 rather than face the guillotine for his crimes. 

I'll admit this performance is big reason I decided to do the lineup as I felt I had to review this turn from Flynn as it is so atypical for him in a lot of ways. Although Flynn often played a lot of charming pseudo rogue we always knew they were heroes at heart from the outset. Although this character might get to that point eventually, we get a side from Flynn entirely different from his typical presence. This as the film opens with his Picard awaiting execution where we first meet him as he refuses to shave his neck for the guillotine. Flynn's snap delivery in the refusal grants a surprising intensity from the performer who typically granted a more light weight approach to his roles. Here though Flynn shows a real bitterness within the man's manner with his eyes filled with a hate for his captors, and a general derision that he naturally exudes. An ideally time bombing raid though allows Picard to escape, where again we find Flynn in unlikely waters as he finds the home of an old friend. here though Flynn plays into his usual charm however now weaponized towards a wholly different sort of man. This with his easy going manner played within a different light. Flynn is genuinely charming of course with his always dynamic presence, however his eyes grant it a different quality. There's a sneering menace even in his calm delivery as threatens his friend, while smiling. This though only followed as seduces his friend's girlfriend. Flynn of course convincing in the ease of this, but even more so remarkable here though in the devious cunning he grants the moment. Flynn not easing on the edges of the role but rather embracing the man of Picard as a truly despicable sort. 

His escape is short lived though as he is quickly caught dogged Inspector Bonet (Paul Lukas), who intends to take him back to be executed. Even in this it is interesting to see Flynn approach these scenes with a wry sort of cynicism that is quite different from his usual optimistic heroes. The thing is though Flynn wholly pulls it off here and grants an effective dynamic between himself and Lukas, who is also quite good in portraying his character's blunt righteousness. The two though are given a strange opportunity when they hear that the occupying Nazis intend to kill 100 random French unless a recent saboteur exposes himself first. Flynn's terrific in hearing this news as he suggests the idea that he take the place preferring the firing squad over guillotine as a form of death. Flynn doesn't play this as a sudden change of heart, rather layers it on top with a soft delivery of suggesting some virtue in Picard but only to try to convince Bonet in the moment. Flynn still has the slick glint in his eyes of a man trying really anything to give himself opportunities to escape his likely fate. This leads the two towards a small French town to await and prepare Picard to turn himself in for his false crime in order to atone for his real ones. Here Flynn broaches more typical material for him, as we see a minor romance, and really opportunities for him to be more overtly charming. 

Flynn though doesn't excuse his character in these scenes and doesn't suddenly shift his performance. He tempers his work towards a more insulated charm of a man with a constant secret alluding towards the man's criminal element even as he seems to change. As this goes on though there is no quick shift here actually for Flynn's performance, which is remarkable. Flynn I often found most struggled with the most purely earnest moments of selling a philosophy in his other performances, like selling the virtues of King Richard in Robin Hood for example, but he does great with them here. One of the big reasons being he wholly changes his typical approach. This as we get a scene where he has convinced Bonet that he's changed to some degree and explains it. It is with a nearly passive tone of a man recognizing his faults. This though instantly subverted a moment later where Flynn unabashedly grins showing Picard's "confession" to Bonet being no more than a lie in an attempt to escape any type of execution. Nonetheless a series of events still wear down on Picard to eventually change his mind for real, but what is great here is how Flynn plays the scene of the true change against the false. This as Flynn goes on almost an attack of explaining the whole idea of the virtues of the saboteur with the viciousness of his earliest scenes. This in a way showing the man being honestly himself even when speaking a new truth to himself. This scene presenting the man convincing himself through essentially a realization of a hatred of himself. Flynn realizing the transformation of his character with a quiet power and artfully avoiding the typical pitfalls one finds in his work. This is a wholly different performance from Flynn utilizing his virtues as a performer but through another, even more dynamic, lens.

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

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: Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood

Errol Flynn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sir Robin of Locksley the titular character of the Adventures of Robin Hood.

The Adventures of Robin Hood is fun film about Robin Hood and his merry men who fight against the injustices of King John (Claude Rains) and his henchmen.

I last looked at Errol Flynn performance in Captain Blood which was his breakout role. I thought he gave a good performance, but one that had a few weak moments in it. Flynn returns once again to play the lead in an adventure movie this time as Robin Hood which is also Flynn's most famous role. There is a reason for this as Flynn seems to be the perfect person to play Robin Hood, unlike the actor who was originally cast in the role James Cagney who would very miscast unless the film heavily changed in terms of tone and style.

Robin Hood as a character here is not a terribly complex one. Robin is a fun loving man who enjoys his freedoms, and as well likes to fight for freedom against the tyrannical King John. There is not a whole lot more to him, but in the Adventures of Robin Hood there doesn't need to be. This is a performance almost wholly based on charm, and Flynn has plenty of it in this performance. Flynn pushes his charm front and center in just about every scene he is in, and even in more serious situations Flynn still deals with them in a playful fashion.

Flynn makes this approach totally work because he is charismatic enough in his performance, and he does this particularly well in the action scenes. Flynn does not just jump around the room fighting the kings men and shooting arrows all over the place. He turns it almost into a dance and Flynn makes all these scenes very enjoyable because of his style. He doesn't over do it to make it just a parody of itself, but there is such a joy in his performance that he makes these scenes a joy to watch.

Flynn knows how to be lightweight in the right way, and he makes it all work into every scene without being repetitive. He always brings an unbridled enthusiasm into every moment whether it is is one of the big battle scenes, one of the smaller comedic ones where he goes about recruiting a new man to his cause, or even the archery contest. The archery is great example of Flynn's strength in the role as he limits his physicality in the scene as Robin is hiding as a humble tinker, yet in just his quick smiles he still brightens the scene beautifully with his presence.

One major problem I had with Flynn's work in Captain Blood was a few of his scenes Olivia De Havilland Flynn seemed a bit out of his element. De Havilland is once again Flynn's love interest, but the relationship between Robin and Maid Marion is considerably stronger then the one found in Captain Blood. Flynn and De Havilland are very good together here. It is again quite feather weight romance, but a very well handled one. The two have a natural chemistry that sets up the romance quickly, quietly and quite effectively.

There technically are few dramatic moments that mostly involve when Robin makes speeches about how Richard should be King and not John. Honestly these are Flynn weakest scenes. There are not a lot of these moments, they are always short, and to be fair Flynn is not bad in these scenes rather he just is not as good as he is in the rest of the film. Those few moments really do not matter as they are but a splinter in Flynn's work here which is probably the best example of what made him a star. As a whole this is just a very entertaining performance that is the right type of performance to lead this very entertaining film.

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 1935: Results

5. Paul Muni in Black Fury- Muni overacts as usual. He has a moment or two of decent acting but most of the time he just yells in an a needlessly loud fashion.

Best Scene: I guess when he finds out his girlfriend has left him. 

4. Errol Flynn in Captain Blood- Aside from one scene of weakness Flynn gives a charming performance that effortlessly carries his film.

Best Scene: Any of the swashbuckling scenes.

3. Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap- Laughton gives a particularly modest performance but still gives a very strong performance that is very funny but also quite moving when it needs to be.

Best Scene: Ruggles recites the Gettysburg Address. 

2. Robert Donat in 39 Steps- Donat is great as the wrong man playing well the down to earth reactions but as well giving a very charming and quite humorous performance as well.

Best Scene: Hannay finds himself handcuffed to a woman who believes him to be a murderer.

1. Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein- This is actually a pretty strong year for lead actors, and I think the academy could have been bothered to nominate more than four actors for the Oscar. It was a close one but my runner up for the year goes to Boris Karloff  who finds new ground with the monster giving a oddly enough tender performance as the monster learns to talk, and attempts to relate to others.

Best Scene: The Monster meets his Bride.

Overall Rank:

1. Victor McLaglen in The Informer
2. Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein
3. Robert Donat in 39 Steps 
4. Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap
5. Edward G. Robinson in The Whole Town's Talking
6. Boris Karloff in The Black Room
7. Clark Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty
8. Ronald Colman in A Tale of Two Cities
9. Fredric March in Les Miserables
10. Claude Rains in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
11. Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty
12. Robert Donat in The Ghost Goes West
13. Fredric March in The Dark Angel
14. James Cagney in G Men
15. Peter Lorre in Crime and Punishment 
16. Groucho Marx in Night At the Opera
17. Errol Flynn in Captain Blood
18. Fred Astaire in Top Hat 
19. Franchot Tone in The Lives of the Bengal Lancers
20. Charles Boyer in Private Worlds
21. Bela Lugosi in The Raven 
22. Peter Lorre in Mad Love
23. Freddie Bartholomew in David Copperfield
24. Fredric March in Anna Karenina
25. Boris Karloff in The Raven 
26. Fred MacMurray in Alice Adams
27. Franchot Tone in Dangerous
28. Colin Clive in Mad Love
29. Frank Lawton in David Copperfield
30. Seymour Hicks in Scrooge 
31. Gary Cooper in The Lives of the Bengal Lancers
32. Douglass Montgomery in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
33. Paul Muni in Black Fury  
34. Henry Wilcoxon in The Crusades
35. Chester Morris in Public Hero No. 1

Next Year: 1935 Supporting 

Alternate Best Actor 1935: Errol Flynn in Captain Blood

Errol Flynn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Peter Blood in Captain Blood.

Captain Blood is a fairly enjoyable swashbuckler about a loyal British subject who is wrongly enslaved, but later manages to become a pirate.

Errol Flynn got his big break in Hollywood with this which was his first major role and it is easy to see how Flynn was able to propel himself to stardom with this performance. He plays Captain Blood as above else a dashing hero which he does very well. Flynn has a great deal of charm and natural charisma which is perfect for the role as it makes Blood instantly likable which he needs to be. He makes him an easy hero to like as well as to follow throughout his adventures through the film.

Flynn keeps his portrayal fairly light and he works best when he does so. His smile and his energy really do a great job of moving the story along in a breezy fashion. There are more serious moments to be had particularly early on when he is enslaved, but Flynn does not get too dark even with these moments. Still in the weightier moments Flynn is successful in being a serious when he needs to be even though it is obviously clear that he is best when he has a good time as he so easily transfers that good time he is having across screen that it is very easy for we as the audience to have a good time as well.

Flynn does have a single weak scene where he is most challenged when Blood becomes angry with his former owner played by Olivia de Havilland. He actually comes off as a little awkward in this scene and his charisma seriously takes a hit in the moment as it is clear that Flynn does not quite know how to handle the scene. Still it is not a downright terrible moment or anything, but it does suggest limitations to his ability as a performer as just does not appear comfortable in this scene where he does have to get a little deeper into the character of Captain Blood.

Luckily though Errol Flynn in every other scene other than the earlier scene referred to could not be more comfortable in the role. He gives a great leading role with a great deal of energy and really makes the movie an enjoyable ride thanks to his enjoyable performance. It is only clear that this is Flynn very first major leading role in his one scene where he does show a clear weakness in his portrayal thankfully that is only one scene and the rest of the time he could have been a leading man for several years considering the ease and effortless fashion in which he carries the rest of the film.

Alternate Best Actor 1935

And the Nominees Were Not:

Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein

Paul Muni in Black Fury

Robert Donat in 39 Steps

Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap

Errol Flynn in Captain Blood