Alternate Best Actor 1954: Results

5. George Sanders in Journey to Italy - Sanders gives a somewhat interesting alternate take on his usual persona, though the film's limitations limit his work as well. 

Best Scene: Breaking it off.

4. Fredric March in Executive Suite - March gives a terrific performance that refuses to ever make his character a straw man as he gives credence to his character and his views in every one of his scenes.

Best Scene: His philosophy.

3. Anthony Quinn in La Strada - Quinn, despite being dubbed, makes quite the impact in his depiction of a real man of the earth in his blunt physical performance though with the nuance of a man rather than just a symbol.

Best Scene: The Beach

2. Jean Gabin in Touchez Pas Au Grisbi - Gabin sets the standard for the old badass back for one more job trope, by delivering a compelling, charming and always confident performance.

Best Scene: The Exchange

1. Alec Guinness in The Detective - Guinness gives a brilliant portrayal of Father Brown managing to cohere both the detective and the priest in a single incredibly entertaining performance.

Best Scene: Final meeting with Flambeau.

Updated Lead Overall

Update Supporting Overall

Next Year: 1992 Lead

Alternate Best Actor 1954: George Sanders in Journey to Italy

George Sanders did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Alexander 'Alex' Joyce in Journey to Italy.

Journey to Italy is almost an anti-Roman Holiday about a couple whose marriage becomes increasingly strained as they vacation in Italy.

George Sanders is best known for his purring villains, whether or not he is playing a literal feline, or at the very least he is an intellectual sort with a biting wit whether or not he's even a sympathetic sort. This performance is again in that vein yet what we see of him here is different from those earlier performances. In that Sanders here is playing a man in a more modest situation with his wife Katherine (Ingrid Bergman) as they travel abroad. Sanders in many ways gives the performance you'd expect from him in that he is his usual suave self particularly when Alex and Katherine are among others. He has that certain wit about him and is properly as Sanders should be. This takes on a different shade though when the two are alone together or alone separately. In that Sanders's has this certain misery within that behavior, his statements being particularly caustic, emphasized as such by Sanders's delivery which lacks that certain joy in the cynicism found in his most of his work. This performance Sanders presents more of such a man that you get to know both when he is "on" in front of the crowd and off when alone with his wife.

Sanders's style is effectively subverted in these moments as we see him essentially as Katherine does which is as the excessively cynical sort, and this is one of the most painful marks on their relationship. Their interactions are notable for their broken chemistry of sorts as they only seem to connect in minor instances of social interaction, or when they are being more directly critical of one another. They lack any real warmth, but what Sanders and Bergman do though is capture this specific sort of coldness. It is not of two people wholly without a history rather there is a familiarity in this but an unpleasant familiarity represented often in a mutual disinterest or an unease in recognizing the faults they see in one another. The film breaks them apart where we see each going off their own where perhaps Bergman is allowed to create a bit more insight into her character partially because she speaks to herself. Sanders does have a few scenes though where we see him pondering a potential affair with a local. These scenes do feel a touch limited at times, and perhaps there was an intentional vapidness in Sanders's work. They don't leave the same impact though in Bergman's similair scenes where we seem to come to understand Katherine more than we do Alex.

Eventually the two troubles come to a head in their final day in Italy. Again this is where Sanders shines along with Bergman for that matter as they so well capture this certain vicious sniping the each make towards one another as the final conflict builds in that day. They once more capture the mutual stress in these moments, and their delivery works as this sudden messy outpouring of frustrations against one another. They work so well in creating this dissolution though along with their sudden switching to basically appease their hosts as their tour continues. The two find the difficulty in their attempts to switch back to their proper social behavior while always conveying their ongoing fight is still weighing on their minds. This eventually leads to the two getting caught up in a religious procession where suddenly their relationship turns around. Although as written there appears to be something missing there, though perhaps that is the point in that both Bergman and Sanders don't quite make that easy in their performance. The reason being that even as they declare their renewed love of sorts there is something off and desperate in the moment that suggests perhaps it is not as happy of an ending as it might seem. Although there seem something missing in his scenes away from Bergman with her Sanders gives a compelling alternative view of his usual screen persona.

Alternate Best Actor 1954

And the Nominees Were Not:

Anthony Quinn in La Strada

Fredric March in Executive Suite

Jean Gabin in Touchez Pas Au Grisbi

George Sanders in Journey to Italy

Alec Guinness in The Detective

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1940: Results

5. George Sanders in Foreign Correspondent - Sanders gives a very entertaining performance that finds just the right tone to both lighten the mood while still bringing the needed gravity for the thriller.

Best Scene: ffolliott saves Van Meer.

4. Frank Morgan in The Shop Around the Corner - Morgan gives a funny but also surprisingly nuanced depiction of a man whose vulnerabilities slowly get the better of him.

Best Scene: Matuschek apologizes to Alfred.

3. Herbert Marshall in Foreign Correspondent - Marshall gives a very effective performance that realizes the twist involving his character, but also never allows this to simplify his character. 

Best Scene: Fisher goes to see the captured Van Meer. 

2. George Sanders in Rebecca - Sanders gives a great performance by being just so enjoyably despicable as his selfish and vapid character.

Best Scene: Favell tries to blackmail Maxim. 

1. John Carradine in The Grapes of Wrath - I must not that this again is a year where I could go with any of my top four in any order. At the moment though my winner is John Carradine for his especially compelling and moving depiction of a former preacher attempting to find the truth again.

Best Scene: Tom meets Casy again. 

Overall Rank:

1. John Carradine in The Grapes of Wrath
2. Walter Brennan in The Westerner
3. George Sanders in Rebecca
4. Herbert Marshall in Foreign Correspondent
5. Frank Morgan in The Shop Around the Corner
6. George Sanders in Foreign Correspondent
7. John Qualen in The Grapes of Wrath
8. Joseph Schildkraut in The Shop Around the Corner 
9. Walter Catlett in Pinocchio
10. Cliff Edwards in Pinocchio 
11. Donald Crisp in Brother Orchid 
12. Edmund Gwenn in Foreign Correspondent
13. Frank Morgan in The Mortal Storm
14. Russell Simpson in The Grapes of Wrath
15. Ralph Bellamy in His Girl Friday
16. Edmund Gwenn in Pride and Prejudice
17. Robert Benchley in Foreign Correspondent 
18. Akim Tamiroff in The Great McGinty
19. Emlyn Williams in The Stars Look Down
20. Basil Rathbone in the Mark of Zorro 
21. Edward Rigby in The Stars Look Down
22. William Demarest in The Great McGinty
23. Christian Rub in Pinocchio 
24. Hay Petrie in Contraband
25. Eugene Pallette in The Mark of Zorro
26. Shemp Howard in The Bank Dick 
27. Ralph Bellamy in Brother Orchid
28. John Qualen in His Girl Friday
29. Thomas Mitchell in Our Town
30. Albert Bassermann in Foreign Correspondent
31. Randolph Scott in My Favorite Wife
32. John Carradine in The Return of Frank James
33. Claude Rains in The Sea Hawk 
34. Humphrey Bogart in Brother Orchid
35. Felix Bressart in The Shop Around The Corner
36. James Stephenson in The Letter
37. Henry Daniell in The Great Dictator 
38. Frankie Darro in Pinocchio
39. Leo G. Carroll in Rebecca
40. Herbert Marshall in The Letter
41. Charley Grapewin in The Grapes of Wrath 
42. Melville Cooper in Pride and Prejudice
43. Charles Judels in Pinocchio
44. Henry Daniell in The Sea Hawk
45. Jack Oakie in The Great Dictator 
46. Roland Young in The Philadelphia Story
47. Paul Hurst in The Westerner
48. C. Aubrey Smith in Rebecca
49. John Halliday in The Philadelphia Story 
50. J. Edward Bromberg in The Mark of Zorro
51.  Nigel Bruce in Rebecca
52. Bela Lugosi in Black Friday
53. Jackie Cooper in The Return of Frank James
54. Guy Kibbee in Our Town
55. Reginald Gardiner in The Great Dictator
56. Gene Lockhart in Abe Lincoln in Illinois
57. Reginald Denny in Rebecca
58. William Tracy in The Shop Around the Corner
59. Harry Davenport in Foreign Correspondent
60. William Tracy in Strike Up The Band
61. John Howard in The Philadelphia Story
62. Harry Carey in They Knew What They Wanted 
63. Edward Ashley-Cooper in Pride and Prejudice
64. Fred Stone in The Westerner
65. William Gargan in They Knew What They Wanted
66. Robert Young in The Mortal Storm
67. Robert Stack in The Mortal Storm
68. William T. Orr in The Mortal Storm

Next Year: 1995 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1940: George Sanders in Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent

George Sanders did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jack Favell in Rebecca.

George Sanders plays one of the three villains within the film, the other living one being Judith Anderson as the sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, and the third being the deceased Rebecca whose actions in life still torment her husband Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), and his new wife (Joan Fontaine) as well motivate Danvers, and Sanders's Jack Favell. Sanders only has one appearance in the first half of the film as the second Mrs. de Winter is still lost within the mystery of Maxim's country estate Manderley. Sanders appearance is that of the odd stranger at first who seems to be in some collusion with Danvers about something. Favell catches the new Mrs. de Winter overhearing leading him to introduce himself. Sanders carries himself with quite the charisma as Favell although what makes it so good is just how sleazy Sanders comes off while being this charismatic. There just such an overabundance of confidence that Sanders brings in his manner that it is rather off putting though in a unique manner. Sanders is brilliant because he shows a certain persuasive sort of personality that likely would work in some sort of situation, yet makes it such a curiously obvious routine fitting for a cars salesman, which is just what Favell happens to be.

Sanders does not make another appearance until the last act of the film although we do learn that Favell was one of Rebecca lovers, although honestly Sanders makes that clear in his first scene. We do not meet him again until after new evidence regarding Rebecca's death has risen leaving another inquest that potentially threatens Maxim. Favell naturally turns up at the inquest and although there was plenty of indication to this in that first appearance, his next series of appearances Sanders shows that Favell is well, how should one put this eloquently, well he's a bit of an asshole. Though what a hole that Sanders makes him out him out to be. The way Sanders plays it does not just have Favell simply a man who has no regrets about the affair with Rebecca, although he certainly does that, he also makes it seem so vapid of an affair actually as the way Sanders mentions it you can see only the pleasure that Favell gets from the idea of it. That's not bad enough, not by a slight margin though, as Sanders takes it a step further by making it so whenever Favell makes an indication towards Maxim about the affair, basically gloating about it in his face, Sanders seems to exude the most despicable pleasure from this.

Potentially incriminating evidence against Maxim begins arise against Maxim, which Favell quickly jumps the chance. The scene where Favell just walks right into Maxim's car and starts eating his food, Sanders captures just how obnoxiously Favell behavior he is by the way he insists upon himself. Favell decides to attempt to blackmail Maxim over information he has, which Sanders again is terrific because he does not suggest Favell is trying to avenge his former lover or anything close to that. Sanders keeps Favell quite hollow as he states with such glee about how he'd love to be able to drive the fancy cars he sells, and just is so lacking in even the slightest respectability in his proposition towards Maxim. As Favell continues to attempt his plot, even though Maxim is not having it, Sanders continues to be so perfectly hate inducing that when Max finally does punch him that he perhaps is acting on the audience's wishes as well as his own. Sanders is so entertaining in the role by not holding back for a moment in reveling just how wretched of a man Favell happens to be. I especially love his final scene where the truth about Rebecca is revealed. Sanders makes it incredibly satisfying by his reaction in the scene as all the confidence just instantly leaves his face in a moments notice. What I like most is that Sanders still gets the chance to just make Favell all the more detestable just when there might be a slight chance for sympathy. Favell afterwards quickly puts on a sorrowful act of grief, but Sanders cleverly alludes that Favell is probably just fishing for some gain as he looks around for a supportive face then when seeing none he instantly turns back to his usual wretched self. This is a fantastic performance by Sanders that makes a great villain out of a man who simply is without scruples.

Sanders was not nominated for his performance in Rebecca, leaving supporting actor to be the only acting category where Rebecca was not recognized. To make things only worse though Sanders was also ignored, despite his co-star Albert Bassermann being nominated, for portraying Scott ffolliott in Alfred Hitchcock's other film from 1940 Foreign Correspondent. It is interesting that the two films were paired as Rebecca is an example of one of Hitchcock's more cerebral and internalized film while Foreign Correspondent is of his more direct and extroverted style. Both films though have George Sanders though and in this film George Sanders is allowed to use his talents for good instead of evil, character that is. Sanders makes his appearance into the film well into it as he aids our main hero Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) is in pursuit of an assassin. Sanders this time utilizes his considerable charisma for the benefits of humankind with ffolliott as he this fits right into the world of international espionage that Foreign Correspondent covers.

It is intriguing how Sanders works in this as he portrays simply a secondary hero for the film since he's certainly not Jones's sidekick, and at the same time ffolliott has the same good intentions as Jones. What Sanders does though is make the film all the better by adding a nice variation in the dynamic seen right for the beginning of his appearance as he so calmly explains the reason for the doubled and lower case f's in his last name while dodging bullets while chasing after the assassin. Sanders is pretty marvelous in realizing a James Bond sort of style for ffolliott, whereas McCrea's Jones is a far more straight forward sort. There's few moments that go by where ffolliott does not have a quip to go with the occasion. Sanders delivers these all quite flawlessly hitting his mark every time. Sanders makes ffolliott's wit as effortless as it should be. He adds so much character to the film through his mere presence, after all perhaps one could get along with simply one hero, but Sanders makes it worthwhile to have two heroes because he's just so much fun in the role.

Sanders is wonderful in finding just the right tone between the quips though and the actual severity of the situation. In the scene where ffolliott reveals to Jones that he's actually been more driven than he perhaps alluded to all along, Sanders is excellent in conveying the quiet passion in ffolliott to do the right thing as well. A funny thing about the film is that the heroic act to find the central figure of the plot is done by ffolliott and note Jones. In fact in the scene Jones really is ffolliott sidekick as ffolliott is the one who takes the needed steps to follow the villain's tracks, and to well save the day. Sanders is great in the scene as he reveals just how much ffolliott does care about the situation, he helps to create the severity of the moment by showing that it is not simply a game for ffolliot making the scene surprisingly powerful. Although this may merely be his second best performance of 1940 its a very good one that proves Sanders not only can be the man you love to hate, but also just the guy you can love without the hate.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1940

And the Nominees Were Not:

Frank Morgan in The Shop Around the Corner

John Carradine in The Grapes of Wrath

George Sanders in Rebecca

George Sanders in Foreign Correspondent

Herbert Marshall in Foreign Correspondent

Best Supporting Actor 1950: Results

5. Jeff Chandler in Broken Arrow- Chandler is already miscast around actual Native Americans, and his dull performance never makes up for this problem.

4. Edmund Gwenn in Mister 880- Gwenn is properly sweet and charming in his part, but the part of the most benevolent of criminals is not much of one.

3. Erich von Stroheim in Sunset Blvd.- Stroheim is perfectly cast adding another layer to his character simply through his own background. He also is always proper in his role, but his performance never becomes that amazing for me. Max Meyerling is certianly an interesting character but a limited one.

2. Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle- In many years I sort of look forward to rarely talked about nominated performance which are ample in this category. I usually find out why they are rarely spoken of like Gwenn, and Chandler, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find Jaffe's incredibly strong work. Jaffe's performance is subtle even simple work at times, that is amazingly effective and very memorable.

1. George Sanders in All About Eve-Sanders simply could not be better in the role of Addison De Witt. He channels the snarky smug, yet incredibly intelligent and suave ways of the character. Sanders always makes his presence known with every single comment he makes, and to top it off he has one unforgettable scene that is just a magnificent piece of acting.

Best Supporting Actor 1950: George Sanders in All About Eve

George Sanders won an Oscar from his only nomination for portraying Addison De Witt in All About Eve.

All About Eve is a well made, well written, and well acted drama about the aging theater actress Margo Channing  (Bette Davis) having her position of star of the stage being usurped by the manipulative Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter).

Addison De Witt is the most famous theater critic in the world at least according to himself, who is well known in the theater world for his sardonic wit, and criticism. Sanders seems simply the only person for this role. There is something about Sanders which he utilizes so well in this film, and that is he seems to be in a class of his own. Sanders just has this perfect quality that suggests he is simply functioning on some sort of different level which could not work better for Addison De Witt.

Sanders fully and brilliantly realizes his characters incredible wit, intelligence, and his overly classy way he acts and moves. Each movement he makes are always more fully amplify Addison way and nature. Sanders is not in the film overall actually that much, but he is always noticeable, and always brings the right amount of attention to himself. Sanders is just compulsively watchable in his performance, whether he is making a remark made as witty and sardonic as possible with Sanders' impeccable voice, or is reacting to another speak with his perfect reactions always dissecting them, and finding weakness or strength or what that say.

Sanders makes Addison the perfect pompous but incredibly intelligent critic, in this lively completely entertaining performance. A great performance in almost every moment he is in adding everything he can even in the smallest of moments, but he is also given one scene just for Sanders to be completely outstanding. This is of course his scene where he finally manipulates Eve, and shows her how things really are. Sanders is simply incredible as Addison destroys Eve's facade and breaks her down. He also shows a slight sensitivity breifly when Eve laughs at him, that Sanders quickly but perfectly weaves into the razor sharp edge of his character. Sanders holds no bars in this scene, and is chilling as he tells of Eve how she is now his. Sanders for this scene alone deserved an Oscar it is that good. With this incredible scene, and all of his other short but scene stealing moments this was an Oscar well deserved for George Sanders.

Best Supporting Actor 1950

And The Nominees Were:

Erich Von Stroheim in Sunset Blvd.

Edmund Gwenn in Mister 880

George Sanders in All About Eve

Jeff Chandler in Broken Arrow

Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle

Before I jump back to Best Actor and gain back my ability to relax as I review here is another Supporting year.