Best Supporting Actor 1975: Results

5. Jack Warden in Shampoo- Warden is descent and humorous enough in the stock role of a hapless rich guy always being fooled by some hip young guy.

4. Chris Sarandon in Dog Day Afternoon- Sarandon in his two scenes is great creating an interesting character as well as a complex a believable relationship with Pacino's character.

3. Brad Dourif in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest- Dourif adds well to his film giving a heartbreaking performance as a very troubled young man that effectively adds to the ensemble and has one truly great individual moment.

2. George Burns in The Sunshine Boys- Burns gives a very enjoyable and funny dead pan performance. He never budges an inch and is entertaining in every scene.

1. Burgess Meredith in Day of the Locust- Coming down to two aging vaudevillian only makes this race even closer. This choice was one of my hardest to make in the category, and really they are both equally great in their own ways, and this is really a case I don't have much of a reason otherwise than Meredith is terrific in his role of both a tragic and inspiring man who seems to always be on death door yet there is always a great deal of joy and life in him as well.

Deserving Performances:
Robert Shaw in Jaws
John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon
Charles Durning in Dog Day Afternoon
Max von Sydow in Three Days of the Condor

Best Supporting Actor 1975: Jack Warden in Shampoo

Jack Warden received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Lester Karpf in Shampoo.

Shampoo tells of a hairdresser George Roundy (Warren Beatty) various affairs and the troubles that ensue from them.

Jack Warden portrays Lester a wealthy man who is the husband of one of George's lovers, and is well having an affair with another. He is hapless in that he does not suspect George is having an affair with either of them because he believes George to be gay. This actually is not too much of a role for Warden and it is a pretty standard rich man duped by those around him. He usually is a bit confused, or a bit annoyed, by those around him. This really is quite the stock role for Warden in this film, but I will say though since Warden is always a competent character, he still is fine in the role even if it is simple.

Warden certainly fulfills the role and is believable as the rich man who really does not know very much about those around him even if he thinks he does. His reactions at the various situations are humorous enough while not going over the top making it so when he finally does realize what is going on it is believable that he would. There really is just not much to be said about his performance here, because the role really is quite simple, but whatever he does do in the role Warden does do well. It is not particularly spectacular work, but Warden as usual knows how to portray the part.

Lester could have been an extremely unlikable character due to his behavior in many scenes, but I will credit to Warden for having a certain natural charm to keep Lester from being completely despicable. In fact in a few of the later scenes Warden carefully but effectively shows a bit of a nicer side to Lester. In the end though there just is not a lot to the character, so there really is not much to his performance. Warden though successfully plays the part, he does what is required not much more, but certainly no less. This is not a great performance but it is fine work from a fine character actor.

Best Supporting Actor 1975

And The Nominees Were:

Chris Sarandon in Dog Day Afternoon

Burgess Meredith in The Day of The Locust

George Burns in The Sunshine Boys

Brad Dourif in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Jack Warden in Shampoo

And here it is my final year in the supporting category.

Best Supporting Actor 1978: Results

5. Jack Warden in Heaven Can Wait- Warden has a rather small role but he gives a nice humorous as well as warm performance that supports leading man Warren Beatty rather well

4. Bruce Dern in Coming Home- Dern is fine for most of the film and does have a few effective scenes, but he can never fully make up for the weaknesses in the writing for his character.

3. John Hurt in Midnight Express- Hurt gives an interesting portrait of a man wasted away by prison unfortunately the film is uses his character for atmosphere more than anything limiting Hurt's potential.

2. Richard Farnsworth in Comes A Horseman- Just like Hurt and Dern his film seems oddly unconcerned with his character. Farnsworth though still is a delight every time he is on screen, and is absolutely heartbreaking when he is finally given the chance to do more.

1. Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter- Good prediction Eddie. Walken easily wins this year giving an outstanding performance that is unforgettable. He creates a remarkable portrait of a solider who loses his mind over the trauma faced during the war.

Deserving Performances:
Gene Hackman in Superman
John Savage in The Deer Hunter
John Cazale in The Deer Hunter

Best Supporting Actor 1978: Jack Warden in Heaven Can Wait

Jack Warden received his second and final Oscar nomination for portraying Max Corkle in Heaven Can Wait.

Heaven Can Wait which is the superior remake of the 1941 original Here Comes Mr. Jordan. The films similarities go further than just their stories and characters. They also received many of the same Oscar nominations such as receiving Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor nominations for the same roles. Credit must be given to Heaven Can Wait as it is superior in almost every way every character and every performance except one. I would say James Mason and Claude Rains are probably just about equally effective in the role of Mr. Jordan.

Interestingly enough I also believe that another similar aspect between the films is the fact that if a supporting actor should have been nominated from the film it should have been actor portraying Mr. Jordan both times instead of the actor portraying the trainer of the lead character Joe Pendleton, Max Corkle. Nevertheless though Jack Warden is absolutely better in the role then James Gleason was in the original film. Gleason mostly spent the whole 1941 film making overacted surprised look after surprised look Jack Warden actually turns Max Corkle into a believable character.

From what I have seen of Warden's filmography he seemed to specialize in friends/mentors of the main character. Warden probably was found so commonly in the role though because he was certainly good in these sort of roles. As Max Corkle early in the film Warden shows this by just being a nice warm presence in the film as the friend of Warren Beatty's Joe. Warden doesn't overdo it and just actually manages to be the friend Max Corkle should be. He is likable enough as Max in a rather effortless fashion that doesn't try to overplay the part as Gleason did in the same role.

This continues to be true when Corkle is faced with the confusion of finding Joe in another body and being told of the troubles faced on his ways to heaven. Gleason at this point in his performance turned on his face of confusion making the same surprised look over and over again. Warden again is far more effective in the role by not doing this. Warden more realistically reacts to it by just showing Corkle at first being in absolute disbelief at first, and just wanting to basically get away from a man that he finds is insane. Warden makes Corkle reactions simple but far more humorous than Gleason's overblown reactions.

Jack Warden's stays supporting of Beatty's character through the rest of the film trying to help him achieve the dream of being a football quarterback. He is appropriately supportive and warm as well as humorous enough when being confused by the supernatural events transpiring around. Warden stays just fine as he really is not given too much to do, but he stays effective enough in the role as the film continues along.Warden particularly is quite moving at the very end of the film when he shows just how much Joe really meant to Max. This is not an amazing performance by any means, I don't know anyone really could be amazing in the role of Max Corkle but Warden probably is just about as good as anyone could be in the role.

Best Supporting Actor 1978

And the Nominees Were:

Richard Farnsworth in Comes A Horseman

Bruce Dern in Coming Home

Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter

Jack Warden in Heaven Can Wait

John Hurt in Midnight Express