5. James Gleason in Here Comes Mr. Jordan- Gleason does not give much of a performance here, and basically does nothing but making surprised and confused faces over and over again.
4. Walter Brennan in Sergeant York- Although I do like what he does, and his performance is by far the best in the film, that just is not that much.
3. Donald Crisp in How Green Was My Valley- Crisp gives a very quiet and subtle performance that is very effective throughout the film. Also it always has the right realistic and authentic quality needed for the film.
2. Charles Coburn in The Devil and Miss Jones- Coburn gives a charming and very funny performance as a rich millionaire who finds out his workers are not exactly what he thought they were. His slow transition is perfectly handled and just gives a strong performance throughout the film. He might in fact be my personal choice for lead this year.
1. Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon- Greenstreet is just great as Casper Gutman, creating an incredibly memorable villain. He is only in really three scenes but he is absolutely brilliant in all three scene finding the perfect style and demeanor for his character, making him both fascinating and entertaining to watch.
