Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1953: Results

5. Lee Marvin in The Wild One - Marvin steals the film in just a couple of scenes with his entertaining portrayal of a boisterous biker.

Best Scene: The Beetles arrive into town.

4. Otto Preminger in Stalag 17 - Preminger gives an enjoyable, with just enough menace, performance as the smug camp commandant.

Best Scene: The man trying to "escape" is killed.

3. Jay Robinson in The Robe - Robinson makes himself the highlight of the film by giving a lively energetic performance in an otherwise rather bland film.

Best Scene: Gallio's trail.

2. John Gielgud in Julius Caesar - Gielgud gives a great performance through his devious portrayal of Cassius that acts a particularly effective counterpoint to James Mason's honest portrayal of Brutus.

Best Scene: Cassius before the battle.

1. Ernest Borgnine in From Here to Eternity - This year came down for me between Gielgud who gives a great performance with a great material against Borgnine who gives a gives a great performance with very limited material. Although Borgnine only has a few minutes of screen time he makes a substantial impact with his intimidating portrayal of a vicious soldier.

Best Scene: Fatso warns Maggio

Overall Rank:

1. Robert Ryan in The Naked Spur
2. Ernest Borgnine in From Here to Eternity
3. John Gielgud in Julius Caesar
4. Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar
5. Jay Robinson in The Robe
6. Otto Preminger in Stalag 17
7. Lee Marvin in The Wild One
8. Boris Karloff in A & C meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
9. Jack Palance in Shane
10. Hans Conried in Peter Pan
11. Richard Erdman in Stalag 17
12. James Mason in The Desert Rats 
13. Charles Laughton in Salome
14. Peter Graves in Stalag 17 
15. Millard Mitchell in The Naked Spur
16. Lee Marvin in The Big Heat
17. Neville Brand in Stalag 17 
18. Ralph Meeker in The Naked Spur
19. Gill Stratton in Stalag 17 
20. Robinson Stone in Stalag 17
21. William Tubbs in The Wages of Fear
22. Sig Ruman in Stalag 17 
23. Robert Strauss in Stalag 17
24. Edmond O'Brien in Julius Caesar
25. Scott Forbes in Charade
26. Robert Newton in The Desert Rats 
27. Bill Thompson in Peter Pan
28. Folco Lulli in The Wages of Fear
29. Brian Aherne in Titanic
30. Edmund Trizcinski in Stalag 17
31. Karl Malden in I Confess
32. Alexander Scourby in The Big Heat
33. Peter van Eyck in The Wages of Fear
34. Louis Calhern in Julis Caesar
35. Harvey Lembeck in Stalag 17
36. Jack Warden in From Here to Eternity
37. Adam Williams in The Big Heat
38. Don Talor in Stalag 17
39. Reginald Denny in A & C meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
40. Anthony Perkins in The Actress 
41. Michael Rennie in The Robe 
42. Tom Tully in The Moon is Blue
43. Ward Bond in Hondo
44. Richard Kiley in Pickup on South Street
45. George Reeves in From Here to Eternity
46. Elisha Cook Jr. in Shane
47. Bela Lugosi in Glen or Glenda
48. Brian Aherne in I Confess 
49. Emile Meyer in Shane
50. Ray Teal in The Wild One
51. Richard Baseheart in Titanic
52. Rhys Williams in Man in the Attic
53. Ryosuke Kagawa in Ugetsu
54. Robert Keith in The Wild One 
55. Philip Ober in From Here to Eternity
56. Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday
57. Cedric Hardwicke in Salome 
58. Donald Sinden in Magambo
59. Harley Power in Roman Holiday
60. Robert Wagner in Titanic
61. Jean-Pierre Aumont in Lili
62. Michael Pate in Hondo
63. Alan Badel in Salome
64. Brandon De Wilde in Shane
65. Dean Jagger in The Robe
66. Harcourt Williams in Roman Holiday
67. Craig Stevens in A & C meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
68. Byron Palmer in Man in the Attic
69. Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity
70. Victor Mature in The Robe
71. Gregory Moffett in Robot Monster

Next Year: 1967 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1953: Jay Robinson in The Robe

Jay Robinson did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Caligula in The Robe.

The Robe is a pretty bland biblical epic with a bland leading performance by Richard Burton and is many ways like Quo Vadis which was also rather bland. Like Quo Vadis though there is one man who refuses to be bland and once again it is the actor playing the Roman Emperor in the film. In Quo Vadis it was Peter Ustinov playing the infamous Roman Emperor Nero, in the Robe it is Jay Robinson who plays perhaps the even more infamous Caligula. Robinson appears in the opening of the film, before Caligula has been made Emperor, to basically attempt to outbid our hero Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton) at a slave auction. Robinson is great as he prances on the scene in a way only a man who knew he was about to have absolute power could. Robinson's smile is perfect showing a man loving his place, but as well a man having a such a joy of performance that it's hard not to have fun watching it.

Robinson's performance is quite good at realizing Caligula's character even though the film technically does not get into Caligula's personal lusts, in fact a different actor could have played him as just some jealous power hungry guy. That's not the case for Robinson who seems to suggest Caligula's various perversions merely in that devious grin of his and just the whole odd way he carries himself in every scene. Robinson seems to show a man who loves various pleasures far too much just in the way he slants in his chair. Honestly Robinson does not waste a gesture in making his Caligula one sick man even though we don't see much of it first hand. Technically speaking most of the time is spent with Caligula terrorizing Gallio eventual wife Diana (Jean Simmons) as he basically wants Gallio dead after he has converted to Christianity. Well even within the limits of the role Robinson still makes sure to get the most out of it.

Robinson is incredibly entertaining in the scenes where Caligula is in some way thwarted in his attempts to get Gallio. Robinson plays Caligula in these scenes like a spoiled brat who's not getting the present he wanted. Robinson is glorious in showing the rampant insanity of Caligula that in it's heart is childish in nature fitting for a man who has anything he wants handed to him no matter how crazy the request may be. My only problem with Caligula in this film is he's not in the film as much as Nero was in Quo Vadis. Robinson has about four scenes in the film and two of those scenes are a bit short. There's just not enough Caligula to go around because he's unquestionably the best part of the film. Robinson energizes the proceedings whenever he shows up and actually makes the film entertaining with his antics. Almost alone Robinson prevents the film from being completely forgettable as he gives one reason to watch the film.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1953

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ernest Borgnine in From Here to Eternity

Otto Preminger in Stalag 17

Jay Robinson in The Robe

John Gielgud in Julius Caesar 

Lee Marvin in The Wild One