Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1978: Results

6. Sam Shepard in Days of Heaven- Sam Shepard doesn't completely escape the limitations put upon him by Terrence Malick's style but he still gives an intriguing performances within these confines.

Best Scene: The farmer figures out Bill and Abby.

5. John Vernon in Animal House- Vernon gives a hilarious performance through his deadly intensity as a particularly hateful Dean.

Best Scene: Dean Wormer tells the members of Delta their GPAs.

4. Harry Dean Stanton in Straight Time- Stanton has a limited role, but steals the film with his portrayal of a down to earth professional criminal.

Best Scene: Max and Jerry hold up a bank.

3. John Cazale in The Deer Hunter- John Cazale in his final performance gives an effective portrayal of the pathetic member of the group of friends.

Best Scene: Stan is forced to play a game of Russian roulette by Michael.

2. John Savage in The Deer Hunter- John Savage gives a moving portrayal of the most easy going member of the group of friends who has to bear terrible trauma from his time in the Vietnam war.

Best Scene: Steven is unable to bear the idea of playing Russian roulette.

1. Gene Hackman in Superman- Good Prediction Michael Patison, RatedRStar, Lezlie. Gene Hackman gives a great performance as always this time being absolutely hilarious with just the right amount of menace thrown in. 

Best Scene: Lex Luthor reveals the Kryptonite.

Overall Rank:

1. Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter
2. Gene Hackman in Superman
3. John Savage in The Deer Hunter
4. Yaphet Kotto in Blue Collar
5. John Cazale in The Deer Hunter
6. Harry Dean Stanton in Straight Time 
7. Michael Graham Cox in Watership Down
8. John Vernon in Animal House
9. Christopher Plummer in The Silent Partner
10. James Mason in The Boys From Brazil
11. Richard Farnsworth in Comes a Horseman
12. Barry Bostwick in Movie Movie
13. Sam Shepard in Days of Heaven
14. Jean Carmet in Violette Nozière
15. Ned Beatty in Superman 
16. James Mason in Heaven Can Wait
17. John Hurt in Midnight Express
18. Scott Reineger in Dawn of the Dead
19. Bruce Dern in The Driver
20. Dudley Moore in Foul Play
21. Robert Morley in Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
22. George Dzundza in The Deer Hunter
23. Michael V. Gazzo in Fingers
24. Peter Carroll in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
25. M. Emmet Walsh in Straight Time
26. John Hurt in The Lord of the Rings 
27. Bruce Dern in Coming Home
28. Alan Bates in An Unmarried Woman
29. Warren Oates in The Brink's Job
30. Edward Fox in Force 10 From Navarone
31. Glenn Ford in Superman 
32. Jackie Cooper in Superman
33. Marc McClure in I Wanna Hold Your Hand
34. Jack Warden in Heaven Can Wait
35. Jeff Goldblum in Invasion of the Body Snatchers
36. Ernest Borgnine in Convoy
37. Jason Robards in Comes a Horseman
38. John Belushi in Animal House   
39. Paul Sorvino in The Brink's Job
40. Harry Andrews in Watership Down
41. Burgess Meredith in Magic
42. Marlon Brando in Superman
43. Stephen Furst in Animal House 
44. E.G. Marshall in Interiors 
45. Bobby Di Cicco in I Wanna Hold Your Hand
46. Chuck Aspegren in The Deer Hunter 
47. Richard Briers in Watership Down 
48. Terrence Stamp in Superman 
49. Roy Kinnear in Watership Down 
50. Zero Mostel in Watership Down 
51. Burgess Meredith in Foul Play 
52. Michael Douglas in Coma
53. David Niven in Death on the Nile
54. Buck Henry in Heaven Can Wait
55. Joss Ackland in Watership Down 
56. Brian Dennehy in Foul Play
57. Simon MacCorkindale in Death on the Nile  
58. Brad Dourif in Eyes of Laura Mars
59. Halvar Bjork in Autumn Sonata
60. Bruce McGill in Animal House 
61. Seymour Cassel in Convoy
62. Leonard Nimoy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers
63. Randy Quaid in Midnight Express  
64. Christopher Lloyd in Goin' South
65. Vittorio Gassman in A Wedding 
66. Leo McKern in Damien: Omen II
67. James Stewart in The Big Sleep
68. Allen Garfield in The Brink's Job
69. Kevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers  
70. Robert J. Wilke in Days of Heaven 
71. Richard Boone in The Big Sleep
72. F. Murray Abraham in The Big Fix
73. Rene Auberjonis in Eyes of Laura Mars
74. Lance Henriksen in Damien: Omen II
75. Kevin Bacon in Animal House
76. Eli Wallach in Movie Movie
77. Richard Widmark in Coma
78. Sid Caesar in Grease
79. Charles Grodin in Heaven Can Wait  
80. John Cassavettes in The Fury
81. Dennis Christopher in A Wedding
82. Bruno Ganz in The Boys From Brazil 
83. Jean-Pierre Cassel in The Meetings of Anna
84. Red Buttons in Movie Movie 
85. Charles Durning in An Enemy of the People
86. Donald Sutherland in Animal House
87. Denholm Elliot in The Boys From Brazil 
88. Paul Dooley in A Wedding
89. Charles Durning in The Fury
90. Gary Busey in Straight Time 
91. Jack Thompson in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith 
92. John Lithgow in The Big Fix
93. Richard Jordan in Interiors
94. Carl Weathers in From 10 From Navarone
95. Ed Lauter in Magic 
96. Tom Hulce in Animal House  
97. Sam Waterston in Interiors
98. Dai Bradley in The Absolution
99. Murray Hamilton in Jaws 2
100. Jack Warden in Death on the Nile
101. Marc McClure in Superman 
102. Charles Cyphers in Halloween
103. Trevor Howard in Superman
104. Michael Murphy in An Unmarried Woman
105. Raul Julia in Eyes of Laura Mars 
106. Billy Connolly in Absolution
107. Paul Sorvino in Bloodbrothers
108. William Squire in The Lord of the Rings
109. George Kennedy in Death on the Nile
110. Robert Carradine in Coming Home 
111. Jon Finch in Death on the Nile 
112. Eddie Deezen in I Wanna Hold Your Hand
113. Oliver Reed in The Big Sleep
114. James Widdoes in Animal House
115. Harry Andrews in Superman
116. Fritz Weaver in The Big Fix
117. Brian Andrews in Halloween
118. Charles Martin Smith in The Buddy Holly Story  
119. Tony Lo Bianco in Bloodbrothers
120. Jeff Conaway in Grease
121. Steven Guttenberg in The Boys From Brazil
122. Don Stroud in The Buddy Holly Story 
123. John Houseman in The Cheap Detectvive
124. John Belushi in Goin' South 
125. Jan Michael Vincent in Hooper
126. Peter Riegert in Animal House
127. Tim Matheson in Animal House
128. Edward Fox in The Big Sleep
129. Joseph Mascolo in Jaws 2
130. Mark Metcalf in Animal House 
131. Jeffrey Kramer in Jaws 2
132. James Daughton in Animal House
133. Barry Pearl in Grease 
134. James Coco in The Cheap Detective
135. Don Deluise in The Cheap Detective
136. Richard Kiel in Force 10 from Navarone
137. Michael Tucci in Grease
138. Michael Scholes in The Lord of the Rings
139. Andrew Stevens in The Fury

Next Year: 1931 lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1978: John Vernon in Animal House

John Vernon did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dean Vernon Wormer in National Lampoon's Animal House.

I have to be honest National Lampoon's Animal House is a film I just don't find all that funny. There are funny parts sure, but as whole I just did not laugh all that much. Also some of the performance namely those given by Peter Riegert and Tim Matheson are pretty charmless.

The character of the man of power who hates our "favorite" wacky characters is a very common occurrence in comedies of this type. These characters are usually not very funny like Ted Knight in Caddyshack who was just rather dull as he kind of sorta tries to be funny while being angry. John Vernon as Dean Wormer though is a rarity in that he is not only funny but actually the funniest part of this film. John Vernon who was no stranger to playing authority figures takes on Dean Wormer with, oddly enough, even more conviction then his performances as such characters in serious films like the mayor in Dirty Harry for example.

John Vernon plays the role of Dean Wormer as evil very determined villain that could almost be transferred to a dramatic film without much trouble. Vernon though does know what film he is in but plays the Dean as if the loutish behavior of Delta house is the worst thing possible and must be stopped with extreme prejudice. Vernon's approach is absolutely perfect as he gives such a passionate performance in portraying the unending hatred that the Dean feels toward Delta house which makes him do whatever he can to end their existence at his college.

Vernon is hilarious because of how seriously he plays the part. He never takes time to ham it up, as these roles are usually played, instead he stays steadfast in his portrayal of the Dean's disgust of Delta house. Every scene with Vernon is treat because of his fervent portrayal of the Dean that is always funny because of Vernon intensity which does not cease ever during his film. One particularly enjoyable scene is when he visits the Deltas to tell them about their secret double probation. A fairly over the top evil theme plays which completely goes along with Vernon brilliantly dark way of playing the Dean.

John Vernon very best scene though is when he calls in the Deltas and tells each of them their GPAs and the fact that not only will they be expelled but the Dean has purposefully told their local draft boards they are ready for military service. Vernon is comedic gold in the scene as he shows such a sadistic pleasure when delivering his final judgment against the slackers of the Delta house. The scene, at least on the Dean's end, does not have necessarily funny about it in terms of his lines. What makes the scene is entirely Vernon's performance which is so humorously extreme in his portrayal of the Dean's satisfaction of finally getting the Deltas where he wants them.

The part of Dean Wormer very well could have been the way the part of the uptight authority figure is usually portrayed in this type of film which is always rather boring and often times the worst part of the film. John Vernon though manages to actually be the best part of his film through his determined performance as the hate filled Dean, and shows how parts of this nature should be played. John Vernon gives a brilliant performance by going all the way with the part of the Dean, by taking the part from more then just an angry man to a man consumed with an obsessive hate which allows him the greatest of pleasures from even the slightest victories.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1978

And the Nominees Were Not:

John Cazale in The Deer Hunter

John Savage in The Deer Hunter

Gene Hackman in Superman

Sam Shepard in Days of Heaven

Harry Dean Stanton in Straight Time

John Vernon in Animal House

Out of the The Deer Hunter men I'll give the honors to the actor giving his final performance.