Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1949: Results

5. Kirk Douglas in A Letter To Three Wives- Douglas is effective as usual with his natural charm and intensity. His role though is rather limited, and he lacks that needed chemistry with his on screen wife.

Best Scene: George dissects radio advertisements. 

4. Edmond O'Brien in White Heat- O'Brien's role is overshadowed by Cagney's but he serves his part well as the man of two faces one a loyal gangster and the other a humane face within all the insanity.

Best Scene: Fallon is found out. 

3. Claude Rains in The Passionate Friends- Rains is terrific here taking a thankless role and with it stealing the entire film through his genuine portrayal.

Best Scene: Howard stops Mary's suicide attempt. 

2. Orson Welles in The Third Man- Welles appearance in this film is brief yet he makes a tremendous impact through very memorable portrayal of the slick yet slimy Harry Lime.

Best Scene: Lime's intro.

1. Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets- Good Prediction RatedRStar, George Woolf, and Michael Patison. This was a very close choice between Welles and Guinness as there roles are very different. Where Welles plays one short role brilliantly, Guinness portrays eight different roles. Guinness succeeds incredibly in his roles as he manages to be both visible and invisible at the same time. He does something individual and special for each character leaving a very memorable impression.

Best Scene: The Parson indulges in a drink. 

Overall Rank:

1. Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets
2. Orson Welles in The Third Man
3. Ralph Richardson in The Heiress
4. Claude Rains in The Passionate Friends
5. James Mason in The Reckless Moment
6. Trevor Howard in The Third Man
7. George Sanders in Samson and Delilah
8. Juano Hernandez in Intruder in the Dust
9. Edmond O'Brien in White Heat
10. Robert Ryan in Act of Violence
11. James Whitmore in Battleground
12. Arthur Kennedy in Champion 
13. Dan Duryea in Criss Cross
14. Kirk Douglas in A Letter To Three Wives
15. Bing Crosby in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 
16. David Wayne in Adam's Rib
17. Robert Keith in My Foolish Heart
18. Michael Gough in The Small Back Room 
19. Tom Ewell in Adam's Rib
20. William Bendix in The Big Steal
21. Takashi Shimura in The Quiet Duel
22. Ricardo Montalban in Battleground 
23. Jack Hawkins in The Small Back Room
24. Bernard Lee in The Third Man
25. Victor McLaglen in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
26. Paul Horbiger in The Third Man
27. Isao Kimura in Stray Dog 
28. Ernest Deutsch in The Third Man
29. Gen Shimizu in Stray Dog  
30. Ronald Howard in The Queen of Spades
31. Shepperd Strudwick in All the King's Men 
32. Shemp Howard in Africa Screams 
33. Geoffrey Keen in The Small Back Room
34. Arthur Shields in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
35. Erich Ponto in The Third Man
36. Paul Douglas in A Letter to Three Wives 
37. Hugh Marlowe in Come to the Stable 
38. John Qualen in The Big Steal
39. Porter Hall in Intruder in the Dust 
40. Stephen McNally in Criss Cross
41. Kenjiro Uemura in The Quiet Duel
42. Ben Johnson in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
43. Siegfried Breuer in The Third Man
44. Steven Cochran in White Heat
45. Fred Clark in White Heat 
46. Berry Kroeger in Act of Violence
47. Henry O'Neill in Holiday Affair
    
48. George Macready in Alias Nick Beal 
49. Harry Morgan in Holiday Affair
    
50. Anthony Dawson in The Queen of Spades 
51. Michael Medwin in The Queen of Spades
52. Luther Adler in House of Strangers
53. Paul Stewart in Champion 
54. Paul Valentine in House of Strangers
55. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in House of Strangers
56. Roy Roberts in The Reckless Moment
57. Dean Jagger in Twelve O'Clock High
58. John Agar in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
59. Harry Carey Jr. in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 
60. Kent Smith in My Foolish Heart
61. John Agar in Sands of Iwo Jima 
    
62. John Derek in All the King's Men
63. Raymond Greenleaf in All the King's Men
64. Gordon Gebert in Holiday Affair
65. Henry Wilcoxon in Samson and Delilah
66. Jules Munshin in On the Town
67. Jeffrey Lynn in A Letter to Three Wives
68. Russ Tamblyn in Samson and Delilah 

Next Year: Either 1935 or a special set of nominees. I haven't decided yet. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1949: Kirk Douglas in A Letter To Three Wives

Kirk Douglas did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying George Phipps in A Letter to Three Wives.

A Letter to Three Wives tells the story of the turmoil three women suffer after receiving a letter from their mutual friend that she has run off with one of their husbands, although she does not say which one. This is a decent enough film that is rather forgotten despite winning Best Director for Joseph L. Mankiewicz, although William Wyler, William Wellman, and Carol Reed would have been better choices.

The three husbands include Jeffrey Lynn who is quite a dullard, Paul Douglas who is the standard rich guy whose performance is pretty uninteresting although he is pretty good in his last scene. Kirk Douglas is the most interesting of the husbands mostly because he is played by Kirk Douglas. Each of the husbands have some sort of trouble with their wives George Phipps's problems is he feels somewhat emasculated that he makes less that his money than his radio writer drama wife (Ann Sothern), and also becomes rather annoyed by his wife bowing down to the whims of the rather unscrupulous advertisers for the radio.

Douglas gives the best performance in the film which isn't saying too much really, but here he does show his ability to steal scenes in a film in a supporting role in a similar fashion to the way he does it in a leading role. Douglas relies as usual on his ample amount of intensity he has in his possession that he can turn on and off in a matter of seconds but still make it seem entirely believable within his character. He does that here quite well when his character bashes the radio advertisers in particularly brutal fashion which Douglas handles with a delightful energy which gives life to the film well establishes properly the conflict in his character.

Of course Kirk Douglas's whole performance is not intense and he has a few scenes of being just his charming old self which he does so well, and due to his ability to switch from intensity to charm so effective and naturally it really makes the revelations of his character work out properly. This is a good performance by Kirk Douglas but not a great one as his role is very limited, and more importantly he and Sothern really do not have that much chemistry. This luckily is not that much of a problem as they are suppose to be not getting along for most of the film, but it leaves the ending of the film having a fairly minor impact. Entirely on his own though Douglas gives a good efficient performance.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1949

And the Nominees Were Not:

Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets

Claude Rains in The Passionate Friends

Orson Welles in The Third Man

Edmond O'Brien in White Heat

Kirk Douglas in A Letter to Three Wives

Alternate Best Actor 1951: Results

5. Farley Granger in Strangers on a Train- Granger gives a good performance that is likable well never avoiding the weaker aspects of the character. The film belongs to his co-star though.

Best Scene: Guy meets Bruno. 

4. James Mason in the Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel- Mason gives a strong assured performance despite being in a somewhat thankless role.

Best Scene: Rommel gives his final goodbye to his family.

3. Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole- Douglas gives a slick and sharp performance that succeeds in portraying both his character's immorality and the eventual conscience he gains.

Best Scene: Chuck finally gains morality. 

2. Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train- Walker gives an amazing villianous turn in this film that is both chilling and a delight to watch.

Best Scene: Bruno stalks Guy's wife. 

1. Alastair Sim in Scrooge- Good Prediction Koook160, and Michael Patison. Sim gives a great performance as the often played Ebenezer Scrooge. He succeeds in every aspect of the role from the cold business man through his transformation than finally an exuberant man who has found a new lease on life. This really is just a matter of having to put someone in first place at the moment. I am not one hundred percent sure of this decision, as each time I think of Walker's performance I feel like I should give him the win. Although this is hardly my final decision the win goes to Sim for the moment.

Best Scene: Scrooge takes up his Nephew's invitation after all. 

Overall Rank:

1. Michael Redgrave in The Browning Version
2. Alastair Sim in Scrooge
3. Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train
4. Trevor Howard in Outcast of the Islands
5. Claude Laydu in Diary of a Country Priest
6. Montgomery Clift in A Place in The Sun
7. Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob
8. Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire
9. Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole
10. Robert Donat in The Magic Box
11. Canada Lee in Cry, The Beloved Country
12. James Mason in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
13. Van Heflin in The Prowler
14. Alec Guinness in The Man in the White Suit
15. Kirk Douglas in Detective Story
16. James Mason in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
17. Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory
18. Masayuki Mori in The Idiot 
19. Robert Ryan in On Dangerous Ground
20. Kirk Douglas in Along a Great Divide
21. Oskar Werner in Decision Before Dawn 
22. Richard Basehart in Fourteen Hours
23. Paul Douglas in Fourteen Hours
24. Farley Granger in Strangers on a Train  
25. Raj Kapoor in Awaara
26. Humphrey Bogart in The Enforcer
27. James Cagney in Come Fill The Cup
28. Gene Evans in The Steel Helmet 
29. Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still 
30. Gregory Peck in Captain Horatio Hornblower
    
31. Glenn Ford in The Secret of Convict Lake
32. Charles Boyer in The First Legion
33. Lee J. Cobb in Sirocco
34. Cary Grant in People Will Talk 
35. Robert Mitchum in The Racket
36. Richard Widmark in The Frogman
37. Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen
38. Robert Rounsenville in The Tales of Hoffmann
39. Bing Crosby in Here Comes the Groom
40. Gene Kelly in An American in Paris
41. Robert Ryan in The Racket
42. Humphrey Bogart in Sirocco 
43. John Lund in The Mating Season 
44. Lyle Bettger in The First Legion
45. Fredric March in Death of a Salesman
46. Robert Taylor in Quo Vadis

Next Year: 1951 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1951: Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole

Kirk Douglas did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Chuck Tatum in Ace in the Hole.

Ace in the Hole is a brilliant film about a former big time journalist who tries to make it big again by exploiting a man who has found himself stuck in a cave.

Kirk Douglas is a great actor and delivered not one but two performances worth mentioning in 1951. He was probably closer to being Oscar nominated for his performance in Detective Story as a hardworking but perhaps over zealous detective who goes off the deep end. He portrays the part very well, and even manages to sell the somewhat melodramatic breakdown his character suffers at the end of the film. His even more remarkable performance though comes in Ace in a Hole as Chuck Tatum a news paper man who is rather unscrupulous in his efforts to get a big story.

Douglas early on the film knows how to make Chuck a reporter with a lot of intense ambition in him that probably does not have too many positive aspects to it. Douglas from the start shows Chuck to be a restless man, and clearly some sort of axe to grin and it is clear from the start he will not have too many scrupulous feelings when it comes to desire to make it big again. It would be easy for Chuck Tatum to be just far too unlikable in the way he seems to be so uncomfortable in fairly reasonable surroundings, but Douglas just has so much charisma and energy in the part that he pretty much overrides the inherit problems within Chuck's personality.

Chuck finds his story of a man named Leo who has accidentally gotten stuck in a cave. Chuck seizes this opportunity to its fullest making a literal circus of the tragic event in every way possible and along with Leo's wife tries to take every single profit he can possible take from Leo's poor predicament. Chuck even goes so far as to bribe the local sheriff, and force the rescue effort to take a slow approach to saving Leo to make it so the story lasts even longer. Douglas takes on this immorality with a big smile on his face, and absolutely sells this idea of his careless drive in Chuck that makes him think of only his own profit despite a man's life being in danger.

Douglas is perfectly unabashed in his delivery of Chuck's ambition, and he knows exactly how to do it that he throws himself so much into this that he even brings the audience along in his tireless escapade. Douglas makes just how far Chuck goes believable so far that he even forces Leo's flirtatious wife to play the part of the caring spouse. Douglas just has the right forceful intensity, and joy that shows just how much Chuck loves to build the story up that sets the course of going too far. Importantly Kirk Douglas in the scenes where Chuck talks to Leo has subtle moments of morality which Douglas brings to his performance to just the right degree to build to the conclusion of his performance properly.

Near the end of the film when appears Leo may die due to Chuck forcing the delayed rescue Chuck has a moral revelation. Douglas is quite powerful as Chuck quickly breaks down at seeing just what he has created, and sees how low he has fallen. He loses the joy but the intensity stays now in a hatred. A hatred not only of those others who have profited from it like Leo's wife, but as well a hatred of himself due to his behavior. He absolutely delivers in these pivotal scenes showing just how much Leo's fate really does weight on Chuck by the end. It would have been easy to make Chuck to sanctimonious here, or seem out of character. Douglas finds just the right way to play this end to Chuck by never forgetting the self loathing as well as brilliantly building to this point through his subtle moments beforehand. This a strong slick performance by Douglas which knows exactly how to bring the most out of Billy Wilder's script.

Alternate Best Actor 1951

And the Nominees Were Not:

Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole

James Mason in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel 

Alastair Sim in Scrooge

Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train

Farley Granger in Strangers on a Train

Alternate Supporting Actor 1947: Ranking

 The simple truth about this year is that there are not a great deal of performances that really stick out that need to be nominated. The lead performances just stand out with far more strength than the supporting ones. Even in a film like Odd Man Out, which has a solid supporting cast none of the supporting players hold attention nearly as well as James Mason's lead performance. That is the case for almost every film this year. I will instead just do five short reviews of some fairly random performances, since this year in film there just are not a great deal of supporting performances that stick out as something that really must be reviewed.

Kirk Douglas in Out of Past- Douglas gives an an appropriately devious performance as the film villain. He has a great deal of fun when his character is in control of the situation, but he dials it back properly when he is not. This is not on the level of Richard Widmark's work from this year, since Douglas is not in the film all that much. It is an effectively handled slimy characterization though, and Douglas adds a great deal to his film with his presence. 4/5

F.J. McCormick in Odd Man Out- Odd Man Out has a great deal of fine performances from Robert Newton as a lunatic painter to Robert Beatty's loyal man who tries to help the injured IRA operative Johnny McQueen (James Mason). My favorite though is with McCormick as a slightly daffy bird keeper who tries to profit from finding the operative, but is quite in over his head in the whole affair. McCormick gives a enjoyable performance, that lights up the latter half right when the film needs it. He is quite a bit of fun, and is an effortless comic relief. He also quite effectively brings about a conscious in his character even if it is hasty, McCormick believably handles it. In fact he eventually almost becomes a moral compass of all his own as he sees where the story goes. McCormick's final reactions to end are particularly moving, and powerfully handled. He frankly makes far far more out of his part than really ever seemed required of him. 4.5/5

Gene Lockhart in Miracle on 34th Street- Gene Lockhart is quite enjoyable in this film as the judge who presides over the trial to prove whether Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is Santa Clause or not. His motivation almost entirely comes form his election prospects which he is reminded of constantly by his political manager (William Frawley, doing his usual thing but doing it well). Lockhart's reactions throughout the trail scenes are quite enjoyable, and I particularly enjoy his direct conversations both verbal and non verbal with Frawley's character. This is a nice enjoyable part of the film that is appropriately entertaining. 3.5/5

David Farrar in Black Narcissus- Farrar's character in this film acts as a temptation for the Nuns who have recently come to the Himalayas. Farrar's performance is appropriately virile in his own way, and he makes the problems that develop because of him believable. The main reason for this is that a coldness perpetuates within his performance, though as he both seems to encourage as well as discourage Nuns to have interest in him at the same time. He is not incredible but he serves his function well within the film. 3/5


Charles Coburn and Charles Laughton in The Paradine Case- The Paradine Case is not a very remembered Alfred Hitchcock thriller for a reason. It is rather poorly handled, the leading performance by Gregory Peck does not carry enough of an internal conflict necessary for the film. There is some of Hitchcock's trademark directorial flair but not enough to make up for the lackluster story. The film does have two great character actors in it, Charles Coburn and Laughton who besides sharing a first name also share similar ability to steal scenes through their witty styles. I would say though that Coburn always comes off as a much warmer personality, and Laughton as a colder one. In this film Coburn is the legal adviser for Peck's character. Coburn is his usually charming self, and does his best to add some life to the proceedings. Although he does not save the film he successfully steals all the scenes from Peck that he is given the chance to effectively bringing to life the great legal mind his character is suppose to be. Laughton is given an odd role in that he has a subplot that is bizarre and really does not go anywhere about his character seeming disinterested with everything. Laughton tries to do something with his part, and with his natural charisma does his best, but unfortuantely nothing really comes from the part due to the bizarre requirements of it. Coburn 3.5/5, Laughton 2.5/5

Overall Rank:

1. Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death
2. Louis Jouvet in Quai des Orfèvres
3. F.J. McCormick in Odd Man Out
4. Toshiro Mifune in Snow Trail 
5. Walter Slezak in Born to Kill
6. Kirk Douglas in Out of the Past
7. Robert Ryan in Crossfire
8. Hume Cronyn in in Brute Force 
9. Everett Sloane in The Lady From Shanghai
10. Thomas Gomez in Ride the Pink Horse
11. Charles Bickford in The Woman on the Beach
12. Gene Lockhart in Miracle on 34th Street
13. Van Heflin in Possessed 
14. Robert Beatty in Odd Man Out
15. Lee J. Cobb in Johnny O'Clock
16. William Frawley in Miracle on 34th Street
17. Robert Newton in Odd Man Out
    
18. W.G. Fay in Odd Man Out 
19. Ray Collins in The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer
20. Charles Bickford in Brute Force 
21. Denis O'Dea in Odd Man Out
    
22. Sam Jaffe in 13 Rue Madeleine 
23. Ian Keith in Nightmare Alley
24. George Sanders in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir 
25. Cyril Cusack in Odd Man Out
    
26. Arthur Kennedy in Boomerang! 
27. Monty Woolley in The Bishop's Wife 
28. Richard Conte in 13 Rue Madeleine
29. Elisha Cooke Jr. in Born To Kill 
30. Akitake Kono in Snow Trail
31. Charles Coburn in The Paradine Case
32. Jerome Cowan in Miracle on 34th Street 
33. Clifton Young in Dark Passage
34. Patric Knowles in Ivy
35. Lee J. Cobb in Boomerang!
36. Robert Mitchum in Crossfire
37. Edmond O'Brien in A Double Life
38. David Farrar in Black Narcissus 
39. Raymond Massey in Possessed
40. Philip Tonge in Miracle on 34th Street 
41. Fred Clark in Ride the Pink Horse 
42. Ted De Corsia in The Lady From Shanghai
43. Tom D'Andrea in Dark Passage
44. James Gleason in The Bishop's Wife
45. Herbert Marshall in Ivy
46. Harry Davenport in The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer
47. Percy Kilbride in The Egg and I
48. Porter Hall in Miracle on 34th Street 
49. Cedric Hardwicke in Ivy
50. Boris Karloff in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
51. Rudy Vallee in The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer
52. Keenan Wynn in The Song of the Thin Man
53. Charles Dullin in Quai des Orfèvres
54. Art Smith in Ride the Pink Horse 
55. Charles Bickford in The Farmer's Daughter
56. Charles Laughton in The Paradine Case
57. Leo G. Carroll in The Paradine Case
58. Raymond Massey in The Mourning Becomes Electra
59. Louis Jordan in The Paradine Case
60. John Garfield in Gentleman's Agreement
61. Kirk Douglas in The Mourning Becomes Electra 
62. Bruce Bennett in Dark Passage
63. Philip Terry in Born to Kill
64. George Cooper in Crossfire
65. Brian Donlevy in Kiss of Death 
66. Rory Calhoun in The Red House
67. Leo Genn in The Mourning Becomes Electra 
68. Glenn Anders in The Lady From Shanghai 
69. Sabu in Black Narcissus

Next Year: 1954 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1957: Results

5. Andy Griffith in A Face in the Crowd- Despite an effective beginning to his performance Griffith never quite matches the ambition of his character, even though he does try.

Best Scene: Lonesome Roads is discovered. 

4. Henry Fonda 12 Angry Men- Fonda gives a good performance consistently portraying the steadfast conviction of his part.

Best Scene: His opening disagreement. 

3. Tony Curtis in Sweet Smell of Success- Tony Curtis gives a strong performance that portrays well the abilities of his amoral press agent, and only shows a glint of conscience in the most powerful moments.

Best Scene: Sidney orchestrates Hunsecker's plan. 

2. Toshiro Mifune in Throne of Blood- Toshiro Mifune gives an effectively brutal turn as his version of Macbeth. He holds no bars physically or mentally in his towering performance.

Best Scene: Death by Archers. 

1. Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory- Douglas gives the second best performance that I have seen this year, and gives one of the very best performances as an almost entirely moral character. Douglas never gives a hint of sanctimony, or falseness, but instead powerfully and honestly portrays the deep concern of his character believably throughout the film.

Best Scene: Colonel Dax turns down his promotion. 

Overall Rank:

1. Alec Guinness in The Bridge on The River Kwai
2. Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory
3. Toshiro Mifune in Throne of Blood
4. Robert Mitchum in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
5. Tony Curtis in Sweet Smell of Success
6. Charles Laughton in Witness for the Prosecution
7. William Holden in The Bridge on the River Kwai
8. Marcello Mastroanni in White Nights
9. Anthony Perkins in Fear Strikes Out
10. Victor Sjöström in Wild Strawberries
11. James Stewart in The Spirit of St. Louis
12. Henry Fonda in The Tin Star
13. James Cagney in Man of a Thousand Faces
14. Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men
15. Anthony Quinn in Wild Is the Wind
16. Rod Steiger in Across the Bridge
17. Grande Otelo in Rio Zona Norte
18. Van Heflin in 3:10 to Yuma
19. Anthony Perkins in The Tin Star 
20. Tatsuya Nakadai in Black River
21. Sidney Poitier in Edge of the City 
22. Charlie Chaplin in A King in New York
23. John Cassavettes in Edge of the City 
24. Curd Jürgens in The Enemy Below
25. Michael Redgrave in Time Without Pity
26. Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember
27. Laurence Olivier in The Prince and the Showgirl
28. Robert Mitchum in The Enemy Below
29. Max von Sydow in The Seventh Seal
30. Andy Griffith in A Face in the Crowd
31. Glenn Ford in 3:10 to Yuma
32. Guru Dutt in Pyaasa
33. Gregory Peck in Designing Woman
34. Fumio Watanabe in Black River
35. Montgomery Clift in Raintree County
36. Kirk Douglas in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
37. Burt Lancaster in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
38. Richard Widmark in Time Limit 
39. Grant Williams in The Incredible Shrinking Man
40. Don Murray in The Bachelor Party
41. Dana Andrews in Night of the Demon
42. Fred Astaire in Funny Face
43. Gene Kelly in Les Girls
44. Gary Cooper in Love in the Afternoon 
45. Ben Gazzara in The Strange One
46. Marlon Brando in Sayonara
47. Rock Hudson in A Farewell to Arms 
48. Hal Stalmaster in Johnny Tremaine
49. Lee Philips in Peyton Place 
50. Jeff Morrow in The Giant Claw
51. Don Murray in A Hatful of Rain
52. Anthony Franciosa in A Hatful of Rain

Next Year: 2008 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1957: Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory

Kirk Douglas did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Colonel Dax in Paths of Glory.

Paths of Glory is a brilliant film about the French army court marshaling three men after a failed attack during World War I.

Kirk Douglas portrays the Colonel in charge of the regiment used by the ambitious and pompous General Mireau (George Macready) to take an impossible to overcome German position. Douglas here portrays one of the few officers in the film who is not an amoral man who cares far more about his own military career than for the welfare of his soldiers. As he is one of the few officers who seems to treat the war and casualties as something to be truly concerned about. Douglas portrays Dax as a  man who cares deeply for the lives of his men, although still believes that there is a task that needs to be done. 

Douglas takes a fairly simple but effective approach to the part of Dax. He does not really try to portray Dax in any sort of flamboyant fashion which is fairly common in Kubrick's films. Douglas plays it straight and properly so. In the middle of the men who seem almost insane in their manner towards the war, Douglas shows us a man who stands firm in the belief in his men, even if he does need to still follow orders. Douglas says a lot here with very little as even as he agrees to lead the charge on the hill he shows the genuine concern for the lives of his men as well as his own disbelief in his superior officer.

There is an underlying passion and drive always in this performance bringing to life that Dax is a man of action. Douglas importantly though as well even when he is ordering his men to go out on risky scouting maneuvers that there is always a deeply human compassion within Dax. He is never just a man blindly ordering his men about to risk their lives for the war. Douglas importantly in his performance does manage to portray a caring commanding officer even though he still commits to action. It is an important role within the film itself, and Douglas is excellent because he never seems sanctimonious or false. The goodness of his character always comes through as it needs to.

As the film proceeds Douglas stays though as the steadfast moral center of the film who refuses to accept his superior's stance that his men were cowards after the failed attack. Douglas has a quiet and effective intensity as he stands with his men and tries to help the three accused of the cowardice avoid the firing squad. Douglas is terrific representing all of the frustrations felt by the insanity espoused by his superiors who refuse to come to their senses. Douglas is very strong here and even has just the right about of satirical edge to his performance. In just the smallest reactions during the trial scene he can portray the true lunacy behind the charges.

Douglas never portrays the part as sanctimonious and he is able to portray the intelligence and anger behind Dax. After the men are sentenced to death Dax tries his best to make those who caused this to occur suffer as well as he can for their dreadful actions. Douglas's performance always puts forward the extreme hate, and disgust he has for the amoral officers he serves brilliantly. He never makes him seem like just a rebel, or a pointlessly angry man though. He is always firm and proper in his characterization making his moments where he tells his superior just exactly what he thinks extremely powerful. Douglas is absolutely truthful in this as he makes Dax truly the better man.

This may not be Douglas's most complex character, but this is one of his very best performances. Colonel Dax is an essential character in the film as he is the conscience of the entire film who stands against the structured lunacy of the military heads. Douglas keeps the honesty, and goodness of his character to life without ever being boring, dull, or seem in any way false. Douglas is able to genuinely finds the heart of his character, and becomes the heart of the film realistically throughout the film. Technically speaking it might not be the most showy performance in the film, but Douglas succeeds entirely within his performance achieving in finding the incredible power in his character's passion throughout the film. 

Alternate Best Actor 1957

And the Nominees Were Not:

Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men

Andy Griffith in A Face in The Crowd

Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory

Tony Curtis in Sweet Smell of Success

Toshiro Mifune in Throne of Blood

Best Actor 1952: Results

5. Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge- I was disappointed by Ferrer, since I though he really failed to really get inside of his character. I think had a good moment or two, but overall I think this was a missed opportunity.

4. Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful- Kirk Douglas is good as the producer, who shows well his passion to get to the top as a filmmaker, I think though the colder edge of his character is not well earned by Douglas or the film. Also Douglas not given a conclusive scene for his performance, which leaves his performance from being complete.

3. Gary Cooper in High Noon- I am not really a fan of Cooper or the film High Noon, but he is effective as Marshal Will Kane. He really gives a memorable iconic, if simple turn, that works well as the moral center of the film.

2. Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!- Brando's performance is as strong but quiet effective piece of acting that easily overcomes being miscast as a Mexico revolutionary. I really liked his performance because he played the part with realism and simplicity, and never tried to turn Zapata into a larger than life figure.

1. Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob- Guinness' performance is a well done piece of acting in terms of creating facade, but also showing a clever criminal underneath. But I really do not care about that because more importantly his performance is hilarious. He and Stanley Holloway have terrific comedic chemistry, his comedic timing his brilliant, and some spot on reactions could not be funnier.

Deserving Performances:
John Wayne in The Quiet Man

Best Actor 1952: Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful

Kirk Douglas received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Hollywood producer Johnathan Shields in the Bad and the Beautiful.

The Bad the Beautiful tells an episodic story of how Shields has helped and hurt three people a screen writer, a movie star actress, and a director. It is terribly repetitive story, and when it ended I really thought, "that's it?".

Johnathan Shields is the son of a old filmmaker who has died, and had so little mourners Shields paid extras to go to his funeral. He uses his father's legacy, or lack thereof as an ambition to become a great filmmaker, along with a wannabe director. So they work together to make something special and become noticed. Early in these moments Douglas is his usual charming self which cannot be faulted. He also shows an to ambitious personality which is well handled too. He puts the right passion into his performance that reflects well the passion of Shields in his desire to make it to the top. Well he does, but Shields hurt his director friend by not giving the director the star directing job for Shields' first major film, something the director was integral part of. This first betrayal was well handled by Douglas, but it was only a slight one and really something Shields had do to in the situation.

Shields' next challenge is to turn a downtrodden daughter of a late movie star, Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner) into a star. Douglas is good early in these scenes with Turner, as they are not so romantic together but rather passionate. It is a strange concept, but Douglas handles the relationship as something Shields utilizes to make her into a star. He again shows the right passion, and power in her molding of her that is effective. He does bring her to stardom, but again he betrays her by not returning her love after their triumph together. This time a far larger betrayal and one unfortuantely Douglas does not really portray well enough. He really did not indicate it quite well enough beforehand, and his whole big statement of not wanting to be manipulated by anyone else seems to come out of nowhere. I will blame both the film and Douglas as well on this one. The film always brought it on a little too quickly, but Douglas needed to make a better transition. It is not a terrible part of his performance but it is a weakness especially since he was so successful with a similar character in Champion, here he falls short.

Finally the last person he helps is a novelist/screenwriter (Dick Powell). Douglas in this third of the film actually seems almost transparent and it really does not focus enough on him, and perhaps too much on Powell. He is shown to help the screenwriter by bringing his brilliance out as a writer. Shields though has a flop due to his own direction, and hurts Powell's character by leading his southern belle of a wife into an affair with a movie star, which leads to her death in a airplane crash. Douglas' performance here became pretty much old hat, as he repeated but to an lesser extent what he did in the other two thirds of the film. Not that he is bad, but he just did not add anything to Shields here. He again though did not make Shields' brutal edge entirely believable, although again the film did not give it enough time for it to be really effective. So that's Douglas performance, charming as usual, and properly passionate but lacking in ways. My review might seem like an abrupt cut off but that is the way the film deals with his performance, it just cuts off. Douglas and the film probably have benefited by giving his one scene at the end to show what Shields has become after all these events that have transpired, but the film does not give it to him. I still think it is a good enough performance overall, but it is lacking in some aspects.

Best Actor 1952

And the Nominees Were:

Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful 

Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!

Gary Cooper in High Noon

Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge

Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob

Best Actor 1949: Results

5. Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart- Todd performance never gets the below the surface with his performance. He is okay overall, despite a fairly over the top accent, but never anything special.

4. Gregory Peck in Twelve O'clock High- Peck's sometimes dull, and unemotional manner, works for the role of General Savage. Peck has the right commanding presence in the film, and although his performance is never exactly interesting it does work for the film.

3. John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima- John Wayne gives a standard Wayne performance, as the tough commanding sergeant Stryker. Wayne is fine, and fairly effective especially in reaction shots, but his performance is never anything that special.

2. Broderick Crawford in All The King's Men- Crawford is terrific as the evil slimy Willie Stark, but his transition into the evil Stark from a the good Stark is haphazard. Also in his public persona scenes as Stark he lacked the right amount of charisma to make his ascension to power completely believable.

1. Kirk Douglas in Champion- Douglas begins in the film as an incredibly charming guy, but than slowly dissolves into a manipulative cold man. Douglas' believable and carefully done transformation shows to Crawford, and Todd, how to do a character transformation properly.

Deserving Performances:

James Cagney in White Heat
Dennis Price in Kind Hearts and Coronets

Best Actor 1949: Kirk Douglas in Champion

Kirk Douglas received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Micheal 'Midge' Kelly in Champion.

Champion is a pretty well made film noir as a man becomes rises as a boxer but falls as a man.

Midge Kelly at the beginning of the film is shown to be the champion of the world in boxing. It then flashes back to his very humble beginnings as just a normal Joe traveling through with his brother Connie Kelly (Arthur Kennedy). They are both struggling to find his way, and early here Douglas is his usual very charming self. Douglas early shows Micheal a charming guy, who is quick to get into a fight to make a quick buck, or defend himself or his brother.

Midge and his brother find themselves on the wrong end of a scam, and instead of owning part of a diner they end up workers at it. There is the small concession of the beautiful daughter of the diner owner Emma (Ruth Roman), who Midge charms quickly, which is quite natural since Douglas is especially charming here. Midge and Connie leave though after Midge is forced into a shotgun wedding by Emma's father once he finds out that she and Midge are having a relationship. Midge instantly leaves with Connie after the wedding, Douglas here suggests well another side of Midge, a darker side that refuses to be controlled, or kept in a position by someone else.

Midge finds he is a natural in boxing, and after training quickly begins winning matches.  Midge stays charming for awhile, and passionately refuses again to throw a fight to appease gamblers. Because of this and his fairly sudden rise to the top this brings out a different side of Midge. Midge who forgets his old manger who helped him from the beginning and his brother. Douglas becomes properly cold, and loses his charm. Douglas suggested this of Midge early on and he slowly realizes this change in Midge for it to be properly effective.

Midge begins not only to disregard everyone else for his success but he also begins to coldly manipulate them as well. Douglas is coldly effective in two scenes particular, where he manipulates a woman Grace Diamond he has being going with for awhile who attempts to manipulate him, but his cold denial of her, and his rejection of her is outstanding. Another manipulation Midge does is he manipulates his wife not to get a divorce. Douglas shows Midge to still be charismatic, but now in a stark cruel fashion. This change of Midge is chilling because Douglas properly brought Midge to this point, and also because the degradation of Midge as a person is so great. 

Douglas' performance is especially effective because he does not try to portray Midge as a villain but as a truly fallen man. He did not fall exactly because Midge was always an bad man, but Douglas portrays it that he did because his want of survival, and his refusal to be looked at as lower than someone else. I particularly think Douglas' final moments are incredibly powerful because he shows the real honest cause of Midge's fall at the end of the film as he spouts himself as the Champion and finally showing everyone else that he is better well being punch drunk in a sad final moment of a once charming honest man who has fallen to nothing.

Best Actor 1949

And the Nominees Were:

John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima 

Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High 

Broderick Crawford in All The King's Men

Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart

Kirk Douglas in Champion