Alternate Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor 1930: Lew Ayres and Louis Wolheim in All Quiet on the Western Front and Results

Lew Ayres did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Paul Bäumer in All Quiet on the Western Front.

All Quiet on the Western Front is an excellent film about a group of young men encouraged by the propaganda of their school teacher join the army during World War I and face a harsh reality.

Lew Ayres plays one of the students and is the unofficial leader of the group. In the earliest scenes of the film it is more of ensemble in that it basically has all of the men bunched together in their mutual journey into first becoming soldiers. Ayres at first is just one of them even if he is kinda in the center of many of the shots involving them, but he is technically just part of the group. Ayres does well within this set limitation found in these scenes. He's mostly reduced to a few reactions here and there which are considerably more effective than his comrades who are a bit on the theatrical side. These scenes don't last too long though once they have their first battle and the men start dropping like flies. The film then tightens its focus onto Paul's personal journey form one of the unknowing volunteers to learning to deal with the truth of the war.

Ayres shifts rather interestingly as it seems he's almost going to give a more typical performance from these early sound films which were often over enthusiastic and overcooked when they were not bland. It seems at first that Ayres might partially be in that vein here in his earliest scenes as he's with the other men who are very excited to be part of the army. This seems to be an intentional move on Ayres's part since it does suggest the blind foolishness of the men's view. Ayres intentions seems to be most evident though when he becomes the focus because Ayres is extremely effective in wiping away any idea of the romantic war hero. The thing is he does not even become the hero to the men in this troublesome circumstance really he just goes about being the war while trying not to be killed while also trying his best to do such things as find a decent meal which are sparse found for the soldiers.

Ayres earns the perspective shift as he tries to make the most out of becoming the lead. His first scene where he really gets an especially strong focus is when one of his fellow students is lying on his death bed. There is such a power in Ayres's face in the scene as he portrays the sudden moment where he finally seems to understand the death bluntly by hearing that his friend has always been determined to die by the medical staff. He's again fantastic when he goes to tell the other men about it and he for the moment how he feels about the death. Although it was an intense sadness that Ayres reflected at first, it's interesting as this is not the primary emotion when talking about it. Instead Ayres expresses the confusion of emotions that are going through in Paul at the moment. Sadness is still there, but there is also an odd enthusiasm as Paul also seems to revealing in that for the time he seems to appreciate life, and what it entails, all the more.

One of Ayres's best scenes is when he finds himself stuck in a hole between the two enemy lines, avoiding the bullets from both sides. Unfortunately a soldier from the opposing side eventually jumps into the hole with him. This causes Paul to stab the man to death in a brutally visceral scene. Ayres amplifies this incredibly well by starting with that violence fueled with fear as he ends the man's life. Ayres though is heartbreaking as he shifts away from that violence to Paul having the moment of realizing what it is that he has done. Ayres creates an overpowering feeling of regret and anguish as Paul comes to terms with what he has done, and curses out the war that brought them to this place. It is outstanding scene and Ayres's work contributes greatly as he portrays the way an inhumane action can come from a man who is humane in nature.

Ayres does a tremendous transformation from the glory seeking young man to a bitter soldier. What I find perhaps the most compelling is the way Ayres portrays Paul when he returns home for leave. Paul does not lash out everyone remarking about what should be done. Instead Ayres plays it as though Paul is withdrawn from this false reality being firmly knowing the truth and barely operate in the falseness. The one place where he does break down is listening to his old teacher again. Ayres does not portray it as a passionate hero speaking for his cause, but very effectively as a broken man lashing out at the lie that made him that way. Ayres leaves the end of Paul's journey as hopeless as the war. There is no goal even in his realization of the uselessness since it appears there is nothing he can do about it. The final moments of his performance are particularly poignant. As Paul see a last thing of beauty in the butterfly there is one last glimpse of hope that Ayres expresses beautifully in his face, but like the butterfly it tragically is but a false hope.

Overall Ranking:

1. Lew Ayres in All Quiet on the Western Front
2. Louis Wolheim in Danger Lights  
3. Ronald Colman in Raffles 
4. Lew Ayres in The Doorway To Hell 
5. Ronald Colman in The Devil To Pay 
6. Richard Barthelmess in The Dawn Patrol
7. Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers
8. Gustav Diessl in Westfront 1918
9. Oliver Hardy in Another Fine Mess
10. Stan Laurel in Another Fine Mess 
11. Emil Jannings in The Blue Angel  
12. Walter Huston in Abraham Lincoln  
13. William Powell in Street of Chance 
14. Tatsuo Saitō in I Flunked But... 
15. Lon Chaney in The Unholy Three 
16. Fritz Kampers in Westfront 1918   
17. Minoru Takada in Walk Cheerfully
18. Humphrey Bogart in Up The River
19. Spencer Tracy in Up The River 
20. Basil Rathbone in Sin Takes a Holiday
21. Joel McCrea in The Silver Horde  
22. Jack Buchanan in Monte Carlo
23. Fredric March in Laughter 
24. Tokihiko Okada That Night's Wife 
25. John Wayne in The Big Trail     
26. George F. Marion in Anna Christie 
27. Basil Rathbone in The Bishop Murder Case
28. Charles Farrell in City Girl
29. Maurice Chevalier in The Big Pond 
30. Douglas Fairbanks in Reaching For the Moon
31. Gary Cooper in Morocco 
32. Robert Ames in Holiday 
33. Colin Clive in Journey's End 
34. Chester Morris in The Big House  
35. Kenneth McKenna in Sin Takes a Holiday 
36. Georges Charlia in Prix de beauté
37. George Arliss in The Green Goddess 
38. Robert Armstrong in Danger Lights  
39. Ralph Forbes in The Green Goddess
40. Eddie Cantor in Whoopee! 
41. Bert Wheeler in Hook, Line and Sinker
42. James Hall in Hell's Angels 
43. Ralph Graves in Ladies of Leisure 
44. Robert Woolsey in Hook, Line and Sinker
45. Ben Lyon in Hell's Angels
46. Chester Morris The Divorcee 
47. Phillips Holmes in The Devil's Holiday 
48. John Barrymore in Moby Dick 
49. Gavin Gordon in Romance 
50. John Garrick in Just Imagine 
51. Robert Montgomery in The Big House 
52. El Brendel in Just Imagine 

Louis Wolheim did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Stanislaus Katczinsky in All Quiet on the Western Front.

Louis Wolheim does not play one of the boys but rather is someone who delivers the harsh reality to them. He is one of the seasoned veterans of the conflict who goes about showing the boys the ropes while they head off to battle. Although some of the performances are dated in the film, one that does not really feel dated at all is Wolheim's. As he also showed in Condemned, and his other output from the 30's Wolheim seemed to have a strong understanding of how to act for film as his performance is impeccably well tuned to the camera. There is not of that stagy movement in his performance, Wolheim just seems to be one with the story. In addition to that Wolheim, unlike some silent actors attempting the transition, has a voice that commands the screen, and as well its naturally roughness is a perfect fit for Katczinsky's personality.

Wolheim on one side is that harsh reality that Katczinsky should be. He does not appear to be some noble hero that they might have envisioned as being a seasoned soldier of the war. Wolheim is brilliantly blunt in his performance as there is nothing presumptuous about the way he carries himself as Katczinsky. Wolheim creates a terrific depiction of just a to the point cynicism. Wolheim does not portray Katczinsky as someone who is making any grandstanding speeches about the war, or trying to show himself as somehow better than the men who stick their heads out. Wolheim instead shows him to know that he's basically a work horse for the army, and there is no desire for a false glory promised him. Katczinsky has clearly been in the conflict for a long time and that is reflected so well in Wolheim's hard bitten portrayal. There's no ceremony or pretension in Wolheim's portrayal, just simply a man who knows how best to survive and is doing as such.

What is amazing though is Wolheim is actually the most comforting part of the film. Wolheim is able to present Katczinsky's view of the war as actually a strong wisdom. Wolheim is great in the scene where he is moving the men towards the line the first time and gives them the lowdown on the different types of mortar fire. Wolheim handles the scene with some humor and a surprising bit of heart as Katczinsky attempts to impart his wisdom on the men. Wolheim's delivery is amusing as he is that of the wise mentor telling them about the sounds of the far away mortars and the ones you actually have to worry about. In addition though there is a sense of the concern that Katczinsky suggesting that the man would much rather see the men live rather than die, even if he knows that most of them are going to die. Wolheim is particularly moving in a brief moment where Katczinsky quietly comforts a man who wet himself after they had to hit the ground due to mortar fire.

Wolheim throughout of the rest of the film offers some relief by showing this man who has found his place in the war proceedings and puts everything as simply as possible. I particularly love when he kinda berates Paul for yelling at a driver for driving poorly reminding Paul that if they got broken legs they'd be sent home. Wolheim makes such a pivotal impact with his performance that when he does make his exit in the film it does seem as though all hope is lost. It is unfortunate to have to note that Louis Wolheim died, from apparently stomach cancer, only a year after the release of this film in 1931. If this performance, and the other work that I have seen from him were any indication he would likely have had an extremely successful career well into the sound era. In this film as well as the others he does seem like an actor from another era compared to so many of his co-stars. In an era where supporting characters where often thin caricatures, Wolheim realizes a Stanislaus Katczinsky as man, and gives a truly memorable portrait of a soldier who knows he's in a pointless war.

Supporting Ranking:

1. Louis Wolheim in All Quiet on the Western Front
2. Louis Wolheim in The Silver Horde
3. Fredric March in The Royal Family of Broadway
4. James Cagney in The Doorway To Hell 
5. Neil Hamilton in The Dawn Patrol 
6. Edward Everett Horton in The Holiday 
7. Wallace Beery in Min and Bill  
8. Slim Summerville in All Quiet on the Western Front
9. Richard Alexander in All Quiet on the Western Front
10. Harold Goodwin in All Quiet on the Western Front 
11. Arnold Lucy in All Quiet on the Western Front 
12. Frederick Kerr in The Devil To Pay 
13. Robert Montgomery in The Divorcee  
14. George F. Marion in The Bishop Murder Case 
15. Robert Armstrong in Paid  
16. John Wray in All Quiet on the Western Front 
17. Charles Bickford in Anna Christie 
18. Frederick Kerr in Raffles 
19. James Finlayson in Another Fine Mess  
20. Chico Marx in Animal Crackers
21. Harpo Marx in Animal Crackers 
22. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Dawn Patrol 
23. Ben Alexander in All Quiet on the Western Front 
24. Harry Earles in The Unholy Three 
25. Lewis Stone in Romance 
26. Edward Everett Horton in Reaching For the Moon 
27. Frank Morgan in Laughter 
28. David Torrence in Raffles 
29. Claud Allister in Monte Carlo 
30. Richard Alexander in The City Girl  
31. Fredric March in Sarah and Son  
32. Roland Young in The Bishop Murder Case 
33. Monroe Owsley in The Holiday
34. John Miljohn in Paid 
35. Zeppo Marx in Animal Crackers 
36. Elliott Nugent in The Unholy Three  
37. Tyrone Power in The Big Trail 
38. Noble Johnson in Moby Dick 
39. Kent Douglass in Paid 
40. Lloyd Hughes in Moby Dick 
41. Robert Elliott in The Doorway To Hell

Next Year: 2006 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1938: Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood, Pat O'Brien in Angels With Dirty Faces, Edward Arnold in You Can't Take It With You, and Results

Basil Rathbone did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood.

One must really question what the academy is thinking sometimes like in 1938 when they nominated Basil Rathbone for his performance in If I Were King instead of his performance in The Adventures of Robin Hood which was nominated for best picture. Rathbone's performance in If I Were King is a rather strange one playing the scheming King of the film like a kooky old man for some reason. Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood, as the main physical threat to Robin Hood, gives the much stronger performance then in his Oscar nominated turn.

Sir Guy actually is not the most complex of parts, as he is the bad guy who definitely wants to kill Robin Hood, and at least at first wishes to marry the Maid Marian for himself. There technically is not too much more of him so the rest is really left to Rathbone. Firstly Rathbone is the right physical presence for the role. When he fights he has that right menace to seem the appropriate threat to Robin Hood. More than that though Rathbone plays off Errol Flynn well by counteracting the pleasure Flynn shows in his role, with pleasure in Guy when he tries to kill Robin Hood, a different kind of pleasure though a sadistic pleasure.

Past the action scenes though Rathbone handles Guy well particularly in his relationship to Maid Marian. Although at first Rathbone shows an interest in her as more of for a prize more than anything else, but this soon changes to brief frustration then quickly suspicion when Robin Hood seems to be having a little too much help. Rathbone is very good in his portraying the cunning in Guy as he figures out what Marian is doing, and he does well to make Guy more than just the man who Robin constantly gets the upper hand on.

Rathbone plays the straight villain quite well here while leaving Claude Rains to play the much more flamboyant role of King John. Rathbone does well not to try to attempt to one up Rains in any way instead while Rains takes the high road Rathbone takes the low road. He allows Rains to be the villain who just loves being a villain while he acts the far more serious threat who actually attempts to figure out way to kill Robin Hood. Rathbone stands well within the film allowing Flynn and Rains to be the more lively presences, but all the while making his own impact as the real threat in the film.

Pat O'Brien did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Fr. Jerry Connolly in Angels With Dirty Faces.

Pat O'Brien plays the adults of one of two boys who committed small time crimes when they were young. There difference came in that Jerry was able to outrun the police whereas Rocky (James Cagney) was not able to get away. This created their paths in life with Rocky only becoming more hardened in prison, and slowly becoming a man deeper into the life of crime, whereas Jerry took a very different path becoming a priest who only wishes to do good to help his community particularly the neighborhood boys who could either take the right path or fall into crime as Rocky did.

O'Brien actually has a rather similar role to Spencer Tracy's Oscar winning role in Boys Town. O'Brien's performance and the role though are far more complex than Tracy's work though. One of the best parts of Angels with Dirty Faces is the fact that the good priest and the bad criminal are friends in the film. This might not have worked so well but O'Brien and Cagney, who were best friends in real life, have terrific chemistry together. They just have such a natural warmth to one another and both Cagney and O'Brien suggest the past with one another incredibly well, and O'Brien does well to suggest that Jerry does have a certain nostalgia for his days as a juvenile delinquent along with Rocky.

Jerry and Rocky due come into conflict due to Rocky still engaging in criminal activities well Jerry is trying to stop the criminal activity in the neighborhood. O'Brien is excellent in portraying the humble conviction in Jerry as he tries to stop Rocky from corrupting the boys who idolizes him. The reason O'Brien is so effective though is that within his strong passion for his cause he does as well express his friendship with Rocky. O'Brien suggests that to a certain extent that pressing Rocky in this way does pain Jerry. O'Brien is very genuine as he shows that although he hates what Rocky stands for, he cannot ever forget his strong friendship with him.

O'Brien by always being genuine in portraying how he feels about Rocky gives a true power to his character, and never for a moment does he make Jerry seem the least bit sanctimonious. Near the end of the film Jerry asks Rocky to swallow his pride and do something good with his final moments by pretending to yellow before he is executed that way the boys will not look up to Rocky. This is a difficult scene for O'Brien as Jerry is asking Rocky for a lot in what is his final moments. O'Brien though absolutely earns the moment though because O'Brien is able to express the heartbreak in the scene as it is not just anyone he is asking to go out like coward, its his best friend.

O'Brien performance is essential to the film as one could easily be distracted by all the gangster half of the picture, and actually forget about O'Brien part. O'Brien does not allow that instead he and Cagney make the dynamic between the lives of Jerry and Rocky the best part of the picture. O'Brien's Jerry acts as the perfect anchor to Cagney's Rocky, as he takes the high flying action of the mob dealings and takes it down with the true weight of what those actions bring. The very best moment of O'Brien's performance comes at the end when he asks to boys to pray for the boy who could not run as fast he could. O'Brien gives the line the true poignancy it deserves and makes the conclusion of the film truly heartbreaking.

Edward Arnold did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Anthony P. Kirby in You Can't Take it With You.

You Can't Take it With You is a nicely handled film by Frank Capra about the clash between a family of free spirits the Vanderhoffs and a rich stuffy family.

Edward Arnold plays the head of the rich family who is on the verge of a take over. Arnold is a bit of an underrated character actor of the period who often plays rich and powerful types. Arnold when given the opportunity could do more with his roles than just be commanding in his presence, even though he could be commanding with ease to. At the beginning of this film he plays mostly the rich man who does not seem to care too much about anything other than making more money even if that means walking over his colleagues or demolishing peoples homes if they interfere with his plans.

Arnold is always good at being the rich Scrooge type with his strong forceful personality. Where many actors might have been just only been the rich man, Arnold does bring some nice bits of humanity in the part. Importantly they are short rather subtle moments so no one would think he isn't a ruthless business man, but Arnold does bring these short little moments to establish that there is another man in there trying to get out. These short reactions are very well handled by Arnold such as when shows that Kirby does enjoy some of the antics of Vanderhoff family while his wife is completely appalled by their behavior.

Where every other character in the film is pretty much set in their various roles, Arnold has the one role that changes throughout the course of the film. The change is played out in Arnold's performance in an almost exclusively silent fashion. Arnold therefore has to carry most it himself and he does not disappoint in this regard. He conveys the internal struggle in Kirby in brief little moments that are very well handled. He shows so much in just the way Kirby looks as the harmonic he got from the Vanderhoff's home, and he expresses just how much Kirby honestly wishes to break out of his life.

When Kirby does have its turn around it not only is moving, but it is as well entirely believable because Arnold plants the seeds of the change earlier in the film. Arnold carefully does not go to far with the moments beforehand and does make Kirby the hard shell he should be as well. He earns this change in Kirby, and enables to to have the impact on the film it should. He is the one that makes the very last scene as heartwarming as it is because he only ever portrayed an honest transition from a man who only cares about money to a man who wants to enjoy life for all that it's worth.

Other Performances:

Claude Rains in The Adventures of Robin Hood- As I said in Rathbone review Rains gives the flamboyant villain turn in the film, and actually gives the performance Rathbone should have given in If I Were King. Rains is no stranger in playing evil characters, and Rains usually finds a one to make one evil baddie at least a little different from another. As Prince John Rains plays him as a man who was always a spoiled brat. He does this rather well and is quite good in showing his tyrannical behavior mostly comes from childlike selfish sensibility. Rains is very good in taking the limited role and making entertaining by adding this little eccentricity. It also adds much more to his character by showing why exactly Prince John would act the way he does. Prince John could have been a one note jerk. Rains does more than that though by playing him as a fancy boy, and giving a fairly entertaining performance.

Lew Ayres in Holiday- Lew Ayres plays Katherine Hepburn's brother Ned who is both a musician and a drunkard. Ayers basically does two things in this role saying cynical lines that refute his father's view of the world or cynical lines that support Cary Grant's character's views. Ayres does this rather well actually as always the somber, but not sober source of wisdom. There is not a whole lot for him to do, and unfortunately he doesn't really get to get on the more comedic moments of the film. He does fulfill his part of the story rather well though.

Overall Rank:

1. Pat O'Brien in Angels With Dirty Faces
2. Edward Arnold in You Can't Take It With You
3. Michel Simon in Port of Shadows
4. Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood
5. Claude Rains in The Adventures of Robin Hood
6. Walter Brennan in Kentucky
7. Erich von Stroheim in Les Disparus de Saint-Agil
8. James Stewart in You Can't Take It With You 
9. Louis Jouvet in Hotel du Nord
10. Pierre Renoir in La Marseillaise
11. Michel Simon in Les Disparus de Saint-Agil
12. Franchot Tone in Three Comrades
13. Pierre Brasseur in Port of Shadows 
14. Louis Jouvet in La Marseillaise
15. Robert Morley in Marie Antoinette
16. Lew Ayres in Holiday
17. Ralph Richardson in The Citadel 
18. Paul Lukas in The Lady Vanishes  
19. Armand Bernard in Les Disparus de Saint-Agil
20. Humphrey Bogart in Angels With Dirty Faces 
21. Marcel Mouloudji in Les Disparus de Saint-Agil
22. Ralph Richardson in The Divorce of Lady X 
23. Charles Coburn in Of Human Hearts
24. Basil Radford in The Lady Vanishes
25. John Carradine in Of Human Hearts
26. Robert Young in Three Comrades
27. David Niven in The Dawn Patrol
28. Edward Everett Horton in Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
29. Gene Lockhart in A Christman Carol 
30. Benard Blier in Hotel du Nord
31. Naunton Wayne in The Lady Vanishes 
32. Wilfrid Lawson in Pygmalion 
33. Basil Rathbone in The Dawn Patrol
34. Billy Halop in Angels With Dirty Faces
35. Harry Davenport in You Can't Take It With You
36. Fernard Ledoux in The Human Beast 
37. Donald Crisp in The Dawn Patrol
38. Joseph Schildkraut in Marie Antoinette 
39. Ralph Bellamy in Carefree
40. Edward Everette Horton in Holiday 
41. Don Ameche in Alexander's Ragtime Band 
42. Allen Jenkins in A Slight Case of Murder
43. Walter Catlett in Bringing Up Baby
44. James Finlayson in Block-Heads
45. Cecil Parker in The Lady Vanishes 
46. Rex Harrison in The Citadel 
47. Aime Clariond in Les Disparus de Saint-Agil
48. Claude Rains in Four Daughters
49. Cecil Parker in The Citadel
50. Billy Gilbert in Block-Heads
51. Leo Gorcey in Angels With Dirty Faces 
52. Eugene Palette in The Adventures of Robin Hood 
53. Alan Mowbray in Merrily We Live
54. Misha Auer in You Can't Take It With You 
55. Humphrey Bogart in The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
56. Nikolay Okhlopkov in Alexander Nevsky
57. Charles Ruggles in Bringing Up Baby
58. George Bancroft in Angels With Dirty Faces 
59. Barry Fitzgerald in Bringing Up Baby 
60. Chico Marx in Room Service
61. David Niven in Bluebeard's Eighth Wife 
62. Spencer Tracy in Test Pilot
63. Harpo Marx in Room Service
64. Robert Newton in The Beachcomber
65. Andrei Abrikosov in Alexander Nevsky 
66. Joseph Calleia in Algiers 
67. Rex Harrison Sidewalks of London 
68. Jean-Pierre Aumont in Hotel du Nord
69. Ian Hunter in The Adventures of Robin Hood 
70. Walter Brennan in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
71. Frank McHugh in Four Daughters
72. Gene Lockhart in Algiers
73. Donald Meek in You Can't Take It With You
74. Herbert Mundin in The Adventures of Robin Hood
75. Victor Jory in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
76. Samuel S. Hinds in You Can't Take It With You
77. Leo G. Carroll in A Christmas Carol 
78. Charles Coburn in Vivacious Lady
79. Melville Cooper in The Adventures of Robin Hood
80. Tom Brown in  Merrily We Live
81. Henry Kolker in Holiday
82. John Garfield in Four Daughters 
83. Tyrone Power in Marie Antoinette
84. Barry MacKay in A Christmas Carol
85. John Barrymore in Marie Antoinette
86. Basil Rathbone in If I Were King
87. Terry Kilburn in A Christmas Carol

Next Year: 1994 lead

Best Actor 1948

5. Dan Dailey in When My Baby Smiles At Me- Dailey's performance is okay but unimpressive when he is just trying to be charming, but when he tries to present the character's self destructive behavior he becomes quite bad.

4. Lew Ayres in Johnny Belinda- Ayres gives a nice pleasant performance as a really nice guy, it is not anything much more than that, but it is properly pleasant and warm.

3. Clifton Webb in Sitting Pretty- Webb gives a completely deadpan performance, which is quite amusing,effective and properly consistent.

2. Montgomery Clift in The Search- Clift's performance is much like Ayres, but I found it even more effective, in a really nice guy role. Clift portrays his part completely realistically, and has some very warm and honest moments throughout the film.

1. Laurence Olivier in Hamlet- Good prediction Dinasztie Laurence Olivier's performance is the only performance of these nominees that truly dominates his film, and his win really is the only option for me. Olivier is amazing from beginning to end as Hamlet, finding all the nuance, and complexity in the part. He never ever simplifies the part, even when he simplifies the play. This is a great performance by Olivier, and may just be his best.

Best Actor 1948: Lew Ayres in Johnny Belinda

Lew Ayres received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Doctor Robert Richardson in Johnny Belinda.

Johnny Belinda is a film about a young deaf mute Belinda (Jane Wyman) who is taught to communicate by a kind doctor, but is threatened by a cruel local, and as well as the gossip of the locals.

Lew Ayres may play the nicest character ever to be nominated for this award. I really cannot think of any direct competition off hand.  Robert Richardson is kind, nice, likable, and even when others are acting cruelly to him he still behaves in a polite manner to them. I guess one could say Richardson is one all around swell guy. Due to this fact though, it can't really be said that Ayres gives a particularly complex performance. He does not have to though, as the requirements of his part are really to be the supportive man to Belinda, to help her in the world, not much more than that.

There is not really much more to his performance, the only two problems with his character one could possibly see is that he is still nice, when he probably should not be, and also that some of his selfless plans are not always fully thought out such as his plan to marry Belinda even though he does not truly love her. Ayres does a good job though I think in the simplicity of his character, he plays the part with a nice pleasant ease. I never felt he was forcing his kindness, but rather it was actually the nature of his character simply to be this kind. Ayres also I felt avoided being dull despite the part being the way it is, he still brought the right joy into his performance that makes being around the doctor a wholly pleasant experience.

Ayres never really has all that much to do as he said, he is either being very nice to Belinda, or helping her learn, or defending her quite calmly from the forces against her. He really barely even raises his voice, even at the end of the film where he passionately defends Belinda. His defense though still is restrained, which I did not mind because I felt that his character was honestly just a soft spoken fellow. This really is an entirely fulfilling performance I think. He is suppose to be really nice, and he is. He is never bad, and keeps a consistent character, that he would have really undermined it if he tried to show any darker side of the character. He was meant to be nice and supportive, and he is nice and supportive. I simply cannot say anything bad about his performance, it is performance that entirely serves its purpose.

Best Actor 1948

And the Nominees Were:

Lew Ayres in Johnny Belinda

Montgomery Clift in The Search

Laurence Olivier in Hamlet

Clifton Webb in Sitting Pretty

Dan Dailey in When My Baby Smiles At Me