Best Supporting Actor 1965: Results

5. Ian Bannen in Flight of the Phoenix- Bannen is barely noticeable, but when you do see him he just mugs to the camera.

4. Michael Dunn in Ship of Fools- Michael Dunn performance never amount to more than the plot device he is in the film.

3. Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns- Balsam is in an awful film, and many time through the film submits to the same awfulness in his performance, but on occasion he rises slightly above it.

2. Frank Finlay in Othello- Finlay is basically just fine in the role Iago. He does seem to fulfill the requirement of the role, but only at minimum. He stays in his place throughout the film, never even for a moment displacing Olivier as the more interesting or entertaining lead.

1. Tom Courtenay in Doctor Zhivago- Good Prediction RatedRStar. Courtenay is in a different league than the rest of the performances is this category. Courtenay gives just about a perfect supporting performance in Pasha. Giving an amazingly powerful performance as he shows a once warm and earnest man become a chilling hallow shell of his former self.

Deserving Performances:
Rod Steiger in Doctor Zhivago
Oskar Werner in The Spy Who Came in From The Cold
Ian Bannen in The Hill
Harry Andrews in The Hill
Ian Hendry in The Hill

Best Supporting Actor 1965: Michael Dunn in Ship of Fools

Michael Dunn received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Carl Glocken in Ship of Fools.

Ship of Fools is a film that lacks subtly and I believe Michael Dunn's Carl Glocken exemplifies this fact. He is a dwarf who breaks the fourth wall at the beginning and the end of the film to you know make the film "deep" by saying everyone is a fool, than saying it does not have anything to do with anything, but you know really it does wink wink, becuase you know it really is a very meaningful film you know.

Dunn's Glocken is one of those meaningful men in the film, he though is special with his ability to see the audience, making very perceptive, and observant of all those fools you know. Well enough you knows, Glocken is not part of the Oskar Werner/Simone Signoret storyline therefore he is stuck in an awful film. Dunn though has even more against him because he is stuck as simply a plot device and barely has a character to begin with.

Dunn mostly observes others while making the occasional "deep" response to them. He never does much more than that, and really his performance never makes more out of his one dimensional  character than there is. It is not that Dunn is bad, but his whole character never amount to more than it is, which is only a plot device used by the director never a real honest person on his own. 

Best Supporting Actor 1965

And the Nominees Were:

Ian Bannen in The Flight of the Phoenix

Tom Courtenay in Doctor Zhivago 

Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns

Michael Dunn in Ship of Fools

Frank Finlay in Othello