Alternate Best Actor 1937: Results

5. Henry Fonda in You Only Live Once - Though he only gets to scratch the surface Fonda is able to tap into a darker side of his onscreen persona to give an effective portrayal of a man destroyed by his desperate situation.

Best Scene: Broken Cup.

4. Edward G. Robinson in Kid Galahad - A limited role yet Robinson excels as usual giving an entertaining yet moving portrayal of a boxing promoter who finds his conscience.

Best Scene: Final Confrontation. 

3. Robert Donat in Knight Without Armour - The underrated Donat as usual offers such a genuine presence that brings some much needed weight to his romantic historical thriller.

Best Scene: Train escape.

2. Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda - Colman excels as both in his portrayal as the fearful King, and as through his incredibly charming, humorous yet passionate performance as the well meaning doppelganger.

Best Scene: Final Battle. 

1. Jean Gabin in Pepe Le Moko - Good Predictions Anonymous, Luke, Tahmeed, Giuseppe, John Smith and Michael McCarthy. Jean Gabin gives a great performance that realizes the suave style of his flamboyant thief but also gives a moving depiction of the frustrated man pained by his circumstances.

Best Scene: Watching the boat.

Updated Overall Lead
Updated Overall Supporting

Next Year: 1947 Lead (I'll take any supporting suggestions as well)

Alternate Best Actor 1937: Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda

Ronald Colman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Major Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf V in The Prisoner of Zenda.

The Prisoner Of Zenda is a very entertaining film about an Englishman filling for a distant cousin, a foreign King, in order to thwart a potential coup.

Now having previously mentioned the underrated status of Robert Donat perhaps Ronald Colman deserves a similar mention. Colman is not even granted the notoriety of a controversial Oscar win since no one seems to even remember he won an Oscar at all. That's a shame though given that Colman's presence in a film was basically a guarantee that there would at least be something worthwhile in the film. Well thankfully The Prisoner of Zenda is already an enjoyable adventure film, but it gets amplified all the more through the services of Colman in dual roles. We aren't given that much time with the one of the two roles, that being the King Rudolf who we meet briefly as he's somewhat taken aback by his doppelganger, yet soon enough welcomes him into his good graces. Colman again only has a few scenes as the King, yet makes use of them well to craft a separate character. Colman keeps the differences relatively slight, fitting given that most people are suppose to believe the other Rudolf is the King, but Colman does finds another personality in these few scenes. Colman grants a shyness and unease in his body language, as he's more distant, implying much more of a natural fear innate in a man who is aware that there are those who do not wish for him to succeed.

Colman uses his scenes as the King well which amplify his work as just plain old Rudolph. This is a bit more traditional Colman, but I mean that in a good way. Colman again brings that ease to his performance that makes him such a likable screen presence. Colman though manages to indicate something further in this by carefully realizing a man who is not burdened by responsibility, which the King is. When the King is drugged, then later kidnapped by those who wish to take the power for themselves, the common Rudolph is called upon to act as an imposter in order for the King to keep his title. Colman actually carries this lack of burden into his portrayal of Rudolph's method of impersonation. Colman brings this sort of carefree quality, although he portrays the proper intention to succeed most directly, particularly when a challenge arises, Colman always alludes to the peculiar state in some very knowing glances though. Colman manages to bring just the right touches of humor in these, in such small moments such as almost forgetting his lines, or just showing the way he's more than a little taken aback by all the attention he is receiving.

Colman finds the right balance in his work as he shows Rudolf conveying both the severity of the situation and the strangeness of it, all of course with his trademark charm thrown in for good measure. Colman proceeds though to properly realize the changing situation as Rudolf continues the act. This includes the complication of being encouraged to romance the King's intended the Princess Flavia (Madeleine Caroll). Colman is always a great romantic lead as he just seems to be able to strike that spark with no time at all, and that is the case here as well. Colman though again does well not to play it completely straight. He brings just the right undercurrent awkwardness in moments indicating the impersonation even while portraying honest infatuation. Not everything though is quite as complex as with Rudolf dealing with the film's true villain the henchmen Rupert (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) who makes no excuses for his amorality. Colman is terrific in these scenes though by showing the way Rudolf is so keenly aware of almost the game he's playing against this man, as he and Fairbanks have a lot of fun as the two have a battle of wits along with the expected swordplay. Colman though is careful though to portray a genuine concern and passion for the King's safety as the situation becomes more severe. He's particularly good in the closing scenes of the film, including its thrilling climax, offering the right gravity to the situation. He's indeed effortless in the role, but Colman importantly provides the needed intensity showing the needed effort Rudolf must make to save the day as well as return to being just the common man. This is typically strong work from Ronald Colman that succeeds in making the film all the more enjoyable.

Alternate Best Actor 1937

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda

Robert Donat in Knight Without Armour

Jean Gabin in Pepe Le Moko

Henry Fonda in You Only Live Once

Edward G. Robinson in Kid Galahad

Best Actor 1942: Results

5. Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees- Cooper gives a rather dull performance, that only has any sort of emotional power in his final speech.

4. Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver- Pidgeon is fine throughout his performance, but he does very little than support his on screen wife.

3. Ronald Colman in Random Harvest- Colman is perfect in the first half of his performance showing the right haunted quality of the man, as well shows a good transition, when he gets somewhat better from finding love. He is also good in his change when he gains his memory back, but unfortunately the second half of his performance is a lot less interesting, but he certainly makes up for it in his final scene of the film.

2. Monty Woolley in The Pied Piper- Woolley actually fairly easily is my choice this year giving the most consistently entertaining and effective performance this year. Woolley gives a humorous performance, that manages to be powerful as well when it needs to be.

1. James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy- Cagney performance certainly has a unique style that is old fashioned but this style and high kinetic energy certainly work well in this role.

Best Actor 1942: Ronald Colman in Random Harvest

Ronald Colman received his third Oscar nomination for portraying John Smith/ Charles Rainier in Random Harvest.

Random Harvest tells of a traumatized World War I soldier who has lost his memory, but he finds love with kindly showgirl Paula (Greer Garson), but than he gains his own memory back, but forgets about his wife.

Ronald Colman's performance is quite interesting at the beginning of the film, as the very haunted man only known as John Smith. Colman has the perfect haunted quality in his performance that works well with his amnesiac of a character. Colman appropriately portrays how the war clearly had a profound effect on him, and the entire withdrawn nature of his performance is very well handled. Colman realistically portrays the entire condition of the man very well, his hesitation in his speech is naturally portrayed by Colman, and correctly portrays the condition of the troubled man. Colman is effective in his early scenes with Greer Garson. he has the right reluctance in their relationship together, making the relationship rather unusual.

The relationship is well handled by both actors, and their unique chemistry does work well together, it is subtle relationship, mostly because of Colman way of underplaying Smith's love for Paula. This fits well with the nature of Smith as a character, and it really makes their relationship a memorable and poignant one which works well for the film. Smith though by an accident gains his old memory back, and remembers he is Charles Rainier but forgets about ever being John Smith. Colman is very good in his portrayal of Charles Rainier, showing a great difference in character, showing him now full of confidence, and inner strength. It is a successful change in character, that still seems like that is who Smith was before the war.

Although the transition is very well handled, I must say as soon as he becomes Charles Rainier his performance just becomes a lot less interesting, because the wealthy Charles just is a bit of a dull man. This leaves Colman very little to do, except in brief moments where he has moments suggesting him remembering his forgotten past. These are well handled, by Colman, but most of his performance just is not all that interesting as Rainier. This is not really Colman's fault it is just the second half of the film gives him little to do, but be the very proper Rainier who really does not love anything all that well. That is until near end of the film, and yes Colman's final reaction is incredible finding the right emotional climax for the film, but still the overall effect of the second half his performance just is never that interesting. It still is a very good performance, I just wish the second half of the performance had been as good as the first half. 

Best Actor 1942

And the Nominees Were:

Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver

Ronald Colman in Random Harvest

James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy

Monty Woolley in The Pied Piper

Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees

Best Actor 1930: Results

7. Wallace Beery in The Big House- Beery's performance just is laughable when he tries to act tough, he gets better later in the film, but never very good.

6. Maurice Chevalier in The Big Pond- Chevalier sure is charming here, but his charm just is not utilized well enough for anything to really come from it.

5. George Arliss in The Green Goddess- Arliss' stiff approach sort of works at times as the cruel Raja, overall it still is a rather boring effort, and really Arliss actually is rather hard to believe as an Indian ruler.

4. George Arliss in Disraeli- Arliss is most certianly more believable as Benjamin Disraeli than as the Raja of Ruhk, but still his performance suffers from similar problems. He is sometimes just frankly boring, there are moments of strength but not enough of them.

3. Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade- Chevalier, better utilized in this film, gives a nice winning performance actually as the romantic Count. He is very charming, rather humorous, and really brings a great joy to his performance.

2. Ronald Colman in Condemned- Colman gives a good relaxed performance as the suave thief who falls in love with the wrong woman. Not his best, but easy to watch, with charm in every moment.

1. Ronald Colman in Bulldog Drummond- The only performance that could beat Colman in Condemned, is Colman in this. Colman is even better in this because he has even more to do, is even more charming, far more humorous, and this performance just is hard not to watch. Colman's whole performance is one great moment after another, he makes Drummond one character easy to watch all the way through his investigation. He even manages to make the lacking performances work in his favor, he is amazing here.

Deserving Performances:
Lew Ayres in All Quiet on the Western Front

Best Actor 1930: Ronald Colman in Bulldog Drummond

Ronald Colman received one of his first two Oscar nominations for portraying Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in Bulldog Durmmond.

Bulldog Drummond is a fairly enjoyable film about a bored soldier who decides to become detective, and help a young woman, whose uncle is being extorted by a nasty bunch. 

Although I enjoyed the film, an obvious flaw with the film is the either over the top, or dull performances by many of the performers but this does not matter all that much due to the fact Ronald Colman is the lead.  Ronald Colman as he also showed in Condemned from this year shows his ability to play his part with an incredible ease and grace that puts to shame many of the stiff performances of this year.

Colman instead of playing a criminal instead portrays basically a free time detective Bulldog Drummond. He plays the part simply wonderfully. He always has a special pleasure in the part, that is most certianly a joy to watch. He is just a great leading man, he always is filled with charisma and charm in the part. He as well has a great amount of humor in the part, which most of comes directly from he himself, in his brilliant little reactions he has in his stories.

In this part he in a some ways reminded of William Powell in the Thin Man, which is most certianly a good thing. It is just the spectacularly entertaining way he portrays the part. He never takes the part too seriously, but does not just walk through it without depth either. He instead finds the perfect balance, making his journey through the case extremely enjoyable to follow through from beginning to end.

The film really probably would not be good if it were not for Colman, but because of him it is quite enjoyable. Colman almost seems to know the problems with the other performances in this film, and plays off of them brilliantly. He tones down toward the over the top ones, he humors over the dull performances, Colman is always terrific no matter who he shares a scene with.

Colman as Drummond even manages to make Drummond romance with the young woman work despite the fact that she is played rather boringly by Joan Bennett. Colman makes it work because he is just so deliciously charm. Even though her affections back at him are forced, the romance is great nonetheless because Colman coveys Drummond affection for her so beautifully.

Colman, unlike so many performances this year never bored me for a moment in this performance, Colman always knows how to play on film, unlike many of the stagy performances that are even in this film. Colman is able to convey more emotion in a single twitch of his mouth, a raise of eyebrow, or the movement of eyes than other actors of this time could convey in a whole film, I wanted to say all this really to tell you that this is one performance that is not at all dated. I love every moment of this performance, every dead pan, reaction, charisma filled gesture, this is a great performance.

Best Actor 1930: Ronald Colman in Condemned

Ronald Colman received one of his first two nominations for portraying Michel Oban in Condemned.

Condemned tells the story of a inmate on devil's island who falls in love with the warden wife after being her butler, and he tries to escape. The first half being the butler is somewhat boring, but the escape actually is pretty well done. 

Ronald Colman I think does something that many actors of this period needed to learn, including some of the other actors nominated this year, to relax. Colman knows how to use this ability relax to be able to give a far more natural performance than the performances of many actors of this time. This ability is very important because he is able to actual ease into reactions into his performance, rather constantly pushing to perform which leads to much of the overacting from this period.

Colman's performance almost seems in some ways from a different period becuase he is honestly conveys just a different kind of presence here. He play Michel who is a suave thief, who was caught. Boy is Colman suave, he just always knows how to play the part. He is charismatic and properly charming the role, showing an easy going nature of his character that is actually enjoyable to watch.

His whole charming of the wife of the warden is easily handled by Colman. He does not at all force it since Michel simply acts decently to her, and Colman portrays it that way, although of course with his undeniable charm. Although the relationship is even written as being pretty forced, Colman never portrays it that way because he manages in just the right fashion.  

Later when he is imprisoned by the warden for his relationship with the warden's wife, Colman performance actually gets even better. He still has the proper charm throughout but manages to as well show the pain and struggle that Michel must go through to escape Devil's island and runaway with the warden's wife.

Colman really gives just a strong leading man performance, when there really were not enough of them. He makes his journey one that is easy to follow through his instantly likable, and completely winning approach to the role. Colman brought me through the whole film from the slower moments, to the far more interesting ones at the end, this is a very good performance that puts many other performances from this time to shame.

Best Actor 1930

And the Nominees Were:

Ronald Colman in Bulldog Drummond

Ronald Colman in Condemned

George Arliss in The Green Goddess 

George Arliss in Disraeli

Maurice Chevalier in The Big Pond

Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade

Wallace Beery in The Big House

Lawrence Tibbett in The Rogue Song

That's right eight nominations total. Unfortunately though since only two short clips of Tibbett's performance survive so I will only be doing a very brief review of his performance that will not be ranked with the others, or rated.

Best Actor 1947: Results

5. Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement- All Phil Green does is make speech after speech about antisemitism, or give disapproving looks. No actor could really have made these constant speeches interesting. The only other part of his performance are his romantic scenes with Dorothy McGuire which lack chemistry.

4. Michael Redgrave in Mourning Becomes Electra- Orin is very difficult character and Redgrave gives his best go at it. He mixes his performance with both a little subtlety that works fairly well, and theatrics which are interesting but are not always entirely convincing.

3. John Garfield in Body and Soul- Garfield gives a a good performance throughout but his character is a little too simple for most of the film. When he does get a chance to do more he does, it is shame his character was not more fully written for the whole film.

2. William Powell in Life With Father- Poor Powell always second place. Powell last Oscar nomination is a nice funny performance, it is not that much but certainly an entertaining performance.

1. Ronald Colman in A Double Life- A good prediction Dinasztie Colman gives a terrific performance interspersing subtlety of Anthony John with the insanity of Othello especially well. It is a risky performance for sure but one that succeeds very well. He was last Lead Actor winner I saw and I am glad the last I saw was a great one.

Best Actor 1947: Ronald Colman in A Double Life

Ronald Colman won his Oscar from his fourth and final nomination for portraying stage actor Anthony John in A Double Life.

A Double Life is a very interesting film noir, about an actor who gets a little too much into his roles with deadly results. My only real problem would be that it perhaps focuses a little too much on Edmond O'Brien, playing once again the normal guy lead who has to deal with the crazy or already dead lead which he also does in The Killers, and White Heat, and goes to far from Colman.

 Colman is quite terrific in the opening scene, as the rather slick, very sure of himself stage actor Anthony John. Colman carries himself perfectly, showing the complete ease John has a stage persona, and the joy he has in theater, theater that is comedy anyways. Colman seems completely effortless in these moments, showing John's love for what he does, his utter confidence in knowing exactly what he is doing. He is the perfect theater pro which works especially well, in these early moments. Colman is especially charming early on here as he performs a charming part in a simple comedy. Colman uses his spectacular voice beautifully, and there is never at all a question of Anthony John as a theater star all because of Colman.

Along with his confidence is something else about him something darker, and rather odd about. There is a sort of sense of being lost, and even lack of confidence hidden behind his outward self. There is a man who has become so entrenched into his work that he has sort of lost his identity in his own eyes. That his own sanity is something that will be fully possible to be lost if in the use of his performance. Colman at the beginning of the film suggests all this brilliant completely subtlety through only his face here. He underplays John's insanity that it seems completely natural despite the bizarre idea itself. His very first time he "hears" the Othello music, Colman shows a loss of his mind there despite without overplaying a single moment as John begins to lose his sanity.

Anthony John begins next as he portrays Othello on stage and his performance is a spectacular success. Colman/John's portrayal of Othello is rather interesting. It is rather theatrical, but appropriately so. Colman in these scenes combines his film subtlety with stage theatrically. His voice booms out across the audience as is appropriate with the fact he is on stage, he combines this with his small showing of his utter insanity that is slowly growing even as he plays the part as Othello, and grows more and more unable to disassociate with his character. Despite not being a Shakespearean actor and being apparently uncomfortable with doing the scenes Colman actually is very believable as a Shakespearean actor.

John's sanity becomes basically completely lost in a brilliant moment in the film, as John hears voices, and sounds. Colman is terrific as degradations occur. I think he excels because as John he combines theatrics with subtlety so well. His theatrics, as John becomes dangerous work I think because that is John acting out theatrically, and his mental creation of Othello is that of a theatrical character. He could have been entirely unbelievable but I do think it is because Colman through his face of course still shows that this insanity of John's resonates throughout him completely.  I think he handled his insanity perfectly even if in a risky fashion but I think his best scene is his final one where his insanity finally subsides briefly. His final speech about the actor is who is good at a certain kind of scene, is bizarrely heartbreaking and resonating, I feel it brings his character fully around, completely fulfilling this brilliant performance. An Oscar well deserved despite being one of the least talked about ever.

Best Actor 1947

And the Nominees Were:

Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement

John Garfield in Body and Soul

Ronald Colman in A Double Life

William Powell in Life With Father

Michael Redgrave in Mourning Becomes Electra  

Who do you pick, who do you predict?