Best Supporting Actor 1957: Results

5. Russ Tamblyn in Peyton Place- Tamblyn although not awful gives a rather dull performance that at best is barely adequate.

4. Arthur Kennedy in Peyton Place- Kennedy goes way over the top, and well at least that does not make him as boring as much of the performers in this film it does not make his performance particularly good either.

3. Vittorio De Sica in A Farewell to Arms- De Sica has a limited part but does manage to be charming and emotionally convincing enough to be the most interesting part of his film.

2. Red Buttons in Sayonara- Red Buttons gives a passionate, and effectively convincing performance. Although his part is limited Buttons makes the most out of everything he does have rising above the rather weak film he is in.

1. Sessue Hayakawa in The Bridge on the River Kwai- Good Prediction RatedRStar. This year the choice is obvious to me with Hayakawa he is simply on a different level than the rest of the performances this year. He gives a remarkable performance creating a complex portrait of a man who puts codes before all else to the point of insanity. It is a great performance that compliments the great film it resides in.

Best Supporting Actor 1957: Russ Tamblyn in Peyton Place

Russ Tamblyn received his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Norman Page in Peyton Place.

Russ Tamblyn plays Norman Page who has an overprotective mother, as well as eventually has a relationship with Allison MacKenzie (Diane Varsi). Tamblyn for most of the film is really just in the background doing nothing to stand out, the only reason I noticed at all much of the time because I was watching the film for his performance. As a character the only time he has anything to do it is as the boyfriend of Allison.

In a role like this the most important thing than is his chemistry with Diane Varsi. Although they do have a little chemistry enough to seem in an actual relationship. Their chemistry though is not enough to make their relationship anything special, or interesting though. They are their, they seem comfortable enough to be there, but it never becomes any sort of a highlight in the film.

After that the only thing special at all about him is his relationship with his mother, which he desires to escape from. Tamblyn really stays too low key in this facet of his personality. He is suppose to be so suffocated by his mother that he wants to die by being a paratrooper in the war. The passion and the pain is missing from his whole performance to make such a strong reaction believable. This is not an awful performance it sometimes is lacking, sometimes it is adequate, but it is never special.

Best Supporting Actor 1957

And the Nominees Were:

Vittorio De Sica in A Farewell to Arms

Sessue Hayakawa in The Bridge on the River Kwai 

Red Buttons in Sayonara

Arthur Kennedy in Peyton Place

Russ Tamblyn in Peyton Place