Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1954: Results

5. Clifton Webb in Three Coins in a Fountain- Webb is a bit wasted in his film, but he does well to create a warmer take on his most frequent role as a snobbish intellectual.

Best Scene: Shadwell confesses both his love and the fact that he is dying. 

4. Raymond Burr in Rear Window- Burr certainly gets help from his director, but in very key moments his performance as well amplifies power of his character within the film.

Best Scene: Thorwald notices Jeff.

3. Fred MacMurray in The Caine Mutiny- MacMurray makes for an excellent villain playing the part with such charm that he tricks you into thinking that he is not even the villain.

Best Scene: Keefer suggests the officers mutiny. 

2. Peter Lorre in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- Lorre is a very likable and lends some very nice lighthearted relief in his film as the endearing sidekick Conseil.

Best Scene: Any scene between Conseil and Ned Land.

1. Van Johnson in The Caine Mutiny-Johnson gives the best performance not nominated for an Oscar this year through his moving down to earth portrayal of a man who tries to do the right thing despite tremendous pressures all around him.

Best Scene: Maryk takes the stand in his court martial. 

Overall Rank:

1. Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai 
2. Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny
3. Rod Steiger in On the Waterfront
4. Lee J. Cobb in On the Waterfront
5. Karl Malden in On The Waterfront
6. Alastair Sim in An Inspector Calls
7. Fredric March in Executive Suite
   
8. Peter Finch in The Detective
9. Van Johnson in The Caine Mutiny
10. Peter Lorre in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
11. Kuroemon Onoe in Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
12. Richard Basehart in La Strada
13. Fred MacMurray in The Caine Mutiny
14. Raymond Burr in Rear Window
15. Ken Uehara in Sound of The Mountain
16. Van Johnson in Brigadoon 
17. Geoffrey Keen in Carrington V.C
18. John Williams in Dial M For Murder  
19. Eitaro Shindo in The Crucified Lovers
20. Jose Ferrer in The Caine Mutiny 
21. Geoffrey Keen in Doctor in the House
22. Louis Calhern in Executive Suite
23. Clifton Webb in Three Coins in a Fountain
24. Edmund Gwenn in Them!
25. Rene Dary in  Touchez Pas Au Grisbi
26. John Williams in Sabrina 
27. Allen Cuthbertson in Carrington V.C
28. Brian Worth in An Inspector Calls
29. Robert Cummings in Dial M For Murder
30. Minoru Chiaki in Seven Samurai
31. Bryan Forbes in An Inspector Calls
32. Isao Kimura in Seven Samurai  
33. Lee Marvin in The Raid
34. Emile Meyer in Riot in Cell Block 11
35. Broderick Crawford in Human Desire
36. John Hamilton in On the Waterfront 
37. Paul Fix in The High and the Mighty
38. Walter Pidgeon in Executive Suite 
39. Otto Kruger in Magnificent Obsession
40. Seiji Miyaguchi in Seven Samurai
41. Pat Henning in On the Waterfront 
42. Alexander Knox in The Divided Heart
43. Yoshio Inaba in Seven Samurai 
44. Lino Ventura in Touchez Pas Au Grisbi
45. Robert Newton in The High and the Mighty 
46. Geoffrey Keen in The Divided Heart
47. James Robertson Justice in Doctor in the House
48. Walter Brennan in The Far Country
49. Paul Douglas in Executive Suite
50. Rentaro Mikuni in Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
51. Richard Widmark in Broken Lance
52. Ernest Borgnine in Johnny Guitar
53. Donald Houston in Doctor in the House
54. Arthur Young in An Inspector Calls
55. Walter Hampden in Sabrina
56. Dean Jagger in Executive Suite 
57. Edmond O'Brien in The Barefoot Contessa
58. Wendell Corey in Rear Window 
59. Brock Peters in Carmen Jones
60. Harry Morgan in The Glenn Miller Story 
61. Charles Bronson in Vera Cruz
62. Ernest Borgnine in Vera Cruz 
63. Robert Stack in The High and the Mighty
64. Paul Muller in Journey to Italy
65. John McIntire in The Far Country
66. William Holden in The Country Girl 
67. Cesar Romero in Vera Cruz 
68. Jack Carson in Phffft
69. Dean Jagger in White Christmas
70. Charles Bickford in A Star is Born 
71. Cecil Parker in The Detective 
72. E.G. Marshall in Broken Lance
73. Russ Tamblyn in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
74. Noah Beery Jr. in The Black Dakotas
75. Rory Calhoun in River of No Return
76. Tom Tully in The Caine Mutiny
77. Sidney Blackmer in The High and the Mighty
78. Louis Jordan in Three Coins in a Fountain
79. Jack Carson in A Star is Born 
80. John Broomfield in The Black Dakotas
81. Rossano Brazzi in Three Coins in a Fountain

Next Year:  1993 supporting

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1954: Fred MacMurray and Van Johnson in The Caine Mutiny

Fred MacMurray did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Lieutenant Tom Keefer the communications officer in The Caine Mutiny.

Fred MacMurray did not find himself nominated for this role despite Tom Tully being nominated for his wholly unimpressive performance. MacMurray like he did later in the Apartment manages to show his ability to portray a slimy character with a certain style all his own. I guess maybe the academy never nominated MacMurray was that most of his work was too lightweight for their tastes, than perhaps his best work was always as too much of a despicable character for their tastes.

MacMurray though excels with the character of Tom Keefer a man who is only in the navy in the moment and seems far more interested in writing his novel than really doing a proper job on his ship. MacMurray is excellent because his naturally warm presence makes it so you really do not suspect that Keefer is nearly as lowly as one might think. He cynical behavior never really comes off as one would imagine, and he really manages to make the character of Keefer work through his distinctly Fred MacMurray manner.

Keefer role in the film ends up being the one who lays the seeds in his fellow officers mind that the Caine's new Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) is mentally unstable. MacMurray is really perfect in the role because although his character is devious from the start of Queeg's command, MacMurray shows it his eyes, but not in his way. When he tries to convince his other officers of the Captain's problems MacMurray is entirely convincing that he could sway them due to his charm that absolutely works for the character of Keefer.

When his true colors come out near the end of the film MacMurray is very good because he doesn't compromise the rest of his performance. In the moment where he even admits his pitiful actions, MacMurray is good in that he portrays the fact that Keefer still never seems to feel that much shame. MacMurray instead stays true to his self indulgent character who only really feels shame for the fact that he ended up being caught on his behavior. This is a good performance from MacMurray that succeeds in portraying well the tricky character of Keefer who needed to be a villain without ever seeming one.

The only performance better in the Caine Mutiny than MacMurray's is found in Van Johnson's who was also not nominated for his turn as Lieutenant Steve Maryk.

Van Johnson portrays the executive officer Steve Maryk who really is the heart of the film, and actually feels like he should have been lead of the film. Well that would at least make the film better since it would spare us the very dull performance by Robert Francis as Ensign Keith, and the even duller romantic subplot that could have been excised completely from the film. It also would have also been made better because Van Johnson as Maryk, who seems to be the only one of the officers who seems to treat the Naval institutions properly in the film, is clearly the standout of the film.

Van Johnson who bears his very real scars in the film, which he usually covered up with makeup, realizes the character of Maryk beautifully. Johnson plays Maryk as a friendly officer who genuinely enjoys doing his duties on the ship, but as well takes his job with the appropriate seriousness. Johnson is pretty much the exact opposite of MacMurray's portrayal. Where MacMurray's portrayal was really one of underhanded cynicism, Johnson on the other hand is one of openness and honesty. He makes the positive aspects of his character of truthful, and easily makes Maryk the most likable character in the film.

When Queeg comes on board Johnson is very good because unlike MacMurray there is not a hidden hostility portrayed, but instead a genuine concern for Queeg's methods. There is nothing false about Johnson's portrayal of Maryk caring for his men, as well as running the ship in a way that works, he makes his problems with Queeg's methods ones of true concern opposed to Keefer's far petty problems with Queeg. Johnson is already very good but his performance only becomes better when Keefer starts to push the issue of Queeg's mental instability. Johnson's portrayal of Maryk's struggle with the issue as a highlight of the film.

Van Johnson is very effective in portraying Maryk's approach to dealing with Queeg's problems as well as Keefer's persistence. He keeps Maryk as a man who is very much still devoted to the Naval code, and method as evidence by the scenes where he stops the extreme mocking of Queeg. Johnson is moving because he portrays well the strong persistent beliefs in the naval tradition and does well in showing the degree of disgust Maryk feels of the other men's over zealousness in dismissing Queeg. He as well though does properly convey the internal feelings of doubt in his mind over Queeg's performance.

It is Johnson who delivers on the central conflict of the film which is to break naval protocol and mutiny to save the ship. It is Johnson's ability to give weight to the conflict within Maryk own mind that makes us sympathize with him with the mutiny, and importantly we stay with Maryk through the court martial. Johnson makes us very concerned for Maryk because he only ever showed genuine concern on the ship. Johnson creates the most powerful moments of the film during the court material through his moving heart wrenching reactions to some of the testimony that could put him at the end of a rope.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1954

And the Nominees Were Not:

Peter Lorre in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Raymond Burr in Rear Window

Clifton Webb in Three Coins in The Fountain

Van Johnson in The Caine Mutiny

Fred MacMurray in The Caine Mutiny