Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: John C. McGinley in Platoon, Levi Stubbs in Little Shop of Horrors & Vincent Price in The Great Mouse Detective

John C. McGinley did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sergeant O’Neill in Platoon. 

John C. McGinley plays Sergeant O’Neill in Platoon, and honestly is one of the best hidden aspects of the film where his story is constantly playing out throughout the film even if it isn’t really the focus of the film at any point. McGinley plays one of the more seasoned soldiers in the titular platoon who is in the faction with the scarred and truly seasoned Barnes (Tom Berenger). McGinley sets up his character of O’Neill in these early scenes with not an easy confidence, but a confidence of someone who has set up for himself as much of a situation as he can by holding close to Barnes. McGinley in the early scenes sets the stage effectively by projecting not exactly a phony confidence but rather the confidence of a certain routine. His reactions to Barnes, and his own moments of technical leadership within the troop are that of the consistency of the expectation of his routine at this point. McGinley is the proper sycophant though he is just going along in a particularly convincing manner in his performance. He doesn’t overplay the note rather emphasizes more so how it’s all part of just his life in war but more so as a job, at least at first. The fundamental scene within the scheme of the film is when the platoon invades a local village propelled by anger after finding fellow troops killed by the Vietcong. A sequence where McGinley’s performance honestly stands out more than anything else in it, just what he is doing on the sidelines though in that side creates a fascinating portrait of a man just standing idly by. There’s a key scene where O’Neill observes another soldier going crazy and killing a random innocent villager. McGinley’s reactions in this scene are outstanding because though O’Neill will take no action, every bit of the horror of the moment, he too does find horrible. McGinley expresses absolute dismay and fear, perhaps in part of the result of the war crime he could be culpable of, but also the genuine humanity of witnesses of such an atrocity. His terrified delivery of basically saying just to go and forget that any of it happened is brilliant work because McGinley doesn’t just play into the bad man type, though O’Neill is that, rather shows the man who knows this is all wrong but will stay back and just try to avoid any of it best that he is able to do so. Every scene throughout the rest of the film McGinley makes a quiet impact in creating the internal life of O’Neill within the Platoon as the man who just wants to survive, though not in a way that one would describe as a survivalist rather that of avoidance of responsibility of himself in a way. McGinley has another amazing moment where he is telling another soldier he’s going home, and again McGinley’s great in that it could be a simple jerk moment of jealousy. McGinley brings so much vulnerability within the lines as you sense the real fear in the man, but just a hint of the strange encouragement to man to enjoy the thing he knows he’s not getting. The same great moment is when he tries to back out of the upcoming battle with Barnes as he notes having a bad feeling. Again would’ve been an easy note to over play with too much surface, but the seething anxiety he brings makes it such a genuinely human moment. It doesn't excuse O'Neill's action but shows them coming from a real place, not a stock character. Which again we get another great silent moment from McGinley during that battle when he hides himself among corpses, where he lets you in on his thinking in the moment of the man finding his way out within his fear though by playing into the fear in his way. Leading up to the perfect final moment of the character, where he is rewarded for surviving with a promotion. McGinley’s final reaction being pitch perfect to match that choice where you instantly see the weight of the assignment upon his eyes and you see the man instantly filled with regret as his eyes show a man seeing his future of responsibility and more war that he is not ready for. It’s a wonderful performance between the lines of the film, where McGinley runs with the potential of the role to not hide the negative qualities but rather to imbue them with such honesty that he makes him not a type but a person. 

Levi Stubbs did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors.

Levi Stubbs plays of course the centerpiece character of Little Shop of Horrors, the voice of the giant man eating plant that grows bigger the more blood/human flesh given to him by the hapless Seymour (Rick Moranis). Re-watching the film I’ll admit I forgot just how long it actually took for Audrey II to actually speak to Seymour openly and become the more overt villain offering the Faustian deal of fame, fortune and the original Audrey (Ellen Greene) as “prizes” he can offer him. The plant itself is one of the grand achievements of the film as the puppetry is just incredible work in just how well realized it gives life to the character of a giant man eating plant, but Stubbs’s work is also a key ingredient. Of course as a singer, Stubbs of course delivers on the tune given to Audrey II throughout the film, but in every song the vocal performance is beyond just attuned singing and speaks to his overall impact within the character. Stubbs’s voice is an ideal combination because he both manages to make the joke so to speak, while also being completely convincing in elevating from a joke. As it is worth noting the terrible voice of Audrey II in the original Corman film was entirely a joke, as even the halfhearted nature of the work was part of that joke. There is a joke here too in that this alien plant from outer space that eats people doesn’t sound like some monster but rather has a very, ironically, earthy and rather casual way of speaking. Although seemingly not born long ago, seems Audrey II ages old and this immediately works where Stubbs’s rather blunt and comical qualities he makes sing, in indeed making the joke of the situation by playing into the silliness of such a situation where an alien plan it coarse and wise cracking to Seymour. The execution of which is something Stubbs nails just in each approach because Stubbs brings this quality that is almost to say “yeah I’m an alien plant who wants to eat people, deal with”. While this is amusing, and successful, this isn’t why I am currently writing about this performance, because where Stubbs excels beyond that is the darker qualities of his work as the faustian trickster. Stubbs’s specific playfulness is brilliantly implemented throughout his work because there is a balance he achieves which he does so with complete ease yet is quite the trick. Because what Stubbs does is create within his work the glints of the intended darkness, as when he is prodding Seymour to something more sinister, there’s a knowing even intensity within the slyness he conveys in every word. His whole performance of “Supper Time” is fantastic because there’s the genuine deviousness in every word he speaks that creates far more the sense of a real mastermind that isn’t just some crazy plant who wants humans like a fool. In fact Stubbs even when he plays the sillier note there’s always a hectoring quality to his work, as though he’s purposefully mocking Seymour in these moments and as entertaining as his performance is, it is entirely wrapped in the fiendish sense of the real purpose of the plant. It’s a great performance because what it does is master the specific comedic, but not entirely just comic, tone of the piece by implementing the darkness, but also there’s no disconnect. You just believe Stubbs’s voice is this plant, there’s no getting used to it, and even more so there’s not a moment that you don’t connect the plant puppet with Stubbs’s own voice. They are one and the same, and his work is a fusion within the amazing technical work, by making Audrey II as entertaining and most importantly as tangible as any other character in the film. 

Vincent Price did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Professor Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective. 

Following up Stubbs’s great vocal work in a live action film is Vincent Price, a well known live action actor being made of great use in this animated film. A film that comes just before the celebrity casting became an expected element of animated films, and if I’m being perfectly honest at the time I in some ways preferred it because of the laziness of so many celebrity castings that came afterwards. Price in this film, as essentially the rat/mouse equivalent of Professor Moriarty, is an example of the ideal form of the celebrity casting, where the casting was done with the actor in mind, where the voice seemed honestly the only choice for the character and Price’s own performance lives up to the ideal but also goes beyond. As part of this performance is what Price became famous for which is playing into the idea of a campy flamboyant villainy, something he excelled in in live action and comes across just as well here given just how much character there is innately in Price’s voice. Price, though bringing the same particular kind of colorful energy to every word here that amplifies that animation, just as much as the animation amplifies his voice work in making Ratigan a villain who loves being a villain. Price’s voice is perfect for that as it is as animated as the…animation. Every line Price sinks into with the best bit of theatrical scenery chewing however is ideal for the role of Ratigan, a villain who loves being called a villain going so far as to sing a song about with his henchmen as his chorus. Something where Price is so much fun in singing every bit of it with so much pride, though with the right accentuation of the fiendishness whenever talking about his opponent Basil of Baker Street where you see such sudden hatred on the edges as though it is the intrusive thoughts that Ratigan can quite fully control alluding to his true nature. Price is great fun even murdering one of his henchmen, for daring to call him a rat, however with classic Price's way of while he brings anger in his voice at first he suddenly becomes rather gentle sounding as he leads the poor mouse to be eaten by Ratigan’s pet cat. So much of his work is just enjoying him being the foppish villain delight where he works wholly in both qualities with that Price ease as a villain, but honestly one of the best iterations as such. I have particular affection I will say for his delivery of the song “Goodbye so Soon” combined with his noting that Basil was late in his police work, to get caught by Ratigan’s trap with such smug self-assurance in every accentuated word. Followed by the song itself where Price’s voice through a record is such beautiful hectoring for every second we hear it as making Ratigan as villain who just loves to rub it in. But as great as Price is being Price, I will give him even more credit to his work that amplifies the hidden element, that he alluded to through certain breaks in his more foppish demeanor, when Ratigan in the finale goes fully rabbit essentially as he just tries to straight up murder Basil with his claws. Price backs up the animation with his own more grizzled voice as he brings an animalistic growl beneath his lines and beautifully backs up Ratigan as he fully embraces his…well, rattiness. I even love his delivery of “I won” after he thinks he’s beaten Basil because it is combination of qualities, as it is still Ratigan enjoying his victory, but less smugly, and more so these relief combined with a bit more of a straightforward honesty of someone who know has been through the ringer for his victory. Price presents the ideal on HOW to cast a celebrity in a role because no one would’ve been better for Ratigan than Price, he makes the role, not just by being great casting but backing it up with a terrific vocal performance. 

Best Actor Backlog Volume 3 Results

5. Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth - Sutherland is easily the best part of his film through is wonderfully devious turn based almost entirely on his voice.

Best Scene: Phony backstory.

4. Alastair Sim in An Inspector Calls - Sim delivers the proper vicious incisiveness that so quietly penetrates every scene as this perhaps supernatural crusader.

Best Scene: Argument of prospects.

3. Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled - Eastwood uses his classic presence in the point of subversion in his portrayal of a man manipulating for his own advantage, and his vicious rage when that manipulation backfires upon him.

Best Scene: Waking up to something missing

2. Vincent Price in Theater of Blood - Price delivers his greatest turn getting to play such a wonderfully over the top fiend/actor, while actually earnestly minding emotional depths within the betrayal of the fiend. If there is any performance that ever could define his lasting impression on cinema, it is this one, but it also stands as simply one of his best acted and most entertaining turns.

Best Scene: Lear's despair. .

1. Uttam Kumar in Nayak -  Kumar gives a charismatic, vulnerable and moving portrayal of an actor coming to terms with both who he is and what he has given away to achieve stardom.

 

Best Scene: Saying goodbye to the "reporter" as himself.

Alternate Best Actor 1973: Vincent Price in Theater of Blood

Vincent Price did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Edward Lionheart in Theater of Blood.

Theater of Blood is an entertaining bloody romp about a hammy yet "deceased" Shakespearean actor seeking revenge against his critics through means devised by the Bard himself. 

It seems that I was waiting to review this performance in my earlier mentions of Price, as this is the Price performance that the world was waiting for, Price without filter, Price without reservations of good decency, Price without the limits of the Hayes code. Price let loose upon the world without classic restrictions and the leave to go for the fully villainous turn. The added bonus is that he gets to do this while also playing a Shakespearean actor so we don't just get Price as a villain, we get him to be a villain with the best monologues from the history of drama at his disposal. However, there is one more facet that in a way makes this performance seemingly review-proof, in that Price is supposed to be playing a hammy over the top actor, therefore he is given carte blanche in the role, and to criticize him for being "over the top" would mean he is doing exactly what he should be doing. Of course, I only say "seemingly" as given the go-ahead to go "over the top" is no guarantee of hamtastic gloriousness, the actor must deliver the proverbial goods. But hey, this seems like the character that Price might've been waiting through his whole sinister cinematic career to play, so one would hope he would not waste the opportunity. 

And he does not. Price's performance really is everything you'd want in a Vincent Price performance however all factored into a single Vincent Price vehicle. Price enters into this film as a kind of "ghost" to the proceedings as critics start to get bumped off and no one is sure who exactly is doing it. The odd thing in each one though is they all align with a kind of Shakespearean death. This as the first murder is done by Price in police garb to a critic on the Ides of March and leads the men to a group of hobos all with very sharp objects. Price looks on with an uncaring glare until the stabbed man approaches him and Price gives a brief lament before revealing himself. Price is exceptionally wonderful in then the duplicity of his two sides one of his delivery of Mark Antony's speech, in blunt contrast to the critic statement that Price's Edward is dead, to Price's retort, spoken with as much savoring as possible, informing the critic that he is alive and the critic is the one who is dead. Price instantly establishes Edward both as a devilish fiend but also a devilish fiend who takes the Bard most seriously. Of course, this is just but a warmup for Price's performance that takes this idea much further than this. 

We learn that Edward Lionheart was an actor who could not seemingly get a positive notice from a single critic, hated much by all. Again even this I think would seemingly make him review proof, however, Price actually does give far more nuanced than one would expect. Take the scene with the second critic he meets where they have a bit of a discussion before Lionheart gets on with his intention. Price begins with kind of this almost diplomatic if not friendly welcome in opening the discussion. When speaking towards the critics hating him so much, Price's delivery is a bit calm at first and actually expresses genuine hurt in mentioning the brutal reviews he receives. There's a vulnerability that Price reveals, however, this is before he naturally segues towards a darker tone. Price keeps the calm though making him all the more unnerving as he suggests the critics' method of death to be upcoming soon. Price portrays in this though a genuine sense of hatred in Lionheart as goes about it, as much as he shows joy in the kill, what I love is that Price suggests how it is that Lionheart was genuinely pained by what was said about him. 

Each murder that Price goes about with is a highlight, in part due to the creativity of the murderous methods, but also Price getting to play around with a different idea each time around, while still carrying the Shakespearean theme. When he goes about performing a doctor for the murder, Price brings a callous precision as though he really was performing surgery. This makes for some rather dark comedy as he orders a scalpel, a saw, a lipstick for tracing, and a basin, all while performing such a brutal murder, with this incredible professional ease. Price is hilarious, in the darkest way possible, as he so matters of fact in each step right down to just the way he looks down during his slow decapitation of the critic. When next performing the Merchant of Venice, with such ham as Shylock with a high pitched voice, Price is pretty bad in his final speech, as intentionally so as shown by his switch in the final line that goes from poorly performing Shylock to the devious Lionheart spoken with a true biting conviction by Price denoting that he will have his "pound of flesh". In this instance literally cutting out the critic's heart, which ends with Price's quiet dutifulness, which once again is rather hilarious if so darkly, as he measures to ensure that it amounts to a pound nor more no less. One of my favorites though being a later murder though as Price gets to be a hippy hairdresser where he fashions another oddball turn, that is delightful as he speaks his slang, while with that evil grin that is so distinctly Price, before swapping to a ferocious monologue again as he curses the next critic to hell...via electric barber chair. 

It is worth again noting though that Price's performance is both Price as the Price that he is kind of known for as public consciousness, and the best form of that, but there is more to it than that. This as we get a flashback when Lionheart was denied a critics choice award once again, Price delivers his mocking monologue to their poor taste with that boisterousness, but also there is a true sadness in Price's performance. This is to the point you do feel kind of sorry for Lionheart as he appears to commit suicide as a man who seems ashamed of his own existence leading him to recite Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy. Price delivers this largely of course, but there is real passion in it as he speaks it as a suicidal note of this defeated man. Of course, there is so much to love just in getting Price to play into the villainy, none greater in Shakespeare than Richard III again and he tears into the "Winter's Discontent" with the great aplomb you'd hope for. Price simply is just wildly entertaining here by having so much fun with every speech and variation of the murderer that we are given here. Price delighting in every moment as he drowns the next critic as Richard, or actually even his very phony french accent he does as he engages in a duel with his arc rival Devlin (Ian Hendry). The latter scene itself embodies the tone wonderfully in the duel that is fully theatrical and just a whole lot of fun. Price provides the punctuation to every moment in his zestful speech and eyes that are just blaring with vengeful and fiendish glee. 

 

Still, though the disgusting passion he brings as he speaks his motivation against critics is more than just being the broad villain, even as Price is so enjoyable as the broad villain. The merging of these two sides comes in the climax as he intends to kill Devlin through a King Lear-inspired blinding. Price gloriously speaks as the greatest actor, at least an actor who believes himself to be the greatest, as he speaks his execution of Devlin as though he would an awards speech. Sadly for Lionheart, he suffers tragedy as his daughter (Diana Rigg), who has been helping him every step of the way as his accomplice, dies leading him to mourn as Lear himself would while a fire rages around him in a burning theater. Price is amazing in the scene as he captures just the right tone of ham with genuine emotion as he tenderly holds his daughter's corpse as he stands above what will be his funeral pyre. Price speaks overly dramatically, yet in his face is the genuine emotion of a father having lost his daughter. Price is strangely is honestly kind of moving, just as he is a most proper over-the-top actor taking in his grand exit for all its worth. Unlike the smug Devlin, who honestly Lionheart is far more likable as protagonist than despite Lionheart's murdering, who dismisses Lionheart's final performance, I will not. This is Price at his best. He is a glorious ham here, but there is some depths both in the way he enacts Shakespeare, but also in this actor who was betrayed for his devotion to his craft. More than anything though just a wildly entertaining turn that is everything you want from Price as a delectable devious cinematic killer that is so much fun to watch.

Best Actor Backlog Volume 3

 And the Overlooked Performances Are:

Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth

 

Alastair Sim in An Inspector Calls

 

Uttam Kumar in Nayak

Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled

 

Vincent Price in Theater of Blood

Alternate Best Actor 1964: Results

5. Vincent Price - The Masque of the Red Death - Although in the end the performance is largely just an entertaining diabolical turn from Price, what complexities inherent in the character he does exploit.

Best Scene: Describing his views.

4. Ivan Dixon in Nothing But a Man - Dixon gives a powerful low key depiction of a man just trying to get back and live his life.

Best Scene: Ending

3. Eiji Okada in Woman in the Dunes - Okada properly humanizes the allegorical scenario his character is in. A powerful portrayal of a man going down a strange but oddly tangible path. 

Best Scene: "performing" for the crowd.

2. Saro Urzì in Seduced and Abandoned - Urzì gives a hilarious and compelling portrayal of the intense pressure of a father trying to maintain his family's "dignity" at any cost.

Best Scene: Pregnancy test.

1. Innokenty Smoktunovsky in Hamlet - Good predictions Calvin, Tahmeed, Lucas Stephen, Matt, Glenn, Thomas, David, Omar, Matthew, and Luke  Smoktunovsky gives one of the greatest cinematic Hamlets, granting a compelling portrayal of a particularly cunning and internalized version of the vengeful prince.

Best Scene: The Ghost.

Updated Overall

Next: 1964 Supporting, though probably won't be a lineup.

Alternate Best Actor 1964: Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death

Vincent Price did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Prince Prospero in The Masque of the Red Death. 

The Masque of the Red Death follows a diabolical Prince as he holds a party in his castle while a plague ravages the countryside. 

Villain extraordinaire Vincent Price obviously plays the evil prince and fittingly you get Price playing the role with an expected great aplomb. From his first scene where his chariot seems to almost purposefully run over peasants, before sentencing a few men to immediate death, then taking a local peasant girl Francesca (Jane Asher), all in a few minutes, this guy is evil and that is what you really need to know about him. Price therefore then seems ideal as the glee of a Price performance is unique in that sense. There is the requisite phony regal manner but the real truth of the man is in Price's grin denoting the bliss in the man as he engages in his debauchery. There is indeed more than a certain entertainment value in just seeing Price be evil as Prince Prospero goes around his castle pushing those inside to entertain him as thrives within a world he wholly controls. However as much as that is expected, and delivered, this performance actually isn't just Price having a good time, though it is that as well, as early on it becomes clear that there is a bit more within Prospero's character than just evil...though once again he certainly is that as well. 

We granted an idea of this relatively early on where he speaks with Francesca of his views that are laden with a dark cynicism. Price's delivery though where Prospero speaks towards his lack of belief in God has this kind of pained hollowness about it. Price speaks as a man who shows a great deal of conviction within this belief, or lack thereof, but there is a certain sense of a internalized pain of it. It isn't an idea he actually enjoys and Price brings a greater depth within the dastardly fiend than you might initially expect. There is also something in his relationship with Francesca where Price brings a different approach in many of his interactions with her. This as Price brings this sort manner as though Prospero is educating her in his philosophy and particular kind of knowledge. This when speaking towards a wannabe guest with dismissive tone for a so called morality of any kind. Price emphasizes a certain sleaze and definite evil in the man still, but the tone he brings is as though Prospero is trying to convince Francesca of the truth in the way in which he perceives the world. 

Unfortunately this thought isn't entirely pursued. Although I liked the film, it drags a bit, particularly as it focuses on the more heroic characters and sadly at a certain point Prospero stops consistently appearing for a good chunk before the climax. Now to Price's credit when he does pop up we get some properly delicious delivery from him when conferring a twisted judgment on Francesca's rebellious friends or when he callously speaks horrible suggests to the remaining peasants seeking help. Sadly though the more complex ideas introduced early on are largely abandoned. Even with that the memorable climax of the film still grants us some equally memorable work from Price as he faces down the personified red death. This as Price's expression grants both a certain jubilation and an undercurrent of fear in his initial discovery. This seguing to a sinister joy as he thinks his Satan worship has worked out for him, before falling to a crippling fear when he discovers perhaps Satan worship isn't the best idea. It is most certainly an expectedly fun performance from Price though I do wish the writing had let him explore a bit more, as what complexity there is, Price finds it. Still a fun Price performance, is a fun Price performance.

Alternate Best Actor 1964

And the Nominees Were Not:

Innokenty Smoktunovsky in Hamlet

 

Ivan Dixon in Nothing But a Man

 

Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death

Eiji Okada in Woman in the Dunes

 

Saro Urzì in Seduced and Abandoned

Alternate Best Actor 1950: Results

5. Vincent Price in The Baron of Arizona - Price gives a properly devious turn even if the film's odd perspective of his character limits him a bit.

Best Scene: Arguing for his guilt.

4. Alec Guinness in Last Holiday- Guinness gives an unexpectedly remarkable turn in his wholly convincing portrayal of a man coming into his own as he faces death.

Best Scene: Final sendoff. 

3. Jean Marais in Orpheus - Marais gives a terrific atypical leading turn ideal for his wonderfully off-beat romantic fantasy.

Best Scene: Trying to not look at his wife. 

2. John Garfield in The Breaking Point - Garfield gives his best performance in his uncompromising portrayal of a man willing to take the easy way out even as it leads to dire consequences.

Best Scene: Final shootout. 

1. Richard Widmark in Night and the City - Richard Widmark delivers a frankly pioneering portrayal that captures his character's determination and mania as he tries to get himself out of a hole by digging to the other side.

Best Scene: Final idea.

Updated Overall

Next: Review of François Périer in Orpheus and supporting update.

Alternate Best Actor 1950: Vincent Price in The Baron of Arizona

Vincent Price did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying James Reavis in The Baron of Arizona.

The Baron of Arizona follows a con man, attempting through forgery, to own Arizona.

This film comes from Samuel Fuller, who I wouldn't call one of the greatest filmmakers of the period, but was one of the most interesting. This as Fuller tended to tackle characters and subjects outside of the mainstream. This often covering them in a detail or style that too was rarely the approach. Although this doesn't always mean his films were great, they are intriguing to revisit at least on that basis. One of the common features of Fuller's work was he typically didn't cast stars in his leading roles, this leading to leading turns by relative unknowns or by character actors. That is the case here in Vincent Price, who has a bit of a fascinating career where he traded in prestige and through exploitation during his career. While the latter is where he more commonly found leading roles in general, this could be argued as a matching of the pair. This being a prestigious leading role for Price, though fittingly as a less than prestigious character. This as the conman James Reavis who is given an usually close perspective by Fuller, though reduced a bit slightly by a lame framing device with a boring narrator discussing the strange case. What we do get though is Vincent Price in a role that is both in his most famous types, but also not quite that type. This as he plays a dastardly sort, but a different sort in that regard. This as he's not a randomly evil man, but rather a man with a very specific plant to try to swindle a whole nation really. This as we open upon his Reavis fashioning a family lineage, including a girl he intends to marry, who he is creating a false baroness out of for his scheme. Price in a way reducing his typical cinematic deviousness, as just a more cautioned operator, portraying a man who is almost tactically implementing his plan one step at a time.

We see him as he goes about him even sneaking into a monastery in order to try to adjust age old records. Price portraying the good servant as he carefully manipulates an old tomb, though honestly I'm waiting far more for when Price gets founded out and must make an initial mistake. This as we get then what is far more within Price's more delicious style of acting. This when he comes across some random villagers and Price is in his game, showing Reavis in him. This in initially a nice early moment where his expression marks an exasperation in Reavis's unusual way of livelihood. This until he switches towards the overt conman, and we get some nice Price wryness. This in portraying the sort of manipulation in the man as he gets the group of people what he needs to do through just what he says. Price saying it so well with his right sort of mix of temptation with charisma. Honestly I wish the film was more willing to allow his character to be overtly evil as that is when Price is at his best. This as we are mixed in with scenes of him finally marrying the younger woman he setup as the baroness to take over Arizona to con so many people. Although Price isn't bad in these scenes, these oddly have little purpose, even as the film wants some romantic notion of the relationship. A romantic notion we are sadly not granted really within the writing of the film. Price is fine in being more sincere in these moments, but honestly that's not what I'm here for with Price. Thankfully we do get more dastardly Price as the film goes on and eventually leads to a personal trial for Reavis. This is easily Price's best scene, and he's terrific in bringing such a palatable ego in his smug manner as Reavis attempts to boast about the invisible nature of forgery. Price bringing the right lack of shame to every word of a man who loves to state his fraud as a sign of pride. Sadly still the film sticks to humanizing Reavis which I don't actually think serves the story, even if still atypical for the time. Price's best scene of this nature does come as he is about to be hanged, mainly because Price doesn't really change the nature of the part within his performance. This even in his delivery of the words of Reavis through a ragged breath, it is still with a bit of snide disregard and that ego again of a proper con man. It seems Price wishes to really play an affable fiend, sadly the film doesn't quite go along making this a bit of a missed opportunity. Price is good with what he has, but too much of his work is potential of what could have been a greater character study of a true imp.

Alternate Best Actor 1950

And the Nominees Were Not:

Richard Widmark in Night and the City

Alec Guinness in Last Holiday

John Garfield in The Breaking Point

Vincent Price in The Baron of Arizona

Jean Marais in Orpheus

Alternate Best Actor 1968: Results

10. Vincent Price - Witchfinder General - Price gives an interesting performance attempting to bring complexity to his morally compromised inquisitor, unfortunately the film decides to use him just as a one note villain.

Best Scene: Being convinced to give a reprieve.

9. Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Great Silence - Trintignant gives a good performance as he brings the steely gaze needed for his swift killer, along with a bit of pathos within his silence alluding to his motivations though he is a tad overshadowed by his more maniacal co-star.

 Best Scene: Silence remembers.

8. Malcolm McDowell in If.... in McDowell gives a good performance as he portrays the gradual breakdown of a student into essentially a psychopath even though if it might feel like a warm up to his more renowned turn as a juvenile killer.  

Best Scene: Killing spree

7. Burt Lancaster in The Scalphunters - Lancaster gives an enjoyable turn portraying the right comical frustrations within his more typical western hero, along with striking the right endearing chemistry with his co-star.

Best Scene: The final fight.

6. Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific - Marvin gives a memorable one man show as a man slowly losing his mind as well as a memorable two man show in realizing a most unique yet believable chemistry with Toshiro Mifune.

Best Scene: The curious showdown. 

5. Ossie Davis in The Scalphunters - Davis gives a very entertaining portrayal of his outgoing yet quietly cunning character, and again has great chemistry with his co-star Lancaster.

Best Scene: The final fight. 

4. Toshiro Mifune in Hell in the Pacific - Shares his scenes so well with Marvin, as well as stands out well with his own one man show as the refined soldier struggling through his ordeal.

Best Scene: Finding the magazine.

3. Max von Sydow in Shame - von Sydow as per usual creates such a convincing relationship with Liv Ullmann which is especially pivotal here as the two together offer such a natural and harrowing depiction of a married couple dealing with and being changed by war.

Best Scene: Killing a man.

2. Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West - Bronson more than fulfills the role of the badass gunslinger, he goes further though creating such an endearing and humorous chemistry with his co-star Jason Robards, then goes even further in offering such an underlying emotional poignancy to the film through his performance. 

Best Scene: The final duel.

1. Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer - This one for the overall came down two rather different performances though by both masterful in their separate intentions. Bronson being such a brilliant minimalist performance, and Lancaster being such a brilliant expressive tour de force. Both have their unique challenges and match every one of them. Lancaster's task is different. Bronson is an essential part to an amazing film. Lancaster though is the factor that makes his film work at all offering a reality and heartbreaking humanity to such a surreal concept. Once Upon a Time in the West would have probably still have been great with a lesser lead, but not as great. The Swimmer would probably have been a failure without what Lancaster does. Even with that somewhat flimsy reasoning though this is still sort of a toss up as I love both performances, but I have to choose one.

Best Scene: "This is my wagon"

Updated Overall

Next Year: 1968 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1968: Vincent Price in Witchfinder General

Vincent Price did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General.

Witchfinder General is a flimsy pseudo-exploitation film about an inquisitor during the reign of Oliver Cromwell.

Vincent Price had perhaps a somewhat curious career progression as an actor. In that he started out in very much the prestige picture such as Laura and The Song of Bernadette, but eventually began to appear in a long series of b-movies often as a campy villain. There was more than a slight indication of this in his early work in that he would play often shady characters, but they were not quite the overt villains he came known for. This brings him to this film which itself seems a curious clash of the two phases of his career quite honestly. In that the movie is not quite sure what it wants to be in that it may wish to be a grim realization of the cruel witch hunters of the time, yet its approach very much focuses on the violence, and very little on the characters suggesting the tone more of a violent exploitative horror film. The characters for the most part are incredibly simple, there seems an attempt at further complexity at times yet this usually is forgotten in favor of more bloodshed.

Vincent Price stands in the center of the film as the man who wishes to become the Witchfinder General by uncovering witches all throughout England. Price seems set on his own performance at the very least, even though the film doesn't quite seem set on its own tone. Price goes for the more nuanced approach to the material, very much away from his usual campy type of villainy to portray the witchhunter Hopkins in a very quiet manner. Price is consistent in this in very much trying to impress some sort of reality on the film in his dark somber approach. Price's approach is actually a tad surprising since even in his earlier prestige picture work he usually would be a more flamboyant figure. Here though Price very much seeks to be the puritan really his character should be. Price whole physical manner is that of a hard and cold man. He is effective in this approach as everything about him has this coldness to him in his dark eyes always peering for some sort of weakness, and his straight forward delivery fitting to an official who is going about his task with proper precision.

The character is not quite so straight forward though as revealed early on by the first scene where he goes about interrogating a catholic priest, which involves having his men randomly stabbing the man's back supposedly looking for the mark of Satan. The priest though is granted a respite when the priest's niece offers to prostitute herself in exchange for saving her uncle. This offer is immediately accepted by Hopkins and Price does not depict any sort of conflict in the man over this. Price approach actually instead very much sets up the character as a man who is more than willing to abuse his position to get what he wants and there is never a second thought in his depiction. This again is effective though as Price is appropriately creeping in showing the complete lack of hesitation in the man as he goes from his violent interrogation of doing "God's work" at one moment then giving into lust with the woman the next. The film never really goes anywhere with this idea in terms of revealing the hypocrisy of the character instead he ends up just being basically a monster who needs to be defeated by the end of the film. Price stays consistent within his character throughout even in its more bombastic conclusion, more fitting to a traditional monster picture. Price isn't quite just the monster and is a chilling presence throughout the film. His performance though seems a bit misused in the end as it suggests a greater complexity but it never is allowed to explore this in any real detail. This is a good low key performance by Vincent Price, but the film prevents him from giving a great one.

Alternate Best Actor 1968

And the Nominees Were Not:

Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific

Burt Lancaster in The Scalphunters

Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West

Malcolm McDowell in If....

Vincent Price in Witchfinder General

Predict Those Five or These Five.

Toshiro Mifune in Hell in the Pacific

Ossie Davis in The Scalphunters

Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Great Silence

Max von Sydow in Shame 

Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer

Or Both.