Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1955: Results

5. Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle- Poitier gives a nicely handled and surprisingly believable turn as a disrespectful student who is capable of improving himself, even if I do wish he had gotten a few more scenes to flesh out his character. 

Best Scene: Miller encourages Dadier to say the word.

4. Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock- Brennan gives an effective portrayal of a man filled pessimism but optimistic in heart.

Best Scene: The doc tries to convince the others to help Macreedy. 

3. Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers- Sellers gives a very amusing performance as slick criminal who find himself in over his head.

Best Scene: Harry tries to fetch Mrs. Wilberforce's bird.

2. Takashi Shimura in I Live in Fear- Shimura gives a moving performance as the quiet observer of a situation where there is not obvious solution.

Best Scene: Dr. Harada meets with Nakajima.

1. Raymond Massey in East of Eden- Massey's work is one I have grown to appreciate more with time. His unusual dynamic with Dean is perfect in creating the powerful rift between the father and Massey realizes Adam as man in terms of the good nature of his character, but as well his past before we meet him.

Best Scene: Adam reveals the truth about Cal's mother.

Overall Rank:

1. Raymond Massey in East of Eden
2. Takashi Shimura in I live in Fear
3. Jack Lemmon in Mister Roberts
4. Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers
5. Sal Mineo in Rebel Without a Cause 
6. Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock
7. Orson Welles in Mr. Arkadin
   
8. Cecil Parker in The Ladykillers
9. Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle
10. Ralph Richardson in Richard III
11. Masayuki Mori in Forever A Woman
12. Herbert Lom in The Ladykillers
13. Paul Meurisse in Les Diaboliques 
14. Richard Conte in The Big Combo
    
15. Jarl Kulle in Smiles of a Summer Night
    
16. Vic Morrow in Blackboard Jungle
17. Robert Ryan in Bad Day At Black Rock
18. Charles Vanel in Les Diaboliques 
19. Mischa Auer in Mr. Arkadin 
20. James Cagney in Mister Roberts
21. Ernest Borgnine in Bad Day At Black Rock
22. Danny Green in The Ladykillers 
23. Jules Dassin in Rififi
24. Carl Mohner in Rififi
    
25. Robert Manuel in Rififi
    
26. Bill Thompson in Lady and the Tramp 
27. Preben Lerdorff Rye in Ordet 
28. Akim Tamiroff in Mr. Arkadin 
29. Todd Duncan in Unchained
    
30. Kanu Banerjee in Pather Panchali
31. Michael Redgrave in Mr. Arkadin
    
32. Lee Marvin Bad Day At Black Rock 
33. Rod Steiger in Oklahoma
    
34. Cecil Parker in The Court Jester
    
35. Donald Crisp in The Man from Laramie 
36. Eddie Albert in Oklahoma
    
37. Emil Hass Christensen in Ordet
    
38. Robert Middleton in The Desperate Hours 
39. Gene Nelson in Oklahoma
    
40. Arthur Kennedy in The Man from Laramie 
    
41. William Powell in Mister Roberts
42. Burl Ives in East of Eden  
43. Franco Frabizi in Il Bidone
    
44. John Gielgud in Richard III
45. Basil Rathbone in The Court Jester
46. Robert Middleton in The Big Combo
    
47. Louis Calhern in Blackboard Jungle
48. Edmond O'Brien in Pete Kelly's Blues
    
49. Minoru Chiaki in I Live in Fear
50. Darren McGavin in The Man With the Golden Arm 
51. Wesley Addy in The Big Knife
    
52. Arthur Kennedy in Trial  
53. Brian Donlevy in The Big Combo
    
54. Arthur O'Connell in Picnic
    
55. Jim Backus in Rebel Without a Cause 
56. Everett Sloane in The Big Knife
    
57. Robert Strauss in The Man With the Golden Arm 
58. Lee Marvin in Pete Kelly's Blues 
59. Lee Van Cleef in The Big Combo
60. Earl Holliman in The Big Combo
    
61. John Ericson in Bad Day At Black Rock
62. James Gleason in The Night of the Hunter  
63. Eddie Albert in I'll Cry Tomorrow
    
64. Wallace Ford in The Man From Laramie 
    
65. Stanley Baker in Richard III
66. Frank Sutton in Marty 
    
67. Timothy Carey in East of Eden 
68. Chester Morris in Unchained
    
69. Frank Alvin Silvera in Killer's Kiss
70. Dean Jagger in Bad Day At Black Rock
71. Ryōji Hayama in Forever a Woman
72. Basil Rathbone in We're No Angels 
73. James Whitmore in Oklahoma
    
74. Gig Young in The Desperate Hours 
75. Rossano Brazzi in Summertime
    
76. Richard Davalos in East of Eden
77. Ward Bond in Mister Roberts  
78. Sheldon Leonard in Guys and Dolls 
79. Robert Flemyng in Cast a Dark Shadow
80. Leo G. Carroll in We're No Angels
    
81. Wilfrid Lawson in The Prisoner
82. Dewey Martin in The Desperate Hours
83. Koji Tsuruta in Samurai II 
84. Darren McGavin in Summertime
    
85. Peter Graves in The Night of the Hunter  
86. Jay C. Flippen in Oklahoma
    
87. Joe Mantell in Marty
88. Royal Dano in The Trouble With Harry
89. Don Beddoe in The Night of the Hunter 
90. Richard Conte in I'll Cry Tomorrow
    
91. Cliff Robertson in Picnic 
92. Roger Moore in Interrupted Melody
    
93. John Hoyt in Blackboard Jungle
94. Alex Nicol in The Man from Laramie
95. Corey Allen in Rebel Without a Cause
96. Arthur Kennedy in The Desperate Hours 
97. Burt Lancaster in The Rose Tattoo
    
98. Arnold Stang in The Man with the Golden Arm
99. Dan Terranova in Blackboard Jungle
100. Jerry Mathers in The Trouble With Harry 
101. Ben Cooper in The Rose Tattoo
     
102. Cameron Mitchell in Love Me Or Leave Me
103. Ronald Lewis in The Prisoner
104. Tor Johnson in Bride of the Monster
105. Rafael Campos in Blackboard Jungle
106. Rafael Campos in Trial
107. Rod Steiger in The Big Knife
     
108. Harvey P Dunn in Bride of the Monster

Next Year: 1970 lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1955: Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock

Walter Brennan did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Doc Velie in Bad Day At Black Rock.

Bad Day with Black Rock has quite the cast especially in terms of Oscar winners with two time winner Spencer Tracy as the lead John J. Macreedy investigating the whereabouts of a Japanese man, winner Dean Jagger as a hapless sheriff, and the future winners of Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin as two of the local thugs. One time Oscar nominee Robert Ryan has perhaps the meatiest supporting role as the main heavy who basically commands the town. Although Ryan is good, as usual in such roles, I chose not to review him for two reasons one being that it is not his very best work in a part of this sort, I have yet to get to that performance, and as well because my favorite performance belongs to the three time Oscar winner in the cast, Walter Brennan.

Brennan plays the doctor of the secluded town with a secret and is one of the few decent men in the town. Brennan is probably best known for his more wily and colorful performances, but when he needed to give a more subtle performance he was more than able to dial down his more common on screen persona. That is the case here as Brennan gives a pretty quiet performance that very much fits the setting of the rather grim town where a horrible deed has take placed that wishes to be covered up by most of the populace, but wants to be dug up by the outsider Macreedy. Brennan is probably the brightest face in town, but to be honest Brennan is not exactly beaming either.

Brennan is very effective in his portrayal of the doctor finding the right tone of apathetic pessimism with only the slightest hint of optimism at the beginning of the film. It is very remarkable to see the usually cherry Brennan play a character who is depressed by his surroundings especially since Brennan handles the part so well. There is the idea of a once warm and caring man in Brennan portrayal of the doc, something that comes natural to Brennan's onscreen personality, but there is something quite powerful in the sad state Brennan shows the doc to be in. There is no sugar coating that Brennan gives any of his lines being quite blunt in his performance that effectively reinforces the tension of the film.

As the film progresses the doc slowly finds a greater courage to confront the town's past, and try his very best to help Macreedy. Brennan is very strong in the moment where the doc speaks his mind as he has the right convincing passion in the scenes. Brennan is excels in these moments not only in portraying the doc's conviction but showing just the right little bit of hesitation. The doc speaking out the way he is does makes it seem very likely that he will be killed along Macreedy and Brennan rightfully shows that the doc knows this. By suggesting this fear the doc's speech about no longer sitting idly by has the emotional punch it should, and actually makes another one of the conspirators breakdown believable.

Walter Brennan's performance stands out well in this fairly strong ensemble and he has a nice subtle chemistry with Spencer Tracy in their scenes together. They show an underlying understanding between two good men who have compromised more than their own moral compass will allow. He supports Tracy wonderfully and nicely adds to the power of the film thorough his somber portrayal of the doc. Brennan's work here is strong example of his talent and proves that he was as capable of a realistically drawn man like the doc here as he was in his performances as the colorful characters he is best known for.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1955

And the Nominees Were Not:

Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock

Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle

Raymond Massey in East of Eden

Takashi Shimura in I Live in Fear

Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers

Best Supporting Actor 1938: Results

5. Basil Rathbone in If I Were King-Rathbone sometimes just gives a rather dull villainous performance, but other times he gives a needlessly strange performance as if the King was a crazy old man.

4. John Garfield in Four Daughters- Yes it is true Garfield has an intense on screen presence, but unfortunately in this case he does not serve it to really create a character. Instead he only ever scratches the surface with his performance, and unfortuantely at the end of his performance he overacts a great deal.

3. Gene Lockhart in Algiers- Lockhart is able to be pathetic enough as Regis the informer, but unfortuantely he always seems miscast in the role. This is because he never seems like a truly convincing slimy rat he should be.

2. Robert Morley in Marie Antoinette- Morley gives a good humorous performance in his first half, and than an effectively sad performance in his second half. It never is quite a great performance, and he is forgotten for a good deal of the picture, but it remains a good one.

1. Walter Brennan in Kentucky- Yes Walter Brennan is one actor the academy got absolutely right, every time he won, he deserved to win. Brennan gives an effective performance as an old man with a grudge, as well as love. Brennan who transforms himself to almost double his age seamlessly also manages to show the grudge as something the old man simply cannot shake since it has been something with him for so long, as well as his love for horses as something just as deep as the hatred, even deeper, since Brennan carefully shows it overcome his feelings of hatred.

Deserving Performances:
Pat O'Brien in Angels With Dirty Faces
Edward Arnold in You Can't Take it With You

Best Supporting Actor 1938: Walter Brennan in Kentucky

Walter Brennan won his second Oscar from his second nomination for portraying Peter Goodwin in Kentucky.

Kentucky tells the story of two families of horse breeders the Goodwin's and the Dillon's who have an old feud from the civil war, the youngest members of the two families though begin a romance.

Walter Brennan plays the one who truly holds the feud over the years for Peter Goodwin saw his father killed by one of the Dillon's. One thing Walter Brenna with absolute ease in this film is play a man much older than himself. Brennan who was only around forty-four at the time of the film plays a man who is suppose to be around eighty. Brennan is entirely believable as someone almost twice his age, his voice most certainly aids this, but Brennan makes his age entirely natural through simple but effective mannerisms in the part.

Walter Brennan actually plays a rather angry character, very angry over what happened to his father a long time ago. Brennan does not act angry all the time, instead he only shows a great deal, of anger when the Dillon's are mentioned in front of him.  Brennan is actually pretty intense in these scenes where Peter shows just how much he hates the Dillons. His degree of intensity actually works for the role, as well as makes sense, since it shows not only how long Peter has held this hatred, but as well how deep it really is in him.

Brennan as usual shows why he is one of the better, if not one of the best character actors of the period because there is a great deal of charm in his performance. Brennan being in the film only adds to it, but really it does even more than that in this case, since he really manages to create the most interesting character in the film. This is not saying a great deal alone, since there others are not particularly special, but Peter could have been the same but Brennan manages to get the most out of him.

The most effective part of Brennan performance is showing Peter's knowledge, as well as love for horses. Brennan again portrays it well because he is able to to show his knowledge, as well as his love is something that has grown well with Peter's age showing that it is really the most important part of him. Brennan brings out the right honest joy that Peter gets out of proving his knowledge right about horses, as well as by seeing one of his own horses succeed.

This might not be the best performance by Walter Brennan, but it is a good one that manages to be able to easily stand out past the rest of the film, since Brennan is the only actor who managed to make a more rounded character, as well as the only character I honestly cared about in the film.

Best Supporting Actor 1938

And the Nominees Were:

Gene Lockhart in Algiers 

John Garfield in Four Daughters

Walter Brennan in Kentucky

Basil Rathbone in If I Were King

Robert Morley in Marie Antoinette 

Best Supporting Actor 1940: Results

5. William Gargan in They Knew What They Wanted- Gargan is okay at the beginning of the film, but as the film present a large challenge for him, he really is not up to it.

4. Jack Oakie in The Great Dictator- Oakie's parody of Mussolini is amusing enough, but most of the humor from his scenes come from Charlie Chaplin's direction more than from his performance.

3. James Stephenson in The Letter- An incredibly forgettable performance, that is the antithesis of a flashy role. I still think he did a fine job anyways, and properly portrayed his character.

2. Albert Bassermann in Foreign Correspondent- A simple dignified performance, that even keeps his dignity when he is all drugged out in the film. This is not a great performance or even the third best supporting performance in the film, but it serves its purpose.

1. Walter Brennan in The Westerner- This seems to happen in this category a lot, which is my number one is also the only choice I needed to consider. Brennan becoming my first two time supporting winner seemed almost unchallenged. I really enjoy Brennan's performance which manages to be an enjoyable charming performance, in an otherwise dull film, and an effective villainous performance that manages to be likable nonetheless.

Deserving Performances:
George Sanders in Rebecca
George Sanders in Foreign Correspondent
Herbert Marshall in Foreign Correspondent

Best Supporting Actor 1940: Walter Brennan in The Westerner

Walter Brennan won his third Oscar from his third nomination for portraying Judge Roy Bean in The Westerner.

The Westerner is a an unfortunate film, since it might of pretty good if they stuck with their great character they had, and the great performance with it. Instead the film gets caught up with Gary Cooper who is dull as ever with a dull character and dull romance, with scenes that do not have the only character worth watching Judge Roy Bean.

Walter Brennan is an actor who before I saw this film was use to seeing him as the friendly, comedic, or wise old guy, or sidekick to the main hero. Here though Walter Brennan portrays a villain, and a pretty cold blooded one at times especially at the beginning of the film.

I found it fascinating to see Brennan actually pretty chilling at the beginning when he condemns sentence on an innocent man, and hangs him. It is surprising but interesting to see Brenna as being a quite effective and cold villain as this. A villain cold enough to later darkly joke about killing the man later on in the film.

After his initial hanging Judge Roy Bean goes to his bar which he also uses for a kangaroo court. Despite being a villain he somehow makes Roy Bean likable anyways with his usual Brennan charm, which does not seem out of the nature for the judge. The Judge again goes to his hanging ways when he comes across a wrongly accused saddle bum Cole Harden (Gary Cooper).

Cole avoids a hanging but manipulating the Judges love for a stage actress Lily Langtree who he claims to have met. These scenes are sort of enjoyable because Brennan makes Roy Bean's love for Langtree an oddly honest, and charming one like a child's crush despite the nature of the character. Brennan completely steals these scenes from Cooper which makes his performance enjoyable but in terms of the film the scene do not work entirely though because the Judge is being manipulated by Cole.

This manipulation does not really work because of Cooper's boring dull portrayal against Brennan charming effective portrayal, really makes me doubt Cole's ability to really get the better of the judge. Even though I fully believed the judge naivety if Miss Langtry is involved thanks to Brennan again, in think the film would have worked better if the Judge actually got the better of Cole. Yes it would have been a completely different film, but it would have been a much better film.

Brennan performance is an enjoyable humorous performance that somehow also makes for an intense villain when he needs to as well. I find it wonderful that he can make him properly villainous, but also a likable character that I actually did feel for him at the end of the film. I find Brennan performance to be simple a perfect supporting performance that up shows everyone else in the film, and is the enjoyable or interesting part of an otherwise boring film. A performance makes me wish the film had been completely about Roy Bean like apparently it was originally.

Best Supporting Actor 1940

Jack Oakie in The Great Dictator

Albert Bassermann in Foreign Correspondent
 
Walter Brennan in The Westerner

William Gargan in They Knew What They Wanted

James Stephenson in The Letter

Who do you predict, who do you pick? Was the a third time a charm for Brennan, or was someone else more deserving?

Best Supporting Actor 1941: The Results

5. James Gleason in Here Comes Mr. Jordan- Gleason does not give much of a performance here, and basically does nothing but making surprised and confused faces over and over again.

4. Walter Brennan in Sergeant York- Although I do like what he does, and his performance is by far the best in the film, that just is not that much.

3. Donald Crisp in How Green Was My Valley- Crisp gives a very quiet and subtle performance that is very effective throughout the film. Also it always has the right realistic and authentic quality needed for the film.

2. Charles Coburn in The Devil and Miss Jones- Coburn gives a charming and very funny performance as a rich millionaire who finds out his workers are not exactly what he thought they were. His slow transition is perfectly handled and just gives a strong performance throughout the film. He might in fact be my personal choice for lead this year.

1. Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon- Greenstreet is just great as Casper Gutman, creating an incredibly memorable villain. He is only in really three scenes but he is absolutely brilliant in all three scene finding the perfect style and demeanor for his character, making him both fascinating and entertaining to watch.

Best Supporting Actor 1941: Walter Brennan in Sergeant York

Walter Brennan received his fourth and final Oscar nomination, and his only nomination for which he did not win for portraying Pastor Rosier Pile.

Walter Brennan is almost always a dependable character actor and here he gives by far the best performance in the film. But that is hardly much of an accomplishment I mean he could be sort of bad and he still could have been the best actor in the film. He is the best actually for many reasons one reason is he the only performer who really actually tries to bring any life or energy into his character. Another stranger reason is at times he seems to be the only one who knows how to do basic acting, for example he is one of the few actors who actually reacts in the film when he is not talking, some just seem to stare blankly at times.

Brennan though is a good as he can be as the pastor, having the right old country feel for the part. He is always believable completely even when his eye brows are not.  I like what he does as the pastor it is not that it is that much of a part but he does a good job with it and is the stand out in the film. He has the right amount of passion and energy in the role to get the pastor's message across well. He is strong in all scenes with the pastor trying at first to change Alvin York's ways than later trying to help him avoid military service. He is always right in every scene having the right tone and emotions when ever their required. That is not that much for an actor to do but it is the high point of any actor in this film. This is a bit of problem with his performance since he has no one to work with since Cooper does basically nothing and Margaret Wycherly as Sergeant York's mother is awful. Still despite having no one to work with he still is successful at being a strong presence in the film and does everything he can with what he has.

Best Supporting Actor 1941

And the nominees were:

Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon

Charles Coburn in The Devil and Miss Jones

Donald Crisp in How Green Was My Valley

James Gleason in Here Comes Mr. Jordan

Walter Brennan in Sergeant York

Who is your pick? What do you predict my ranking will be?

Best Supporting Actor 1936: Results

5. Mischa Auer in My Man Godfrey- Auer's whole purpose is to be funny, and I never found him to be so.

4. Stuart Erwin in Pigskin Parade- I sort of liked Erwin's performance as the hill billy football star because he did not go over the top, but he was not exactly amazing either.

3. Akim Tamiroff in The General Died at Dawn- Tamiroff at least does not go over the top with his Chinese general but he is so stiff that his performance never holds much interest.

2. Basil Rathbone in Romeo and Juliet- Rathbone is fine as Tybalt, although not great, but than again Tybalt is not much of a character. 

1. Walter Brennan in Come and Get It- Brennan accent is not perfect and his role becomes too reduced for most of the film, but he is incredibly strong in the early scenes when he needs to be.

Deserving Performances:
Frank Morgan in The Great Ziegfeld
Peter Lorre in Secret Agent
Robert Young in Secret Agent

Best Supporting Actor 1936: Walter Brennan in Come and Get It

Walter Brennan won his first Oscar from his first nomination for portraying Swan Bostrom in Come and Get It.

I found Come and Get It to be a much better drama then I expected it would be with at least one very strong performance in the film by Edward Arnold as a man who gives up his true love for money.

Walter Brennan plays a swedish lumberjack and best friend to Arnold's character Barney. Swan also is the one who tells Barney's girlfriend (Frances Farmer) that Barney has left her for a more business oriented marriage. Brennan as Swan does do an accent for it although its clearly and old fashioned movie accent Brennan makes it work well with his performance since he never lets it control his performance. He still shows Swan as a man not just a stereotype and that helps Brennan's performance greatly.

The greatness in Brennan's performance is confined to his early scenes. His best scenes being when he questions Barney about his selfish actions. Brennan shows Swan's disappointment and sadness in Barney's actions perfectly with just his face and his eyes. He does not allows his slightly odd accent to stop from having an emotional presence in the film and that is shown perfectly in this scene. His greatest scene though is when he tells Farmer's character what Barney has done. Brennan perfectly shows Swan's struggle to try to get the words out, and his attempt to try to tell her the terrible news. Brennan is emotionally true in this scene and the scene where he is about to marry Farmer's character. Brennan strikes the right emotional note within these scenes, he shows Swan's kindness along with his sadness to great effect using his physical motions, and even with his slight hindrance of his voice.

Later after Farmer's character has died but they had a daughter also played by Farmer, Brennan unfortunately becomes regulated to the background of the film. This is not Brennan fault, he just he no longer really given anything to do for the rest of the film. Sure he is there, and a nice enough presence in the background, but the film never really allows him to do anything for the remainder of the film. I wish he was given more since I would think Swan would be concerned with his daughter's problems, but the film never shows him to be. Brennan never falters in these scenes and never fails to stand out when he could, because he is never given a chance to really. Still though I find this to be a strong performance despite, the only real important scenes being confined to a short time at the beginning of the film, and the swedish accent. Brennan still creates an interesting character even with the limits of the part and his accent, because Brennan is so effective with his key scenes.

Best Supporting Actor 1936

And the first ever nominees in this category were:

Mischa Auer in My Man Godfrey

Basil Rathbone in Romeo and Juliet

Akim Tamiroff in The General Died at Dawn

Stuart Erwin in The Pigskin Parade

Walter Brennan in Come and Get It

Who do you pick? What do you predict my ranking will be?