One of the rare times where three actors from the same film are nominated in the same category - and none of them end up winning. It's always one that you want to pay attention to and figure out why, especially because the actual winner is really deserving and great in his own right. Which I don't think a lot of people even know of Grey and his performance. There is one performance here that I haven't seen but I don't think it'll factor in to my decision much. This is a year where I get to savor these performances I've already seen.
1972 Best Supporting Actor
Joel Grey - Cabaret
This is one of those winners that people will look at and immediately think well how did this guy I've never heard of beat three huge stars from The Godfather? That's a legitimate question to ask but this winner is not at all a surprising one, especially if you have seen Grey's performance. Grey won a Tony Award for this same role a few years before the film came out, so he had perfected his performance by this win and it for sure wasn't a fluke. Yes, you can say the other three split the votes (which they probably did), but I honestly believe Grey won this on his own merits. He plays the Master of Ceremonies at the Cabaret that Liza Minnelli dances and sings at in Nazi Germany. That's all Grey's role is in the film, he emcees the different cabaret songs and is a big part of the entertainment. Grey really is memorable and and has such a dynamic, interesting energy in the film that you can't help but be intrigued by him. We never actually know anything about him as a person, but we really don't need to. He, and his song and dance routines, represents what's going on under the surface of the film. The main story is about Liza Minnelli and Michael York, but this is highlighting the rise to power of the Nazis in Germany and subtly lampooning what's going on. So Grey is less a character interacting in the story with other characters, but more a representation of the downfall of Germany. And Grey captures this unusual role perfectly. He's kinda creepy, but also hilarious at times with his on stage performance. He is absolutely compelling and magnetic and the film is better for having his little interludes drive the thematic elements of the story. The performance is just so good and iconic that it makes perfect sense as the winner. Grey encapsulates what Cabaret is with his performance alone and that's the best compliment I can give for this win. It's a different kind of performance that works well and makes for an inspired Academy choice.
Eddie Albert - The Heartbreak Kid
So this was a bit confusing for me at first. I watched Butterflies Are Free first and that stars Edward Albert. I thought he was also in this and was just called Eddie and he had been in two big comedies this year and that's why he was nominated. Well turns out that this is actually Edward's father. I thought it was pretty cool that both father and son had pretty big acting years. This Albert played Cybill Shepherd's father and completely disapproves of Charles Grodin's smarmy, obsessed character divorcing his wife of three days to get with his young, pretty daughter. In this category, one of the best groups ever, he never had a shot to win. And I feel like most people just gloss over his name and look at the other four and move on. But Albert is very good in his role. He is mostly in the second half of the film and plays a protective, grumpy father who hates Grodin, for good reason. He does have some comedic moments that are delivered with a serious face and makes the performance really enjoyable. It might be a stock role but Albert makes it his role and his scenes are the best of the second half of the film. It's certainly not an all time performance like the others, but it holds up even today and is fun to watch. Can't fault a good performance like this being in an all time group.
James Caan - The Godfather
I wasn't as enamored with Caan's performance as it seems a lot of other people were. Not to say it's bad at all, but my least favorite of the ones nominated which, really, doesn't mean it's my least favorite or that I disliked it. Caan is a talented actor no doubt and he plays eldest son Santino "Sonny" Corleone and does a great job with his character. Sonny is kind of a hot headed knucklehead. He isn't as smart as Hagen or Michael but he is the oldest. He also seems to rule once he's Don with an emotional bent. Obviously he comes to power because his father was gunned down and things are going awry, but he just seems to have a temper and leads with that instead of taking counsel or measuring all the facts first. I think Caan does a great job of showing how impulsive Sonny is whether it's banging a bridesmaid at the wedding, rushing out to confront Carlo for beating his sister, or ordering a hit in retaliation. It's a little easier to show off having a trigger hair temper but Caan does that emotion justice with his performance. I enjoy how Caan easily switches between the different sides of his character going from rage to concern to joking around seemingly flawlessly. It makes his character pretty likable and makes his end hit a lot harder. I like the performance and he fits perfectly into the role but I can't help but like Duvall and Pacino better.
Robert Duvall - The Godfather
This is probably my favorite of the actual supporting roles in The Godfather for the simple reason that Duvall is exactly what he should be: lowkey. He doesn't overpower any scene he's in, though he still gives an incredibly strong performance. He even slinks into the background at times, but it suits his character and Duvall plays it pitch perfect. He portrays Tom Hagen, the adopted son and now family lawyer for the Corleones. Duvall shines in the early going when he stays well mannered and cordial when meeting with the studio executive and feels more like a Colonel in a war room where he answers to the big men, adds his two cents when necessary, and doesn't get to take over the deliberations. He keeps everyone else in check and stays even keeled throughout, even when he's kinda demoted from being the counsel to the Don. It's good acting and Duvall does exactly what the character needs and nothing more, which is necessary with all the big egos and moving parts. He's a good family guy and Duvall displays that clearly. It's my favorite supporting performance from the film but I'm not considering Pacino a supporting character.
Al Pacino - The Godfather
Let's admit right off the bat that this is a leading performance and really shouldn't be in the supporting category. I don't know if that was designed to get Brando another Oscar or what since there isn't a rule preventing more than one Lead Actor nominee from the same film. So category fraud aside, Pacino is magnificent. This might be his best performance of his career, leagues ahead of his winning performance years later, easily. What we see from this performance is a man who changes completely. To butcher the quote from the other film, they pull him into the lifestyle. He's a Marine hero who doesn't want to get caught up in the family business and wants to marry his girlfriend and do his own thing and then events happen that cause him to become invested in the family business. Pacino is almost unrecognizable because he's so young looking which adds to his performance, honestly. He hasn't developed any of the Pacino tics and trademarks and so we get an honest, pure performance from him. Pacino wants to do right for his family when it seems no one else is stepping up to handle the affairs so he does and we begin to see the transition. Pacino is so intense and living in the performance like we are filming his own life that it's a thing of beauty to watch. When he helps get rid of some rivals, we see the calculating Michael that will come to rule the family. The transition is subtle and thankfully we don't see Michael rise to power in 15 minutes in some montage, Coppola does it justice. Pacino's time in Sicily seems a bit wasted and either could have been expanded or condensed, I'm not sure what would have been best. But once Michael returns stateside we see the completion of the transition and it's almost scary how dark and assured it all is, yet Michael remains charming and likable. Now there's a lot more to the performance than I'm even discussing like Michael and Vito talking about what could have been or Michael manipulating the father of the Sicilian woman he married. All of this shows the depth of Michael and the depth of Pacino's acting and it's all amazing. Pacino should have been rewarded for his work in this film without a doubt.
This is such an interesting group. I think the knee jerk reaction is why the hell didn't Pacino win or at least one of The Godfather nominees win. Most people just see those nominees and think the others must be shit and this is typical Academy bullshit. But! Albert gives a decent performance that wouldn't ever win in any other year but doesn't feel like an undeserved nomination. It's one you can easily place fifth and move on from. Grey is the wrench in the Godfather machine, however. I love his performance and I give him the win because I think it represents the film well, is so unusual but unforgettable, and is just a great performance overall. Others might not agree and that's okay. The other three performances are all very good. I really like Duvall in his role more than Caan as he is just so lowkey and what is necessary in the role without being flashy. Caan is still good but the lesser of the three to me. Pacino isn't even really a supporting character. I'd say he's a lead but gets stuck in here. I'd have him first of the three but he isn't supporting so I knock him down one. But overall this is a really tremendous group. Helps to have one of the greatest films ever give us three nominations. The other two, however, are even better or at least worth a watch. These are the types of categories I wish I had more often!
Oscar Winner: Joel Grey - Cabaret
My Winner: Joel Grey - Cabaret
Robert Duvall
Al Pacino
James Caan
Eddie Albert
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