Leading Actor 1967

Wow, just look at those names and tell me that isn't one of the best collection of actors ever in this category. Names like that in the films they are in have me hyped that this is gonna be a fun one to review.

1967 Best Actor

Rod Steiger - In the Heat of the Night

I feel like if you were to guess the Oscar winning performance from this film it would have been for Sidney Poitier. I don't think anyone remembers this win, sadly. Probably because his competition is freaking out of this world with some top notch names. But Rod Steiger won and I'm okay with that. Maybe I would have liked a Newman win here but he won eventually and Steiger was never nominated again and I love one time winners. Steiger is a white police chief in a small southern town that has a murder happen and Poitier is first accused because he happens to be a black man alone at night at the bus stop. Except he's a homicide detective from Philly and soon helps Steiger with the case. What I like about Steiger in this role is that this isn't some stereotypical, cliche white police chief character. Yes, he's got the drawl and some casual racism going on but he's a real nuanced character that isn't just some goon with a white hood. He wants to solve this case and listens to Poitier even though it goes against what he wants and believes. He knows that Poitier has a lot to offer and even goes with him to question the town's wealthy, racist landowner which at the end of it puts himself in trouble. Because he won't just get rid of or kill this uppity black man, some of the residents push back against Steiger. Steiger plays it like a real person that is hard on everyone around him including his inept officers. We get these glimpses where Steiger is more than just some southern guy and opens up a slight bit like the scene where he and Poitier are resting at Steiger's house. So there is a some depth to this character that shows he is more than some casual racist. He comes to respect Poitier by the end and we see he is a good person deep down. Steiger has great chemistry with Poitier and it shows in the performance we get from both men. It's a very good, quietly strong performance from Steiger and I'm cool with it winning here.

Warren Beatty - Bonnie and Clyde

You know, I have watched a lot of Beatty's performances and while I like him because he's so charming and likable, most of his performances are lacking any real depth. Beatty is mostly a surface actor, depending on his good looks and charm and obvious acting ability. But there's a lack of depth that I've seen in a lot of his performances that I wished he would have given us. This one needed it even though his version of Clyde Barrow isn't bad or wrong at all. It's like the lack of emotion is his thing in acting and while it serves the character well here, I just can't help but think if we got something deeper if it wouldn't have been really amazing. There are glimpses of it, like when he is angry at his brother's death and those moments are great. I don't like that the relationship with Bonnie is so devoid of emotion on his side. Beatty is good at playing the cool guy version but, again, I just wanted more and that's what screams at me with this performance. He's obviously very good in the action parts with robbing the banks and getting into gunfights and police chases and charming whoever needs to be charmed. That part of the performance is effortless from Beatty and you can see why he leans heavily on that tactic. It's good and it works and it seems like what he naturally is like as a person. I feel like Dunaway and Hackman do a much better job in the film and that surprised me because I thought this would be his film. But still, I don't want to sell the film short or say Beatty is bad. Many people will absolutely enjoy his performance and love it a lot, no shame in liking what is a good performance overall.

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate

Honestly, this is one of Hoffman's best performances. I know he has two Oscars and a bunch of other nominations but his first one is a thing of beauty. I think it's because it distills his normal performances down to a potent truth. We first connect with Benjamin Braddock because he is distant and anxious. He then meets Anne Bancroft who has him drive her home and then seduces him. He abstains at first but then relents in the future. He is awkward as hell, nervous and bumbling, we see ourselves in him as a male audience. But we also enjoy him eventually fucking Bancroft often because we are designed to live through Hoffman. It's a shock when he dates the daughter and then wants to marry her so that he even moves to California to pursue her. He grows from this shy, timid virgin to a guy who is overconfident. The first date with Katharine Ross is a nightmare because he thought he should sabotage it. He's a good guy deep down and we see that. Though the sequence of him going to California and stalking Ross is really not a good look these days. He's obsessed and his confidence almost does him in. So I guess it's almost like a real life stalker. But the point is that Hoffman is finding his footing as an actor. Is this his absolute best work? No. But I do believe it should be considered among his best work because it has so many different emotions and reactions that he needs to showcase. And so many of those are iconic to Hollywood and film in general. So yeah, Hoffman does a great job with the performance and it is better than some of his other nominated work.

Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke

I sure do love me some Paul Newman. Makes great salsas and frozen pizzas and all the profits go to charity. Swell dude. He was also a pretty good actor. This is one of my all time favorite films as well as one of my parents' favorites. It's just an awesome flick that should have been nominated for Best Picture but sadly and infuriatingly wasn't. And this might be my absolute favorite Newman performance, too. Newman plays the eponymous Luke. He's a guy who gets arrested for cutting off the heads of parking meters one late night while drunk and gets sent to a chain gang type prison. He's a war hero that doesn't like authority and doesn't conform to the norms and is by his own admission just passing time. He's an anti hero type, someone that comes off as effortlessly cool and laconic yet doesn't want anyone's love or attention. Newman owns the role and that smirk of his suits the character well as does Newman's own laid back, effortlessly cool style. His presence alone defines the character without having to say or do anything. This is a guy who just doesn't care any more which to me points to some war time trauma that is only very briefly alluded to. He has issues with God and doesn't believe in him and curses him during a rain storm. I like that we have this unexplained depth and back story that Newman is able to mine to great effect by making us wonder just what went on before his prison time. This is a man that has a lot going on deep down that we never really get to figure out what he's dealing with and why. It makes Luke a bit mysterious and Newman is able to parley this into a very likable character despite how alienated his character can be at times. There are those moments where Luke yells at the other prisoners to stop feeding off him and give him room to breathe and when he breaks down with the bosses and warden - those are real moments that belie how cool Luke is and everyone else thinks he's doing on purpose as part of a plan. He admits that it's because he was really broken in that moment and there was no ulterior motive which humanizes Luke to us and is just a fantastic job by Newman to express all of this. This is truly one of my favorite performances from one of my favorite actors and everyone needs to see this one.

Spencer Tracy - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

The main reason Tracy was nominated is probably threefold. It was a veteran nomination for a guy who won back to back Oscars in 1937 and 1938. The Academy really liked the film with 10 total nominations. But what probably really did it, and I say this without any hatred or anything like that, is that Tracy died 17 days after finishing filming for this film. So this was one of the rare posthumous nominations. Tracy was obviously well respected and got a lot of attention for this performance. I probably should have said fourfold in my first sentence because Tracy does give us a very good performance so it's his natural acting ability on display as well. A lot of critics at the time praised it but a lot of people recently have denigrated the performance and I feel like the film and performance have been unjustly maligned. I like the performance. Tracy goes through a lot of emotions but is not a physical actor in this instance. He isn't wearing anything on his face or throwing things around or anything like that. His is all internal and we see a guy flip flop a couple times and then deliver a hell of a final monologue. His final monologue is probably why he was nominated. It's a thing of beauty and even the reviews that don't like the performance mention how good it is. It just lays out why he is wrong in not wanting his daughter to marry a black man because they are truly happy and he remembers how he initially felt with his wife and that's a universal feeling. I really enjoy Tracy in this role and his performance which isn't groundbreaking but is pretty solid overall. Some other people might argue that Sidney Poitier should be here in his place for this and for In the Heat of the Night but I think Tracy holds his own. Poitier probably should be nominated in some capacity but I can only say Tracy isn't awful and I enjoyed his performance.


Man, I gotta talk about Sidney Poitier. This year saw him in 3 critically acclaimed films in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, To Sir, With Love, and In the Heat of the Night. I would assume he split the vote with himself to not get nominated but like what the fuck how do you not nominate him in his best film year ever with 3 great films? I feel like he should be here and I know he already won an Oscar but still. Representation matters and I will keep saying that forever. But who do you knock out? All of these guys are pretty great in some capacity. I guess Tracy would be the one to go but it's a tough decision no matter what. Either way, this is a really strong group overall. Tracy would be my fifth place guy. Good performance but just not as strong as the others. Beatty is great as Clyde even if he needs to bring more depth to his roles. Hoffman is so good and this is possibly my favorite role of his in an Oscar sense. I was hoping it would be good but it blew past my expectations and really is a classic film and performance. Newman would normally be my winner but I'm cool with Steiger getting the win because Newman also won later and probably should have had some other wins in there, too. Newman is just so damn good and it really highlights what makes him good as an actor, almost like a cool anti hero. Steiger is really good in his role, too, where he has to show more than just being some dumb, racist, hick cop. Great chemistry with Poitier and some great nuance and balance to a role that could easily have no depth at all. What a fantastic group of guys that also could have been better with Poitier. I'm happy with this one, though, even if I do kinda wish Newman would have won.

Oscar Winner: Rod Steiger - In the Heat of the Night
My Winner:  Rod Steiger - In the Heat of the Night
Paul Newman
Dustin Hoffman
Warren Beatty
Spencer Tracy