Supporting Actor 1965

Some real interesting films on paper and some names I'm not too familiar with, but that's gonna be the norm now. Can't wait to sink by teeth into these and hope that what I eat is nice and juicy.

1965 Best Supporting Actor

Martin Balsam - A Thousand Clowns

I am honestly at a loss to try and explain or figure out why exactly Balsam won the Oscar for this performance. He is not in this film very much, though that isn't a barrier to winning or being good. The film is interesting and features Jason Robards as an unemployed guy taking care of his nephew and who makes a quip or joke a second in dealing with his unemployment and not wanting to be a part of the rat race. Balsam is Robards' brother and we barely see him for most of the film. He pops in briefly now and then but nothing memorable. And then there's a moment where Balsam talks to Robards in a serious manner and says he needs to be better and get a job and that it's okay to have a job and it makes him better. It's not even an Oscar moment, just a scene where a brother gets serious and tries to straighten out someone he loves. That's legitimately it. I can't explain his win. The performance doesn't leave much of a mark on the viewer and if you take him out, the film is about the same. Balsam isn't bad, but Balsam doesn't do anything to warrant a nomination let alone a win. I feel like I have to dive into this one and see exactly why he won. Industry favorite? Furious campaigning? Paid off people? I don't know but these kinds of wins frustrate me because I know there are better performances in this same category. Academy gonna Academy.

Ian Bannen - The Flight of the Phoenix

I would wager that most people have seen this film. It's just one of those movies that people seem to have seen for whatever reason. And I'm not talking about the shitty 2004/5 remake they did. This is a classic survival film with a great cast. Starring James Stewart, Peter Finch, George Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Attenborough. It's the perfect Saturday afternoon movie you find on TCM or even before that on some other channel and you get sucked in. Basic story is a plane full of people crash in the African desert and have to survive. Some make it, some don't. That's the whole film as we watch them react and try to put the aircraft back together again to get out of there. It's pretty great and a really enjoyable film. My surprise is seeing Bannen as the nominee amongst these huge names. Bannen is a Scottish guy who is an asshole through and through. That is legit his role in the film. He just makes these sardonic comments throughout the film and that's his character. You watch this film and you might guess as to who is the best supporting actor and the last person you'd name is Bannen. No slight on Bannen, he's just doing what he is directed to do. But there are better performances within his own film and so this is a wasted nomination. I still don't know how he was nominated, I'm sure there is some reason you would have to dive into. The film is great, watch it - but not for who is nominated.

Tom Courtenay - Doctor Zhivago

I will be upfront that this is the last of the group that I'm watching and this looks like the clear cut favorite for me. I really enjoyed Courtenay in The Dresser and later in 45 Years, though he wasn't nominated for that one. Just one of those solid actors who adapts to the work and becomes whoever the character is. In this film, he is a nerdy looking, bespectacled Russian revolutionary. When we first see him, he's handing out pamphlets and leading peaceful marches until one of those marches is overrun by Cossacks and people are killed and injured. Every time we see him, he is deathly serious with a stony expression. But he also has a bit of a softer side in talking with and then marrying Julie Christie's Lara. They never seem like they should be together other than he is someone that would protect her and is around her age. Then we go through a lot of film until after the revolution has occurred and we find out he is one of the major players and now called Strelnikov. That hard ass demeanor and attitude again serves him well as we see how seriously we seem him take his responsibility. I like what Courtenay brings to the role and gives his revolutionary some real gravitas. We see this real hopeful, dedicated man become this cold and hardened version of himself later and that transition is personified with how he keeps tabs on Lara from afar. We don't dive too deep into Courtenay's character but we don't need to as he represents a certain part of the revolution for the film. He represents it well, too, and he is easily the strongest actor up here. I actually prefer Rod Steiger's Komarovsky character because it feels way more real and doesn't have a defined arc. But Courtenay does a great job in being that idealistic young man who becomes burdened with power. It's fascinating to see unfold and that lies mostly with Courtneay.

Michael Dunn - Ship of Fools

I am always interested in names I don't know and have never heard of because there is always that chance it's a hidden gem. This is not one of those but it is pretty interesting as Dunn is the only dwarf person to receive an acting nomination ever at the Oscars. He's a passenger on the ship that we don't really learn too much about personally. He is used more as a plot device than a real character. He addresses the audience in the beginning and end of the film directly talking to us about what we are going to see and what we saw. It seems mostly unnecessary for the film and I don't know if it was some framing device for the book that was more deep there or not. He does appear throughout the film, mostly with the Jewish character as they are shown to be somewhat outcast from the others. Not a bad actor at all and from what I can see had a solid career. He is just one of the few, if only, character we don't learn much of anything about which further hammers home he was just plot device for me. My guess is he just came along with the support of the film and maybe the Academy wanted to seem diverse but it kinda feels like a token nomination. It's good for Dunn, though, and diversity is always welcome.

Frank Finlay - Othello

Doesn't Frank Finlay sound like he would be some gangster in The Godfather or some Scorsese flick? Thinking about it, I'd actually love to see Scorsese's take on Othello. Iago would be a great character in his hands. And that's who Finlay plays in this film, the ever scheming Iago. I'm sure everyone knows the story from high school, but Iago is the guy who is mad he was passed over for promotion by Othello and then schemes to ruin the Moor in various ways. This is an interesting Supporting nomination because it's the longest Supporting nomination screen time wise for the category. Finlay is on screen for over an hour and a half and Laurence Olivier only has 3 more minutes than him. But in reality, this is Iago's play/film. Yeah, it's titled Othello but maybe it should be called Iago. The whole story is about him scheming to ruin Othello because he's mad. Finlay does such a great job in showing the machinations that he has. He avoids getting lost in Olivier's Othello and laps everyone else he interacts with on screen with his sharpness and cunning. I especially love the parts where he talks directly to the audience about what he's gonna do or is thinking. It makes Finlay more likeable as you kinda hate him more. But it also humanizes the story. Iago is letting us in on his secret and we feel like a part of the story. Finlay just does an incredible job as Iago and is one hundred percent my favorite part of this otherwise dreadful film. I enjoyed when Finlay was on, which is most of the film, and I just love how he plays everyone off each other. Finlay does it in this unassuming way. It's not a wink wink nod to the camera or some hyper performance. He's chill going about his plot for revenge and even his ending is kinda badass. I did all of this but I'm not even gonna explain myself. You're left to wallow it what it all means. Finlay does a fantastic job and it sucks that he's in such a bad film, because he is way better that this one.


Definitely a weak group, which is pretty rare for this category! Kinda sad it ended up this way because these should be some really great performances. Bannen just doesn't do much in his film and how do you single him out in that stacked film? Makes no sense. Balsam doesn't do much in his win and I can't figure out why he won. It boggles my mind. Watch it and tell me what I'm missing please. Dunn is unique because he's the only dwarf nominated in acting ever. That's pretty cool and I like that he kinda book ended the film. He just kinda floats on the periphery of the film otherwise, but he was decent at his role. Finlay was pretty good at Iago and that's definitely a role that can give you a nomination. Not the best I've seen in the role but a good effort. Courtenay is the clear and obvious winner to me. He has an arc and morphs from young idealistic revolutionary to hardened leader. He doesn't have to do much but excels at what he is given and what he does with it. Not a great group at all and really hoping next year is much better than this one.

Oscar Winner: Martin Balsam - A Thousand Clowns
My Winner:  Tom Courtenay - Doctor Zhivago
Frank Finlay
Michael Dunn
Martin Balsam
Ian Bannen