1964 Best Actor
Rex Harrison - My Fair Lady
I was wary of this win coming into this year because I had really disliked Harrison in Doctor Dolittle from a couple years later. He couldn't sing a lick in that film and was a raging asshole on set and it seemed to carry over to the film. But those reasons I disliked him in that film are essentially why I really enjoyed him in this film! From what I read, he wasn't an asshole off set on this film, but he didn't want Audrey Hepburn in the role because he wanted Julie Andrews to play Eliza. Andrews originated the role on stage, just like Harrison did with the Henry Higgins role. He actually won a Best Actor Tony for it, one of those few actors to win an acting Tony and Oscar for the same role. But those qualities I hated ended up working for Harrison in this film. He still can't sing a lick, but his sort of speak-singing style where he mostly just talks a bit faster without the grand intonations works surprisingly well for the character. I feel we get to focus on the words and rhymes a bit more which seems apt for a linguistics professor. He is also kind of an ass to Eliza in the film. Some say he's misogynist, but I feel like he just genuinely hates most people or he feels he's above them in a way. He does treat Eliza like a thing more than a person and I think that's partly because she is a subject to train for him to win a bet. By the end he does realize that he likes having her around and that he misses her. I am not sure it's as a love interest as it is more like he grew to respect her a bit more than others. Harrison really did somewhat surprise me with this performance, though. I was expecting to outright hate it, but I was amused and entertained and really enjoyed how dedicated he was to the role. I think some, if not most, of that comes to him having played it on stage and how he really wanted to play the role on screen, too, because he was not the first choice. One knock against the character is that Higgins doesn't have a lot of depth to him. We never really dive deep down into what makes him tick. He just sees everyone as a linguistic thing to be curious about and is a very selfish person. That realization at the end seems more determined by the story than by a true self realization and earned character arc. Harrison does his best with this and makes his character interesting and honestly compelling to me. I laughed and enjoyed his lines, but could also recognize how terribly he was treating Eliza. I won't say the acting is surface level as I do feel that Harrison brings a ton to the character, but a better arc would make the film better overall, I think. I am just glad that I didn't hate this performance like I thought I might. That's due in large part to Harrison crafting something I enjoyed even though I know many people find him insufferable and the character to be an awful person. I get it, but I like Harrison here.
Richard Burton - Becket
Ho hum. Another Burton nomination, another solid knockout. He has really cemented himself as one of my all time favorite actors and I'm so happy this project opened me up to his work. I obviously knew of him before, but had not seen all that much of his output. In this film, he plays the eponymous Becket, who is the right hand man of Peter O'Toole's Henry II. The two have undeniable chemistry and watching them together in the first part of the film was amazing, honestly. O'Toole was cracking me up right and left with his banter and Burton showed me he can play more than just serious dramatic work. The beginning part of the film had me hooked right away and it really highlighted how well the two legendary actors work well together and contrasted with them working separately later on, which was interesting. Historical inaccuracies aside, Burton is a Saxon in this film and O'Toole, the king, is from Normandy. Burton has worked his way to genuinely becoming O'Toole's confidante and best friend. Some might even say more than just a friend, though the censorship laws and all that at the time wouldn't let that be explored. But it tells you how close they are. Burton is made chancellor in title, which makes his right hand status legit and then they go off to France to fight. There, news hits that the Archbishop of Canterbury has died. O'Toole has been feuding with the Church for more taxes and for them to pay for his war and troops. So this allows the king to make Becket the head of the Church in England, thinking Becket is only loyal to him and not God. Well, things don't go as planned and Becket takes the role seriously. More drama ensues. Burton is so good in the role and the best part is that he and O'Toole never try to steal the spotlight from the other. They share their scenes together and act as a cohesive unit. Burton gets to play the more reserved and deferential man because he is lower in status. Burton is great at playing the role this way and it plays to his strengths as I feel Burton is one of the best at playing a quietly strong individual. I also think Burton really shines as he becomes the Archbishop and becomes a bit more religious and duty bound to God and not the king. He finds a lot more power in the performance in the later part of the film and Burton makes him being a religious man believable, which was some folks' worry when he was cast. It works out well because it shows the dichotomy of the two men even clearer with Henry becoming more unhinged and wild. I like the transition that Burton had to undergo because it's well earned. We see moments early on where Becket is more placating Henry rather than fully agreeing, like in bedding the young peasant girl. Even though their chemistry is strong, there are cracks in the foundation, so Becket's change in devotion isn't as sudden or unbelievable. I am just so impressed with the range that Burton continues to show in his performances. Couple this with his other film of the year, The Night of the Iguana, where he plays the boozy, defrocked minister lusting after a younger girl. I cannot wait to see more from this incredible actor.
Peter O'Toole - Becket
See the above review for more about this film. O'Toole plays King Henry the II and Becket is his right hand man and close ally. All of the above happens and there is a falling out. The drama between these two is wonderfully acted by both parties. I do enjoy their chemistry together, especially in the first part of the film. O'Toole is insanely funny and I was actually laughing out loud quite often just watching some of his antic, looks, and from his witty banter. That's what got me hooked and the rest kept me invested all the way through. This is also legitimately a leading performance along with Burton. They both lead and O'Toole gets to play the more wild and unbridled king. Obviously the king gets to act however he wants without anyone really telling him how to behave and O'Toole goes all out at times with great results. He's funny, but also extremely lonely once the two split. Even before that, you could tell there was some longing on O'Toole's part to maybe have an equal. I think that O'Toole excels at swinging wildly from one emotion to the next without it ever seeming out of place or overacted. Basically everything that I've loved from O'Toole so far is on display in this performance. Couple his brilliance with Burton's and throw in a quick John Gielgud for good measure and you have a recipe for a really great film. And really you can't have one without the other because they play off each other so well. It's a shame that they probably split the vote and neither would ever win an acting Oscar.
Anthony Quinn - Zorba the Greek
I know a lot of people seem to love this performance a lot. I had some high expectations going in, but ultimately felt let down in the end. One thing this performance has going for it is Quinn's energy in the role. It's almost infectious in everyone he meets and his Zorba is a very loud, bombastic, energetic man traveling through life. I can appreciate the performance for how full of life Quinn makes his character feel to us. It's a fully lived in character, but it also is some very over the top acting in a film that can't seem to find the right balance between serious and carefree. The story itself feels a bit episodic, so in turn we get these wild mood swings for Zorba that feels like a roller coaster of emotions at times. The performance yo-yo's between the funny, vibrant man who is dancing and singing and back slapping everyone around him to fighting to protect a woman from death or monologuing in earnest about his time at war. A role like this is probably a lot of actors' dream to have so many different emotions on display, but I need it to gel together and be cohesive and not a series of acting moments. I blame the story more so than I blame Quinn. He definitely gives it his all and gets the other actors around him to open up and be more lively. In no way did watching Quinn do his thing become grating during this performance. I wanted to make sure I mentioned that because it's an entertaining character that Quinn imbues with a ton of heart and spirit and I think most people will probably love it. I think the film is a little bit of a miss for me and I enjoy Quinn for what he does but can't quite pull for him all the way. I am very excited to start seeing more and more of him as a progress backwards in time with this project. I am sure I'll find something of his to love.
Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove
This is an incredible performance from Sellers. Or really I should say this is an incredible trio of performances from Sellers as he plays Group Captain Mandrake, President Muffley, and the eponymous Dr Strangelove. This is the only time someone has been nominated for playing three different characters in a film. And the fact that he pulls off every single one and essentially carries the film is just mind blowing. You can break down each character and go from there, but this is some really great work. Mandrake is a British RAF officer who is the XO of an Air Force base commander is paranoid by commies. He plays this character in a normal way, bringing sense to a senseless situation. He has to placate the general who is nuts and has launched a nuclear strike on his own. It has all the trappings of a British performance with the dry humor and means of deflection. It's good on its own, but not award worthy. Then you juxtapose it with his President role and you could not tell these were the same actor at all. His President is a foil to the madness and Sellers plays it straight. He is the voice of reason and is mostly calm and incredulous. He utters the famous line of "You can't fight in here, this is the war room!" It is a needed role in this film because it reigns in the satire. Apparently it was initially shot with him having a funny, effeminate voice and really playing up the character before Kubrick realized the film needed someone like what we got. His Strangelove character is a thing of brilliance and one that is not on screen enough. It's the role he has the least amount of time with and I really wish we got to see more of him in this role. The whole alien hand thing doing Nazi salutes and trying to choke him is ridiculously funny and a reason to want to see more of him. Combine all of these together and you get a legit Best Actor nominee. He did so much in his roles that were all wildly different that in any other year he may have easily won. This is a stacked group and I am going to have to see where he stacks up among them.
Probably legit one of the best acting groups ever, you really can't go wrong with anyone on this list. I have Quinn pulling up the rear, but there are lots of people who would give him the win. For me, I wasn't a fan of the over the top acting. Simple as that. I actually enjoyed Harrison way more than I did in his, well, I guess subsequent nomination but previous in the context of me going backwards. Anyway, I liked his portrayal of Henry Higgins and understand why and how he won. O'Toole just came up on another curse where his co-lead outshined him and others in his group were just better. I could give every year to Burton even if he wasn't alive. I've become a Burton stan and it feels good. He is superb here but not quite worth the win. Sellers plays three...three...different characters and is amazing as all three and just makes the film as funny and amazing as it is. Can't believe he lost, but can believe it if you understand what I mean. Would be awesome if Sellers had an Oscar. Let's move on, now.
Oscar Winner: Rex Harrison - My Fair Lady
My Winner: Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove
Richard Burton
Peter O'Toole
Rex Harrison
Anthony Quinn
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