Best Picture 1961

Well, looks like I accidentally deleted this intro or else I forgot to finish it before I hit publish. Anyway, we got an all time great film that I'm pumped to watch again and some films that I have been looking forward to for a long time. There's also an unknown in Fanny, so let's see how that one plays out.

1961 Best Picture

 

West Side Story

Honestly, this is an all time winner. Just one of the most fantastic musicals ever produced and if you don't believe me go fucking watch it. I am enamored with the like twenty plus minute opening of the gangs dancing and prancing around the neighborhoods. It's colorful and bright and beautifully shot and tells us exactly what we are in for. Gangs that dance are going to clash with each other hardcore. It was the first film to win Best Director for two directors until the Coen Bros did it decades later. Jerome Robbins was a renowned Broadway guy brought in to shoot the dance numbers and was fired after about four of them were complete because he ran over budget so much and dancers were hurt and money was now tight. Robert Wise did the dramatic parts and the rest of the musical numbers, with input from the fired Robbins, and he deferred to and consulted with Robbins even after he was fired, which is pretty awesome. Wise insisted on the double billing and we got some really inspired scenes out of all of this. Some great acting as well. I think Rita Moreno might be the greatest Best Supporting Actress winner of all time. The story has romance, intrigue, lots of action and violence, some death, tender moments. It also has some of the most recognizable songs from a musical that you probably don't realize are from the same film. Just look at the Wikipedia or go on Spotify and listen to "America," "Maria," "Tonight," "I Feel Pretty," and "Cool." You may not recognize the names, but you absolutely know the songs. And I feel you may even know some of the other songs in the film, that's how amazing this musical is from a song standpoint. Usually it's like one song you recognize because it's ultra popular but this has multiple! I'd argue that this is probably the greatest musical of all time and I think I'd die on that hill. Just a complete film that is also a musical. It won ten of the eleven Oscars it was nominated for and won a special Honorary Oscar for Jerome Robbins which felt like you got booted while making a masterpiece, here's your fuck you to the producers. It got a remake from Spielberg that did well, so I'm curious what all he changed. But this one is an all time film and you probably have already watched it numerous times well before finding this shitty blog.

Fanny

Yikes. I did not like this one at all. Just a boring slog for something that maybe could have been good? Apparently this was a big musical on Broadway and had been adapted from the original play into a bunch of successful films in different countries in the 30s and later. So this had pedigree, and yet, the studio decided that this new film would have no songs and be a straight comedy/drama. Studio thought musicals were on the way out, yet look at what won Best Picture this year. And that's the thing, this film at times feels like it's going to burst into a song but then never does. So it feels a bit off. Also, much of the acting is just terrible and suffering from overacting. I think some of it is due to the dubbing where the voices just seem to not match, but also it just simply has bad acting. Leslie Caron was fine, Maurice Chevalier probably should have taken Charles Boyer's spot in the Best Actor list (though I would take neither, just Chevalier campaigned hard and was the better role), and the rest of the actors were plain bad. It really does take you out of the film and makes it seem interminable. The story is a guy gets Caron preggers but then goes out to sea to find adventure though he doesn't know she is pregnant. Old creepy guy Chevalier, who is like 70, marries 18 year old Caron and takes on the son she has as his own. There is tension when the guy comes back from abroad and his dad, Boyer, prevents him from disrupting the marriage. The first half of the film is so lighthearted that you think this is nothing but a comedy. But then the second half is more drama and family tension and it feels like a tale of two films. I said it was boring and you might be thinking after reading what I just wrote that this was actually intriguing, but no, it's not. It just doesn't seem to do anything right. I don't know how this made into a Best Picture lineup other than the studio bought it's way in or else the people from this year just had bad taste. This is one worth skipping unless you are a degenerate Oscar fan like me.

The Guns of Navarone

Here we have the token war film and I'm only half kidding. It does seem like the Best Picture category has to have a war film, though it's not always true. Anyway, this was one of the biggest box office pictures of the year, only behind the winning West Side Story. Audiences loved the star studded war thriller. It is loaded with the miscast Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, and a brief appearance by Richard Harris. Peck's character was from New Zealand in the book, but he didn't want to do an English accent, so everyone thought he was just some American which was not accurate at all. That's a minor quibble because it doesn't really effect the story at all.  Almost all of the cast was too old for their actual counterparts from the story, but they are Hollywood stars so we overlook that. The story is of six commandos who are tasked to infiltrate an impenetrable fortress on a Greek island to blow up two big guns that are wreaking havoc on Allied ships. It's an entertaining film with big names and some good action. There are, to me, some times where the film really stalls out and becomes a bit boring as I am waiting for something to start happening. It doesn't have that flow of constant action and movement towards the inevitable end. That is okay sometimes if we are getting character development or whatever, but this film just doesn't have a good pace. It is an entertaining film like I said and I enjoyed watching it, but it isn't a strong war film compared to many others in this same category like The Longest Day or (not in this specific category) The Dirty Dozen. Decent film but not mind blowing or anything.

The Hustler

 

This feels like a film tailor made just for me. Gorgeous black and white film starring Paul Newman about a gritty, sports drama involving pool as the game of choice. Great acting and direction, it won the Oscar for Cinematography and Production Design, Black and White deservedly so. I'm a huge fan of The Color of Money and felt that it was a shame that it took until that film that Newman won his Oscar because I think I've given it to him in this blog like every single time he's been nominated. To say I was excited to finally watch this one is an understatement and knew full well going in that my expectations were exceedingly high. But it meets them because this is just one of those all around classic films that you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't enjoy it. What amazes me about the film is that almost every shot is done by the actors themselves, which points to their dedication and that folks like Jackie Gleason, who was actually an incredible pool player in his own right. So it lends that authenticity to the film where a shot doesn't always cut away from someone shooting or only film their face, we get to see the action as intended. The story is great as we see this young Newman act cocky and arrogant as he tries to beat the best pool player in the world. There is also a romantic story in there between Newman and Piper Laurie, which actually helps deepen the intensity of the film and rounds out Newman's character. That romance is a tragic one of two addicted people feeding into each other's problems and is fantastic work from Laurie. It's just an all around great film that is a classic for a reason and one that you shouldn't wait to watch like I did.

Judgment at Nuremberg

 

Been looking forward to this one for such a long time. Has a hugely star studded cast featuring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Maximilian Schell, Judy Garland, Richard Widmark, and William Shatner. It really is a great film and more than that, it's an all time trial film. You list law films and it's always top ten. So this film is about Tracy, who is an American judge brought over to Germany to judge some Nazis. It is basically an amalgamation of real life trials all rolled into one to supply the drama. Tracy is basically the conduit for the audience as Schell, Lancaster, and Widmark are the driving forces of the film. They are the ones who are prosecuting or defending in the film and it really allows Schell to make sane arguments for the Nazi side. The performances are obviously the highlight of the film, as four of them were nominated and Schell won for Best Actor. He is phenomenal and I feel like his win speaks to his passion in the role. I don't much care about the character arc for Tracy as he experiences some of Germany and meets Marlene Dietrich, a widowed Nazi. The meat and potatoes are the courtroom scenes where Schell is glorious and Widmark makes his mark, ahem. The subject is noble and apparently a few folks wanted to work for less than they normally got to be in this important film. The courtroom scenes are pretty dynamic with some rotating and split depth perception where one side is focused on one person, the other on someone else and it changes kind of thing. It has an incredible ending monologue from Tracy and is just a fantastic film overall. This is one to watch just for the historical perspective alone, but you'll stay for the great performances.

Not a bad group at all. An all time winner in West Side Story, a great billiards and character study in The Hustler, and a trial film that allows the defense to make sense and cast doubt, Judgment at Nuremberg. There is a generic WWII film that is the stuff of Allied fantasy but does have great actors and a good story in The Guns of Navarone. Fanny just sucks. It does not deserve to be in this category, but it seemed to be a big box office hit and so here we are. Terrible film that needs to bow out and let another great film get recognized. An easy winner this year and every year. Let's get to the end of the 60s and get out of here.

Oscar Winner: West Side Story

My Winner: West Side Story

The Hustler

Judgment at Nuremberg

The Guns of Navarone

Fanny

Leading Actor 1961

Some big names and some unknown names, which is what I love about this project. Because I hope that the unknown's will beat out the known names every time. I think that's a natural thing, rooting for the underdog. Let's see what happens here.

1961 Best Actor

 

Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg

 

The main thing I have heard about this performance is that a lot of folks argue that this is more of a Supporting role than Leading. Having watched it finally, nah, this is right where it belongs. Schell actually originated this role in a TV movie two years prior and you can see why he's so comfortable in the role. His passion is palpable throughout the whole film and his delivery at times is so powerful and enthralling that you almost forget to breathe so as to not miss a single word or moment. I was riveted by Schell every time he was onscreen. He is serious the entire way through and has this demeanor that tells you he also wants justice along with a fair trial. He may be defending Nazis, but he makes us respect his handling of the trial on his end. Some people have criticized this as big acting, a pejorative for a bit too much or over the top. I think it's simply a powerhouse performance that is up there with the greats in this category. I really loved Schell's introduction in the beginning of the film as he starts out talking in German with translators speaking for him and then transitions to him speaking English, though they still use the translator ear pieces as if he's still speaking German. It was a pretty clever way to drop the cumbersome translating and let us understand him. Schell is the driving force of the film, and though he doesn't have much of an arc and we don't get to really know him much as a person, it is still very much a leading role to me. You could throw Richard Widmark into that as well, as he is the prosecution attorney and has a great performance in his own right. It just shows that maybe a film focuses a lot more on one actor or character, but another can also be co-lead. I just love the way Schell speaks and his accent and I think he makes a lot of deliberate choices in how he delivers his lines that really help elevate the film. It's a true joy to watch so much better than his other two nominations from the 70s.

Charles Boyer - Fanny

I kinda feel like this isn't really the proper lead of this film. You can say it shares the lead with Maurice Chevalier's character, but he seems to have much more of an impact on the story than Boyer. I would try to say oh, well Boyer was a previous multiple nominee in the 30s (and one in the 40s), but so was Chevalier. Chevalier campaigned hard for this nomination given it was one of his first English speaking roles where he didn't sing, so in other words, actually acted. Boyer somehow got the nomination though and I'm not really sure why other than he had a lot of friends in the Academy. Both men had actually been given Honorary Oscars in the 50s, so both had wide support and were well liked but I guess Boyer was more well liked. Boyer plays the father of Mariusz, a young man who gets Leslie Caron pregnant but goes away to see for adventure before that is discovered. She marries a rich old man in Chevalier and family issues then pop up. Really all Boyer does is play an amiable and father like character. There is no real intensity to the character or much to do with the role. It's rather simple and doesn't really stand out. If you watch this film and try to pick who was nominated in this category, you're going to pick Chevalier. Boyer advises his son against disrupting the marriage and accepting the way thing are which just seems so wrong and hollow to me. You'd think he'd fight for his son, but seems more interested in his grandson being brought up rich. Nothing about the performance sticks out to me besides him favoring his grandson and it doesn't seem like it will even stick in my memory more than Chevalier. And I don't even think Chevalier should be nominated! He is the better performance, but the film is boring and I feel like this was the Academy dipping into it's old timer's well and picking a name. Not worth a nomination, unfortunately.

Paul Newman - The Hustler

I am unfortunately coming quickly to an end of reviewing Newman nominations with only one more to go. But as I have gone back in time, the performances have just gotten better and better and am excited to finally have watched this one. His work in The Color of Money is perfect and I wish I could have seen the natural progression of the character instead of going in reverse, but it does offer a unique perspective. This role is obviously like Tom Cruise's in the sequel and is a lot of fun to watch. Newman is cocky and arrogant and determined to face off against Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) who is considered the best pool hustler going. The film essentially bookends the story with two head to head match ups between the two. The film shows Newman's growth and goes from him losing control to finally finding it in the end. Newman is great and I love that he plays a lot of the pool scenes himself, which really lends weight and authenticity to the role. Because I honestly feel like Newman could be some masterful pool player in real life. That's what he brings to the film besides his normal charisma and stellar acting chops. Their is a romantic side story that intertwines with the pool playing that helps add some intensity to Newman's role and the film itself. Piper Laurie plays an alcoholic woman who catches Newman's eye and the two have a very depressing, tragic relationship that fuels the ending of the film. What more can I say about Newman, really? Think about every Newman film you have watched and you'll see the same steady, strong acting in every one of them. This one is no different, yet Newman somehow makes it so he isn't just playing himself over and over. It's why his roles resonate even decades later because they transcend time and easy to get lost in. Just more great work from one of the best to ever do it.

Spencer Tracy - Judgment at Nuremberg

 

I feel like I have seen a bunch of Tracy nominations already, but this is only his second I have seen so far. He has been in a bunch of other films from this project, so I guess he's getting more familiar to me and I know he has a ton more coming up, films and nominated roles. This film focuses on Tracy and we follow him as he sits as the head judge of the Nuremberg trial. Obviously he does the judge thing, but he gets a full story outside of the courtroom. He stays at an old Nazi general's house (who was executed after an earlier trial) and eventually meets that guy's wife, played by Marlene Dietrich. It feels like these outside moments are to see what life is like in postwar Germany and to see how the people react. The thing with Dietrich's character doesn't really go anywhere, but we get to see Tracy interact with folks and help with his final judgment. Tracy has a character arc and is the conduit for the typical American watching the film. He is the focus of the film, but he is more like the camera who comes along and then focuses on the more important parts. He does have this iconic like 10 minute monologue at the end of the film that secures his Oscar nomination. It's highly talked about and is one of those things where people may not even know the context or the film but know it's usage. It was a one take shot from multiple angles and is a thing of beauty. Tracy is the definite lead in the film, but Maximilian Schell is also flexing that he is doing all the heavy lifting and I believe him. Tracy's acting is so nonchalant and natural that I enjoy his style for this character. He is soft spoken and jovial until he has to command his courtroom. He is earnest in his pursuit of justice and noble in that regard. He is this quietly strong character in contrast to Schell's emphatic and loud defense attorney. I like Tracy in this role, but it definitely gets overshadowed, and rightfully so, by Schell's incredible performance. Tracy himself felt the same way on set remarking something along the lines of well, looks like the Oscar is Schell's. He knew it early and still gave a very good performance in his own right.

Stuart Whitman - The Mark

 

This is probably the name most won't recognize for a film they have never heard of before. This was Whitman's only nomination and his career sort of turned into TV and B films, sadly. But he had a full life, only just dying back in 2020 at 92. This was actually a tough film to track down, but it felt worth the payoff as it is definitely a forgotten gem of the early 60s. It's actually probably for the best if you go in completely blind, as I think that makes the film's impact feel much stronger. So spoilers now, but it's a film about a guy who has sexual inclinations towards young girls but is now paroled from prison as his psychiatrist (wonderfully played by Rod Steiger) champions his release and feels he's over his disease so to speak. This is a tough subject to do a film about but Whitman gives a delicately balanced performance of a man who is conflicted and tormented by his past as he tries to move forward in a positive way. It is also a good thing that Whitman plays the main character because Richard Burton was originally slated to star and Whitman brings more of an everyman quality to the role. He's not a movie star, he's not an ugly creep. He is a normal looking guy who stopped himself from acting on his impulse and essentially turned himself in. It's a very complex role that Whitman gives equal measure to all the various states of mind someone like that would have. He's wary when he is released that he can assimilate back into society and then hopeful when things start looking up, We see the frustration and self doubt that creeps in at various times, and the relief that his therapy sessions has helped him break away from his past issues with his mother to finally love an adult woman. All of these emotions are swirling around throughout the film as we go back and forth from flashbacks to present day and as his past is slowly revealed and how poorly the local reception is. Whitman gets us to sympathize with his character because even though the subject is reprehensible, we can kind of connect it to our own issues like drugs or alcohol or gambling or whatever terrible thing from our past. We would never want to be defined by that especially if we have taken strides to fix it and overcome it in a real way. I like that Whitman never gets too high or too low in an acting kind of way, he just trudges on to get past all of this even with some slight setbacks and hesitations. Honestly, a really refreshing performance that surprisingly comes from the early 60s on such a taboo subject. A shame that Whitman did not have sustained success in roles like this. It will be interesting to see how he stacks up against the others for me.

Great category, Boyer is the worst of the bunch. Not awful, just one of those nominees who should be represented by someone else. Tracy is great and is a big part of his film, but Schell just transcends and reminds me of DDL. Whitman is so fucking good. That is absolutely a hidden gem. Such a good performance, everyone needs to see it. Newman does such great work and if not for Schell, he gets his billiards Oscar. A very good category that is just solid all around. Love this one and need to move on to get out of this decade.

Oscar Winner: Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg

My Winner: Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg

Paul Newman

Stuart Whitman

Spencer Tracy

Charles Boyer

Leading Actress 1961

I may have first looked at this group and totally disregarded Sophia Loren because I only knew her as some sex symbol and was this an actually well earned Oscar? I'll admit I'm not a good judge and this category has some greats, so let's get into it then.

1961 Best Actress

 

Sophia Loren - Two Women

 

I think it gets forgotten that Sophia Loren was an accomplished actress and we remember how beautiful she was/is and her being an international sex symbol. But Loren did win many international acting awards including here as the first acting Oscar for a non-English language performance. This isn't just some token nomination and win, either. Yes, she was mostly in romantic and comedic films prior to this win, but this film definitely had a bit more heft with it's subject matter. The film is about Loren and her eleven year old daughter getting out of Rome to avoid bombings in WWII. She meets up with some distant family in the countryside as the Italians and Germans retreat from Americans and eventually both she and her daughter are raped in a Church by Moroccan troops. This was a real tragedy that occurred on a wide scale where these rural villages were raped and pillaged with many murdered. It's a heavy story that asks Loren to be both defiant and vulnerable, sometimes at the same time. She has to stay strong for her daughter, yet is terrified just as much as her daughter is. It's not really a glamorous role, though Loren does manage to look beautiful throughout, even in her characters worst moments. But that really just speaks to how she really looked back then, you couldn't really make her ugly and probably didn't want to so as to keep the audience coming. I have seen Loren in a few other films and she always has a presence and can command a room just because of her stature and beauty. But this was one of those performances where she came to act and not just be a movie star. She takes it seriously and her desperate pleas and crying out in anger and frustration at a passing troop vehicle are entirely visceral. All the pointless death and destruction and trauma for what? The innocence lost that will forever remain a deep scar. That pain is something that resonates loudly and shows just how good Loren can be as an actress. It may be tough to beat and I might be surprised that the Academy got it right for once, I'll have to see how the others stack up first.

Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's

One of the most iconic roles in all of film, I think everyone who thinks of Hepburn sees her as Holly Golightly in shades and a black dress and a long cigarette holder. Hepburn didn't consider it one of her best performances, but it's definitely become her most memorable for the general public. Not really much to say that hasn't already been said for this film based on Truman Capote's novel. Hepburn is a young woman making money by essentially being an escort and getting drunk guys to give her lots of money and then slips away. Her new neighbor is a writer and a boy toy to some rich woman. Their friendship grows until it finally becomes more than friends. A simple story that is made better by Hepburn's eccentric, impetuous performance. Holly is wild and impulsive as she flits around with a carefree attitude. She can defuse anyone being mad at her with her smile, but we can see this is a front for her to not face her past and her problems. Hepburn is great in the role and it's hard to imagine anyone but her playing Holly. She has the perfect spirit and charisma to play Holly and to play her more introspective and dramatic moments. There are a lot of better reviews about Hepburn's performance here (and you should go read those), but I did love a point someone made about how this role set up her future roles in the 60s with kooky romantic characters and more grounded serious roles and how this kind of mixed those two. Obviously, this performance is more light (no pun intended) with just a few poignant parts thrown in, but it is still very good work and entirely memorable. If you haven't seen, not sure what you're waiting for as this is a cultural touchstone.

Piper Laurie - The Hustler

Okay, wow. Piper plays a perfect drunk. Alliteration aside, it's true, she is fantastic in her role. Already ahead of myself, Laurie plays an alcoholic woman that Paul Newman meets in a bus station and falls for. Laurie plays it so good because she at first tricks him and pays for the drink and vanishes. We then see her later and realize she is a bonafide alcoholic that Newman latches onto. Laurie's drunk acting is actually phenomenal as she is so believable. There is no hiccuping or closing your eyes or whatever, she just looks around and slurs her words and has that uncontrolled drunk aspect to her performance. I love the fuck out of great or even good drunk performances and Laurie is setting the bar for how to act while your character is drunk or under the influence. It's not conceived, it's grown. Kinda weird to write but she hits all the perfect notes of being angry but being drunk and also balancing what that means for Newman. She walks around sipping on a drink and you know something is happening and you wish it wouldn't. Laurie is fantastic at burrowing into scenes with her drunken shenanigans and just hitting that desperate note so perfectly. I also think Laurie is a good equal to Newman and not just something he acts against or a like a prop to act with. She challenges him and delivers the only real female performance in this very manly film. Crazy to think that after this film, she would take a 15 year break from acting to start a family and then her first role back in Carrie was nominated in 1976. We probably missed out on some really great acting but props to her for making family a priority.

Geraldine Page - Summer and Smoke

 

Thank goodness I only have one more Geraldine Page nomination to go after this one. There is nothing personally about Page that I dislike, it's just that most of her eight nominations, including her one win, has failed to connect with me. Either just something I outright disliked on an acting level, or just too small of a part that really probably shouldn't have been nominated to begin with. I did enjoy her nomination after this one for another Tennessee Williams film adaptation, Sweet Bird of Youth, so maybe it's a Tennessee thing because this performance wasn't terrible or anything. Not as enjoyable as the previous mentioned performance, this one is way more melodramatic and easy for Page to lay it on thick. She is a reserved, proper Southern woman who is infatuated with a wild, good looking young doctor who lives across the street. Now the doctor is wholly unlikable and really keeps you from being more engaged with the story because he is so awful. He plays with Page's naivete while hooking up with Rita Moreno and lusting after a 17 year old girl, who he later gets engaged to when she comes back from boarding school. All the while trying to get with Page who continues to play a very shy, anxious, fragile woman who can't keep herself away from the doctor. He takes her to a cockfight and then tries to sexually assault her later, is constantly drunk and partying while belittling her. It's one of those wild, intense Tennessee Williams relationships. And it's really hard to stay invested in it, not that you really should be, but I didn't get why Page's character was so desperate. But then at the very end of the film, I think we get a very telling reason as to why. Page does most of what the role commands her to do. It's like her character belongs in Gone With the Wind or some 30s or 40s film. It doesn't match the same energy of Laurence Harvey's doctor and it feels like they are almost in two different films at times. But Page plays it earnestly even if that just kinda feels like a bit much. It's decent and I understand why it was nominated and certainly is among the best of her eight nominations for me! Can't wait to see if her last one is her best one.

Natalie Wood - Splendor in the Grass

 

Let's be really real, the only reason Wood is nominated here is because this is a combination of this and her work in West Side Story. I mean, the biggest film of the year and you get nominated for a sexual coming of age film? That's what this role and film is about. Wood is infatuated with Warren Beatty (in his first ever film) because he is from a rich family and captain of the football team and he wants to fuck her. Wood denies him and it sets off the film, essentially. Beatty complains to his dad and teachers and friends that he is preoccupied (cuz can't get laid) and is doing poorly. He breaks up with her because he saw his sister getting ran on and wanted to end the relationship for whatever reason. She decides to be like his sister and a friend of his tries to rape her and jumps into a waterfall but is rescued and then her family institutionalizes her. That's a whole lot of context to take in and not to dismiss any of it, but it all explains her teenage decisions. It's a film about what may have been. Wood is great in the role as hesitant and unsure in the relationship at first, though she is smitten with Beatty from an outside aesthetic. Wood seems like a genuine teenager, desperate for the only person she believes she loves and afraid of losing the only thing she knows. I think we've all been there in some form, so we can commiserate when Beatty cheats on Wood. Just because you are seemingly perfect, does not mean you are okay. As Wood's character goes through therapy for years, she is happier after the fact, but easily slips into her old issues when meeting Beatty who now works on a farm and is married with a kid. You can see that Wood was wanting him in that moment and re-experiencing everything from her youth because she thought she could be with him again. It's a great look at young love in this moment and how some people looked at each other. Wood's performance is great because it just feels so real when she looks at you. A great use of her talents as she plays a small town girl confronting her demons. One of those moments of another film lifting up a different performance that is better for the actor.

Almost done with Geraldine Page and thankful for it. Not a terrible performance by any means, it was interesting, but still not that great. Wood gives a very Oscar baity performance. Hepburn gives her iconic role life and is a joy to watch. Laurie blows me away with her alcoholic person and it may have won in weaker years. I'll go with Loren who eschews her sex symbol self and all those romantic comedies. She was better than that being wasted on inferior slop and got to show her chops in her own language. It's a good group if unassuming. Ready to move on now.

Oscar Winner: Sophia Loren - Two Women

My Winner: Sophia Loren - Two Women

Piper Laurie 

Audrey Hepburn

Natalie Wood

Geraldine Page

Supporting Actor 1961

A stacked flipping category with a winner most folks think came along for the ride. Is this true? Let's find out!

1961 Best Supporting Actor

 

George Chakiris - West Side Story

 

In a stacked category, I feel like Chakiris, who was Greek by the way, came along for the ride. That doesn't mean I don't like his performance, though. I like his brooding, sarcastic demeanor as it fits the leader of the Sharks. He dances well and sings fine (and at least didn't get dubbed over like everyone else in the film) and is properly good looking for a leadership part. Spoilers, but I have watched the film a couple times before but always forget that he gets stabbed to death by Tony. It's always a shock and I think speaks to how important Bernardo is. Like I thought he was gonna win and then we were going to get him  taking on Tony. And yet I've seen this damn film like five times. Chakiris might not be all that great but the character looms across the picture and we expect him to show up or do things he doesn't. I enjoyed what Chakiris gave us, though. It's good, not great, and probably just came along with the film. Crazy to think that he had to undergo extensive makeup sessions to look dark, along with Rita Moreno is actually is Puerto Rican! That just tells you how racist Hollywood was back then, but also they both won and had the last fuck you to them. Good performance, just nothing amazing. It happened to be in an all time great film and he got carried along.

Montgomery Clift - Judgment at Nuremberg

So I have liked the couple Clift performances I have seen and appreciated his whole method acting style in those films. I did not know that this guy was a huge alcoholic who made it his personality and worked it into his contracts. Clift plays Rudolf Peterson, a nervous, scared, maybe simple man whose family were communists and probably killed by the Nazis. Clift was sterilized by the Nazis and is a witness to their atrocities. This is an interesting nomination. It is said that Clift wanted to be in this film and worked for free with expenses paid only which amounted to a ton of alcohol and hotel fees. He was deep into the throes of alcoholism and would die in 5 years, yet the director felt he was perfect for the role of the aggrieved citizen and it's kinda hard to argue. I'd hate if they did that for real, but apparently Clift just couldn't remember his lines and had trouble concentrating and focusing on getting the job done. So the director and Spencer Tracy just encouraged him to ad lib whatever he could and worked with shooting that way for hours and hours over like four days for maybe fifteen minutes of screen time. Absolutely crazy because he is kinda perfect for the role. He is playing a simpleton who got sterilized and lost his family and is super nervous and scared and it all comes across as someone who doesn't want to be there and who is trying to fight for his wrongdoing in an undefined way. It's like it works on accident and creates a fitting portrait of post war Germany. This actor who can't remember his lines is fumbling and bumbling as the character to remember details of the atrocities and it works. Now if the director had this in mind from the start, I dunno, but would be some brilliant casting and directing. It also feels a lot like a cameo than some supporting bit that seamlessly integrates into the story, kinda like Judy Garland in her role. I think it still works really well but it kinda sticks out in a weird way, too. Really wish Clift hadn't given in to alcohol so we could have gotten a lot more great work from him. It may have helped this performance but obviously didn't help him in the long run, such a shame.

Peter Falk - Pocketful of Miracles

Before this project started, I would not have thought that Peter Falk would have one Oscar nomination to his name, let alone two. I just knew him as Columbo, yet this was his second straight nomination in this category and part of why I undertook this whole thing. Pretty much everything I read on this film said that Falk was one of the few, or the lone, bright spot and I'd have to agree. This was Frank Capra's last film and it was an underwhelming flop that even Capra wasn't proud of at all. The only thing he said that kept him going and the he enjoyed in the film was Falk's performance. Falk is exactly as you will remember him: big suit, gruff voice, his false eye making him look unique. Falk is the right hand man to a mobster and is the one who gets things done. He adds some great comedy to the role and kinda says what the audience is thinking in certain situations, honestly some hilarious lines. The rest of the film is mostly tepid and boring with some moments of funny. Capra was remaking one of his earlier films, Lady for a Day, and apparently this one was a huge mess with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford butting heads at every turn and just being obnoxious. It shows through in the film a bit as this is bloated and pointless. Falk is mostly the only reason to check this film out, it's a fun little performance in a wasted film.

Jackie Gleason - The Hustler

 

Gleason has a rather simple role to play as Minnesota Fats, one of the best pool players in the world that Paul Newman's character is gunning for. It's a pretty straightforward performance where Gleason mostly stays calm and collected in stark contrast to Newman's loud, arrogant, increasingly intoxicated challenger. It's like Gleason is used to these younger guys trying to take him down and prove themselves to be better all the while he just casually plays pool and let's them talk their talk. Which, if you know Gleason, is also very different from how he was in the entertainment world. He was a huge comedian known for a very brash style and here he is playing a dominant pool hustler with a cool demeanor. He gives off a certain presence in the film and you instantly know he's the man to beat. Towards the end of the film when Newman is beating him at pool over and over we start to cracks in the facade as Gleason looks exasperated and see the raw competitiveness come out. It's a short performance but one that is powerful to the film in establishing the story and just how far Newman will go to beat the best. Really enjoyable to watch especially with all the great acting swirling around in that film.

George C. Scott - The Hustler

 

Funny thing about this nomination is that it garnered Scott a Best New Male Actor nomination at the Golden Globes, except he had been nominated for another Oscar two years prior. Golden Globes may be the reason Scott hated awards shows. Yes, he denounced this nomination just like his win for Patton, so at least he was a man who stuck to his convictions. I love his introduction in this film where Paul Newman asks him to move where he's sitting because it's been bothering him for hours and he gets up and moves his chair about an inch to the left. It just perfectly showcases who his character is and how Scott is going to play him. His character is a professional gambler who just likes to be where the action is, whether that's cards, horses, or billiards. He also seems to be a bank roller for other guys to play and comes off a bit like a villain at first. Eventually we see he is a cold, calculating, observant man who will use people to get what he wants. Scott plays the role perfectly as he comes off brooding and measured. He does what he can to manipulate those around him and Scott never comes off too hokey or dastardly. He is a genuine person and the performance has a lot of realism to it. The performance just adds to the overall feel of this film in a good way as we get all these strong characters coming to a head and giving us an excellent film as a result. Glad the Globes were able to honor this newcomer for his fine work.

It's a stacked group, but who the hell deserves the win?? Clift chews the scenery in his alcoholic state. Falk is his usually charming self, yet this time he is a gruff gangster. Gleason plays a serious role that is against type and nails it, but Scott kinda acts circles around him. Chakiris came along for the ride but should I swap him with Scott? I think so. Scott is just better and I feel Gleason is better, too. Feels controversial, but it's not really. Just giving Scott multiple wins now. Intriguing group of actors and tough decision to make. I want every year to be a tough one. On to 1960.

Oscar Winner: George Chakiris - West Side Story

My Winner: George C. Scott - The Hustler

Jackie Gleason

George Chakiris

Peter Falk

Montgomery Clift

Supporting Actress 1961

A name and winner I love and adore, plus an old legend and some other women who are unfamiliar. What is this category? Terrible jokes aside, I already know who wins, this is just deciding second place.

1961 Best Supporting Actress

 

Rita Moreno - West Side Story

 

Quite possibly the best win in this category of all time. Definitely up for debate, but it is easily one of the best and is one of those iconic, star making, powerhouse performances you never forget. The fact that this same character won this same category 50 years later has me intrigued about Ariana DeBose, but I doubt it matches the fire that Moreno exudes as Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend. She has more performance in just throwing her purple skirt around than some actors do in a lifetime. It's so sure of a performance that every word used to describe the film is essentially describing Moreno's performance, too. Sexy, fiery, witty, funny, sympathetic, exquisite: all taken from reviews about the film. I loved one review that said that Moreno doesn't quite walk off with the film, it chases after her trying to catch up. She is the sole reason to watch this film, but you may also stay for the story and choreography and production design and the songs. Just one of those performances that hits you over the head not because it was trying too hard, but because you were in her way. I've had the pleasure of meeting Moreno a couple years ago at a film festival I worked and she was as delightful and charming as ever and even gave us all a little dance at around 90 years old. An amazing woman and an even more amazing performance. She was one of the first EGOT winners (third ever) and her body of work and cultural impact since then is almost unrivaled. After this win, she didn't make another film for seven years because all she was offered was stereotypical Latina roles and she wanted more. Takes courage to demand more at the height of your star power, or at least one of the heights, and not give in. I think she is one of the best actresses, not in like a Meryl Streep vein, but in just making an impact and blazing a trail. Wonderful woman, great actress.

Fay Bainter - The Children's Hour

OK, so I actually enjoyed this film a lot. I don't know what was in the water at the time but this film added to a group of really progressive early 60s films. There's a few films nominated this year that surprise in the subject matter they are about. This film, based on a popular play, is about two women, played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine, who run an all girls school together. One of the girls is a spoiled brat who gets in trouble one day and repeats what another girl thought she heard about the two women having an unnatural relationship. Bainter, a previous Oscar winner who was the first person nominated in the same year for both Lead and Supporting for two different films/roles and in her final film role of her career, is the little brat's grandmother. Hepburn is engaged to a man that is related to Bainter, I think a nephew. Anyway, Bainter at first just kinda plays along with her granddaughter, Mary, but then slowly begins to believe her. Eventually, alarmed, Bainter begins letting other families know and eventually all the girls leave the school. The two women then sue for libel and slander, but lose. The months later, Mary's mom finds out some things which leads to Mary confessing that she lied. Bainter is great, because as another reviewer said of her it's like she's a different person from scene to scene. That's a good thing because she slowly grows as the lie develops and becomes more and more concerned and tries to do what she thinks is right to protect the kids. It's a tough role handled extremely well by Bainter who does a lot of heavy lifting with just looks and glances and she doesn't immediately start off beating the war drum or anything. Her granddaughter is emphatic about what she heard and so Bainter goes all in because how could you not believe a family member who swears she is telling the truth? Once she realizes how badly she has been duped, the look of shock and horror and embarrassment or written all over her aghast facial expressions. Bainter does a lot with this role by not doing a lot of grandiose things that would seem apropos for the character. I just enjoyed how many different instances of belief and disbelief that Bainter had to go through. There were times I wanted to slap both her and the granddaughter for pushing these lies, but that's the mark of a convincing performance. Really good stuff from Bainter that makes me excited to see her double nomination in 1938 even more now. Definitely recommend this one.

Judy Garland - Judgment at Nuremberg

OK, let's not pretend this nomination isn't because this was her first film since A Star Is Born about 7 years prior. This is a two scene cameo where the first scene doesn't really matter or do much of anything besides introduce her. It's the second scene where Maximilian Schell grills her and is the Oscar defining moment. Apparently Garland wanted to lose a lot of weight as she thought she was too fat, but look at her in the film and she is just average. Garland goes against her usual type as she tries to play a sympathetic figure. I don't think she's fat really, but it would fit (no pun intended) the part of an adult German woman. I'm mentioning this to establish that this wasn't a glamorous role for Garland, this is a story about prosecuting Nazis for their crimes against humanity. The scene with Schell is what you would expect from such a venerable actress. He is deep into his Oscar win and is coming hard at the witness to help his case and Garland is just as game, running through all kinds of different emotions in this one scene. She's annoyed, angry, sadness, and utter contempt for being in this situation. Her accent is okay at best, but I like that she tried and didn't just speak normally. It's a great cameo and a good supporting performance, but this is mostly the Academy saying hey, let's reward this lady we love for her newest thing after a long time off. Good performance, but never should have won and thankfully didn't.

Lotte Lenya - The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

 

A minor Tennessee Williams film based on one of his works, yet he liked this one the most of all his adaptations which seems a bit skeptical considering the classics he generated but whatever. It's a mildly interesting story of a successful Broadway actress, Vivien Leigh, who is getting old and goes on holiday to Rome but her older husband dies during the flight. After arriving she stays and starts seeing an Italian gigolo, Warren Beatty with a not so great accent. Leigh basically sleepwalks through the film while Beatty struts and preens around the film, and Lotte Lenya plays the villain-like madame and sneers at every chance in the film. Not the best performance because it is so nakedly one note. She's a spider woman trying to trap these wealthy foreign women into her web so she can take half of her gigolo's earnings. Even her actual interactions with Leigh feel pointless for dramatic sake as she tries to convince Leigh to spend her money and not just fall in love. I never felt as if she had ulterior motives because they were out there in the open from the start. The character wasn't good at being subtle or coy and Lenya just played it one specific way. This was Lenya's second film ever, and first in 30 years, so maybe that was the reason. I guess I always hope that an actress whose name I don't recognize will wow me or at least have a reason to be nominated like she was the queen of world cinema or something, but not quite sure for Lenya. She's just always sinister and doesn't really break from that so it wears you down expecting more from her. A minor performance in a minor story.

Una Merkel - Summer and Smoke

 

Oh hey, look, another Tennessee Williams adaptation. Honestly didn't realize he had two films get nominated in this category, but I guess it means he wrote some pretty interesting female characters. Except, Merkel is not one them. Or at least isn't in this film version. This is a classic older actress getting a nomination most likely because she was respected by the Academy. She had won a Tony Award a few years earlier and was in film and television since the 30s, that's truly the only reason. This role is almost nothing and I actually forgot about her character because she disappeared for most of the film. When she was onscreen, she plays Geraldine Page's crazy old mother who seems to have dementia or something. She basically just acts like a little child screaming to get her way or to signify she isn't happy and that's really the extent of her very brief performance. Never should have been nominated and I really can't stand these career achievement nominations because somebody more deserving could have been in this spot. Instead we get a small, silly, stupid performance you will never think about again five seconds after the film ends.

Rita is the unequivocal no-brainer. Probably the best winner in this category, everyone else is an after thought. Bainter already won an Oscar, so I ain't even sad about this. She is right where she belongs. Garland makes her comeback and gets rewarded with a decent performance that is elevated above what it actually is because she is making a comeback. If she wasn't a tragic figure, she wouldn't be here. Lenya is okay. Not anything memorable and just sticks out as a name. Merkel maybe even more so. Merkel does nothing and doesn't deserve the nomination and I wish we cold figure out who was sixth and bump them up on my blog orders. Anyway, greatest category performance sets it apart no matter what. I will always love this category for giving some fun nominees.

Oscar Winner: Rita Moreno - West Side Story

My Winner: Rita Moreno - West Side Story

Fay Bainter

Judy Garland

Lotte Lenya

Una Merkel