Alternate Best Actor 1947: Results

5. Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife- Grant never falters in his portrayal of a just about perfect character. He brings a great deal of charm, and wit to the role that makes it an absolutely winning performance.

4. Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past- Mitchum gives a strong commanding performance that perfectly fits his world weary on screen persona.

3. Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir- Harrison is terrific in his role bring both mysterious as well as quite humorous in the role of the titular entity.

2. Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux- Chaplin finds just the right tone to brings the life his cynical but also humorous serial killer who treats his murders as just a normal job.

1. Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock- There was no question here of who was the very best of year with Attenborough tremendous performance as a young thug. Attenborough gives a striking performance that never strives from the harsh truths of his character.

Overall Rank:

1. Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock
2. Ronald Colman in A Double Life
3. James Mason in Odd Man Out
4. Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux
5. Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
6. Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past
7. Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife
8. David Niven in The Bishop's Wife
9. Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street
10. William Powell in Life With Father
11. John Garfield in Body and Soul
12. John Payne in Miracle on 34th Street
13. Michael Redgrave in Mourning Becomes Electra 
14. Dana Andrews in Boomerang!
15. Victor Mature in Kiss of Death
16. Robert Young in Crossfire
17. Gregory Peck in The Paradine Case
18. Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement

Next Year: 1965

Alternate Best Actor 1947: Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Rex Harrison did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Daniel Gregg in The Ghost of Mrs. Muir.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a very enjoyable as well as later moving film about a widow Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) who moves in a secluded home with her daughter (Natalie Wood) which seems like it might be haunted by its deceased owner who was a sea Captain.

Rex Harrison is the titular ghost of the film, and for the first twenty minutes we do not see him only rather are we alluded to his presence. At most we hear of him is a fierce haunting cackle of the apparition.This is until he finally confronts Mrs. Muir directly one night in full view, and we find out the true nature of the ghost. Well it turns out that the ghost is not nearly as scary as the haunting earlier might have suggested being in no way an evil spirit. In fact the ghost of the sea captain Daniel Gregg is quite down to earth for something of his sort anyway.

Rex Harrison is excellent here, and his style of acting is a perfect fit for this film and the role of Daniel Gregg the ghost. Although he is properly spooky and scary in his early laughs but the moment he finally starts talking he eases into the rather casual tone of the ghost well. Harrison is terrific here because he just does not simply stop being a ghost, he effectively conveys an otherworldly quality to his stares and manner particularly in the first time we see his face, but he always humanizes Gregg at the same time. Rex Harrison's casual fashion of acting is perfect in expressing just how human Gregg is.

When Harrison is telling about Gregg's whole haunt is just to keep people out of his home, and that he really did not commit suicide but rather just accidentally kicked over a kerosene later he does it all in a distinctly non ghostly manner. He is instead quite matter of fact so matter of fact that he is actually quite amusing. He does not show any real anguish over his death, the sort of man the Captain is he shouldn't, but Harrison amusing portrays it as a low key annoyance over more of the perception of him after his death more than the death itself.

Harrison portrays the part of Gregg as an old sea salt in his manner and accent, and I must say that he does it pretty well. Although his accent is not always especially consistent it does help in expresses just who Gregg was before his untimely demise. Harrison has just a great deal with the mannerisms and the sometimes crudeness of Gregg who inherited it from being a sailor in life. Harrison gives no apologizes for his character's behavior, and clearly shows that Gregg is perfectly happy with the sort of man he is. He was a man's man, and Harrison shows that the Captain is proud of it.

Most of the film though focuses on the Ghost's relationship with Mrs. Muir. Tierney and Harrison have a nice chemistry here, and their dynamic works well for the film. Her showing at first a great deal of amazement, but Harrison showing Gregg being slightly impressed by her, but mostly just bemused by her company. They play off each other well as they make various trades to allow her to live in his home, but in turn he will stop being a haunting nuisance. It is a most comedic dynamic at first and Harrison's playful performance plays off Tierney's straight one well.

Slowly though their relationship does grow as they come close in their schemes together. Harrison eases into a transition of Gregg being just a little bit amused by her, but than slowly falling in love with her. Harrison effectively shows a hesitation though in Gregg affections he gains slowly. This is not from the Captain not being sure of his love or anything similar, but Harrison bluntly shows that all Gregg is doing is being a bit angry that he cannot go any further because well he is a ghost after all.

After the seem to slowly drift apart due to their living and dead difference, Harrison carefully brings back the mysterious quality he had at the very beginning of his performance. He eases back into it sadly showing the realization of Gregg that his time with Mrs. Muir has passed. Harrison portray of the Captain's final goodbye is particularly moving as he honestly brings to life both the genuine affection the Captain feels for her, but as well he conveys the force that separates the two of them. It is a heartbreaking moment, and effectively makes the ending all the more joyous. This is a very strong performance by Harrison who finds perfect tone for his performance that easily could have been played too much for laughs, or taken the material too seriously. Harrison knows just how to play him in this very likable and entertaining portrayal.

Alternate Best Actor 1947

And the Nominees Were Not:

Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife

Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock

Robert Mitchum in Out Of The Past

Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux

My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady, 1964
Directed by George Cukor
Nominated for 12 Oscars, Won 8
Up Against: Becket, Dr. Strangelove, Mary Poppins, Zorba the Greek

My Fair Lady is the story of a poor young English woman, and a rich older speech therapist. When the speech thearpist, Henry Higgins, meets the young English woman, Eliza Doolittle, and hears her horrid Cockney accent, he makes a bet with another speech therapist, Hugh Pickering (a new acquaintence), that he could turn this any woman into a proper speaking woman and present her as a duchess at the Embassy Ball. Eliza, who aspires to work in a flower shop, instead of selling flowers on the streets, goes to Henry the next day, asking for proper English lessons. Henry Higgins is a pompous, slightly sexist man, who is more used to working with upper class people. Eliza reminds him that he said he could pass off any woman as a Duchess after working with her for 6 months, and Pickering decides to pay for Eliza's lessons and clothes, etc, if Higgins will, in fact, train Eliza. He says yes, and the work begins, though Eliza is a loud, stubborn woman, showing his work is cut out for him.

I feel ashamed to say I've never seen an Audrey Hepburn movie before this. That being said, I have no idea what to expect with this movie. It looked like another cutesy musical, and I was interested in seeing it.

First off, Audrey Hepburn was totally awesome in this film. I'd always pictured her as a dainty soft-spoken kind of girl (sort of a back-then's Carey Mulligan). But she totally rocked the crazy Cockney, whining young woman. She was horribly annoying and her accent was terrible (all of that in a good way! you know?). It was fun watching her on screen, making her transformation. Although her transformation was a little abrupt, it was fun. She didn't look all that special in the beginning, but she looked amazing when she got all dressed up.

Rex Harrison, who played Henry Higgins, was also great. He was pompous and arrogant, but also had a sort of lovable side to him, and Harrison really embraced that.

The movie really deserved all the Oscars that it won, Directing, Best Actor, Cinematography, Sound, Score, Art Direction and Costumes. Addition nominations included Supporting Actor (Pickering), Supporting Actress (Mrs. Higgins), Editing and Adapted Screenplay. I was sorely disappointed that Ms. Hepburn wasn't even nominated, but that's the way it goes I guess. She'd gotten her Oscar several years before for Roman Holiday.

The only flaws I found in the movie was it ran on too long. Clocking in at 2hrs and 52 minutes, some of the film (the scenes about Eliza's father, for example) were unnecessary, and the movie could've been solved earlier.

However, all the musical numbers were great. Most musicals there's at least either a) a long slow song that the girl sings (ex, As Long As He Needs Me, from Oliver!), and/or b) a long modern number (Broadway Melody Ballet, from Singin' In The Rain). I was surprised that there was neither of these in My Fair Lady, giving the film an extra few points for me.

Overall, the movie was enjoyable. It was cute, and funny, and Audrey Hepburn was great.

8/10

A Weekend of Good Movie Watching

I had an exceptionally good week of weekend movie watching. The constant rain and enveloping dampness in Chicago meant it was a good opportunity to hunker down with some good movie viewing.

“Anna and the King of Siam” (1946) is the non-musical version of the famous story made even more famous by the Broadway musical and film “The King and I.” This is a marvelous film, despite the politically incorrect casting of Rex Harrison, in his American film debut, as the King of Siam. It’s a hoot to hear the famous “etc., etc., etc.” lines uttered by someone other than Yul Brynner. Irene Dunne plays Anna, and her warm presence and gentle beauty make for a memorable Anna, every bit as good as later interpretations by Deborah Kerr and Jodie Foster. (It really is an unbeatable part. The worst actress in the world couldn’t screw it up.) Linda Darnell plays Tuptim, and she’s not nearly as sympathetic as I remember from earlier versions. She isn’t given much to do, but she’s fine. It’s eerie to watch her being burned at the stake because in real life she had a mortal fear of fire, and ironically, died in a burning house while visiting friends in Glenview, IL. She was only 41.

This is a wonderful film to look and listen to. The Oscar-nominated score by Bernard Herrmann is a treat to listen to and helps act as a guide to the exotic locales. The film deservedly won Academy Awards in the Art Direction/Black and White and Cinematography/Black and White categories.

It’s a little overlong, but packed with detail and story. It runs 128 minutes and when you consider that “The King and I” (1956) ran 133 minutes, and since much of that is devoted to musical numbers, you can see where “Anna and the King of Siam” is able to allow for more incidents.

Rating for “Anna and the King of Siam”: Three and a half stars.

One of my favorite films of 2005 was David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence”, the dark, disturbing, graphic and morbidly funny saga of a small town diner owner Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) in Indiana who foils a robbery in his diner and becomes a mini celebrity. This attracts the attention of mobster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) who knows Stall is really Joey Cusack, former enforcer for the Philadelphia mob. The effects this, and other revelations this has on his family, are equal parts horrifying, funny and heartbreaking. The film’s final scene is wonderfully ambiguous. William Hurt was Oscar-nominated for his wonderfully nutty scenes as a gangster, but I think Ed Harris should have gotten the Supporting Actor nomination. His one eyed Carl Fogarty is one of the scariest villains I’ve ever seen.

Rating for “A History of Violence”: Four stars.

A glorious slice of cinematic cheese is “Snakes on a Plane” (2006). You see a movie with a title like that, and you get exactly what you pay for. A combination airplane disaster movie with hundreds of lethal snakes, this is a perfect movie to put your brain on hold, throw all logic out the window, and enjoy the show. I wish there had been more actual snakes used instead of the CGI variety, as the real thing is always more effective, but this is still stupid (in the best sense) Saturday night fodder. It’s fortunate that Samuel L. Jackson is on hand to lend his particular brand of charisma to the proceedings. If ever I’m in a situation where all hell is breaking loose, I want Sam on my side, especially now that Chuck Heston is no longer with us.

Rating for “Snakes on a Plane”: Three stars.

The best movie I’ve seen is ages is “Tokyo Story” (1953), an unforgettable experience that works on many levels. My foreign film viewing is not as strong as it should be, and I’ve never seen a film directed by Yasujiro Ozu, revered by many as one of the greatest directors of all time, and rivaling Akira Kurosawa as Japan’s greatest director.

TCM ran “Tokyo Story” several months ago, and because it’s considered Ozu’s masterpiece, I taped it for later viewing. I didn’t have the opportunity to watch it until Sunday night and when I did…Wow! What a revelation!

“Tokyo Story” runs 135 minutes and I was spellbound from beginning to end. Reading the plot description might make you think there could be no worst ways to spend 135 minutes but you’d be wrong.

The movie is about an elderly couple who decide to visit their grown children in Tokyo, but they are too busy with their own lives to make time for their parents.

Yep, no action, no mob, no snakes on a plane, just a human drama acted and shot to perfection. No fancy camera moves or effects, just watching the heartbreak of generational indifference. Because they’re Japanese, the characters are very stoic and don’t say what they mean, but what they don’t say, and their body language, speaks volumes.

This was a profoundly moving experience, and one that I actually dreamed about that night. It will be a long time before I forget “Tokyo Story” and I now look forward with the keenest of anticipations to seeing other Ozu films.

Rating for “Tokyo Story”: Four stars.