Best Supporting Actor 1944: Results

5. Monty Woolley in Since You Went Away- Woolley although limited by his screentime does gives a nice humorous performance as a stuffy man who becomes less stuffy.

4. Hume Cronyn in The Seventh Cross- Hume Cronyn has a fairly simple role as an average man trying to help his friend, but he makes the most of it. He gives a convincing performance effectively finding the quiet decency of his character.

3. Claude Rains in Mr. Skeffington- Although Rains has to contest with a wildly overacting co-star he does far more than hold his own as he creates a genuinely moving portrait as the titular character.

2. Clifton Webb in Laura- Webb is almost perfect throughout having the perfect superior demeanor throughout the film. He creates a memorable character and even though his final scene could have been even better this is still a strong performance.

1. Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way- After almost winning the lead category for this year I find it very easy to give Fitzgerald his deserved win for the category he belongs. He gives a simply wonderful supporting performance that is a humorous warm performance that could not be better.

Deserving Performances:
Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity
William Bendix in Lifeboat
Peter Lorre in Arsenic and Old Lace

Best Supporting Actor 1944: Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Barry Fitzgerald won his Oscar from his other Oscar nomination for also portraying Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way.

Barry Fitzgerald is the only actor to have been nominated twice for the same role in the same role in two different categories. Because of this I find it rather pointless to entirely re-review him as you can find my thoughts on him here. My thoughts have not changed in regards to his performance after watching the film once again. The only point of my review here is to explain the difference between rating a leading performance and a supporting one. Although I think it is easy enough to say a performance is a performance, but I would say there is a difference when looking at whether they are supporting or leading.

I do feel leading performances receive more expectations and appropriately so. There is a greater impact, and presence in a film that is expected from a leading performance. A supporting performance you still want to be memorable and have a lasting impact, but they don't have to be the most memorable aspect of a film or the most striking still to be a perfect supporting turn. The reason Fitzgerald did not get a five in his leading performance was he could not have this impact expected of the great leading performance simply because he was not a leading performance something he could not help.

As a leading performance I wanted more of Fitzgerald to allow for the appropriate presence in the film, but as a supporting turn Fitzgerald has more than enough time to realize his wonderful performance in a supporting fashion. He gives the perfect supporting performance. He is always enjoyable and heartwarming whenever he is in the film. He is always a joy and makes every moment he is in better that it would be otherwise, and becomes the best part of the film easily. He doesn't control the film as he is a supporting player as written, but in the role he is in he is perfect for it. As a leading role he simply is not given the allowance to realize a perfect lead performance, but he unquestionably does realize a perfect supporting one.

Best Supporting Actor 1944

And the Nominees Were:

Claude Rains in Mr. Skeffington

Clifton Webb in Laura

Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Monty Woolley in Since You Went Away

Hume Cronyn in The Seventh Cross 

Going My Way

Going My Way, 1944
Directed by Leo McCarey
Nominated for 10 Oscars, Won 7
Won BP over: Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Wilson, Since You Went Away

Synopsis: Father Fitzgibbon has been with St. Dominics Parish for 45 years ("46 this October!") and is getting older. When he meets Father Chuck O'Malley, the new assistant, he isn't too keen on him. He's young, and very different from Fitzgibbon. He has a different way of doing so many things. But the church is in trouble, financially, and they need to find a way to turn it around. Though Father O'Malley may just be what the church needs. He connects with the trouble-making youth gang, but also handle the business and the busy-bodies of the church. But can he win over the trust and adoration of the superior Fitzgibbon?

This film won Bing Crosby his first and only Oscar. However, this film wasn't exactly Oscar material. It was a collection of stories, surrounding the church, and the two Fathers, O'Malley and Fitzgibbon. It's a humorous story, but not exactly the most deep of films. It's light-hearted, but it doesn't go a whole lot deeper than that.

The story is cliche at best. The old man not so welcoming of the younger guy, and the new way he's heading, and while the younger guy tries to appeal to him, it can't be done. But eventually it does, through his showing of potential, and his general charm and how much he cares.

The acting is well done, though, I must say. Bing was great, and the Oscar was well-deserved. He was light-hearted and charming, though was solemn and serious when he needed to be. Barry Fitzgerald (Father Fitzgibbon) was also quite charming. In an interesting circumstance, Fitzgerald was nominated for Both Lead and Supporting Actor, for the same role. However, being more of a supporting role, it was more fitting he should win for that. He was so cute and funny, and just charming as the old Father, and played his part so well.

That being put aside, this film was average at best, filled with cliche story lines, and while it made a nice film to watch once and appreciate Bing Crosby and the films he made, this was certainly not his best, nor was it Best Picture worthy. There were random smatterings of stories that were unnecessary, and storylines that could've and should've been played up more but weren't (the taming of the local troublemaker children, the forming of their choir, etc). Though, undeniably, the chemistry between Crosby and Fitzgerald was great.

Overall, the film wasn't that great, was a little too long for the subject it was about, and was just an okay film. There were a handful of good songs, and Bing Crosby is undeniably a very good actor, as is Barry Fitzgerald, but it didn't have much to it other than that.

6/10

The Naked City (1948).

The Naked City(1948). Directed by Jules Dassin. The movie, was filmed on the streets of New York City, showing famous landmarks: Williamsburg Bridge, Whitehall Building and an apartment building on West 83rd Street (Manhattan) where the murder took place. William H. Daniels won an Academy Award for his cinematography.

This is a very realistic crime film and does not have the atmospheric type of lighting, film angles or the femme fatales, as most film noirs. Based on a story by Malvin Wald, The Naked City, is a film is about the police investigation of a murder of a model and veteran cop who becomes charge of her case. The Naked City producer Mark Hellinger, narrated parts of the film. Hellinger died of a heart attack after a preview of the movie. The film was the inspiration for the 1958-63 TV series, Naked City.

The story begins when jewel thieves Willie Garzah and Peter Backalis, kill Jean Dexter. Feeling guilty for participating in the murder Backalis, gets drunk. Garzah, decides to hit him over the head, before he confesses to the police. Then tosses him in the East River. Later, Homicide detectives Dan Muldoon and Jimmy Halloran, are assigned to Jean's murder case.



Dan questions Frank Niles, Jean's ex-boyfriend, who lies about his engagement to Ruth. Later, Dan believes that the bruises on Jean's neck proves that there were to two killers.

The next morning, the detectives learn that Frank sold a gold cigarette case stolen from Stoneman, then purchased a one-way plane ticket to Mexico. They also discover, that Jean's ring was stolen from the wealthy Mrs. Hylton, Ruth's mother. Dan and Jimmy, head over to Frank's apartment, where they save him just in time from being murdered by Garzah, who escapes out the back door. When questioned about the stolen jewelry, Frank says that they were gifts from Jean. Frank, is then arrested for robbery. When Backalis' body is found, Jimmy blames the ex-convict for Jean's murder. Jimmy, soon learns that Backalis' partner in the jewelry story robbery was Garzah. Dan forces Frank, to admit that Stoneman, was Jean's boyfriend and goes by the name, Henderson. Back at Stoneman's office, the married physician confesses that he fell in love with Jean, only to learn that she and Frank were using him in to rob his wealthy friends. Will the police ever catch up with the killer?

I thought it was very interesting to see Barry Fitzgerald, who is well known for his spunky supporting roles, play a serious role as the detective.

Dorothy Hart (April 4, 1922 - July 11, 2004). Her first big movie break came in the 1947 western Gunfighters, with Randolph Scott, after winning the 1944 National Cinderella Cover Girl Contest. She is best remembered for being Howard Duff's fiancee in the 1948 film, The Naked City.

In 1948, Hart made Larceny, with Shelley Winters and The Countess of Monte Cristo, with Sonja Henie. Hart became the tenth actress to play Jane, when she performed with Lex Barker as Tarzan in, Tarzan's Savage Fury.