Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974: Results

5. Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein- Feldman gives an entertaining and enjoyable performance. 

4. Martin Balsam in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three- Balsam does a great job of humanizing his hijacker, and makes it easy to follow through his own small story within the film.

3. John Huston in Chinatown- Huston gives a great villainous performance creating a fantastic mystery within his character who acts warmly, but evil seems lurking beneath his grin.

2. Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three- Shaw gives an excellent performance as a steely cold and calculated villain.

1. John Cazale in The Godfather Part II- Good Prediction RatedRStar. Although I do love Shaw's and Huston's performances Cazale does fairly easily win this year for me. He too could be argued as playing a villain, but Cazale turns his character's pathetic plight into a truly heartbreaking portrait of a brother who just was never good enough. 

Overall Rank:

1. John Cazale in The Godfather Part II
2. Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
3. John Huston in Chinatown
4. Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II
5. Lee Strasberg in The Godfather Part II
6. Martin Balsam in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
7. Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein 
8. Harrison Ford in The Conversation
9. Harvey Korman in Blazing Saddles
10. Gene Hackman in Young Frankenstein
11. Hector Elizondo in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
12. Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles 
13. John Cazale in the Conversation
14. Robert Duvall in The Conversation
15. Vincent Gardenia in Death Wish 
16. Michael V. Gazzo in The Godfather Part II
17. Tony Roberts in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three 
18. Kenneth Mars in Young Frankenstein
19. Lee Wallace in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
20. Robert Duvall in The Godfather Part II 
21. Geoffrey Lewis in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
22. James Caan in The Godfather Part II 
23. Michael Gorrin in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
24. Allen Garfield in The Conversation
25. Fred Astaire in The Towering Inferno
26. John Gielgud in Murder on the Orient Express
27. Jerry Stiller in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
28. Perry Lopez in Chinatown
29. William Daniels in The Parallax View
30. George Kennedy in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
31. Dick O'Neill in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three 
32. G.D. Spradlin in The Godfather Part II
33. Earl Hindman in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
34. Anthony Perkins in Murder on the Orient Express 
35. Larry Hagman in Harry and Tonto
36. Hume Cronyn in The Parallax View 
37. Gaston Machin in The Godfather Part II  
38. Sean Connery in Murder on the Orient Express
39. Frederic Forrest  in The Conversation
40. Richard Widmark in Murder on the Orient Express
41. Joe Mantell in Chinatown
42. Bruno Kirby in The Godfather Part II
43. Martin Balsam in Murder on the Orient Express
44. Robert Vaughn in The Towering Inferno
45. Denis Quilley in Murder on the Orient Express 
46. William Holden in The Towering Inferno
47. Michael York in Murder on the Orient Express
48. Richard Chamberlain in The Towering Inferno

Next Year: 2011 Supporting

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974: Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein

Marty Feldman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Igor in Young Frankenstein.

Marty Feldman portrays the rather strange looking Igor although wearing his black hood, having a hump that changes side, and Feldman's own bulging eyes. Young Frankenstein is of course an extreme comedy in that it is only going for comedy and lots of it. Even if there is the slightest sort of a dramatic moment in the film there will be a joke still instantly afterwards. The film though does sort of take one thing seriously which is replicating the look of the old horror films of the thirties, and to a degree does the look part partially as well.

Feldman slinks around in the film much like one would in one of those old movies, and even says yes master constantly as well. Aside from the yes masters and the way he scurries about this is a completely comedic performance. His performance mostly consists of little humorous aside to the main scene whether it is a look, or a strange comment that he makes about something about himself, or some sort of slightest pestering comment against Dr. Frankenstein.

Feldman handles his very specific role, and most of his little reactions, and quite amusing, and many of them are hilarious. Feldman has quite a bit of fun having the dichotomy of the look of his character which is very much that of the 30's monster movies, but with an entirely modern manner in his portrayal of Igor's personality. It works quite well for the part, and Feldman certainly creates some of the highlights of the film.

Technically speaking his character is the most constant in the film as his role is quite firm which is making funny and bizarre observations throughout. Feldman makes the most out of all his moments though and they are terrific. One little moment I particularly find hilarious is his remarks about what his father said in times of distress. Feldman gives an entertaining and enjoyable comedic performance in the film that hits just the right notes.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974: Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three

Robert Shaw did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bernard Ryder "Mr. Blue" in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three.

Robert Shaw portrays the leader of the hijackers who controls the train in his power, and makes the contact with the authorities. Shaw takes unquestionable command with his performance here as Mr. Blue. From his very first scene where he commands the train driver that he is stealing his train, Shaw handles with such insurance. He breaths a constant intensity in the part that is absolutely cold and controlled at all times. From the start he shows that Mr. Blue is a force that is not to be dealt with lightly in any way.

Shaw is master villain here, and it is marvelous to watch him build such a threatening character yet keeping the character extremely calm and cool throughout the film. I particularly love the scene where he tells the hostages they are hostages and tells them that with his machine gun he could kill all of them before they could even get out of their seats. There is an incredible underlying intensity that shows that every threat he makes he will be able to fulfill quickly without a second thought necessary. Shaw makes Mr. Blue a truly imposing force throughout the film.

Shaw, even though Mr. Blue is indeed very calm and collected individual, never for an instance makes this a one note performance. Shaw has a great deal of fun alluding to the background, as well as motivation of Mr. Blue even though this really is not given too much time. These come in his terrific scenes with Martin Balsam's Mr. Green, and as I said in his review the two are great together. Shaw though is spectacular becuase he honestly makes the ability for Blue to go from threatening a group of people with two to casually talking about not wanting to sell insurance both entirely natural, as well as properly humorous. The same goes for every little short aside with Walter Matthau when Matthau's Garber makes a snarky comment toward, and Shaw perfectly comes back with Blue's bluntness to Garber's jokes.

Shaw also has a lot of delicious fun with just the overt Britishness of his character. Blue was a soldier in the British army and it clearly has rubbed off on him. Shaw shows that the way he handles the train is much like the way a strict commander would handle his troops, but as well he has lighter entertaining moments from his outstanding diction and his always proper use of British language. One moment in particular that is superb is when Mr. Blue tells to put two men approaching the train to put their hands in evidence, but quickly has to adjust to telling them to put their hands up. Shaw so well uses such small subtle moments to endless benefit in this performance.

In this great underrated film humor and serious moments are intertwined flawlessly from scene to scene, and Shaw aids in this along the way with the moments with Balsam and Matthau in particular, but he the strongest moments of the film due come in the more dramatic moments. For most of the time things go absolutely according to Blue's plan which he states without hesitations, Shaw presses this point especially well when he lists a long lists of demands and in his entirely confidant fashion says that he'll shoot a hostage if any of the demands are not met. There is no grey area in Shaw performance, Blue will not be convinced to do anything other than he has determined to do.

His two most powerful moments in his performance are the two scenes where Mr. Blue kill someone. The first which is retribution for one of his men being fired on is made especially chilling by Shaw because of how welcoming and pleasant he is toward the man he is leading toward his death. The actually killing is done quickly in a purely business man like fashion, but the equally strong moment of Shaw's performance is the deadly look he gives his psychotic subordinate Mr. Grey who he stares down showing clearly who is in charge. After the killing Shaw important;y does not show remorse in Mr. Blue, but rather when contacting Garber again only angry frustrations for being forced to do his own perceived duty to carry out his personal mission.

The second killing comes in the form of dealing with Mr. Grey, which Shaw again shows purely efficiently, with just the slightest distaste in his face, not for his action, but for having to ever have to deal with the sort that was Mr. Grey. Shaw makes Mr. Blue as the greatest villain he possibly could have been. A portrait of a brilliant commander who has taken on a different endeavor, than his training was for but still handles the new situation with all of his skill. Shaw makes Blue a completely imposing villain that always does things his way no matter what, even at the end of the film where it seems he has only one option Blue still goes out his way, and Shaw portrays this final act like a man who only does things the way he wants. All together Shaw makes Mr. Blue an entertaining, chilling, and imposing villain all at once.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974: Martin Balsam in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three

Martin Balsam did not receive an Oscar nomination, although he did receive a BAFTA nomination for portraying Harold Longman "Mr. Green" in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three.

Martin Balsam portrays Mr. Green one of the hijackers of a subway train who hold several passengers hostage for a million dollars. Mr. Green is the hijacker with the greatest knowledge of the subway, and is the only one who is able to drive. He also is the one who has the clearly the greatest conscience of the group, as the hijackers' threat is to kill one hostage per minute after the hour time they have given for the million dollars to reach them.

Balsam performance certainly is not the focus of the film, and really the role of Green could have been forgotten in the light of the main villain Mr. Blue. Balsam though very important does make the most in humanizing one of the hijackers very well. Balsam does not try to make Mr. Green overly sympathetic in any way in regards to any sort of pleading with the audience, Mr. Green still is doing it for the money, but the humanity of Green created by Balsam especially when compared to the others is subtly but powerfully handled by Balsam.

Balsam's performance is made up of quite a few reactionary moments that are extremely well played by him. They are mostly in when Green sees the full extent of Mr. Blue's plan, and that his threats are entirely true. Balsam makes everyone of them impact well as he shows that Green really is in it far deeper than he ever wanted to be, and he portrays an honest realistic disbelief in who is essentially just an average joe who happened to come in on a job that really is not in his line in any way. Balsam is quite moving in just these small important moments best out of anyone portraying the severity of the situation.

My favorite human moments though come in his short little conversations with Mr. Blue as they wait for money. He and Shaw are great together in the way they play off the extreme contrasts in terms of the personality, but in at the same time there is a certain camaraderie and respect between the two as two men working on a project. The two have some nice humorous moments particularly when Balsam talks about Green's reason for firing which was a crime he did not commit. The two back and forth in the moment is terrific showing a human side to both character but not at all compromising the intensity of the later scenes in the film.

Balsam gives a very good performance by making Green likable, and he even effectively twists the audiences sympathy just to the right making it so you do not want the hijackers simply all to be killed. He turns Mr. Green into any actual normal man who embarks on a rather foolish endeavor. Balsam allows us to follow Mr. Green through this decision all the way through both the lows, and the seeming highs. He believably shows entirely genuine reactions to what Mr. Green goes through the entire film. Balsam with a character who could have been a throwaway he makes Green three dimensional, and doing so adds greatly to his film.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974: John Huston in Chinatown

John Huston did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Noah Cross in Chinatown. 

Chinatown is a fantastic mystery and the man behind the mystery is John Huston as Noah Cross. Huston actually is in only in a total of three scenes in the film, but he makes tremendous impact in each of his scenes. Noah Cross is a rich and powerful man who owns the water department formerly with the deceased Hollis Mulwray, who just happened to married to Cross's daughter Evelyn (Faye Dunaway). He is heavily embroiled it in it in some way and for some reason and private detective J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is determined find out how and why.

Huston handles his first scene impeccably when Gittes first meets him to question him. Huston has a tremendous presence, which could not be used better than it is here. He gives an even better similar type of performance as Lee Strasberg did in the Godfather Part II. Like Strasberg Huston does convey a certain grandfatherly quality in his performance a welcoming warmth as he speaks to Gittes, an ease in his personality that makes it easy to see how he could easily convince other that he has no ill intent toward others.

Huston though masterfully brings to life the two faces of of Cross as Gittes talks to him. Through every little extra question that Cross launches back at Gittes there is something very dark beneath the surface of this man. Huston keeps what exactly it is appropriately as a mystery, but he makes a truly striking dynamic between the apparent warmth of the man, and the more calculated murky side of him. There talk is an incredible scene  for Huston and my favorite moment of it is a purely silent one. He waves at some riders with a big kindly smile, but hearing another question Huston effortlessly morphs his expression into that of a man with horrible secrets.

Next we see him is when Gittes has found much of the truth about him and attempts to confront him. Huston creates an imposing villain in the screen, and the evil of the character especially prevailing. Huston is absolutely terrifying in how calmly talks of Cross's evil deeds which Cross feels no regrets over. Huston does not compromise what he established making Cross all the more chilling of villain. Huston still has that warmth here, which he still plays as such even though he means nothing warm in the way he talks, which makes Cross an especially compelling villain. Even when he threatens Gittes it is with a quiet genial command that made as very threatening due to Huston terrific portrayal here.

Noah Cross in the end does not lose in the film, and really Huston is the one who makes there no question to why this happens. Even when Gittes is trying his best to take him down Huston never loses the command of his character who pulls right to the front of every situation, no matter what the odds might seem to be. Huston through his three scenes makes Cross an unforgettable villain that controls the film without any seeming effort, and is a very disturbing portrait of depravity. In final act of the film as Cross comforts his "granddaughter" is made absolutely horrifying by Huston due to with such ease Cross is able to hide his evil. Huston gives an outstanding performance that makes a great villain with very little time at his disposal.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974: John Cazale in The Godfather Part II

John Cazale did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Fredo Corleone in The Godfather Part II.

In the Godfather Saga every actor who played a son of Vito, even his step son, received an Oscar nomination except for John Cazale who played Fredo. Just like in the group of brothers Cazale is the forgotten and mistreated brother, he is not considered smart like Michael, or tough like Sonny, he is seen more like a nothing. This is unbelievable though as Cazale is good in the first film even if his part that is rather limited, but he takes what he did in the film and is amazing in Part II.

It is quite strange that Cazale was completely forgotten for this film as there most certainly was a Godfather love fest by the academy, and it received three nominations in Supporting Actor. Where they honestly more impressed by Michael V. Gazzo in the same film, that seem very unlikely. Was it that he also gave a good, but less substantial performance in the Conversation the problem. Well the way his performance was in that best picture nominated film would only help his chances for this film. His snub is a true head scratcher.

In his early moments Cazale suggest the pathetic nature of Fredo, as he is unable to control the woman who has come with him, establishing his weakness. There is also perhaps a bit of naivety that Cazale has in his interactions with Michael in these early scenes. Cazale shows that Fredo really has  failed to fully grasp how much really Michael has changed, and views him as far somewhat still as his kid brother, and no longer as the cold man he has become.

One thing great about Cazale is he is never afraid to show that Fredo really is stupid. He certainly never overplays this lack of intelligence, but brings it to life without fault. In fact Cazale shows Fredo's lack of intelligence as the sad truth behind his downfall. In his phone call at night suggesting what Fredo did to Michael, Cazale is excellent portraying his complete lack of understanding of the situation as well, but as well as bringing to life the piercing guilt and fear over what he has done.

Cazale's strongest moments though all come when he directly interacts with Michael. Firstly in his small moment where he talks to Michael, and attempts to hide his guilt in an attempted hit against Michael, well showing what is a genuine love for Michael he does has as well. Cazale though shows that Fredo really is a jumble of emotions, and cannot really properly control them at any time, such as in this scene where he tries to really talk to Michael, but is unable to get over what he done either.

His single best scene though is when he finally describes to Michael why he did what he did. Fredo did not do it for anything truly malicious, but Cazale honestly portrays he wanted something something for himself, and to be able to have something that would allow him to be something other than the forgettable dumb brother. Cazale is completely heartbreaking in this scene becuase he does not show his anger toward Michael from any ambition of an evil man, but just from a sad child who wanted more.

This a truly tragic depiction of a character, and it certainly is one of the most powerful ever portrayed. Cazale gives a flawless performance here, that is only ever is genuine. His performance stays honest as he never does seem to try to steal the spotlight as Fredo, as that would be incorrect to the character, yet he manages to do it in his own quiet and very moving fashion. This is simply one of the greatest most poignant supporting performances ever given, and the fact he was nominated is one of the biggest mistake in the Academy's history.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1974

And the Nominees Were Not:

Martin Balsam in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Robert Shaw in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

John Huston in Chinatown

John Cazale in The Godfather Part II

Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein