Best Supporting Actor 1967: Results

5. Cecil Kellaway in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner-  Kellaway is charming in the role, but it never requires more of him than just a little charm.

4. John Cassavetes in The Dirty Dozen- Cassavetes is appropriately rebellious in his early scenes, but later in the film it becomes quite hard to ever distinguish him from the rest of the dozen.

3. Michael J. Pollard in Bonnie and Clyde- Pollard gives the least memorable performance of the main cast, but this is a strong cast. He plays his past as a rather modest and impressionable boy just as he should, as well as does shine in a  few key moments.

2. George Kennedy in Cool Hand Luke- Although Kennedy does some unneeded overacting from time to time in his performance he still gives a good performance. He is entertaining and especially effective in showing Dragline's complete admiration for the titular Luke, which is an essential part of his film.

1. Gene Hackman in Bonnie and Clyde- Good prediction Dinasztie . Gene Hackman easily gets my vote as he gives such a great performance despite some clear challenges in the part. Although not a single scene focuses solely on his character Hackman fully realizes not only his character but also how he factors in with the rest of the gang. There is not a wasted moment in Hackman's entire performance and when any opportunity presents itself in the film Hackman makes the most of it creating some very powerful moments throughout his performance. 

Best Supporting Actor 1967: George Kennedy in Cool Hand Luke

George Kennedy won his Oscar from his only nomination so far for portraying Dragline in Cool Hand Luke.

George Kennedy plays Dragline who is the sorta defacto leader of the prisoners when the nonconforming Luke (Paul Newman) comes into their chain gang camp. In his early scenes he is fairly hostile toward Luke. In these early scenes Kennedy does not make Dragline seem to be the boss of the men or anything like that, but rather he just is the most overwhelming presence in the place who clearly has been there for awhile. Kennedy has a strong presence int the film, and always makes it clear why Dragline is the most prominent member of the chain gang.

Kennedy is pretty good in establishing the illiterate Dragline as a fairly likable fellow who does just about anything to help pass the time in the prison. He makes his rather transition to liking Like rather natural actually even though it is a very fast one. He shows that Dragline basically has a certainly hostility to any new prisoner, but Kennedy fairly quietly shows that Dragline quickly sees something special in Luke that he can easily attach himself to, frankly just to again help himself in the prison life.

Kennedy best moments come in just his simple admiration he has for Luke later in the film. He shows such a genuine joy in everything that Luke does. Kennedy realizes the whole idea that Dragline seems to love Luke very well, by showing it as basically that he seems to worship the whole idea of Luke who refuses to conform to what the prison wants him. Kennedy honest enthusiasm in all of these scenes show how much Luke means not only to Dragline but all the prisoners, which is part of the reason why this film works.

I really do enjoy this work every time I watch the film as he is a warm presence throughout and succeeds in bringing an important facet to the film very much to life. My complaints would be that Kennedy from time to time does go a bit too far in his whole Dragline mannerisms that he becomes over the top. He does not do this all of the time that it becomes overly distracting, but  he does do it enough that it does become noticeable. Even with the overacting Kennedy gives good performance that properly fulfills Dragline's important role in the story.

Best Supporting Actor 1967

And the Nominees Were:

Gene Hackman in Bonnie and Clyde

Michael J. Pollard in Bonnie and Clyde

George Kennedy in Cool Hand Luke

Cecil Kellaway in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

John Cassavetes in The Dirty Dozen

Death on the Nile

“Death on the Nile” (1978), based on the Agatha Christie classic, was an all-star follow-up to the hugely successful “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974), and despite the latter’s popularity, I’ve always preferred Nile to Orient. Nile’s cast isn’t as tony as the earlier film, but the mystery is better, the characters are more colorful and the situations are more dramatic. The clues play fair with the audience and the on-location scenery is a delight. It’s a long film, running 140 minutes, but its well paced and never dull.

Set in the 1930s, beautiful Linnet Ridgeway (future Bond girl Lois Chiles) is one of the richest women in England. Her poor but loyal college friend Jacqueline DeBellefort (Mia Farrow) visits Linnet at her estate to tell her she is engaged to be married and asks Linnet to give her fiancé Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) a job on her estate.

Linnet agrees to give him the job and then some. She and Simon are quickly married, leaving Jackie a huge reservoir of burning resentment. Jackie follows the newlyweds wherever they go on their European and African honeymoon, even surprising them atop an Egyptian pyramid.

Despite their attempts to lose Jackie, she always finds them, even on a steamship traveling on the Nile. Among the passengers is the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov, in the first of his six Poirot performances.)

One particularly violent evening, an over served, quarrelsome Jacqueline accidentally shoots Simon, wounding him in the leg. That same evening Linnet is found dead, shot in the temple.

Jacqueline is the obvious suspect, but she has an ironclad alibi. As Poirot begins his investigation, with the help of his good friend Colonel Race (David Niven), he discovers many of the passengers had good reason to dispose of Linnet.

Not only do all the suspects have motive for killing Linnet, but also means and opportunity. Filmed recreations show how each suspect could have accomplished the murder during a specific time frame.

A wildly eccentric Angela Lansbury plays an author of steamy romance novels who based one of her characters on Linnet, at the price of a potentially costly libel suit.

Bette Davis plays a kleptomaniac who casts an envious eye on Linnet’s jewelry collection.

Jane Birkin plays Linnet’s maid, who is refused a wish to leave Linnet’s service to marry her fiancée, and becomes strongly resentful of her employer.

Jon Finch is a rabid Communist sympathizer who considers the Linnet Ridgeways of the world to be parasites unworthy of living.

The always welcome George Kennedy is Linnet’s American lawyer suspected of embezzling money from her accounts.

Jack Warden is a doctor who is not what he appears to be.

Other suspects are played by Olivia Hussey and Maggie Smith.

Solid professionals one and all, and the behind the camera talent is equally impressive. Director John Guillermin is often hit or miss but this definitely falls in the hit column.

Anthony Powell won an Academy Award for his costumes, while the great Jack Cardiff provided the gorgeous cinematography. Love those long tracking shots of Linnet and Simon riding across the Egyptian desert, to the stirring accompaniment of Nino Rota’s wonderful music. This would unfortunately be one of the great Italian composer’s final scores. (He died the following year.)

“Sleuth” author Anthony Shaffer did a splendid job of adapting the Christie novel, which is a particular favorite of mine.

I suspect that the witty Shaffer is responsible for an early clue that telegraphs the solution to the mystery….if you know your 1930s movie music. Before everyone boards that ship, all the suspects are in a hotel ballroom awaiting dinner. Only Linnet and Simon are dancing to a song that was first introduced in a 1930s M-G-M musical. No vocals are used, and the song is only played as an instrumental. But if you know the song’s title, and its lyrics…I will say no more, and no, I won’t name the song. But it helped me correctly solve part of the murder, and that never, ever happens with me.

Two more murders occur, thinning the pool of suspects before Poirot gathers the remaining suspects in a room, reviews and case and fingers the guilty party. The solution makes perfect sense, but alas, the song is never brought up. I suspect Hercule Poirot spends little time in the dark watching M-G-M musicals.

Ustinov may not physically be the ideal Poirot, but I rather like him in the role. David Suchet in the PBS “Mystery” series remains the definitive Poirot to date, but Ustinov does bring a nice humor to the role.

I’ve seen “Death on the Nile” several times now, and despite knowing the outcome, I always enjoy watching it. With a cast of this caliber, and its exotic Egyptian setting, it’s always a pleasure to sit down with. A winner all the way.