Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1949: Results

5. Kirk Douglas in A Letter To Three Wives- Douglas is effective as usual with his natural charm and intensity. His role though is rather limited, and he lacks that needed chemistry with his on screen wife.

Best Scene: George dissects radio advertisements. 

4. Edmond O'Brien in White Heat- O'Brien's role is overshadowed by Cagney's but he serves his part well as the man of two faces one a loyal gangster and the other a humane face within all the insanity.

Best Scene: Fallon is found out. 

3. Claude Rains in The Passionate Friends- Rains is terrific here taking a thankless role and with it stealing the entire film through his genuine portrayal.

Best Scene: Howard stops Mary's suicide attempt. 

2. Orson Welles in The Third Man- Welles appearance in this film is brief yet he makes a tremendous impact through very memorable portrayal of the slick yet slimy Harry Lime.

Best Scene: Lime's intro.

1. Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets- Good Prediction RatedRStar, George Woolf, and Michael Patison. This was a very close choice between Welles and Guinness as there roles are very different. Where Welles plays one short role brilliantly, Guinness portrays eight different roles. Guinness succeeds incredibly in his roles as he manages to be both visible and invisible at the same time. He does something individual and special for each character leaving a very memorable impression.

Best Scene: The Parson indulges in a drink. 

Overall Rank:

1. Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets
2. Orson Welles in The Third Man
3. Ralph Richardson in The Heiress
4. Claude Rains in The Passionate Friends
5. James Mason in The Reckless Moment
6. Trevor Howard in The Third Man
7. Edmond O'Brien in White Heat
8. James Whitmore in Battleground
9. Kirk Douglas in A Letter To Three Wives
10. Bing Crosby in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
11. Takashi Shimura in The Quiet Duel
12. Ricardo Montalban in Battleground
13. Bernard Lee in The Third Man
14. Victor McLaglen in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
15. Paul Horbiger in The Third Man
16. Isao Kimura in Stray Dog 
17. Ernest Deutsch in The Third Man
18. Arthur Kennedy in Champion
19. Gen Shimizu in Stray Dog 
20. Shepperd Strudwick in All the King's Men 
21. Shemp Howard in Africa Screams
22. Arthur Shields in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
23. Erich Ponto in The Third Man
24. Paul Douglas in A Letter to Three Wives
25. Kenjiro Uemura in The Quiet Duel
26. Ben Johnson in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
27. Siegfried Breuer in The Third Man
28. Steven Cochran in White Heat
29. Fred Clark in White Heat
30. Paul Stewart in Champion
31. Roy Roberts in The Reckless Moment
32. Dean Jagger in Twelve O'Clock High
33. John Agar in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
34. Harry Carey Jr. in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
35. John Agar in Sands of Iwo Jima
36. John Derek in All the King's Men
37. Raymond Greenleaf in All the King's Men
38. Jules Munshin in On the Town
39. Jeffrey Lynn in A Letter to Three Wives

Next Year: Either 1935 or a special set of nominees. I haven't decided yet.