Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1951: Stanley Holloway in The Lavender Hill Mob and Results

Stanley Holloway did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Alfred "Al" Pendlebury in The Lavender Hill Mob.

Stanley Holloway plays the cohort of Henry 'Dutch' Holland who plan to steal the gold from the bank Holland works for to. Holloway's Pendlebury makes model Eiffel Towers which they plan to use to hide the gold and transport across the ocean. As the Lavender Hill Mob goes there are the two working class men they work with, Holland who plays the mastermind well pretending to be the loyal bank employee, and than there is Pendlebury who is a dignified fellow. It is interesting to see Holloway in this performance after seeing him in film like Hamlet and My Fair Lady where he played decidedly uncouth individuals, since here is plays a rather proper and cultured sort.

Holloway is brilliant the way he so effortlessly can be either lower or upper class in his demeanor, and in a way he almost comes off as a completely different actor here. Importantly like in My Fair Lady where he was humorous in his uncouthness here he is very amusing in his character's cultured ways. He has just the right style in his performance to his performance never overdoing it making Pendlebury just an enjoyable character with his own personal style. Holloway makes fascination with the finer things a gentle characterization, even though it does properly set up why his character would so easily take on to Holland's plan to steal the gold.

Holloway despite playing a criminal is very likable in his portrayal, and part of the reason for this is the naivety he inserts into his portrayal of the first time criminal Pendlebury. His reactions throughout the heist and later the problems that arise from trying to make money from the heist are just perfect. It is really quite interesting because he does manage some fairly broad reactions to the various moments through the film, but they are never overacted because Holloway always makes them very much in line with the character of Pendlebury. They only ever add to the film and every situation making them all the funnier through his excellent depiction Pendlebury's lack of experience when it comes to gold theft.

The most important aspect of his performance though is his chemistry with Alec Guinness as Holland. They are perfect together in every way and they are a great duo for the film. In the more serious sense they are great in creating a warmth between the two and make an appropriate friendship between the two. They both convey a great warmth and joy in their portrayal of this, and honestly the way their so happy makes it very easy for we as the audience to sympathize with their troubles when several of their gold towers end up in the hands of the wrong people. The two's genuine portrayal of the camaraderie also brings us into their pursuit easily even though it may in fact be a rather selfish one.

Although they get the more "serious" part of their friendship right, the most important part of Holloway's and Guinness's chemistry is their comedic potential. Holloway and Guinness play off each other with an incredible humor behind all of their antics. They maximize the comedy of every scene through the great way they play off each other and make these two amateur bank robbers just one hilarious pair. Holloway fulfills his role as the uneasy second banana so well, and complements Guinness's portrayal of the somewhat more assured portrayal of Holland as well as any supporting player could. This is just a great comedic turn by Stanley Holloway, and succeeds in making The Lavender Hill Mob the terrific comedy it is.

Well this stands as another year where there is not a great deal of supporting turns that really stick out. The academy honestly did a fairly good job especially since Holloway was not qualified until the next year. That is not to say there are not good supporting performances, but it just not one where it is easy to name performances that were really snubbed. Although it is bit ridiculous that the academy failed to recognize Holloway in 52.

Toshiro Mifune in The Idiot- Mifune once again shows his tremendous presence here as a friend of sorts of the title character. He does well to mix the intrigue his character has at the passive man, but as well the anger eventually forms at the same from the "Idiots" way about life. It is a good performance but a fairly simply one when it comes to Mifune's filmography. He delivers in the way his character should but character moments are rather limited in terms of his screen time.He does very well with all that he has, and it is interesting to see him a supporting role such as this. This is far from his greatest work, but it still is solid work from the great actor. 4/5

Zero Mostel in The Enforcer- Mostel plays a small time crook working for a large organization. He does not have a lot of time in the film, but he is fairly moving in his portrayal of a man who is clearly in way over his head. He is the right sort of sad sack in his performance that reflects the meek position his character holds, and his moments of showing the love of his family is actually fairly moving. It is a short part but he does a good job and does indeed add to his film the best he can. 3/5.

Mervyn Johns in Scrooge- Johns plays the role of Bob Cratchit, and much like Alastair Sim does in his lead role, he gives the best performance as the character. Cratchit is not an overly complex character as the sad sack clerk that works for Scrooge, but he can be played incorrectly. Some performances as Cratchit are overly enthusiastic, and honestly can be a little hard to believe. Johns though takes a more down to earth and quiet approach as Cratchit. He plays him as a simple worker who even despite his hardships keeps a smile on his face. He is earnest in the role, and very sweet without being saccharine. He does well in the role particularly in the important scenes where he talking about his sick son Tiny Tim. The loss of Tim in the future vision is made very moving through Johns honest portrayal of grief. Also the final scene of the film is great due to both Sim and Johns. Sim's performance as the changed Scrooge is perfectly complemented by Johns's wonderful expression of surprise, confusion, and joy at the changed Scrooge. His performance is nice effective one that supporting the lead properly. 4/5.

Michael Hordern in Scrooge- Hordern plays Scrooge's old partner Jacob Marley who visits him on Christmas Eve night to reveal himself as a cursed soul who must bear a chain and wander the earth. Hordern gives the second best performance as Marley, although probably is the most accurate one to the book's character. Hordern is quite good the way he starts out so quietly and properly suggests the otherworldly quality of Marley. After Scrooge denies his existence though Hordern blows up in terms of his performance as he expresses the extreme suffering his character has fallen, as well as the regret. It is definitely loud, but fitting as Marley is suppose to make a chilling scream as written. His portrayal works as it makes it clear that Scrooge does not want to end up like him. It should be noted he also is good in his brief appearances in the past first as the partner to Scrooge's plans, and mirrors Sim's smug demeanor brilliantly. 4/5.

1. Karl Malden in A Streetcar Named Desire
2. Stanley Holloway in The Lavender Hill Mob
3. Peter Ustinov in Quo Vadis 
4. Mervyn Johns in Scrooge
5. Toshiro Mifune in The Idiot  
6. Michael Hordern in Scrooge
7. Gig Young in Come Fill The Cup 
8. Kevin McCarthy in Death of a Salesman 
9. Jack Warner in Scrooge
10. William Bendix in Detective Story
11. Ed Wynn in Alice in Wonderland
12. Jerry Colonna Alice in Wonderland
13. George Cole in Scrooge
14. Miles Malleson in Scrooge 
15. Pat O'Malley in Alice in Wonderland
16. Richard Benedict in Ace in the Hole
17. James Gleason in Come Fill The Cup
18. Lew Freed in Detective Story
19. Richard Haydn in Alice in Wonderland
20. Porter Hall in Ace in the Hole
21. Raymond Burr in A Place in the Sun
22. Ernest Thesiger in The Man in the White Suit
23. Bill Thompson in Alice in Wonderland
24. Jim Backus in Bright Victory
25. Sterling Holloway in Alice in Wonderland
26. Brian Worth in Scrooge 
27. Horace McMahon in Detective Story
28. Roddy Hughes in Scrooge
29. Ernest Thesiger in Scrooge 
30. Sid James in The Lavender Hill Mob
31. Murray Hamilton in Bright Victory 
32. Glyn Dearman in Scrooge
33. Cecil Parker in The Man in The White Suit
34. Richard Pearson in Scrooge
35. Zero Mostel in The Enforcer
36. Michael Gough in The Man in the White Suit 
37. Harold Warrender in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
38. Francis De Wolff in Scrooge
39. Alfie Bass in The Lavender Hill Mob
40. Everett Sloane in The Enforcer
41. Oscar Levant in An American in Paris
42. Joseph Wiseman in Detective Story
43. Takashi Shimura in The Idiot
44. Robert Morley in The African Queen
45. Everett Sloane in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
46. Sheldon Leonard in Come Fill the Cup
47. Ted de Corsia in The Enforcer
48. Leo G. Carroll in Strangers on a Train
49. Michael Tolan in The Enforcer
50. Leo G. Carroll in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
51. Cameron Mitchell in Death of a Salesman
52. Hume Cronyn in People Will Talk
53. Finlay Currie in Quo Vadis
54. Raymond Massey in Come Fill The Cup
55. Ray Teal in Ace in the Hole
56. Leo Genn in Quo Vadis
57. Luther Adler in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

Next Year: 1949 Lead