Alternate Best Actor 1944: Results

5. Eddie Bracken in Hail the Conquering Hero-Bracken gives an enjoyable performance and handles his final dramatic speech well, but his best performance of the year was in the other Preston Sturges comedy he starred in.

Best Scene: The "hero" tells the truth.

4. Peter Lorre in The Mask of Dimitrios- Lorre really does not have a character so it is to his testament that he still gives an effective and enjoyable performance.

Best Scene: Cornelius finds the smuggler in his room.

3. Ray Milland in Ministry of Fear- Milland leads this thriller effectively throughout and delivers when needing to delve in his character's dark background.

Best Scene: Stephen tells about how he murdered his wife.

2. Edward G. Robinson in The Woman in the Window- Robinson gives a subdued and effective performance as the lead in a noir who is frankly to old for a noir.

Best Scene: The professor tries to come up with a way to kill a blackmailer.

1. Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity- Good Prediction Michael Patison, JackiBoyz, RatedRStar and moviefilm. (I should note I allowed the correct prediction apply in terms of Milland whether your prediction correctly placed him for The Uninvited or Ministry of Fear) MacMurray wins this year without a second thought as his portrayal of the insurance salesman whose lusts get the better for him stands easily as the strongest leading performance of the year.

Best Scene: Keyes lights the match of Neff.

Overall Rank:

1. Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity
2. Laurence Olivier in Henry V
3. Charles Boyer in Gaslight
4. Laird Cregar in The Lodger
5. Alexander Knox in Wilson
6. Edward G. Robinson in The Woman in the Window
7. Ray Milland in Ministry of Fear
8. Eddie Bracken in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
9. Claude Rains in Mr. Skeffington
10. Gregory Peck in The Keys to the Kingdom
11. Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not
12. Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
13. Peter Lorre in The Mask of Dimitrios
14. Ray Milland in The Uninvited
15. Eddie Bracken in Hail the Conquering Hero
16. Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace
17. George Sanders in The Lodger
18. Dana Andrews in Laura
19. Spencer Tracy in The Seventh Cross
20. Bing Crosby in Going My Way
21. Cary Grant in None but the Lonely Heart
22. Zachary Scott in The Mask of Dimitrios

Next Year: 1944 Supporting