Alternate Best Actor 1942: Results

5. Tim Holt in The Magnificent Ambersons -  Holt's character is an unlikable boring brat, and Holt in no way makes him compelling in any of that.

Best Scene: Fanny's revelation... I guess.

4. Noel Coward in In Which We Serve - Coward obviously had a very specific purpose for his film and his performance which is to give a passionate message for World War II. Well he accomplishes that well leaving other elements of his performance a bit simple.

Best Scene: The Captain delivers a speech to his troops.

3. Alan Ladd in This Gun For Hire - Ladd his the right notes in his portrayal of a brutal assassin, but just never quite seems to go the extra distance with his performance.

Best Scene:  Raven talks about his past.

2. Joel McCrea in The Palm Beach Story - McCrea gets kinda the short end of the stick in terms of screen time but he still gives an enjoyable portrayal of a husband exasperated by his wife's odd behavior.

Best Scene: Tom hears about his "sister's" idea.

1. Pierre Fresnay in The Murderer Lives At Number 21- Easily my favorite out of these five. Fresnay as is a great charmer here giving a highly entertaining portrayal that makes his film one enjoyable mystery to watch.

Best Scene: Inspector Wens stalls the killer.

Overall Rank:

1. Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca
2. Pierre Fresnay in The Murderer Lives At Number 21
3. Monty Woolley in The Pied Piper
4. Ronald Colman in Random Harvest
5. James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy
6. Joel McCrea in The Palm Beach Story
7. Monty Woolley in The Man Who Came to Dinner
8. Ronald Reagan in Kings Row
9. Alan Ladd in This Gun For Hire
10. Robert Cummings in Saboteur 
11. Jack Benny in To Be or Not To Be 
12. Jean Gabin in Moontide
13. Bob Hope in Road to Morocco  
14. Tyrone Power in This Above All   
15. Robert Cummings in Kings Row
16. Noel Coward in In Which We Serve 
17. John Mills in In Which We Serve 
18. Fred Astaire in Holiday Inn 
19. Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver
20. Tyrone Power in The Black Swan
21. Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees
22. Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn
23. Bing Crosby in Road to Morocco
24. Tim Holt in The Magnificent Ambersons
25. Spencer Tracy in Tortilla Flat
26. John Garfield in Tortilla Flat

Next Year: 1942 Supporting