Alternate Best Actor 1943: Results

5. Claude Rains in The Phantom of the Opera- Rains is held back by his film but he manages to be both rather sympathetic, and effectively evil in this film.

Best Scene: The Phantom's Face is revealed.

4. Henry Fonda in The Ox-Bow Incident- Fonda is overshadowed by other elements in his film, but he is consistently solid and exceptional in one scene.

Best Scene: Gil reads Donald Martin's letter.

3. Charles Laughton in This Land is Mine- Laughton gives a strong performance that makes the transition from cowardice to bravery believable.

Best Scene: Albert watches as his friend is executed.

2. Roger Livesey in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp- Livesey's performance is one of the finest examples of portraying the progression of a character over time and through experiences.

Best Scene: Candy reunites with Theo.

1. Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt- Good Prediction Psifonian feel free to name a request. Cotten easily wins this year with his incredible charming and chilling performance as a man with dark secret he wants to hide.

Best Scene: Uncle Charlie tells young Charlie about the true nature of the world.

Overall Rank:

1. Joseph Cotten in Shadow of A Doubt
2. Roger Livesey in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
3. Paul Lukas in Watch on the Rhine
4. Charles Laughton in This Land is Mine
5. Joel McCrea in The More the Merrier 
6. Mickey Rooney in The Human Comedy
7. Henry Fonda in The Ox-Bow Incident
8. Claude Rains in Phantom of the Opera
9. Humphrey Bogart in Sahara
10. Franchot Tone in Five Graves to Cairo
11. Susumu Fujita in Sanshiro Sugata
12. Don Ameche in Heaven Can Wait
13. Gary Cooper in For Whom The Bell Tolls
14. Walter Pidgeon in in Madame Curie

Next Year: 1943 Supporting

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Alternate Best Actor 1943: Charles Laughton in This Land is Mine

Charles Laughton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Albert Lory in This Land is Mine.

This Land is Mine is a fairly solid anti-Nazi film about about a school teacher in a Nazi occupied country who finds himself in between the ideas of collaboration and resistance.

Charles Laughton plays the school teacher Albert Lory who is a particularly pathetic character. He is always worried about everything who falls in line with all the commands of his whiny mother, and in the school itself is constantly ridiculed by his students. Laughton played a meek character before in Ruggles of Red Gap, but Albert Lory at the start of this film makes Ruggles look like Henry VIII. This is not a comedic meekness though as Ruggles was, and Laughton goes about giving a serious portrayal of a man like this. It is very interesting to see Laughton take on a very similar role this time for dramatic purpose whereas his earlier portrayal was largely for the laughs.

Laughton is rather hard to watch early on in this film not because he is bad but rather because he is too good in the role. Laughton unlike in Ruggles does not really change his manner to play Ruggles to that of a meek man. Rather what Laughton does is entirely in the attitude of Albert. Laughton emphasizes that Albert just goes along with his meekness and what comes from it. When his mother commands him Albert just maybe sulks a little but just does it. When his students drop water on his head he barely recognizes it and just goes along with it as something as his routine. When the Nazi occupation force comes in and forces him to censor their school books once again Laughton shows Albert just go along with it as pure routine.

When the routine is broken in anyway, such as an air raid, the meekness of Albert only comes out the stronger. Laughton doesn't shy away from making Albert downright pathetic as he basically goes about acting liking a young child in his mother's arm as he fears the planes dropping bombs from the outside. Laughton is very effective because he doesn't overplay it and he does not try to at all make this something funny as the situation very well could have become. Instead Laughton brings to life this character whose actions on the outside seem to have almost no value, he is afraid of any change of his small little world which consists of him just taking what others give to him.

There is quite the change in store for the character and Laughton has some strong subtle moments early on that plant the seeds for the change for his character. Although overwhelming in his characterization is the weakness of Albert Laughton does express a certain passionate conviction underneath this. It is the smallest part of the man that is hidden right along with his love for his co-worker Louise (Maureen O'Hara), but it is still there. Laughton brings this miniscule of personal strength into Albert as a character in just the right way as it does not all make him seem like a confidant capable human being early on, but it does give just the slightest hope that Albert could redeem his character.

Albert is forced to try and do this when the Nazis begin to round up hostages after a saboteur begins to try to disrupt the Nazis. Laughton is very good in the transition as the initial stages are frankly rather easy as Albert just has to go along with a fairly simple lie to protect someone well keeping his mouth shut. Laughton not only shows that inner strength peep through, but as well suggests a certain enjoyment in Albert as he finally stops doing everything that is expected of him for once. Albert is forced to change even more so though when he is also arrested and questioned over the matter of the saboteur, and later over accidentally being in the wrong place after a Nazi informant has committed suicide.

While being held though he sees a group of men executed one of them being the head master of his school. Laughton is very moving in the scene expressing the sadness in Albert but as well further change as he shows the resolve in Albert only grow from witnessing the horrible sight. Laughton brings Albert naturally to the point where he has his long speech about fighting against the evil of the Nazis. This is very much a speech in the same vein as many speeches from films before and during World War II which is to denounce the terrible nature of the Nazis well pushing the idea of resistance. Laughton handles it well because he gives a quiet very poignant power. He gets the message across firmly yet still within the character of Albert Lory who only has recently overcome his repressed nature.

Like Ruggles of Red Gap this is another example of Charles Laughton giving a strong performance that is not in his more common flamboyant fashion. Laughton also doesn't tread any water even though he once again plays a meek man who is able to change and find his internal strength. Albert Lory's transformation is the crux of the film and it very well could have been rather unbelievable, or at least one part of his performance could have been stronger than the other. Laughton absolutely succeeds from Albert when he is the loser that would collaborate just because it would be the easier thing to do and throughout his whole transition to the man who will stand proudly for what he believes in even if it might mean his own death.

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Alternate Best Actor 1943

And the Nominees Were Not:

Henry Fonda in The Ox-Bow Incident

Roger Livesey in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt

Charles Laughton in This Land is Mine

Claude Rains in Phantom of the Opera

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Best Supporting Actor 1935

Again 1935 is not a year where there are a clear five or even a clear four that stand clearly out as most films really focused heavily only on the leads such as in 39 Steps where the main villain gets only a very brief scene. Still I will cover a few performances quickly.

James Cagney in A Midsummer's Night Dream- James Cagney plays a self absorbed player Nick Bottom who eventually get a donkey head in place of his own. Where some of the actors fail to make the Shakespearean material come to life like Dick Powell or Mickey Rooney who is just terrible as Puck, Cagney though knows how to bring it to life quite brilliantly even though he is not the first actor that would come to mind as Shakespearean. Cagney though is a whole lot of fun in the role and the film really comes to life when he is on screen. He is very funny in his portrayal of Bottom as he fails to act out the part in his play doing it instead in a properly hammy fashion. Cagney surprisingly is not overshadowed by the scene with the Donkey head and actually manages to be very amusing through simply his voice and his physical reactions to dealing with the donkey head. It is Cagney who really makes the story come to life with a great deal of humor. This is a different type of role by Cagney and very well handled one actually. 4/5.

W.C. Fields in David Copperfield- W.C. Fields was usually known for his role as W.C. Fields the likable drunkard a comic star in the vein of Laurel and Hardy. Here in David Copperfield he plays a more traditional type of character as Mr. Micawber a kingly if somewhat incompetent business man who takes David under his wings. Fields nicely moves into the character actually and gives a nice performance as Mr. Micawber. He stresses above everything else the warmth of his character which Fields makes genuine, and he stands well as a wonderful character while outside of his presence David consistently suffers. This is not incredible work by any means but Fields stays in the character and brings out the tenderness that Mr. Micawber should have. 3.5/5

Charles Laughton in Les Miserables- Charles Laughton portrays Javert the inspector who stop at nothing to catch Jean Valjean. Laughton is pretty good in portraying the strictness of Javert's belief in the law system and is actually quite moving when he subtly suggests that without the law there is nothing to Javert. He is quite strong in both of his most pivotal scenes when Valjean lets him go and his last scene. He expresses the conflicting emotions of hate, disbelief and distress over Valjean's actions quite powerfully. He is not the very best Javert I have seen, that would be Philip Quast in the musical concert. I did feel that he could have been a little more imposing on the whole, and he is somewhat limited by the fact that the conflic between he and Valjean could have been done better in term of the film's direction. Nevertheless he is a strong Javert that meets the complexities of the character that some unfortunately ignore. 4/5.

Edward Arnold in Crime and Punishment- This version of Crime and Punishment is told very dispassionately in terms of direction but the performances by Peter Lorre as the man who believes in the right of murder to the superior sort, and Edward Arnold as the police inspector who becomes suspicious of him offers the film some life. This is not a great role, but Arnold shows his skills as an actor well here offering the right sort of presence in the role and being properly incisive that would make it believable that Peter Lorre's character would become as nervous as he does by the inspector's increasingly suspicious nature.  3/5

Ernest Thesiger in Bride of Frankenstein-Thesiger plays the evil mad scientist Doctor Pretorius who convinces doctor Frankenstein (Colin Clive) to make a bride for the monster. Thesiger takes the opposite of Clive's manic approach to the mad scientist instead he emphasizes the madness in his mind through his face. Thesiger plays his role with a certain flamboyancy all his own that has just a creepiness that oozes from him without effort. He makes the derangement of Pretorious quite unique, and is pretty effective in the part. He does not leave the biggest impression on the film, that would be Karloff, but he is quite good in the role. 3.5/5.

Overall Rank:

1. James Cagney in A Midsummer's Night Dream
2. Charles Laughton in Les Miserables
3. Ernest Thesiger in Bride of Frankenstein
4. W.C. Fields in David Copperfield
5. Edward Arnold in Crime and Punishment
6. Frank McHugh in A Midsummer's Night Dream 
7. Charles Ruggles in Ruggles of Red Gap
8. Wallace Ford  in The Informer
9. Joe E. Brown in A Midsummer's Night Dream
10. Edward Everett Horton in Top Hat
11. Roland Young in Ruggles of Red Gap
12. O.P. Heggie in Bride of Frankenstein
13. Godfrey Tearle in 39 Steps
14. Reginald Owen in A Tale of Two Cities
15. Franchot Tone in Mutiny on the Bounty  
16. Cedric Hardwicke in Les Miserables
17. Lionel Barrymore in David Copperfield
18. Colin Clive in Bride of Frankenstein
19. David Manners in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
20. Basil Rathbone in David Copperfield
21. Donald Woods in A Tale of Two Cities 
22. Chico Marx in A Night at the Opera
23. Gavin Gordon in Bride of Frankenstein
24. Henry B. Walthall in A Tale of Two Cities
25. Basil Rathbone in A Tale of Two Cities
26. Donald Calthrop in Scrooge
27. Roland Young in David Copperfield
28. Henry Stephenson in Captain Blood
29. Harpo Marx in A Night at the Opera
30. Basil Rathbone in Captain Blood
31. Victory Jory in A Midsummer's Night Dream
32. Lionel Atwill in Captain Blood
33. Oscar Asche in Scrooge
34. John Beal in Les Miserables
35. Dick Powell in A Midsummer's Night Dream
36. Mickey Rooney in A Midsummer's Night Dream

Next Year: 1991 Lead

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Alternate Best Actor 1935: Results

5. Paul Muni in Black Fury- Muni overacts as usual. He has a moment or two of descent acting but most of the time he just yells in an a needlessly loud fashion.

Best Scene: I guess when he finds out his girlfriend has left him. 

4. Errol Flynn in Captain Blood- Aside from one scene of weakness Flynn gives a charming performance that effortlessly carries his film.

Best Scene: Any of the swashbuckling scenes.

3. Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap- Laughton gives a particularly modest performance but still gives a very strong performance that is very funny but also quite moving when it needs to be.

Best Scene: Ruggles recites the Gettysburg Address. 

2. Robert Donat in 39 Steps- Donat is great as the wrong man playing well the down to earth reactions but as well giving a very charming and quite humorous performance as well.

Best Scene: Hannay finds himself handcuffed to a woman who believes him to be a murderer.

1. Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein- This is actually a pretty strong year for lead actors, and I think the academy could have been bothered to nominate more than four actors for the Oscar. It was a close one but my runner up for the year goes to Boris Karloff  who finds new ground with the monster giving a oddly enough tender performance as the monster learns to talk, and attempts to relate to others.

Best Scene: The Monster meets his Bride.

Overall Rank:

1. Victor McLaglen in The Informer
2. Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein
3. Robert Donat in 39 Steps 
4. Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap
5. Clark Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty
6. Ronald Colman in A Tale of Two Cities
7. Fredric March in Les Miserables
8. Claude Rains in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
9. Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty
10. Peter Lorre in Crime and Punishment 
11. Groucho Marx in Night At the Opera
12. Errol Flynn in Captain Blood
13. Fred Astaire in Top Hat
14. Bela Lugosi in The Raven
15. Freddie Bartholomew in David Copperfield
16. Boris Karloff in The Raven 
17. Frank Lawton in David Copperfield
18. Seymour Hicks in Scrooge
19. Douglass Montgomery in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
20. Paul Muni in Black Fury 

Next Year: 1935 Supporting 

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Alternate Best Actor 1935: Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap

Charles Laughton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Marmaduke Ruggles in Ruggles of Red Gap.

Ruggles of Red Gap is an enjoyable film about a butler who learns about freedoms due to his services being traded to fulfill a gambling debt.

Charles Laughton had a banner year for 1935 appearing in two best picture nominees Les Miserables, and this film as well as best picture winner Mutiny on the Bounty. In Les Miserables and Mutiny he portrayed villains but this film he portrays the lead protagonist of the film. This performance is very different from most of his characters who tend to be flamboyant larger than life characters who tend to be rather brazen in their manner. Charles Laughton in this film as the butler Ruggles plays a rather meek and modest character. Ruggles early on in the picture actually says very little other than proper butler things to say.

Laughton knows how to make his presence known well staying appropriately meek, and he has a lot of fun with his character's manner in which he sticks to procedure. Laughton is quite amusing as he shows Ruggles attempt to keep proper while encouraged to be anything but by his new American employer. A particularly amusing early on is Ruggles rather poor attempt to smile when encouraged to do so by the American, and Laughton's portrayal of Ruggles's attempt is just hilarious. In the early half Laughton stays lightly comedic and enjoyably so as Ruggles is forced by the American to slowly lose some of his butler mannerisms, but Laughton is very funny as he portrays Ruggles in between styles.

Laughton does stay rather modest in his portrayal but handles the transition of Ruggles very well. He eases into properly as Ruggles only slowly loses his mentalities and to a certain degree never fully loses his old habits. This is a particularly charming performance by Charles Laughton, and he makes Ruggles really likable through the genuine fashion in which he portrays Ruggles. When Ruggles discovers the new joys in place to having more freedom, and begins enjoying himself Laughton handles it all very honestly which is interesting as he still manages to be humorous in the transition at the same time. He combines these conflicting elements actually quite well even as his portrayal moves more toward the dramatic at the end. 

Laughton handles the dramatic finale of his role particularly well as he makes Ruggles fully become his own man. He does it though simply that is fitting for Ruggles as he passionately reveals that he truly does care for his own freedom in a particularly powerful scene where he recites the Gettysburg address. He makes these final scenes moving as he plays the modest Ruggles stand up for himself. He does this so well because although finally Ruggles completely stands out on his own it is still done in an appropriately modest fashion that fits the character he has established from the beginning, and the final change has been earned by his performance through the film. This is a very strong performance by Charles Laughton very low key for him yet he still manages to stick out through humorous and honest portrayal that I actually prefer over his Oscar nominated work from 1935.

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Alternate Best Actor 1935

And the Nominees Were Not:

Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein

Paul Muni in Black Fury

Robert Donat in 39 Steps

Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap

Errol Flynn in Captain Blood

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