Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1944: Results

5. Sydney Greenstreet in The Mask of Dimitrios- Greenstreet does his master of exposition quite well here and does explore the little depth in his character well.

Best Scene: Mr. Peters searches Cornelius's room.

4. William Demarest in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek- Demarest gives a hilarious portrayal as the reactive face of exasperation at the absurd events during the film.

Best Scene: The constable tries to get Norval to escape from the jail.

3. Peter Lorre in Arsenic and Old Lace- Lorre gives a very funny comedic turn that steals his film in almost a weasel like fashion.

Best Scene: Dr. Einstein tries to warn Mortimer.

2. William Bendix in Lifeboat-William Bendix gives a heartbreaking portrayal of the degradation of his character in both body and soul.

Best Scene: Gus prepares for his amputation.

1. Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity- Good prediction Psifonian, Mark and koook160. Well this year was no contest for me and I love William Bendix's and Barry Fitzgerald's performances as well really like plenty of other performances this year too. There is just no question for me that Edward G. Robinson gives the best supporting performance of 1944. He is on every second he is on screen giving an extremely entertaining and even rather moving portrayal of a claims adjuster who can see everything except what is directly in front of him.

Best Scene: All of his scenes.

Overall Rank:

1. Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity
2. Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way
3. William Bendix in Lifeboat
4. Peter Lorre in Arsenic and Old Lace
5. Clifton Webb in Laura
6. William Demarest in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
7. Hume Cronyn in The Seventh Cross
8. Sydney Greenstreet in The Mask of Dimitrios
9. Walter Slezak in Lifeboat
10. Vincent Price in Laura
11. William Demarest in Hail the Conquering Hero
12. Henry Hull in Lifeboat 
13. Monty Woolley in Since You Went Away
14. Dan Duryea in Ministry of Fear
15. Walter Brennan in To Have and Have Not
16. Barry Fitzgerald in None but the Lonely Heart 
17. Thomas Mitchell in The Keys to the Kingdom
18. Raymond Massey in Arsenic and Old Lace
19. Donald Crisp in The Uninvited
20. Dan Duryea in The Woman in the Window 
21. Dan Seymour in To Have and Have Not
22. Frank McHugh in Going My Way
23. Joseph Cotten in Gaslight 
24. Thomas Mitchell in Wilson
25. Hume Cronyn in Lifeboat
26. Robert Mitchum in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
27. John Hodiak in Lifeboat  
28. John Alexander in Arsenic and Old Lace 
29. Canada Lee in Lifeboat
30. Edward Everett Horton in Arsenic and Old Lace
31. Charles Coburn in Wilson 
32. Robert Walker in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
33. Alan Napier in The Uninvited
34. Spencer Tracy in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
35. Robert Walker in Since You Went Away 
36. Erskine Sanford in Ministry of Sandford
37. Porter Hall in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek 
38. Ray Collins in The Seventh Cross
39. William Frawley in Going My Way 
40. Joseph Cotten in Since You Went Away
41. Raymond Massey in The Woman in the Window
42. James Gleason in Arsenic and Old Lace
43. Alan Napier in Ministry of Fear
44. Vincent Price in The Keys to the Kingdom
45. Gene Lockhart in Going My Way
46. Felix Alymer in Henry V
47. Vincent Price in Wilson
48. Porter Hall in Double Indemnity
49. Stanley Clements in Going My Way
50. Cedric Hardwicke in The Lodger
51. Porter Hall in Going My Way
52. Jack Carson in Arsenic and Old Lace
53. Hoagy Carmichael in To Have and Have Not
54. Walter Abel in Mr. Skeffington 
55. Tom Powers in Double Indemnity
56. James Brown in Going My Way
57. Bill Edwards in Hail the Conquering Hero
58. Bryon Barr in Double Indemnity
59. Richard Waring in Mr. Skeffington

Next Year: 1971 Supporting

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1944: Peter Lorre in Arsenic and Old Lace

Peter Lorre did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Herman Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace.

Arsenic and Old Lace is an enjoyable dark screwball comedy about a recently wed drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) who finds that his aunts are murderers at the same time his murderer brother Jonathan (Raymond Massey) comes home to hide from the police.

Peter Lorre role is that of the drunkard surgeon and partner in crime of Jonathan Brewster who is the one who caused him to look like Boris Karloff. In the theater production of the play Boris Karloff himself played the man who looked like Boris Karloff, it seems perhaps to act as a replacement of sorts, as Massey simply could not replace Karloff as Karloff, when they got another horror icon to play Brewster's partner. Although I have no idea if there was even a thought behind this but having Peter Lorre play the inappropriately named Dr. Einstein was quite a stroke of genius for this film as he fills in the gap that seems might have been created by the lack of Karloff.

Peter Lorre went on to be one of the most often parodied actors particularly in various Warner Brothers cartoons. Peter Lorre here gives basically the Peter Lorre parody before the Peter Lorre parodies, and the simple truth is who better to give a comedic version of a Peter Lorre performance then Peter Lorre himself. Peter Lorre here goes all out Peter Lorre so to speak with the way he is always slinking around screen, always making these slight gestures, having that always slightly nervous quality about him, and of course not in any way trying to adjust his accent here, letting his voice be the Lorre voice of his cartoon iterations.

Of course this type of performance can easily spell doom as it did in 1944 for Bette Davis in Mr. Skeffington, except the differences are that Arsenic and Old Lace is meant to be a comedy and Peter Lorre knows what he is doing. Lorre is terrific in adapting himself to a purely comic performance and is the highlight of the film with his performance. Lorre steals every scene he is in even when he is just in the background through the gestures of unease the makes as the situation slowly becomes more absurd through the film. Even when he is not the focus Lorre still steals the spotlight, as he finds just the perfect tone for his performance.

Lorre work is quite clever in the way he steals each scene he is in by doing what the film itself says he is doing which is underplaying. One of Lorre's best scenes is when Grant's character is going off about how dumb characters won't notice that the killer is coming behind them. Well Grant does a rather big display of acting the best part of the scene is Lorre's perfect comic timing as he shows Einstein's disbelief that Mortimer could be so thick headed. He also is the one who makes Massey work just fine as Jonathan because again what Massey is doing usually is usually rather straight, but what is so funny are the nervous interjections brought by Lorre.

Lorre gives the funniest performance in the film by finding the right balance with his performance unlike Cary Grant who overplays a tad and Raymond Massey who frankly could be a bit more humorous. Lorre though finds a more measured approach and is the funniest person in the film because of it. Lorre knows how to sell the material the best in that he gets all the comedic worth out of Dr. Einstein's actions through the film whether it be his unease at his partner's violent tendencies, his nervous drinking or his futile attempts to quietly warn Mortimer about Jonathan's attentions. Lorre sells every moment just enough to be funny without going over the top.

The role of Dr. Einstein really is not poised to necessarily do all that much in fact he easily could have been overshadowed by the characters who he is usually standing in the shadow of. Lorre never lets that happen though giving a thoroughly enjoyable supporting performance which is quite an interesting performance to from Peter Lorre as he goes for a fully comic performance since often there were light comic touches in his more dramatic performances anyways. Lorre with the chance to go all the way comic proves himself more then capable of taking the next step since he knows how to stay grounded with his character while being very amusing.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1944

And the Nominees Were Not:

Peter Lorre in Arsenic and Old Lace

Sydney Greenstreet in The Mask of Dimitrios

Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity

William Bendix in Lifeboat

William Demarest in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

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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

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Alternate Best Actor 1944: Peter Lorre in The Mask of Dimitrios

Peter Lorre did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Cornelius Leyden in The Mask of Dimitrios.

The Mask of Dimitrious is a decent enough mystery film about a mystery novel writer who teams up with a smuggler (Sydney Greenstreet) to find out what really happened to a notorious crook named Dimitrios.

This one is a strange one in that Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, instead of hounding Humphrey Bogart, actually team up to find out what happened to an evil criminal. Lorre actually plays the hero of sorts to the film as a mystery writer who, due to curiosity, starts trying to find out more of the criminal after seeing the man's apparent corpse. The reason I only say this is a decent enough mystery actually is that there is not enough of Lorre's search for the truth and too much of the flashbacks that show what Dimitrios was doing before the start of the film. Those scenes frankly just aren't that interesting particularly, and it is not helped by the fact neither Lorre nor Greenstreet appear in them.

Lorre's role here is rather strange one in that the writer Cornelius is always an observer of the events and only really gets involved directly with the turn of events at the very end of the film when he has to fight for his life. Before that point Cornelius goes along from place to place checking out various clues while being somewhat perplexed by Greenstreet's character who is a man who clearly knows more then he says as well seems to go by many names. Lorre's role is quite simplistic in nature and in terms of conception the story of Dimitrious should be far more interesting but it is a strong testament to Lorre's talent that he steals the film anyway.

It's funny that Lorre played so many villains so well because he is able to be such a charming fellow with such an innate likability. Lorre is just fun to be around with in this film and things are only helped once Sydney Greenstreet shows up. It is no surprise that Greenstreet and Lorre were in so many films together as they just have some great chemistry together. The two are quite brilliant at making the dialogue sing especially well giving their scenes together a wonderful life to them something that is sorely missing from the scenes without them. Lorre and Greenstreet are just terrific to watch to see them go along through the plot where they are able to bring the humor almost just through the style of their back and fourths.

Honestly this is not really much of a role in any way shape or form. Cornelius doesn't really have a back story, his motivation for getting involved in the plot is fairly weak, and he really doesn't have very much even to do. None of that matters though because Peter Lorre is in the role and that is apparently all it takes for the role to be rather interesting. Peter Lorre is incredibly enjoyable to be around so to speak and he makes it fun to go through the plot of the film with him. It is unfortunate that the part has absolutely no meat to it and would be just one big nothing if it were not for Lorre. This is not a great performance by Peter Lorre but it is a great example of a great actor doing something with almost nothing.

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Alternate Best Actor 1944

And the Nominees Were Not:

Peter Lorre in The Mask of Dimitrios

Edward G. Robinson in The Woman in the Window

Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity

Ray Milland in Ministry of Fear

Eddie Bracken in Hail The Conquering Hero  

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Alternate Best Actor 1931 and Supporting Results

5. Boris Karloff in Frankenstein- Boris Karloff gives a remarkable performance by showing the tragedy behind the creation of the monster. 

Best Scene: The monster plays with Little Maria.

4. Bela Lugosi in Dracula- Bela Lugosi creates the iconic Dracula with menace but as well with a captivating allure.

Best Scene: "I Bid You Welcome"

3. Charlie Chaplin in City Lights- Chaplin is in top form as the tramp being both quite funny and very sweet in this winning performance.

Best Scene: The blind girl finally sees the tramp.

2. Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar- Edward G. Robinson makes another iconic character for 1931 in his brilliant tour de force that depicts the rise and fall of a little Caesar.

Best Scene: "Mother of Mercy, Is this the end of Rico?"

1. Peter Lorre in M- Good Prediction Psifonian, Anonymous, and koook160 feel free to name a year with a requested performance. This was actually a fairly strong year with great work from two of the all time snubbed. Although I do love Robinson in Little Caesar my vote easily goes to Peter Lorre's absolutely chilling and oddly sympathetic work in M.

Best Scene:Hans Beckert stands trail.

Overall Rank:

1. Peter Lorre in M
2. Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar
3. Charlie Chaplin in City Lights
4. James Cagney in Public Enemy
5. Bela Lugosi in Dracula
6. Boris Karloff in Frankenstein
7. Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
8. Jackie Cooper in Skippy
9. Oliver Hardy in Chickens Come Home
10. Stan Laurel in Chicken Come Home
11. Groucho Marx in Monkey Business
12. Colin Clive in Frankenstein 
13. Adolphe Menjou in The Front Page
14. Pat O'Brien in The Front Page
15. John Barrymore in Svengali
16. Jackie Cooper in The Champ
17. Wallace Beery in The Champ
18. Richard Cortez in The Maltese Falcon
19. Alfred Lunt in The Guardsman
20. Phillips Holmes in The Criminal Code
21. Charles Farrell in Delicious
22. Raul Roulien in Delicious
23. Richard Dix in Cimarron

Supporting Overall Rank:

1. Boris Karloff in The Criminal Code
2. Lionel Barrymore in A Free Soul
3. Clark Gable in A Free Soul
4. Harry Myers in City Lights
5. Zeppo Marx in Monkey Business 
6. Clark Gable in Night Nurse 
7. Gustaf Grundgens in M
8. James Finlayson in Chickens Come Home
9. Walter Huston in The Criminal Code
10. Dwight Frye in Frankenstein

Next Year: 1944 lead

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Alternate Best Actor 1931: Peter Lorre in M

Peter Lorre did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Hans Beckert in M.

M is a masterpiece by Fritz Lang about the search for a child murderer whose crimes are so heinous that it causes even the city's criminals to look for the elusive murderer.

Peter Lorre's screen time in this film is actually extremely limited. His character though is the central character of the film and his performance is the only one in the film that stands out. This is not to say the other performances in the film are bad, in fact they tend to be rather solid, but they are really a sea of faces that Lang makes to represent the populace of the city looking and reacting to one man. Lorre plays the one man, that either everyone is looking for or worried about, in his most eerie role. Lorre went on to play many many of villains throughout his career but this is the one that started them all.

What Lorre does, that is quite striking particularly for a film from the thirties where dull or over the top performances was too often the norm, is go about playing the part of Hans Beckert in a very realistic manner. Lorre method of playing this role in that way makes it one of the most chilling portrait of a psychopath ever given on the screen. In his first scene Lorre is able to just make his silhouette frightening as he approaches a new victim. Lorre's is terribly natural in this scene as he approaches a little girl, inviting her to have a fun time with him in such a calm and welcoming manner.

Lorre uses his expressive face perfectly here as Beckert as he creates a living contradiction. Lorre has a soft face that can seem to be the face of just a gentle kind man, like he actually was in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as Beckert there is something very off about it. Lorre wield both sides of the sword without a fault in his swing as he shows the face he would show any child. The face that is able to entice them into an afternoon with him, but with the same exact expression though Lorre also portrays the insanity. There is something very evil in Beckert and Lorre is especially chilling by keeping it in his softness.

The portrait of the killer that Lorre creates is particularly off putting in the film and the fear that he creates from his mere presence is overwhelming. There is not any flashy tricks that Lorre tries, he is not at all flamboyant in his portrayal, instead Lorre just gives a blunt portrayal of the worse kind of killer. Lorre performance is deeply disturbing because of the matter fact manner that he brings to Beckert. He gives life to man as horrible as Hans Beckert. Lorre does not try to make him anymore then he in and doing so truly disturbs with every frame of his performance as he walks the street stalking his helpless prey.  

The brilliance of M as well as Peter Lorre's performance is that suddenly the film takes a twist once the hunter becomes the hunted and the criminals track down Beckert by firstly stamping his back with the mark of M for murder. Lorre begins the transition masterfully with the classic moment as Beckert notices the mark in the mirror and instantly loses some of his composure knowing for sure that someone knows his dark secret. The succeeding scenes are just outstanding, mostly silent, moments of Lorre as he now shows the very real fear in Beckert as he tries to run from the large group of finding him. 

Lorre's performance compliments Fritz Lang's direction of the scenes of the criminals slowly closing in on Beckert. As Lang shows, in great detail, every facet of the criminals method to find Beckert in large building, Lorre adds a greater tension to the scene by portraying the growing desperation in Beckert. Lorre is outstanding as he shows the fear grow in Beckert as he almost seems to become a visibly smaller man as the men come closer and closer to finding him. Lorre makes his performance as important as Lang's direction, as every turn Lang takes in showing the men on their mission, Lorre matches it by Beckert's crumbling demeanor as he comes closer to capture.    

Peter Lorre's strongest scene comes when the men finally capture him which is also the first time Lorre is allowed to say more then just a few words as Beckert tries to defend himself in front of a jury of his "peers". Lorre is simply amazing as he presents Beckert's attempts to tries anyway to keep his life. Lorre combines such an array of emotions as Beckert goes from doubting the validity of the trail, attacking the criminals outright for their crimes, and trying to defend his own actions. It is an outstanding display of acting for Lorre going from a vicious anger, to a pathetic sadness, to even a grief over himself which Lorre portrays so powerfully as the most genuine reaction of a man pleading for life.

Lorre is awe inspiring when Beckert tells the men why he has to kill. It is a tremendous scene because Lorre  is absolutely honest in his portrayal of the sick mind of Hans Beckert as he describes in details the irresistible urge to kill that he cannot shake. We never see Beckert murder anyone through the course of the film, but it feels as though we do as Lorre pantomimes Beckert cycle of murder starting as a haunted man with a twisted mind, to the vicious killer as we see the sadistic glee as Lorre represents Beckert's mind as he does the killing to finally the satisfaction in Beckert after he has met his irresistible need.

M is a film with a strong director's hand throughout and it would have been easy for even the character of Hans Beckert to have just been part of the portrait that Lang is creating, especially considering that the character really is not in the film all that often. Peter Lorre though manages to make his performance stand firmly along with Lang's direction as the most memorable aspects of this film. Lorre actually made it so I forgot that he so little time in the film because he makes such a strong impression with each second on screen so his presence is felt even when he is off screen. Peter Lorre gives an all time great performance as Hans Beckert which has not aged a day.

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Alternate Best Actor 1931

And the Nominees Were Not:

Bela Lugosi in Dracula

Boris Karloff in Frankenstein

Peter Lorre in M

Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar

Charlie Chaplin in City Lights

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