Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1955: Results

5. Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle- Poitier gives a nicely handled and surprisingly believable turn as a disrespectful student who is capable of improving himself, even if I do wish he had gotten a few more scenes to flesh out his character. 

Best Scene: Miller encourages Dadier to say the word.

4. Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock- Brennan gives an effective portrayal of a man filled pessimism but optimistic in heart.

Best Scene: The doc tries to convince the others to help Macreedy. 

3. Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers- Sellers gives a very amusing performance as slick criminal who find himself in over his head.

Best Scene: Harry tries to fetch Mrs. Wilberforce's bird.

2. Takashi Shimura in I Live in Fear- Shimura gives a moving performance as the quiet observer of a situation where there is not obvious solution.

Best Scene: Dr. Harada meets with Nakajima.

1. Raymond Massey in East of Eden- Massey's work is one I have grown to appreciate more with time. His unusual dynamic with Dean is perfect in creating the powerful rift between the father and Massey realizes Adam as man in terms of the good nature of his character, but as well his past before we meet him.

Best Scene: Adam reveals the truth about Cal's mother.

Overall Rank:

1. Raymond Massey in East of Eden
2. Takashi Shimura in I live in Fear
3. Jack Lemmon in Mister Roberts
4. Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers
5. Sal Mineo in Rebel Without a Cause 
6. Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock
7. Cecil Parker in The Ladykillers
8. Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle
9. Ralph Richardson in Richard III
10. Herbert Lom in The Ladykillers
11. Paul Meurisse in Les Diaboliques
12. Vic Morrow in Blackboard Jungle
13. Robert Ryan in Bad Day At Black Rock
14. Charles Vanel in Les Diaboliques
15. James Cagney in Mister Roberts
16. Ernest Borgnine in Bad Day At Black Rock
17. Danny Green in The Ladykillers
18. Bill Thompson in Lady and the Tramp
19. Donald Crisp in The Man from Laramie
20. Robert Middleton in The Desperate Hours
21. Lee Marvin Bad Day At Black Rock
22. Arthur Kennedy in The Man from Laramie
23. William Powell in Mister Roberts
24. Burl Ives in East of Eden 
25. John Gielgud in Richard III
26. Louis Calhern in Blackboard Jungle
27. Minoru Chiaki in I Live in Fear
28. Darren McGavin in The Man With the Golden Arm
29. Arthur Kennedy in Trial 
30. Arthur O'Connell in Picnic
31. Jim Backus in Rebel Without a Cause
32. Robert Strauss in The Man With the Golden Arm
33. John Ericson in Bad Day At Black Rock
34. Gig Young in The Desperate Hours
35. Richard Davalos in East of Eden
36. Ward Bond in Mister Roberts 
37. James Gleason in The Night of the Hunter 
38. Wallace Ford in The Man From Laramie
39. Stanley Baker in Richard III
40. Frank Sutton in Marty
41. Timothy Carey in East of Eden
42. Wilfrid Lawson in The Prisoner
43. Dewey Martin in The Desperate Hours
44. Koji Tsuruta in Samurai II
45. Dean Jagger in Bad Day At Black Rock
46. Peter Graves in The Night of the Hunter 
47. Joe Mantell in Marty
48. Royal Dano in The Trouble With Harry
49. Don Beddoe in The Night of the Hunter
50. Cliff Robertson in Picnic
51. John Hoyt in Blackboard Jungle
52. Alex Nicol in The Man from Laramie
53. Corey Allen in Rebel Without a Cause
54. Arthur Kennedy in The Desperate Hours
55. Arnold Stang in The Man with the Golden Arm
56. Dan Terranova in Blackboard Jungle
57. Jerry Mathers in The Trouble With Harry
58. Cameron Mitchell in Love Me Or Leave Me
59. Ronald Lewis in The Prisoner
60. Tor Johnson in Bride of the Monster
61. Rafael Campos in Blackboard Jungle
62. Rafael Campos in Trial
63. Harvey P Dunn in Bride of the Monster

Next Year: 1970 lead

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1955: Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers

Peter Sellers did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Harry Robinson in The Ladykillers.

The entire cast of The Ladykillers is uniformly solid and all of the actors playing the robbers posing as musicians are worth mentioning. There is Alec Guinness as the ghoulish Professor Marcus of course, the usually dull Cecil Parker is rather winning here as the most hapless of the crooks Major Courtney, Danny Green is rather likable as the softhearted brute known as 'One-Round', a particularly youthful looking Herbert Lom is effective as the most serious minded of the criminals Louis, but my favorite of the supporting crew is the man who matches Alec Guinness's ability to play multiple characters in the same film and that is of course Peter Sellers as Harry Robinson. Harry Robinson oddly enough might be the most normal among the rather strange gang that he associates with.

Sellers is possibly best known for his multiple characters in Dr. Strangelove, but Sellers in many of his performances tried to do something unique in terms of his voice and appearance. Sellers plays Harry Robinson is a cockney spiv which means he does not have the most refined accent but does have a technically refined manner and appearance. The cockney is one accent that is most often overblown in performances, and even though this is a comedic performance Sellers actually gives a rather restrained accent. Sellers creates his very own cockney accent here, it never is typical although he rightly suggests the type  Sellers is excellent though because he never actually appears to be performing and turns Harry into his own man surprisingly well.

 Sellers oddly enough could be looked upon as the straight man of the film. The old lady Mrs.Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) is a little too aloof to be the straight man, and Lom's Louis is technically a bit too vicious of a fellow to really be the straight man. This leaves Sellers as the criminal whose head is on straight yet does not quite know what he is doing in this plot conducted by Professor Marcus. The performances in The Ladykillers really are about two things. The first being the creation of the characters, which all the actors go about in rather unique ways, and Sellers handles this end splendidly of course. The second thing is taking these characters that they have realized and having them appropriately react throughout all the mischief that is involved with the bank robbery.

Sellers in the reactionary regard competes with Guinness for getting the most laughs throughout the course of the film. Sellers is consistently funny as Harry is forced into one awkward situation after another in an attempt to make it out of Mrs.Wilberforce's house with a considerable amount of cash. My favorite moments of his performance are in one very amusing scene as the old lady's bird reeks havoc. Poor Harry faces the worst brunt of the bird finding his face quite badly scratched. Sellers's reaction is hilarious as he shows Robinson as obviously quite ticked off, but just keeps it within himself for the sake of the job. Sellers also has great moments before his exit as Harry finds himself picking the wrong lot, and attempting to handle things his way, every troubled reaction from Sellers is pure gold.

The Ladykillers's ensemble is indeed terrific and in all likelihood is the best ensemble of 1955 with the whole cast coming together especially well, Sellers's supporting work though is the best support in the film. His performances works particularly well because his depiction of Harry Robinson who can be looked as the opposite of Guinness's Marcus in several ways. Unlike the bizarre Marcus, Robinson does look relatively normal, but as well where Marcus seems to know exactly what's going on and what to do Harry tends to be a little more lost at times. Sellers plays the opposite end to Guinness in this film with the great comic precision one would expect from him, and with the quality of his performance here it is a little surprising that took as many years to truly breakout as an actor.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1955

And the Nominees Were Not:

Walter Brennan in Bad Day At Black Rock

Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle

Raymond Massey in East of Eden

Takashi Shimura in I Live in Fear

Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1963: Results

5. Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther- Sellers is by far the best part of his film giving a hilarious turn that steals every scene he is in.

Best Scene: Clouseau takes the witness stand. 

4. Donald Pleasence in The Great Escape- Pleasence adds a lot in his little turn giving one poignant portrait of a man who wants to escape a prison escape even when his eye sight begins to fade.

Best Scene: Blythe thanks Hendley. 

3. Robert Shaw in From Russia With Love- Shaw is a great Bond villain. He is great as the silent menace, but he is something really special when he finally opens his mouth.

Best Scene: Colonel Nash reveals himself to be Red Grant. 

2. Brandon De Wilde in Hud- De Wilde is essential to his film being the man in the middle and creates a powerful reactionary performance by showing both how he deals with the men around him and as well how they change him.

Best Scene: Lon reacts to Hud and Homer's fight. 

1. Tsutomu Yamazaki in High and Low- My win for the supporting this year also goes to the great film High and Low. Yamazaki's performance as a kidnapper is one that only gets better the more I think about it. Despite the limitations for most of his film he creates a great complex villain, but as well in his last scene somehow manages to be heartbreaking in his portrayal of a desperate man.

Best Scene: King Gondo meets with Ginjirô Takeuchi.

Overall Rank:

1. Tsutomu Yamazaki in High and Low
2. Melvyn Douglas in Hud
3. Brandon De Wilde in Hud
4. Robert Shaw in From Russia With Love
5. Donald Pleasence in The Great Escape
6. Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther
7. James Garner in The Great Escape
8. Tatsuya Nakadai in High and Low 
9. Claude Rains in Twilight Of Honor
10. Kenjiro Ishiyama in High and Low
11. Phil Silvers in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
12. Walter Matthau in Charade
13. Dick Shawn in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
14. James Donald in The Great Escape
15. Isao Kimura in High and Low
16. Spencer Tracy in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
17. Bobby Darin in Captain Newman M.D.
18. Pedro Armendáriz in From Russia With Love
19. Terry-Thomas in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
20. Stanley Adams in Lilies of the Field
21. Johnathan Winters in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
22. Hugh Griffith in Tom Jones
23. John Huston in The Cardinal 
24. Nigel Green in Jason and the Argonauts 
25. Roddy McDowall in Cleopatra
26. Paul Lynde in Bye Bye Birdie
27. Buddy Hackett in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 
28. Mickey Rooney in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
29. Charles Bronson in The Great Escape
30. John Leyton in The Great Escape
31. James Coburn in Charade 
32. Jesse Pearson in Bye Bye Birdie 
33. Peter Falk in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 
34. Eddie Anderson in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World   
35. David Warner in Tom Jones
36. Tatsuya Mihasi in High and Low  
37. Jim Backus in  It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 
38. Robert Duvall in Captain Newman M.D.
39. Angus Lennie in The Great Escape
40. Tony Curtis in Captain Newman M.D.
41. Jimmy Durante in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World  
42. Sid Caesar in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
43. Gordon Jackson in The Great Escape
44. George Kennedy in Charade
45. Milton Berle in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 
46. Ned Glass in Charade
47. Nick Adams in Twilight of Honor
48. Ossie Davis in The Cardinal
49. Dan Frazer in Lilies of the Field
50. Heinz Weiss in The Great Escape
51. Peter Bull in Tom Jones
52. Jacques Marin in Charade 
53. George Devine in Tom Jones
54. Ralph Nelson in Lilies of the Field
55. James Coburn in The Great Escape
56. Cecil Kellaway in The Cardinal
57. Eddie Albert in Captain Newman, M.D.
58. Bobby Rydell in Bye Bye Birdie
59. Martin Landau Cleopatra
60. Hume Cronyn in Cleopatra
61. George Cole Cleopatra
62. Robert Wagner in The Pink Panther
63. Richard O'Sullivan in Cleopatra

Next Year: 1980 lead

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1963: Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther

Peter Sellers did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther.

The Pink Panther is a mostly uninteresting film about a thief Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) who tries stealing the Pink Panther diamond from a foreign Princess.

The reason I saw mostly uninteresting because on the surface it is a standard caper comedy of sorts. David Niven is pretty dull in the lead role, the female characters are quite boring, and I'll be getting to Robert Wagner in a bit. If you were to record my reactions to this film as it preceded you would notice a quite bit of boredom but semi frequent bits of me bursting out in laughter. Now these bits were not a coincidence but rather it indicated whenever the only saving grace of this film was on screen which of course is Peter Sellers. Peter Sellers is this movie and the film's biggest problem is that he is a supporting character here because the only time the film comes to life is when Sellers shows up as the hapless Inspector Clouseau.

It is rather interesting to note that Clouseau was only a side character in this film when the series that came out about it became excursively about Clouseau. Sellers's turn here is a bit different in that he does not do that (purposefully) over the top French accent in this film which he adopted for his later performances. His accent is much more muted this time and is almost the type of accent he might use if he was trying to portray the Inspector in a serious fashion. Perhaps though his somewhat more serious demeanor this time actually makes his slap stick all the funnier like for his first scene where he seriously talks about catching the thief but then falls in a rather amusing fashion from pushing a big globe too hard.

Sellers is comedic gold here and his timing is flawless here always trying to get the most out of any scene no matter what. His performance is almost somewhat curious in that he does kind of play it straight in a way well going completely absurd at the same time. He never seems like he is trying to be funny, but perhaps that is why he is so funny. I think perhaps comedic timing is too often overlooked as this film is a great example of its importance. Robert Wagner as the Lytton's nephew actually has slap stick moments as well, but he does not illicit a single laugh because his performance of it is well rather forced. He never flows with the material the way Sellers does, and whenever he was clearly trying for laughs all I thought was "Wagner stop trying to be funny, you’re not funny, Sellers is funny".

Sellers probably does not get enough screen time here but he always does pick up the film with his antics throughout. He is just always on trying to bring something funny in every scene that would otherwise be dull. It is pretty fascinating the way Sellers will do this in either a big way like his reaction to  lighting a Roman candle instead of regular one as well as his line delivery of "What kind of candle is zis?", or even in a small way like when he accidentally kisses a man's hand instead of a the Princesses. He's consistently energetic and fun during the picture and I would say the only problem with this might be I actually only cared about him so when the other characters mocked him all I could think was "Shut up at least he's funny".

This is probably one of the most incredible examples of an actor stealing a show. David Niven meant this to be his film as well as his franchise, but Peter Sellers not only stole the film from right under him but the series as well. It is no wonder he did this not only because Niven doesn't do much with his role, but as well because Sellers is the movie. The biggest problem with the film is that there is not enough Sellers to go around and that does diminish just how much he can do for the film as a whole. Whenever he is on screen he is a delight and the film actually is the comedy it is meant to be. This is a true comedic gem even though it is in the rough, nevertheless this performance shows exactly why Sellers went on to play the role as many times as he did.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1963

And the Nominees Were Not:

Tsutomu Yamazaki in High and Low

Brandon De Wilde in Hud

Robert Shaw in From Russia With Love

Donald Pleasence in The Great Escape

Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther

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